Mysteries

Mysteries


 * How did Geloë transport Leleth to the first meeting with Josua's party in Aldheorte? SOF ch. 9, p. 205. She says, "I have not finished changing...", indicating that she traveled in owl form, but she later says, "[Leleth] cannot travel in the way I must travel," before assuming owl form to scout Sesuad'ra. ch. 21, p. 529.


 * In the descriptions of the bell chamber atop Green Angel Tower, there is no hint at the mechanism for ringing the bells.


 * Where and how did Tiamak begin his education? TGAT1 ch. 13, p. 403.


 * What function did the Hayholt serve and who ran it between the death of Eahlstan and the arrival of Prester John?


 * When and how did it become known that Eahlstan was dead? How could that be known without knowing that Shurakai was dead?


 * Surveying deserted Village Grove, Tiamak says, "I must look around—see if my sisters or anyone else left word of where they have gone." TGAT1 ch. 13, p.426. Do the Wran-folk have a written language? No other evidence of such.


 * At Simon's birthday party on Sesuad'ra, he produced some sweets "that he had bought from one of the peddlers..." Bought with what? TGAT1, ch. 24, p. 734.


 * Likewise, in the outskirts of Stanshire, Miriamele says "...I did bring some money..." Whence obtained? She arrived in Kwanitupul penniless, and most if not all of Isgrimnur's money was left with Charystra. TGAT2, ch. 4, p. 111. Added Fatidiot1234 03:22, March 11, 2011 (UTC)


 * "...arches of stone that braced the wider crossings..." TGAT2, ch. 28, p. 631.


 * "The Nearulagh Gate shattered and fell inward in an explosion of broken timbers and tumbling statuary." TGAT2, ch. 29, p. 648.

Possible answers for some of the mysteries
Reading the page of 'Mysteries', I thought I have answers for some of the questions... even if half (or more) of them are assumptions. Still, it is worth one try, so:

* In the descriptions of the bell chamber atop Green Angel Tower, there is no hint at the mechanism for ringing the bells.

If you meant the demonic bells at the very end of the trilogy, than their mechanism was purely magical. Otherwise no clue, sorry... however, the Hayholt had very elaborate mechanisms, just think about the tower of Hjeldin, which turned very slowly (it was unnoticable outside, partially due to the featurelessness of the tower), but constantly.

* Where and how did Tiamak begin his education? TGAT1 ch. 13, p. 403.

I can't remember, exactly when did he begin his studies, but in The Dragonbone Chair he reminisced, that he learned in Perdruin, and that is where he met Morgenes (the good Doctor even bought a dinner for Tiamak).

* What function did the Hayholt serve and who ran it between the death of Eahlstan and the arrival of Prester John?

In the novelette The Burning Man, Hayholt was abandoned for a long-long time, before Sulis the Apostate arrived and reclaimed it (for a short period). The people of the Kynslagh feared the old castle and assumed that it was haunted by ghosts - which is understandable, since its lower corridors had been occupied by Sithi spirits before the collapse of the Green Angel tower (and those spirits might or might not have fled). So they only dared to dwell in castle under the command of a powerful and charismatic leader, of whom they would have believed, that his very presence could banish the fairy ghosts.

Besides, the gossip about Shurakai could not have helped, either. So, people were afraid to reoccupy the castle, until John "killed" the dragon - or rather, which in this case is more important, announced the death of the wyrm -, and he was also a fearsome and strong-willed man, who was no friend of the Sithi. He was a man who brought the age of the Man (uniting Osten Ard, cleansing the lands from the non-human creatures), and therefore he could surely persuade his followers to reclaim the castle - after all, they did believe that he did kill Shurakai, and it was part of his PR.

* When and how did it become known that Eahlstan was dead? How could that be known without knowing that Shurakai was dead?

I think that after his people had waited fo Eahlstan for a long time, they thought that the dragon had won. Dragons are prone to sleep for decades or centuries after they have successfully filled their belly (according to legends, and Igjarjuk can be a good in-universe example, since it haunted the mountain of Urmsheim... but people were unsure about its existence... sure it lived in a completely deserted place, but a large creature like it would have needed so much nutrition, that it would have hunted in the more popoulus areas of trolls, if it had not hibernated for long times). So, people assumed that Eahlstan died, the dragon won, and they did not dare to disturb the dream of the beast. Despite Prester John was something of a fraud, it still took considerable bravery for a mortal man to entern the caverns of Hayholt.

* Surveying deserted Village Grove, Tiamak says, "I must look around—see if my sisters or anyone else left word of where they have gone." TGAT1 ch. 13, p.426. Do the Wran-folk have a written language? No other evidence of such.

Yeah, that's true, but there are no evidences for other the contrary. As far as I remember, the Wran-folk cannot read the drylanders' texts (only Tiamak can), but they still can have some written culture... even if they use something like the inca kipu. That said, Wran-folk is one of the least developed cultures from the series - they, and the Thrithings. These cultures do not even have their rightful place in the appendix 'Words and Phrases', despite one villager talks in Wrannish, something about the ghants in TGAT1.

So, here is my guesses, which might or might not be sufficient.

Archnihil

Moved from my talk page, with gratitude for thoughtful suggestions. Anybody got some more? Fatidiot1234 03:55, March 1, 2011 (UTC)