CSI: Roshar-- what's your verdict?

[Necessary Eagle Truthless]

Whodunnit, my friends? Did Ialai kill herself or was it murder?

[Nathrangking Voidbringer]

The woman's pride easily would not allow for her capture. She reeks of Roman level pride.

[BasementDwellingRadiant Obligator]

I'm going to go with MURDER. If I had to guess, I'd say it was Ishna, who we already know was trying to join the Ghostbloods, and who the Ghostbloods investigated on Shallan's behalf to discover if she was a safe hire. That being said, she is the obvious suspect. So, I think it's also possible that we discover Shallan actually did do it and her control is even further gone than we believed already.

[Karger Unmade]

Murder.  She told Shallan it was going to happen.

[bdoble97 Bloodsealer]

I am convince murder by that 4th personality. Until next week on episode eights of CSI Roshar

[Hessi's Ward Grand]

You guys remember the escape door behind Ialai before she goes to get the wine right?

Chekhov's Door anyone?

[Harbour Honorspren]

The amount of focus that was made on killing-not killing Ialai gives off the case of murder.

[Subvisual Haze Steel Inquisitor]

Drank the suicide wine, delivered a "someone is going to kill me, there's a traitor amongst you!" idea to Shallan just to mess with her.  Ialai was a ruthless spymaster for Sadeas, why not go out in an incredibly dramatic way that sows discord amongst your enemies?

[bdoble97 Bloodsealer]

2 hours ago, Subvisual Haze said:

Drank the suicide wine, delivered a "someone is going to kill me, there's a traitor amongst you!" idea to Shallan just to mess with her.  Ialai was a ruthless spymaster for Sadeas, why not go out in an incredibly dramatic way that sows discord amongst your enemies?

That's a great point 

[Karger Unmade]

2 hours ago, Subvisual Haze said:

why not go out in an incredibly dramatic way that sows discord amongst your enemies?

If she really wanted to mess with them wouldn't staying alive and soaking up their attention and resources while they are busy trying to fight back against the end of the world be more effective?

[Nathrangking Voidbringer]

14 minutes ago, Karger said:

If she really wanted to mess with them wouldn't staying alive and soaking up their attention and resources while they are busy trying to fight back against the end of the world be more effective?

Maybe, but it is just possible that she was about out of moves. Her resources are possibly at their limit or gone, she is being pursued by master assassins. At this point she has one last chance to mess with her enemies while going out on her terms.

[Karger Unmade]

Just now, Nathrangking said:

Her resources are possibly at their limit or gone, she is being pursued by master assassins. At this point she has one last chance to mess with her enemies while going out on her terms.

She could probably make it to an oathgate with a Windrunner escort if she really wanted to.  Remember how competent she is.

[Nathrangking Voidbringer]

Just now, Karger said:

She could probably make it to an oathgate with a Windrunner escort if she really wanted to.  Remember how competent she is.

She probably could, but if she was doing the math her options were limited. She could perhaps get out. What then though. Her existence would either be reduced to forever running and never being sure where her enemies were would make her existence miserable to unbearable or she could beg her way back into Dalinar's good graces. I'm not sure that either of these options would work for her. I read her parts and I see in her a most Roman sensibility her pride might just prevent her from relying on charity or living in fear of dying at an assassin's hand.

[Karger Unmade]

3 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

What then though. Her existence would either be reduced to forever running and never being sure where her enemies were would make her existence miserable to unbearable or she could beg her way back into Dalinar's good graces

Or joining team Odium or just sticking around with Dalinar until an opportunity to double cross him presented itself.  She had options she just chose not to take them.

[Aminar Full Shardbearer]

I think Suicide. Likely intended to take Shallan who she believed to be an assassin with her via poisoned drinks. Possibly in some kind of failed Princess Bride attempt. But I can see believing it to be murder to be a great red herring. 

[BasementDwellingRadiant Obligator]

1 hour ago, Aminar said:

 some kind of failed Princess Bride attempt

This is actually a really interesting idea. Did Shallan ever breath in Stormlight after drinking the wine? Both the clear and orange wines had a LOT of detail given to their flavor and/or appearance...

[Goatbringer Highprince]

I dunno man, the way that Shallan just readily accepted that there was some other Ghostblood in one of their retinues seemed a little too accepting of murder. Everything else about that scene screamed that Ialai knew she'd been made and was on her way out. She'd rather die than be in the clutches of the Ghostbloods or Dalinar and so I actually had assumed she took the easy way out and got surprised when Shallan assumed it was a murder. 

[Seed Awakened Object]

This was posted on reddit:

Obviously, what happened with Ym happened before Ialai's death, but it points to a certain MO, no?!

Okay, I'm going back to lurking now.

[Aminar Full Shardbearer]

7 hours ago, BasementDwellingRadiant said:

This is actually a really interesting idea. Did Shallan ever breath in Stormlight after drinking the wine? Both the clear and orange wines had a LOT of detail given to their flavor and/or appearance...

No but she had illusions running and never tied them to anything so she likely had hidden her glow under those anyway. 

[Infinity Sliver Forescout]

OOOO,my very first post!

I think Radiant killed Ialai.

1.When Shallan let go of the pouch and right before grabbing Ialai,Radiant takes over and then switches back to Shallan

2. When they are all thinking about who did it,Veil and Shallan explicitly say they didnt do it but Radiant only says "So what happened?"

And my posting virginity has been taken away

[spaidapig Obligator]

Could Radiant have soulcast the wine?

I know that Shallan isn't skilled in Soulcasting, but Radiant could be.

I'm not sure how exactly she could have done it, it's just a theory.

[Infinity Sliver Forescout]

8 minutes ago, spaidapig said:

Could Radiant have soulcast the wine?

I know that Shallan isn't skilled in Soulcasting, but Radiant could be.

I'm not sure how exactly she could have done it, it's just a theory.

I was thinking more like she soulcast Ialai's blood when she grabbed her after the raid. Random theory

Edited August 19, 2020 by Infinitysliver

[spaidapig Obligator]

Just now, Infinitysliver said:

I was thinking more like she soulcast Ialai's blood when she grabbed her after the raid. Random theory

I just reread the scene and this seems more likely.

[bdoble97 Bloodsealer]

I have a theory that Shallan has a 4th personality and that 4th personality murdered Ialai. This 4th personality has been doing stuff off screen for the past couple of books a d is a agent for the ghost bloods Shallan and Adolin will be looking for this ghostblood agent and some creepy stuff will happen. With Shallan trying to fight off the 4th personality.

[GoddessIMHO Cobalt Guard]

Oh, I like the quote from Ym that Seed posted about the vintage being a clue. I think she killed herself. She had given up. Sadeus and Amaran were gone. The other two high princes at her side were murdered. The Ghostbloods were going to get her, she thought Shallan had come from them. If she was going to be killed anyway she did it by her own agency and gave Shallan a clue that would expose more of what the Ghostbloods were really after. She didn't give Shallan any of that final wine. This is Ialai's last chance to hit back at the Ghostbloods and take her own death by choice to deny them.