Alethela/Alethkar, Natanatan

[Meg]

There are some points that are itching me for a while now.

 

1. One might say that Alethkar is nearly the same as Alethela. But half of the region that’s called the Unclaimed Hills were part of Alethela. The Frostlands seem to include the complete Unclaimed Hills as for I don’t see a border line there.

 

2. Another thing is, that the Frostlands are never mentioned in TWoK. We know that Kharbranth is a city-state but we know nothing about the Frostlands though they share a long border with Alethkar. Who reigns that land? Who are the inhabitants? Are there inhabitants?
When Kaladin came through the Unclaimed Hills there was not a word about people living there.
Gavilar’s expedition made its way through the Unclaimed Hills (I think at the Western edge near to the border). The records say: “It was not uncommon for us to meet native peoples while traveling through the Unclaimed Hills, ... These ancient lands were once one of the Silver Kingdoms, after all.” (That last sentence seems illogical as all of Roshar had been part of “one of the Silver Kingdoms” once.)
So, who lives in the Unclaimed Hills?
Natan people(s)?
Parshendi?
In Gavilar’s records was mentioned that “Yet here was a group who could hunt, make weapons, build buildings, and—indeed—create their own civilization.” They seem not to be nomads as they “build buildings” which wouldn’t be the case if they were nomads. Nor am I under the impression that they are sort of savaged servants.
They were driven to the center of the Shattered Plains in the need to find a save place away from the invading army of the Alethi Highprinces but staying close to the chasms (for gemhearts).

How cold are the Frostlands? They might be the coldest region because they are the first part of Roshar where the Highstorms hit. 

 

3. Dalinar said: “I’d been on a half-dozen expeditions to Natanatan …” which seems curious given this: “Natanatan. The Shattered Plains lay in the land that had once been Natanatan. The kingdom had fallen centuries ago.”

 

4. Another curiosity: When Shallan looked for books in Kharbranth she thought: “The five Vorin kingdoms? She’d thought there were four. Jah Keved, Alethkar, Kharbranth, and Natanatan.” Jah Keved, Alethkar, Kharbranth are actual existing states. Why did she mention Natanatan (which “had fallen centuries ago”)?
This implies that Natanatan was the last of the Silver Kingdoms that fell but it seems to be kept in the minds of people until “today.”
But I’d like to point at No. 1: the borders of Alethela/Natanatan had not been the same as the now existing borders.

 

Lots of discrepancies …

 

Does anyone have some thoughts or information about this?

[Zizoz he/him]

I don't think the Frostlands contain the Unclaimed Hills; it's just that neither is an actual nation with well-defined borders, so it's just a question of where it becomes more hilly than frosty.

 

I assume both are rather sparsely populated. Perhaps there were more people when it was Natanatan -- I wonder why it fell.

 

 

[Truthless he/him]

I'm somewhat confused. Natanatan is both the city and the nation, yes? And we don't know exactly where it was, unless I'm mis-remembering a fairly major plot point.

 

NO WAIT. Urithiru. That's what I'm thinking of. Move along, nothing to see here...