#dihnmor

So, in case you forgot, SkekSil "dies" at the end of Power of the Dark Crystal. I say that in quotes because I don't think he did, he just got flashbanged.

Whatever happens, SilSol is GONE and does not go home, only seven UrSkeks are seen in the final scenes. SkekSil leaves behind no dust, clothes, or any trace. UrSol leaves nothing either, despite clearly having plenty of objects that should have been dropped if he really did die.

SkekSil and UrSol both appear in Beneath the Dark Crystal about midway through, while Kensho is dreaming. SkekSil is wearing clothes Kensho has never seen him in, and he did not die in. Kensho just doesn't know who UrSol is, so the dream is certainly magic and not just his imagination. Neither are very negative, SkekSil's actually fairly helpful, and we'll come back to the dream later.

SkekSil says they are 'in the prism where he (Kensho) fell', whatever that means. The common interpretation is the two are trapped inside the Crystal, which would be interesting, but I don't think that's the case, I think they're in Dreamspace, like when the heroes of Thra were summoned by Aughra. If this were the real SkekSil, trapped, he should have the clothes he had before.

So where's the real SkekSil, you ask? He's just nearby, watching Kensho sleep while he plays his lute; cue Dihnmor.

Dihnmor, our dark cloaked, lute-playing, brooding, strangely friendly, strangely class-conscious, incredibly tall, new friend!

Dihnmor echoes several of the points SkekSil makes throughout Kensho's dream, such as that the leaders of Thra have been corrupted, that Kensho can and should improve things by actually doing his job, and that Kensho is failing by saying he will help but never actually doing it. He also echoes one of SkekSil's lines about what makes a monster;

He even corrects them that SKEKSIL is NOT a monster! SkekSil defines a monster as something that is defeated. Dihnmor demonstrates a deep understanding of the skeksis, class, power, and what the world was like while the skeksis still lived, I'd argue he knows too much.

We know very little about Dihnmor, he claims he has eight wives, a mother, he reacts poorly to the mention of a father (not his, someone else's), we don’t know how old he is exactly, he does not react to Aughra, and he claims he once considering bring his 'third wife' to the Valley of the Mystics. He knows a lot of songs, is particularly fond of Bohrtorg (who belonged to SilSol, once), and sings a song to make crops grow faster.

Dihnmor's reaction to Kensho waking up from his dream and taking SilSol's advice is interesting-- seeing as the two have barely met by now.

By the end of the book, Dihnmor moves into the castle with Kensho, satisfied that Kensho has evenly distributed the wealth and is running his kingdom smoothly, it's not clear if he has a job, or if he's just... around? But he's in Kensho's trusted circle nonetheless.

And Beneath the Dark Crystal ends, and my first time reading, I genuinely was surprised they didn't reveal he was SkekSil all along. This makes me feel even more crazy than I already am!