Prologue Secrets

[Kinnsayyy]

So after seeing the "fourth" prologue scene, and reading the comments on here about them, i saw mention of a bunch of different theories from the other prologues. I was wondering if there was a list some where that had all the theories and/or cosmere tidbits that had been picked up from those? I read in the Way of Kings annotation that Sanderson feels he was too obvious with how he foreshadowed in them, and that means there has to be tons that I've missed. Anyways, if there isn't one big list already out there, would anyone care to share what they've found/theorized from them?

[Karger]

Probably not.  At least I have never herd of such a thing.  You might find a thread with a similar topic but it will likely be a bit out of date.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Karger

[Gilphon]

I mean, here's what I'm aware of that wouldn't be necessarily be obvious the first time you read them:

• Nale and Kelek are present, and Jasnah overhears them discussing Szeth. (Nale can be identified by the scar on his cheek, but I believe we only know that his companion is Kelek through elimination)
• Jezrien is hanging out near a statue of himself
• A Shalash statue is conspicuously absent, implying that she's personally visited in the recent past
• Gavilar assumed that the Ghostbloods hired Szeth. When told that they didn't, his next guess is that the Sons of Honor are behind it.

I would guess that Jezrien was what Sanderson was referring to in the annotation, because that's the only hidden thing I could see somebody picking up on in their first read-through from the prologue alone. 

[Karger]

8 minutes ago, Gilphon said:

Nale and Kelek are present, and Jasnah overhears them discussing Szeth. (Nale can be identified by the scar on his cheek, but I believe we only know that his companion is Kelek through elimination)

Well it is almost certainly a male Herald.  Assuming otherwise just leads to ridiculousness.  There are 5 male Heralds total.  It is not Nale(he can't talk to himself), Jezrien(he is by the statue), or Taln(he is in Braize).  It could theoretically be Ishar we have no idea what he looks like after all but I doubt it as he a god king in the west and his absence would be noteworthy.

12 minutes ago, Gilphon said:

• Jezrien is hanging out near a statue of himself
• A Shalash statue is conspicuously absent, implying that she's personally visited in the recent past

These are both true beyond reasonable doubt.

13 minutes ago, Gilphon said:

Gavilar assumed that the Ghostbloods hired Szeth. When told that they didn't, his next guess is that the Sons of Honor are behind it.

His final guess was Sadeas although he was only guessing from the context.  Sadeas was the diversionary individual who should have drawn Szeth away.  Brandon confirms they were on good terms at the time.

I will add that some speculate that Liss(the assassin that Jasnah meets) is actually the Herald Chana(patron of Dustbringers) although I personally disagree.  Still the fact that Jasnah almost had her sister in law killed is noteworthy.  She also had her first encounter with Ivory that day(that we know of).  Her childhood madness is mentioned in passing and this has given many people cause for speculation.

Szeth and Eshonai were both given black spheres by king Gavilar(we currently believe these to have contained unmade or at least voidspren).

Many people think that the many ringed steward is actually a feruchemist(although we tend to think this about anyone with metal jewelry).

 

You may be able to get some information by looking at Torr's stomlight reread(they have one for every chapter of every book except Oathbringer).

[Pagerunner]

3 minutes ago, Karger said:

It could theoretically be Ishar we have no idea what he looks like after all but I doubt it as he a god king in the west and his absence would be noteworthy.

Ishar may not have taken the role of Tezim yet. In Edgedancer, we learn that "things had changed over the last few years."

[Kon-Tiki]

There's also the "other ambassador's" behavior. If you subscribe to the idea that each Herald is behaving in direct opposite to the Attributes that would go on to define the Knight Radiant Orders based off them, Kalak's are "Resolute" and "Builder" while Ishar's are "Pious" and "Guiding". The man who is probably Kalak is acting pretty much precisely the opposite of "Resolute", which would identify him as Kalak to me, not Ishar.

[Karger]

12 minutes ago, Pagerunner said:

Ishar may not have taken the role of Tezim yet. In Edgedancer, we learn that "things had changed over the last few years."

Maybe.  We don't realy know much about Ishar.

1 minute ago, Kon-Tiki said:

There's also the "other ambassador's" behavior. If you subscribe to the idea that each Herald is behaving in direct opposite to the Attributes that would go on to define the Knight Radiant Orders based off them, Kalak's are "Resolute" and "Builder" while Ishar's are "Pious" and "Guiding". The man who is probably Kalak is acting pretty much precisely the opposite of "Resolute", which would identify him as Kalak to me, not Ishar.

I agree that it is most likely Kelek but Ishar's pious and guiding could be opposites by ignoring the problem and the person with the problem(exactly the opposite of good behavior from a priest of any denomination).

[Gilphon]

I believe there's a WoB saying that Ishar would look Shin to them, but both Szeth and Jasnah describe Nale's companion as 'Alethi-Like'. So that strongly suggests that he's not Ishar. Which means that Kelek is easily the most likely candidate

[Kon-Tiki]

Pretty sure Ishar acting as the opposite of Pious is him sacrilegiously setting himself up as a God-King, not going full hypochondriac like Kalak

[Karger]

20 minutes ago, Kon-Tiki said:

Pretty sure Ishar acting as the opposite of Pious is him sacrilegiously setting himself up as a God-King, not going full hypochondriac like Kalak

The point was that he might not being doing that yet.

[Pagerunner]

2 hours ago, Gilphon said:

I believe there's a WoB saying that Ishar would look Shin to them, but both Szeth and Jasnah describe Nale's companion as 'Alethi-Like'. So that strongly suggests that he's not Ishar. Which means that Kelek is easily the most likely candidate

Aha!

Quote

Argent

Now that we have canon art of Ishar, Shalash, Jezrien, and Vedel, what Rosharan nationalities would you say they resemble the most?

Brandon Sanderson

Jezrien and Vedel would be seen as Alethi, most likely. Shalash would be seen as Azish, while Ishar would be seen as Shin, probably.

NightWillReign

Wait, but if Ishar looks like he’s from Shinovar, how did the Tukkari accept him as the God-Priest?

Brandon Sanderson

That's a RAFO--but is a question you're supposed to be asking.

Skyward Pre-Release AMA (Oct. 20, 2018)

That does rule out Ishar. So if he is a Herald, he must be Kalak. I think he is a Herald, based on the "getting worse" line, unless he's a Skybreaker and there's something going on with the Skybreakers that's being kept hidden from us.

[Bigmikey357]

Just look at what he said. He told Nale that the monster carries his lord's own blade. Of the two candidates, kalak is more likely to refer to Jezrian's Honorblade in that fashion. Ishar, as leader of the heralds, isn't m'lording anyone except Honor himself.

[Subvisual Haze]

Nale also speaks of Ishar with great respect in later conversations.  He seems to regard Kelek as an annoyance.

[Quantus]

Just so Im clear, what "4th Prologue" are we talking about?

[Elwynn]

2 minutes ago, Quantus said:

Just so Im clear, what "4th Prologue" are we talking about?

Each book contains a prologue that depicts the night the assassin in white killed Gavilar, but from a different viewpoint. This is the fourth prologue, or the prologue of the fourth book; it's Navani's point of view this time.

[Quantus]

Just now, Elwynn said:

Each book contains a prologue that depicts the night the assassin in white killed Gavilar, but from a different viewpoint. This is the fourth prologue, or the prologue of the fourth book; it's Navani's point of view this time.

damnation, I did not realize a preview had bee released.  Text or video? Do you happen to have a link?

[Elwynn]

2 minutes ago, Quantus said:

damnation, I did not realize a preview had bee released.  Text or video? Do you happen to have a link?

Both! When the text says, "boss" it's supposed to say box. At least that's how the audio came off to me.

 

DragonCon Prologue