Author Topic: What are the words?  (Read 11716 times)

Never

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What are the words?
« on: September 23, 2010, 12:13:18 AM »
“You must take this. They must not get it.” He seemed dazed. “Tell…tell my brother…he must find the most important words a man can say….”


Later we're told this is a quote from the Way of Kings, but we're never given the quote.

Any ideas on what they might be?

Stormblessed

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2010, 12:26:43 AM »
I Surrender.

Or

I Obey

Or

I swear fealty

or

I trust you

They are all sort of the same. Basically I think it has something to do with putting your life/trust in another's hands, whether or not you trust them completely.
"You've killed me. Bastards, you've killed me!
 -- Darkeyed Soldier

Munin

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2010, 12:53:27 AM »
It could also be one of the ideals of the Knights Radiant.
There's a difference between what's best and what's right. What's best might be different tomorrow or the day after, but right and wrong will stay the same after a thousand years.

ehyde

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2010, 08:22:50 AM »
It could have something to do with the vision's command to "speak again the ancient oaths," which seems like it would refer to the Ideals of the Radiants, but I suppose it could refer to something else entirely.

Pechvarry

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2010, 05:23:06 PM »
I could be wrong, but I think what the OP means is "what made them think it's from the Way of Kings?"

timeline:
1st: Dalinar is informed of his brother's dying words
2nd: Jasnah discovers it's from The Way of Kings

so.... what quote did Jasnah find?!

I expect it was something where Nahodan simply said something in his narrative where he included the line.  Something like "It's a leader's duty to his people to find the most important words he could say" or some such.

Munin

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2010, 05:53:35 PM »
It could have something to do with the vision's command to "speak again the ancient oaths," which seems like it would refer to the Ideals of the Radiants, but I suppose it could refer to something else entirely.
Since the vision says one of the Ideals right after saying "speak again the ancient oaths", I think it's pretty clear that's what he means.
There's a difference between what's best and what's right. What's best might be different tomorrow or the day after, but right and wrong will stay the same after a thousand years.

Never

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2010, 08:00:13 AM »
I don't believe that it's going to be the Knight Oaths. The Way of Kings seems to be a book for both the Knights and non-Knights.

I could be wrong, but I think what the OP means is "what made them think it's from the Way of Kings?"

No, I said what I meant.


Melriken

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2011, 03:34:53 AM »
When I first read the book I was expecting it to be "I forgive you." and assumed we would find that the king's brother was holding a grudge against another high ranking member of the kingdom and the king knew that his kingdom would collapse if these two continued to fight.

This almost fits Sadeas, however the falling out between them didn't happen until the king's death, so I no longer think that.

My theory is that the words are an oath to the Almighty and will likely return the Dawnblades to humanity for use against the Voidbringers.  Something similar to the Christian idea of accepting Christ into one's heart and life.

Melriken

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2011, 03:35:47 AM »
err, sorry, didn't mean to Necro that thread, forgot that I had found it with google not by scanning the first page.

socom-delta

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2011, 09:19:37 PM »
the line in the OP is ITSELF the quote from the Way of Kings.

The question should be: what are those words? THAT is never actually expressed in the book iirc.

-edit-

THIS is the quote from the Way of Kings:

"...must find the most important words a man can say….”

THAT is the quote from the book; what those words are that the quote in the book refers to is not firmly expressed.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2011, 04:48:54 AM by socom-delta »

Ari54

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2011, 12:17:42 AM »
My theory is that the words are an oath to the Almighty and will likely return the Dawnblades to humanity for use against the Voidbringers.  Something similar to the Christian idea of accepting Christ into one's heart and life.

I really don't think so. Brandon is a really good author, and this sounds like it'd be really hard and not worth pulling off in a book, because it's essentially a trope of all sorts of terrible fantasy that swearing an oath grants you powers.

Rew

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2011, 03:15:30 AM »
Unless I am completely mistaken that trope has a large presence already in this book/series- 
i.e. Kaladin reviving from near death and jumping the bridge after accepting/saying/making an oath of  the Second Ideal...-

KhyEllie

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2011, 03:21:15 AM »
I go along with the Radiant Ideals theory. Speaking (and believing) the Ideals is what seems to make a Knight Radiant, and I would suspect that the most important thing that can happen at this point is to bring the Radiants back, what with the world coming to an end and all. And bringing them back would only happen by speaking the Ideals.

Ari54

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2011, 12:16:35 AM »
Unless I am completely mistaken that trope has a large presence already in this book/series- 
i.e. Kaladin reviving from near death and jumping the bridge after accepting/saying/making an oath of  the Second Ideal...-

I think there's a slight difference between having full access to powers you've been using all along, and a magic sword appearing out of nowhere without already being bound to you. :P

Melriken

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Re: What are the words?
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2011, 01:45:13 AM »
Unless I am completely mistaken that trope has a large presence already in this book/series- 
i.e. Kaladin reviving from near death and jumping the bridge after accepting/saying/making an oath of  the Second Ideal...-
I think there's a slight difference between having full access to powers you've been using all along, and a magic sword appearing out of nowhere without already being bound to you. :P
who said it would make a sword appear out of nowhere?

Perhaps the Oaths cause a Shardblade to transform into a Dawnblade, or the extra power lets you get to Urithu, where the Dawnblades currently rest, etc.