Land of the Elderlings and the Old Empire *all books*

[Farseer]

Well met and welcome to thePlenty, Provost!

I am so mad that not even the little rant guy can convey the boiling of my blood ... ! I have just spent over half and hour responding to this and them lost the lot after our car inverter decided to drop out (I am in the passenger seat on our trip home from the coast). So, as I am about to lose internet reception for a time (a black spot coming up), I will have to give the bare bones:

We've chatted about this before and I even had to recheck your post twice as I thought you might be a spammer who has just cut and pasted from an old conversation (sorry but it has happened before! ). If you do a search on the Old Empire, that may bring some of them up?

Also don't forget the black-stoned area of the monastery where the priests of Sa created their works eg Wintrow and his stained-glass window which depicted the serpent, tree and dragon. These creations, for me, are the same as those created by the Elderlings of old and the black stone screamed memory stone to me. This proves (until Robin disproves it! ) that not only is the Skill worked in the region, and this a magic used by Elderlings, but the presence of the black stone alone also shows that Elderlings would have inhabited the region.

Also, we should not discount the priests of Sa when we consider who may be responsible for the fall of the Elderlings. The White Prophet and the Catalyst are working toward the return of Elderlings and dragons to the world and yet the priests of Sa consider the 'religion' and existence/writings of the White Prophet, and the prophecies fulfilled by the Catalyst, as blasphemy...hence it may well have been they who wanted to eliminate them from the world. We only have to look to our own world to see the role of religious or holy wars. I have long felt it likely that the region and the seat of the Pearl Throne has much more of an historical role than it may first appear.

*City of Dragons spoiler (from the publisher pre-released chapters)*

Spoiler

The Duke of Chalced’s throne sits exactly where (five?) once Skill Pillars once stood so why should not the Pearl Throne sit where once Elderlings also existed. While there may not be, there is a yet-to-be-discovered, significant reason why the Pearl Throne exists where it does.

Further, the memory stone dragon that exists on Barren Island (the one Althea, or ‘Athel’, saw with the wizardwood arrow embedded in its chest) and Barren Island is well within the vicinity of region. It is obvious from the existence of this downed dragon that there had been some conflict between Elderlings and others in the past.

If any of it, even the destruction of the simulacra dragon, did have something to do with the priests of Sa, possibly they may have been in the employ of the Pale Woman? Though she herself was supposedly the White Prophet, it certainly would have suited her purposes to have the priests denounce the WP ‘religion’ given that she knew Beloved (Fool) opposed her. She knew that he would try to make trouble for her in the world and it would work best if most ignored his prophecies? Even if it is not the PW behind it, a prior conflict and Elderling presence in the region is near guaranteed for me (except that Robin could prove me all wrong! ).

It is also interesting to note that, as well as King Shrewd, Satrap Cosgo (sorry, think we chatted about this before in those previous discussions too) was obsessed with the religion of the WP. He obtained scrolls and whatever information he could, and it was this obsession that led him to assisting Fool and having him within his court. No doubt this interest in the WP writings displeased the priests of Sa, especially as the Satrap is said to be directly ‘of Sa’ himself. They’d likely have wanted to be rid of Fool and his blasphemy as soon as possible. After all, not only was he speaking blasphemy but their Satrap was listening, and their own jobs or teachings would have been put on the back-burner in comparison...not unlike Jesus turning up ‘speaking blasphemy’ and taking attention and status away from the Pharisees. Of course they would want to do away with him and his so-called teachings, just as the priests of Sa would want to be rid of the WP or any such teachings/prophecies...with or without the possible influence of the PW. Of course, they may not have even known of Fool's true identity, just as though in Buckkeep did not. Shrewd did know of Fool's farseeing ability, and used it to his advantage at times, but he did not trumpet this about.

All only thoughts and theories though!

Still, I firmly believe that the priests of Sa and the entire region of the Pearl Throne do have a significant role in this somewhere and have firm current and historical links to Elderlings.

I am recalling something about a link between the Old Empire and also the Empire or ruling seat of the Mountain Kindgdom but I will have to think more on that. Better post before I lose it all again!

I have dropped out about eight times and had to repeat most of this just as many so forgive the typos etc!