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The Chandrian Scan the Skies Because They Fear Tehlu's Angels

plausible motive · popularity 70 · 1 source thread

When the Chandrian stop to search the sky, they are watching for the one threat that makes them flee: the Angels.

About: The Chandrian, Tehlu

Also involves: Cinder, Haliax, The Amyr, Kvothe

The theory§

On two occasions Kvothe witnesses the Chandrian halt mid-action and gaze searchingly at the sky: once when his troupe is killed, and again when he attacks the bandit camp in the Eld. This theory proposes the object of their fear is Tehlu's Angels rather than the Amyr, the Sithe, or the Singers. Haliax names the Amyr, the Sithe, and the Singers as forces he shields the Chandrian from, but these are read as dangerous yet not immediate threats, whereas approaching Angels could force even Haliax to flee. As beings of great power, the Chandrian may perceive Angels that ordinary folk cannot; Cinder's panic in the Eld may have been triggered by Martin praying. The theory connects further to the suggestion that the 'Singers' Haliax fears simply are the Angels: Skarpi describes Aleph's Angels as singing songs of power, and in 'Tehlu's Watchful Eye' Aleph speaks the Ruach's long names and they are wreathed in white fire, gaining swiftness and deep sight.

Evidence§

  • In both events when Kvothe’s troupe is killed and Kvothe attacking the bandit camp, the Chandrian stop mid action and start looking searchingly at the sky.
    OP's core observation: the Chandrian halt and scan the sky on two occasions. — u/Grap3ju1c3
  • Is it possible that they’re looking for, or at Tehlu’s Angels? Haliax mentions that he protects the Chandrian from the Amyr, the Sithe and the Singers, but what if by that he means that while dangerous, the aforementioned aren’t an immediate threat.
    OP's central claim: they scan for Angels, distinguished from non-immediate threats Haliax names. — u/Grap3ju1c3
  • Tehlu’s Angels COULD be an immediate threat and the one thing that could cause the Chandrian AND Haliax to flee. Since the Chandrian are beings of great power perhaps they can see the Angels unlike normal folk.
    OP argues Angels are the unique threat and the powerful Chandrian can perceive them. — u/Grap3ju1c3
  • at the bandit camp, Cinder heard Martin praying and started freaking out thinking that an Angel or Angels were going to show up.
    OP offers a trigger for the Eld panic: Martin's praying summoning Angels. — u/Grap3ju1c3
  • it seems they do exist in a capacity, as drawn by the Chandrian's desire to stay hidden from them before their arrival (searching the skies as you mentioned), and from when Kvothe sees one as he is losing consciousness standing over him in Tarbean
    Comment adds corroboration: Angels exist and Kvothe glimpsed one in Tarbean. — u/hitbycars
  • Scarpi describes Aleph's angels as singing songs of power. So it is highly possible that 'The Singers' and the angels are one and the same.
    Refinement: equates the 'Singers' Haliax fears with the Angels. — u/mayotte2048
  • The fire filled their mouths and they sang songs of power. … the fire settled on their foreheads like silver stars and they became at once righteous and wise and terrible to behold.
    Book quote within thread supporting Angels-as-Singers and their fearsome power. — u/Sandal-Hat
  • It's odd though, the angels are tasked to only punish actions they are direct witnesses to and the chandrian chilling out in a camp full of dead bodies is circumstantial evidence....
    CounterCounter: Angels punish only what they witness, so a camp of corpses shouldn't alarm them. — u/Salamok
  • If it were angels then they took their sweet time getting to the troupe massacre. The angels in the Eld were there within minutes.
    CounterCounter: inconsistent Angel response times between the two events weaken the theory. — u/MattyTangle

Book refs: NOTW, NOTW ch 28

Tier reasoning§

tier verified: reasonable inference from textual pattern, plausible

Contributors§

Source threads§