Question about Truthwatchers (Spoilers, WOR)

[Edgedancer3]

I'm not that great at theorizing or anything like that, but I do have a question about the role of Truthwatchers within the Knights Radiant and how Renarin fits into it. Throughout the book, I knew something was off about him, and of course we finally find out that it's because he's a Knights Radiant, also. What I wanted to know is how Renarin knew that Dalinar, Shallan, and Kaladin were meeting in a somewhat secluded area to discuss their next moves and what might happen. Renarin just pops out, and when they ask him what he can do, he just replies "I see." Could that mean that Renarin can see anyone who is/has the potential to be a Radiant? I saw something a while ago in a signed book that someone had, and Brandon had written "Renarin sees spren no one else can" or something like that. Could it mean that he (and other Truthwatchers) can see bonded spren and their Radiants? If so, he probably knew the whole time that both Kaladin and Shallan were Radiant, and had probably been keeping an eye on them to see how things developed (maybe that's partly why he was so desperate to work in Bridge Four under Kaladin's leadership?). If he can seek and point out other Radiants, he could become very important in the next book(s) as Danilar continues to try to find more Radiants. Rather than waiting for Radiants to come to him, Dalinar would have a powerful tool that will allow him to actively seek out others to fill the Orders. I don't know if this possibility has been brought up before, and if it has, sorry! But when Renarin simply explained that he "sees," it made me wonder what exactly he's seeing. Has that been answered yet? 

[11thorderknight]

I think the "unique" role of each order is less about their surgebinding abilities than it is about their divine attributes and how those fit in with their service to society. For instance, Dalinar's bringing people together isn't the result of combining Tension and Adhesion, it's a result of his personality and the work he chooses to do. Shallan's doesn't transform people by Soulcasting them or tricking them with illusions; she does it by inspiring them, partly through art (though granted, the illusions help). Kaladin doesn't just fly (the skybreakers can do that too); he flies to people's defense to protect them.

 

I think the role of the Truthwatchers will be to learn, to investigate, to figure out puzzles and maintain knowledge. I bet their Second Ideal will be something like "I will see things as they are".

[V'rish Makik]

That's a very interesting conclusion. I hadn't even thought of a deeper reason for joining Bridge four. Now what I'm wondering is whether or not the revelation of the future he saw is just something that randomly came to first Taravangian and then Renarin, or if seeing the future like that is an attribute of the Truthwatchers. If so, than Taravangian is a Truthwatcher as well.

 

I could have sworn that, in Taravangian's interlude, it spoke of the Nightwatcher in a way that implied he had gone to her, and that was Taravangian's reasoning as to his revelation of the Diagram. If that's the case then had Renarin ever sought the old magic? I know this is kind of off topic, but I just really wonder how/why Renarin started making his own "diagram".

[+rhaiynebow]

I don't remember Renarin having his own diagram, but just cuz I don't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen LOL! That's what happens when you get old-ish.

 

I would like him to be able to see potential Radiants, but I haven't decided yet if that's what I'm settling on as my final "guess". It would definitely help things progress!

 

As a side note...I'm wondering if that's where Teft was! If Renarin was already a part of bridge 4 when Teft went missing just before the highstorm, then maybe he was with Renarin and helping him with his abilities. He was after all the first one to suspect Kaladin. I can see him spotting it in Renarin too, and Renarin asking him to keep it to himself.