Kaladin-Stormblessed Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 (edited) So I have a weird thought - Brandon Sanderson has a way of foreshadowing things in strange ways. In fact, he has said that one of the reasons he likes Lift as a character is cause he is able to make her say weird things which character turn out to be foreshadowing of things in her own unique manner. As I was re-reading Oathbringer, Lopen struck me as a similar type of character. Often in Words of Radiance and in Oathbringer, he refers to himself as "The Lopen". He also seems to multiply cousins just when Kaladin seemed to need them. In the oathbringer, when training Bridge four to be squires - he lashes himself to the ground and then coaxes the ground by saying, "Don’t worry, dear one. The Lopen is vast enough to be possessed by many, many forces, both terrestrial and celestial! I must soar to the air, for if I were to remain only on the ground, surely my growing magnitude would cause the land to crack and break". Call this wishful thinking or conspiracy theories - but I really do think that there is more to Lopen than we know to date. After all the Herdazians are not completely understood by the Alethi (example, Rock - correction Rock is a Horneater, my mistake) Think any of this thinking makes sense or is it too far fetched? Edited August 30, 2019 by Kaladin-Stormblessed 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torchwood17 Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 I can see your point of Lopen being used by Sanderson for some foreshadowing, I don't think Lopen is some form of shard or super power. I think he's just a weird dude with a very strange perspective of the world. But then again that may be wrong, but reasons I don't think he's some sort of higher being 1. He's bonded a spren of his own, I don't think a higher being could do that, only normal humans with the proper breaks on their spirit web 2. While Lopen is very strange to Alethi and our own standards, from the screen time we've got of other Herdazians, he actually doesn't seem too far out there. 3. You'd think with him being around Dalinar/the Stormfather, if Lopen was some crazy power being wouldn't the Stormfather probably have recognized him and said something about it to Dalinar? It's a fun theory, but I doubt it. Also Rock isn't Herdazian, he's a Horneater, two very different cultures/races on Roshar 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaladin-Stormblessed Posted August 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2019 Fair points and those make a lot of sense. My bad about Rock. *sighs*, guess that was wishful thinking because I do enjoy Lopen as a character a lot and was hoping that he has a more significant role in the future books. He really is a good contrast against Kaladin's brooding (I know Shallan's mask of laughter/wit is meant to be a contrast but I just can't stand her faking it all... so Lopen is my salvation when it comes to humor) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Violin Guy Posted August 24, 2019 Report Share Posted August 24, 2019 I like that maybe Lopan is a divine being. However, we don't know if he has visited the Nightwatcher. He could now have the ability to summon cousins at will. But I think that Oathbriner reference is just Lopan being Lopan as usual . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wander89 Posted August 25, 2019 Report Share Posted August 25, 2019 52 minutes ago, Oduim's Champion said: I like that maybe Lopan is a divine being. However, we don't know if he has visited the Nightwatcher. He could now have the ability to summon cousins at will. But I think that Oathbriner reference is just Lopan being Lopan as usual . Just got an image of his cousins sitting for dinner, utensils at the ready then suddenly appearing beside Lopen in the Shattered Plains 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Violin Guy Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 On 8/24/2019 at 7:01 PM, Wander89 said: Just got an image of his cousins sitting for dinner, utensils at the ready then suddenly appearing beside Lopen in the Shattered Plains Oh, funny as that is, I was thinking that maybe he could just create his cousins whenever he needed them. I like your way better though, thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wander89 Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 22 hours ago, Oduim's Champion said: Oh, funny as that is, I was thinking that maybe he could just create his cousins whenever he needed them. I like your way better though, thanks. That would also be pretty awesome and convenient but I can imaging it would freak the hell out of everyone! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aon Tia Posted September 23, 2019 Report Share Posted September 23, 2019 divine being i dont think so. but he does call himself King Lopen somewhere... could his cousins be his subjects. haha.. i dont know. Rock is already being touted as the King of the peaks. i mean secret kings could bridge four really have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Violin Guy Posted September 23, 2019 Report Share Posted September 23, 2019 2 minutes ago, The traveller said: divine being i dont think so. but he does call himself King Lopen somewhere... could his cousins be his subjects. haha.. i dont know. Rock is already being touted as the King of the peaks. i mean secret kings could bridge four really have. Thank you for making one of my favorite topics alive again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapata Posted September 23, 2019 Report Share Posted September 23, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, The traveller said: divine being i dont think so. but he does call himself King Lopen somewhere... could his cousins be his subjects. haha.. i dont know. Rock is already being touted as the King of the peaks. i mean secret kings could bridge four really have. Doesn't Lopen claim to be an Alethi king because his mother convinced Elhokar to abdicate temporarily? Edit. Found the WOB: Quote Arcanum Unbounded release party (Nov. 22, 2016) Brandon Sanderson For instance, Lopen did become king of Alethkar. For a short time. Because he and his family hid King Elhokar and, at least in his perception, convinced the king to abdicate for a short time so they could not lie when they said "We don't have King Elhokar with us." This is canon, okay. And, so, Lopen became... In his mind, at least, they got the king to agree for a fifteen-minute "Lopen is king of Alethkar" abdication, so that they wouldn't have to lie (because it was very important to them), so they could get him out of danger when some people were looking for him. That story, some day I might write it, I don't know if I'll ever be able to. But when he says (I think he references that at some point in one of the later books) "I was king," he really was! Edited September 23, 2019 by Bearer of Agonies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wander89 Posted September 23, 2019 Report Share Posted September 23, 2019 Interesting WOB on King Lopen: Quote Bands of Mourning release party (Jan. 25, 2016) Questioner Any hints about what the Stormlight novella will be about? Brandon Sanderson I'm probably going to make Lift the main character if the scene-- if it works it will be Lift. If it doesn't I could pick a different character, but I have a nice little outline for what Lift has been doing in between and I think she'll make a very good novella on her own. I do want to write the short story King Lopen the First of Alethkar, but that one's only like 5,000 words so if I get that one done I'll stick it in too. If you watch at the end of Words of Radiance Lopen's going around claiming to be king and there's a reason for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aon Tia Posted September 24, 2019 Report Share Posted September 24, 2019 13 hours ago, That Violin Guy said: Thank you for making one of my favorite topics alive again. You are welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aginor Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 I am with you on thinking there may be more to Lopen than it seems. re-read of WOR: he directly mentions flying and walking on walls before Kaladin has learned to do these. Among the other things mentioned, he may be more than we think. Not necessarily a shard or even close but he could be a world hopper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nellac Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 10 minutes ago, Aginor said: I am with you on thinking there may be more to Lopen than it seems. re-read of WOR: he directly mentions flying and walking on walls before Kaladin has learned to do these. Among the other things mentioned, he may be more than we think. Not necessarily a shard or even close but he could be a world hopper. If he is a world-hopper he would have to be from Roshar because the Herdazian finger nails are extremely distinctive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbondsmith Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 (edited) If he visited the Nightwatcher, maybe he just asked to be happy, and the loss of the arm was the curse. That would explain how he was so chipper as a bridgeman. Edit: I also just realised that the Nahel bond may have occurred due to breakage before he asked to be happy, and the Nightwatcher's boon covered it over without fixing it Edited April 8, 2020 by jamesbondsmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfphelps Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 He did explain that "the Lopen" was started by his cousins because he's the only person named Lopen they've ever heard of. Also it's somewhat convenient about his cousins, however it also makes sense that he would only mention them when it could be of use. Either way fun to think about Lopen having more going on! I do think one of his big purposes is to level set us on the "all radiants are broken" thing though, but maybe there's more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XeGnome Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Summon cousins at will, eh? I don’t think he is amian and his cousins are part of his collective cremlings. Never see his shadow pointing the wrong direction. still a very cute theory ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaverBuster Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Do Lopen and Hoid ever appear together, because if not..... They are so totally the same person. Hoid used one of his lightweaving abilities to make people believe he had no arm. Lopen = Hoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adonalsium'sSpren Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 On 2019-08-21 at 8:13 PM, Torchwood17 said: I can see your point of Lopen being used by Sanderson for some foreshadowing, I don't think Lopen is some form of shard or super power. I think he's just a weird dude with a very strange perspective of the world. But then again that may be wrong, but reasons I don't think he's some sort of higher being 1. He's bonded a spren of his own, I don't think a higher being could do that, only normal humans with the proper breaks on their spirit web 2. While Lopen is very strange to Alethi and our own standards, from the screen time we've got of other Herdazians, he actually doesn't seem too far out there. 3. You'd think with him being around Dalinar/the Stormfather, if Lopen was some crazy power being wouldn't the Stormfather probably have recognized him and said something about it to Dalinar? It's a fun theory, but I doubt it. Also Rock isn't Herdazian, he's a Horneater, two very different cultures/races on Roshar When did lopen bond his own spren? Did i miss that in Oathbringer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karger Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, Adonalsium'sSpren said: When did lopen bond his own spren? Did i miss that in Oathbringer? Apparently. He swore the second ideal right at the end when talking to a man who was now missing an arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Invocation Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, Adonalsium'sSpren said: When did lopen bond his own spren? Did i miss that in Oathbringer? Yes you did! Right at the end, he swears the Second Oath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adonalsium'sSpren Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 7 minutes ago, Karger said: Apparently. He swore the second ideal right at the end when talking to a man who was now missing an arm. 5 minutes ago, Invocation said: Yes you did! Right at the end, he swears the Second Oath. I guess i will just read it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Invocation Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, Adonalsium'sSpren said: I guess i will just read it again! No time like the present! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adonalsium'sSpren Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 On 2020-04-09 at 4:25 PM, BeaverBuster said: Do Lopen and Hoid ever appear together, because if not..... They are so totally the same person. Hoid used one of his lightweaving abilities to make people believe he had no arm. Lopen = Hoid I never saw this before! ahh yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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