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Theory: Odium will take control of the Parshmen and cause havoc


Dark_Sun77

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"They were suddenly dangerous. Like a calm day that became a tempest." "...I believe it may reference the Voidbringers" page 471: Chapter 30: Darkness Unseen.

 

"They changed, even as we fought them. Like shadows they were, that can transform as the flame dances. Never underestimate them because of what you first see."  page 499: Chapter 33: Cymatics.

 

"Born from the darkness, they bear its taint still, marked upon their bodies much as the fire marks their souls." Page 553: Chapter 38: Envisager

 

First Theory: Odium will take control of the peaceful Parshmen and suddenly change their form and they will be very dangerous.  (Possibly used as Voidbringers or just one piece of a much more complex puzzle.)

 

Second Theory: This was a plan that Odium has had for a long time (possibly after the Last Desolation or thereabouts).  He foresaw that humanity could not pass up on perfect obedient slaves and somehow tampered with regular Parshendi to make them like Parshmen instead. Now humans took the Parshmen as slaves and spread them across Roshar (Odium did not do this himself rather knew it would happen due to man's nature).

 

Third Theory: These new parshmen will be able to utilize stormlight in some fashion or another.  (Not so sure about this one.)

 

Now to combine the theories: Parshmen have been strategically placed (see the second theory for what I mean by this) all over Roshar by Odium, and that in a moment Odium will utilize their telepathic ability and change them into a very dangerous form and then use them as "Voidbringers" or tools of them to accomplish his purposes.  Odium or a servant of his will have complete control over them and use them in whatever way he sees fit.

 

I think this is part of the reason why Jashnah has discovered that Parshendi are possibly the Voidbringers. Perhaps it is not the Parshendi race rather the parshmen.

 

Some other quotes that might help this theory: (The green are my comments)

 

"Death upon the lips. Sound upon the air. Char upon the skin." Page 567: Chapter 40: Eyes of Red and Blue.

(The sound upon the air could be the way Odium or a servant issues his commands to the Parshmen who have been changed into something much more dangerous.)

 

"They take away the light, wherever they lurk. Skin that is burned." Page 676: Chapter 48: Strawberry

(They will be able to take in stormlight and use it for evil)

 

"Flame and Char. Skin so terrible. Eyes like pits of blackness." Page 696. Chapter 50: Backbreaker Powder.

(The dark eyes could reflect that they do not have have control over themselves but are rather animated by Odium or a servant of his)

 

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From another book where this sort of thing occurred: Spoiler from the book A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.  If anyone has read the book Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge then you will be familiar with this concept as demonstrated with Skode Riders and the Blight.

Edited by Dark_Sun77
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It's a nice theory. It makes a lot of sense. After all, if you're about to lose a city, you should leave it infested with loyal spies to provide you with valuable intel and even sabotage. If you're about to lose a world, leave it with an army loyal to you, even if they don't yet know it.

 

I can hardly wait until the second book finally comes out and we see how Brandon Sanderson runs with this sub-plot.

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Think about the surprise from everyone when their slaves who they have regarded as harmless all their lives transform into extremely dangerous remote controlled pawns of destruction.  If this theory turns out to be correct then this will be an epic heart-pounding chapter to read!

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I don't think Odium has anything to do with parshmen's widespread presence across Roshar and I don't think he needs to.  It is quite believable that Humanity did it all themselves.  As Jasnah points out "we never throw away something we can use".  It's a fairly common trope, something (usually of alien origin) shows up, and instead of destroying it or locking it up somewhere safe, people start to tinker with it.  Invariably causing BAD THINGS.  Now I do think that Odium is involved somehow with the Parsh but he really didn't have to do anything, beyond waiting, for them to get so widespread.

 

Anyway, have an upvote for your first post being a theory. 

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WeiryWriter  you make a good point.  I guess I should split up the theory into two theories (I have revised my thread to reflect this). This is closer to what I desired to express with my first post.  Thanks for the feedback. 

Edited by Dark_Sun77
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I'm interested to know just how widespread Parshmen really are. We know they are everywhere in Alethi culture, but I wonder if there are any nations where they are not used. Shinovar in particular comes to mind, it's so different from the other cultures of Roshar, I wouldn't be surprised to find out they don't use Parshmen.

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When I first read Way of Kings, I loved the idea that the Parshmen were the Voidbrigners, for the same reasons you and Jasnah have mentioned. Since then, I've kind of cooled on the diea. Brandon said the Stormlight Archive is going to be two series of five, so I suppose it's possible that the Parshmen are the Voidbringers, and that plot will be wrapped up by the fifth book, but I'll reserve judgement until after Words of Radiance.

 

Looking at those quotes now, without the surrounding scholarly context, I wonder if there's any sort of relevance to the Heralds. The interlude with Baxil's misstress and Lift shows that they may not be quite playing with a full deck, and I think the prologue mentions hooks and burnings. It's unlikely, especially since Taln's lines seem to be in the tone of a warning, but it might be an interesting plot twist if Words of Radiance reveals him to be a Voidbringer or one of the Ten Fools.

 

(In fact, I've seen people on the forums commenting what a rotten deal the Oathpact seems to be for the Heralds; maybe they are the Ten Fools for agreeing to it.)

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Hmmm, this seems like a sold theory...

 

Except that it seems too simple and obvious to me.

 

I can get behind the idea that the Parshendi are connected to the voidbringers in some way, even that they can become some variety of voidbringer.

 

But I do not think it is as simple as Jasnah believes.

 

I just think that some will definitely wreak havoc during WoR (and the series) but I am more inclined toward the belief that they are not the constructs / tools of Odium, like people seem to believe.

 

I believe that Jasnahs theory about the Parshmen / Voidbringers is at best simplistic / incomplete.

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Whether or not the parshendi or parshmen are/turn into voidbringers I am not certain, I agree with The Count that it probably isn`t as simplistic as that. I agree with the other part of your theory that the voidbringers can definitely use stormlight. 

 

(Not sure of page, I do not have the hardback with me) Chapter: Prologue: To Kill 

"Holding his breath, he clung to the Stormlight. He could still feel it leaking out. Stormlight could be held for only a short time, a few minutes at most. It leaked away, the human body too porous a container. He had heard that the Voidbringers could hold it in perfectly. But, then, did they even exist? His punishment declared that they didn’t. His honor demanded that they did."

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I've been nursing an idea that the Parshmen are capable of becoming the Voidbringers, but only in that form:

This gets into WoR chapters:

Parshmen are Parhsendi without a spren (Eshonia implies this). I believe that since they are sprenless, it is easier for the 'Red' spren that Syl sees to bond with the parshmen, creating voidbringers (That is all wild speculation). I also believe t hat the Parshendi know about this and Eshonia is attempting to speak with Dalinar so she can explain tot him and get as many Parshmen bonded with Spren as possible before it's too late. 

This is a little hatchling of a theory, but could be promising.

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Macen:

I really like your theory there.  Well said.

 

The Count:

I am not implying that the parshmen are the only type of "Voidbringer".  I think Voidbringer is a general term.  The Unmade (as heard talked about in the vision with Noholdon (where Dalinar sees the aftermath of a desolation), The giant fire rocks, perhaps controlled chasm fiends, and the Parshmen (changed into something much worse.) among other things.  I also said that they might just be tools utilized by voidbringers rather than Voidbringers themselves.

Edited by Dark_Sun77
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