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

[Farseer]

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.

Oh, heck! I'm home now and have just re-read this! *sigh* The 'black' aspect of the stone is theory only and I shouldn't have included that word in my post in such a manner as it sounds 'cannon', like I've taken it directly from the text. I should have said something like, "If it is black as I assume." I only assume that it is memory stone and have thought it to be memory stone for so long I've just written here as if it IS. This is why you'd have overlooked it as it's not really there...outside of my theory-spinning! Sorry. If the 'thul beings were here, they'd be rolling their eyes saying things like, "there you go again making it up as you go, Farseer."

I will have to check to confirm but I am pretty sure that nothing is actually stated about it being black, let alone streaked with silver or something that may suggest that it truly is memory stone. It's just stated as being 'stone' and I simply believe that it must be memory stone due to the results of being in proximity to it. As I said, Wintrow becomes more clear-headed the further away from it he gets and he and the others do go there to construct their artworks...and I find it very difficult to believe that this is merely coincidence that it is to this area that they go to create their works. I assume that it allows them to Skill better, possibly similar in that Skilling comes so much easier for Fitz the closer he is to the Skill Road/Kelsingra etc. Aside from the stone though, even if it is not memory stone, I still believe that the priests use the Skill that is used to craft the windows, pots, baskets etc.

Totally on a tangent, but going on from a couple of other comments I've made here and elsewhere...as soon as I came across Wintrow and his tree (forgetting his serpent and dragon for the moment as I will come back to those and more), I couldn't help but think of the trees that Fitz and Nighteyes came across in the mountains that gave off a Wit presence. Fitz had some said something like, "I never thought to be distained by a tree." I also had to think of the fact that Eyod forbade anyone to cut down trees in the Mountain Kingdom. There is a link there, I believe, to Wintrow's tree.

More to come as a response...SO MUCH MORE (not to mention that I really want to reply to a post from Narya in another thread!)...but *sigh* I have jobs that I have to do...

I mainly just needed to clarify that little bit about the 'black' so you don't go thinking that it definitely is memory stone. I strongly believe that it is and therefore I also believe it comes from prior Elderling occupation of the region. I will reference the stone from the text later, as well as try and add some things re the Old Empire.

Oh to be able to drown myself in these memories...