KKC Theory Wiki

How the Amyr Hide History: Secret Writing Only Initiates Can Read

plausible mechanism · popularity 79 · 1 source thread

Historical records aren't deleted but written in a magical script readable only by the initiated, hiding truth in plain sight.

About: The Amyr

Also involves: The Chandrian, Denna, The Eolian, Master Lorren, The Archives, Yllish Knots

The theory§

This theory reframes the suppression of Amyr and Chandrian history in Temerant: rather than destroying or altering countless books across the world, the censors encode their records in a magical script that conveys meaning only to those magically read in, while appearing blank to everyone else. The proposed mechanism is the kind of magic Denna alludes to, writing that becomes true for a reader regardless of whether they understand its language. The strongest textual hooks are the Chandrian entry in the children's book Kvothe reads, which is the only one without a picture, just an empty page framed in decorative scrollwork, and the foreign writing on the Mauthen pot that didn't say anything. A recurring refinement identifies the concealing script with Yllish knot-work, which resembles scrollwork and which Denna appears to understand; this would also raise the chilling possibility that the Chandrian's names, written invisibly on such artifacts, could be read aloud and accidentally summon them. The main objection is practical: encoded writing only protects what the order itself writes, not what others record about them, and copied editions would lose any hidden ink.

Evidence§

  • What if the Amyr (or whomever is the true culprit behind doctoring historical records in Temerant) aren't censoring the information at all, but instead writing it in a way only they can read?
    OP's core claim: records are encoded, not deleted. — u/bluesy22
  • what if whenever something secret like that is written, it is written using the magic that Denna described at the Eolian...a magic that makes things true for the reader, even if they can't understand the language in which the message is written?
    Proposed mechanism: Denna's magic writing readable only by initiates. — u/bluesy22
  • it makes more sense to me than a campaign to somehow alter (potentially) hundreds of thousands of books all over the world WITHOUT NEING NOTICED...even if you're using three thousand people and taking five thousand years to do it. You simply would not be able to swim against the current of new information.
    Argues encoding is more plausible than mass book alteration. — u/bluesy22
  • Of course, the Chandrian were the only entry without a picture. Instead there was just an empty page framed in decorative scrollwork. The accompanying poem was less than useless...
    Textual hook: blank scrollwork-framed page suggests concealed writing. — u/PlaytheBoard
  • the written magic that denna mentioned is probably yillish knots, because: 1. She seems to have an understanding of yillish knots to some degree. 2. When Kvothe learned yillish it was mentioned that there was dual possession. 3. The book focused more then necessary on yillish knots.
    Refinement: identifies the concealing script as Yllish knot-work. — u/Abject-Treat-8632
  • There's a blank page in the Chandrian section of a book with scrollwork around the edges, Gibea has scrollwork in his journal, and Kvothe references Yllish as looking like scrollwork.
    Adds corroborating instances linking scrollwork to Yllish. — u/antiworkist
  • I would point at the writing on the mauthern pot. 'It was all foreign writing. It didn't say anything'. Now If this magic was used to write the chandrians names on the pot as well, then the reader could accidentally summon them without knowing it.
    Extends theory: hidden names could accidentally summon Chandrian. — u/MattyTangle
  • this wouldn't solve the issue about people recording or writing about the Amyr. It only solves the issue of what the Amyr write. And that's only first editions. Texts get copied periodically. The invisible ink would be gone
    CounterCounter: encoding only protects the order's own writing; copies lose it. — u/PompousRooster
  • I don't understand where is the proof supporting your theory.
    CounterCounter: questions the evidentiary basis; Yllish isn't forbidden. — u/Vardil

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier kept: plausible, has textual hooks

Contributors§

Source threads§