Elderling Creations Theory (Spoilers through all the books and Dragon Haven)

[Farseer]

(For that matter, what would hatch if an Other spun a cocoon?)

The mind boggles ...reproducing Others is not something I've even given a thought to however I did wonder about how they managed to replenish their numbers between the time that She Who Remembers killed many of them when she escaped and the time that Fitz and Dutiful made their way there through the Skill pillar...SWR even seemed to think that she had killed "them all" but she may have only been referring to all of those who had made their way down to the beach...will think on that some!

I think there is more to the skill than it just being a side effect of contact with dragons - otherwise, surely it would have appeared in the Rain Wilds at some point.

I too think that the Skill is more than just a side effect of dragon contact (also of Sa etc) but I am also of the belief that the Skill did appear in the Rain Wilds early on but it was not and still is not 'known' as Skill (a couple of other posts elsewhere reflect my thoughts on this)...if it is the Skill that allowed Fitz to bring forth the memories locked previously into the memory stone at Kelsingra and also upon the Skill Road etc, then it could also stand to reason that it was the Skill that was being experienced/harnessed by ones such as Lady Carrock, Reyn and Malta etc in Trehaug?

There were tales told in both Homecoming and LST that certain ones in the RW were known to have died drowning in the memories of the city (I am pretty certain that even Reyn's father was one such Rain Wilder, and that is why the remaining members of the Khuprus family are so protective of Reyn?). I can't think of the wording but it made the state of these 'drowned' RW people sound very much like that of a Six Duchies person who had drowned or been lost in the Skill River (eg sitting there, knowing nothing, acting as a drooling babe)?

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As (altered) larval dragons, the Others must want to congregate around She Who Remembers as much as the serpents do. Since they couldn't follow her out into the ocean and to the Rain Wild River to cocoon, they locked her up in that cave so she couldn't get away.

Wow, and YES, this is such a terrific point, Lord Punctual! As with Chrischa's comment elsewhere about Kyle not being able to go against what he knew, why would the Others be any different?! It is their very nature to want to seek the company of SWR! That sure puts a different spin on the thought they really are Abominations just out to advance themselves...I love it !