EmmaExtraordinary Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 I've always wondered if maybe the Dalinar's asked the Nightwatcher to help him forget his wife making that his boon and not his curse... the Oathbringer conversations almost support that theory. What does everyone else think his boon and curse are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyBlu Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 @PatronOfRot mentioned a theory that I really thought was interesting. He speculated if Dalinar's boon/curse was to forget "shshshsh" or to forget his "wife". If it was to forget his wife then he and Navani will have a hard time keeping those oaths they made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calderis Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 People always assume that the boon is what was asked for. The interludes with Av and Baxil tells us this isn't true though. You go to the vet and request a boon, and the Nightwatcher gives both a boon and a curse based on what she thinks you deserve. We only know one of the things effecting him, the loss of his memories of his wife. We don't know what the other is. I don't think it matters what he asked for, what is boon and what is curse and what is boon is decided by the interpretation of the person receiving them. Dalinar obviously believes the best loss of his memories is his curse. It may be his boon in having allowed him to change. Until we see what he gained, I don't think we can judge, but again, I don't think his request matters in the slightest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Extesian Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 I actually disagree a bit on this @Calderis. The request matters. The boon may not be what was asked but I think the request does matter Quote QUESTION So the character Lift, with her powers, why does she only have to eat food instead of sucking in stormlight? BRANDON SANDERSON So Lift is a really weird one. She visited the Old Magic and asked something very strange, and the Old Magic didn’t know how to treat that, and so answered with something equally strange. So you will actually see what happened with Liftand things like that, but suffice it to say some really weird things are going on That to me indicates that a person doesn't just go to the Nightwatcher and she grants what she wants to irrespective of the request. It sounds like the request matters. The question is in what way does it matter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLeeopard Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 3 hours ago, Extesian said: I actually disagree a bit on this @Calderis. The request matters. The boon may not be what was asked but I think the request does matter That to me indicates that a person doesn't just go to the Nightwatcher and she grants what she wants to irrespective of the request. It sounds like the request matters. The question is in what way does it matter. I suspect (no evidence, just a feeling) the Nightwatcher liked Lift, and wanted to give her what she asked for, but since it was so strange she couldn't or didn't know how. Or if she just asked not to change, maybe the Nightwatcher felt forced to hijack the request as she knew it wouldn't be good for Lift in the long run. She may give something close/related to the original request in most cases, but I wouldn't be surprised if that is her personal choice, and not something she is forced to do. Didn't they say frivolous requests were punished? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yata Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 Maybe it's both his curse and boon like Mr. T where the Boon and Curse blur together 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxal Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 I am currently thinking the majority of all theories, with respect to what Dalinar asked, are wrong. I think he asked for something rather mundane, something very selfish and was cursed with memory loss of one significant being. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erunion Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 I really like the idea that Dalinar asked for the ability to change - to become a better person. And the cost was his memories. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subvisual Haze Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 12 minutes ago, Erunion said: I really like the idea that Dalinar asked for the ability to change - to become a better person. And the cost was his memories. "What can change the nature of a man?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teknopathetic Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 (edited) we have a WOB confirming that danilar actually asked for "hotter slontzees". Edited September 10, 2017 by teknopathetic 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorocket1 Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 so maybe his boon requires forgetting his wife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seloun Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Ten years ago: Quote He remembered the times when the Thrill had been the strongest. Subduing the highprinces with Gavilar during their youths, forcing back the Vedens, fighting the Herdazians and destroying the Akak Reshi. Once, the thirst for battle had nearly led him to attack Gavilar himself. Dalinar could remember the jealousy on that day some ten years ago, when the itch to attack Gavilar— the only worthy opponent he could see, the man who had won Navani’s hand— had nearly consumed him. Sanderson, Brandon. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) (p. 780). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. Quote A man who had contemplated murdering his own brother for the throne— and for the woman who had married that brother. But he couldn’t explain that, didn’t dare let Navani know what his desire for her had once almost driven him to do. On that day, Dalinar had sworn that he would never hold the throne himself. That was one of his restraints. Could he explain how she, without trying, pried at those restraints? How it was difficult to reconcile his long-fermenting love for her with his guilt at finally taking for himself what he’d long ago given up for his brother? Sanderson, Brandon. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) (p. 887). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. Coppermind wiki says Dalinar's wife died in 1163 (ten years ago) though I can't find a direct source for this. Assuming that's the case, my theory is that Dalinar is the one that killed his wife. Chapter 4 suggests that the reason the ardents won't marry Dalinar is due to the actions of the senior ardent: Quote “How?” she said, then poked him in the chest. “I’m as religious as the next woman—more than most, actually. But Kadash turned us down, as did Ladent, even Rushu. She squeaked when I mentioned it and literally ran away.” “Chanada,” Dalinar said, speaking of the senior ardent of the warcamps. “She spoke to Kadash, and had him go to each of the ardents. She probably did it the moment she heard we were courting.” I assume that Dalinar noticed Kadash talking to the other ardents and presumed this was why (Dalinar doesn't know for sure, hence 'probably did it'). But it seems just as plausible that Kadash could have been the one responsible for the ardents' behavior, rather than just as the messenger. Kadash saw Dalinar do something extremely disturbing; from the first Dalinar flashback in Oathbringer we see that Dalinar/Sadeas committing (or discussing committing) what we'd consider war crimes in a very nonchalant manner, so it must have been something pretty significant to have affected Kadash in that manner. Yet Dalinar's can't remember it, so it must somehow be related to his wife (unless e.g. it's a result of his gift). So my guess is that ten years ago, his wife was 'kidnapped' during some kind of rebellion against Gavilar, which resulted in Dalinar being tempted to overthrow Gavilar himself. In the process he ends up killing his wife, which ultimately is what causes him to swear never to hold the throne for himself. As for the gift/curse, I think it might be related to Gavilar. He probably went to seek the Old Magic a little bit after he proposed the greatshell hunt: Quote “I suppose I owe you this,” Dalinar said. “But it is not to be spread around. Roshone was a petty man who gained Elhokar’s ear. Elhokar was crown prince then, commanded to rule over Kholinar and watch the kingdom while his father organized our first camps here in the Shattered Plains. I was . . . away at the time. Sanderson, Brandon. Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive, The) (p. 749). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. Quote During Gavilar’s youth, only two things had thrilled him— conquest and hunting. When he hadn’t been seeking one, it had been the other. Suggesting the hunt had seemed rational at the time. Gavilar had been acting oddly, losing his thirst for battle. Men had started to say that he was weak. Dalinar had wanted to remind his brother of the good times in their youth. Hence the hunt for a legendary chasmfiend. Sanderson, Brandon. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) (pp. 423-424). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. So Dalinar proposes the hunt, they find the Parshendi, but it doesn't really change how Gavilar is behaving. So Dalinar goes to seek the Old Magic in an attempt to restore his brother; during this time Elhokar meets Roshone and does his thing to help Kaladin become a Windrunner (...). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Spicker Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 17 hours ago, Erunion said: I really like the idea that Dalinar asked for the ability to change - to become a better person. And the cost was his memories. I like this idea, too. And if it happened to be true, my question is would Dalinar revert back to who he was before if he regained his memories? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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