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Kvothe Hurriedly Forges a Protective Gram in the Doors of Stone Prologue

plausible mechanism · popularity 187 · 1 source thread

The coal, iron and acid in the Waystone basement suggest Kote secretly made himself a protective gram overnight.

About: Kvothe, The Doors of Stone

Also involves: Waystone Inn, The Wise Man's Fear, Alar, Sygaldry, Maer Lerand Alveron

The theory§

The Doors of Stone prologue describes the Waystone basement reeking of coalsmoke and seared iron, tools scattered, bottles in disarray, and a spill of acid hissing over the edge of a wide stone bowl, the unmistakable signs of hurried, secret artificing. These are the same materials Kvothe gathered to forge grams in his second telling, where he names iron, coal, and etching acids among the requirements. Since each gram he has made takes less time than the last, he could plausibly have forged one overnight, provided he still holds an Alar like a blade of Ramston steel. The theory adds that Kote's undressing beside his bed may be a means of concealing the finished gram against his skin, where it works best and must be kept out of sight. Objections note that gold appears in the WMF material list but not in the prologue's, that a gram requires both Alar and sympathy Kote no longer seems to wield freely, and that the basement work might instead be his repeated attempts to open the thrice-locked chest.

Evidence§

  • Kvothe may have hurriedly made a gram in the night using iron, coal and acid.
    OP's core claim framing the theory. — u/CammJM
  • In the basement of the Waystone there was the smell of ***coal***smoke and seared ***iron***. Everywhere was the evidence of hurried work. Tools scattered, bottles left in disarray. A spill of ***acid*** hissed quietly to itself having slopped over the edge of a wide, stone bowl.
    Prologue evidence: coal, iron, acid and hurried work in the basement. — u/CammJM
  • I made several trips to Severen-Low to gather materials for Alveron’s gram. Raw gold. Nickel and ***iron***. ***Coal*** and etching ***acid***s... a gram is not particularly difficult to make if you have the proper equipment, a schema, and an Alar like a blade of Ramston steel.
    Book material list matches: iron, coal, acid needed to forge a gram. — u/CammJM
  • Each time Kvothe has made a gram it has taken less time than the previous one, so it seems feasible he could have hurriedly made one in the night. So long as he still has his *Alar like a blade of Ramston steel.*
    Argues overnight forging is plausible given decreasing time. — u/CammJM
  • And it was in the hands of the man who designed the inn as he slowly undressed himself beside a bare and narrow bed.
    Edit: undressing reread as hiding the gram, not going to bed. — u/CammJM
  • “It works best in contact with skin,” I explained. “And I need to keep it out of sight...
    Book quote tying undressing to concealing a gram against skin. — u/CammJM
  • We don't see gold in the list of the prologue, so that's why, but I don't rule out the possibility of a gram, just add to it
    CounterCounter: gold from book list is absent in the prologue. — u/Zagerer
  • I figured all the stuff in the basement was his attempts to get Into the thrice locked chest. It seemed to match up with Basts plans that he didnt try.
    CounterCounter: basement work may be attempts on the thrice-locked chest. — u/Magic-man333

Book refs: DoS prologue, WMF ch 69, WMF ch 145, WMF ch 32

Tier reasoning§

good material match in prologue text; plausible retained

Contributors§

Source threads§