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From: "Dan'l Danehy Oakes" <DDANEHYO at us.oracle.com>
And finally the "newer" mountain ranges are recognisable as
such because they are sharp and rugged - in contrast to the
'old' mountain that have all be carved into the likeness of
past Autarchs (rather than being softened from weathering).
Those are monarchs (or emperors), not Autarchs (Severian only
thinks so as he sees them because he does not know their
history).
They're Autarchs. Urth, chapter 38:
"All around us ragged, faceless peaks loomed through pent clouds. We were among mountains, but mountains that had not yet put on the carven likenesses of men and women -- such unshaped mountains, then, as are to be seen in the oldest pictures."
Typhon appears to have started this charming little fad. It's certainly consistent with his colossal (Satanic?) ego. Also note the unstated implication that such mountains are not to be found
outside of old pictures ....
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Did Typhon start the fashion, or was he mearly the aprotheosis of it?
Since he appears to have been the last of the monarchs, I'd say he was its apotheosis. After him, came Ymir the Almost Just, first Autarch.
Given his background, and his role model as First Autarch, it's astonishing that Ymar came within an "Almost" of Just!
raster at highfiber.com