[Theory] Twisted Heralds

[Could Be Fire]

Spoilers of WoK, WoR, and ED. I just finished my Storm-light re-read before diving into OB, I wanted to write down the thoughts I had. I add another post with updated information from OB once I finish it. I know it feels kinda stupid to post theories without having finish OB, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I kinda like having it in two parts to prevent spoiling.

The idea that something beyond guilt of abandoning the oath-pact is negatively affecting the heralds, specifically by twisting their attributes. 

((I like the 9 desolations, one broken heard each one theory but this theory doesn’t depend on that, but they do compliment))

@Argent Fallen Heralds theory is really amazing and reading it helped me finalize mine but in my opinion, the ‘brokenness’ is probably more a twisting that the different heralds react differently too. Some act in direct opposition to their (shalash destroying art), other's lose it (Nale's sense of justice or Jezrins honor), other's take it to terrible extremes (Ishar?) Twisting is something we’ve seen ‘evil’ shards and Sanderson do before. Think Ruin re-writing history. 

Evidence! 

This will be most focused on Nale. because we’ve got the most textual evidence of his behavior with some light commentary on Kalak, Jezrien, Taln, and Shalash. 

Preliminary stuff

One of the big lines that stood out to me for conceptualizing this theory is 

“We weren’t supposed to get worse. Am I getting worse? I think I feel worse.”

    Nale’s companion in WoR prologue. 

My belief here is that’s he’s talking about the Heralds and whatever happened to them. The phrasing of it ‘get worse’ implies to me some sort of sickness or outside influence, not simple guilt. 

The second two statements imply an inability to recognize what’s going wrongfully, leading me to believe that what’s happening is almost some sort of insanity. The Herald’s on some level know that something is deeply wrong with them, but they are unable to fight it. 

Nale: Losing his internal sense of justice, he follows the law exactly.

Nale is an interesting case and is part of what makes theorizing what happened to the herald’s so difficult. One one hand, he’s the most visible herald and we have a comparative trove of information on his current attitude. On the other,  He’s clearly an outlier as far as the Herald’s go (His order was the only one the maintain after the Recreance. He’s the only Herald to keep his honor blade.) 

Nale is also while I say twisting. He’s clearly not acting in direct opposition to his ideal (like Kalak and Shallash lead me to believe) but is no long ‘just’ (He kills a child for stealing in WoR). However, not breaking any laws — he even only seems to be going after surge binders that broke the law and even lets one go when she is pardoned— showing that while he’s willing to twist the law to his goals as best he can, following the law is a sticking point.

I believe that Nale’s obsession with following rules is not his insanity, but his way of containing it to the best of his abilities. 

“Only the Skybreakers ever understood the importance of boundaries. Of picking something external to yourself and using it as a guide. Your minds cannot be trusted. Even my mind—especially my mind—cannot be trusted.”

    - Edgedancer. Nale speaking to the Skybreakers.

Basically going: I’m too insane to make decisions, so I’ll just bind myself to a higher authority and follow laws exactly.

Clearly, this isn’t working perfectly, he’s acting pretty insanely throughout Edgedancer and the Interlude, but seems to be trying to do the right thing.

If this is true it has some nice parallels in the series. Dalinar does something similar, he attaches himself first to Gravilar and then the Codes, not trusting his own instincts or beliefs but letting himself follow a higher power. Szeth (and the Shin in general) are similar. Warriors can’t be trusted to make decisions, they have to obey whoever holds their stone.

Shalash: Destroys expressions of creativity. 

A lot of people have written about her actions in the Interludes. I don’t have as much to say because honestly, that chapter is more set up for the Nightwatcher than info on Ash. She’s super chill about destroying art, seems almost like it’s her duty to do it, and wants the destroying to be difficult. 

The evidence here is mostly in support of twisted attributes. Destroying artwork of herself is a pretty simple twisted version of creativity. The idea that she wants it to be difficult leads credence to the idea the Herald’s have some conception that they’re doing something wrong/are trying to control themselves (like Nale and his mistrust of himself). 

There's lost of wild theorizing that could be done here. Is she destroying is because she's lost her creativity and is jealous? Because she feels a pathological need too? Is her single-minded focus on depictions of herself related to her honest attribute?

Jezerin: The protector sacrifice's his own man

““Better that one man should suffer than ten,” Jezrien whispered. He seemed so cold. Like a shadow caused by heat and light falling on someone honorable and true, casting this black imitation behind.”

From the WoK prologue, right as the heralds abandon the oathpact. This provides some support to the idea that it wasn’t just thousands of years of guilt that has caused the heralds to act wrong. 

Something is clearly wrong with Jezrien, he’s abandoning one of his men (against protecting). The phrasing ‘like a shadow caused by heat and light’ brings to mind the effect of an outside influence to me. Specifically, Odium considering his description of a harsh, golden light/energy at the end of WoR. Nale comments on his ‘drooling’ which is more evidence in support of insanity as well.  

Kalak: The resolute man feels weak

Also from the prologue, we see Kalak, who is supposed to be resolute consider breaking the oathpact before even meeting up with Jezrien. He’s described as “shaking” and wonders “when had he become so weak?”

If you assume Kalak is the other man Jasnah see’s talking to Nale in the WoR prologue, there’s more support to Kalak’s loss of resolve. He acts paranoid and extremely indecisive. 

Ishar: The wise leader loses sight of the journey.

He’s been telling Nale to kill Radiants in an attempt to prevent to Void-bringers from coming back [ED]. Fits the theory because Ishtar has lost sight of his goal (prevent the void bringers and odium from escaping) but he’s going about it in a twisted or insane way, by killing the only people how can escape.

If he’s the God-King of Tukar that some people theorize, that’s more evidence in favor that his divine attribute is twisted. He’s still acting in the vein of being pious and guiding, but it’s twisted into becoming a God-King (never really a good term) that even Mraize is scared of. 

TLDR: Odium’s breaking of the Herald’s made them slowly go insane, expressed by twisting their divine attributes.

 

Edited January 15, 2018 by Could Be Fire

[StormingTexan]

7 hours ago, Could Be Fire said:

((I like the 9 desolations, one broken heard each one theory but this theory doesn’t depend on that, but they do compliment))

First off welcome! Just an FYI I know this does not pertain to the rest of your post but this theory has been disproven by this WoB. 

 

Quote

 

XS-Terrain [PENDING REVIEW]

Is each Herald only broken once for each Desolation, thus making there nine Desolations, or are they broken multiple times?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

There are more than nine Desolations.

 

 

 

I like your theory. There is some more light shed on some of this by the end of OB. 

 

 

[The Thinking Herald]

20 hours ago, StormingTexan said:

First off welcome! Just an FYI I know this does not pertain to the rest of your post but this theory has been disproven by this WoB. 

 

 

 

I like your theory. There is some more light shed on some of this by the end of OB. 

 

 

 

Shameless self-plug, I know. But http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/64714-ob-the-unmade-are-heralds/#comment-665263 has stuff on it that could save that theory.

Anyway, the reply to the actual theory. I think tis' theory has become headcanon in many people's minds as of late. No need to say that I think it's accurate.