One of them will destroy us (Champion theory)

[Zapata Oldblood]

Quote

Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon, forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin, who weeps as he kills; the liar, who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince, whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes.

One of them may redeem us. One of them will destroy us.

I think the Way of Kings synopsis refers to the contest of champions. Kaladin, Szeth, Shallan, or Dalinar will either be a champion or (as others have theorized) disrupt the contest in a way that breaks the deal. Personally, I think Szeth will be either the redeemer or the destroyer, just based on a gut feeling.

[Marabout Babsk]

Shallan, destroyer of worlds

[Zapata Oldblood]

1 hour ago, Marabout said:

Shallan, destroyer of worlds

that's a good point, it could be referring to the Shallan's Mother theory (if it's true), in which case, Shallan's actions will have caused the True Desolation. It could then be in the future tense because the ramifications of those actions would not have occurred until after the Synopsis was transcribed (the True Desolation does not begin until the Epilogue, when Taln appears)

[alder24 Soulcaster]

1 hour ago, Marabout said:

Shallan, destroyer of worlds

The world ended, and Shallan was to blame.- Words of Radiance, Chapter 10

 

1 hour ago, Ookla the Observant said:

I think the Way of Kings synopsis refers to the contest of champions. Kaladin, Szeth, Shallan, or Dalinar will either be a champion or (as others have theorized) disrupt the contest in a way that breaks the deal. Personally, I think Szeth will be either the redeemer or the destroyer, just based on a gut feeling.

That might be true. But losing or winning contest of champions will not cause any more damage to Roshar, war will end either way. But draw or stoping the fight on the other hand. I do think that Dalinar might intervene in a fight, if he won't be a champion, or refuse to fight if he is, both would put him in Odium's hand, and that would cause damage, or even death to Stromfather, ending the world in endless rain, as many Death Rattles predict this. So Dalinar would "destroy us". I've written more about in the topic "Loophole in the contract".

However it might be that someone would manage to fix this by the end of SA 5 by releasing BAM, restoring Stormfather and thus "redeeming us". And who is trying to find BAM to prevent her from falling into hands of Ghostbloods? Shallan! She will save us.

[KaladinWorldsinger Artifabrian]

13 hours ago, Marabout said:

Shallan, destroyer of worlds

'Now I am become Shallan, the destroyer of worlds'

-J. Radiant Veilheimer

I will show myself out

 

[bmcclure7 Arbiter]

On 12/9/2022 at 7:50 AM, Ookla the Observant said:

I think the Way of Kings synopsis refers to the contest of champions. Kaladin, Szeth, Shallan, or Dalinar will either be a champion or (as others have theorized) disrupt the contest in a way that breaks the deal. Personally, I think Szeth will be either the redeemer or the destroyer, just based on a gut feeling.

I take it you skipped dawn shard 

[offer Oldblood]

52 minutes ago, bmcclure7 said:

I take it you skipped dawn shard 

I don`t remember anything from dawnshard disproving his theory. What am I missing?

[bmcclure7 Arbiter]

11 hours ago, offer said:

I don`t remember anything from dawnshard disproving his theory. What am I missing?

"Yelamaiszin sent. It had a smooth, calming buzz. It was First, the oldest of the swarms on Roshar. Nikli was the Twenty-Fourth, youngest of them. I like the Bondsmith, for example, though I know he will destroy us. He will not, Zyardil sent. Its buzz was punctuated and sharp. He has made the decision of Honor. That is why he will destroy us, Yelamaiszin replied. He is more dangerous now, not less."

Dawnshard.

Dalinar is the destroyer 

[Treach Bridgeman]

Want to point out potential context misdirection, most read this and think “destroy us” means Roshar, but remember this is written by a sleepless. Roshar doesn’t need to be redeemed, it’s a planet and there is no reason to believe Roshar as a whole has failed. We don’t know what the sleepless may have done in the past, but we know the Radiants turned against them, and the Heralds abandoned them, so it isn’t a stretch to assume they did something that necessitates redemption. 
 

So my opinion is this isn’t saying one of them will destroy Roshar, but one of them will destroy the Sleepless (or at least one(s)on Roshar). Also, they are essentially all connected. I think it’s plausible they could redeem one, and destroy another, and the prophecy still fit.  

[Zapata Oldblood]

On 12/20/2022 at 5:34 PM, bmcclure7 said:

"Yelamaiszin sent. It had a smooth, calming buzz. It was First, the oldest of the swarms on Roshar. Nikli was the Twenty-Fourth, youngest of them. I like the Bondsmith, for example, though I know he will destroy us. He will not, Zyardil sent. Its buzz was punctuated and sharp. He has made the decision of Honor. That is why he will destroy us, Yelamaiszin replied. He is more dangerous now, not less."

Dawnshard.

Dalinar is the destroyer 

The Sleepless seem to disagree on whether Dalinar is the destroyer. To me, it seems like this could be a misdirection. But even if it holds true, it says nothing about the redeemer.

[duladen Ferring]

On 12/20/2022 at 2:34 PM, bmcclure7 said:

"Yelamaiszin sent. It had a smooth, calming buzz. It was First, the oldest of the swarms on Roshar. Nikli was the Twenty-Fourth, youngest of them. I like the Bondsmith, for example, though I know he will destroy us. He will not, Zyardil sent. Its buzz was punctuated and sharp. He has made the decision of Honor. That is why he will destroy us, Yelamaiszin replied. He is more dangerous now, not less."

Dawnshard.

Dalinar is the destroyer 

“He has made the decision of Honor” reminded me of this death rattle…

 

So the night will reign, for the choice of honor is life...

—Observed circa Ishi 1173 by Taravangian. Subject was King Valam of Jah Keved.^[46]