Teft is a Herald?

[el_warko he/him]

OK,

 

'pologies if this has come up elsewhere, I'm at work (don’t have real time to scroll through all posts (tag checked though)) and had a thought.

 

I'm rereading WoK book 1 and have just finished the bit where Kaladin has teamed up with Rock and Teft to milk Knobweed. When Kaladin asks Teft for his loyalty, Teft refuses as he ALWAYS lets people down / betrays their trust. Admittedly he goes on later in the book to elaborate on his failures in Envisagers. I know it is a real stretch, and based on one line of dialog, but I think there is a real possibility Teft is a Herald.

 

He knows things about the Heralds and while his "ignorance" could be explained by him being a junior member of the Envisigers, it could be explained through training Kaladin (i.e. not dumping it all on him at once), senility/mental instability (he would be well over 6000 years old (a significant time of which he was tortured in one way or another)) or not wanting to admit to himself what is coming (the Endstrom).

 

As this is my first theory post an I am a delicate flower, if scorn is the rained down on me from a great height, please include kittens to soften the blow.

 

Elwarko

[Swimmingly he/him]

This theory is a "why not?" kind of theory. I am personally inclined to believe that it's false. It relies on a character pretending to be something that we don't know about to hide the fact that he is something else we don't know much about, in his own internal dialogue. He swears by a herald, recounts "scoffing" at preserved legends of Surgebinders, etc. If indeed, he is deeply delusional, he has invented his own backstory to justify it. He does not display any Surgebinding anywhere (if I'm wrong...wow).

 

However, that being said...

 

The evidence so far is that the Heralds have found themselves wandering immortally along the scale between "insane" and "evil", with stops at "For the Greater Good" style crusades and "Nihilistic Destruction of Art" among others. A Herald who destroys knowledge of Surgebinders by insinuating himself into societies, creating stories he tells himself and others until everybody believes them including himself, then acting to destroy them and flinging himself on a gradual self-destructive spiral of pain and guilt until the mental trauma scours the memories from his mind and he either recalls everything or simply survives to do it again is not utterly inconceivable, though a bit far-fetched. And, therefor, probably something Brandon would think of and make seem totally logical in the process.

 

TL;DR : Your kittens theory fuzzy kittens makes ZE FUZZY KITTENS!!! little so many soft kittens sense. So little sense, in fact, it seems possible. (immeasurably cute kittens spill from wicker baskets, mewling and pawing gently, nuzzling your hands and staggering before falling softly and cutely onto their little bellies).

 

Wow. The summation could use some kittens 

 

Edit: Added kittens

Edited December 1, 2013 by Ookla the Defenestrated

[Aether he/him]

Brandon has quite clearly stated (in Mistborn: TFE annotations) that he dislikes being dishonest with PoV chapters. It's unfair to mislead the readers away from the plot-twists by changing how the PoV-characters think in their own chapters (Kelsier was a sort of special case and an exception).

 

While I almost wish he was, I think Teft's PoV chapters largely disproves that he could be a Herald. Reread the ones where he feeds Kaladin Stormlight if you disagree and where he watches him charge the Parshendi and then get back to me.

[Gloom he/him]

Throws a fluffy little kitten to el_warko. You can catch right? That's a long fall if you miss that kitten. I think their are crocodiles down there. Are those crocodiles?

[Swimmingly he/him]

There are crocodiles. They are fuzzy crocodiles, too. They gore people in exquisite delightful fuzzyness. They will munch on your soul while you fall adoring into their big, sweet eyes.

[el_warko he/him]

Excellent points, thanks all.  BTW, the Crocodiles have kittens for teeth.  Or do the kittens have crocodiles for teeth? 

[Aether he/him]

Why are we still discussing crocodiles and kittens? DRAGONS, DUDES! WHO BREATHES PUPPIES!

[Dysphoric Kitten she/her]

Only if they are flaming puppies (literally, not in the WoT profanity meaning). I really don't like K9s, but appealing to my pyromania might work...

 

I do not think it likely, but we must have seen a herald other than the Mistress... Maybe Cusacesh? What's the deal with Axies, anyway?

[Aether he/him]

Some people suggest that the old(er?) lady walking around the Palaneum is one of the Heralds. Palah, most likely if so. But then again, any number of characters randomly mentioned might be one. Brandon is such a bastard when it comes to obscure Easter-eggs and foreshadowing.

[Swimmingly he/him]

I wonder how many Heralds are going to survive WoR?

[Aether he/him]

I think it is too early for them to die off. Unless they *cough*Nalan*cough* attack any of the main characters. Then I'm hedging my bets.

[nightwatcher he/him]

I don't know; I feel like Teft's whole past is probably mysterious and tragic enough, without the random addition that he's secretly a divine force, caught in the middle of an eternal struggle of self inflicted torture and repeated amnesia. not to mention he knows almost nothing of magic, and he remembers his family (that last bit I'm not so sure on, but I think I remember him saying something about it...).

 

I'd throw in a few kittens, but they all died in the fall.

[Aether he/him]

Personally, I believe Teft is the Almighty, and not just a lowly Herald.

[Natans he/him]

He aren't crazy so I think that this eliminate him as a potential herald =)

[Dysphoric Kitten she/her]

I initially thought him to be Adonalsium, but now consider it an insult. Sanderson is not a worth title for him either, so I believe him to be Hoid.

As for the family, his parents are mentioned, but he could be either lying, insane, or have some memory issues.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Ookla the Tardy

[Aether he/him]

I initially thought him to be Adonalsium, but now consider it an insult. Sanderson is not a worth title for him either, so I believe him to be Hoid.

As for the family, his parents are mentioned, but he could be either lying, insane, or have some memory issues.

My main problem with Teft's supposed heraldry is that he seems to lack crucial and essential information about the KRs even in his own PoVs.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Aether

[Dysphoric Kitten she/her]

My main problem with the Teft's supposed heraldry is that he seems to lack crucial and essential information about the KRs even in his own PoVs.

I agree that it is extremely not bloody storming likely, but it was not directly contradicted. I assume he is just what he says.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Teft is actually the force that destroyed Adonalsium and is teaching Kaladin about his power but in the wrong way so that he can be the destroyer of Roshar that is mentioned in the synopsis on the back.

Edit: Oh, my proof for this? Because I said so, which is obviously enough proof of itself.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Mailliw73

[cem he/him]

Teft is actually Bela reincarnated into a man.

[Aether he/him]

Teft is actually Bela reincarnated into a man.

WHY DID BELA HAVE TO DIE!!!!!! *tears,man,TEARS*

[Blindillusions he/him]

Nope. Teft is the product of Bela and Narg's attempt to RULE WORLDS!

[Dysphoric Kitten she/her]

Do I want to ask?

[red032 he/him]

Teft is actually Bela reincarnated into a man.

 

WHY DID BELA HAVE TO DIE!!!!!! *tears,man,TEARS*

 

Insanity may come by getting imprisoned on Damnation for too damnation long. Or by re-reading all WoT books to fast to be able to read the last one as soon as it comes out with a fresh memory of the whole story (Done). Or by waiting too long for Stormlight flaming answers, wallowing in despair on multiple forums. 

We are all damnation mad, my friends.

*edit: stupid autocorrect.

Edited April 10, 2014 by red032