History Literature / SecondApocalypse

* HenchmanRace: The Sranc, who were bred by the Inchoroi to serve as an army.

* BigScrewedUpFamily: House Ikurei, the imperial family of Nansur.

* BlackAndGrayMorality: The sociopathic "hero" does enough acts to ensure he can never be seen as "good", but it's all to unite mankind to face an EldritchAbomination and its CompleteMonster creators.

* CreepyChild: Kelmomas, the youngest son of Kellhus and a CompleteMonster.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: In a really strange way. [[spoiler:In the actual daily life of Eärwa, morality is very, ''very'' gray, but there's another level of reality entirely, being the Outside. This reality encompasses salvation and damnation, and the type of actions that invoke damnation are absolute (for example, all sorcerers are damned for singing in the voice of the God).]]

** [[BarbarianTribe The Scylvendi]] are near-nihilists who once belonged to the same religion as everyone else, but for reasons yet unrevealed, they converted to worshipping [[EldritchAbomination the No-God]], and after his death, they became the People of War. As one character put it, the Scylvendi see the blood-guilt of deicide as hanging upon the people of the Three Seas, and thus consider the Ketyai and Norsirai as cattle for sacrifice upon the altar of the world. What was the No-God? We don't know, but his existence made babies unable to be-- '''WHAT DO YOU SEE? I MUST KNOW WHAT YOU SEE. TELL ME. WHAT AM I?'''

** [[spoiler:Then again, only the Scylvendi seem to have a strong sense of sexual orientation, and only then because they are homophobic as only murderous roaming herders can be. Cnaiür has an (albeit psychologically disturbed) physical and emotional attraction to Serwë]].

* TortureAlwaysWorks: Very averted. The Scarlet Spires have been capturing and torturing Mandate sorcerers for two hundred years, trying to learn the secrets of the Gnosis. It hasn't worked ''once''. This is because all the Mandate sorcerers have Seswatha in their head, and he got tortured by things [[EldritchAbomination that can make men weep with fear from a glance]].

* AGodAmI: Kellhus comes to believe this in the end. This is also a recurring fantasy of Ikurei Conphas.

* BarbarianTribe: The Scylvendi. Calling themselves "the People of War", they see war as a holy act and the men cut a scar on their arms to mark their every kill. They dedicate themselves to war so much that Scylvendi children know songs and stories about ''each division'' of their enemies' armies, so they'll know exactly who they are up against. During the Holy War, Cnaiur can simply analyze the enemy army and see who is who.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Why are the Consult trying to slaughter the human spacies? [[spoiler:To save their souls. The metaphysics of the universe are such that objective morality exists, along with redemption and (more importantly) damnation. The Inchoroi effectively crossed the [[MoralEventHorizon Moral Event Horizon]] by Earwan standards even before they crash-landed on Earwa, and are wholly and entirely damned for their actions (they are described as a "race of lovers" wholly obsessed with sexuality, sexual violence, and intercourse). Similarily, sorcerers are all damned for singing in the "voice of the God". However, as the Consult discovered, the reduction of the number of "ensouled" beings below a certain number - 144,000 souls - plus some additional work in the form of the No-God serves to completely sever the world from the Outside, thus saving their souls from damnation.]]

* {{Woobie}}: Too many to count - almost everyone in the books has a Woobie moment at some point or another. Even Kellhus in the first book, when Cnaiur tortures him until he pisses himself from the pain.
** Achamian is the biggest one in the series, hands down.
*** Cleric [[spoiler:who used to be the last Nonman king, Nil'Giccas]] also qualifies as the most tragic character of them all.

* EvilVersusEvil: [[YourMileageMayVary Kellhus versus the Consult]].

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Highly cynical. Religious hatred, racism and violent misogyny are rampant in this world - Bakker has stated more than once that he aims to portray the Dark Ages world realistically. Although YourMileageMayVary if he does.

* BigBad: The No-God.
** Quite possibly [[spoiler:Kellhus]] himself.

[[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Opinions are highly divided]] on whether Kellhus is a scheming VillainProtagonist, the BigBad himself, a HeroicSociopath doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, or an insane but {{Badass}} AntiHero deserving of our admiration. This has a lot to do with an individual person's perception of what counts as MoralDissonance, BlackAndGrayMorality, and MoralEventHorizon. Irredeemably evil? You be the judge. Ultimately a force for good? At the moment we can only speculate.

* HoYay: Moenghus and Cnaiur, which resulted in Cnaiur killing his father. This is the reason why there is latent HoYay between the adult Cnaiur and Kellhus, even though it's more like FoeYay.

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** [[{{Squick}} They]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel carve new orifices]].

** TookALevelInBadass: Kellhus' career is this, BeyondTheImpossible.

** [[{{Squick}} They]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel carve]] [[BeyondTheImpossible new orifices]].

** Scylvendi: Huns or Mongols.

A dark and philosophical fantasy series by R. Scott Bakker that is planned to consist of three smaller series, only the first of which has been currently published.

* AfterTheEnd: The series is called the ''Second'' Apocalypse after all.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Why are the Consult trying to slaughter the human spacies? [[spoiler:To save their souls. The metaphysics of the universe are such that objective morality exists, along with redemption and (more importantly) damnation. The Inchoroi effectively crossed the [[MoralEventHorizon Moral Event Horizon]] by Earwan standards even before they crash-landed on Earwa, and are wholly and entirely damned for their actions (they are described as a "race of lovers" wholly obsessed with sexuality, sexual violence, and intercourse). Similarily, sorcerers are all damned for singing in the "voice of the God". However, as the Consult discovered, the reduction of the number of "ensouled" beings below a certain number - 144,000 souls - serves to completely sever the connection of the Outside with the real world, thus offering the possibility of saving the Inchoroi and Consult from damnation.]]
** It's later revealed that the Inchoroi have known this for a very long time, and [[spoiler:exterminated the population of several hundred planets, before they landed on this one.]]

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Esmenet. Unusually for this trope, she is actually a real slut.
** Her daughter Mimara is also a former hooker, although she doesn't have much to do with this trope.

*** When the humans first encountered the monstrous Sranc, they perceived them to be the spawn of Nonmen The Nonmen then answered "They are not our sons, and you are not our brothers" and shut

** Happens to every woman and child that the Inchoroi encounter.
*** Mimara's backstory is basically this as well, since her mother sold her into sexual slavery. At the end of ''The White-Luck Warrior'', she is raped again.

* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler: The entire Holy War, from beginning to end, was a giant XanatosGambit on the part of Moenghus. He was the hidden leader of the heathens, his son Maithanet was the equivalent of Pope and launched the Holy war, and his other son Kellhus took control of this crusade, setting himself up as a Jesus figure. All to unite the Three Seas against the threat of the No-God.]]
** The Kellian Empire is also one great XanatosGambit. [[spoiler: Kellhus has basically abandoned the empire, because this super-state was never meant to last in the long run, only to draw enemy attention away from the Great Ordeal.]]

* LawOfConversationOfDetail: It's stated pretty specifically that the Mandate's dreams of Sesawatha's life are slightly edited to keep them focused on the important things. They don't need to know about his childhood, for example, or that he may be the real father of an important historical figure, or that [[spoiler: his king turned out to be ''an avatar of the fucking No-God'']].

* NobodyPoops: It's stated pretty specifically that the Mandate's dreams of Sesawatha's life are slightly edited to keep them focused on the important things. They don't need to know about his childhood, for example, or that he may be the real father of an important historical figure, or that [[spoiler: his king turned out to be ''an avatar of the fucking No-God'']].

*** Mimara's backstory is basically this as well, since her mother sold her into sexual slavery. At the end of ''The White-Luck Warrior'', she is raped again by the scalpers.

** We also know that Galian has truly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when [[he rapes Mimara, after he and Xonghis have killed the Captain]].

*** Mimara's backstory is basically this as well, since her mother sold her into sexual slavery. At the end of ''The White-Luck Warrior'', she is raped again by [[spoiler:Galian, who leads a mutiny and kills the Captain]].
** RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: This is what makes the Sranc species (who are bio-engineered for violent rape) more horrifying than any other fantasy-book monsters.

** The things done by Aurang or Aurax don't count, since those two ''already'' started beyond the horizon.

** ''The White Luck Warrior'' has a major downer ending for several of its plot elements. [[spoiler: Achamian and Mimara, the only survivors of their group, reach Ishual...only to find it abandoned and destroyed, possibly by Kellhus. One of the four major Armies of the Great Ordeal has been annihilated, and most of a major School (the Vokalati) is wiped out. The last Nonman King, Nil'Giccas, has gone insane and is dead at the end of the story--his mind was so ancient that he was only able to remember traumatic things, so he tried to kill Achamian and Mimara in order to remember them by way of PSTD. In a heart-wrenching scene, Achamian is forced to kill him.]]
*** The last surviving Nonman kingdom, Ishterebinth, seems to have turned traitor to serve the Consult, and [[spoiler: two of Kellhus's children plus Sorweel, handed over as hostages to the Nonmen, are walking into a trap.]] The only bright point is Esmenet's return to power. And even that comes at the cost [[spoiler: of Maithanet's life, and results in the White-Luck Warrior securing a place by Esmenet's side to wait for Kellhus.]]

# ? (the name of the last sub-series is known by Bakker but he says it's a spoiler)

## ?

* BigDamnHeroes: {{Subverted}} with [[spoiler: Xinemus' disastrous attempt to rescue Achamian from the Scarlet Spires.]]

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Why are the Consult trying to slaughter the human race? [[spoiler:To save their souls. The metaphysics of the universe are such that objective morality exists, along with redemption and (more importantly) damnation. The Inchoroi effectively crossed the [[MoralEventHorizon Moral Event Horizon]] by Earwan standards even before they crash-landed on Earwa, and are wholly and entirely damned for their actions (they are described as a "race of lovers" wholly obsessed with sexuality, sexual violence, and intercourse). Similarily, sorcerers are all damned for singing in the "voice of the God". However, as the Consult discovered, the reduction of the number of "ensouled" beings below a certain number serves to completely sever the connection of the Outside with the real world, thus offering the possibility of saving the Inchoroi and Consult from damnation.]]

** Moenghus (Kellhus' father) and Maithanet are the ultimate chessmasters of the first trilogy.

* CrapsackWorld: Let us recount the ways. Achamian was physically and emotionally abused by a drunkard father, and when the Mandate came to save him, the man still tried to claim him. So, the Mandate's soldiers beat Akka's dad. The child Akka ''gloated.'' Next, the native religions. "Suffer not a whore to live, for she maketh a pit of her womb. Suffer not a whore to ''breathe''." That's just a taste of the Tusk, for you. Also, everybody in the Three Seas lives in a rigid caste system. They are "caste-nobles," "caste-merchants," "caste-menials," or slaves. And boy, is there slavery! [[BarbarianTribe The Scylvendi]] are near-nihilists who once belonged to the same religion as everyone else, but for reasons yet unrevealed, they converted to worshipping [[EldritchAbomination the No-God]], and after his death, they became the People of War. As one character put it, the Scylvendi see the blood-guilt of deicide as hanging upon the people of the Three Seas, and thus consider the Ketyai and Norsirai as cattle for sacrifice upon the altar of the world. What was the No-God? We don't know, but his existence made babies unable to be-- '''WHAT DO YOU SEE? I MUST KNOW WHAT YOU SEE. TELL ME. WHAT AM I?'''
* CreepyChild: Kelmomas.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Emperor Xerius is surrounded by one.

** ''The White Luck Warrior'' has a major downer ending for several of its plot elements. [[spoiler: Achamian and Mimara, the only survivors of their group, reach Ishual . . . only to find it destroyed and lifeless. One of the four major Hosts of the Great Ordeal has been annihilated, and most of a Major School (the Vokalati) wiped out. The Last Nonman King, Nil'Giccas, has gone insane and is dead by Achamian's hand at the end of the story. The last surviving Nonmen Mansion, Ishterebinth, has turned traitor to serve the Consult, and two of Kellhus's children plus Sorweel are walking into a trap. The only bright point is Esmenet's return to power.]]
*** And even that comes at the cost [[spoiler: of Maithanet's life, and results in the White-Luck Warrior securing a place by Esmenet's side to wait for Kellhus.]]
*** Not to mention that [[spoiler: the Fanim are coming.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: House Ikurei, the royal family of the Nansur Empire. Perhaps the most dysfunctional thing about them is the consensual mother-son incest.

* TheEmpire: The "Kellian Empire".

** Also, stay away from [[spoiler: [[TheCreepyChild Kelmomas]]]]

* TheFogOfAges: Affects the Nonmen, because they have mortal minds inside immortal bodies that live for millennia after millennia. Quite a few go insane from the amnesia.

** The Sranc are a horrifying subversion of this trope. They have the libido for it, but their appearance is extremely disturbing (hairless dog-like bodies with extremely beautiful, bone-white faces), and "rape" is far too mild to describe what they'll do to you.

* OurOrcsAreDifferent: The Sranc, a race of monsters engineered to achieve sexual pleasure from violence and rape. As a homage to JRR Tolkien, they are "corruptions" of the Nonmen (the "Elves" of this setting), and genetically engineered to have Nonman faces as a mockery.

** Happens to every woman and child that Aurax encounters.

* SuperSoldier: The Sranc are an odd variety. They aren't particularly great fighters and are too undisciplined to fight in any formation other than ZergRush, but they can easily live off bugs and scavenging, reproduce very rapidly, and have almost unbreakable morale. ´

* ForTheEvulz: One of the motivations of the Inchoroi, who are wholly dedicated to their perverse, violent lusts (the other reasons being [[spoiler:to ensure that enough humans die that they won't go to Hell]], as well as vengeance against the Nonmen.