Author Topic: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*  (Read 24734 times)

Stormblessed

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #45 on: September 24, 2010, 07:54:24 AM »
Oh, I came up with a funny/dumb theory about Shalash's missing statue in the prologue.  It works though, assuming that the Heralds are immortal and have powers beyond the average person.
Quote
Szeth left the feasting chamber behind. Just outside, he passed the doorway into the Beggars’ Feast. It was an Alethi tradition, a room where some of the poorest men and women in the city were given a feast complementing that of the king and his guests. A man with a long grey and black beard slumped in the doorway, smiling foolishly—though whether from wine or a weak mind, Szeth could not tell.
“Have you seen me?” the man asked with slurred speech. He laughed, then began to speak in gibberish, reaching for a wineskin. So it was drink after all. Szeth brushed by, continuing past a line of statues depicting the Ten Heralds from ancient Vorin theology. Jezerezeh, Ishi, Kelek, Talenelat. He counted off each one, and realized there were only nine here. One was conspicuously missing. Why had Shalash’s statue been removed? King Gavilar was said to be very devout in his Vorin worship. Too devout, by some people’s standards.

The drunk guy is actually Shalash, and he got rid of his statue using his Heraldic powers because he thought it would be a good practical joke.  He's not actually speaking in gibberish, just a language unknown to Szeth.

I actually like that theory. When I first read that passage and noticed the missing statute, I was like somethings going on here. I though maybe Shalash was in Alethi at the time and hid the statute to not be recognised, but I never considered the drunk to be Shalash.
"You've killed me. Bastards, you've killed me!
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Cheese Ninja

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #46 on: September 24, 2010, 08:18:18 AM »
Quote
I actually like that theory. When I first read that passage and noticed the missing statute, I was like somethings going on here. I though maybe Shalash was in Alethi at the time and hid the statute to not be recognised, but I never considered the drunk to be Shalash.
It's been 4 and half thousand years, it's questionable how well the statues actually resemble them at this point. Their names have been altered to fit the religious principles, after all.  Honestly, it's not a great theory, but it's the best I can come up with at this point.  And it's funny.  Shalash is probably upset that Galinar's assassination overshadowed his practical joke, and will go into hiding the rest of the series, as he sulks.

Never

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #47 on: September 24, 2010, 08:29:28 AM »
Also, why do people assume Jasneh was correct that the voidbringers are the Parshendi?  

Two reasons.

1) We have so many blank spots in our knowledge that to simply discount her statement leaves us with little to work with.

2) We're told repeatedly that she's intelligent and dedicated scholar, and that she's spent a large amount of time and effort studying accounts of the Voidbringers. I doubt she's 100% accurate (we're only 1/10th of the way through the story) but for her to be completely off undermines her character and the impact of that scene.

guy

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #48 on: September 24, 2010, 07:04:57 PM »
I was under the impression that Shalash was a girl and did not have her safe hand covered, and since that is pornographic in Alethi culture, the statue was hidden from view

Munin

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #49 on: September 24, 2010, 07:19:55 PM »
I was under the impression that Shalash was a girl and did not have her safe hand covered, and since that is pornographic in Alethi culture, the statue was hidden from view
I don't think we know that for sure. I posted that as a guess at one point, but that theory was basically pulled out of thin air.

Personally, I think there is something more going on.
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.

Morsker

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #50 on: September 24, 2010, 07:27:38 PM »
The drunk guy is actually Shalash, and he got rid of his statue using his Heraldic powers because he thought it would be a good practical joke.  He's not actually speaking in gibberish, just a language unknown to Szeth.

I had something like this idea on one of the other fan sites, and the main objection I got was that Shalash is almost certainly female, because of the similarity to Shallan's name, and because 5/7 remaining Heralds are female. The drunk was standing between Szeth and a row of Herald statues when he asked, "Have you seen me?" though, which I think is very suspicious. So even if he isn't Shalash, maybe this guy is a Herald who tried to hide as a beggar and forget his past, then got too drunk and started blabbing it to Szeth.

guy

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #51 on: September 24, 2010, 08:45:58 PM »
The drunk guy is actually Shalash, and he got rid of his statue using his Heraldic powers because he thought it would be a good practical joke.  He's not actually speaking in gibberish, just a language unknown to Szeth.
I guess the theory makes a lot of sense, but t seems kind of silly to me, why would a herald be around an Alethi peace treaty? one would think Hoid would recognize him.  The druk guy could be Dalinar, he said that when his brother was killed he was dead drunk

Raketen

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #52 on: September 24, 2010, 08:51:23 PM »
The drunk guy is actually Shalash, and he got rid of his statue using his Heraldic powers because he thought it would be a good practical joke.  He's not actually speaking in gibberish, just a language unknown to Szeth.
I guess the theory makes a lot of sense, but t seems kind of silly to me, why would a herald be around an Alethi peace treaty? one would think Hoid would recognize him.  The druk guy could be Dalinar, he said that when his brother was killed he was dead drunk

Long time lurker first time posting bla bla bla.

Can we even be certain Hoid is a herald and on a simular note, was he the wit back then? It is refered to in the book that he has been the wit for longer then most but I think he was training Sigzil at that point, thoughts?

guy

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #53 on: September 24, 2010, 08:53:26 PM »
I dont think Hoid is a herald, and I guess it does make sense that he wasnt wit at the time

rjl

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #54 on: September 24, 2010, 09:20:17 PM »
The drunk guy is actually Shalash, and he got rid of his statue using his Heraldic powers because he thought it would be a good practical joke.  He's not actually speaking in gibberish, just a language unknown to Szeth.
I guess the theory makes a lot of sense, but t seems kind of silly to me, why would a herald be around an Alethi peace treaty? one would think Hoid would recognize him.  The druk guy could be Dalinar, he said that when his brother was killed he was dead drunk

Long time lurker first time posting bla bla bla.

Can we even be certain Hoid is a herald and on a simular note, was he the wit back then? It is refered to in the book that he has been the wit for longer then most but I think he was training Sigzil at that point, thoughts?
I think we can be pretty certain that Hoid is not a herald...

I think what guy was getting at was that Hoid would likely recognise a Herald and would probably be there as Wit.

Never

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #55 on: September 24, 2010, 10:28:14 PM »
I assumed the drunk at the party was Dalinar.

He remarks later that he's angry at himself because while his brother was killed, he was passed out from drinking.

Erunion

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #56 on: September 24, 2010, 10:30:10 PM »
If you reread the prologue, you'll notice that Szeth recognizes "the King's brother" at one of the tables, either very drunk or already passed out (can't remember which). The "Have you seen me?" drunk is not Dalinar.

Never

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #57 on: September 24, 2010, 10:33:48 PM »
Thank you. I'd forgotten that.

Cheese Ninja

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #58 on: September 24, 2010, 10:59:36 PM »
The drunk guy is actually Shalash, and he got rid of his statue using his Heraldic powers because he thought it would be a good practical joke.  He's not actually speaking in gibberish, just a language unknown to Szeth.

I had something like this idea on one of the other fan sites, and the main objection I got was that Shalash is almost certainly female, because of the similarity to Shallan's name, and because 5/7 remaining Heralds are female. The drunk was standing between Szeth and a row of Herald statues when he asked, "Have you seen me?" though, which I think is very suspicious. So even if he isn't Shalash, maybe this guy is a Herald who tried to hide as a beggar and forget his past, then got too drunk and started blabbing it to Szeth.

It's not a great theory or anything, it's just all I can come up with on the limited information we have.  I'm glad and amused to read that I'm not the only one who has thought it up.   Shalash does sound like one of the more feminine names, but there isn't really enough to make a definitive statement.

Where/when did we get a gender breakdown of the Heralds?

Nevermind, I found it. 
Quote
He began walking, leading Adolin around the back rim of the temple chamber. They passed statues of the Heralds, five male, five female. In truth, Adolin knew very little of what Kadash was saying. He’d never had much of a mind for history that didn’t relate directly to the command of armies.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2010, 11:14:28 PM by Cheese Ninja »

Dryone

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Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« Reply #59 on: September 25, 2010, 11:36:06 PM »
Shalash is Baxis' mistress in one of the interludes. She's on a quest to destroy any picture or statue of herself, that's why her statue is missing.

Thanks for the quote with the gender breakdown, I missed that!