Tyson Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Im a bit behind on reading the released chapters on Tor, so i apologise if this has already been discussed. In Chapter 5 Kaladin is in the kings palace guarding Dalinar at an important meeting. I noticed something on the writing desk Syl bobbed around the room, poking into nooks, crannies, and vases. She stopped at a paperweight on the women’s writing desk beside the king’s chair, poking at the block of crystal with a strange kind of crabthing trapped inside. Were those wings? From previous descriptions from Rysn and Lift, I assume this is a dead Larkin. Nalan used a Larkin to sap stormlight from Lift durin her interlude. Rysn babsk mentions the value of these creatures, even their corpses. So they must still have an important use when dead. Could this be the key to defeating Szeth, and if so, the confrontation of Szeth vs Dalinar, Kaladin must happen in the Kings palace. Just thought it was intresting. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstSelector Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 While not unreasonable, the larkin used by Darkness appeared to be kept in a starved state so as to suck the Stormlight out of lift, implying it must be alive. The paperweight appears to be head. I think it just a symbol of the king's wealth - he has one of the most valuable things on Roshar as a paperweight. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoser Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I imagine live ones would have been useful protection from surgebinders like Szeth at one time. Could the dead ones just be a remnant status symbol? When I heard they wanted dead ones, I assumed their bodies could be used to replicate some of the abilities. But I draw a complete blank at using it as a paperweight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Portz Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Upvote, I'm really sure you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_karma_II Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I imagine live ones would have been useful protection from surgebinders like Szeth at one time. Could the dead ones just be a remnant status symbol? When I heard they wanted dead ones, I assumed their bodies could be used to replicate some of the abilities. But I draw a complete blank at using it as a paperweight. Maybe they value it for its rarity and don't know the true value of the artifact they have at hand! Maybe it can be used to replicate it's ability and they still haven't found about it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_warko Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Maybe they value it for its rarity and don't know the true value of the artifact they have at hand! Maybe it can be used to replicate it's ability and they still haven't found about it! And where might we find a noted scholar and a noted artifabrian at or nearing the shattered plains . . . . . . . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_karma_II Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 And where might we find a noted scholar and a noted artifabrian at or nearing the shattered plains . . . . . . . . . . . Artifabrian? Navani? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarion Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm wondering whether this ties into Elhokar's plate shattering. If the Larkin continues to have a draining effect on Stormlight, it could be a benign explanation for it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrutiny Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I am sure it will have some use in the story except just a paper weight, BS does not waste words very often. I like the idea of it having an affect on Surgebinders within its vicinity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ephemera Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I read this as Brandon's way of slowly introducing us to a plot piece that will become important later. After all, we have all read Lift's interlude and Rysn's interlude, but this chapter comes far earlier in the book. Since we are ahead of the game we recognize the Larkin for what it is, rather than "discovering" it in a reread. That being said, it could very well become important later Let Navani play with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dros Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm wondering whether this ties into Elhokar's plate shattering. If the Larkin continues to have a draining effect on Stormlight, it could be a benign explanation for it. I was thinking along those lines too. Although, the explanation might not be benign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinpoint Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Who else thinks that Kaladin will somehow use the paperweight to kill several soldiers trained to kill surgebinders. He might throw one out a window and then steal a safe containing a shardspear......oh wait, am I mixing stories up? ;D Paperweight weapons are just classic Okay, My theory is that maybe the material containing the Larkin nullifies the effect it has. I think it might be used to take Szeth's stormlight when he attacks. Maybe the effect Larkin have on surgebinders is stronger when they are alive. There has got to be some way for a dead Larkin to absorb stormlight. Maybe they value it for its rarity and don't know the true value of the artifact they have at hand! Maybe it can be used to replicate it's ability and they still haven't found about it! I like this thought. Edited January 24, 2014 by Pinpoint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 (edited) Or Kal just throws the thing at Szeth who learns its "secret" the hard way. Immunity to surgebinding... Aw, nuts! Death by paperweight... A rather anticlimactic end to our troubled villian - Alcatraz style! (as if Szeth wasn't broken enough already) Rutabagas, anyone? Edit: Sorry, that was painfully bad. Severe lack of sleep speaking. Edited January 31, 2014 by Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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