#witchlands theories

[gilded-moon]

It just occurred to me that no one knows that Aeduan is the son of the raider king except Corlant, Leopold, and Iseult. On one hand that could be really funny if there’s a whole ass fight against Ragnor and Aeduan just goes “oh yeah he’s my dad.” Imagine the chaos. On the other hand that could end very badly because everyone else will think Aeduan is a spy for his father and plans to betray them or made Iseult fall in love with him so he could easily get her to his father (no one knows that Aeduan can’t smell her blood except the two of them).

Any thoughts?

[wildbeautifuldreamer]

Witchlands Theories

Okay major major spoilers for anyone who isn’t caught up.

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I don’t know if it clicked with anyone else or if I was the only one waaaay behind on this,

“On the right stood Lady Baile, patron saint of change, seasons, and crossroads. Noden’s right hand they called her, and the lamp’s fire shimmered across golden wheat in her left hand, a silver trout in right. Her skin was painted like a night sky, black with pinpricks of white, while the fox-shaped mask across her face shone blue.” - Windwitch p. 38

“Bastien said as we went around the table with our various updates. For once, he had removed the mask he always wore... the Six took their leave. All except Lady Baile....She glanced toward the door, where I noticed a masked figure waited in the tunnel outside. ‘Sometimes we fall in love with those who have been beside us all along.’ Ah. So my suspicions regarding those two Paladins were true.” - Sightwitch pp. 128 - 130

“The patron saint of justice, of vengeance, of rage. The Fury.... Bald, scarred, and hulking, the saint of all things broken bore only the name of his true nature. His one calling. He brought justice to the wronged and punishment to the wicked, while Lady Baile was as beautiful as life itself, the Fury was more grotesque than even the Hagfishes...” - Windwitch pp. 38 & 39

Okay great, so now if everyone realized it, cool. But can I just fangirl the heck out right now? Lady Baile the Saint and Lady Baile the Paladin are the same person. 

She who is Noden’s right hand, and her lover, Bastien is the left. To prove that I give you this:

“Back when I had a different name. Back before I became the saint you call the Fury.”... Kullen smiled. A heartbreaking familiar smile. “Hello, old friend,” he said. “Have you missed me?” - Windwitch pp. 296 &297

Kullen laughed. “Yet only in death, could they understand life. And only in life, will they change the world.” He tapped his head, that unnatural grin spreading all the wider. A smile that didn’t reach his dead, dead eyes. “The Fury’s memories were always here, Merik. I just had to die to unlock them.”...”I made this city, and so I will destroy it too.”....”Your sister might think she has won, but I will simply break the dam on my own. This city will be returned to its rightful ruler one way or another.” - Windwitch pp.336 & 337

I am SCREECHING. Okay. Now that I’ve got that out of the way. What in the blooming piss-pies. So Kullen was Bastien as a Paladin in his past life. At least that’s what I’m getting. 

I’ve been going rounds and rounds in my head. Was it the Rook King that betrayed them? That was what I was betting on. It seemed like it when Lisbet was trying to convince them to go into the cave:

The Rook King--the one to whom I had given the Paladin-blade for safekeeping--was nowhere in sight....”We can hide in the tomb, but once this battle is over, we will leave.” “But it won’t end. He’s betrayed them all, don’t you see?... Tell her, Da...” ...”I cannot abandon my king.” “Yet you can abandon me? And the girls?” His eyes averted. “No. I...” Then he wilted into me, his forehead resting against mine. “We cannot walk away from this, Dysi. Someone betrayed us.” - Sightwitch pp. 217 -219

So that’s what I thought made it clear that the Rook King betrayed everyone--Side note, did he turn into The Rook? It would make sense why he wanted so badly to save Kullen than. Anyway, that’s my side theory that the Paladins are tied to the origin wells and the animals. However this is going to be another post-- or was it another Paladin? Then the whole thing with Bastien/Kullen. This doesn’t make things any easier. What role does Bastien play in this? At least we know why he’s depicted as, erm, haunting as he is. 

“The Six were losing... while fire engulfed Bastien. Baile was pined by swords to the wall...” - Sightwitch p. 218

Did he somehow survive the ravaging long enough that he then went out to unleash his fury on the world? On the other Paladins? 

“Six turned on six and made themselves kings, One turned on five, and stole everything.” - Sightwitch p. 165

“The Paladins we locked away will one day walk among us. Vengeance will be theirs, in a fury unchecked, for their power was never ours to claim. Yet only in death, could they understand life. And only in life, will they change the world.” - Sightwitch p. 211 

Well Kullen/Bastien certainly has a fury unchecked as he runs around talking about the city that he built and how it’s his to control. Which then makes me question which six turned on six? Who were the Exalted ones? I was so sure that it was Bastien who Kullen is, but it almost makes me wonder that if the two Wind Paladins are tied together somehow. Or I’m overthinking things like normal.  I know we haven’t gotten to hear more about the other Paladins, Rhian, Midne, Saria. I’m mostly intrigued by Baile, Bastien, and the Rook King (also why in the blazes doesn’t he get his own name? Especially when his name is King...) yet again which six turned on six? Which one stole everything? I know in one of the drawings Ryber is wondering if Kullen was the Paladin to turn on everyone (Sightwtich, p. 227).

However, I’m wondering if we were looking at this wrong. What if the Rook King had always been playing two sides to confuse the Exalted Ones, and he was supposed to betray the Six who were making the underground cities, and he did, but he also betrayed those who were supposed to kill the Paladins forever by taking the sword away, hence “stole everything?” So instead they trapped those Paladins in the mountain of Simraya 

Going back to the Paladins of the same element might be tied, why to the Nubrevnans is Lady Baile whom everyone loves and adores the same woman who Baile’s Slaughter is sacrificed to?

“Three rules has she,” Kahinga sang, shuffling her cards, “Our Lady of the Seas. No whistlings when a storm’s in sight. Six-fingered cats will ward off mice. And always, always stay the night for Baile’s Slaughter Ring.” - Windwitch, p. 220

ALSO are the other rules important? I feel like they might be. Just like how each Sightwitch Sister rule was important in a way that we weren’t expecting. 

Anyways it’s late here. I’ve spent far too  much time on this post. Remind me that I need to do another on Magic/the Paladins/Cleaving next. 

I’d love to hear thoughts, view points, etc. 

@whydoyoucareaboutmyusername @youlovemeade @write-the-stars 

And as always this world and all the quotes belong to @stdennard who makes my creative brain think, go into overdrive, and shut down. 

[witchlcnds]

SIRMAYA IS CLEAVING. THIS IS WHAT THE CAHR AWEN IS FOR. THEY CAN SAVE THE WELLS AND THE CLEAVED.

[unidentifiedblackthorn]

i’m just gonna post every theory i have from now on. reading about vaness and leopold interaction and i’m thinking....did the sea foxes awaken bc the paladins are back? bc the cahr awen is back? polly is so shocked that vaness claims her ship was attacked by sea foxes and is so convinced they’re not real.....they definitely woke up bc of the paladins OR the cahr awen

[thevoidwell]

Oh my god wait so if Leopold is really a Paladin - and since we know the blade and glass were created "to reveal their past lives, and then to kill them" - and if Owl immediately has a weird connection with Leopold after meeting him...might that explain her obsession with wanting to poke him with a knife in Tirla?

[aetherbitch]

Random thought I just had-

Ragnar wants to kill the sleeping goddess and Esme has the ability cleave Origin Wells, which are said to be the sources of magic..

So now I’m thinking Ragnar’s end goal is to get rid of magic and witcheries all together. He wants to dismantle empires (which use magic to subjugate and control the population) and he was around when the exulted ones declared themselves gods. It would make sense for him to hate magic and blame it for most of his problems.

[lseultdetmidenzi]

send me ur thoughts on the witchlands!! i wanna discuss 🥺👉👈

[orynthslibrarian-blog]

Crackpot Witchlands Theories

Bloodwitch spoilers (actually spoilers for the whole series really) follow under the line so read at my crackpot theories at your own risk :) AND LEMME KNOW WHAT Y’ALL THINK. I really and truly need to procrastinate studying for finals right now so interaction really welcomed <3

I’m rereading the series after reading Bloodwitch, and I’m trying to wrap my head around how the hell the Cahr Awen fit into the world of the Paladins. So first, I’m going to set out the relevant facts from the books.

Here’s what we know about the Cahr Awen:

Every single pair has been an Aetherwitch and a Voidwitch

They’re the only ones (as far as we know) who can reach the center of the Origin Wells

There’s an estimate of 60 pairs, but only Memory Records for 40 pairs

The last pair was about 600 years prior to the present day of the story

The Carawen monks were created to protect, defend, and support the Cahr Awen. Their symbol is... “the rook and tree”!

Here’s some of what we know about the Paladins:

The Paladins were very much alive and in power 1000 years prior to the present day (re: the timeline in Sightwitch)

They’re reincarnated, and there’s a strong inference that each reincarnation remembers their past lives, and has access to their past lives. Something about that fight changed the nature of how magic works in the Witchlands (since the reincarnated Paladins don’t remember their lives, and since that’s when the Wells sprung)

The element Paladins have full control of their respective element. I’m going to go ahead and write out who in the present day has been confirmed and who most likely is a Paladin.

Kullen (Air) who was Bastien/The Fury and is confirmed

Stix (Water) who is confirmed and was most likely Baile based on her connection to the under-city & the weird moment with Baile’s eyes

Dirdra/Owl (Earth) who is not confirmed, but we can make a very strong inference she is one as well based on her sudden knowledge of the doors which also suggests she was Saria who helped Eridysi with the doors

We don’t know what power the Rook King had, but I’m about to go into that in my theories. We just know that he’s one of the 6 rebel Paladins. And he has a pet Rook. And he was able to interact with Iseult.

OK THEORY TIME:

The Cahr Awen were two of the Paladins - there’s no way for the timelines to work out otherwise. That wasn’t all that clear to me until...

The Rook King was the Voidwitch half of the Cahr Awen.

His pet Rook has been making himself available to numerous characters (Ryber, Aeduan, & Safi) but the Rook King himself only ever showed up in Iseult’s dreams. If Paladins can access their past lives, then it’s reasonable to assume that Iseult’s past life was the Rook King, who is a confirmed Paladin. And Iseult’s power comes from the Void. I realize it hasn’t actually been confirmed yet, but we can very much assume that at least Iseult is 1/2 of the legendary pair.

Also the fact that the symbol of the Carawen monastery includes a “rook” which I highly doubt is a coincidence. The Rook King most likely established the Carawens himself - him and whoever stands for the “tree” bit.

The Rook King was probably the Paladin who “betrayed” the others. He’s notably missing in Eridysi’s journal entry. His Aetherwitch half was probably one of the Exalted Ones. And b/c they’re a pair, his half was able to convince him or use him somehow to get the information about the Rebel Paladins. And the two set up the Carawens not to support the Cahr Awen, but to protect future reincarnations from the vengeance of the awake rebel Paladins.

Habim, Matthew, and Eron are “awake” Paladins: Habim (fire), Matthew (aether), and we don’t know about Eron. Actually, Eron’s a weird situation. He used to have some sort of witchery, and then he became a Hell-Bard so he’s technically dead, and therefore, no longer a Paladin. But I’d venture a guess these three guys “woke up”, are heavily invested in Safi because they can sense she’s the Aetherwitch of the Cahr Awen. And if my theory about the Aetherwitch half being an Exalted One is correct, then this would all work together because those three are also Exalted ones. Their super schemes to take down the empires is to take back their own land and power. Would also explain why they randomly visited the Sightwitch convent - to find the hidden doorways, duh!

Also these people as other Paladins:

There’s also a strong inference that Noden - the Nubrevnan God - is a Paladin since the temple in Lovats has him standing between Lady Baile and The Fury, two confirmed Paladins. We just don’t know what his particular power and/or present-day identity is.

Corlant (Void) who Aeduan knows to have grown up with Ragnor since they’re both from the same tribe. Grown up with - not just from the same tribe. Ragnor was very much an adult and not with his tribe when he entered into the sleeping ice. Corlant is referencing his past life who knew Ragnor, not the current one.

This is less a theory and more or less confirmed in Sightwitch but wasn’t explicitly clear: Something is happening to Sirmaya (the source of all Witchlands magic) - presumably, Esme’s Cleaving is corrupting the magic somehow resulting in dead wells. The Cahr Awen can heal wells... they can probably heal Sirmaya as well.

[artemiswanderer]

hey i read an excerpt from bloodwitch and aeduan called his mom "dysi" so um ur theory is probably spot on

HOLY SHIT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

Bloodwitch needs to hurry up and come out now I need to read it omg I’m so excited

[youlovemeade]

Safi: When have I done anything rash or irresponsible?

Iseult: I keep a list. It's alphabetized.

[lsjostrom-blog]

Iseult: Corlant, when shall you tell me that you are my father?

Corlant: Like Darth Vader, I would have to cut off your hand first!

Iseult: I pass!

[gilded-moon]

Hold up for a hot minute. From Susan’s sneak peaks we know that Safi becomes a hell bard.

In windwitch, Caden tells Safi that the hell bards are already dead.

Does. Does this mean that Safi is dead (technically).

[safifonhasstrel]

Witchlands Theory

So, I’ve been debating whether or not I should share my theory I have had since reading Truthwitch, but here we go.

My theory is about who might be that mysterious person Aeduan keeps sensing, that appears and disappears throughout the books. To me it was quite clear who it could be, but I could be wrong, so let me know your thoughts.

Here we go: I think that this mysterious person might be Safi’s uncle Eron. Why? Well, we learn that he is a supposed alcoholic, always smelling like barrel of alcohol, and smelling like NOTHING BUT alcohol. Later on we find out that all of this was just an act. He wanted everyone to believe that he was a useless alcoholic, so he could plan Safi’s escape, and no one would suspect him. Because he never smells like anything but alcohol, Aeduan can’t make out his true Bloodscent. That’s even mentioned in one of Aeduan’s chapters in Truthwitch.  But every now and then, and I have no explanation for that, Eron must walk around without his disguise alcohol scent on, and that’s when Aeduan senses him. Why exactly Eron keeps appearing every now and then so Aeduan senses him, I am not sure. Maybe he could be making arrangements to help Safi in some kind? Oh and you ask how he can appear and disappear so quickly? Now that might be a little bit of stretch, but he could totally be an Earthwitch, using some kind of underground tunnels he creates to travel.  And let’s not forget that the Earthwell is near the Hastrell estate. I am not sure if and how his powers could be in any way be connected to the well, but feel free to add anything.

[sxfik]

Im really bored too. So I’m going to try to think of something to ask u but idk what to askkk. I lowkey want aeduan and merik to hit it off and become unexpected best friends and also I’m like dying to know more about aeduans mom like she’s casually mentioned here and there and it’s so mysterious?? Also idk why but I imagine esme to be like 4 feet tall lol. (Wow I’m really bad at making convo sorry u had to read this with ur own two eyes).

lolol i actually really think merik and aeduan will hit it off. and i really want them to be the kind of friends where it’s just like

aeduan: so you like safi?

merik: yeah. you like iseult?

aeduan: yeah

honestly i’m so hear for it. I can’t wait for Safi to meet aeduan either holy carp i can’t wait for her to beat isuelt with a stick for trusting him and then pretty much shipping them from then onwards. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT AEDUAN AND I CAN;T WAIT FOR BLOODWITCH. I always imagined esme as the smol angry child. i also feel vivia is a smol (sad) angry child and stix is basically keeping her in check. Also you have no idea how happy i was to see this honestly this is better than me attempting to talk to people bc trust me it goes horrible)

ps sorry if none of this made any sense i’m pretty much out of my mind right now

[unidentifiedblackthorn]

listen...I MAY BE REACHING BUT HEAR ME OUT. what if...what if Owl is Iseult’s little sister? HEAR ME OUT. we know iseult left the tribe 6 and a half years ago, basically forced by Gretchya. in Bloodwitch iseult and aeduan are talking and they mention that Owl’s 6 years old. what if....what if Gretchya was so frantic to get iseult out of the tribe, not because Iseult couldn’t make Threadstones, but bc she was pregnant (maybe she even knows iseult is a weaverwitch?) and she sent iseult away before iseult could notice it, while also trying to protect her. what if the Threadwitch Ryber saw in the Sorrow, trying to leave Dirdra (who is Owl, she literally made a tower of rocks that was way taller than her, remained balanced, and didn’t fall when she knocked into it) was actually Gretchya, frantic to get Owl away bc she knew people would want to hunt her. and i hope this isn’t true but...what if Corlant managed to get through Gretchya’s locks.

THIS IS ALL JUST A THEORY. JUST ME LOSING MY MIND. but i don’t believe in coincidences within Susan’s books, and while she left many clues that Dirdra was Owl with her stacking the rocks, it begs to question WHO was the Threadwitch that was trying to leave her. maybe it’s an entirely new character, the one that smells of frozen lakes, or MAYBE it could be Gretchya. it would also be really cool because Owl is constantly referred as Moon Mother’s little sister, and that would mean that Iseult, with her new Void magic, would be Moon Mother. maybe this isn’t true, but i am also 100% convinced that Gretchya knows something, and will be heavily featured in the next books. i’m also convinced Owl is a Paladin, but that’s a theory for another night.

[thevoidwell]

Aeduan was dead at the end of Bloodwitch, and the Aether Well brought him back to life.  The Hell-Bards are technically dead, but the noose keeps them in their half-life so they can hunt heretics and protect the emperor.

Theoretically, could a fully active and awake Origin Well bring a Hell-Bard back to life, as long as they had their noose off while they did it?  Someone would probably have to go in with them because taking off the noose would make them start to die, but they’d probably get to the bottom in time.  Thoughts?