In whose prison is Szeth locked up?

[+Oltux72]

So, are we making a further unwarranted assumption in thinking that Dalinar ordered Szeth to be imprisoned in his own prison? Do people on the human side know that Szeth is a Skybreaker? So may we be looking at an attempt at espionage by putting somebody with a spren into somebody's dungeon rather than an internal conflict among the Knoghts Radiant?

[mathiau]

1 hour ago, Oltux72 said:

So, are we making a further unwarranted assumption in thinking that Dalinar ordered Szeth to be imprisoned in his own prison? Do people on the human side know that Szeth is a Skybreaker? So may we be looking at an attempt at espionage by putting somebody with a spren into somebody's dungeon rather than an internal conflict among the Knoghts Radiant?

We've seen Dalinar use Szeth as a bodyguard, there is just no way Szeth is in prison.

Edited March 1, 2020 by mathiau

[Karger]

3 hours ago, mathiau said:

We've seen Dalinar use Szeth as a bodyguard, there is just no way Szeth is in prison.

Brandon has confirmed he is.

4 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

So, are we making a further unwarranted assumption in thinking that Dalinar ordered Szeth to be imprisoned in his own prison?

I do not think any other prison would be safe from Szeth.  He is wanted for execution everywhere.

4 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

Do people on the human side know that Szeth is a Skybreaker

Yes.  He used his abilities pretty publicly.  Also Lift knows and she might not want to keep a secret.  Also what good is keeping this a secret at all?

4 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

So may we be looking at an attempt at espionage by putting somebody with a spren into somebody's dungeon rather than an internal conflict among the Knoghts Radiant?

I think it is more like they want everyone to cool off their demands for execution.   

[Goatbringer]

On 3/1/2020 at 5:18 PM, Karger said:

Brandon has confirmed he is.

I've seen this a couple different places... was this a WoB?

[+Oltux72]

On 01/03/2020 at 4:18 PM, Karger said:

I do not think any other prison would be safe from Szeth.  He is wanted for execution everywhere.

He does not have to stay in prison for long.

On 01/03/2020 at 4:18 PM, Karger said:

Yes.  He used his abilities pretty publicly.

Some Shin dude used a surge in public. How many have seen a portrait of the Assassin in White? And would recognize him on teh battlefield?

On 01/03/2020 at 4:18 PM, Karger said:

Also Lift knows and she might not want to keep a secret.  Also what good is keeping this a secret at all?

Publishing that the Skybreakers are now on the other side is not good for morale. And you get a secret agent. And admitting that you are now in league with the Assassin in White is not good for the unity of the coalition.

On 01/03/2020 at 4:18 PM, Karger said:

I think it is more like they want everyone to cool off their demands for execution.   

For a whole year?

[Quantus]

2 hours ago, Goatbringer said:

I've seen this a couple different places... was this a WoB?

 

See Below. He's defiantly in jail as of the start, and likely been there since the beginning.  Given how many monarchs across the continent he's killed, and the shaky foundation of the Alliance, I suspect that keeping him alive and not going straight to execution is the limit of Dalinar's influence/control at the moment.  To actually Clear Szeth's name he's have to reveal Mr.T's involvement, which they might see as doing more harm than good (for now, at least).

 

Quote

jmcgit

Compared to Oathbringer, how much Szeth are we going to see in the book?

Brandon Sanderson

This one, probably less Szeth than Oathbringer. Mostly, because we're going to get his big plot in the next book. There's some cool Szeth stuff in this still, but we're looking more like first book Szeth rather than third book Szeth, where I give him his own micro plot in book 3.

jmcgit

I was kind of imagining, he's like the first character expected to die in the first five books.

Brandon Sanderson

He starts in jail, in book four. Because Dalinar told him to go there.

DragonCon 2019 (Aug. 31, 2019)

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Quantus

[Stormfather-in-Law]

Can we spoiler topics that are rhythms of war, for those of us who go out of our way to avoid them? 

[+robardin]

What a way to kick off his quest for his Fourth Ideal: to be ordered by Dalinar, whose will he swore to follow for his Third Ideal, to remain in prison.

I guess it's equivalent to what he said to Kaladin after Elhokar set him to prison for challenging Amaram. "If I'd ordered you to guard a room for a week, would you have done it? Then consider this your duty. Guard this room."

And yes, the most likely reason Szeth would be imprisoned would be for murder. Of like, lots and lots of people. How the whole Taravangian-had-my-Oathstone, but-I-was-made-Truthless-under-false-pretenses thing would play out is completely up in the air.

[hypatia]

Don't know, but my first thought reading this was - Dalinar told Szeth to go to prison and do what?

Organizing a prison break in Kholinar?

Helping someone? This general from Herdaz?

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by hypatia

[agrabes]

18 hours ago, hypatia said:

Don't know, but my first thought reading this was - Dalinar told Szeth to go to prison and do what?

Organizing a prison break in Kholinar?

Helping someone? This general from Herdaz?

 

Could be possible, but no reason to think it's likely.  What are the facts we know:

• Szeth has committed many crimes that have gone completely unpunished up to this point.
• Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people are mad about that including Dalinar's inner circle.
• Dalinar Orders Szeth to go to Prison

The most logical thing to assume is that Szeth is going to prison as a punishment for his many crimes.  Sanderson usually brings this up in response to questions like "Are there going to be any consequences for Szeth?  Did people just forget he was the Assassin in White?" which also implies that the prison stay is punishment.  Doesn't mean he couldn't be doing something else, but there's no reason to suspect it at this point. 

[+Oltux72]

7 hours ago, agrabes said:

The most logical thing to assume is that Szeth is going to prison as a punishment for his many crimes.

I was following orders is the best defense you can put up on Roshar.

7 hours ago, agrabes said:

 Sanderson usually brings this up in response to questions like "Are there going to be any consequences for Szeth?  Did people just forget he was the Assassin in White?" which also implies that the prison stay is punishment.  Doesn't mean he couldn't be doing something else, but there's no reason to suspect it at this point. 

So Dalinar, who is fighting a war with his back to the wall, will put the first ally among the Skybreakers, a surviving order of the Knights Radiant in prison? While he bears the only weapon that could permanently kill a Fused (or a Herald)? A man who could just cut his way out of his cell?

[agrabes]

42 minutes ago, Oltux72 said:

I was following orders is the best defense you can put up on Roshar.

So Dalinar, who is fighting a war with his back to the wall, will put the first ally among the Skybreakers, a surviving order of the Knights Radiant in prison? While he bears the only weapon that could permanently kill a Fused (or a Herald)? A man who could just cut his way out of his cell?

"I was following orders" is not a good defense in all contexts.  It's a good defense for Szeth specifically to other Skybreakers due to his personal code of honor and the values of the Skybreaker order, but I don't really think it's a defense that would work for say, a citizen of Jah Keved which is now in ruins due to Szeth's actions.  Even most other Skybreakers hate Szeth for what he's done.  You can argue that you were just following orders, but most orders of Knights Radiant and general citizens of Roshar are going to say that you have a duty to disobey unlawful/immoral orders.

Yes, Dalinar would definitely put Szeth in prison.  He's trying to promote the rule of law and reassure the nations of Roshar that his international coalition is not all just an Alethi plot to take over the world.  Those plots come up and are discussed explicitly in OB.  Dalinar has to give up things he wants and even desperately needs to manage international politics.  After the events of OB, maybe no one would deny that a coalition is necessary but Dalinar could easily be removed from leadership over something like providing shelter to Szeth.  Yes, Szeth could just cut his way out of prison but he won't.  He's honor bound to do what Dalinar tells him.  Szeth needs to face some consequences for what he did for both his own sake and the sake of the people of Roshar.  If he wants to grow and develop, he needs to understand that he should have refused the orders to murder people.  He shouldn't be sheltered from the consequences of his actions.  I don't think he's going permanently to jail, but I think he'll be there for some period of time until Dalinar feels Szeth has learned a lesson and the people are satisfied that he can be released.

I'll also point out that while the most cosmere knowledgeable readers understand that Szeth's sword could permanently kill the fused neither Szeth nor Dalinar know that. I suspect that at least half the readers of SA don't know.