Most Baseless Parshendi Theory Ever

[Chicken]

We have a Parshendi Shardbearer who says "It is you. I have found you at least," to Dalinar. And this happens after he shatters Dalinar's helm and bends down to take a close look at his face, therefore it's safe to conclude that he recognizes Dalinar's face. Also he must have been looking for him for a while to have "found him at last". Later, when Dalinar's army escapes he comes back:

As Dalinar watched, a figure in cracked, silvery Shardplate and a red cape stumbled to their forefront. The helm had been removed, but it was too distant to make out any features on the black and red marbled skin.

So we have a Parshendi who knows Dalinar's face, has been looking specifically for him for some time for some unknown reason, but Dalinar doesn't get to see his face clearly. It would be quite logical to assume this Parshendi knows Dalinar from way back. It might also be possible that Dalinar could remember him if he had seen his face clearly. It had been all very logical up until this point.

Then I had an idea. Which ended logic right there. I've always been not good at logic anyway. From this point on, the "theory" (if you can call it that) is completely illogical and mostly speculation, whose chief weapon is surprise, surprise and drama. Two! Whose two chief weapons are surprise and drama and baseless assumption...

Anyway. The aforementioned idea was this: That Parshendi Shardbearer is Gavilar.

Such a weird idea could only continue: They had him assasinated because they wanted him to become one of them six years ago.

And it just had to became a theory: Parshendi are the people who were particularly close to Honor in life that came back after death.

Now when you have a theory like this, you look for anything that could remotely be an evidence for it. I am aware that actively looking for things that can support a preconceived hypothesis does not work in life. But this isn't real life, it's fictionland. And a fictionland created by such a meticulous planner. So,

Exhibit A: Parshendi don't seem to care too much about their soldiers dying but go berserk when corpses are touched.

Exhibit B: Parshendi don't leave Alethi survivors.

Exhibit C: Parshendi wanted Gavilar to die.

Exhibit D: There's a Parshendi Shardbearer who wants to find Dalinar for some reason and knows his face.

Exhibit E: Dalinar doesn't get to have a clear look at that Parshendi's face.

Exhibit F: Parshendi features and eyes are exactly like humans.

Exhibit G: We really don't know anything Parshendi.

Exhibit H: Parshendi seem to be hearing songs coming from somewhere and sing along.

Exhibit I: Parshmen don't have songs, as pointed out by Parshendi.

Exhibit J: Kaladin feels that Stormlight inside him pulses with a rhythm that's almost like Parshendi songs' beat when he's fighting them.

Exhibit K: Syl doesn't like Shardbearers.

Exhibit L: We don't have any real proof that Parshendi "Shards" are identical to Alethi Shards.

Exhibit M: Shards (of Adonalsium variety) can transform humans into something else.

Exhibit N: At least one of those Shard can bring back the dead.

Exhibit O: Parshendi are a whole lot more honorable than Alethi. (not that it's a hard thing)

Exhibit P: There's a lot of parshmen on Roshar.

Exhibit Q: Parshmen don't talk to people.

Exhibit R: Sanderson loves foreshadowed twists.

With all these at hand, one can ramble quite a bit.

Semi baseless speculation that keeps getting more ridiculous: Parshmen are empty host bodies that gets filled with the returning spirit. They always obey humans and don't do anything if not ordered because they're more golems than truly sentient creatures. When parshmen "die" and are "left in wilderness", it means they're about to be filled. When the spirit returns, it becomes a truly sentient creature: Parshendi. Probably parshmen prepare "corpses" in some way and humans handling them is bad because of that, which is why parshman are so insistent about their dead. Since this is an instinct hardwired into their bodies, it passes on to Parshendi as well. Their face changes to match the one they had and they either remember their lives, or have some memories. Or maybe parshmen faces are already identical to the person for whom they'll eventually become the host of. Or something along those lines.

The songs can hear is actually Honor's power and Kaladin feels Stormlight pulses almost like Parshendi battle song inside him. And Stormlight is also tied to Honor. Seems like Parshendi can naturally hear the Honor's power "pulsing" and they sing along with its beat.

Quasi idle make believe: They respect Stormlight, Parshendi archers at chasm and others who watched Dalinar's duel become unwilling to attack Kaladin when he showed his Light. But they did fight back when he attacked them at chasm, which kinda puts a damper on this "theory" without some more contrieved explanation. Since this "theory" is already so off the wall, I won't attempt to explain that irregularity away.

Also since an honorspren is extremely likely to be somehow related to Honor, and Syl despises Shardblades so much, Parshendi ties to Honor could explain their suicidal crazy rushes against Shardbearers. Who in their right mind would willingly go against a Shardblade? Hundreds of Parshedi die during the book while attacking Dalinar or Adolin. Parshendi try so badly to defeat Shardbearers so they can destroy their shards. Maybe Parshendi can come back to life in their bodies, which would make their casual disregard for their lives and berserk fury for messing with corpses very logical. It does look like they see Kaladin as some sort of holy thing due to holding Stormlight and since Light is likely to be Honor's power itself, someone holding Stormlight would be holy to Parshendi. They don't interfere with his interference of Shardbearer duel, they even shy away from him when he goes for Dalinar's horse and they seemed rather confused during all that because of the contradiction in seeing a holy man protecting Dalinar, who holds unholy items.

Fully empty claim: "The enemy" takes over all those empty parshmen during a Desolation.

...

For a theory that was made up from rule of drama only because a Parshendi knows Dalinar's face and Dalinar doesn't get to see his, it has bits and pieces that look suspiciously possible. This is the sort of twist that wouldn't look at all out of place in a Sanderson book. OTOH, it has more holes than a sieve. The only reason I felt compelled to write all this is because, on the off chance that it's actually true, I'll get to say "I knew it!" in an extremely smug way.

Then again, isn't that the whole point of speculating on anything?

[Shivertongue]

I like it. Theories based on no logic whatsoever are my favorite.

[Zas678]

Man. That would be totally sweet. Unlikely, but sweet.

[Emeralis00]

I have actually considered this before. Unlikely, but not beyond possibility.

[Aiken Frost]

From this point on, the "theory" (if you can call it that) is completely illogical and mostly speculation, whose chief weapon is surprise, surprise and drama. Two! Whose two chief weapons are surprise and drama and baseless assumption...

You, my friend, already have my support just because of this!

Maybe Parshendi can come back to life in their bodies, which would make their casual disregard for their lives and berserk fury for messing with corpses very logical.

I actually thought of that while reading the book. Not necessarily for the reasons you spoke of and not coming back in the SAME body. But to me, it seems logical given their behavior.

But about your theory, I will repeat the others: not likely, but very possible.

[Catchfraze]

I like parts of your theory, but I took the less convoluted (no insult intended, I couldn't figure out another word to describe the route you took to reach your conclusion) route and just assumed that the shardbearer Dalinar fought was one of the Parshendi present during the "peace treaty" that resulted in Galinar's assassination.

[Eri]

I like it, it would explain theim being "marked with fire". I mean --- there can be natural reasons for them to have marbled / burn skin, but...

Also, I wonder if it has something to do with people saying things while dying.

Edited November 1, 2011 by eri

[happyman]

I must congratulate you, chicken, on being extremely self-aware. It's an extreme idea with little evidence, but it's not a cracked idea, if that makes any sense. Something is definitely Up with the Parshendi, and it's hard to say what, exactly.

[CrazyRioter]

this is the most awesome theory ever, You win 1000 internets. It's very unlikely, but that doesn't stop it from being epic.

[Aashyma]

I love this theory-in support of it, Parshmen leave their dead exposed on slabs of stone in forests no?

[Arcanist Lupus]

Also, I wonder if it has something to do with people saying things while dying.

This is perhaps the most genius thing I've heard all day. (I'm not sure why I think so, I just do.)

Death related things we've seen so far in WoK:

Parshmen/Parshendi don't touch their dead. Also, they have customs regarding assassination.

when some people die, they say strange things.

the Heralds could apparently come back from the dead.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that these all are related.

[Ness]

In addition to Sir-read-alots comment on customs redarding assassination, lets take a look at that custom. Wear white so they see you coming. Seems to me like they do that because being stabbed in the back is a very dishonorable thing to do as well as a dishonorable way to die. idk if it supports the theory but it does give them more connection to Honor.

[Vikachu]

Gonna add that this would tie in to the Shin's reverence for stone: perhaps it's needed in forging a new Parshendi body, perhaps by mixing it with the corpse. And, of course, messing with a corpse stops the rebirth; Parshendi go crazy when they see people desecrate corpses because those people basically killed those in the "time-out" zone, which, in addition to being, well, murderous, is also dishonorable.

[Arcanist Lupus]

Oh! Oh! Oh! What if the Parshendi are the Knights Radiant returned from the dead/transformed?

The only evidence for this at all is that in one of Dalinar's Visions, there's a pair of Knights Radiants working together. But it's a cool idea anyway.

Also, it's the only semireasonable reason I've seen so far as to why the Radiants abandoned their job.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Sir_Read-a-Lot

[Tulir]

I like Sir_Read-a-Lot's idea about the Parshendi being the Knights Radiant. There isn't very much in support of the idea, but like many people said before me, the Parshendi act with lots of honor, and they go crazy when someone desacrates their dead. But I wonder about the idea of them coming back to life, because the parshmen also act like that around the dead.

[Mistborn Surgebinder]

May I say, I actually had this exact thought upon my reading. I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one who makes crazy assumptions based off rule of awesome! And as for "possible but not likely," I would like to put forth exibit A: sazed. Upon release of mistborn, had someone posted "I bet sazed is the most important character at the end," my bet is "possible but not likely" would abound. Chicken, you are my temporary new best friend.

[Chicken]

Chicken, you are my temporary new best friend.

Um, hurray I suppose.

Edited December 2, 2011 by Chicken

[Tulir]

"Marked with fire"--Kalak says that the place the Heralds go between Desolations is a place of pain and fire. Maybe they are the Knights Radiant or Heralds coming back after being marked like they were.

[ReaderAt2046]

What if ordinary parshmen are everyone who wasn't close enough to Honor to become a Parshendi?

[The Lord Ruler]

This makes sense, especially if their body just keep getting reused. After all, don't the bridgemen just assume that the corpses in the chasms get washed away by highstorm floods? What if they just come back to life and walk away?

[Odium's_Shard]

Firstly, about the Parshendi bodies in the chasms. Those people are screwed if they continually come back to life, just to be washed away and die, over and over again.

Secondly, about what Kelek said when he mention that they were 'marked with fire' could tie into the end of Part 2, where Hoid is sat in the Alethi capital, and the gate is sliced open to reveal Taln, the Herald who didn't make it after the Last Desolation. He is described as 'charred'. Could this mean he is a Parshendi (looking)? Or just that the fire in those places they go to has burnt him?

[Tulir]

I think it is just the fire from the place that the Heralds go, but I have been wrong before and I could be wrong again.

[Zarepath]

This is the most exciting theory I've read here, I think.

[Tulir]

Well, just because it is exiting doesn't necessarily mean it is true.

[Triasmus]

Well, just because it is exiting doesn't necessarily mean it is true.

Of course it does!!!