Do Adolin and Renarin know the truth?

[Kelsier'sGodComplex]

I was bored. So I thought about OB. I then realized something. (OMG! What could it be?! ) 

In the book, Shallan asks Adolin what happened to his mom. Adolin tells her that she was killed by assassins. Do Adolin and Renarin know how Evi was killed?! I mean, they didn't know at first because Dalinar didn't know, but now that he does...? 

What do you guys think?

Edited March 25, 2019 by Kelsier'sGodComplex

[+Invocation]

Adolin and Renarin, as far as we know, wholeheartedly believe that Evi was killed by assassins in the Rift. For now, at least, that is what they believe. Dalinar will probably end up telling them (might be on-screen in Book 4, might be in the gap) but they don't know yet.

[deacon]

If the in-world Oathbringer is published between SA3 and SA4, then they will definitely know. Even if they don't read it/have it read to them themselves, other people they know will read it and know it - I just don't see how it could remain a secret. I would hope that Dalinar would be honest with them before his book is published, otherwise that'd be pretty cruel.

[Calderis]

Exactly. Dalinar is writing a book to tell the world of his journey, good and bad. 

I can't imagine he's going to just wait until the truth slaps his children in the face. He's going to tell them. 

[TheGirlWhoLookedUp]

I’ve always wondered how much Renarin knows. I mean he’s very observant without him being able to see patterns and observe the future and such. He doesn’t talk much and if he knew, I don’t think he’d be the one to go telling everyone. However, If he did know, I don’t think just let it pass without confronting Dalinar. It’s too big a thing to let go unnoticed even for him. Hmm... I don’t know.

[Karger]

I have always thought that it is among the oaths of a truthwater to respect privacy.  What with all that they know and from their abilities they can probably figure out almost anything about anyone but I do not think that forcing others to open up to you is appropriate.  I have always thought that in the scene in OB where Adolin was talking to Gallant that Renarin knows that Adolin killed Sadias but does not say so because it would violate this oath.

[+Oltux72]

12 hours ago, Kelsier'sGodComplex said:

Adolin tells her that she was killed by assassins.

The official answer. Hence meaningless.

12 hours ago, Kelsier'sGodComplex said:

Do Adolin and Renarin know how Evi was killed?

If Dalinar had not told them anything, he'd leave open a gigantic hole for every of his enemies to strike by. Do they know the whole truth that is why Evi was there? Difficult to say. But they most likely know that she died in the fire. And we have to face it. Hed it become known that she joined the enemy without orders, some would have called for her head, had she been anybody but Dalinar's wife. In a sense she was  a traitor.

[earthexile]

Adolin and Renarin have both had POV passages about how cool they think Dalinar is, I suspect that they would have at least mixed emotions if they knew about his role in her death. 

[Firebolt-101]

On 3/24/2019 at 9:09 PM, TheGirlWhoLookedUp said:

I’ve always wondered how much Renarin knows. I mean he’s very observant without him being able to see patterns and observe the future and such. He doesn’t talk much and if he knew, I don’t think he’d be the one to go telling everyone. However, If he did know, I don’t think just let it pass without confronting Dalinar. It’s too big a thing to let go unnoticed even for him. Hmm... I don’t know.

I agree, if anyone who wasn't there had to know about what happened it would definitely be Renarin. I honestly think this could be backed by how he acts in the books, as he always seems standoffish whenever around family- counting Dalinar. A lot of people picked up on how he acted and it was written off for a number of reasons (anxiety, a feeling of unworthiness, Renarin just being Renarin, etc.) but I think that if he found out about Evi it would explain it very nicely as it means he was hiding things form his entire family and by now we all now how capable he is of that.

How he found out would be the most interesting to me. With Dalinar's memories returned I'm sure he would remember if he sat down and told Renarin, meaning he had to have either overhead it, been told by an outside source, or just put the pieces together. However, my personal hc is that Dalinar told Renarin when he was very drunk. Maybe it could explain the scene in Oathbringer when young Renarin brought Dalinar drinks? 

As for why he never confronted Dalinar, I feel like it would be part of a sense of duty to not tell everyone and a bit a fear. He did just lose his mom, and I'm assuming even the Alethi court wouldn't just let Dalinar walk away from what happened at the Rift if they knew.

[+Oltux72]

4 hours ago, Firebolt-101 said:

As for why he never confronted Dalinar, I feel like it would be part of a sense of duty to not tell everyone and a bit a fear. He did just lose his mom, and I'm assuming even the Alethi court wouldn't just let Dalinar walk away from what happened at the Rift if they knew.

Sure they would. Evi went to the camp of the enemy against the standing orders. The charge of treason would have been easy to make. He could have chopped her head off.

[equinox]

4 hours ago, Firebolt-101 said:

... I'm assuming even the Alethi court wouldn't just let Dalinar walk away from what happened at the Rift if they knew.

Why do you think that? Evi's death was not murder. Not directly at least and not committed by Dalinar. What happened to the civilians at the Rift is known to many people. They told the lie about Evi's assassination so that nobody gets to know that she met Tanalan on her own - and to ease the consciences of the soldiers. Burning a city in retribution for murder is not much different from burning a city for rebellion. I don't think the laws would have been a problem for Dalinar. But the lie is a better story for the soldiers as well as for Gavilar's followers in general. 

Edit: @Oltux72 beat me to the answer 

Edited May 1, 2019 by equinox

[Karger]

6 hours ago, Firebolt-101 said:

I agree, if anyone who wasn't there had to know about what happened it would definitely be Renarin. I honestly think this could be backed by how he acts in the books, as he always seems standoffish whenever around family- counting Dalinar. A lot of people picked up on how he acted and it was written off for a number of reasons (anxiety, a feeling of unworthiness, Renarin just being Renarin, etc.) but I think that if he found out about Evi it would explain it very nicely as it means he was hiding things form his entire family and by now we all now how capable he is of that.

I don't know that sound cheep to me.  I would prefer much more human reasons for Renarin being awkward.  With Sandman at the helm a more human character is often better then a more dramatic one.

[CrazyRioter]

Renarin is awkward because he's autistic, and also because he's keeping secrets about Glys (at least in WoR and OB and maybe in WoK too)

[cfphelps]

On 5/1/2019 at 0:33 PM, Firebolt-101 said:

 

As for why he never confronted Dalinar, I feel like it would be part of a sense of duty to not tell everyone and a bit a fear. He did just lose his mom, and I'm assuming even the Alethi court wouldn't just let Dalinar walk away from what happened at the Rift if they knew.

Keep in mind that the things we see Dalinar doing in the flashbacks may be appaling to the readers, but are the very things that made Dalinar a hero to the Alethi. 

[Vissy]

Would be kind of lame if Adolin found out about this from a book. I at least anticipate this to be a big scene between Adolin, Renarin and Dalinar. I'll be disappointed if it isn't given the weight and time it deserves.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Vissy

[Firebolt-101]

On 5/3/2019 at 5:18 AM, cfphelps said:

Keep in mind that the things we see Dalinar doing in the flashbacks may be appaling to the readers, but are the very things that made Dalinar a hero to the Alethi. 

Very true, I'm still flabergasted that they would have let Sadeas get away with leaving Adolin and Dalinar

But on that note I am interested to know what's considered too far for the Alethi....

[Vissy]

Also please keep in mind that Adolin blames Sadeas for his mother's death. It was Sadeas who took the blame for burning down Rathalas, remember? And do we know if this factored at all into his snap decision to murder him? What's going to happen when Adolin finds out that the one he blamed for his mother's death - the one he thought he'd already put behind him - was suddenly standing in front of him again? What kind of trauma is this going to trigger in him, if any? It's not going to be an easy revelation to accept for him.

[CosmicSieve]

 

9 hours ago, Vissy said:

Also please keep in mind that Adolin blames Sadeas for his mother's death. It was Sadeas who took the blame for burning down Rathalas, remember? And do we know if this factored at all into his snap decision to murder him? What's going to happen when Adolin finds out that the one he blamed for his mother's death - the one he thought he'd already put behind him - was suddenly standing in front of him again? What kind of trauma is this going to trigger in him, if any? It's not going to be an easy revelation to accept for him.

Adolin thought rebel assassins were responsible for his mother's death, so I don't think he ever blamed Sadeas for that, so I don't think it was a factor Adolin killing Sadeas. Blaming Sadeas for Rathalas may have had an indirect effect, since it showed that Sadeas had a history of fixing problems by killing them along with the several thousand people standing closest, so Sadeas's threat to keep on doing what he was doing may have had more weight. Though I think Sadeas's recent behavior, which included intentionally getting thousands of Adolin's men slaughtered, was enough.