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[Theory} Shallan is Chanarach's Daughter


teknopathetic

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13 minutes ago, teknopathetic said:

1) Heralds can procreate somehow.
2) Shallan is the spitting image of Chanarach
3) Shallan's mother was involved in secret societies (much like many heralds seem to be). For a house so rural, people sure were willing to lend them soulcasters and other resources. 
4) Shallan's mother's soul is said to "glow" inside that box. We all assumed that was pattern/testament, but does that make ANY sense? Maybe when a Herald dies there is a intermediate step, ad somehow Lin put her soul in a box and trapped it? Something like that. 
5) Shallan was chosen TWICE. Maybe the spren wanted to bond someone familiar, and they did know Chanarash. Heck, maybe even Chanarash asked (perhaps to see if Ishar was right). Why Chanarach tried to kill her daughter is an unknown, but maybe Ihhar told her too? Who knows with a Herald. 
6) Nale never comes for Shallan. Maybe Lightweaving is too "quiet", but maybe Chanarach intervened in some way. 
7) The evil in the Devar home is said to be supernatural; Chanarach's divine attributes are Obedient and Brave. The corruption of Lin Davar could be said to be a corruption of those exact elements. Maybe Chararach's curse was spread to Lin somehow? Childhood Shallan herself is cowardly and disobedient afterall...
8) Shallan's disorder could be somehow related to her parentage.
9) Radiant could be the secret that Shallan is of Radiant/Herald blood
10) Messanger-Hoid was VERY surprised to see Shallan, and he takes special care of her. Maybe he recognizes Shallan for what she was (the daughter of a Herland he knew). We used to assume he saw Pattern/Testament, but Testament would have been a deadeye. Perhaps Wit saw the spren hovering around Shallan, but we have no proof of that (and the rebonding happened much later than the feast),

4. Actually, the box didn't glow. Or at least only Shallan can see it glowing.

7. The influence was caused by the unmade:

Quote

Questioner

Was Shallan's family, during her childhood, being influenced by an Unmade?

Brandon Sanderson

Um, yes.

Questioner

Was it the corrupting--

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO that, but yes, there is some external influence there. 

JordanCon 2018 (April 22, 2018)

10. It could just be that Hoid noticed that Shallan was abnormally invested. He's weird that way, and he is a seeker.

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36 minutes ago, Nameless said:

4. Actually, the box didn't glow. Or at least only Shallan can see it glowing.

7. The influence was caused by the unmade:

10. It could just be that Hoid noticed that Shallan was abnormally invested. He's weird that way, and he is a seeker.

4. Shallan could see it. There is also some evidence that Lin could see it, as he is also caught staring up towards the room a couple times (for example, when Shallan's brother gets taken away and Shallan goes to Lin to beg for the money).

7. The unmade could be related to the Herald as well, but I see your point. 

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5 minutes ago, teknopathetic said:

4. Shallan could see it. There is also some evidence that Lin could see it, as he is also caught staring up towards the room a couple times (for example, when Shallan's brother gets taken away and Shallan goes to Lin to beg for the money).

He could be thinking about how his daughter could easily kill him with a Shardblade.

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3 minutes ago, yulyulk said:

If Chanarach was killed by a shardblade, would she return to Braize? 

My theory does mean there must be something else going on as well, I know. But we know there is another secret and we know the family is .... strange somehow. Maybe an Unmade is doing something there too? But the Shallan Chanarach thing is very stark. 

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On 1/14/2021 at 6:58 PM, teknopathetic said:

4) Shallan's mother's soul is said to "glow" inside that box. We all assumed that was pattern/testament, but does that make ANY sense? Maybe when a Herald dies there is a intermediate step, ad somehow Lin put her soul in a box and trapped it? Something like that. 

On 1/14/2021 at 7:18 PM, Nameless said:

4. Actually, the box didn't glow. Or at least only Shallan can see it glowing.

On 1/14/2021 at 7:56 PM, teknopathetic said:

4. Shallan could see it. There is also some evidence that Lin could see it, as he is also caught staring up towards the room a couple times (for example, when Shallan's brother gets taken away and Shallan goes to Lin to beg for the money).

The way that I read this part, I didn't think the box was actually glowing.  Shallan saw it glowing, but I thought that was some sort of trauma-induced hallucination.  In WoR it says something like, "How could they not see the box glowing?  It was blinding to her."  If the glow is blindingly bright, then I would imagine people would be able to see it.  So the fact that Shallan sees a glow is because she's haunted by guilt, and by the memory of the glowing sword that killed her mother - that's what I understood.  And her father glancing up at the box doesn't necessarily imply he saw it glowing.  I concede I could be wrong about this, but it does seem strange that Shallan would see it glowing when other people would not, if it was indeed glowing.

Edited by Llarimar
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13 hours ago, Llarimar said:

The way that I read this part, I didn't think the box was actually glowing.  Shallan saw it glowing, but I thought that was some sort of trauma-induced hallucination.  In WoR it says something like, "How could they not see the box glowing?  It was blinding to her."  If the glow is blindingly bright, then I would imagine people would be able to see it.  So the fact that Shallan sees a glow is because she's haunted by guilt, and by the memory of the glowing sword that killed her mother - that's what I understood.  And her father glancing up at the box doesn't necessarily imply he saw it glowing.  I concede I could be wrong about this, but it does seem strange that Shallan would see it glowing when other people would not, if it was indeed glowing.

 

13 hours ago, AquaRegia said:

I interpreted those passages the same way @Llarimar did; the box was only "glowing" for Shallan.

The thing is, we have seen other instances of things glowing to people as well. For example Dalinar sees glowing when he hears Jasnah reading the  Way of Kings at Gavilar's funeral. This is a phenomena we have seen happen with other main characters, so I doubt this is just Shallan being crazy. Shallan could have psychosomatic hallucinations, but considering the weirdness of the Davar family I think we really should be open to more. Shallan says her mother's soul is in there, and that is NOT what a deadeyespren or a shardblade are. 

Edited by teknopathetic
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On 15/01/2021 at 2:47 AM, yulyulk said:

If Chanarach was killed by a shardblade, would she return to Braize? 

It works for fused so of course it'd work for an herald, and a herald on Braize before the Everstorm would have messed up everything, Odium wouldn't have needed the Everstorm anymore.

On 16/01/2021 at 5:49 PM, teknopathetic said:

The thing is, we have seen other instances of things glowing to people as well. For example Dalinar sees glowing when he hears Jasnah reading the  Way of Kings at Gavilar's funeral. This is a phenomena we have seen happen with other main characters, so I doubt this is just Shallan being crazy. Shallan could have psychosomatic hallucinations, but considering the weirdness of the Davar family I think we really should be open to more. Shallan says her mother's soul is in there, and that is NOT what a deadeyespren or a shardblade are. 

How would you know how a half-bounded shardblade look like to the one who killed it? Especially one with access to illusion? I mean, Shallan still had some access to her powers between her mother's death and her bounding Patern.

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On 1/18/2021 at 0:21 PM, mathiau said:

It works for fused so of course it'd work for an herald, and a herald on Braize before the Everstorm would have messed up everything, Odium wouldn't have needed the Everstorm anymore.

I admit I'm still a little confused about the timing of the Everstorm. How does this mess things up if Chanarach doesn't break?

Does this obviate the possibility of Shallan's final secret being "I killed my mother and caused the final Desolation." Because that would solve Brandon's hidden trauma escalation challenge.

 

Really, I am just looking for the most gothic possible angle which is on-brand for the Davar family. For one, mama Chana will have returned to Roshar. Do you think she might be unhappy at that spiteful violent child? Hmmm, the Shin have not been careful with those honorblades of late.

The fanfic writes itself. Apologies if this is the wrong place to post, but I feel with Shallan most gothic is always the most answer.

Spoiler
Spoiler

Mayalaran picked her way alone carefully along the obsidian ground. Up ahead were the lights of the Inkspren city where her dropoff for the Ghostbloods was scheduled. She would need a disguise. She steeled herself.

   "Radiant" she whispered. I need to hide my face."

There was no reply. It was harder and harder to get Radiant to come out these days.

   "Please Radiant. You know my lightweaving isn't good enough to fool a Reacher. I'm going to need your help."

   "And your traveling companion?' Radiant whispered softly.
   
The response took Maya aback for a second. Was that a joke? Surely she didn't mean... Maya liked to think of herself, and of Radiant, and well a few others, as different people. They were different people! But that was just - she wasn't that crazy! She knew there was only one body. How dare Radiant!

   "Your companion Maya." Radiant said. "The shadow behind you. How should I disguise her?"
   
Maya spun around. Nothing buy empty rock. Nothing. A sudden fury filled her. She spun back around. What was Radiant playing at? Sometimes she did this and then Maya could no longer stand it, and often after that Radiant would disappear for weeks on end. She couldn't afford that now. She forced herself not to think, to think about breathing slowly, in and out, the warm alien air of Shadesmar.

   "I want us to work together Radiant, but if you play tricks it's hard for me."
   
   "Shallan. No tricks. Wait I will help" Radiant's voice was firm, confident. "But I need you to do something for me. I need to you hold all our gemstones in your hand. All of it. And look behind you."
   
Feeling a fool, Maya emptied her precious pouch of diamond bromes into her palm. Already the gemstone's light had bled away during this short trip in Shadesmar. She again turned around. If anyone was watching now, would they have any doubt she was mad? She looked down at her outstretched palm. Without consciously meaning to, she was breathing in light from a brome. She realized the stormlight coursed through her body. Remain standing. Do not turn away. The first brome spent. With concern, she recognized she was breathing in from a second stone. She couldn't be, no she must be lightweaving - what?

   "Let the storm fade Shallan"
   
Maya let here lightweaving fade. Five paces in front of her stood cultivationspren. Her body was wrapped with sturdy brown vines that seemed charred, as if in a forest fire, but yet whole. She stood straight, staring her in the eyes as Maya stared at hers. Her eyes were scratched out. The bromes in Maya's hands exploded in Stormlight.

         * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

She was running toward a corner in the halls of Urithiru. Someone had shouted "fire." She could smell smoke in the air, and another smell like burnt lime. She rounded the corner looking to the right. She stopped in her tracks. Twenty paces ahead a woman bent over, her back mostly turned to Shallan. She bent of the fallen body of a man in Kholin blue. The air reeked of smoke though only a thin haze in the air. In a circle around the two, think lines of fire edged up along the walls, almost a second burning strata of the rock, and as it crept the rock fell to dust, consumed.

Mist shimmered beside the right hand of the fallen man. As if waiting, the woman picked the shardblade from the floor in her left hand. In a shockingly acrobatic flourish, the woman straightened, turned to face Shallan, and raised the stolen blade high in the air. Shallan knew that blade, by any rights a broadsword nearly as tall as the woman herself, it's edge wicked and sinuous. She could hear the blade screaming, it would be screaming to her forever.

The Herald's blood-red hair was braided in a style Shallan had never seen her wear, but her coat and skirt were of an old-fashioned Vedan cut all to familiar, unfitting for a killer. In her gloved right hand, she raised a second broadsword, reddish, thick, but this one sized for killing a man.

   "Well child, Tet Balat told me about your father. So have become a murderer too. I wonder if it would shock you to know how many I have murdered, how many I have burnt, and rot, and destroyed. The legiona that I have melted skin, the cooked flesh, then powdered bone. But that was duty, something for a woman to understand, not a child. That was war. But what is there but duty's opposite in a child, who consigned the mother who loved her, who gave her flesh, to torture. To hooks, to flame, to the ENEMY."
   
Pattern shimmered in Shallan's hand. She could see the blond hair of the fallen man, previously block by Chana's back. She could not see his eyes. With an incredible speed, as if launched from a catapult, Chana slid towards her both blades still upraised. Shallan-Mayalaran's vision filled with pain and fire.

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/15/2021 at 5:28 AM, teknopathetic said:


6) Nale never comes for Shallan. Maybe Lightweaving is too "quiet", but maybe Chanarach intervened in some way. 

Or rather, Nale got his killing Radiants to stop the return of the Desolations thing from Ishar. It's quite conceivable that Chana listened to them as well, and so tried to kill her daughter

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In WoR chapter 45, Shallan remembers her mother as having been brave.  Chanarach's primary divine attribute is brave.  Did Brandon really slip that in a decade ago?

 

It also makes nice symmetry that Shallan (daughter of Chanarach herald of Dustbringers) is a Lightweaver and Shalash (Herald of Lightweavers) is likely to become a Dustbringer.

Edited by the_archduke
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On 1/14/2021 at 5:58 PM, teknopathetic said:


10) Messanger-Hoid was VERY surprised to see Shallan

Was thinking about this the other day, I feel like very little can truly shock Hoid to the point where he is flustered as we see him in this scene, if only briefly. 

My first thought was that Shallan is a spitting image of Chana ... However

In OB Jasnah mentions that Hoid has provided detailed drawings of all the Heralds. If Shallan resembled Chana so closely, wouldn't Jasnah have immediately recognized that too? 

Hmmmm.

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On 14/01/2021 at 5:18 PM, Nameless said:

4. Actually, the box didn't glow. Or at least only Shallan can see it glowing.

7. The influence was caused by the unmade:

10. It could just be that Hoid noticed that Shallan was abnormally invested. He's weird that way, and he is a seeker.

The Unmade causing the problems may have been technically Bah-Ado-Mishram. Kalak says something along the lines of how imprisoning BAM brought repercussions to everyone on Roshar, even the Heralds IIRC. Maybe due to Shallan's half herald biology it caused her problems/inflamed them.

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I was against it when you posited this a while ago, but with the new prologue I am pretty convinced. Mostly how she was singled out by Gavilar and the red hair was stressed and then a Herald died the same night Gavilar did.  We already knew she had red hair and that Shallan's mother presumably did, but for Brandon to call it out here seems like it's for a purpose. 

She must be the one who died during the prologue. The timeline lines up for Shallan's mom to die in the same month of the same year as Gavilar: Tanat 1167. 

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Shallan's_mother

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Gavilar_Kholin

On 1/14/2021 at 5:58 PM, teknopathetic said:

So these elements together have me thinking Shallan is Chanarach's daughter. I am even willing to believe that Shallan IS Chanarash, but I realize that is a much harder pill to swallow (but a much MUCH sweeter lie)

I could buy that Chanarash's soul went into Shallan instead of back to Braize and is part of her identity issues. Something about a Herald being killed with a Shardblade that severs the soul could make it possible. I don't how exactly, I'm just throwing that out there. 

I think when the Herald's return from Braize they usually come back with a rebirthed copy of the same bodies they had when they first became Heralds so I don't think she'd show up as a kid. 

Edited by Child of Hodor
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4 hours ago, Child of Hodor said:

I was against it when you posited this a while ago, but with the new prologue I am pretty convinced. Mostly how she was singled out by Gavilar and the red hair was stressed and then a Herald died the same night Gavilar did.  We already knew she had red hair and that Shallan's mother presumably did, but for Brandon to call it out here seems like it's for a purpose. 

She must be the one who died during the prologue. The timeline lines up for Shallan's mom to die in the same month of the same year as Gavilar: Tanat 1167. 

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Shallan's_mother

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Gavilar_Kholin

I could buy that Chanarash's soul went into Shallan instead of back to Braize and is part of her identity issues. Something about a Herald being killed with a Shardblade that severs the soul could make it possible. I don't how exactly, I'm just throwing that out there. 

I think when the Herald's return from Braize they usually come back with a rebirthed copy of the same bodies they had when they first became Heralds so I don't think she'd show up as a kid. 

Yeah. And there's a WoB out there that Taln didn't break. So instead we have a case where a few things are true.

A: Shallan Killed her mother on the night Gavilar died, sending her back to Braize to be tortured. 

B:Shallan's Mom is now running around on Roshar and going to show up for a epic levels of OOF! for Shallan, having been the catalyst for all the terrible rust that's happening. Followed closely by her Mom being killed like Jezrian was-permanently. Freeing things up so that the big 10 seen at the end of OathBringer can become new Heralds. (Shallan, Kaladin, Renarin, Jasnah, Dalinar, Venli, Szeth, Taln, Shallash, and Lift.) Bets on Shallan breaking starting the chaos that happens in the back half as well for Maximum OOF there as well. 

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1 hour ago, Govir said:

This is what just hit me if this theory is correct, and caused me to search the forums. That will be a *wild* reunion, if it happens at all on screen.

I can't even imagine, Shallan was doing so well (relatively) and now she's gonna crack again. I can imagine Chana will not be kind.

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On 1/14/2021 at 5:58 PM, teknopathetic said:

I am increasingly fond of the theory that Shallan is the daughter of Chanarach. 

1) Heralds can procreate somehow.
2) Shallan is the spitting image of Chanarach
3) Shallan's mother was involved in secret societies (much like many heralds seem to be). For a house so rural, people sure were willing to lend them soulcasters and other resources. 
4) Shallan's mother's soul is said to "glow" inside that box. We all assumed that was pattern/testament, but does that make ANY sense? Maybe when a Herald dies there is a intermediate step, ad somehow Lin put her soul in a box and trapped it? Something like that. 
5) Shallan was chosen TWICE. Maybe the spren wanted to bond someone familiar, and they did know Chanarash. Heck, maybe even Chanarash asked (perhaps to see if Ishar was right). Why Chanarach tried to kill her daughter is an unknown, but maybe Ihhar told her too? Who knows with a Herald. 
6) Nale never comes for Shallan. Maybe Lightweaving is too "quiet", but maybe Chanarach intervened in some way. 
7) The evil in the Devar home is said to be supernatural; Chanarach's divine attributes are Obedient and Brave. The corruption of Lin Davar could be said to be a corruption of those exact elements. Maybe Chararach's curse was spread to Lin somehow? Childhood Shallan herself is cowardly and disobedient afterall...
8) Shallan's disorder could be somehow related to her parentage.
9) Radiant could be the secret that Shallan is of Radiant/Herald blood
10) Messanger-Hoid was VERY surprised to see Shallan, and he takes special care of her. Maybe he recognizes Shallan for what she was (the daughter of a Herland he knew). We used to assume he saw Pattern/Testament, but Testament would have been a deadeye. Perhaps Wit saw the spren hovering around Shallan, but we have no proof of that (and the rebonding happened much later than the feast),

I know there is a WOB that Shallan's parents are exactly who we think they are, but this does not change the parentage of Shallan. It just means that her mother was more than we thought (not a different person). 

So these elements together have me thinking Shallan is Chanarach's daughter. I am even willing to believe that Shallan IS Chanarash, but I realize that is a much harder pill to swallow (but a much MUCH sweeter lie)

  Can we talk about the prologue to book 5?

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So, about the Unmade...

It is my belief that Chemoarsh is the Unmade playing around with the Davar household, because it's my belief that this particular Unmade was crafted out of part of Chanarach's soul. See the link in my signature for full details of my theory.

If I'm right, Chemoarsh is also no longer Chemoarsh, but rather has a new, two-barrelled name.

I do really like the idea of Chanarach being Shallan's mother, and I think it explains a lot about what is going on in the Davar household.

Cryptics are attracted to lies, and there were a LOT of lies in that household, most of them revolving around Shallan's mother being abusive to her entire family, and Lin helping cover it up.

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