- Hey, brother!
Okay, Ben, so last week we dove in hard trying to uncover
the true identity of Master Ash.
And if you haven't seen that video yet,
I highly recommend going and checking that out first
and then coming back here
and watching the rest of this video
because we're picking up right where we left off.
But the brief recap is this.
We believe that Master Ash is none other
than Kvothe's true enemy amongst the Chandrian, Cinder.
We know Kvothe has a literal knack for naming
and has almost named him on several occasions
without even realizing it.
Plus there's the whole, you know, ashes and cinders
are pretty much the same thing as it relates to fire.
They're synonyms.
But what I really like about that theory is it means
that Cinder has actually been way more present
in the Chronicle
than Patrick Rothfuss would have you believe.
Or maybe it's more present than Kvothe
would have you believe.
I'm not really sure which one of them
is keeping it from us at this point.
Either way, whilst the Chandrian seem to be
the big bad of the entire series,
Cinder in particular is the one Kvothe is after.
And yet, in the first 244 chapters, that's both books,
he's appear just twice.
Although I guess to be fair,
chapter 92 of "The Wise Man's Fear" is like half a page,
so 243 chapters.
But to be double fair, the Cthaeh does count this
as very lucky, a twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
What does the Cthaeh even know, am I right?
Like... (laughs)
Oh yeah. Everything.
The first time we meet Cinder is in chapter 16
of "The Name of the Wind," fittingly titled Hope,
which, if you'll recall, is the chapter
when Kvothe's parents are killed.
So actually I don't think it's a fitting title at all.
But after that he doesn't show up again until chapter 91
of "The Wise Man's Fear" as the leader of the bandits
that Kvothe takes out.
And Kvothe doesn't even know it's him when he's doing it.
But my point is for the big bad, he's barely in the books.
It would be like if "Sorcerer's Stone,"
Harry learned that Voldemort killed his parents
and then Voldemort didn't show up again
until "Deathly Hallows."
Look, I'm sorry.
I just need my villains conveniently to show up
at the end of every school year.
Is that too much to ask?
Not that Kvothe really has school years.
They're just terms, but they're only like two months long,
which seems really short.
But then you're like, how long is a month?
35-esque days...
I don't know.
Span. A span is 11 days.
I know that one.
They don't really spell it out for you though
for quite some time.
And I feel like that should have been really
just entry-level information.
Okay. I've gotten off track.
Here's the thing though.
I actually think Cinder is in the story
way more than you think, just not as himself.
As you are know, we think he's Master Ash,
meaning he's already pretty present
in sequestering away Denna and even beating her,
just totally messing with Kvothe.
But to what end is he messing with Kvothe?
That's really the question.
I mean, he very nearly kills him the first time they meet
if the Chandrian hadn't been scared away by someone.
But that's a video for another day.
If he is Master Ash and he does want to kill Kvothe,
it seems like it would be easy enough,
and it seems like that would be his mission.
I mean, the Chandrian are dead set on erasing any mention
of them from the world.
And Kvothe saw them with his own green eyes
and spoke to them.
So why isn't Cinder killing Kvothe?
Well, I think the answer lies all the way across
the Four Corners in Maer Alveron's court
sitting across the tak board from Kvothe
playing a beautiful game.
(upbeat instrumental music)
Hey, brother!
(logo whooshing)
Hey, candles, we got 'em.
You can smell 'em.
(cheerful instrumental music)
Okay, so like any idea we can pull
from "The Name of the Wind,"
it is hard to know where to begin.
So let's just spell it out.
In case you didn't catch my super sly reference there
at the end of the intro,
we think that Kvothe's one true friend
in the Maer's court, Bredon, is actually Cinder.
Wait didn't you say he was Master Ash?
Yes. Cinder is Master Ash is Bredon.
It's all the same guy.
If you need a bit of a recap on Bredon,
he is fittingly a bit of a mystery,
but he's also the only one in the Maer's court
who is able to get through Kvothe's defenses.
Kvothe has traveled across the world
to come do some job for the Maer.
He doesn't even know what it is.
But once he is in the Maer's estate
and is seen wandering around the court with the Maer,
more and more people start wondering, who is this guy?
Most of these folks are just exactly what you'd expect
from such high society.
Gossips.
Everybody knows Kvothe is in town.
He spending time with the Maer, but nobody knows why.
That's a pretty ripe story.
On top of that, Kvothe himself is very aware
that he is about as low on the totem pole status-wise
as one can be.
But he also values and knows
that respecting the Maer's secrecy is vital
to securing this unknown job with him.
And this job is huge for Kvothe because if he succeeds in it
he is thinking the Maer could potentially become his patron.
And not just a patron, but a patron who is higher
in the social pecking order than the Jakis family.
Meaning even Ambrose couldn't pull rank on him.
And from the sounds of it,
the Maer was just a technicality away
from sitting on the throne himself,
and either way is still rich as the king of Vintas.
But I bring all this up to point out one key thing.
The stakes are very, very high for Kvothe,
and no one is more aware of it than him.
He can not afford to let secrets slip,
to let people know where he came from or why he is there.
He has to be extremely careful
about showing any of his cards.
But Bredon becomes the exception.
Bredon provides two things to Kvothe
that he desperately needs: information and entertainment.
But first, he is just immediately mysterious.
He shows up to Kvothe's room unannounced and uninvited
and completely ignoring the entire ring-sending system
that is so custom to all of the nobles.
And let's just start with his physical description.
It might sound clunky at first,
but I promise you it cleans up very well.
"Bredon was older. Not elderly by any means,
"but what I consider grandfather old.
"His colors weren't colors at all,
"merely ash gray and dark charcoal.
"His hair and beard were pure white,
"and all cut to the same length,
"making a frame for his face."
Following that, we also learn his eyes are brown,
and they're referred to as brown for the first two times
you hear Kvothe describe them,
but after that are always just described as dark.
"He clicked down a stone,
"his dark eyes crinkling with amusement.
"Bredon's dark eyes peered at me,
"'Who would dare insult such a man with an iron ring?'"
And the dark eyes matter
because that is one of the key identifying traits of Cinder,
that he has all black eyes with no sclera.
Sclera is the white part of your eye.
And again, if you'll recall from last week's video,
Shehyn describes Ferule, aka Cinder,
as chill and dark of eye.
Uh okay, but J, Kvothe has seen Cinder before.
Don't you think he'd recognize him
sitting across the table from him?
And even if Bredon has dark eyes,
they're still brown with sclera.
So, so what about that?
Yes, that is very true.
And yet it is really not a problem.
Remember, the Cthaeh also tells Kvothe,
"Don't feel bad you didn't recognize him.
"They have a lot of experience hiding those telltale signs."
So obviously, Cinder has a way of hiding the eyes thing.
And we actually think we know how,
by using the faen magic of glammourie.
Glammourie is a type of a faen magic
which is the art of making something seem.
Which is distinct from grammarie
which is the craft of making something be.
Grammarie, for example, is what Felurian does
to make Kvothe's shaed.
Glammourie, on the other hand, is what Bast is using
to conceal the fact that he has hooves in the mortal realm.
And if you're scratching your head here
like I don't remember any of this, I don't blame you.
It's only mentioned extremely briefly in the two books
and only gets really described in detail
in "The Lightning Tree."
But in a nutshell, it's just illusion magic with limits.
Bast, for example, can make himself look like a human
but can't seem to turn off his overall elegance or grace.
So when it comes to looking like Bredon,
Cinder is able to conceal himself enough
to look like a regular human,
but he can't turn off the dark eyes or the white hair.
Not only that, but did you catch that his colors
are ash gray and charcoal.
So first of all, Ash, like Master Ash,
who also has white hair, BTW.
And also actually ash like ashes in a fire,
like, oh yeah, cinders.
But also-also, actually-actually,
when you have gray ash and charcoal,
do you know what you specifically don't have?
Fire.
It means you recently had fire, but now you're cold.
Get it?
Not enough though. Need more?
No worries.
Because speaking of Master Ash though, guess what?
When Kvothe tells Denna that he's been working
in the Maer's court, Denna responds,
"Oh well, then maybe you've already met my patron
"because he's also a frequenter of the court."
Oh, is he now?
Because you know who else is a frequenter of the court?
Bredon, who Kvothe has indeed met.
And I know that might sound like a lead
because there's just so many random members
of the court anyway.
But going back to the Cthaeh, remember he also tells Kvothe
that Denna's patron has recently started beating her
with his walking stick.
"Two days ago he used his walking stick.
"That was new.
"Welts the size of your thumb under her clothes."
First of all, that sounds extremely painful.
And so second of all,
do you know who happens to have a walking stick?
Bredon.
And not just a walking stick, mind you,
a fancy walking stick.
It says it is, "A polished silver handle,
"wrought in the shape of a snarling wolf's head."
Yeah, that doesn't sound threatening at all.
A wolf indeed.
Do you mean perhaps like a a wolf in sheep's clothing?
Uh yeah, no.
I think it's exactly like a wolf in sheep's clothing,
or maybe more specifically a wolf in dog's clothing.
Later on in "The Wise Man's Fear"
when Kvothe is out hunting bandits in the Eld,
he is discussing the woods with his woodsman Marten,
and Marten is describing them as wild.
They seem tame, but make no mistake, they're wild.
Here is the comparison he uses.
"I looked around.
"'It looks the same as most other forests I've seen."
"'A wolf looks like a dog,' Marten said simply.
"'But it's not.'"
The same goes for Bredon.
He looks like a dog, like your best friend, but he's not.
He's a wolf, and it's right there on his walking stick.
Okay, J, sure.
But how could Bredon be Cinder
if we knew that Cinder is out in the Eld
leading the very bandits you just mentioned?
Excellent point. Excellent point.
But do you know who happens to leave the city
just before Kvothe goes hunting the bandits?
Bredon.
In fact, Kvothe laments this fact.
"Making things worse was that the fact that Bredon
"had left Severen several days ago
"to visit some nearby relatives.
"I didn't realize how much I'd come to depend on him
"until he was gone."
And then again, "I sent a ring to Bredon,
"but the runner returned with the news
"that he was still away from the estate."
Those two quotes are just five chapters apart.
And that second chapter is the very one
in which the Maer asks Kvothe to go hunting the bandits.
"'I suppose you've heard the trouble on the roads of late?'
"'Only rumors, your grace.'
"'Rumors I have been trying to keep quiet.
"'Someone has been waylaying my tax collectors
"'on the north road.'"
Right. Right.
So Bredon leaves, and then five chapters later
there are bandits on the north road,
which, thanks to the court gossip,
we also know is the same direction away from the court
in which Bredon lives.
"Even Bredon made an appearance.
"He was said to conduct pagan rituals in the secluded woods
"outside his northern estates.
"They were described with such extravagant
"and meticulous detail that I wondered
"if they weren't copied directly from the pages
"of some old Aturan romance."
Aw, look at Kvothe dismissing important information
because he trusts Bredon
instead of recognizing that this isn't gossip at all
and it's exactly what's happening!
Oh my gosh, if I had a jot for every single time
Kvothe failed to look at something obvious
because he thinks he's smarter than the situation,
I would have I don't know how much money
because it's really hard to keep up
with the currency in these books, but a lot.
But the real question is why, right?
Like if Cinder wants to kill Kvothe,
why isn't he just killing him?
Why is he instead playing games of tak with him in disguise?
Like if the Chandrian are really trying to wipe out anyone
who knows anything about them, then what gives?
Well, honestly we don't have to guess
because I think Bredon literally tells us
and Kvothe the answer.
"My plan is to insinuate myself into your favor now.
"I will make myself useful and entertaining.
"I will provide conversation and a way to pass the time.
"Then when your star grows ascendant and the Maer's sky,
"I may find myself in possession
"of an unexpectedly useful friend."
Okay, so this is obviously more in the context
the royal standing, status, favors, et cetera.
But let's look at it through the lens of Cinder.
Why would Cinder need Kvothe's help for anything?
Because he's already a pretty mighty evil powerful force.
Why does he need Kvothe?
Well, who is Cinder beholden to?
And gold star if you can see where I'm going with this.
Haliax.
From Kvothe's first encounter with the Chandrian,
we know that Haliax knows Cinder's true name,
and thus has power over him.
"'Refresh me again as to our relationship, Cinder,'
"the shadowed man said,
"a deep sliver of anger running through his patient tone.
"'I-- I am in your service.'
"Cinder made a placating gesture.
"'You are a tool in my hand,'
"the shadowed man interrupted gently.
"'Nothing more.'
"A hint of defiance touched Cinder's expression.
"He paused. 'I wo-'
"The soft voice went as hard as a rod of Ramston steel.
"'Ferula.'"
Cinder is under Haliax's rein,
and not because he necessarily believes in Haliax's mission
or his pecking order, or even especially the pecking order,
but because Haliax knows the true inner workings
of Cinder's name.
And I think this is why he needs Kvothe
because he needs someone who has a knack for naming,
who can potentially understand the inner workings
of Haliax's name.
And to be honest, we've already seen Kvothe demonstrate
this exact ability on powerful living beings like Felurian.
And this is a feat we know he accomplished
thanks to Elodin.
Kvothe thinks he subdues Felurian by calling the wind,
but Elodin clarifies.
"But I think there's more to your story than you realize.
"You called more than the wind.
"From what you've said,
"I believe you called Felurian's name itself."
What's so crazy and great about it
is that Bredon is literally telling Kvothe his plan,
just not in a context Kvothe can recognize.
"'Any man that's half a weight can spot a trap
"'that's laid for him.
"'But to stride in boldly with a plan to turn it on its ear,
"'that is a marvelous thing.'
"He smiled without any of the grimness leaving his face.
"'To set a trap and know someone will come in wary,
"'ready with a trick of their own, then beat them.
"'That is twice marvelous.'"
Remember in the last video how we talked about
just how unlikely it was that on the very day
Kvothe is supposed to meet Denna for lunch,
there's a fire in the Fishery and he has to miss it,
and instead Denna meets her patron?
Or was it a coincidence there was a draccus,
a creature that can breathe blue fire,
right next to the Mauthen Farm days after it was destroyed
by very clearly the Chandrian?
And that Master Ash happened to be there?
Is it a coincidence that Kvothe is literally across the map
from the university and he runs into none other than Denna
when he can never find her,
even when she's just a mile away?
More like a coinci-Denna, am I right? (chuckles)
No, I am not right because they are not coincidences.
It's all a long con.
Cinder has laid his trap
and Kvothe is ready to come barging in
with a trap of his own,
traveling the world, learning every skill imaginable.
But Cinder is going to beat him anyway
because he arranged the whole thing beautifully.
There you go, guys.
That's our theory.
Cinder is using Kvothe to defeat Haliax.
Kvothe will learn Haliax's name,
bring him down, win the day, and oh no!
Now Cinder's in charge. Whoops.
But my question for you and everyone else is,
who else do you think is Cinder?
Because I don't think it stops just Bredon and Master Ash.
I think he's popping up in a few other places as well.
But let me know your thoughts
in the towel section down below.
Guys, thanks as always for watching today's video.
Don't forget to leave a like on it if you haven't already,
and subscribe so you don't miss any future
"Name of the Wind" content from us.
If you want to know Kvothe's true last name,
you can check out this video right here.
But Ben, until next time,
I will see you in another life, brother.