Theory: Elhokar had a role in Gavilar's assassination.

[Daishi5]

This theory basically takes a lot of different things and ties them all into one plot.

1. The men talking Elohkar.

A. We strongly suspect one of them is a herald.

B. We also believe he is trying to kill surgebinders, and stop surgebinding from returning.

C. They talk about someone having their lords own blade. (may be related to 2A and 2B)

2. Szeth the Assasin.

A. He somehow surgebinds without a spren.

B. He has a unique shardblade that may be an Honorblade, (possibly clearing up 2A)

C. His previous owner only recently let him go, but shows no sign of knowing about his abilities.

D. The Parshendi somehow know he is a perfect tool for killing the king who has both blade and plate despite only having him for a short time.

3. Jasnah

A. Was considering assassinating someone

B. Instead she orders Elhokar's wife to be watched.

C. There has been an assumption that Elhokar's wife was the target she decided not to assassinate, but Jasnah never actually says who she was considering killing, and while Liss offered to kill the wife, she never saw the actual order.

4. The Parshendi

A. We don't know how they came to know about Gavilar's plan to bring back their dark gods, but I assume it was after the treaty was signed and before or during the feast.

B. The Parshendi seem to believe that an Honorblade can allow someone to surgebind without being an actual surgebinder. (some evidence for tying 2A and 2B together.)

C. The Parshendi do not have written records, but somehow know how Honorblades work.

D. The Parshendi are terrified that the Alethi may have an actual surgebinder in their ranks.

5. Gavilar

A. He wants his brother to find the most important words a man can say. (We assume these are the oaths of the KR, or closely related to their return.)

B. Darkness thinks surgebinding will bring desolations back, the Parshendi think Gavilar will bring their dark gods back.

C. Gavilar put his plate back on after leaving the feast with his bodyguard wearing his plate. (It seems far fetched that Gavilar was not in his plate, but it could be possible.)

6. Elhokar

A. Is afraid of assassins, very afraid.

B. Seems to be seeing spren.

C. Had a lot of gems crack during the chasmfiend fight.

I think Elhokar somehow set the entire plot in motion to have Gavilar killed. I think he knew why Darkness was involved (surgebinding), and I think he realizes he may be starting to do it, which is why he is so scared of assassins. I also think he was probably the way the Parshendi found out. The Parshendi probably learned about Honorblades from Darkness.

I am not sure whether or not this would indicate that he intended to have his father killed, but I think that Jasnah may have suspected such a thing.

What does everyone else think?

Edit: I forgot the most important thing, lie spren are attracted by patricide, so the second ideal of "I murdered my father" is still a good theory.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Daishi5

[DiamondMind]

This theory makes some sense. The most solid part is that Szeth, the Parshendi, and Darkness are all connected.

 

However, what would be Elhokar's motive to kill his own father? He doesn't seem very eager to rule. And by Occam's Razor, it makes more sense for him to be afraid of what we know, i.e. the spren and the murder of his father. 

 

Also, what does Jasnah have to do with any of it? And what does "I also think he was probably the way the Parshendi found out" mean? Found out about what?

[Daishi5]

This theory makes some sense. The most solid part is that Szeth, the Parshendi, and Darkness are all connected.

However, what would be Elhokar's motive to kill his own father? He doesn't seem very eager to rule. And by Occam's Razor, it makes more sense for him to be afraid of what we know, i.e. the spren and the murder of his father.

Also, what does Jasnah have to do with any of it? And what does "I also think he was probably the way the Parshendi found out" mean? Found out about what?

I am not sure he intended to kill his father, more sure that he was involved. I wouldn't be surprised if darkness tricked him. However Jasnah's assassination plot raises suspicions.

I think he told the parshendi that his father wanted to bring back surgebinding.

[+Aletus]

I think if we know more about Gavilar's stone he gives Szeth, we may know more about all of this.

 

And I don't think this is the time or place to discuss it but Szeth's sword is likely not an honorblade, for the simple fact that it is much too small. It's uniqueness adds to the debunking. I know a lot of people are on board with this - but Honorblades and Shardblades were initially designed to fight things much larger than humans. Szeth's blade would be at a disadvantage against a Thunderclast. 

[Gloom]

How would Szeths blade be at a disadvantage against a thunderclast? Yes, it has a slightly shorter blade, coming in closer to say four feet in length instead of six. This still leaves at least three and a half feet of ultra light, ultra sharp, impervious blade to kill with. It means the swordsman will need to get closer, possibly be better, and likely fight with a different style, but it by no means makes the blade Szeth carries ineffective.

 

A thunderclast is a spindly 30 foot tall monster made out of stone. It's not a hulking twenty foot wide boulder of a monster as thick as it is tall. Any blade capable of slicing through those limbs is effective. That means Shardblade that is at least three feet long is more than enough to get the job done. The Romans conquered our world with 28 inches of steel. Szeth has assassinated some of the best protected people in the world with that sword. In the hands of a warrior that had over a thousand years of combat experience using it, I'm fairly certain that should the sword be Jezriens, he had Knights Radiant wondering why they used such large swords when his smaller blade was so much more effective.

 

I'll close this argument with this. Thunderclasts are not the only type of voidish creature. They are a singular type. Other Viodbringers may be small and fast, dangerously quick for someone with a weapon as large as a Shardblade.

 

Edit: Spelling

Edited February 12, 2014 by Gloom

[+Aletus]

Right I get it, i pretty much expected to be jumped for the statement, but I am simply going off of the blade length explanation from WoK. If it changes in the future, I will adapt my view

[Moogle]

And I don't think this is the time or place to discuss it but Szeth's sword is likely not an honorblade, for the simple fact that it is much too small

 

I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that Honorblades are capable of altering how they look depending on how they are perceived. It seems to be something of a pattern with high-Investiture things (like Returned). Szeth views his weapon as a creation of Damnation.

 

Also, Shardplate naturally sizes itself to you (growing larger or smaller to compensate). For Szeth, who is fighting humans primarily humans, a smaller Blade fits him better, so it seems reasonable that an Honorblade would resize itself that way for him.

[The Count]

I have my reservations about Darkness and / or Elhokar being involved in Gavilar's Death:

 

First Elhokar: He just seems too timid to try something like that. He shows no real love of his position as King in tWoK and doesn't seem particularly inclined to use it in any meaningful way. He seems quite easily manipulated by both Dalinar and Sadeas and quite demonstrably has little skill at politics.

 

Frankly I do not see what his motivation for it would be, although he could be an unwilling dupe I guess.

 

For Darkness, he certainly has motivation but the method employed doesn't fit his Modus Operandi in my opinion. If he felt he had the justification to kill Gavilar I think he would just pop out of the shadows and kill him.I do not think Darkness cares much about the political ramifications or being hunted by the Alethi, or any of that.

 

On the other hand, I definitely think that the Listeners were manipulated by someone as the circumstances were just too perfect.

 

So on the very night that the Listeners learn about Gavilar's plan, there just happens to be also present, the most dangerous assassin on Roshar available for their use? I think not!

 

My best guess is that Taravangian is the mastermind behind Gavilars assassination:

 

1/ He knows about Szeths powers

2/ He is against the uniting of the Alethi highprinces

 

My best guess is that he has / had spies amoung the Alethi royal Stormwardens (who were studying the Listeners) and used their fears to manipulate them into the assassination and then provided Szeth to the to carry out the deed.

 

I think the black sphere is a red herring in all this as nobody seems aware that Gavilar possessed it.  

Edited February 12, 2014 by The Count

[Daishi5]

I think that if darkness was not involved, he only would have stayed out if he believed someone else would stop Gavilar.

[Gloom]

Darkness....

 

I'm not sure we can say what he would or wouldn't do at this point. He seems to need a legal justification for his actions. How do you get legal justification to kill a King? Kings, especially conqueror kings like Gavilar, don't break the law, they are the law.

[AerionBFII]

From the way he has confidence issues as king even now 6-7 years after the death of Gavilar and birth of the Vengance Pact i find it unlikely he had the nerve to be apart of the assasination. 

 

From Eshonai's pov i think they were aware of Gavilars Plan to do something dangerous and took those steps to prevent him from acomplishing his plan. They seem to be sorry for what they did but feel it was necessary, Eshonai particularly seems rather sympathetic towards the Alethi.

[Natans]

If Elhokar see Liesprens and that spren are attracted by secrets(trues) what Elhokar are hidden. Shallan have her secrets(deep ones) so make sense that Mister Elhokar must be hidding something  too.

 

I like your idea =)