KKC Theory Wiki

Caudicus Was Treating the Maer, Not Poisoning Him

fringe motive · popularity 132 · 1 source thread

Kvothe misreads Caudicus's treatment as poison; the Maer's symptoms have an innocent alternative explanation.

About: Caudicus, Maer Lerand Alveron

Also involves: Kvothe, The Cthaeh, Stapes

The theory§

This theory argues that Caudicus was genuinely treating Maer Alveron's illness rather than poisoning him, and that Kvothe, clever but not wise, leapt to a false conclusion he is too proud to question. It leans on the Maer's own testimony that his sickness began before the potions and that 'it couldn't have been Caudicus', and on the observation that the symptoms Kvothe ascribes to lead match the treatment, not the underlying disease. Kvothe's authority is challenged by his admitted ignorance of alchemy: he calls the book taken from Caudicus a resource for alchemists and watches the medicine being made without recognising any unbinding of principles. Each supposed proof, Caudicus fleeing, the dying hummingbirds, the symptoms ceasing once treatment stops, and the lead bowl, is given a benign reading, the lead possibly being alchemically altered metal of a kind long linked to elixirs. The theory's weakest point is the Maer's immediate and lasting recovery after the treatment ends, which fits a halted poisoning more cleanly than a halted cure.

Evidence§

  • The Maer states that he had an illness that doesn’t have these symptoms, and that it started before he took the potions, and that ‘it couldn’t have been Caudicus.’
    OP's core claim: the dramatic symptoms come from treatment, not the original illness. — u/chainsawx72
  • I fell ill long before Caudicus began to treat me..... I approached him to see if he could treat my illness.
    Maer's own testimony that sickness predated the treatment. — u/chainsawx72
  • The symptoms you mentioned didn’t appear until months after he started treating me. It couldn’t have been him.
    Maer absolves Caudicus specifically, key textual hook for the theory. — u/chainsawx72
  • Kvothe calls the book he takes from Caudicus ‘a resource for alchemists’ who don’t have the archives.
    Undermines Kvothe's authority: he can't read the alchemy he's judging. — u/chainsawx72
  • THE LEAD BOWL: has symbols on it, which might indicate to an alchemist that it has had the toxic principles removed.
    Benign reading of the lead: alchemically altered, not raw poison. — u/chainsawx72
  • there is a lot of alchemical connections with lead and elixirs of immortality. I think it very likely that Caudicus was using alchemically altered lead in his concoction to remedy the Maer's unknown illness which had the side effect of some lead poisoning
    Comment adds external support: lead as treatment with side effects, not assassination. — u/Sandal-Hat
  • The biggest hole is the immediate improvement in the Maer. He also continued to improve after Kwothe left.
    CounterCounter: recovery after stopping fits halted poisoning better than halted cure. — u/Macknificent12
  • In reality, he stops taking the medicine at Kvothe's suggestion, and doesn't seem to feel any further effects of the "original illness", if one exists.
    CounterCounter: no lingering illness after treatment stops weakens the theory. — u/Lawlcopt0r

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier kept: contrarian read undercut by the Maer's lasting recovery

Contributors§

Source threads§