The letter in WoK

[tipbruley]

Repost of this theory with some new arguments.

The letter was Addressed to HOID from some character who now holds Odium

Here is what could have happened

The person who wrote the letter killed Rayse and became Odium. After thousands of years Odium has corrupted the writter of the letter, and he now is as bad as Rayse was. Hoid is now here to stop his friend. The 17th shard are members that seek to protect shardbearers from being destroyed (or something similiar) and now hunt Hoid.

TIMELINE:

1) Rayse holding Odium killed Skai and Aona

2) The WoK Letter is written to Hoid

3) The writer of the letter kills Rayse and takes Odium's power for himself

4) Elantris events

5) Way Of King events (Hoid seeks to confront the writer of the letter who now posseses Odium)

WHY I think this makes sense.

1) The letter sounds like the events in Elantris had just happened, but we know Elantris was thousands of years before the events of the WoK.

2) The letter is written by someone determined to stop Rayse, but from what we see of Hoid he seems like someone who doesn't like interfering with things. He doesn't ever seem to be determined to stop Rayse or interfere in any situation we see him. A counter argument here is that the Letter is written to Sazed from Hoid who would

3) The letter is address to "an old friend". Hoid tells Kaladin that he is here to "See an Old Friend, but has been putting it off". From the letter, the writer implied he never liked Rayse, so I am not sure why he would call Rayse a friend, but it makes perfect sense for Hoid to reference the writer like that.

4) There seems to be a huge gap of time between desolations and the time the last time a shard holder was killed. This would be explained by Odium not corrupting the writter of the letter for thousands of years.

http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/The_Way_of_Kings's_Epigraph_Letter#cite_note-2

Old friend, I hope this missive finds you well. Though, as you are now essentially immortal, I would guess that wellness on your part is something of a given.[1] I realize that you are probably still angry. That is pleasant to know. Much as your perpetual health, I have come to rely upon your dissatisfaction with me. It is one of the cosmere’s great constants, I should think.[2] Let me first assure you that the element is quite safe. I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say.[3] You do not agree with my quest. I understand that, so much as it is possible to understand someone with whom I disagree so completely.[4] Might I be quite frank? Before, you asked why I was so concerned. It is for the following reason:[5]Ati was once a kind and generous man, and you saw what became of him. Rayse, on the other hand, was among the most loathsome, crafty, and dangerous individuals I had ever met.[6] He holds the most frightening and terrible of all of the Shards. Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm. Because I assure you, Rayse will not be similarly inhibited.[7] One need only look at the aftermath of his brief visit to Sel to see proof of what I say.[8] In case you have turned a blind eye to that disaster, know that Aona and Skai are both dead, and that which they held has been Splintered. Presumably to prevent anyone from rising up to challenge Rayse.[9] You have accused me of arrogance in my quest. You have accused me of perpetuating my grudge against Rayse and Bavadin. Both accusations are true.[10] Neither point makes the things I have written to you here untrue.[11] I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they’re still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They’ll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me.[12] If anything I have said makes a glimmer of sense to you, I trust that you’ll call them off. Or maybe you could astound me and ask them to do something productive for once.[13] For I have never been dedicated to a more important purpose, and the very pillars of the sky will shake with the results of our war here. I ask again. Support me. Do not stand aside and let disaster consume more lives. I’ve never begged you for something before, old friend. I do so now.[14]

Edited September 8, 2012 by tipbruley

[Observer]

@2: I disagree. Hoid's been up to something in every book we've seen him in. He tried to talk to Vin in HoA, he gave Kelsier the info the Vin was...well....not doing what she was supposed to. What I mean to say is that just because he's not doing anything big while we see him doesn't mean he's not doing it secretly. You don't just worldhop back and fort for no reason.

[Turos]

Remember that there are sixteen Shards out there. We shouldn't limit participants to only those previously mentioned. For all we know, Odium isn't the only world-hopping Shard. Perhaps another undiscovered Shard is keeping up correspondence with Hoid or members of the 17th Shard.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Turos

[Observer]

Don't forget Bavadin. He's in the same solar system as Odium, Honor, and Cultivation. We don't know what he's up to, only that the author of the letter doesn't like him and associated him with Odium.

Also, the letter refers to Rayse holding Odium in present tense, and I don't see the shard the author fears so much being defeated in a hurry.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Observer

[Chaos]

I am fairly certain Brandon has confirmed that Rayse holds Odium.

[Voidus]

I am fairly certain Brandon has confirmed that Rayse holds Odium.

THORONDIR

Does Bavadin hold a Shard?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes (and that’s about all he would say. He did however confirm that Rayse is Odium)

So it depends how he actually phrased it.

[Chaos]

So it depends how he actually phrased it.

I guess. I think it is stretching it to say that totally BAMF of Rayse who holds the most dangerous Shard is, in fact, dead. I mean... I don't know, that'd be kind of a letdown with the letter so heavily implying that Rayse is a danger and not have Rayse hold Odium.

Besides, in the Late Breaking Alloy of Law report that I wrote, everything about Odium that we learned there fits exactly with what we know of Rayse in the letter. His personality is a good match for the Shard he holds. This is precisely the impression we receive from the Letter. (It is for this reason Odium does not pick up additional Shards; he does not want to be influenced by their intents.)

So yeah, Odium is Rayse. I would bet real money on that. Like a dollar, but whatever.

There are additional problems with this thread, which have already been mentioned. Hoid certainly intervenes--a lot. With this fact, it also makes sense that, say, someone with a firm policy on nonintervention would probably be rather annoyed on all of Hoid's meddlings and want to stop him.

3) The letter is address to "an old friend". Hoid tells Kaladin that he is here to "See an Old Friend, but has been putting it off". From the letter, the writer implied he never liked Rayse, so I am not sure why he would call Rayse a friend, but it makes perfect sense for Hoid to reference the writer like that.

"Friend" in this context could be negative. Like talking about a very old rival. Especially when you consider the actual quote:

I’ve come to your land to chase an old acquaintance, but I end up spending most of my time hiding from him instead.

If Hoid is the letter writer, then he has knows Rayse in some capacity and has met him (because the letter writer said that Rayse was the most crafty, dangerous men he had ever met). It is perfectly reasonable for Hoid to call him an acquaintance in this context.

[Observer]

An Odium related question:

Three of sixteen once ruled, now the broken one reigns!

Those voice spoke quietly this time.

ODIUM REIGNS

So....if three ruled, and Odium's the broekn one....why's he broken and who's number three?

[Turos]

Since the powers are derived from the local Shards, what could be said of the intent tied to those magics? It seems a determining what Cultivation's magic involves is impossible at this point, even. Who knows? It could be the "one that only wants to run and hide." Ooooooh aaaaaah. Maybe Fear is the other one. Or perhaps Survival. xD