The Skill and The Wit (spoilers all RotE books)

[Valarya]

I have a theory about why the Skill is so prominent in the Six Duchies, but not Bingtown/Rain Wilds.

See... we know the great cataclysmic event destroyed all dragons but Icefyre (after which he encased himself in Ice out of grief of a lost world). We also know that dragons create Elderlings, right? While I'm sure many Elderlings died in said cataclysmic event, surely there were some who survived. And since there were no dragons left in the world, eventually the surviving Elderlings died and no new ones were created.

What does this have to do with the Six Duchies? Just this: I theorize that one of the following is true:

1. King Wisdom was an Elderling
2. King Wisdom was alive when there were still Elderlings alive
3. King Wisdoms close ancestors were alive when the Elderlings were alive

... and his line survived the cataclysmic event. This is why they still have tapestries and other artifacts of Elderlings just sitting around Buckkeep, and why the Farseers still remember and train in the Skill. They never died out... so they REMEMBER.

All of the people in Bingtown and the RainWilds came from Jamallia decades after the Elderlings were long gone so they had no knowledge of uses of the Skill or even what it is/was. Not to mention the only tapestries or artifacts anyone descended from Jamallia has were plundered from the ruined cities.

I find it fascinating that, while people of the Rain Wilds are the ones turning in to Elderlings & caring for Dragons... no one deserves the title of top-Elderling more than our dear beloved Fitz.

As much as it pains me to admit it.. even Justin and Selene would be better 'fits' for Elderlings based on the fact they were already so closely linked to their magic.