Empty Elantris and the Iriali

[+Child of Hodor]

I was listening to the Shardcast on the history of Sel (https://www.17thshard.com/news/shardcast/shardcast-history-and-cultures-of-sel-r539/) and they mentioned how the more modern group of people who would become known as the Elantrians first came upon the city already built and empty. Someone built Elantris and something happened to cause it to be devoid of people. There was speculation of a catastrophe or something wiping everybody out ... but what if they just left? 

We know of a worldhopping civilization that migrates in mass. They are on Roshar during the events of Stormlight Archive and call themselves the Iriali. Their nation on Roshar is called Iri. In Mistborn Secret History we meet a group of worldhopping Elantrians that call themselves the Ire. I don't think these two groups are the same, but I think this is a big hint that one of the previous planets the Iriali were on was Sel and they left in mass from Elantris which is why it was found fully built, but empty. They probably left via the shardpool in the mountains nearby.

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Elantris_(city)#Discovery

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Iri

 

[+Brassweaver he/him]

Very interesting theory! My gut feeling is that they aren't related, but you never know with Brandon. Good catch!

[Karger he/him]

Possible.  It does beg the question of why a group of people would build elantris and then up and leave.  It also assumes an unsubstantiated myth is accurate. 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Karger

[Honorless he/him]

I've theorized whether the Ire were the original Elantrians before and I think that with the info we have, it fits.

The Iriali, though, I don't know... 

[Eternal Khol he/him]

6 hours ago, R J said:

The Iriali, though, I don't know... 

this is off topic but i figured id post about it before i forgot

Ive seen a WoB that the Iriali are going to be involved in the space age cosmere sequence.

it got me thinking that maybe the Iriali are the Ones Above of First of the Sun. 

I have no evidence, its just a feeling 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Eternal Khol

[+honorblades he/him]

On 5/9/2020 at 6:19 PM, Child of Hodor said:

They probably left via the shardpool in the mountains nearby.

So Elantris was built as an amplifier for the power of the Dor which is present in that location - the Dor being the Splintered remains of Devotion and Dominion in the cognitive realm. This would make leaving via that shardpool very difficult, I would think.

[spaidapig he/him]

I don't know. But maybe Elantris has the effect of a channel for the Dor, by which it will be less violent in that area, because of the huge pull on it from the city.

We see at least three people who made it off-world from Sel (Hoid, Galladon and the Lighthousekeeper in Shadesmar), so it is possible to survive the Dor around Elantris.

But this could also be the case, due to the Shardpool nearby.

[+Brassweaver he/him]

15 hours ago, vegvisr said:

So Elantris was built as an amplifier for the power of the Dor which is present in that location - the Dor being the Splintered remains of Devotion and Dominion in the cognitive realm. This would make leaving via that shardpool very difficult, I would think.

It is difficult, but we know they have ways of doing it because one of the Hoed in Elantris made it out and through to join the Ire

[+honorblades he/him]

1 minute ago, Brassweaver said:

It is difficult, but we know they have ways of doing it because one of the Hoed in Elantris made it out and through to join the Ire

Oh wow I just looked this up, of course I knew of Riino but I had no idea it was confirmed he was a member of the Ire! Thank you for this, very interesting.