Author Topic: is Talenel dead or not?  (Read 4702 times)

the Monik Ieron

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is Talenel dead or not?
« on: March 11, 2011, 01:02:18 AM »
I'm kinda confused on whether Talenel is dead or not, because when i read the book he seemed like he was dead but posts in here seem to say otherwise.

EvilNuff

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2011, 01:10:23 AM »
He is not dead.  His blade is not a shardblade that appears on death, his is one that disappears on death so its presence indicates that he is still alive.

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2011, 03:27:43 AM »
Or there could be a different explanation.
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andygal

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2011, 03:29:24 AM »
Ok, now you're just being evil. Evil Peter.

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2011, 04:46:41 AM »
One does what one can.
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CabbyHat

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2011, 02:48:16 AM »
...Is it unbearably nerdy that now I'm imagining the Nightwatcher as Peter Ahlstrom lurking in a cave and dispensing cryptic statements that both tantalize and torment us?
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prehistoricman

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2011, 05:08:08 AM »
I want to think that Peter is being evil, but what happens if the oathpact is indeed broken and Talanel dies?  My understanding is that the Heralds are sent back to the "place of torment" because of the oathpact and that it is the oathpact that makes them virtually immortal.

the Monik Ieron

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2011, 05:23:18 AM »
"beside the king's body, his shardblade materialized from mist, clattering to the stones now that its master was dead.

"if he were still alive, his blade would have vanished." pg #675

"he slumped forward, hitting the rocky ground, shardblade clattering down behind him. it did not vanish. the guards inched forward. one prodded the man with the butt of his spear. the man who had named himself a herald did not move.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2011, 05:25:15 AM by the Monik Ieron »

the Monik Ieron

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2011, 05:27:00 AM »
oh wait, never mind i just found this:

"if their masters had died, the blades would have vanished." pg #16

prehistoricman

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2011, 05:54:08 AM »
I don't remember where this is, but there is a quote that I am thinking of that talks about someone taking a dawnshard and climbing steps meant for heralds, which implies that they can be separated from the heralds (or was this the creation of the herals?).

On the other hand, I do recall Brandon explicitly saying that Talanel is not dead.

CabbyHat

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2011, 01:42:02 AM »
I don't remember where this is, but there is a quote that I am thinking of that talks about someone taking a dawnshard and climbing steps meant for heralds, which implies that they can be separated from the heralds (or was this the creation of the herals?).

On the other hand, I do recall Brandon explicitly saying that Talanel is not dead.

Yeah, I seem to remember that too. Can anyone find a source?
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andygal

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2011, 05:06:27 AM »
It's in one of the chapter epigraphs.

But I don't know that "Dawnshards" are the Heralds'  swords, I think the Heralds' swords are Honorblades an the Dawnshards are something else.

CabbyHat

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2011, 04:10:12 PM »
Sorry, I meant a source for Brandon stating he's not dead.
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TheFinisher4Ever

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #13 on: March 14, 2011, 06:16:49 PM »
Well, I know Brandon said somewhere that there was a future viewpoint character introduced in the prologue. So Talenel is really the only option. So he is either alive, or he will be again some time in the future. That, or Brandon just changed his plans.

Phaz

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Re: is Talenel dead or not?
« Reply #14 on: March 15, 2011, 09:36:09 PM »
There is also a blog post or something of him talking about the earlier version of Way of Kings where one of the viewpoint characters was an "immortal'

I believe that was the exact word used.  There was some other stuff in that interview that made it seem like Talenel was originally going to be one of the main viewpoint characters in the series.  I think he'll still be around for the rest of it.

Though, if you read the description of his sword, it sounds almost more like a spear.  In which case it makes sense that Kal ends up with it.