Jaqen H'ghar Theory

[King Basswobble I]

So I just finished the prologue to aFfC and I have a theory about the alchemist.

I believe that the alchemist is Jaqen H'ghar. If you can remember back to aCoK when Arya was with Jaqen for the last time, Arya said that his face started to change into a different face. It was also said that Jaqen's new face had a scar on his right side. The alchemist has the same type of scar, the scar is showed faintly though. This makes sense because the events in aCoK happened propably two years before aFfC. Also, the way the alchemist acts and talks seems similar to Jaqen.

I am going out on a limb with this last piece of "evidence" but the alchemist's purpose was to help Pate out and give him a coin. Jaqen gave Arya a coin.

I don't know but I would be glad to hear your guys opinions on this. I haven't read past this part so if this is explained later in the book, don't spoil it for me.

Also my first post.

[ultimo12]

It hasn't been explained so far in the books, but most readers agree with your theory.

[TurkeyRod]

I thought it was more of a sinister trick. Jaquen says "You will never know." to Pate at the end of the Prologue. I kind of took that as he was

a) about to die

b) lacking the intelligence to comprehend the alchemists sorcery. (Throughout the prologue Pates intelligence is laughed at publicly.)

[Tellus Explorer]

Welcome to the forum, :D

I like your theory! The best Jaqen possibility I've read.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Welcome, OP! :D

That the Alchemist is Jaqen is a widely accepted theory. OP, you are definitly correct about the scar, but comparing the rest of Arya's description of Jaqens new face and the description of the rest of the Alchemists face that Pate provides us with, shows even more resemblance.

As to helping Pate out.. it seems to be rather clear that Pate is dying in the last lines of the chapter ;) So I wouldn't call it helping Pate out. More hints as to how Pate died can be found in Dance, so keep your eyes open when coming across chapters involving FM there, would be my advice. ;)

[manishramesh]

OK, here is a theory. It is quite obvious that the man who claims to be an alchemist is a faceless man, the question of weather it was Jaqen H'ghar, I think is irrelevant, because the person who serves the many faced god has no identity, so in my view every faceless man is to be considered as a single person. Remember the Arya chapters... "who are you child?" - "I am no one". Also I think wearing different faces makes the wearer forget his/her own identity as time goes by. If you have read the AWOW chapter "Mercy" I think you will know what I am talking about.

I think the real mystery is why pate was killed ans what does the key unlock? I have a theory about that as well.

What does the key unlock?

I think the key unlocks the vault that holds the rare book "dragons and fire wyrms and their unnatural history".

Why do the faceless men want it?

Because they want to kill Danny's dragons. and the secret of how to kill a dragon is in that book,

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

OK, here is a theory. It is quite obvious that the man who claims to be an alchemist is a faceless man, the question of weather it was Jaqen H'ghar, I think is irrelevant, because the person who serves the many faced god has no identity, so in my view every faceless man is to be considered as a single person. Remember the Arya chapters... "who are you child?" - "I am no one". Also I think wearing different faces makes the wearer forget his/her own identity as time goes by. If you have read the AWOW chapter "Mercy" I think you will know what I am talking about.

I think the real mystery is why pate was killed ans what does the key unlock? I have a theory about that as well.

What does the key unlock?

I think the key unlocks the vault that holds the rare book "dragons and fire wyrms and their unnatural history".

Why do the faceless men want it?

Because they want to kill Danny's dragons. and the secret of how to kill a dragon is in that book,

Then why is he still around at the end of the book, several months after getting possession of the key?

[manishramesh]

Then why is he still around at the end of the book, several months after getting possession of the key?

Are you talking about Pate? because I think the prologue is the last time we see the alchemist unless I missed some thing, it's been 4 years since I read AFFC.

Do we see the Alchemist again in one of the Samwell Chapter? I don't think so.. but if you are asking why Pate is still around, I think he was resurrected by the arch maester who specializes in magic, I forget his name, after finding him dead and the book missing in the vault to find out who stole the book.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Are you talking about Pate? because I think the prologue is the last time we see the alchemist unless I missed some thing, it's been 4 years since I read AFFC.

Do we see the Alchemist again in one of the Samwell Chapter? I don't think so.. but if you are asking why Pate is still around, I think he was resurrected by the arch maester who specializes in magic, I forget his name, after finding him dead and the book missing in the vault to find out who stole the book.

We see Pate walking around, Pate who obviously died in the first chapter. Pate, who, instead of showing anger and bitterness about being named after Spotted Pate the pig boy, now introduces himself telling "like the pig boy". That's a big character change.

Necromancy is not practised at the Citadel. The one person who tried to do so (Qyburn) was kicked out and had his chain taken away. So resurrection does not seem to have occured, but we can tell that there is sonething different about Pate.. why wouldn't he now be the guy who can wear other people's faces and who killed Pate?

[manishramesh]

I am new to this forum, I didn't know that " Pate is actually the FM in disguise" is a well know theory. but I don't think Pate is actually the FM in disguise because in the Samwell chapter, as i remember pate is described as pale as a corpes or something, and as far as I know, when FM put on Faces they don't look any different than the person

And even if it is the FM pretending to be pate, there are many reasons the FM would still stick around.The key is supposed to be some sort of master key which opens all the locks in the citadel, it may be possible that the vault could not be opened by the key or the FM has not been able to find the vault yet. he knows that the arch maester means to travel to Easos to meet Danny so Its the best way for the FM to reach Danny, and get close to her.

I think its this particular book they are after because of Tyrion mentions the book in ADWD saying it is locked up in deep vault of the citidal, and so far this is the only thing of value in the citadel that is mentioned in the books.

[manishramesh]

We see Pate walking around, Pate who obviously died in the first chapter. Pate, who, instead of showing anger and bitterness about being named after Spotted Pate the pig boy, now introduces himself telling "like the pig boy". That's a big character change.

Necromancy is not practised at the Citadel. The one person who tried to do so (Qyburn) was kicked out and had his chain taken away. So resurrection does not seem to have occured, but we can tell that there is sonething different about Pate.. why wouldn't he now be the guy who can wear other people's faces and who killed Pate?

And necromancy is forbidden in the Citadel yes, but we can assume that the arch maester is a maverick and does it without the knowledge of the other maesters, even the practice and study of magic is frowned upon in the citadel but he does it anyways, and we know he has studied the dark arts.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

I am new to this forum, I didn't know that " Pate is actually the FM in disguise" is a well know theory. but I don't think Pate is actually the FM in disguise because in the Samwell chapter, as i remember pate is described as pale as a corpes or something, and as far as I know, when FM put on Faces they don't look any different than the person

And even if it is the FM pretending to be pate, there are many reasons the FM would still stick around.The key is supposed to be some sort of master key which opens all the locks in the citadel, it may be possible that the vault could not be opened by the key or the FM has not been able to find the vault yet. he knows that the arch maester means to travel to Easos to meet Danny so Its the best way for the FM to reach Danny, and get close to her.

I think its this particular book they are after because of Tyrion mentions the book in ADWD saying it is locked up in deep vault of the citidal, and so far this is the only thing of value in the citadel that is mentioned in the books.

Marwyn decided to go to Dany only after Sam had arrived. Before, he had no such plans. So the FM we see in the prologue could not have known that Marwyn would decide months from then that he wanted to go to Dany.

And necromancy is forbidden in the Citadel yes, but we can assume that the arch maester is a maverick and does it without the knowledge of the other maesters, even the practice and study of magic is frowned upon in the citadel but he does it anyways, and we know he has studied the dark arts.

Why can we assume that he practises necromancy without the knowledge of the other maesters?

Study of magic is looked down upon, but there are maesters who do it, since it is not forbidden, which necromancy is.

[manishramesh]

Marwyn decided to go to Dany only after Sam had arrived. Before, he had no such plans. So the FM we see in the prologue could not have known that Marwyn would decide months from then that he wanted to go to Dany.

Why can we assume that he practises necromancy without the knowledge of the other maesters?

Study of magic is looked down upon, but there are maesters who do it, since it is not forbidden, which necromancy is.

well, how can we be sure the Qyburn was the only one who ever practiced necromancy? we can assume that there are book in the citedel that deals with the subject because even Qyburn had to learn all that stuff from somewhere. And even if Qyburn was the one who started the research on necromancy wont other maesters find this subject fascinating enough to risk studying it. I mean this is powerful shit and a lot of people would risk expulsion from an order that wont let you have sex for the power to raise the dead, especial a maester who has dedicated his life to the study of paranormal

[manishramesh]

Marwyn decided to go to Dany only after Sam had arrived. Before, he had no such plans. So the FM we see in the prologue could not have known that Marwyn would decide months from then that he wanted to go to Dany.

Why can we assume that he practises necromancy without the knowledge of the other maesters?

Study of magic is looked down upon, but there are maesters who do it, since it is not forbidden, which necromancy is.

and about him deciding to leave for Easos after Sam shows up. you are right as I said its been a while since I read AFFC. but the other reasons for staying are valid I think.