KKC Theory Wiki

The Fae and the World of Men Are One World Split by Mountains

fringe connection · popularity 57 · 1 source thread

The Fae may not be a separate realm but the same world divided from mortals by the iron-rich Stormwal.

About: The Fae, The Stormwal

Also involves: The Four Corners of Civilization, Selitos, Felurian, Waystone Inn, The Moon, The Chandrian, The Amyr, Naming, Shaping, Scrael

The theory§

This theory holds that the Fae and the mortal world of men are not separate planes but a single geographic world divided by the iron-rich Stormwal mountains. The reasoning leans on the early history Kvothe recounts, in which an empire's power rested on controlling the iron supply at the base of the great mountains, making an iron barrier between the two halves of one world plausible. It reads the scrael's arrival as a matter of crossed distance rather than crossed dimensions, notes that Myr Tariniel and Selitos's city were built high in the mountains like border outposts, and treats the waystones as new-moon gates that ferry travelers across the range. The theory founders, however, on the Fae's wholly different stars and its time of day that shifts with the direction one walks, and on Felurian's claim that the Fae was deliberately created rather than always present.

Evidence§

  • I think the Fae, and the (seemingly) “world of men” are the same world, **not different “realms,”** but rather the same world divided by the stormwal mountains.
    OP's core claim: one world split by mountains, not separate realms. — u/HoarsePJ
  • Early in NOTW wind Kvothe gives a brief history of the world, talking about one of the empires controlling all the area around the base of the mountains, and thus controlling the greatest supply of iron. So we know the mountains are very iron-rich, which would make them an effective barrier between the geographical Fae, and the geographical world of men.
    Iron-rich mountains could physically wall off Fae from men. — u/HoarsePJ
  • With the scrael, Kvoth and Bast are talking and say something about “how could they make it this far, so fast?” Not about moving between realms, but seemingly about simple distance.
    Scrael's arrival framed as distance crossed, not dimensions. — u/HoarsePJ
  • The city that Selitos watches over is backed up to the mountains, built into the side of it, if it is a watch-tower/first line of defense, it would be close the the enemies “border,” the mountains.
    Selitos's mountain city reads like a border outpost facing the Fae. — u/HoarsePJ
  • I think the waystone gates that lead to the Fae are essentially magic teleporters, that only work when there’s a new moon. This is the way across the mountains.
    Waystones serve as new-moon gates ferrying travelers across the range. — u/HoarsePJ
  • Waystones as teleporters = yes. (Similar to Wheel of time) … Stormwal mts a barrier = yes. … Scrael come over the mountain = yes, this is a fact. Either there is a new realm over it or it's the Fae.
    Commenter affirms barrier and waystone-gate points as plausible. — u/BlueVCoin
  • This is a neat theory, but how would it explain the completely different stars in the fae, and how the time of day there is dependent on the direction you walk?
    CounterCounter: Fae's different stars and directional time defy one geography. — u/canarytran
  • Felurian mentions that the Fae realm was created, how could it be created if it was there in the first place
    CounterCounter: Felurian says Fae was created, undercutting it being one world. — u/R1xMaadi

Book refs: NOTW

Tier reasoning§

tier correct: 'tinfoil hat' leap contradicted by Felurian

Contributors§

Source threads§