HOA Prophecy?

[GreenMonsta]

So here is a question that I’ve been kickin around for some time and I can’t seem to get anywhere with it. Since MB1 there has always been this understanding that some prophetic person (at the time it was the Lord Ruler) fulfilled some ancient prophecy written by followers of a lost religion. We come to find out that the Lord Ruler isn’t the man the prophecy intended to reach the Well of Ascension but in the context of this argument that’s irrelevant. The idea is that we have all been captured by a lie that was concocted by an ancient sentient force. To really understand this people have come to question the validity of the prophecy it self (couldn’t the well spirit have just written the prophecy to cause someone who meets the right characteristics to set it loose?). At the end of MB2 Sazed leads us to believe however that the spirit changed an existing prophecy to meet its own ends. So this leaves the question of what force delivered the prophecy that was intended to aid in the finding of the HOA. If the well spirit is a sentient force and somehow altered an existing prophecy what force created the prophecy in the first place and for what purpose?

Understand that this is a rambling question and at times it’s difficult for me to effectively express myself in a forum. Confusion is understandable.

[Reaves]

There are a couple different possibilities here.

1. Ruin completely made up the prophecy to suit his own ends. Unlikely.
2. Ruin twisted an already existing prophecy. This possibility seems likely and is supported by your post. However, as you also said, that begs the question of where it came from.
     a. It was already part of the Terris religion and was created naturally. There was no ancient power manipulating it.
     b. Another power, such as Preservation, influenced the prophecy to keep Ruin bound. I don't think this is very likely because the prophecy would have been more adamant about taking the power and using it. Remember Kwaan says the prophecy was very vague about what needed to be done? I think Preservation would have clearly said the hero needed to use the power.
   

[GreenMonsta]

I think I agree about the original force behind the prophecy not being Preservation, due to the fact that it would mention using the power to prevent Ruins release. The only snag I find is that if ruin can affect the prophecy while being bound in the well of ascention how is it that Preservation affects the world? If you have read the prologue to HOA then you are aware that once released Ruin can control the inquisitors. Do you think that through Hermuology that Preservation may have been the voice that was heard by Zane and possibly Vin's mother? The idea is that if Ruin could alter the prophecy and preservation is a like power of some sort, why would preservation not do the same thing and alter the prophecy to aid itself by making the person who made it to the well of ascension use the power?

[Comatose]

We've discussed this on the Ruin/Preservation thread.
Perhaps the Prophecy came from the Mist Spirit, I know it can't talk, but the main purpose of the prophecy was not to keep Ruin bound however, the main purpose of the prophecy was to find the person destined to defeat the deepness.  I thinhk that there are two mist entities, The Deepness, which has allied itself with Ruin, and the Mist Spirit who has allied itself with Preservation.
I think it's safe to say that Ruin is the voice in Zane's head, because of how he keeps telling Zane to kill everyone, and how at the end, he tells Zane, "Of course I didn't tell you to kill HER!"  because Vin is the one who goes on to free.  Vin's mother on the other hand, who knows.  Alendi also says he hears whispers that everything will be alright, and if he fails, another hero will arise to finish the job he started, these whispers, could bery well be Preservation.
I think the Mist Spirit is really an embodiment of balance between Ruin and Preservation, and the Deepness is the embodiment of unblalance, perhaps we see know deepness during the lord ruler's reign because he absorbed the deepness into himself, and then tipped the balance in Preservation's favour, preserving the world to the point of stagnation, thereby becomeing and embodiment of imbalance himself.

[happyman]

I think I agree about the original force behind the prophecy not being Preservation, due to the fact that it would mention using the power to prevent Ruins release. The only snag I find is that if ruin can affect the prophecy while being bound in the well of ascention how is it that Preservation affects the world? If you have read the prologue to HOA then you are aware that once released Ruin can control the inquisitors. Do you think that through Hermuology that Preservation may have been the voice that was heard by Zane and possibly Vin's mother? The idea is that if Ruin could alter the prophecy and preservation is a like power of some sort, why would preservation not do the same thing and alter the prophecy to aid itself by making the person who made it to the well of ascension use the power?

A lot of the things you are proposing are things that have been previously discussed, especially the bits amout Vin's mom and Zane.  Zane certainly heard Ruin in his head.  Most posters suspect that Vin's mom also wasn't strictly insane but was hearing either Ruin or Preservation, probably Ruin.  Hemalurgy certainly seems to have something to do with the connection.  Please read the comprehensive hemalurgy thread as well as the Ruin and Preservation threads to see what's been discussed.  I believe that their is also a thread devoted to Vin's mother.

As to where the prophecies have come from...that's a good question.  It's been heavily debated elsewhere with no real consensus.  We just don't know.  The Kandra seem to have some answers, but where did they get their answers from?  Just repeat to yourself:  October, October, October...

[Comatose]

There's no time like October, There's no time like October, There's no time like October...
I'm clicking my heels together and everything, and nope, no Hero of Ages, darn, I was sure that would work!  Next on the agenda... pixie dust?  And appeal to the Great Time Spirit?
I agree with happyman, greenmonsta, there is a lot of good stuff being discussed right now, and if you ever have free time, check out some of the older threads as well.. We've gone through a lot of stuff, let me tell you!