Colateralwar Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 So, the back cover of Words of Radiance makes specific mention of five people: The Windrunner, The Lightweaver, The Bondsmith, The Explorer, and The Assassin. Most of these are clear. Kaladin is the Windrunner, Shallan is the lightweaver, Dalinar is the bondsmith, and Szeth is the assassin. But I'm not sure who The Explorer is. I think it might be Eshonai, but I'm not quite sure. This has probably already been asked, but I couldn't find the answer so I thought I would ask. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllNsickly Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Rysn, maybe? She is certainly getting miles under her feet. Also, with the exception of Szeth, she is the only interlude character so far to have 2 chapters. (Please correct me if I am mistaken) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colateralwar Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I hadn't considered Rysn, good point. I didn't think to take the "explorer" bit literaly... I kinda assumed it was the name of a yet to be described Knights Radiant order. And, if Dalinar is The Bondsmith, i am very eager to see his advent as a Radiant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocHoliday Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 What about the Aimian? I can't recall ---Aixias! sp? Rysn mentions that there is an Aimian strung up on Tellu-Ma. He may not be an important role, but he seems to be immortal, and certainly has to have traveled extensively. This assumes it was the same guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mileswasbestcharacter Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I wondered about this too, but my conclusion was that Rysn could be the explorer, and I thought Jasnah or Eshonai a better fit. And of those two Eshonai. Rysn isnt exploring, or fascinated with exploration as a character (at least that we've seen so far) she is training to become a master merchant and do her babsk proud. Her want to visit famous and exotic places of roshar was founded on visiting great tourist spots, places of great fame or comforts, but thoroughly we'll known. It doesn't seem to me that she has a natural want for exploration, but a naive want for wealth and prestige associated with exotic ports. However her interlude from WoR shows her growing up a bit. Jasnah clearly wishes to know the. Truth of things, and leads her to a life of scholarly exploration, however it seems a stretch even to myself. Eshonai's memories of first leaving her tribe and striking out into lands beyond the shattered plains, along with her desire to leave her position of authority and go explore Roshar and it's curious one-form humans speaks to me that from what we know she has the strongest case for being the explorer. I also think the discovery of storm for will lead to some talks between Eshonai and the Alethi, hopefully Dalinar. But that's mostly hopes and speculations 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garlick Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I made a post like this myself and suggested Rysn to be the explorer. With chapter i read about her in WoR and from the little we saw of her in WoK i think she could be a strong possibility. The fact i the island creature gave her the stormlight sucking creature makes her a very interesting person. (sorry I don't remember what they call those). But it seems to me the popular vote is leaning toward Eshonia because in her chapter they mention the she explored before going to the shattered planes. My vote goes to one of those two. Leaning toward Rysn but that could be racist on my part being shes human and that makes me lean in her direction. But it would not surprise me if brandon threw the explorer in there as a parshendi so all the main roles aren't human. When i think about it like that it makes me think more then likely its gonna be Eshonia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cromptj Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Jasnah is an Elsecaller. Has anyone asked Brandon if the Parshendi can surgebind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cem Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Jasnah is an Elsecaller. Has anyone asked Brandon if the Parshendi can surgebind? I think he RAFOed that question, though he did say Radiants were human. http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=977#178 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 From my gut feeling I think Jasnah is the explorer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cem Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 From my gut feeling I think Jasnah is the explorer. Thing is, Jasnah travels because she wants to do research and Roshar doesn't have the internet, not for exploration's sake. Hers are more business trips than anything. On the other hand, Eshonai expressly states she wants the stupid war with the Alethi over with, so she could go around exploring the world. Also, the other four, Kaladin, Shallan, Szeth and Dalinar, all have their own flashback books in the first five book arc. So does Eshonai. It stands to reason that Eshonai would be the Explorer, she is the best fit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Yeah, but she travels to Shadesmar ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aether Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 We had a long discussion on this in another Thread. I think the general consensus was that the Explorer is referring to Eshonai, the Parshendi Shardbearer, as it matches her personality from her Interlude, and the title doesn't really smack of a Surgebinder anyway. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I didn't really read this thread, I admit. But Eshonai is a very good guess. From what I recall from her reading, she'd like to leave and explore the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodfalcon Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I really hope it is Jasnah. Eshonai, I admit, is not a character I am looking forward to for any reason. She seems to me like a world building window for Brandon so far. Which is fine, but I haven't seen anything yet that I would consider main character material. Jasnah did travel from place to place before Shallan found her, and she does posses the Travel charge, so I'm guessing she is going to find a new means of getting around, and when she does, she will be allllllll over the place doing research and finding clues. That is my hope anyway. No offense to Eshonai! Just playing favorites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natans Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I'm with the Eshonai = Explorer team. The bondsmith is the one that are mysterious to me. Some believe that are Dalinar but i don't believe in that very much =) The Bondsmith, born in blood and death, striving to rebuild what was destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoser Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 The Bondsmith, born in blood and death This just screams "Dalinar at the Tower battle" to me. That is where he starts to act decisively. Interestingly, he gives up a Shardblade, but may be becoming more strongly a Radiant. Giving up a Shardblade was also significant in the early evolution of Syl and Kaladin's relationship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_warko Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I'm with the Eshonai = Explorer team. The bondsmith is the one that are mysterious to me. Some believe that are Dalinar but i don't believe in that very much =) The Bondsmith, born in blood and death, striving to rebuild what was destroyed. This just screams "Dalinar at the Tower battle" to me. That is where he starts to act decisively. Interestingly, he gives up a Shardblade, but may be becoming more strongly a Radiant. Giving up a Shardblade was also significant in the early evolution of Syl and Kaladin's relationship. Or his life as the Blackthorn in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marianmi Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 This just screams "Dalinar at the Tower battle" to me. That is where he starts to act decisively. Interestingly, he gives up a Shardblade, but may be becoming more strongly a Radiant. Giving up a Shardblade was also significant in the early evolution of Syl and Kaladin's relationship. It screams Dalinar after... something happening in WoR 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoneward Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Interestingly enough, the Cover Flap also mentions 5 people. Compare the back to the cover flap and it seems pretty straight-forward. (spoilers for length) The Windrunner, lost in a shattered land, balanced upon the boundary between vengeance and honor. Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status darkeyes. Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl. The Lightweaver, slowly being consumed by her past, searching for the lie that she must become. Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and their civilization-ending Desolation. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but even arriving there proves more difficult than she imagined. The Bondsmith, born in blood and death, striving to rebuild what was destroyed. Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin’s master has much deeper motives. The Explorer, straddling the fates of two peoples, forced to choose between slow death and a terrible betrayal of all she believes. Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The consequences for Parshendi and humans alike—indeed, for Roshar itself—are as dangerous as they are incalculable. And the Assassin has arrived. Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi. To me, this pretty much seals the Eshonai = Explorer and Dalinar = Bondsmith questions. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marianmi Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin’s master has much deeper motives. So Mr. T knows Dalinar wants to "unite them" ... Edited January 13, 2014 by marianmi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macen Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Also... the fact that there are 5 books (in the first half), and we know who the focus of each book is (Don't we?). Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it:1. Kaladin2. Shallan3. Dalinar4. Eshonai5. Szeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aether Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Close, but no sigar: Kaladin Shallan Szeth Eshonai Dalinar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macen Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Close, but no sigar: Kaladin Shallan Szeth Eshonai Dalinar Hey, I'll take it. At least I had the names right. (I want the Szeth backstory sooner than Dalinars anyways.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colateralwar Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Szeth's character, like Shallan's, is interesting now. Their current conflict makes them extremely enjoyable to follow. However, I fear that both of their back stories, while intriguing, will pale in comparison to their current situations (this goes more for Shallan than Szeth). But we will see, and I have every hope that these prove empty fears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macen Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Szeth's character, like Shallan's, is interesting now. Their current conflict makes them extremely enjoyable to follow. However, I fear that both of their back stories, while intriguing, will pale in comparison to their current situations (this goes more for Shallan than Szeth). But we will see, and I have every hope that these prove empty fears. I think both of them will have super interesting back stories. I think Dalinar's will be the boring one. Shallan we learn about how she got her shardblade (The little we learn from the shallan chapter already has me super intrigued). The Szeth we learn what makes him Truthless and more about the Shin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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