Chapter 47
Added 2026-02-13 17:00:13 +0000 UTCComments
theres been a lot of violence being levied against peers in a way that doesnt totally feel like it's going to pay off once theyre out of this sitch
Luin
2026-02-27 17:45:58 +0000 UTCThanks! It was one of the first chapters I outlined for this book, so I'm happy it seems to be landing well.
erraticerrata
2026-02-20 01:39:37 +0000 UTCYes, whatever the whisper was, that was the lie that will lead him astray
George
2026-02-17 04:33:06 +0000 UTCDoesn't really seem likely. If that'd be the case, Tristan wouldn't have been let off the hook with merely a mara check.
Patneu
2026-02-16 23:19:33 +0000 UTCI think the daughter was actually Scholomance, because he has gone through the end of year ceremony.
Noble Solana-Walkinshaw
2026-02-16 19:00:35 +0000 UTCI think Cao's overall position/influence will strengthen, being 'correct' in aiming for the glass repository. However, due to the changed nature, I think Cao isn't going to be able to hinder their efforts as much, as she'll be putting very clearly petty grievances over actual lives and safety, and Song's success with the Lord of Teeth construct will have gained her enough influence to be a leading member, is my suspicion.
Sheyaan Bhesania
2026-02-15 22:12:25 +0000 UTCA theory from looking at info given this chapter: One of the three rules of Scholomance is to not cross the painted red lines around certain parts of the island. Mainly due to the danger of falling into layers. Only, that danger is there on other parts of the island as well. My guess is the real danger is to fell into the Witching Hour layer too close to Lucifer's Shadow. Because as we have seen, standing policy is to simply erradicate all traces of anyone speaking to Lucifer.
Gwennafran
2026-02-15 20:13:46 +0000 UTCWith the Glass Repository being the only way to reach the target of the hunt, does the 13 even need permission from Cao to pursue it? Has this made Cao completely irrelevant? (though she'll of couse try to claw out any spec of authority possible)
York
2026-02-15 19:55:47 +0000 UTCEvery wait between chapters is pain upon my soul. So, thoughts. Lucifer was done pretty well. He actually made himself out to be fairly chill and reasonable, going against the damaging trope of anatagnist trying to be convincing in the most fumbly and bluntly evil manner ever. Dude smooth-talked the entire way while constantly doing fucked up shit. Also, bear mark of daughter... does that mean Fortuna is a Lucifer creation? It was brought up how she seemed to avoid the witching hour. Or even talking about it. Hage getting from essence in bargaining is quite a funny revlation on his cheap skate tendencies. And after that interaction, wonder if Asher's is something like pessimism or contingencies. I really love the little details where we see that Tristan's absence seriously worried the brigade. We BETTER pick up with some flashback summary from a character or retelling to him, or I swear I will legit flip. Let me see my beloved characters caring about each other! I seriously wonder how the delve becoming paramount and Song probably wanting to lead that effort will impact things with Cao and that whole mess. Though I imagine the hunt is technically over, so Cao doesn't have any grounds to keep Song out. And considering her success, she can probably gain enough influence to guarantee her position. Plus, the creature is now a threat to even classroom safety, so she might actually just get passed over and vetoed even if her position strengthens from all this, because it would be too petty on something critical. It will be interesting to see the new playing field we're dealing with. Also, I fear for how Fortuna will be when we see her next.
Sheyaan Bhesania
2026-02-15 06:29:00 +0000 UTCI wonder whether Tristan paid much attention to the tile with which he slew that boy? Tristan has referred previously (Chapter 3.26) to how he met Fortuna after 'happening to' enter an abandoned shrine in his flight from pursuers and 'accidentally' smeared his own blood on a prominent tile. In the Practical Guide - admittedly a separate setting, albeit by the same author - that was the near-universal means of paying one's respects to the Gods Below in particular. The one glimpse I think we've had into Tristan's own shrine to her (Chapter 3.10) didn't mention anything similar, but we were looking through Angharad's eyes at the time and she focused on the paintwork. Now what if that was not just any blood, but the very lifeblood of a (potentially) innocent victim killed to pre-empt a (potential) threat? How much more would it be appreciated by those red-handed patrons of doing what one can because one must! Perhaps even enough to be repaid by elevation to the priesthood, with the personal attentions of his patron and protection from the otherwise-inevitable instabilities?
Scott's Folly
2026-02-14 21:04:49 +0000 UTCAlso, this chapter could have been titled "Tristan and Two Very Comfortable Chairs."
Pteromys Momonga
2026-02-14 19:38:53 +0000 UTCSo my take on the revelations this chapter: this is the distant future of our planet. We discovered a realm shaped by the emotions, thoughts and beliefs of our population and sought to harness it. The combined belief in heaven and hell of our species had already somewhat split that realm in two. We sought to conquer heaven, and as punishment for our hubris, heaven cast its Wrath upon our world in the form of the Glare. It was too much for us, so we did the natural thing and fled to hell. Vesper is hell. Lemures are demons shaped from human emanations into this realm. The wheel of reincarnation is in heaven, so in order to maintain a soul a person needs to receive a measure of its light. The hollows are damned because they've been cut off from heaven's light. Lucifer is a man from our world that thought it would be funny to take on the name of the devil when he stepped into his role. The principality is an agent of heaven that chased us down to hell to deliver our rightful punishment.
Joe ?
2026-02-14 10:24:06 +0000 UTCAs soon as the cat was introduced I thought that it was a devil. Also isn't Ahuic a last name? I think that and the single time Hage is referred to as Haagenti might just be a typo by EE.
Taelel
2026-02-14 08:38:29 +0000 UTCSomething interesting to consider: The Principalities seemingly work through rulers. Their hand was previously shown meddling with the worship of Oduromai, a god associated with kingship. The resolution of that plot involved a god being killed and consumed/absorbed, through the method of subverting it's only worshipper. Nerei's backstory involved consuming the god she worshipped, who was called the Changing King, and obtaining power by doing so. Fortuna has mentioned a variety of stories associating her with "queens and emperors" and various trappings of royalty. This may be why the Principality is seeking to use her as its material. By bonding with Fortuna to the point where he is considered her shrine, arguably Tristan has absorbed her (or at least taken steps down the road to doing so), and gained power as a result. The Theogony experiment aimed at creating a "stable saint," a human bonded inseparably from their god but without the inevitable burnout. In a way, this would replicate what happened with Nerei, and arguably happened or is happening with Tristan. Fortuna also described becoming a saint/harmonious as a beautiful thing. Was that why Nerei was investigating the Theophany, and why she took Tristan under her wing? Lucifer being described as the Toppler of Thrones could be tied to this concept of overthrowing Gods of rulership and seizing their power. It would align with the real world mythological narrative of Lucifer rebelling against God. It would also align with the Lights implication that Lucifer may have been associated with the Principalities or something like them, and turned against them. Maybe that is what makes Tristan his grandson, both by being in the process of seizing power from a ruling god, and association with another individual who did so. Take it one nebulous step further: Isn't stealing the power of a god and granting it to humans essentially what is being done with Scolomancia being breathed in by the students?
Ben Clark
2026-02-14 08:26:06 +0000 UTCThat was one of my favorite chapters! Well done EE!
Adam Woods
2026-02-14 07:14:58 +0000 UTCSomething weird appears to be going on with Tristan's internal monologue regarding names. The Skiritai he poisoned was named Ahuic, not Anayeli of Teskatlan, and it's odd he's referring to people by their full/true name. Why refer to Hage as Haagenti when he's never known him as such? I think Tristan's been psychically compromised. Also, am I the only one who thinks Mephistofeline is actually a devil in the form of a cat?
Big I
2026-02-14 04:23:21 +0000 UTCLucifer is so giving Tristan the "stroke, stroke, slap" treatment. Like calling him nieto and saying that they're friends. Saying that he looks cold and wraps him in a blanket... only the blanket is the same one that Tristan's mom died in. Lucifer deliberately keeps Tristan off-balance by taking on the forms and voices of people that Tristan knows - most of them that Tristan cares about. Straight up goes, "you look exhausted. Come sit on my throne :))." You know? The throne that KILLS people who dare sit on it? The throne that recently had a corpse on it? And then Lucifer acts SO helpful while he's changing shape. This is the thing that took Fortuna, this is why, this is where you need to go if you want to get her back all while reminding Tristan that the clock is ticking for Fortuna. And then the slap. Going "oh but maybe you don't WANT to save Fortuna. You have new friends now" and then taking the form of the boy whom Tristan killed. The boy who had done no harm at all to Tristan and died because Tristan didn't dare take the risk of trusting him. And that ONE sentence. The sentence we don't know and Tristan won't tell. Tristan acts like it's nbd because he's just a street rat, but according to Angharad, Lucifer turned a wise and virtuous king into a tyrant by just telling him a single sentence. There's a reason why Asher and Hage are so worried about Tristan just talking to their dad. Me thinks that there's going to be a crossroads in Tristan's future where he has to choose between following that one sentence - or not. PS, I think that it's so funny that Lucifer is just like that meme. "I love all my children equally. (5 seconds later: Hage's a bit of a drag)".
Vaheni Alexander
2026-02-14 04:04:46 +0000 UTC
