[OB] Book 4 Flashbacks?

[Ciridae]

The flashbacks in OB were key for the plot and helped us understand what made present day Dalinar who he is, while shedding some light on to questions we've had for years. 

But Eshonai isn't undergoing any more character development in the present, and the setting of her early life isn't very relevant to the current plot. So why did Brandon chose her as a flashback character? Do we know of any events in the region of the unclaimed hills during the last 30ish years (do we know how old Eshonai was when she died?) that are important for the current plot? What can we expect from Eshonai's flashbacks? 

I have a couple of ideas/hopes for what we might see, but I'm sure there's more.

With Venli going through the arc that most of us thought Eshonai would undergo, we'll be heavily exposed to a present-time main character as seen through the eyes of another. Venli still measures herself by her sister's standard and I think the dynamic and conflict between the two sisters will be a big part of what the flashbacks have to offer for the present-day narrative: Our newest (probably) Willshaper's character growth, based on Venli's past as seen and evaluated through the eyes of the most archetypical would-be-Willshaper in the books. 

I'm certain we'll see more in the present of the deserters who did not want to take on Stormform. The flashbacks could show us more of some characters, like Thude, who may have a larger role to play in the present. As far as we know, Venli and the deserters are the only surviving Listeners, who know the old songs, and, more importantly, remember how the Last Legion turned away from Odium. 

Hopefully we'll learn more about the Singer forms and lifecycle (are babies born in a form?), listener culture, their pre-human conflicts, where their Shards came from etc.

We would probably learn more about the Shattered Plains. There's a lot we dont know, like the origin of the warcamp domes, Stormseat's history and what great magic caused the plains to be shattered in the first place. There's Listener songs about that event after all. 

Any other ideas what we might expect or why Eshonai was chosen as a flashback character instead of someone else?

[Song she/her]

I think we will get a real sense of the listeners history, since the two sister's mother was like a historian for the listeners. 

We have two very different sisters and a mother who develops the listener equivalent of Alzheimer's. That will be an incredibly emotional story and will probably help us see why the sisters turned out as they did.

It will also help us to see things from the listeners perspective and why it is so important that the Listeners are not wiped out by our heroes and can once again resist their "gods".

 

[Fulminato he/him]

the pattern of flashback story character for the first three books are pointed to two pivotal point. the first is the juncture between the story before the books and the story of the books, the other is the more psicological event of his/her life.

for kaladin the first is the betrayal of amaram and the second the death of tien.

for shallan the first is the death of the her father and the second is the death of the her mother

for dalinar the first is the trip to the nightwathcer and the second evi's death.

for a eshonai/venli book this patter will be follow? and in a affermative answer the two point should be? I think the bridge event between before the book and the book's story is the human discovery, but the second? the 'discovery' of stormform?

Edited January 4, 2018 by Fulminato

[Leuthie]

Perspective is important.  We don't have a perspective for the Parshendi, yet.  We will in book 4.  That's reason enough, and probably the exact why.

[Blazenella he/him]

13 hours ago, Ciridae said:

As far as we know, Venli and the deserters are the only surviving Listeners, who know the old songs, and, more importantly, remember how the Last Legion turned away from Odium. 

I think you might have forgotten a certain Bridge 4 member?

*cough* Rlain *cough*

[Dreamstorm]

7 minutes ago, Blazenella said:

I think you might have forgotten a certain Bridge 4 member?

*cough* Rlain *cough*

I’m really hoping we get some Rlain backstory in the Eshonai flashbacks. I’d enjoy learning more about the Alethi infiltration efforts. And one of my number one wishes for SA4 is a reunion between Rlain and Thude. 

I’m surprisingly excited for these flashbacks considering how boring I found Eshonai (and the listeners in general) prior to OB.

[Steeldancer he/him]

I need more Rlain. He dropped off the face of Roshar after part 2 and I NEED HIM

[WhiteLeeopard she/her]

I'm a bit wary of Eshonai's flashbacks. I suspect they will be different to the ones we have seen so far. With all the others there was a secret buried deep in their past that affected them greatly in the present and drove many of their actions without our knowledge. Kaladin the way Tien died, Shallan that she killed her mother, Dalinar Cultivation's meddling. I find it hard to believe there will be a deep secret in Eshonai's past, since she is dead. I am certain the flashbacks will be interesting to see the Listeners, but at the moment I don't expect the flashback rollercoaster the others were. 

[Blazenella he/him]

27 minutes ago, Steeldancer said:

I need more Rlain. He dropped off the face of Roshar after part 2 and I NEED HIM

It's ok man, we feel you.

Maybe he'll be a Windrunner next we see of him, but I would love to see him becoming one. I don't want sad Rlain without a squireship or nahel bond