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the kingkiller chronicle - Why is Kvothe so weak in the present time? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange
Main Post: the kingkiller chronicle - Why is Kvothe so weak in the present time? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange
Proper pronunciation of Kvothe from Kingkiller Chronicles? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange
Main Post: Proper pronunciation of Kvothe from Kingkiller Chronicles? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange
The Innkeeper isn’t Kvothe : KingkillerChronicle
Main Post: The Innkeeper isn’t Kvothe : KingkillerChronicle
why does Kvothe eat cold food? : KingkillerChronicle
Main Post: why does Kvothe eat cold food? : KingkillerChronicle
Kvothe - Fae (SPOILERS ALL) : KingkillerChronicle
Main Post: Kvothe - Fae (SPOILERS ALL) : KingkillerChronicle
Review: "The House Witch" by Delemhach - 4.5/5 Chef Kvothe Would Yeet Me from His Home Again
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Imagine if Kvothe decided he didn't want to be a bartender, but a cook in a castle after his adventures. Chef Kvothe also didn't have nearly as much backstory as Kvothe, but enough to render a biography as long as at LEAST one day. Wind is not Chef Kvothe's thing, but that of a house witch (which basically means his magic revolves on making his home comfy and also he can yeet people from his home with magic). Top that off, he's only 50% as awkward with the ladies unlike Kvothe (who is 100% awkward lol)
When I first picked up this book on KU, I didn't read the blurb. I was just drawn in by that cozy cover and dove straight into it.I also want to note, I'm used to reading books within 4-5 days and well...this one took me 3 weeks.
Why?This is one of those books that will force you to take it slow and not consume it all in one sitting. It took me many hours to even get to the 50% mark. Mostly because I wanted to make a cup of tea and relax with my thoughts on what I read up until now. It forces you to think and enjoy the ambiance of the book. I don't know if Delemhach did this on purpose, but it works in this book.They made me laugh, shocked, curse, scream "no, no, no", and nearly cried at the end. I never cry at romance pairings for any book but...this is a first. (Maybe cause I'm also in an interracial relationship and saw myself in this book)I want to compare this book a bit to Percy Jackson, mainly because, while the events in the book aren't earth-shatteringly shocking, deep, and sometimes don't seem connected, it's enough to be a guilty pleasure equivalent of watching a Netflix show that everyone trashes on, but you love deep down.
Like all books, it has some pitfalls. Mainly how Kraken is acquired, the writing style can be predictable when events happen, and the mention of bulgogi threw me for a loop that (makes sense now) made me drop the book for a few seconds to comprehend that Korean food was mentioned lol
This book was so close to 5 stars but earns a rare 4.5/5 for me. I still had a blast reading it and highly recommend anyone who loves cozy fantasies to read this book! "House Witch" is a perfect November read. If you loved "Legends & Lattes" but wanted a bit more conflict and things going on, this should be your next read!
Link to review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5034158758?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Top Comment:
Oh wow that looks perfect for me, I’ve always liked the retired adventurer gets a regular job trope.
[Unpopular Opinion] Kvothe is the king of neckbeard, incel, not-like-other-guys cringe.
Main Post: [Unpopular Opinion] Kvothe is the king of neckbeard, incel, not-like-other-guys cringe.
Top Comment: Consider for a moment that Rothfuss is not writing Kvothe how Rothfuss sees him, but he is writing to help us see Kvothe as Kvothe sees himself and to make us aware that how Kvothe sees himself might not be accurate. Keep in mind that Kvothe is a tween and young teen during the bulk of the story. I can’t make generalizations about how teenage boys see themselves, but I’d doubt they see themselves with much clarity. *edited for typos
Kvothe is a bloody idiot.
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Kvothe is the world’s biggest idiot. Like his stupidity is absolutely galling sometimes. I’d have to actually go through and notate various examples, but rereading wise man’s fear, and somethings stuck out to me.
-When investigating the Loeclos box, Maer Alveron asks him if he knows any such magic to exist that could open it, and he thinks “no such magic exists outside of faerie stories.”.... After just laying with Felurian for two years, after learning that Names used to be able to create worlds, seeing Elodin dissolve solid wall to sand, knowing the Seven exist and are real. Yet he still acts like nothing magical exists in the world.
-Arguing with Dennna, somehow forgets to mention he convinced her before that the Seven exist, and thinks she’d laugh at him now for the same thing?
-He just learned a story about a very special box that holds rhe name of the moon, then gets handed a very special box that he senses wants to be opened. Also doesn’t even think of Naming being a way to open it at all. -Doesn’t ask Felurian about the Sithe, “singers” or Amir origins.
Thats all for now but if I think of more examples, will add them.
Top Comment: ”One of the masters at the University once told me that there were seven words that would make a woman love you." I made a deliberately casual shrug. "I was just wondering what they were." ... She took a drink of wine. "Anyway, you shouldn't bother wondering. You spoke them to me when first we met. You said, I was just wondering why you're here." She made a flippant gesture. "From that moment I was yours." Denna: I fell in love with you when we first met. Kvothe for the next two Books: how can I ask her out if I don’t even know if she likes me?
(Spoilers All) Kvothe is the best liar in modern fiction.
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Its been a long time since I have posted something meaningful here. Ages, really. Exactly as long as it is has been since my last reread of the series. And, I am reading the books differently this time than any time I have read them before. In short, I am not reading them for pleasure. I am reading them as if I was an author writing as story. (Which is something I have done. And published. I will provide links if necessary, but it is actually important that some credence be given to my knowledge of the theory of writing, not just my ability to read things with a critical eye.)
Kvothe proves, time and again the the story being told, that he is an excellent liar. He can quickly spin a believable story and is, honestly, only rarely called on his falsehoods. (Interestingly, he is called on being a liar primarily by the same few people over and over again.) That said, Kvothe is called out as being a liar often when he tells a lie often enough that my above statement/title of the post might seem a little bit overstated.
It is not overstatement.
In short, Kvothe is good at telling lies, but he is even better at leaving out the truth. He is the grandmaster of the lie of omission. He frequently, across both books, tells people something that is believable, but openly admits is only a part of a larger truth. Even better, he frequently does that to the reader/Chronicler/Bast. And I have receipts.
- The Bloc of Drossen Tor. Kvothe frequently brags about the epic quality of his memory. He proves it, more than once, by recalling small details, factoids, etc with an almost arcane accuracy. Even better, he emphasizes quite profoundly that he awakens (to use his words) due to hearing the stories from Skarpi. A story that heavily features the Bloc of Drossen Tor. It is a throw away name in many ways. A battle referenced in a story about a person who is nearly as mythologized as the literal God (Tehlu) of Temerant. From a writing perspective, the name doesn't actually matter other than the fact that it is catchy. Specifically using a different name for battle (Bloc) ensures that it sticks in the memory of the reader. Which makes it real damn funny that Kvothe brushes past when that same battle is mentioned during the atas of Caesura. (Yes, Caesura, not Saicere.) In fact, he specifically draws attention away from the name while purposefully including it. From a storytelling perspective, it would be easy to intentionally leave it out, but the point is to include it so that readers will catch it. Interestingly, Chronicler and Bast don't.
- Rhintae/Rhinta/Rhinata/Rhinna***.*** I find these words fascinating. Over the course of the story all of them are mentioned. Interestingly, in spite of seeming to appear in multiple different languages (at least two of which are different types of Fae) the appear to roughly share a meaning. I made a post ages ago in which I posited that 'rhin' meant 'man'. I don't disagree with that, but I am fairly certain that I screwed that pooch on the rest of the larger phrase that Rhinata is attached to. I think this because of how they are used. You see, the Adem call the Fae 'Rhinta'. Which is explained as 'things with the shape of men'. Its fascinating, then, when compared with the other instances in which is it used. Kvothes brings up several, but never actually links them. He is even (again) called rhintae in the frame, but neither Chronicler or Bast notice it being preoccupied with not dying and all.
- The Song of Seven Sorrows. This one is, perhaps, the easiest example of Kvothe being a master of omission. Eight lines. One of the few stories or Lanre, Lyra, and Selitos that is told in the entire story. And we get eight lines. Even Skarpi's story about the creation of angels gave the reader more than eight lines. Wildly more than eight lines. In fact, every other version of any story talking about the Creation War (or the people contemporary to it) gives us more than Denna's song. Even Arliden's song gives us eleven lines. There are so few reasons to exclude something like that. So few. If Kvothe is being honest, leaving out the song when it has been heard by 'most folk' seems odd. Unless he doesn't want to draw attention to specific turns of phrase or specific names. (I will admit, either is possible.) Either way, it is a lie of omission. Perhaps more importantly though, it is the second time that Pat is using Kvothe to lie to readers through omission about something big. Why is this song, different from every other telling of the story Kvothe has heard thus far, excluded?
- His abilities. Kvothe still, clearly, possesses more or less the full scope of his very impressive powers. He breaks a glass bottle using a cloth as a link with nothing the strength of his hand. (Interestingly, it is strawberry wine that he breaks. A fascinating connection to Denna). He uses the Ketan against the mercenaries working for Bast. He, somehow, defeats half a dozen scrael. The ONLY consistent detail with his use of obviously exceptional abilities and skill worth mentioning is that he makes it appear that he is somehow disabled. When he has an audience, his abilities seem to flare up briefly, but then vanish. A man who couldn't stop a single, apparently dumb, skin-dancer somehow beats a squad of scrael? Really? A man who loses to 2 mercenaries beats more than twice that number of scrael? Really? One scrael overwhelms Chronicler so quickly that he doesn't even manage to injure it, but 5v1 Kvothe wins out with injuries that ultimately appear to be superficial? (Yes. Superficial. He's more or less fine the next day. Showing literally no signs of being covered in a couple yards of stitches.)
- Skarpi. Skarpi points out that you need to lie to tell a story the proper way. 'You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.' I mean, sure, Skarpi says it, but Kvothe acknowledges that his father agrees. Which is more or less the same as saying that Kvothe agrees because damn near all of his meaningful skills as an actor/musician/storyteller are clearly inspired most pointedly by his father. Even better, Skarpi isn't saying that telling blatant lies is necessary to tell a story well. He is saying that leaving out unnecessary facts is needed to 'tell a story the right way'. Its facts and honesty that are the problem. So, you leave out things that are unneeded. This is, honestly, as close as Rothfuss could come to saying that he is leaving things out purposefully to make the story better. And, part of a good story is mystery. So, of course since the Kingkiller Chronicle is a story within a story details that would spoil things ought to be left out and Kvothe would be the one doing that even if it appeared to be someone else. No one speaks a word in the story proper if Kvothe doesn't see a reason to add it to the story he is telling Chronicler. This matters because very early on the conceit is established (and accepted by the storyteller) that to tell a true story the right way, you must lie. Especially by omission.
- The Trial. The first story that Chronicler heard, including how Kvothe learned 'most' of Tema in a day and a half. Which is appropriate, I suppose, that Kvothe (and therefore Rothfuss) uses around a page and a half to explain the whole of the trial. More words are used to describe the arrest and the fallout than the trial itself by long miles, and (even better) when Chronicler tries to wheedle the story out of Kvothe... Well, to say that Kvothe punishes Chronicler would be an understatement.
- Dragons/Chronicler's Punishment. In the first book, Kvothe more or less proves that neither Bast nor Chronicler will contradict him by declaring that there was a dragon. He even makes a point of it. Calling out how Chronicler, of all people, ought to contradict him being the man who literally wrote the book on how a draccus isn't a dragon. Chronicler points out that his desperation to have the story means he absolutely plans to ignore issues like that. In his words, 'if you say its a dragon, its a dragon'. Then, when Chronicler tries to get more story from Kvothe, Kvothe not only doesn't yield, but he punishes Chronicler by starting a myth about him. Kvothe isn't just telling lies of omission, but he has proven that he is willing to defend them.
All of this matters because it means a few important things. First, readers are missing information. How much information is difficult to say. It might be enough that it is impossible to say for sure what would happen in Book 3 without wild speculation. It might be so little that everything is staring us in the face.
Second, it means that Kvothe is a completely unreliable narrator if you are wanting a Silmarillion like accounting of the facts, but he is probably a very reliable narrator if you want a good story that is generally true, if missing pieces.
Third, it means that Kvothe isn't properly human, and quite possibly never was. His eyes are the best proof of this. The changing color and all that. (We've never seen a human character have eyes that seem to change like that, but boy do we see fae that show so pretty similar abilities.) This would also explain why Kvothe is 'rhintae' to quote the skindancer. Something 'man shaped, but not a man' in the words of the Adem.
Fourth, and most importantly, it makes me suspect that Kvothe is waiting to die, but is incapable of dying. Like Lanre, I believe that the door of death could likely be little more than a doorway to his power.
Top Comment:
I think Locke Lammora could give him a run for his money.
"Kvothe is a Mary Sue"
Main Post:
Just saw this opinion in a comment on an r/Fantasy post. I see it quite regularly and it bugs me so much. So I thought I'd codify why and see if anyone else agrees/disagrees.
Hypothesis: Kvothe is no Mary Sue. He is no more Mary Sue than Harry Potter or Frodo is, or I am.
Lets look at an actual Mary Sue, that most people can agree on: Rey from the new Star Wars movies. She does everything she attempts with no effort, instantly understands and develops new skills by instinct that others take years to practice, she succeeds at everything she tries, and is ultimately victorious with little to no effort. Or another one: Captain Marvel from the MCU. Again, gains her powers by just kinda being around, becomes an instant god killer, succeeds without too much hassle, and then has to be left out of most of the final two Avengers films because the writers realised she would instantly nuke anyone who stepped to her.
Kvothe may seem like that on the surface: great at everything he attempts and super smart, instantly impresses people wherever he goes, great lover straight out the box (blegh), and gets into the University despite everything going against him. BUT: he fails at everything, to varying degrees. There's almost nothing you can point to in that series where he outright succeeds with no failure or complication, and quite a few where he fucks it so badly, shit is irreperably damaged. And he does so while being (deliberately on the part of Rothfuss I think) extremely arrogant and infuriating to most around him. He loses everything he has, fights for more, comes so close, then shoots himself in the foot to lose most of it, then rinse and repeat. He thinks himself super clever and smart, but misses so many obvious points/hints/clues to the things he's searching for. His arrogance puts him at odds with most people who he really shouldn't be (and some who he maybe ethically should be but if he was actually smart, he wouldn't be). He looks down at everyone around him, which in the case of Ambrose may or may not be morally right (I'd personally argue he shouldn't look down on anyone, regardless of how much of a fuckwaffle they are), but isn't a great thing to voice and act on if he wants to get ahead. And moreover, he himself in the setting story claims this is a tragedy: he will lose at the end of it. Whether that is lose Denna, or Sim, or himself, or just lose his conflict with the Chandrian or whoever the BBEG turns out to be.
In conclusion (and TLDR): his inherent flaws as a character are not that he is small and unable to fight particularly well (and I guess easily misled by small goblin things with a nasty obsession with rings), or that he is a subpar wizard with a bit of magic Hitler living in his head. His flaws that hold him back are not physical or ability based, but the much more human and realistic traits: his own stubbornness, arrogance, inability to leave well enough alone, and ultimately his superiority complex.
Thoughts?
Top Comment:
I cringe whenever I re-read the series in certain spots.
His idiocy with the fire in the archives.
The feude with Ambrose started and continued mostly because of himself.
Reckless abandoment of safety on his quest for power.
Drugging the massive draccus thinking it would die. Loosing all the potential profit and causing it to rampage.
His problem with the chandrian that he tells no one about. Doesn't know to ask for help from elodin who would easily believe him since he knows about names and the fae.
Terrible about showing his true feelings with Denna. The list goes on.
How Old is Kvothe, Really? . . . Bast? Chronicler? An Analysis of Time in Temerant. . . (I did the math) . . :)
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Kote speaks as if he is very, very, very old. . . Let's figure out how old he really could be!
This post will cover the following:
- Book references about Kvothe's age and the time that has passed since his time at the University
- Temerant's Calendar and Time Measurements
- Comparison's Between Mortal-Time and Fae-Time
- I will define what I have come to call the Fae/Mortal Time Coefficient and TOTAL-AGE
- Discussion
- We'll discuss Kvothe's maximum potential age
- We'll discuss how much time Kvothe could have potentially spent in the Fae realm
- We'll analyze Bast's age?
- We'll calculate some fun numbers that raise more questions than answers
- We'll see what these calculations could mean in the bigger picture of the Chronicle
Call Keth-Selhan, feed him a carrot, saddle up, and let's get started!!!
References to KVOTHE'S AGE from the Books:
- Kvothe gains admittance to the University at the young age of 15
- Not the youngest in history, like Elodin who was only 14, but still pretty damn young
- Chronicler says, "I thought you would be older." Kote responds by saying, "I am." . . . and Chronicler looked puzzled. - Chapter-6 NOTW
- Kvothe shows no reluctance to admit that he is much older than he appears
- "'It's not over if you're still here,' Chronicler said. 'It's not a tragedy if you're still alive.' . . . Kvothe looked at both of them for a moment, then smiled and chuckled low in his chest. 'Oh,' he said fondly. 'You're both so young.'" - Chapter-105 TWMF
- Kvothe implies he is much older than both Bast and Chronicler
- "He's so young, Chronicler marveled. He can't be more than twenty-five*. Why didn't I see it before? He could break me in his hands like a kindling stick. How did I ever mistake him for an innkeeper, even for a moment?"* - Chapter-13 NOTW
- For the sake of this post, let's assume the maximum, and say that Kote is 25-yrs-old. . .
This means the following:
- If Kvothe is 15-yrs-old when he begins at the university, and he is in his mid-twenties, say 25, in the frame story, then we've seen ~10-Mortal-Years elapse for Kvothe
References to the Time that has Passed Since Kvothe's "Bloody Deeds" in Imre:
- "Kote shook his head. 'It was a long time ago.' 'Not even two years,' Chronicler protested. -'and I'm not what I was,' Kote continued without pausing." - Chapter-6 NOTW
- "They reminisced that three years ago no one would have even thought of locking their doors at night, let alone barring them." - Chapter-1 NOTW
- Kote lies about "Taking an arrow to the knee in the Eld" and says it was three years ago.
- Was this a lie or the truth? Is there a reason he is referencing Cinder here?
- Regardless, this is setting the stage for a timeline . . .
Now, Let's Look at How Temerant Calculates Time:
- 1-Span = 11-Days
- Days = Luten, Shuden, Thedan, Feochen, Orden, Hepten, Chaen, Felling, Reaving, Cendling, Mourning
- The first 7-days are numbered in Temic. These were the original 7-days in a span
- The last 4-days have religious significance and were added by the Aturan empire, relating to the story of Trapis (Tehlu/Menda and Encanis)
- Felling: When Tehlu felled Encanis
- Reaving: The day Encanis is seized and chained to the iron wheel
- Cendling: The day Tehlu's followers lit the fire to burn Encanis
- Mourning: The day Tehlins mourn the death of Tehlu
- 4-Spans = 1-Month = 44-Days
- Plus, there are 7-Days of High-Mourning at the end of the year
- 1-Year = 8-Months = 359-Days
- Months = Thaw, Equis, Caitelyn, Solace, Lannis, Reaping, Fallow, Dearth
- 1-Term at the University = 2-Months = 8-Spans = 88-Days
- NOTES:
- We don't know how many hours are in a single day in Temerant, but Rothfuss has hinted that it is significantly more than 24-hours.
- Therefore, calculations regarding conversions dealing with hours will NOT be close to accurate, as they are conjecture. Nevertheless, it is safe to assume that there are at least 45-hours in a day, being that book-2 is 45-hours long and it takes place in a single day. . . and yes I know, this is a long running joke. . . but let's work with it. . .
- Aging:
- "'In stories,' Wilem said, 'boys go into Fae and return as men. That implies one grows older.'" - Pg-1057 TWMF
- We will discuss this in a minute, later in the Discussion section of this post.
- We don't know how many hours are in a single day in Temerant, but Rothfuss has hinted that it is significantly more than 24-hours.
Mortal Time vs Fae Time:
- Kvothe shows signs of aging while he is in the Fae realm with Felurian and the Cthaeh.
- He shaves a few times, but then grows his beard out when Felurian tells him she can't stand the smell of the iron on his face
- "'A year?' I thought about the wretched time I'd spent recovering from my encounter with the Cthaeh. 'I'm sure it couldn't have been more than a year . . . .'" - Pg-1057 TWMF
- Kvothe returns from the fae and goes back to meet his companions at the Pennysworth Inn, only to find out 3-Mortal-Days had passed:
- "When he ran off three-nights ago his face was smooth as a baby's ass." - Pg-776 TWMF
- Bast, a known Faen creature, is about 150-yrs-old
- We'll shelf this fact for a minute and return to it in the Discussion below
For the sake of argument, let's assume the following:
- Let's say that the time differential is linear between the mortal and the Fae
- The Fae/Mortal Time Coefficient = [119.67x]
- [1-Fae-Year] = [3-Mortal-Days]
- If we flesh this out, it means the following:
- 1-Mortal-Year = 119.67-Fae-Years
- 1-Mortal-Day = ~119.67-Fae-Days
- Et cetera
- Note: Yes, I know, the ridiculous significant figures I'm using are hilarious, but let me have my fun!
- It's been ~2-Mortal-Years since Kvothe's "King-Killing Incident" in Imre and the frame story
- This means that 240-Fae-Years have passed since Kvothe left the University
- If Kvothe is 25-yrs-old, as Chronicler predicts in the frame story, then 10-Mortal-Years have passed since Kvothe was admitted to the University:
- This means that a total of 1,200-Fae-Years could have passed between when Kvothe was admitted to the University at 15-yrs-old to the present-day at the Waystone Inn
- We'll also assume that Kvothe leaves the University at the mortal age of 16
- "I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in." - Chapter-7 NOTW
- Kvothe spent 3-Mortal Days in the Fae, while in the Maer's service, having sex with Felurian and talking to the Cthaeh
- This added one Fae-Year to Kvothe's age in those 3-Mortal-Days
- DISCLAIMER NOTE: Of course there will be a certain deviation to these numbers, but these are educated estimates to make the math easy and to stay reasonably true to the books
DISCUSSION:
Kvothe's Maximum Potential Age:
- Since Mortal-Time and Fae-Time are different, and we're assuming they are linear with respect to the recently defined Fae/Mortal Time Coefficient**,** then the following can be denoted:
- [Mortal Age] + [Fae Age] = [TOTAL-AGE] lived by the observer, in this case Kvothe
- TOTAL-AGE = The life that is experienced by the observer (person experiencing life)
- For example, In the Fae realm, Kvothe believes he lived for 1-Year, when only 3-Mortal-Days had passed. BUT, while in the Mortal world, Kvothe believes he only has lived 3-Days, when only 3-Mortal-Days have passed. . . Time is constant for the observer. . . regardless of whether they are in the Fae realm or the mortal world. . .
- TOTAL-AGE is the perceptive time that one goes through regardless of if they are in the Fae world or the mortal world. . .
- If Kvothe spent the maximum time of the 2-Mortal-Years in the Fae after he leaves the University, then Kvothe's maximum potential age = ~257-Yrs Old
- NOTE: This is by Kvothe's reckoning of time, TOTAL-AGE: [16-Mortal-Years] + [1-Fae-Year (Felurian)] + [240-Fae=Years (potential maximum)] = 257-Years-Maximum-TOTAL-AGE
How long was Kvothe in the Fae realm?
- Now, we don't know how much time Kvothe will spend in the Fae realm during the time between the end of TWMF and the beginning of the frame story; therefore, let's now assume that he spends NO TIME in the Fae realm during this time. This means Kvothe's age is:
- [16-Mortal-Yrs + 1-Fae-Yr (Felurian)] + [2-Mortal-Yrs] = 19-Years-Minimum-TOTAL-AGE
- So, [257-Yrs-Maximum-TOTAL-AGE] - [19-Yrs-Minimum-TOTAL-AGE] = 238-Potential-Fae-Yrs
- This is a large variability, so obviously it will matter greatly how much time Kvothe chooses to spend in the Fae if he is going to make statements about being SO OLD!
How Old is The Chronicler?
- First of all, Chronicler had already published a book, The Mating Habits of the Common Draccus, before Kvothe even made it to the University.
- "Kote stopped polishing the bar and looked up. 'Lochees? Are you related to Duke . . .' Kote trailed off, nodding to himself. 'Yes, of course you are. Not a chronicler, the Chronicler.' He stared hard at the balding man*, looking him up and down." -* Chapter-6 NOTW
- If the Chronicler is already balding in the frame story, then it can be safe to assume he is up in his years.
- Why am I talking about Chronicler's age?
- Because, Kvothe tells both Bast and Chronicler that they are "both so young."
- Kvothe wouldn't do this unless he considered himself older than the both of them. If Chronicler is showing characteristics of age beyond that of Kvothe, but Kvothe is saying he is older than Chronicler, then something else is going on here. . . We can deduce that Kvothe has spent some more time in the Fae realm. . . we just don't yet know how much. . .
- Because, Kvothe tells both Bast and Chronicler that they are "both so young."
Bast's Age:
- Bast is said to be over 150-yrs-old, but Kvothe specifically says "A hundred and fifty years of life." - This would imply TOTAL-AGE:
- "Chronicler, I would like you to meet Bastas, son of Remmen, Prince of Twilight and the Telwyth Mael, the brightest, which is to say the only student I've had the misfortune to teach. Glamourer, bartender, and, not last, my friend. Who over the course of a hundred and fifty years OF LIFE*, not to mention nearly two years of my personal tutelage, has managed to avoid learning a few important facts."* - Chapter-13 NOTW
- If Bast is of the Fae, then let's calculate some potential ages:
- If Bast lived 148-life-yrs in the Fae, and 2-life-yrs in the mortal realm with his Reshi, then Bast's Mortal-Age would be calculated as follows:
- [148-Fae-Yrs] / [Fae/Mortal Time Coefficient] = 1.24-Mortal-Years
- [1.24-Mortal-Years] + [2-Mortal-Years (With Reshi)] = 3.24-Mortal Years
- If Bast lived 148-life-yrs in the Fae, and 2-life-yrs in the mortal realm with his Reshi, then Bast's Mortal-Age would be calculated as follows:
- Yep, that's right, Bast has only been alive for 3.24-yrs by the reckoning of mortals
- This means that Bast has potentially spent just as much time in the mortal realm as he has in the Fae realm, even though his time in the Fae realm is perceived by Bast to be much, much longer.
- This seems to be exactly around the amount of time that people have had to start locking and barring their doors at night because of something Kvothe did. . .
- Again, "They reminisced that three years ago no one would have even thought of locking their doors at night, let alone barring them." - Chapter-1 NOTW
- This seems to be exactly around the amount of time that people have had to start locking and barring their doors at night because of something Kvothe did. . .
- We've already discussed how Kvothe could have lived a potential of 238-Fae-Years in the Fae. This means that there has been PLENTY of time for Kvothe to get up to something that deals with Bast's birth:
- Kvothe has something to do with Bast's birth
- Kvothe was present for Bast's birth
- Kvothe knows Bast's parents
- Kvothe is Bast's parent
- Felurian is Bast's parent and Kvothe cares for some reason
- et cetera. . . The point is, Bast may have only been alive for 1.24-Mortal-Years before he came to the mortal realm and met his Reshi. . .
Fun with Numbers:
- If Kvothe spends exactly one-term away from the University in the Fae:
- 1-University-Term = 88-Mortal-Days = 29.3 Years in the Fae
- If Kvothe spends 1-Mortal-Hour away in the Fae:
- Ok, this one is impossible, literally, to calculate, because we have no idea how many hours there are in one day in Temerant. But, as stated above, let's assume there are 45-hours/day in Temerant
- This would mean that if Kvothe took 1-Mortal-Hour away to go into Fae, he would be in the fae for 1/3 of a year, or about 2.67-months (being that there are only 8-months in Temerant)
- Ok, this one is impossible, literally, to calculate, because we have no idea how many hours there are in one day in Temerant. But, as stated above, let's assume there are 45-hours/day in Temerant
- If Kvothe only spoke to the Cthaeh for ten minutes:
- Again, since we don't know how many hours are in a day, we also don't know how many minutes are in those hours. . . so let's just assume a linear conversion between Earth time and Temerant time: this would mean that if Earth's (our) time is 24-hrs/day, and Temerant's time is 45-hrs/day, then this would work out to be 112.5-Minutes/hour, which also means that there are 112.5-Seconds/minute
- This means that if Kvothe only spoke to the Cthaeh for 10-minutes in the Fae, then only 0.94-Mortal-Seconds passed during the conversation between Kvothe and the Cthaeh. Yep, less than ONE MORTAL SECOND talking to the Cthaeh!
- This puts in perspective just how dangerous the Cthaeh really is to the mortal world; The Cthaeh is truly like a literal bolt of lightning that strikes at the heart of mortals' fate. . .
What Could This All Mean?
- Fae Politics and Mortal Politics are ever-changing?
- If we consider the relative intelligence of Fae and mortal to be the same, then the time dilation between the mortal and the Fae would account for a difference in the ever-changing politics and state of the overall well-being of the world.
- For example: lets say that in the Fae Realm, there is a tyrant who enacts a regime of violence and warfare. These wars could last a substantial amount of time in the Fae realm, but only last for a very small amount of time in the mortal world. In other words, a week could pass in the mortal realm while an entire war could take place in the Fae. . .
- If we consider the relative intelligence of Fae and mortal to be the same, then the time dilation between the mortal and the Fae would account for a difference in the ever-changing politics and state of the overall well-being of the world.
- More generations of Fae pass compared to mortals; therefore, evolution happens at a much faster rate
- If there is a set lifespan of Fae creatures, or if they are immortal, plays a huge role in the overall story.
- If they are immortal, then they don't evolve
- If they aren't immortal, then this means that they evolve via natural selection at a rate that would be considered 120x faster than mortals, according to my aforementioned Fae/Mortal Time Coefficient
- If there is a set lifespan of Fae creatures, or if they are immortal, plays a huge role in the overall story.
- Bast was conspicuously born right around the time Kvothe commits his "folly"
- I'm not jumping to conclusions, but IF the theories about Kvothe siring Bast, and Bast spending the majority of his life in the Fae are true, then the math checks out; Kvothe COULD be Bast's father. . .
- If Kvothe is truly just Bast's friend, it means that Bast COULD have been born around the time that Kvothe was leaving the University. . .
- Since the Cthaeh lives and does its deeds in the Fae realm, the mortal realm would consider these meetings a "bolt of lightning" in time because these conversations happen in less than a mortal-second. . .
- Aging:
- Lifespans?
- Are mortals' lifespans still the same? Will Kvothe now die one year earlier since he lived his life in the Fae with Felurian? Or is mortal-time all put on pause?
- Since we have calculated that Kvothe could have lived a potential of 238-yrs if he went into the Fae realm, it's easy to assume that THIS is why he can claim that he is much older than The Chronicler and Bast.
- More importantly, I think it's safe to assume that time spent in the Fae doesn't take away from your lifespan in the mortal realm. . . This is why Kvothe can have lived for potentially over 200-yrs of TOTAL-AGE.
- Lifespans?
DISCLAIMERS: If These Assumptions are Inaccurate:
- What if time between the mortal world and the Fae realm are NOT linear?
- Yes, I understand that we are going off of nothing more than Kvothe living for a year and finding out that only 3-Mortal-Days had passed. . . This may not be a true relative time across the board. . .
- There is a good chance that there are not 45-hrs/Day, which means there are not 112.5-Minutes/Hour, and therefore not 112.5-Seconds/Minute
- This estimate was made to equilibrate the estimated hours/day in Temerant since we do not yet have an actual answer. . . But seeing that the real answer would be on the same order of magnitude, any differences, in my opinion, would be negligible
- Please read these disclaimers before you tear apart my numbers. I've made the assumptions clear; there is minutiae that we don't yet know, so I used educated guesses for the sake of the math. . .
I'm excited to hear your input on this!
Top Comment: Holy shit we need the third book.