Timewaster's Guide Archive

Jasnah will definitely get a focus book, so I'm not sure if I'd count her.

Oh, oh! Can we put those images in the blog post of the transcript that is totally happening real soon now? Oh, can we, can we please? 

1. Syl. How could you *not* love Syl?
2. Rock. Chull dung stew!
3. Navani. The fabrial-making, butt-kicking mother of the king.

I know double posting is frowned upon, but I didn't want to mess with my epic mess of a last post. But, I DID want to explore a different angle that I somehow didn't manage to hit on in that long and rambling treatise.

The Parshendi could well be acting as they always do leading up to a Desolation. It's shown that they have a long memory, because they recognize Kaladin's use of Stormlight, are afraid of it, and give it a name in their language. Do they just always seek for Eshonai when the Desolation comes again?

My offhanded reference to Elisha in my last post got me thinking. Eshonai is a similar word to Elisha. It even sounds Hebrew. What if that's not just a coincidence, but a hint? The Elisha is a forerunner; John the Baptist was an Elisha who prepared the way for the coming of Christ. Is there always an Eshonai, called of the Almighty and bestowed with visions, to prepare the way for the coming of the Heralds and usher in the next Desolation? Do the Parshendi just always seek him/her when the time comes?

I'm off the edge of the map here. I know it. But holy cow, I'm smitten with this idea. Dalinar, Highprince of Kholin, Highprince of War, Eshonai of the Almighty, forerunner to the Everstorm, cofounder of the restored order of the Knights Radiant. *squee*

I hold that this would also mean that the Parshendi know of ways to neutralize or destroy the bridges that they are NOT using yet because for some reason only they know at the moment they WANT the Alethi to place the bridges and reach them to fight hand to hand.

I just reread the Tower battle sequence, because I needed a little awesome in my life. And one detail that emerged more strongly to me is that the Parshendi Shardbearer was lookng for Dalinar. Well, phrased that way, it doesn't make any sense: Dalinar's location has never been a secret, and if they really wanted to talk to him, they would have done much better to honor their treaty with Gavilar.

The obvious answer is that they were looking for a person who bore a mantle, and didn't know who it was. From page 938:

Why didn't the Shardbearer just finish him? The Parshendi giant leaned down, then spoke. The words were thick with accent, and Dalinar's mind nearly dismissed them. But here, up close, Dalinar realized something. He understood what was being said. The accent was nearly impenetrable, but the words were in Alethi.

"It is you," the Parshendi Shardbearer said. "I have found you at last."

That chapter is titled "Eshonai", a word that is not used anywhere in the text of the chapter. So, here's the theory: the Parshendi Shardbearer (or PS) immediately recognized Dalinar as the Eshonai. I say "the" Eshonai because I think it's a title, not a name. Or a name-title, much as Elisha is a name-title in the Bible, which carries with it an associated mantle/role/responsibility.

This whole affair, ranging clear back to the assassination of Gavilar, up through the Parshendi tactics on the Shattered Plains, could have been designed to draw out the Eshonai. Not just to find him, but to create a situation in which the mantle would pass to someone. This implies a level of mastermindery that may well be beyond the Parshendi, but they could also have acted as servants of a Shard.

Which Shard they may have been serving is, I believe, a very key question. The obvious answer is Odium, since Parshmen are (if Jasnah is correct) the Voidbringers. But then what is the Eshonai? The only thing of cosmic significance about Dalinar (at least, that we've seen) is his visions...from the Almighty. He is best situated to unite mankind. He is best positioned to reestablish the Knights Radiant. In Odium's opinion, he ought to be public enemy #1, which begs the question, "Why didn't the PS off him immediately?"

Could it be that the Parshendi do not actually serve Odium? That the Almighty was somehow able to liberate them from servitude to the Enemy, and to raise them above the common Parshman? That this whole thing is really a design of the Almighty, to get mankind ready for the Everstorm?

Or could it be that Dalinar is the "one who will destroy us"? From the back cover:

There are four whom we watch. The first is the surgeon, forced to put aside healing to become a soldier in the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a murderer who weeps as he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar's mantle over the heart of a thief. The last is the highprince, a warlord whose eyes have opened to the past as his thirst for battle wanes.

The world can change. Surgebinding and Shardwielding can return; the magics of ancient days can become ours again. These four people are key.

One of them may redeem us.

And one of them will destroy is.

The obvious choice of who will destroy is Szeth. But, Taravangian seems to think that Dalinar's success in uniting Alethkar would be disastrous. Does Odium want a united Alethkar? Why?

Sorry. This is long and rambling, and I have more questions then answers, but I think this is very interesting.

I think his reveals will be a lot more satisfying and methodical that Jordan's ever were.  I am not kidding you: I could care less who killed Asmodean at this point! 

LOL, you know what, your coming out and saying it has made me realize that I agree with you. It just doesn't really seem all that important, and the only reason it's become so infamous is that Jordan said it should be obvious, and nobody can figure it out.

I would have thought Vev would be the order that healed.

In addition, maybe Hoid has visited Roshar in the past. Maybe he was there during the Last desolation, or when the way of kings was written? At that time his sculpture was made, for they realised Hoid had some secret power.

That's an awesome realization if true. It seems likely enough—Hoid's got a grudge against Rayse and Bavadin, after all.

Amazon appears to be doing something unsustainable with hardcover prices. It looks an awful lot like they're subsidizing hardcover book sales with the rest of their departments in a play for a monopoly on the book market.