Small, random questions about RotE that still bother you (spoilers all RotE books)

['thul]

These beings thought more in the area of central/western European vs. northern european skin tones... But perhaps the skin tones are something between the former and Mediterranean. Bone structure is not defined, so that is not possible to say. Could be European, could be African or Arabian, but it is unlikely that it is Asian. Skin tone, from before the modern age travel systems, is based on how the local climate and nature is, as skin color adapts more quickly than the less visible physical traits. It can adapt (from what 'thul have heard) within just a fairly small number of generations.

The Fool was described at the start as truly white, so there is some natural color to it. Later on, when it began coloring (liveship-ish), the color was not noted as anything special, so since it was darker than assassin-era, it is probable that the color was fairly equal to that of the populace of bingtown, and that the difference between that and six duchies was not all that great. Most likely the difference between the two peoples are more in bone structure and culture than anything color-wise. Physically, 'thul would guess chalced is fairly in the middle colorwise between those two peoples, considering where they live.

Since the type of geography and climate is fairly equal to that of early medieval Europe, the skin tones are probably similar. Of course, skin tone of that era Europeans is unknown today aside from it being known to be fairly similar to today, so its all guesswork. (well, some scientists might know, though)

['thul]

These beings just had a wild theory about the keepers and whom they end up getting together with... (no spoiling the truth with info from CoD/BoD, joost!)
Might it be that one of the female keepers ends up not with another keeper, but with Selden?

[Valarya]

These beings just had a wild theory about the keepers and whom they end up getting together with... (no spoiling the truth with info from CoD/BoD, joost!)
Might it be that one of the female keepers ends up not with another keeper, but with Selden?

I know the answer to your question because I read Joost's spoilers.. so I can't answer you.

['thul]

its not so much a question as it is a theory. to those that did not fall to the wrong dark side (the one without cookies and with read joostly spoilers), these beings invite a discussion...

['thul]

being in a theoretical state of mind, 'thul has thought out a potential solution to the problem with channel size and depth of the RW river the further up it one goes.

Its been made clear that so long as the white current is part of it, the river is anything from mildly to highly acidic. It will quickly break down most materials, and it is quite possible it even breaks down rock. If it did not, then the rain wild traders would have imported stone to build things from near the shore, even if they would have to bring in vast shiploads of it to even set up lesser buildings. It is equally clear that it quickly eats through both wood and other lesser materials.
Thus the solution would be to have things made from materials impervious to the acid. There's far too little cocoon wood to make anything large enough to have any benefit with the problem here. The theory 'thul have is that there is one other building material that would not only be resistant, but possibly impervious to whatever the acid of the white current is. Memory stone.
The solution to making it possible for ships of decent size to pass up and down the river, while naturally also making it work for serpents would be to make a canal that is both deep and decently wide, either beside the river or within it, framed and walled with memory stone blocks. In theory such a channel could even be extended much further up the river than to Cassarick. Given enough stone supply, it could be built far enough up to reach the place where the current enters the river.
At its top end it would be natural to have wide-reaching walls out to the sides so as to catch more of the river. it would take years to build, but it would no doubt be worth it.

In looking at the theory now, it might even be easier to build it from the top down. The dragon quarries are in the mountains and it would be easier to ship the stone that way.
What do you think of this theory?

[Valarya]

What do you think of this theory?

I like it, but it seems like every single person in the books, thus far, has commented consistently on the memory stone as building-material as such:

"how did they shape it so big and how on earth did they move it/set it in to place!?"

One theory I've always had was the massive trees in the Rain Wilds themselves. We know that the murky ground of the forest next to the river is also mucked up with acidic River Water in that it eats at people's shoes in the short-story of the Rain Wild settlement. If the acidic water has been in and around the roots of those trees for hundreds of years... are not they impervious?

One comment is made that the Khuprus family chose their tree when they first came to the Rain Wilds and their homes are still build on and around that tree... it must have been standing for a LONG time in all that acid water....

['thul]

indeed, the bark of the trees is impervious to the river water. Unfortunately it is only so when alive and unmarred, thus it is not feasible to use it for much of anything except trees.

it is indeed a nice question about transport of memory stone. Since these beings have no idea how they moved large quantities of it, they ignored that aspect. They looked at it with a primitive view, moving it like any other stone, without any magical aid. if Elderlings can move it more easily and in larger quantities, then it only makes the project more feasible, not less so. still, it would require quite a large amount to build an artificial channel.

[joost]

indeed, the bark of the trees is impervious to the river water.

Roots don't have bark, do they?

City of dragons spoiler

During CoD, we learn that someone in Jamaillia has created a paint that makes boats impervious to the acidic water.

['thul]

actually, they do have it. Mind you, it often has both different thickness and surface quality, but it is there. The trunk of a tree has different bark from its tiniest twigs. Same for roots.

[Valarya]

I've been thinking about those huge blocks of memory stone, btw. Of course... dragons probably helped the Elderlings move them around. Don't know why I didn't think that before...

Joost... City of Dragons stuff in here::

Spoiler

I've come to the conclusion that one of the main reasons Elderlings even praise dragons so much is so that their babies can be saved by them and made Elderlings, too. Of course Kelsingra is the perfect spot for the dragons to drink their fill of Skill... so the Elderlings built the city around it to entice them so the dragons could save babies.

It's a short step there but also a pretty big leap, hahah.