Wise Man's Fear II (SPOILERS)

[highvolt]

I think the abundance of "I"s is just because the word "I" is always capitalized.

I would rather look only at the capitals that would not normally be capitalized, but I'm not too hopeful of finding anything -- I think it's just imitating old documents where many words are capitalized.

I don't think it is just imitating old documents with random capital letters because she doesn't do that in any of her other letters as far as I remember.

I wonder if the different spellings of "furtherance" have something to do with it.... Like the changing vowels go in between letters somehow.... I'm really bad at breaking codes ;_;

But I think this is exactly the kind of thing PR would do for those clever enough to decode it...

[Fire From Heaven]

Hello all. Have just read this book and thought it was pretty good, although Kvoth's abrupt change from slightly prudish virgin to pants man and sexual dynamo was a bit hard to take. I just felt embarrassed for the author really. But anyway, I have a question:

At the end when Kvoth returns to the University, him and the person responsible for tuition fees cook up a little scam between them based on the fact that Kvoth's expenses (regardless of amount) are now being covered by the Maer. But I don't understand how this works. Because Kvoth and the other guy get more money the higher the tuition is set, when if they were ripping off the Maer, then surely the opposite would be true? i.e the less the tuition fee actually was, the more "profit" on top they would be able to overcharge the Maer. But when Kvoth is charged the whopping sum of 50 talents, they act like christmas has come early.

So they must be ripping off the university, not the Maer. Is this right? I found it a bit confusing. If they are ripping of the University then it is a monumentally stupid thing to do.

[jurble]

So they must be ripping off the university, not the Maer. Is this right? I found it a bit confusing. If they are ripping of the University then it is a monumentally stupid thing to do.

That's the way I understood it.

[Thaykora]

These might be dumb questions, but perhaps there's more to it... Below is the map on the official PR website. I have a few questions about it.

Note: While writing and researching this post I stumbled onto some interesting information that could be useful, so let's start with that. I was looking for different maps when I found this website. They sell different collectors items from popular authors. One of the items that had already sold was the colored pencil map PR drew in 2003 upon his agents request. This map is also included at the bottom. Lastly, but unrelated to this post, a number of early versions of the books had also been sold (click the SOLD OUT BOOKS link). They contain changes and additional chapters. Finding someone with one, or trying to read some of the text in the pictures might prove to have some useful information.

Anyway, my questions about the map:

1.) Edit:I was right. Dumb question, obvious answer!

2.) If you assume the colored outlines are the boundaries of each 'kingdom', what reason is there to have little bits of kingdoms that are so far away? The Aturan Empire has little bits they lay claim to all over the map in seemingly random areas. As does Vintas south of Yll. The reason I ask is because these little bits don't seem to have military or political use, and they wouldn't be colonies. Not to mention, PRs original map didn't have these at all! I had the impression that the different corners of the map were more like regions based on culture, and less based on firm ownership of land. Can anyone think of parts of the book that would explain this? Or why PR would add these?

3.) Of all the cities listed on the map, have they all been mentioned in the books? Or are there a few that have had little or no mention? Why are they on the map, yet other really important places missing?

4.) What have the books said about: The Small Kingdoms? Does anything lie south of Vintas? What about the rest of the world? Could the cities of The Creation War been elsewhere off the map?

5.) This could be nitpicking but why is The Great Stone Road such a perfect line?

-1591-p.jpg"](Link)

(Link)

[Gaston de Foix]

I don't think it is just imitating old documents with random capital letters because she doesn't do that in any of her other letters as far as I remember.

I wonder if the different spellings of "furtherance" have something to do with it.... Like the changing vowels go in between letters somehow.... I'm really bad at breaking codes ;_;

But I think this is exactly the kind of thing PR would do for those clever enough to decode it...

what exactly would the code be? If you put together the words first letters you just get nonsense. If you put together the letter following the capitalised word, you still get nonsense. I believe that Rothfuss has put the letter in there for a reason, but I'm mystified as to its purpose, beyond informing us Denna is in Yll and learning the harp.

[Gaston de Foix]

These might be dumb questions, but perhaps there's more to it... Below is the map on the official PR website. I have a few questions about it.

Note: While writing and researching this post I stumbled onto some interesting information that could be useful, so let's start with that. I was looking for different maps when I found this website. They sell different collectors items from popular authors. One of the items that had already sold was the colored pencil map PR drew in 2003 upon his agents request. This map is also included at the bottom. Lastly, but unrelated to this post, a number of early versions of the books had also been sold (click the SOLD OUT BOOKS link). They contain changes and additional chapters. Finding someone with one, or trying to read some of the text in the pictures might prove to have some useful information.

Anyway, my questions about the map:

1.) What are the 3 yellow circles (with a black dot in their center)? One appears to be Tarbean, which we known is a HUGE HUGE city. The 2nd appears to be for The Great Stone Road, but it's odd that it would have a specific location associated with it when it already has that long red line to show where it is. Lastly, what on earth is with the last yellow dot on the back of the Tinker's donkey? Is it meant to show some third city that lies south of Vintas, or is it making a reference to the Tinker's supplies? *PRs original drawing of this map notes "There should be a Tinker here."

If they're not all cities, they could be important locations? Maybe ancient cities? References to parts of the plot? Some other clue? Or I'm completely retarded right now and I'm missing something obvious.

2.) If you assume the colored outlines are the boundaries of each 'kingdom', what reason is there to have little bits of kingdoms that are so far away? The Aturan Empire has little bits they lay claim to all over the map in seemingly random areas. As does Vintas south of Yll. The reason I ask is because these little bits don't seem to have military or political use, and they wouldn't be colonies. Not to mention, PRs original map didn't have these at all! I had the impression that the different corners of the map were more like regions based on culture, and less based on firm ownership of land. Can anyone think of parts of the book that would explain this? Or why PR would add these?

3.) Of all the cities listed on the map, have they all been mentioned in the books? Or are there a few that have had little or no mention? Why are they on the map, yet other really important places missing?

4.) What have the books said about: The Small Kingdoms? Does anything lie south of Vintas? What about the rest of the world? Could the cities of The Creation War been elsewhere off the map?

5.) This could be nitpicking but why is The Great Stone Road such a perfect line?

-1591-p.jpg"](Link)

(Link)

These are brilliant questions Thaykora.

1. Agreed the first is Tarbean, which is a port city and the circle is currently marked. I don't have a clear answer about the second but here's what it's not: it's not any place Kvothe has visited in the books since he hasn't been to the Aturan empire since coming of age. It might, might be where Kvothe met Abenthy for the first time but my guess is that its true significance is yet to be revealed. As for the third yellow dot, no clue at all.

2. The Aturan Empire and Vint have navies that have allowed them to colonise these parts which have valuable raw materials.

3. All the cities on the map have been mentioned

4. The Tahlenwald are over the mountains from Ademre, and probably in the upper right hand corner extreme.

5. The Great Stone Road is a legacy of the old empire, Ergen and covers its breadth. The University is at one end of the road which makes it likely that the university is in the ruins of what was once an ancient city in Ergen.

[jurble]

5. The Great Stone Road is a legacy of the old empire, Ergen and covers its breadth. The University is at one end of the road which makes it likely that the university is in the ruins of what was once an ancient city in Ergen.

We actually came to a guess about which city the University was, either this thread or the last one - Belen, based on the address of the letter Kvothe writes to Ambrose posing as a pregnant girl.

[Garlan the Gallant]

The seven of us looked at each other. The only sound in the room was the tapping of Elodin’s chalk. “Which one is the most important?” I asked.

Elodin made a disgusted noise. “I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t read them.” He wrote En Temerant Voistra on the board and circled it. “I don’t even know if this one is in the Archives at all.” He put a question mark next to it and continued to write. “I will tell you this. None of them are in Tomes. I made sure of that. You’ll have to hunt for them in the Stacks. You’ll have to earn them.”

Look at that! He wrote the name of the book AFTER he said he hadnt read any of the PREVIOUS titles. Meaning that he could have read En Temerant Voistra. Furthermore, he believes its not in the Archives. The only books to not be in the archives have to do with the Chandrian, Creation War, Amyr, or possibly Naming. Zing!

As per Denna learning Yllish, this:

Ive grown slender of late.

Yll is lovely, all rolling hills. I find the weather quite to my liking, it is warmer and the air smells of the sea. It seems I might pass an entire winter without being brought to bed by my lungs. My first in years.

I have spent some time afloat as well, and learned all manner of sailor’s knots...

It could just be that she learned her Yllish from sailors and nothing more. After all, the book that Kvothe bought from the book dealer on Yllish was believed to be on sailors knots. Food for thought.

But, just in case:

Letters supposed to be capitalized:

K I I I I I I Y I I I M I S K S I I A M T S I T I I A Y I I I I N I I I I I Y D P I

Letters not supposed to be capitalized:

Y O O S S H C W F F K M L

In order:

K I I Y I I O I O S Y I I I M I S K S S H I A C I A M T S S I I T I I A I I W I F F K Y I I I I M L N I I I I I Y D P I

[Jerec]

If you click those dots on this website http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/content/world.asp then you get some info. That's all it is.

[undarkholer]

So they must be ripping off the university, not the Maer. Is this right? I found it a bit confusing. If they are ripping of the University then it is a monumentally stupid thing to do.

I read it as the University, and not the bursar personally, getting the other half of the surplus. But in either case, that surplus only exists because Kvothe is intentionally throwing admissions - otherwise he'd have his usual single digit tuition and no one would benefit from the Maer's blank check. How that's easier, or less criminal, then the two artificially inflating his legitimate tuition after the fact is beyond me; perhaps the lack of a paper trail?

[The Iceman of the North]

I read it as the University, and not the bursar personally, getting the other half of the surplus. But in either case, that surplus only exists because Kvothe is intentionally throwing admissions - otherwise he'd have his usual single digit tuition and no one would benefit from the Maer's blank check. How that's easier, or less criminal, then the two artificially inflating his legitimate tuition after the fact is beyond me; perhaps the lack of a paper trail?

It's the paper trail. If the admission was set at 10, and the bursar charged 20, this would certainly be revealed sooner or later.

[unJon]

Ether way it's a paper trail. Admission set at 20 and bursar charges 10 for University. 5 for Kvothe and 5 for Bursar.

[Slick Mongoose]

Yes, there is a paper trail either way. I wonder if the bursar gets audited? Probably not, else he wouldn't do it.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

With Hemme at the helm, with Hemme's knowledge of Kvothe's poverty, with Kvothe's sudden influx of cash and his willingness to spend it, I think this is what will get Kvothe expelled. It fits with the "anti-epic" nature of this story. It's the hero's own graft and corruption that brings him to public ruin.

[Mad Scientist]

I've read along for some time and - after finally reaching the end of this thread - registered. This won't be a very long post and I don't have to contribute something entirely new. You guys have already discussed so much, most of which things I didn't even notice when reading. Some things funny (the Manet-mania), some things really interesting (the Namers/Shapers/creation war stuff, Kvothe's mother and so on).

First a question:

Does anyone know if the moon is still "normal" (waxing and waning as usual) in the Kote-time? I don't have my books here so I can't look it up.

As to the kingkilling: What if the king whom Kvothe kills is he himself? We know that most people believe him dead (and he has had his share in this).

Perhaps not very probable, but still ... We don't know exactly how succession in Yll works, so it remains possible. Some of you have mentioned that Kvothe would be quite high in the line of succession if illegitimate children can inherit.

[thistlepong]

The night Carter brings the scraeling into the Waystone, there's no moon. At the end of WMF, the moon is in the sky.

[Edit: moon in sky, not on sky]

[The Iceman of the North]

Yes, there is a paper trail either way. I wonder if the bursar gets audited? Probably not, else he wouldn't do it.

First, I'm not sure if the bursar kept part of the money for himself, my impression was that the extra money was for the University. Secondly, faking a reason for handing out some money is much easier than tampering with the protocol from the admission. All you need for the former is make a false receipt, for the latter there'll be a discrepancy between the amount withdrawn from the bank and the admission protocol (or accounts).

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

We need a new thread, folks.

[Slick Mongoose]

"The thrice-opened thread of Pat the Bloodless"

[Stego]

With Hemme at the helm, with Hemme's knowledge of Kvothe's poverty, with Kvothe's sudden influx of cash and his willingness to spend it, I think this is what will get Kvothe expelled. It fits with the "anti-epic" nature of this story. It's the hero's own graft and corruption that brings him to public ruin.

I am telling you that they would not have built up the secret entrance to the library if that was not how Kvothe gets expelled. Without a doubt, giving this secret away is the thing that does it.