Hrathens arm and the climax

[Valigus]

Why was hrathens arm glowing like it was draining dilaf or powering up or something.

additionally how was he still standing at that point.

Also why did dilaf not know about his arm when he was in charge of the monestary.

 

did hrathen have a special arm from somewhere other than the monestary? At the very least his arm is definitely different from the others in how it is described and he was able to despite being vastly weakened overpower a full dakhor monk with only the arm, seems kinda weird without something else with the arm or other intervention.

[Weltall]

Hrathen began training at Dakhor but left after the incident mentioned and completed his training at Ghajan; that one bone is transformed like the rest of the Dakhor monks but the rest of his are normal.. Sarene speculates that the power Hrathen was able to draw from the Dor through that bone is what kept him alive long enough to kill Dilaf and in the absence of any reason to think otherwise, it's safe to assume she's probably correct.

As to how Hrathen with one bone managed to kill someone with a full set of them, a couple of factors could be in play. Hrathen is much younger than Dilaf and more physically fit (I mean, he goes around wearing real armor constantly...) so he can probably exert a lot more force with that arm than Dilaf can muster. Also, we know that different bone configurations grant different powers, so it's possible that whatever was done to Hrathen's arm is simply better suited to pulling off a dramatic neck lift and snap than Dilaf's bones were suited to countering it. We know Dilaf has a rare power to resist the effects of AonDor, which may well have required trading off some measure of durability or strength.

Bear in mind also that we see that scene from Raoden's perspective and he doesn't have the knowledge that the reader does. Dilaf was probably less surprised by Hrathen having a Dakhor-transformed bone (because he clearly remembers the latter's time at the monastery in some detail) and more that he was able to use it after so many years, or something along those lines. We don't really know enough about how that system works to be sure.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Weltall

[Valigus]

15 hours ago, Weltall said:

Hrathen began training at Dakhor but left after the incident mentioned and completed his training at Ghajan; that one bone is transformed like the rest of the Dakhor monks but the rest of his are normal.. Sarene speculates that the power Hrathen was able to draw from the Dor through that bone is what kept him alive long enough to kill Dilaf and in the absence of any reason to think otherwise, it's safe to assume she's probably correct.

As to how Hrathen with one bone managed to kill someone with a full set of them, a couple of factors could be in play. Hrathen is much younger than Dilaf and more physically fit (I mean, he goes around wearing real armor constantly...) so he can probably exert a lot more force with that arm than Dilaf can muster. Also, we know that different bone configurations grant different powers, so it's possible that whatever was done to Hrathen's arm is simply better suited to pulling off a dramatic neck lift and snap than Dilaf's bones were suited to countering it. We know Dilaf has a rare power to resist the effects of AonDor, which may well have required trading off some measure of durability or strength.

Bear in mind also that we see that scene from Raoden's perspective and he doesn't have the knowledge that the reader does. Dilaf was probably less surprised by Hrathen having a Dakhor-transformed bone (because he clearly remembers the latter's time at the monastery in some detail) and more that he was able to use it after so many years, or something along those lines. We don't really know enough about how that system works to be sure.

I suppose that makes sense but the whole deal with the glowing bones just seemed so weird and almsot like soemthing that shouldn’t happen especially since it enabled him to easily overpower a full body dakhor monk while nearly dead.

[Sedge]

I want to say that the glowing is a thing the other monks do (when actively using their powers?), but I'd have to check. 

It's hard to imagine that baby Hrathen got a special neck-snapping bone within the first few months at Dakhor. I guess I imagine that there's a base set of bones that everyone gets before possibly being allowed to branch off into specialized bones? 

As for Dilaf being old and Hrathen being more fit, well... Dilaf does have the body of a 20-something, and I assume that's not superficial (like, he can probably eat all the brunost he wants without gaining any weight). Plus, I don't think there's anything that implies that he's not fit as well, even if not to the same level as Hrathen. So if anything, I'd say Dilaf's age would be an advantage, given how much more experience he has with... having weird bone powers?

Honestly, the only thing I can think of is that Dilaf is just so short that he wasn't able to use his legs to try and free himself by pushing back against Hrathen or, you know, just kicking him in the face. Though, that would only explain why Dilaf wasn't able to fight back, not how the heck Hrathen was able to kill him single-bonededly while half-dead. And as much as I love joking about The Littlest Gragdet, even I don't think he's this short. 

In conclusion, that whole thing was really weird and I'd call shenanigans on it, but the alternative was apparently Dilaf being cursed just like his wife was, which really isn't how The Good Guys should be defeating their enemies, so I'm forced to give it a pass. 

Edit: ohhh, that's April 2021.

Edited May 5, 2022 by Sedge

[Treamayne]

20 hours ago, Sedge said:

I want to say that the glowing is a thing the other monks do (when actively using their powers?), but I'd have to check. 

Yes, as far as we've seen all access to the Dor on the Physical Realm results in a glow:

Quote

Ch 60
The Dakhor raised their hands, and the men on either side of Hrathen placed a hand on his shoulder. His heart began to pound as the monks began to glow, the bone inscriptions beneath their skin shining. There was a jarring sensation, and Kae vanished around them.

They reappeared in an unfamiliar city.

Ch 61
Lukel couldn’t be certain, but he thought he saw something else—a slight glow following Shuden’s movements in the dawn shadows.

Ch 62
 He smiled at Dilaf’s surprise, remembering how easily the princess had defeated his own skills. Her weapon was thicker than a syre, but she still handled it with remarkable proficiency.

Dilaf, however, was no ordinary man. The bone patterns beneath his skin started glowing as he blocked Sarene’s attack, and his body began to move even more quickly.

---

The sword bit deeply into Hrathen’s flesh, but the gyorn didn’t even grunt. Instead he tightened his grip on Dilaf’s neck, and the little monk gasped, dropping his sword in pain.

Hrathen’s arm began to glow.

Ch 63
The bone, retrieved from the body of a dead Fjordell monk, was deformed and twisted—yet it was more beautiful than disgusting. It was like a carved piece of ivory, or a bundle of engraved wooden rods all twisted together. Most disturbingly, Raoden swore he could make out familiar symbols in the carving. Symbols he recognized from his schooling—ancient Fjordell characters.

The Derethi monks had devised their own version of AonDor.

Forgery and Bloodsealing don't appear to show the same effect; probably because the stamp is the only part in the Physical Realm, and the Dor is directed to affect the Spiritweb instead.

[cometaryorbit]

On 5/4/2022 at 6:08 AM, Treamayne said:

Forgery and Bloodsealing don't appear to show the same effect; probably because the stamp is the only part in the Physical Realm, and the Dor is directed to affect the Spiritweb instead.

Interestingly, while it's not a glow exactly, soulstamping living things (but not objects) makes red smoke - per WoB this is the same "corrupted Investiture" red, since it's foreign Investiture messing with the soul.

[Kendelian he/him]

On 4/4/2021 at 8:12 AM, Valigus said:

I suppose that makes sense but the whole deal with the glowing bones just seemed so weird and almsot like soemthing that shouldn’t happen especially since it enabled him to easily overpower a full body dakhor monk while nearly dead.

So, my theory as to why the Dakhor Monks’ bones glow is because they can channel Dor in a different but similar fashion to the Aons. We read in one of the last chapters that the bone bit they got from one of the Dakhor was weirdly shaped, so maybe the shape of the bone gives them their power.

[alder24]

41 minutes ago, Kendelian said:

So, my theory as to why the Dakhor Monks’ bones glow is because they can channel Dor in a different but similar fashion to the Aons. We read in one of the last chapters that the bone bit they got from one of the Dakhor was weirdly shaped, so maybe the shape of the bone gives them their power.

I think it's something like that as well, WoBs:

Spoiler

mistlepro

my question was Aona/Skai Shards shattering the event we saw the aftermath of in Elantris? Or a further final apocalypse?

Brandon Sanderson

The events in Elantris happened many years before The Way of Kings. That’s all I’ve said for now.

mistlepro

But I thought the monks of Dakhor and the ChayShin(?) were all AonDor related? The energy familiars are related to Skai?

Brandon Sanderson

What the Dakhor did accessed the Dor, but it was not AonDor—they weren’t using Aons, but different symbols.

General Twitter 2011 (Jan. 5, 2011)

 

Spoiler

Questioner

Let's say a Bloodsealer got his hands on a Dakhor monk's bones. Could it still access the Dor. *Inaudible* Could they even be reanimated, and could they still be useful?

Brandon Sanderson

That's a really good question. So the bones are a conduit, much like Allomantic metal is. Allomantic metals are pretty easy to affect Investitures. I would say getting a-hold of a Dakhor monk's bones, likely, would work. Likely, they're not going to resist too much. But, I'm going to say harder to access the magic than you'd think, but easier than with regular bones.

So I'm going to give you a yes.

Legion Release Party (Sept. 19, 2018)

 

[AFdooda]

I love the way this thread keeps being revived.

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!

[Argenti he/him]

JUST LIKE A BLOOD SEALER'S PETS