Different take on the Part 2 Epigraphs - SPOILERS

[Juggernaut]

I believe the part two epigraphs are being written TO Hoid instead of by him.

Old friend, I hope this missive finds you well. Though, as you are now essentially immortal, I would guess that wellness on your part is something of a given.

Hoid is old, and he could be an old friend. We can assume he's essentially immortal as well - he was present when Adonalsium was shattered. And that must have been a long time ago.

Let me first assure you that the element is quite safe. I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say.

In the events of Way of Kings, might Hoid be looking for this element, whatever it is, despite the fact that the author of this letter says it has a good home? Perhaps Hoid doesn't believe its home is a safe one.

Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm.

For one, I don't think Hoid would call people old reptiles. We saw how eloquent he was as Wit, with those carefully-crafted insults designed to get under peoples' skins. Would someone that eloquent and masterful with his insults lower himself to call someone just an old reptile? Also, might Hoid be the one with an insistence on nonintervention? We haven't really seen him intervene in a grand way, have we?

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect.

Hoid's the one with the friends of the Seventeenth Shard, isn't he? I think 'Your friends' refers to his friends.

For I have never been dedicated to a more important purpose, and the very pillars of the sky will shake with the results of our war here.

"Our war here." Here, as in Roshar? Could the Almighty have written this letter before he died?

---

But there are also a few epigraphs that make me think they're not written to Hoid. I've attempted to think of possible explanations, though.

Ati was once a kind and generous man, and you saw what became of him. Rayse, on the other hand, was among the most loathsome, crafty, and dangerous individuals I had ever met.

See, I'm not sure about this one. Why would someone be telling Hoid about these people? Hoid knew them. But maybe the author if this letter (if not Hoid) knew them too and is merely mentioning them, using them as a reference to lead into the question about the stance on nonintervention.

know that Aona and Skai are both dead, and that which they held has been Splintered. Presumably to prevent anyone from rising up to challenge Rayse.

I think Hoid would be the one to know that Aona and Skai are dead, which is a point in favor of the idea that he wrote this, instead of someone else writing it. One possible explanation to this: The beginning of that epigraph did say "In case you have turned a blind eye to that disaster", which implies that more than one person could have seen the disaster. Someone who doubts Hoid might be telling him of this, even though Hoid already knows.

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect.

I'm going to use this quote here too. We saw Hoid being searched for, chased, in the epigraph at the Purelake, which also supports the idea that Hoid is the author of this letter. But then, more than one person can be chased at a time.

---

I'm sure there are readers more observant than I am who can add to this on either one side or another. I just had this idea upon finishing the Way of Kings and I'm wondering what the rest of you think.

[Zas678 he/him]

The "being chased" is what leads me to see that Hoid is the author.

Oh Wait!

What if this letter is being written to whoever has taken up the mantle for the Almighty? To the Shardholder (is that the term we're using?) of the Almighty?

No. That doesn't work. The Almighty is dead. And if someone new took up the mantle, then Hoid wouldn't know him. And it doesn't seem like Hoid thinks that the reader is in danger. It seems like he's somewhere obscure, merely observing the events of the cosmere, and Hoid is trying desperately to have him help.

[leinton]

Main reason I think it's Hoid who is writing this is because we know that there is a group of people looking for him. It's speculated that these people are the 17th Shard, and are very likely from Sel. That goes along with this:

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect.

Also, Hoid doesn't seem to be a fan of nonintervention. He specifically gets himself involved in almost all of Brandon's books, and more so in this book than in others.

Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm.

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm.

For one, I don't think Hoid would call people old reptiles. We saw how eloquent he was as Wit, with those carefully-crafted insults designed to get under peoples' skins. Would someone that eloquent and masterful with his insults lower himself to call someone just an old reptile? Also, might Hoid be the one with an insistence on nonintervention? We haven't really seen him intervene in a grand way, have we?

An insult doesn't have to be well crafted to get under someone's skin.  Some people are VERY sensitive about their age.

Hoid has gotten himself pretty involved.  Guiding the Terrismen in WoA, helping the people in the abandoned villages in Elantris, becoming an informant in TFE and HoA, a storyteller in WB, and, this is the big one, becoming pretty involved in court politics as Wit.  He's been doing stuff, a lot of stuff, just not interacting with the characters we've followed to a great extent except for Dalinar.  And I'm of the opinion he took a Lerasium bead, so there's that too.

[Andrew the Great he/him]

Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm.

]An insult doesn't have to be well crafted to get under someone's skin.  Some people are VERY sensitive about their age.

Has anyone considered the possibility that Hoid is actually talking to a very large, old snake? Then it's not even in insult.

And I'm of the opinion he took a Lerasium bead, so there's that too.

I admit that this would be a very interesting development. Hoid being a mistborn would be pretty intense, though I don't know that it will figure much into Way of Kings even if Hoid did take Lerasium with him. Brandon's books are supposed to be independent of each other, at least in the sense that you can read one without needing to read the others. If we see Hoid doing mistborn stuff, it will be as unexplained magic in Way of Kings, since Brandon really doesn't have time to go into the mechanics of allomancy again.

[mycoltbug]

Remembering that old repitle line makes me want to go finish reading Dragonsteel instead of Elantris...

[JCHancey]

Remembering that old repitle line makes me want to go finish reading Dragonsteel instead of Elantris...

Every time someone mentions Dragonsteel I curl up into a little ball and cry myself to sleep. Yes, I want to read it that badly

I agree that it is Hoid. An interesting take on the epigraphs nonetheless, and we have been wrong before...

[Dryone]

I read somewhere that there was one Dragon in Dragonsteel, but he wasn't a pivotal character. So my guess is that the letter is to this Dragon, who is probably a shardbearer. At least that's what I thought when I read "old reptile"; and saying "old reptile" instead of "dragon" could be considered even witty.

[Link Von Kelsier Harvey he/him]

A dragon?  In Dragonsteel?  ....  Not that I remember.

[Shivertongue he/him]

Remembering that old repitle line makes me want to go finish reading Dragonsteel instead of Elantris...

Every time someone mentions Dragonsteel I curl up into a little ball and cry myself to sleep. Yes, I want to read it that badly

I agree that it is Hoid. An interesting take on the epigraphs nonetheless, and we have been wrong before...

Yeah, you guys who have read it suck. Some of you know who this is specifically directed at.

[Munin he/him]

Well, there's always the 94 pages of Dragonsteel on Brandon's website.

I haven't actually read it, though. Gonna wait (and hope) for a finalized release, since from what I understand, Brandon was very unsatisfied with how Dragonsteel turned out.

[Link Von Kelsier Harvey he/him]

Ah, see, that's Liar of Partinel. It is in the same series as, but is not the same thing as, "Dragonsteel."  The Dragonsteel I'm talking about (and presumably what everyone else is talking about when they say it) could only be found in the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU. At least until the only copy was apparently stolen.  (As a side note, I'm sitting in that library right now!)

[mycoltbug]

It's been missing for several months now. But yes Munin you are referring to Liar of Partinel, which may never come out. It's an interesting light read.

*Edit*

Why no love shiver? Don't hate me for being able to read it. 

[Shivertongue he/him]

It's been missing for several months now. But yes Munin you are referring to Liar of Partinel, which may never come out. It's an interesting light read.

*Edit*

Why no love shiver? Don't hate me for being able to read it. 

It's not just you. I hate everyone who's been able to read it. But mostly Eric.

[Munin he/him]

Ah, see, that's Liar of Partinel. It is in the same series as, but is not the same thing as, "Dragonsteel."  The Dragonsteel I'm talking about (and presumably what everyone else is talking about when they say it) could only be found in the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU. At least until the only copy was apparently stolen.  (As a side note, I'm sitting in that library right now!)

Ah, my mistake.

[Dryone]

A dragon?  In Dragonsteel?  ....  Not that I remember.

I think I read that there used to be a dragon but it was removed from the final version because it wasn't needed. IIRC some answer to an interview question.

[Ryan he/him]

It's been missing for several months now. But yes Munin you are referring to Liar of Partinel, which may never come out. It's an interesting light read.

*Edit*

Why no love shiver? Don't hate me for being able to read it. 

It's not just you. I hate everyone who's been able to read it. But mostly Eric.

I'm just bitter because I took my time getting around to checking it out. I wouldn't even need interlibrary loan, because it was sitting in my own university's library. And then some selfish freak decided to keep it.  This board doesn't have a smily angry enough to express my frustration with that person.

What's most frustrating is that the paper trail exists to track the book down, but it wouldn't be considered important enough by anyone who could. It's only important to us rabbids.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

A dragon?  In Dragonsteel?  ....  Not that I remember.

I think I read that there used to be a dragon but it was removed from the final version because it wasn't needed. IIRC some answer to an interview question.

There is a dragon in Dragonsteel. There's a reason it's called Dragonsteel, y'know?

[Link Von Kelsier Harvey he/him]

Gah, it's been too long!  You'd think a dragon would stand out in my memory but apparently not!

[ChicagoWillshaper he/him]

I think it is Hoid writing the letter. And I also agree that when he says old reptile he's writing to a dragon.

If you look at the front cover chart in the background are two creatures biting the top middle big circle and clasping the lower middle one. They look like a cross between a dragon and a wasp. Big wings. Dragon head.