[OB] Book Four Prologue

[Khyrindor he/him]

We've seen so far that the Prologues in the first five books are all happening during the same event--Gavilar's assassination.

So far we've seen Szeth, Jasnah, and as of Oathbringer, Eshonai. 

Who do you think is next?

Personally I hope it is Amaram, to perhaps give us some clarity on the Sons of Honor, or Elhokar, so we can see what he was talking to Nale and Kalak about.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Khyrindor

[Willow]

I don't think it's going to be Gavilar.. he probably has the book five spot, and he's probably also going to be the one to tell us about the Sons of Honor, so I voted for Sadeas.

That said, A friend who read WoK mentioned that a lot of the characters were mirrored/connected to other future flashback book characters, and that so far, the prologues had always been by the (WoK) mirror character of the main book character:
Szeth - Kaladin
Jasnah - Shallan
Eshonai - Dalinar
Now I don't know if this will hold up, but I think it'd be funny if book 4 does end up being Dalinar's prologue. He's really drunk, but we still get some interesting info. Then we're waiting breathlessly for book 5, Szeth's flashback book. It's time for the prologue, we're finally going to learn more about the assassination from Gavilar's point of view... aaaand no, the prologue belongs to Kaladin.

He's in Hearthstone, and has an important anatomy test to study for. Tien found five new rocks and is telling his family all about it over dinner. It's longroots, again. Everyone washes the dishes, and goes to bed. That's it.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Willow

[deddinty]

I voted for other - I personally would like to see Taravangian's viewpoint of that night. 

 

I could absolutely see Amaram being the viewpoint, or any of the heralds, but I still think Gavilar will have to be the book 5 viewpoint. 

[thegatorgirl00 she/her]

I voted other for Ash. She hasn't been confirmed as there yet, but a statue of her was seen as destroyed that night by either Sseth or Jasnah (I forget which) and there were plenty of other Heralds, so I find it likely she was. Also, she will be a larger PoV character later, and all the prologues so far have been from more important characters. 

[BeskarKomrk he/him]

I think Ash is the most likely, with Renarin as a second choice. Dalinar was drunk the whole time, I'm not sure what seeing his perspective would add. But all the viewpoints we've gotten so far are characters who will have their own flashback book. 

[MonsterMetroid]

Has to be Dalinar, I mean I need to see more drunk spren!!

[Solant he/him]

I think Venli is a possibility. Eshonai mentions not seeing her since earlier in the day. What was she up to? 

Navani, Adolin, Renari . . Stick?

It's unlikely to happen, but a highspen pov prologue would be interesting, too.

[ScavellTane]

Aesudan.

[Fulminato he/him]

8 hours ago, deddinty said:

I voted for other - I personally would like to see Taravangian's viewpoint of that night. 

 

I could absolutely see Amaram being the viewpoint, or any of the heralds, but I still think Gavilar will have to be the book 5 viewpoint. 

i agree. Mr T. was probably the old man in gavilar's room before eshonai was called by the king.

King Gavilar himself stood pointing at something on a table, surrounded by five others: two officers, two women in long dresses, and one old man in robes.

we know taravangian was in the castle that night, and find his view point more palatable of dalinar or navani, and the last pov gavilar himself for know in full his scheme.

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

I voted for other, I think it would be interesting to see the Prologue from Jezrien's perspective. I don't think that he's as far gone as he pretends, and with the King of the Heralds just having been killed in OB it would be nice to see his perspective on the night of the killing of another king. This would have a very pleasant symmetry to it. Also he was in the hallway where most of the action that we've seen so far (overheard conversations) takes place.

This would allow us to see more of Jezrien, which would be nice. King of the heralds, for some reason that sounds important. Obviously the most important herald, if we can trust the stormfather's assessment, is Ishar, but it would be nice to understand more of what the character of Jezrien is all about. Like the Neil Diamond song says his life was "Done too soon".

[Fulminato he/him]

23 minutes ago, hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

I voted for other, I think it would be interesting to see the Prologue from Jezrien's perspective. I don't think that he's as far gone as he pretends, and with the King of the Heralds just having been killed in OB it would be nice to see his perspective on the night of the killing of another king. This would have a very pleasant symmetry to it. Also he was in the hallway where most of the action that we've seen so far (overheard conversations) takes place.

This would allow us to see more of Jezrien, which would be nice. King of the heralds, for some reason that sounds important. Obviously the most important herald, if we can trust the stormfather's assessment, is Ishar, but it would be nice to understand more of what the character of Jezrien is all about. Like the Neil Diamond song says his life was "Done too soon".

jezrien was in the castle, that night

A man with a long grey and black beard slumped in the doorway, smiling foolishly—though whether from wine or a weak mind, Szeth could not tell. “Have you seen me?” the man asked with slurred speech. He laughed, then began to speak in gibberish, reaching for a wineskin. So it was drink after all.

but i think his pov a very weak. the dialogue between nale and his herald companion hint to a direct intervention to lead the listener to buy szeth and unleash him to killing gavilar. if we got any herald pov of the night i think should be nale.

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

Would be interesting if the viewpoint character is Kalak, he's the herald of the Willshapers and this could be Venli's book (willshaper in the making).

I voted for Jezrien primarily because of this comment on the Tor.com forum that was in response to the release of the Oathbringer endpapers, which showed Jezrien with his honor blade:

Quote

10. Zodda

        Jezrien has a bottle opener on his sword. That’s why he’s the king.

No wonder you always see him in a drunken stupor, the King of Heralds had the perfect tool for opening the King of Beers.

 

12 minutes ago, Fulminato said:

but i think his pov a very weak. the dialogue between nale and his herald companion hint to a direct intervention to lead the listener to buy szeth and unleash him to killing gavilar. if we got any herald pov of the night i think should be nale

I do agree that seeing the pre-assasination scene from Nale's perspective would be awesome. He and Kalak obviously knew that this was about to happen (given their overheard hallway discussion), and Nale is an incredibly interesting character. Most of the other Heralds are objectively mad, but his insistence on following a code seems to insulate from madness perse, but also seems to hollow him out from the inside. Like he is the passionless avatar of what Honor could become separated from the emotional connection that gives it a deeper meaning. Also he might have a good reveal as to what the skybreakers have been doing since they went underground post Recreance.

[Willow]

1 minute ago, hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

I do agree that seeing the pre-assasination scene from Nale's perspective would be awesome. He and Kalak obviously knew that this was about to happen (given their overheard hallway discussion), and Nale is an incredibly interesting character.

...That's very interesting. Especially since the Parshendi didn't know that they were going to assassinate the king until after his conversation with Eshonai, at which point they found they just.. coincidentally managed to buy an amazing assassin from the market, through the help of a special voice in the Rhythms. I wonder just how involved Nale (and Kelek) are in the going-ons of Roshar, and if they were responsible for this (Nale does attempt to find reasons to kill are potential Surgebinders, and Gavilar was one), or if they were simply aware, but not the people behind it.

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

10 minutes ago, Willow said:

...That's very interesting. Especially since the Parshendi didn't know that they were going to assassinate the king until after his conversation with Eshonai, at which point they found they just.. coincidentally managed to buy an amazing assassin from the market, through the help of a special voice in the Rhythms.

Looking in Jasnah's Prologue chapter, here is the discussion between Kalak and Nale (I've added the names for clarity):

Quote

NALE: "Shut up."

KALAK: "I don't like this. What we've done was wrong. That creature carries my own lord's Blade. We shouldn't have let him keep it. He–"

The two passed the intersection ahead of Jasnah. They were ambassadors from the West, including the Azish man with the white birthmark on his cheek. Or was it a scar? The shorter of the two men–he could have been Alethi–cut off when he noticed Jasnah. He let out a squeak, then hurried on his way.

From OB it was obviously a voidspren that led Venli and the other listener (don't recall his name) to Szeth, but what are Nale and Kalak complicit in when Kalak says "What we've done is wrong"? It's obvious from Edgedance and OB that Nale wasn't on the side of Odium at this point, so what is thing that they've done that they know is wrong? Also, how did Kalak know that Szeth had Jezrien's honor blade, I'm assuming it was well hidden while he was playing the part of a docile shin servant. This all hints at a hopefully big reveal coming in Book 4, I personally think this will be from a herald's perspective with Kalak being most likely, Jezrein being second most likely and Nale being the least likely (we got lots of reveals about the skybreakers and what their eventual motives are in OB, so unless there is some clever twist, I feel that this is the least likely).

[Willow]

7 minutes ago, hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

From OB it was obviously a voidspren that led Venli and the other listener (don't recall his name) to Szeth, but what are Nale and Kalak complicit in when Kalak says "What we've done is wrong"? It's obvious from Edgedance and OB that Nale wasn't on the side of Odium at this point, so what is thing that they've done that they know is wrong? Also, how did Kalak know that Szeth had Jezrien's honor blade, I'm assuming it was well hidden while he was playing the part of a docile shin servant. This all hints at a hopefully big reveal coming in Book 4, I personally think this will be from a herald's perspective with Kalak being most likely, Jezrein being second most likely and Nale being the least likely (we got lots of reveals about the skybreakers and what their eventual motives are in OB, so unless there is some clever twist, I feel that this is the least likely).

Are you sure it was a voidspren (Ulim), considering it managed to postpone the Desolation for a few more years? That sounds more like the heralds' goals (in their better days) than the voidbringers'.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Willow

[Fulminato he/him]

7 minutes ago, hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

Looking in Jasnah's Prologue chapter, here is the discussion between Kalak and Nale (I've added the names for clarity):

From OB it was obviously a voidspren that led Venli and the other listener (don't recall his name) to Szeth, but what are Nale and Kalak complicit in when Kalak says "What we've done is wrong"? It's obvious from Edgedance and OB that Nale wasn't on the side of Odium at this point, so what is thing that they've done that they know is wrong? Also, how did Kalak know that Szeth had Jezrien's honor blade, I'm assuming it was well hidden while he was playing the part of a docile shin servant. This all hints at a hopefully big reveal coming in Book 4, I personally think this will be from a herald's perspective with Kalak being most likely, Jezrein being second most likely and Nale being the least likely (we got lots of reveals about the skybreakers and what their eventual motives are in OB, so unless there is some clever twist, I feel that this is the least likely).

we don't know when venli meet ulim, and venli before the war of reckoning don't think hold any real political power.

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

1 minute ago, Willow said:

Are you sure it was a voidspren, considering it managed to postpone the Desolation for a few more years? That sounds more like the heralds' goals (in their better days) than the voidbringers'.

This is from the Eshonai Prologue in OB:

Quote

"Klade's slave was an assassin. Klade claimed that a voice—speaking to the rhythms—had led him to the man, who had confessed his skills when pressed. Venli had apparently been with Klade, though Eshonai hadn't seen her sister since the earlier that day.

In the above passage, voice is italicized in the text. In OB Venli complains about how she's been working with the voidspren for a long time to come up with new forms of power (storm form specifically), so I think that it's not too big of a logical leap to assume that this voidspren also helped her find Szeth (and who counseled also a personal removal from the actual discovery for the purposes of plausible deniability).

With Gavialr's possession of two voidspren spheres, the two unintoxicated heralds at the party might have thought that an assassination was in order. I think the thing they are complicit in is something other thant this though, but like most good speculations I have to give myself a RAFO card.

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

2 minutes ago, Fulminato said:

we don't know when venli meet ulim, and venli before the war of reckoning don't think hold any real political power.

We don't know when they met, but I think we can infer from the passage I quoted above from Eshonai's prologue chapter, that the voice that Klade heard was Ulim.

[Passion he/him]

I always read the scene between Kelek not as admission to active interference but as admission they were aware szeth had the honorblade and was going to kill and they didn’t interfere(I can’t imagine herelds are thrilled when they see their blades pop up in the hands of others)to take it from him. I don’t think they actually knew who he planned to kill though