Mysterious Reen ?

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I think that in book 2, Ruin showed the ability to be very subtle and manipulative. I think he would talk to different people in different ways, depending on how he wanted to shape their personalities. Not everyone under his influence would hear a constant "kill him" in their head upon seeing someone.

Reen's voice in Vin's head reinforced her own self-doubt (at least). How would that be to Ruin's advantage?

[Vintage]

It would isolate her, forcing her to follow her own council. Then, it would bring her to face to well's power and making it a throw of dice. No, Ruin had to make sure that Vin would give up the power and not keep it for herself. It is actually trusting others that allowed her to do what she did. She would have kept the power if she had been revengeful, selfish, completely paranoiac. She wasn't by the time she reached the Well. Yeah ! Why wasn't she ever searching for revenge ?

[darxbane]

Reen's voice in Vin's head reinforced her own self-doubt (at least). How would that be to Ruin's advantage?

It just goes to show you that people see what they want to see, and ignore whatever might disprove their theory.

Vintage - Actually, they wanted her alive.  She was probably the only Skaa allomancer in the world who they would have brought before the Lord Ruler, instead of just torturing and killing her like they usually would.  She was the proof they needed to take over control of the Ministry, so they would only have killed her if she left them no choice.

[Vintage]

I'm upgrading our thread 

In my re-read (very slow, I tell you !), I have noticed a few things regarding Reen.

First, the book talks of Reen's words till Vin puts on her earring and then... it's Reen's voice, sometimes Reen's words, but it continues more and more with Reen's voice only as "a voice in her head".

Second, when Vin wants to flee Carmon's lair she gets her personal possession. Her earring of course, pebbles from each place she passed through with Reen... and Reen's bit of obsidian. Now, Reen is a very practical man so, I don't think he kept that nice little thing just for sentimental value or memories of travels. So I checked in the dictionnary (I confess, I am ignorant of a lot of things lol) to discover that obsidian have a magma origin. Now, isn't it interesting all of a sudden ? I bet it's related somehow to the Ashmounts. I keep on looking for clues but does anyone remember anything about this or have any thoughts we could explore ? I keep on looking for clues.

[darxbane]

Obsidian is a very hard stone that would is used to make non-metallic weapons in this story.  The Inq's have obsidian axes, and the archers switch to obsidian tip arrows when they shoot at allomancers.  Reen probably kept it as a weapon against Mistings.

[Phaz]

I'm upgrading our thread 

In my re-read (very slow, I tell you !), I have noticed a few things regarding Reen.

First, the book talks of Reen's words till Vin puts on her earring and then... it's Reen's voice, sometimes Reen's words, but it continues more and more with Reen's voice only as "a voice in her head".

Second, when Vin wants to flee Carmon's lair she gets her personal possession. Her earring of course, pebbles from each place she passed through with Reen... and Reen's bit of obsidian. Now, Reen is a very practical man so, I don't think he kept that nice little thing just for sentimental value or memories of travels. So I checked in the dictionnary (I confess, I am ignorant of a lot of things lol) to discover that obsidian have a magma origin. Now, isn't it interesting all of a sudden ? I bet it's related somehow to the Ashmounts. I keep on looking for clues but does anyone remember anything about this or have any thoughts we could explore ? I keep on looking for clues.

I noticed the same thing when I last read MB1.  The words chosen to describe when Vin "hears" Reen are very particular.

I'm going on the record as a member of the "Reen's voice = Ruin via the Earing" group.

[Qarlin]

Obsidian also chips with a sharp edge. Flakes into a really sharp edge, actually, so it makes a good non-metallic weapon. Except I think it can shatter... But that may just be me going crazy.

[Qarlin]

And I don't think Reen's voice is Ruin. Preservation, maybe, but not Ruin. Maybe even just Reen.

[Gatekeeper]

good point

[Vintage]

Qarlin, what makes you think it could be Preservation ?

[darxbane]

There's nothing to say it isn't Preservation, but it's a stretch.  I like the idea that Reen's spirit is trying to protect her the only way he knows how.  However, I am still sticking with the theory that Reen's voice is strictly Vin's subconscious.  My biggest evidence for this is how the voice, which always had negative things to say, suddenly grew more positive after Vin found out Reen gave his life to keep the Inquisitors from finding her.  He must have endured unimaginable torture and still protected her.  After that, the voice suddenly tells her to  go to Elend, rather than the usual everyone will betray you speech.  In book 2, the only time she hears Reen's voice is when she is again doubting herself or Elend.  It all sounds too convenient to me.

[Qarlin]

The only reason I think it could be Preservation is because all of Reen's influence, if listened to, would stop Vin from being the hero Ruin needed her to be in order to release it. Counter-manipulation. A stretch, to be sure, but more believable to me than Reen being Ruin. That's it.

[Czanos]

So, we have some new insight into Reen's voice. Brandon said in one of his new annotations (Mistborn 2, Chapter 34, to be exact,) about Reen's voice that it was,

-partially a representation of her subconscious-

Now, this to me sounds as if it must also partially be something outside of her subconcious, such as Ruin or Preservation. It's not much, but I think it's worth mentioning.

[darxbane]

I noticed that too.  Well at least we have something to go on.  The hard part now is to figure out when the voice is Vin's subconscious and when it is something else.

[Reaves]

So, we have some new insight into Reen's voice. Brandon said in one of his new annotations (Mistborn 2, Chapter 34, to be exact,) about Reen's voice that it was,

-partially a representation of her subconscious-

Now, this to me sounds as if it must also partially be something outside of her subconcious, such as Ruin or Preservation. It's not much, but I think it's worth mentioning.

very interesting....i think to find out what the outside agent manipulating her is, we need to find a motive. Who would want to sow doubt and distrust in her life? What is accomplished by that?