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[OB] Tarah


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I have a sneaking suspicion about 'Tarah,' as her physical description really reminds me of a particular assassin we meet in the WoR prologue (Liss).  Also, Tarah seems to like to wear non-Alethi clothing styles, which is seems to work with what Jasnah noted about Liss in WoR.

My guess is she was put on retainer regarding Amaram (any number of groups, or ahem female scholars, might have done that), then took off when the contract was canceled for whatever reason (or perhaps a more important target emerged).  There are of course other possible explanations for her presence near Amaram's army, as a number of factions had interest in it at that time.  She could even have been sent to look into Kaladin, as we know some groups were taking notice of his actions even that early in his career.

The primary argument against would be the fact that her father actually seems to exist, although for the promise of a favor (like a better posting, perhaps in Mourn's Vault) I'm sure a person in his position would be willing to play along.

Of course, she could just be a random girl, but where's the fun in that?

 

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26 minutes ago, shawnhargreaves said:

Something was going on there around this time, though.  If the GB letter to Shallan can be trusted, there was another Radiant or proto-Radiant in Amaram's army who was killed by the Skybreakers.

Any theories who that might have been?

Tien? 

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14 minutes ago, Dryone_2 said:

Tien? 

I'm almost 90% sure Tien was a proto-Radiant, and the Ghostbloods very well could have targeted him, since they had a way to get Heleran into the enemy army. As to which order, I'd say either Lightweaver or someone sharing a Surge with them, since Kal says that Shallan reminds him of someone who had the ability to lift his darkness (and I'm inclined to regard any phenomenon as magical in Sanderson's works).

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3 hours ago, Shadowmancer said:

I'm almost 90% sure Tien was a proto-Radiant, and the Ghostbloods very well could have targeted him, since they had a way to get Heleran into the enemy army. As to which order, I'd say either Lightweaver or someone sharing a Surge with them, since Kal says that Shallan reminds him of someone who had the ability to lift his darkness (and I'm inclined to regard any phenomenon as magical in Sanderson's works).

Tien died likely way before Heleran showed up.

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18 minutes ago, Aether said:

Tien died likely way before Heleran showed up.

That's actually evidence for Tien being the one who bonded a spren, as the actual quote is

Quote

From our spying upon the Skybreakers, we have records showing the only member of Amaram’s army to have bonded a spren was long since eliminated.

Sanderson, Brandon. Oathbringer: Book Three of the Stormlight Archive (p. 422). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.

(em mine)

Tien certainly died well before Helaran arrived. However, this does suggest it was still the Skybreakers (just not Helaran) who were responsible for Tien's death...

...which just made me realize the potential rage Kaladin might have when he learns about it. Wow.

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1 hour ago, Seloun said:

...which just made me realize the potential rage Kaladin might have when he learns about it. Wow.

Ouch, yes.

Shallan's reaction to learning that Kaladin killed Helaran (which many were expecting to be a big issue, but so far at least has just been "well, he was doing his duty") will have nothing on that!

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4 hours ago, Seloun said:

That's actually evidence for Tien being the one who bonded a spren, as the actual quote is

(em mine)

Tien certainly died well before Helaran arrived. However, this does suggest it was still the Skybreakers (just not Helaran) who were responsible for Tien's death...

...which just made me realize the potential rage Kaladin might have when he learns about it. Wow.

That would also be the poster for unintended consequences. Kill a proto-radiant. Another says the Oaths as a consequence of that. 

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6 hours ago, Seloun said:

Tien certainly died well before Helaran arrived. However, this does suggest it was still the Skybreakers (just not Helaran) who were responsible for Tien's death...

...which just made me realize the potential rage Kaladin might have when he learns about it. Wow.

Ouch. I wonder if and how he will find out.

It was odd that the messengers were put in front of the line... Maybe a Skybreaker arranged that?

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54 minutes ago, SLNC said:

Ouch. I wonder if and how he will find out.

It was odd that the messengers were put in front of the line... Maybe a Skybreaker arranged that?

That would be too much, i don't see Skybreakers sacrificing innocents to get to their target, and what crime could Tien possibly have commited to justify their taking action ? No, i think if Tien truly was the target in question, they were just happy to cross him off their list after that cremhole sergent sent him to his death.

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7 hours ago, Darvys said:

i don't see Skybreakers sacrificing innocents to get to their target, and what crime could Tien possibly have commited to justify their taking action ?

This.

Also, the Skybreakers don't seem the type to covertly assassinate someone, or to arrange for them to be up front during a battle so they get killed "by accident".  Their MO is to find some existing crime that the person is guilty of under local law, then show up all above board and documented to punish this crime to the maximum extent allowed by that law.

Doesn't fit with how Kaladin saw Tien die.

But, it does seem that Tien was on the path to becoming a lightweaver.

Maybe the Skybreakers were watching, and looking for an excuse to execute him, but hadn't acted on that yet when Tien died for unrelated reasons?  The wording: "we have records showing the only member of Amaram’s army to have bonded a spren was long since eliminated." is unclear whether that was a passive or active elimination.

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2 hours ago, shawnhargreaves said:

 

Maybe the Skybreakers were watching, and looking for an excuse to execute him, but hadn't acted on that yet when Tien died for unrelated reasons?  The wording: "we have records showing the only member of Amaram’s army to have bonded a spren was long since eliminated." is unclear whether that was a passive or active elimination.

A little, naive, imaginative, inoffensive boy, proto surgebinder or not, fighting a war... He was already doomed, why would the skygrakers intervene? Probably they were just keeping Tiene in their radar, just in case.

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2 minutes ago, shawnhargreaves said:

Counterargument:

"Look for those who survive where they should not."  (from the Diagram)

hahaahah great!

But it doesn't always apply. Radiants, and specially proto-radiats, are not inmortal. Elokhar being the most recent example (for now...he may pop up again). 

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I'm not sure I buy the theory that Tien was the proto bonded radiant. He may have had certain personalities that may have lead to him being a potential radiant later if he had survived I don;t think he was at the time of death. Just one of the many tragedies Kaladin sufered losing his brother infront of him.

18 hours ago, Seloun said:

only member of Amaram’s army to have bonded a spren was long since eliminated.

To me this means it had been a time back, we may not even have heard of the specific person. It could have happened well before Kaladin was even recruited. Just that Amaram had a potential candiate; who had already bonded - depends how bonded - like Kaladin and Syl - she picked him followed him as a 'windspren' before coming into herself and remembering she's honourspren. Or genuine First Ideal bond? so far I don't think there's any decent candiates mentioned - unless it's a vague name mentioned in off hand conversation that implies said person was dead.

edit:

Also I think Tarah was just what she seemed; romantic partner for Kaladin, daughter of the local quartermaster raised in those circumstances and liked Kaladin because he was Kaladin...

sometimes things aren't always that complicated about matters.

Edited by Egomere
added more words.
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15 minutes ago, Awesomness said:

hahaahah great!

But it doesn't always apply. Radiants, and specially proto-radiats, are not inmortal. Elokhar being the most recent example (for now...he may pop up again). 

Considering the location which Wit retrieved that Cryptic from... I really don't think so. 

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Probably reading too much into this but we see a woman in Urithiru who dresses like Tarah:

Quote

“She’s not Thaylen, but she’s wearing Thaylen dress with a deep violet blouse and a forest-green skirt. I don’t like the pairing, but she seems to. She’s confident, used to playing with the attention of men. But I think she came here looking for someone, because she’s ignoring the soldier and keeps glancing over her shoulder.” - Chapter 44

“Though she was a hundred percent Alethi, she preferred dresses of an old-fashioned Thaylen style, which had an apronlike front with straps over the shoulders and skirts that ended right below the knee. She’d wear a buttoned shirt underneath, often in a bright color—brighter than most darkeyes could afford.” - Chapter 112

Just an interesting coincidence most likely, but who knows with Stormlight books. 

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1 hour ago, deddinty said:

Probably reading too much into this but we see a woman in Urithiru who dresses like Tarah:

This is what I love. Everyone here is sidetracked into Tien, but the OP has a crazy theory about the origin and you have evidence someone that matches her style made it into Urithiru. I doubt the that she was an assassin, but I'm perfectly willing to believe that she's in Urithiru somehow, and if so must have recognized Kaladin by now.

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On 11/30/2017 at 11:22 AM, deddinty said:

“Though she was a hundred percent Alethi, she preferred dresses of an old-fashioned Thaylen style, which had an apronlike front with straps over the shoulders and skirts that ended right below the knee. She’d wear a buttoned shirt underneath, often in a bright color—brighter than most darkeyes could afford.” - Chapter 112

This actually sounded like someone from Nalthis to me. How they love bright colors.

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