[OB] Renarin is Being Tricked

[Lightspine]

Hey guys, there's been lots of speculation that something is wrong with Renarin's "radiant bond". I'd like to bring up a new related theory that I haven't heard brought up. I don't entirely believe this theory, but I have given it some thought and think it should be considered.
First of all, there are a few reasons to believe that something's up with Renarin: his spren is never described, and his prediction of the everstorm, while true, was excessively pessimistic. In addition, his scrawling on the walls urged Dalinar to strike at a time which led him perfectly into the (nearly successful) parshendi deathtrap.
I saw a little speculation that he has bonded a voidspren or something of that sort, but I would like to bring up something new. Renarin hasn't bonded a spren at all. Because he joined Bridge Four and became very respectful of Kaladin, he might actually be a squire, who has been tricked into thinking he isn't one by some agent of Odium. This agent of Odium has been showing Renarin some, but not the entire, future.
The timeline of this would look like this: the agent of Odium first appears to Renarin around the time of the first time writing is found near Dalinar after a highstorm, giving him visions. Some time later, in order to make Renarin, and eventually others, less suspicious, it urges Renarin to join Bridge Four, hoping he will become a squire and be able to ingest stormlight (we don't know exactly when his eyes heal, but it seems to be quite a while after the first scrawled messages appear. We also don't know when Bridge Four began their ability to ingest stormlight, so it could be that Renarin discovered this earlier than they because the agent of Odium helped him to do so). The agent of Odium influences him for the rest of the book, having him leave messages such as "seek the center" for Dalinar that ultimately lead to him confronting the Parshendi during the Weeping, right in time for the Parshendi to embrace stormform.

There are, of course, a few points to clear up to see if this is possible. Both are yet to be answered: if squires can hear shardblades screaming, and if Renarin has stopped ingesting stormlight because Kaladin is distant.
For the first point, this is pure speculation. Are Radiants able to hear the dead sprenblades because they are slightly closer to the cognitive realm? Is this also why they can ingest stormlight? Are these abilities unrelated? Would they both be given to squires? I don't think we can hope for an answer here, at least without some good WoBs (I don't have any, do you guys?)
For the second point, I would like to refer to Chapter 3 of Oathbringer:

Quote

“Father?” A soft voice drew his attention. Renarin, who stood beside Shallan and Adolin. “You didn’t mention us. Me and Brightness Shallan. What is our task?”

“To practice,” Dalinar said. “Other Radiants will be coming to us, and you two will need to lead them. The knights were once our greatest weapon against the Voidbringers. They will need to be so again.”

“Father, I…” Renarin stumbled over the words. “It’s just… Me? I can’t. I don’t know how to… let alone…”

“Son,” Dalinar said, stepping over. He took Renarin by the shoulder. “I trust you. The Almighty and the spren have granted you powers to defend and protect this people. Use them. Master them, then report back to me what you can do. I think we’re all curious to find out.”

Renarin exhaled softly, then nodded.

*bolded section is my edit
Maybe I'm just seeing it this way because I'm looking for ways to tie it into this theory, but doesn't what Renarin says (bolded) seem almost as if he wants to say something else, but can't get it out? What if he has stopped being able to use stormlight?

Thoughts? I'm open to anything right now.

Edit: due to timeline placement of when Renarin removed his spectacles, this theory is void.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Lightspine

[Calderis he/him]

Renarin removed his spectacles due to Stormlight healing before he joined Bridge Four. 

The First time he touched his Shardblade he visibly cringed, presumably from the screaming. 

Whatever is going on with Renarin, the signs of a Spren bond were there before he could have become a squire. 

[+eveorjoy she/her]

12 minutes ago, Calderis said:

Renarin removed his spectacles due to Stormlight healing before he joined Bridge Four. 

The First time he touched his Shardblade he visibly cringed, presumably from the screaming. 

Whatever is going on with Renarin, the signs of a Spren bond were there before he could have become a squire. 

Renarin his bonded to a spren, I just wonder if it is a voidspren. Navani's Prelude to chapter 5 "Ideals" on page 84 of WoR has me worried for Renarin

Quote

The sign on the wall proposed a greater danger, even, than its deadline. To foresee the future if of the Voidbringers. --- From the journal of Navani Kholin, Jeseses 1174

This was written even after chapter 2 of Oathbringer in the Rosharan timeline. We now know it was Renarin who wrote on Dalinar's wall. Navani knows this by the time she wrote this as well. Is something going to happen that will pit Renarin against the rest? I just keep getting vibes that somethings is wrong with Glys.

[Lightspine]

44 minutes ago, Calderis said:

Renarin removed his spectacles due to Stormlight healing before he joined Bridge Four. 

The First time he touched his Shardblade he visibly cringed, presumably from the screaming. 

Whatever is going on with Renarin, the signs of a Spren bond were there before he could have become a squire. 

Ah, I got my timeline mixed up. Thanks! This theory goes to the bin then.

[Guest Edonidd]

Renarin visibly displays signs of autism.  He is confirmed by Brandon to be somewhere on the Autistic spectrum, also confirmed to be based on or at least inspired by one of Brandon's friends/acquaintances. 

 

I think because of his differences, many readers will be uncomfortable with Renarin.  Probably many ofbbus are uncomfortable and unsure just how to react to autistic spectrum people.  But Brandon included him and gave him these traits for a reason.  I can 100% guarantee that he isn't going to then turn around and make him a monster or some void controlled bad guy.  

 

Renarin may not be THE hero of this story.  But he is A hero in this story.

[17th Splinter he/him]

3 hours ago, eveorjoy said:

 We now know it was Renarin who wrote on Dalinar's wall. 

How do we know that? I thought that was Dalinar!

[+eveorjoy she/her]

10 minutes ago, 17th Splinter said:

How do we know that? I thought that was Dalinar!

We find out at the end of WoR that Renarin was writing the glyphs. He writes them in front of Shallan. 

[Calderis he/him]

1 hour ago, eveorjoy said:

We find out at the end of WoR that Renarin was writing the glyphs. He writes them in front of Shallan. 

And most people miss it. It's common knowledge here, because it's been confirmed. That PoV was Shallan's though and there's no attention brought to it beyond the moment itself.. 

I know a few people who have read the books that aren't on here and none of them have a clue about Renarin and the carvings. They all take the scene with Dalinar's knife as proof he wrote them himself m

We have so many new people here recently, that this is going to surprise a lot of people. 

[maxal she/her]

11 minutes ago, Calderis said:

And most people miss it. It's common knowledge here, because it's been confirmed. That PoV was Shallan's though and there's no attention brought to it beyond the moment itself.. 

I know a few people who have read the books that aren't on here and none of them have a clue about Renarin and the carvings. They all take the scene with Dalinar's knife as proof he wrote them himself m

We have so many new people here recently, that this is going to surprise a lot of people. 

Well said. For what it is worth, I do think something odd is happening with Renarin. I am not convinced his visions aren't nefarious nor am I not convinced Renarin isn't being manipulated. Still, I do think his bond to Glys is genuine, just it isn't all which is happening to him. 

[+eveorjoy she/her]

I hope everything is fine with Renarin. I like him a lot. Still, something is going on with him and the latest chapters only made me feel this more.

[Ansalem]

1 hour ago, Calderis said:

And most people miss it. It's common knowledge here, because it's been confirmed. That PoV was Shallan's though and there's no attention brought to it beyond the moment itself.. 

I know a few people who have read the books that aren't on here and none of them have a clue about Renarin and the carvings. They all take the scene with Dalinar's knife as proof he wrote them himself m

We have so many new people here recently, that this is going to surprise a lot of people. 

I've read/listened to it 4 or 5 times now and I only realized Renarin was the one writing the countdown a few days ago when I read a post about it on here. Now it seems so obvious but apparently it isn't.

 

I think it's because there's so much happening at that point. I thought it was odd but I didn't actually think about it beyond that because of everything else that's going on. I didn't actually think about it being one of those carvings, I just thought Renarin went insane for a second or something.

[Steeldancer he/him]

On 9/4/2017 at 10:38 PM, Calderis said:

And most people miss it. It's common knowledge here, because it's been confirmed. That PoV was Shallan's though and there's no attention brought to it beyond the moment itself.. 

I know a few people who have read the books that aren't on here and none of them have a clue about Renarin and the carvings. They all take the scene with Dalinar's knife as proof he wrote them himself m

We have so many new people here recently, that this is going to surprise a lot of people. 

Wait a second. I thought both of them had that. 

Every day another secret lol.