Reasons I’m pretty confident the Shinovar Unmade is Dai Gonarthis

[coolsnow7]

Let’s start with laying out the options. The influence of the Unmade is a function of their location (see Hessi’s Mythica on Moelach); consequently, if we’ve seen an Unmade somewhere outside Shinovar, we can be 99% sure that they didn’t spend Szeth’s childhood in Shinovar, jaunt across the planet to where we’ve seen them, hang out for a few days, and then hurry back to Shinovar to maintain their corrupt influence over that nation. There are 7 Unmade we can be confident are not involved:

1) Nergaoul: trapped in the King’s Drop

2) Ba-Ado Mishram: trapped in the Spiritual Realm

3) Sja-Anat: we’ve seen her in Alethkar and several other locations that are not Shinovar. Moreover, she mostly slumbered until the advent of the Everstorm

4) Midnight Mother: we don’t currently know where she is, but we know she was hanging out in Urithiru until she was banished from there - she couldn’t be both there and in Shinovar

5) Ashertmarn: again, he was busy corrupting Alethkar

6) Yelig-nar: similarly was hanging out with Aesudan and then with Amaram

7) Moelach: has been in Jah-Keved this whole time

That leaves us with Dai-Gonarthis and Chemoarish. My claim is that despite all the “dust” talk, the Unmade in Shinovar is Dai-Gonarthis. Reasons being:

1) Pronouns: Szeth pointedly refers to the Unmade in this chapter as “it”. Chemoarish is explicitly gendered, like Sja-Anat, Ba-Ado Mishram, and Moelach (Hessi’s Mythica refers to “his touch”.) Dai Gonarthis is not:

Quote

If I'm correct and my research true, then the question remains. Who is the ninth Unmade? Is it truly Dai-Gonarthis? If so, could their actions have actually caused the complete destruction of Aimia?

- Oathbringer ch. 113 epigraph

2) “Manipulations”: Szeth claims that, for unknown reasons, the Shin accepted the Unmade and collaborated with it due to its “manipulations”. This whole transaction speaks to an intelligent Unmade; this is beyond what we could expect of Moelach or Nergaoul.

And here we have the well-established theory that the craftiness of a given Unmade is signaled by the dashes in their names. Chemoarish may not be one of the “three great mindless Unmade”, but she is likely to be on the “Re-shephir” tier rather than on the “Sja-Anat” tier. 

3) What they can offer: we don’t know anything about the Dustmother, so who knows, maybe she can fit this criteria too.

But there are enough hints that Dai-Gonarthis offers something similar to the “gift of silence” that Odium grants to Moash:

Quote

Let me no longer hurt! Let me no longer weep! Dai-Gonarthis! The Black Fisher holds my sorrow and consumes it!

- The Way of Kings ch. 67 epigraph

This is something that could conceivably be accepted by the Shin in exchange for… whatever Dai-Gonarthis wants. 

And here’s the kicker: we already have some foreshadowing building up to that point! Is Szeth not struggling with this exact challenge - of balancing being overwhelmed with pain and guilt vs. the need to be human? It would be quite fitting for Szeth to need to confront the ultimate avatar of “Silence” in order to resolve both his personal challenges and to fulfill his quest.

Edited October 15, 2024 by coolsnow7

[who_slew_aicirtap she/they]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was both Dai-Gonarthis and Chemoarish. In Rhythm of War, Ishar says "gods", implying that there is more than one. But I think if one of them has more power than the other, it would be Dai-Gonarthis, for the reasons you described. What we know about it so far seems like it would be the most narratively fitting.

Quote

 

“My people,” Szeth shouted, “were not going to return your weapons to you. We kept your secrets, but you lie if you say my father gave you that Blade!”

“Your father was barely a man when I found him,” Ishar said. “The Shin had accepted the Unmade. Tried to make gods of them. I saved them. And your father did give me this Blade. He thanked me for letting him die.”

 

 

[LewsTherinTelescope]

15 hours ago, who_slew_aicirtap said:

I wouldn't be surprised if it was both Dai-Gonarthis and Chemoarish. In Rhythm of War, Ishar says "gods", implying that there is more than one.

Hell, the one city of Kholinar got three.