KKC Theory Wiki

Kvothe May Have Spent Far More Than Months in the Fae

plausible timeline · popularity 67 · 1 source thread

Time-distortion hints suggest Kvothe spent many years, possibly over a century, in the Fae with Felurian.

About: Kvothe, The Fae

Also involves: Felurian, Penthe, Bast, Chronicler

The theory§

The narrative implies Kvothe's sojourn with Felurian lasted only months, but several lines hint at a far longer stay distorted by Fae time. Watching Penthe spar, Kvothe thinks 'Never in a hundred years could I do that', yet by an epilogue he takes a perfect step, the very feat he had called a century beyond him. In the frame story he tells Graham 'It's been so long' when only four months have passed, then covers the slip, and he tells Bast and Chronicler 'You're both so young.' Read together, these suggest Kvothe experienced far more time than the world around him, and may be much older than he appears, with the missing years spent in the Fae where time runs differently. Because the Waystone Inn shares its name with the waystones thought to mark the thousand doors between worlds, the inn itself could open onto the Fae, allowing a long absence the village would scarcely register.

Evidence§

  • He's talking about Felurian and the time he spent there!!!! Fuck I finally got something after 3 re-reads lmaoo
    OP's core claim: a found clue points to the duration of Kvothe's time with Felurian. — u/Stunning_Ad3424
  • when he sees Penthe fight, he says "Never is a hundred years" could I do that. And then in an epilogue it says he took a perfect step. This makes me think he spent 100+ years in the fae.
    Key evidence: a feat called a century away is later achieved, implying 100+ Fae years. — u/ZeroTheStoryteller
  • “It’s been so long. I’d almost forgotten.” Graham looks at him funny and says four months isn’t long at all. “Four months,” Kote echoed. He saw Graham watching him and hurried to add, “That can be a lifetime if you’re waiting for something.”
    Frame-story slip: Kvothe feels far more time has passed than four months, then covers it. — u/JennaNire
  • He also says to Bast and Chronicler "You're both so young."
    Further hint Kvothe perceives himself as much older than those around him. — u/pnutbuttersmellytime
  • There is a theory that he is actually much, much older than that. That he may have spent many more years in Fey and we will see that in book three.
    Generalizes the points into the central claim: Kvothe is far older, having spent years in Fae. — u/ainRingeck
  • The secret means to enter the Fae is to use naming magic (still undefined) near one of the many "thousands doors" which most of them are marked by Waystones. … The other part is how long you will remain away. This is accomplished by affixing the time amount in one's alar.
    Mechanism: Waystones plus naming control entry and how long one is gone in the Fae. — u/Kit-Carson
  • To my knowledge, the main objection to this theory is that the moon appears to track its own synodic period within the Fae with the mortal side. This makes it appear time connects the two.
    CounterCounter: the moon's synced cycle suggests Fae and mortal time are linked, not freely distorted. — u/Kit-Carson

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

distinct theory; tier fits hint-based timeline argument

Contributors§

Source threads§