Potential future conflicts and problems in the rain wild chronicles] [spoilers]

[redchild]

'thul has understood it so that there are multiple ruined elderling cities in those mountains, but they doubt the river that Verity dipped his arms in is in kelsingra. They theorize that the silvery skill river is somewhere along the borders of the other branch, the acidic river...

Possibly. It might explain how there are so many people in the Rain Wilds and Bingtown that seem to possess a slight level of Skill ability, as they both share the same water source. I can't say this for sure, though, if Skill ability can be obtained by consuming Skill-laced water as not everyone has it. Both Rain Wilder and non-Rain Wilder humans seem to be injured by it, rather than gain any Skill ability, but seeing as Rain Wilders have adapted Elderling-like traits from exposure to the water for generations, there must be a connection between the acid and the Elderlings. The Elderling robe Leftrin gave to Alise protected her from the acid waters, so it's possible the Elderlings were familiar with the dangers of the acid/silver liquid.

If only Tarman could talk, he could explain why he chose to avoid that route. Did he avoid it because he sensed danger? Or was it merely because he remembered that it was the wrong way to Kelsingra? Maybe both?

[assasin]

Finding a way to make the journey easier (or even possible without Tarman) would also be a challenge. Digging a deeper channel through the swamps for other barges would be a massive undertaking that I doubt the Council would fund given the aftermath of the flood, but it seems the most practical way atm. However the possibility that a Skill Road or Pillar is available to link Kelsingra with Cassarick or someplace near it is not unlikely. A dragon should be able to spot a Skill Road from the air as no trees grow on it.

It might be possibl that a deeper channel could be found through the swamp similar to the river in comparison to the rain wilds around bingtown. It does take a fw days until tarman needs to crawl.

['thul]

hmm...

City of Dragons class spoiler

many theories proven and disproven here... Interesting to look back on the theories now. The flood had not the long term effects that some here thought at first it had. it had effects upon the settlements, but not weeks and months later.

'thul now have new theories... particularly concerning kelsingra and the relationship to Trehaug, Cassarick & Bingtown.
First, the council at Trehaug will be moderated by the Khupruses, in particular Jani. It is also moderated by its long traditions, whereas the Cassarick council is greedy. Which is unfortunate. For them. They'll come up the river thinking that there's a city to plunder, instead finding a fully operational elderling city, with at least two dragons with flight, probably at least 5-6, if not all of them. No doubt the greediest of them will find just how comfortable being eaten through by acid is.
It would not surprise 'thul if Tintaglia will arrive not long before or after the ships get to Kelsingra, making at minimum three fully grown and flying dragons. Those new "impervious" ships might be proof to the acidic water, but they wont be proof to dragonspit.

It would be very fun if Kalo or Spit have gained full flight by the time the ship with Hest arrives, would it not?

[Valarya]

Lots of things in this thread proven & disproven for sure!! I had never read it before but it's definitely interesting to go back and see what people were thinking. I like that it usually ends up 50/50. Half of the predictions are SPOT ON and the other half are WAY OFF, hahah.

Quick CoD spoiler

I especially like that everyone thought Kelsingra would be untouchable by anyone but Tarman because of the Acid. Hobb solved that with the Impervious Ships, didn't she?

(Hrm, this discussion makes me wonder how many of the ASOIAF predictions are the 50%-way-off kinds. )

And, though not really a 'problem,' I'm interested in the river that supposedly leads to the source of the white acid water.

Ah, me too!! I want to know, not only where that river goes, but what the source of the Acid Water is!!

It will be near impossible to fashion something that can be hung between two dragons...

also, dragons have a hard enough time moving a human being unharmed..

You forget there are several portrayals of Dragons carrying large baskets with their front claws. Baskets that held Elderlings (and could hold a number of things I'm assuming). Though I doubt any dragon but Heeby (and maybe Mercor) would deign to be a pack-mule. Certainly not Sintara!!

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..they doubt the river that Verity dipped his arms in is in kelsingra. They theorize that the silvery skill river is somewhere along the borders of the other branch, the acidic river...

This makes me want to go back and read the parts where Verity dips his arms in the river, but I'm thinking it's really close to the stone quarry since he was able to 'refresh' the Skill on his hands several times.

I might say he could have used the Skill Pillar at the edge of the quarry to travel to another place to find the skill river, but I don't think that's right at all. Doesn't Fitz follow him to the River once? Besides, with how much of himself is gone in to the Dragon already at that point, there's no way he could use those pillars repeatedly (since we've seen what happens to someone when they do!!).

hmm...

City of Dragons class spoiler

It would be very fun if Kalo or Spit have gained full flight by the time the ship with Hest arrives, would it not?

I narrowed down your spoiler in that quite, 'thul beings. And to that all I have to say is:

['thul]

All indications are that the silvery river is in another (unnamed) city, reached by pillar. Otherwise fitz/nighteyes would have found it ranging out from the quarry. There's enough symbols on the pillars to make finding the river hard, particularly if the route is two-step.
In verity, it seems the skill and Elderling blood bred true in a way it did not in Fitz. Also, he was far more fully trained than Fitz.

CoD class spoiler

The impervious ships might easily travel far upstream, but they might have serious trouble towards the end, where it is really shallow. Besides, Kalo/Spit might have something to "offer" them. Say, a good dose of venom. It would not be surprising if, should the ship get to kelsingra and hest with it, that when hest tries to place sedric back under his "control", Carson rather objects, and spit gets to "play".
With most dragons/keepers, the relationship is based around the keeper being fairly mild, and the dragon assertive. With Heeby/Rapskal, it is a true friendship, very few strings attached. With thymara/Sintara, it is both pulling for their wants in opposite directions. But with Carson/spit, they use each other, to a large degree humoring the other by it. Carson ignores Spit to get his will done, Spit uses Carson, say to flush out prey (gallator/Greft case, DH).

Dragons might carry baskets, but you forget one major thing...

CoD class spoiler

There's only three dragons strong enough to carry loads at all. Icefyre, Tintaglia, Heeby. Even then, it is one thing to carry a single person, quite another to carry a true load. Neither of the two former would be willing to carry people all that far. Icefyre also has that endurance problem from his frozen hibernation. He's the physically largest of the dragons, yet he is in many ways worn out.
In order to carry a load any distance, they have to physically be far stronger, especially if the load is bigger than one person.