KKC Theory Wiki

Cinder Was Disguised as Master Ash During the Fishery Fire

plausible identity · popularity 58 · 1 source thread

The unnatural cold that sparked the Fishery fire marks Cinder's presence as Denna leaves with the white-haired Master Ash.

About: Cinder, Master Ash, The Fishery

Also involves: Denna, The Chandrian, Fela, Kvothe, The Eolian

The theory§

This theory connects the fire at the Fishery to Cinder, whose Chandrian sign is an unnatural chill. The blaze begins when a sealed canister of bone-tar grows so cold that the metal shatters like glass on the stone floor, an anomaly that fits the cold radiating from Cinder rather than ordinary volatile alchemy. On the same day Kvothe is delayed rescuing Fela from the fire, Denna leaves the Eolian with an older, white-haired man and first speaks of her patron, Master Ash. Because Cinder is described with white hair and drifts of snow about him in Nina's account of the Chandrian pot, the theory places him nearby, possibly in the guise of Master Ash, and reads the fire as a working that kept Kvothe away while Cinder collected Denna. The chain is contested: Cinder's cold seems to require close proximity, the conspiracy of perfectly timed events is heavy for so simple a goal, and the Cthaeh's remark that it has met Cinder twice complicates a clean Ash-equals-Cinder identity.

Evidence§

  • The first time that Master Ash appears is when Kvothe fails to show up at his scheduled meeting with Denna at the Eolian. Kvothe arrives exhausted and late after saving Fela from a fire in the Fishery. The cause of the fire? The bone-tar mysteriously became **colder** than usual.
    OP's core setup: the Fishery fire stemming from unnatural cold delayed Kvothe. — u/navispacial
  • When Kvothe finally arrives at the Eolian, he discovers that Denna had left with an older **man with white hair**. **Soon after this, we see Denna commenting for the first time about Master Ash**.
    Links the timing: Denna leaves with a white-haired man, then first mentions Master Ash. — u/navispacial
  • The **Chandrian** were cursed. Signs showed their presence: blue flame, rot and rust, **a chill in the air.**
    OP-quoted lore: a chill in the air is a Chandrian sign. — u/navispacial
  • There were drifts of snow around him too, and his hair was white
    OP-quoted Nina account tying Cinder to white hair and snow/cold. — u/navispacial
  • It suggests that a member of the Chandrian, Cinder, was nearby and possibly disguised as Master Ash.
    OP's conclusion: Cinder, sign of cold, disguised as white-haired Master Ash. — u/navispacial
  • The burnished metal canister tumbled down. When it struck the stone floor, the metal was so cold it didn’t simply crack or dent, it shattered like glass. … So did the bone-tar chill the metal from the inside out, or did something chill the metal?
    Refines: the shattering cold metal may have been chilled externally, not by the tar. — u/Smurphilicious
  • I think he needs a high degree of proximity for his cold.. So if he was responsible I think (s)he must of been in the room..
    CounterCounter: Cinder's cold requires close proximity, so he would need to be present. — u/Zhorangi
  • It's an interesting connection but relies on too much conspiracy thinking for it to work.
    CounterCounter: too many perfectly timed events required for so simple a goal. — u/Kit-Carson

Book refs: NOTW, NOTW ch 62

Tier reasoning§

distinct Cinder=Ash identity theory; plausible holds, circumstantial textual support but disguise is inferential

Contributors§

Source threads§