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Master Lorren Lives Permanently in the Heart of Stone Emotional State

plausible mechanism · popularity 302 · 1 source thread

Lorren's total emotional blankness suggests he holds a permanent Heart of Stone, perhaps to suppress trauma or serve as an Amyr.

About: Master Lorren

Also involves: Kvothe, Abenthy, The Amyr, The Arcanum, The University, Heart of Stone

The theory§

Master Lorren is notable for a near-total absence of visible emotion, a composure that resembles Heart of Stone, the meditative discipline Abenthy taught Kvothe to split his mind and set feeling aside. Heart of Stone is never shown being taught anywhere at the University, an absence-by-omission suggesting it is rare or restricted, perhaps reserved for the higher ranks of the Arcanum. The theory proposes that Lorren has so mastered the technique that he dwells in it almost permanently, either to wall off old trauma or to hold the cold clarity that hard choices demand. This dovetails with the recurring suspicion that Lorren is one of the Amyr, an order whose consequentialist mandate, doing terrible things for the greater good, would be far easier to bear from inside a perpetual Heart of Stone; his rigid control over the Archives can be read as his last tolerable form of that work.

Evidence§

  • I was wondering if there were some clues about anyone other than Kvothe using the Heart of Stone. My theory being that it is a high level technique only taught to the El'the … but appart from the teaching of Ben, it is never even mentionned...
    OP frames Heart of Stone as a rare El'the-only technique, otherwise unmentioned. — u/Leony_Daz
  • Lorren is apparently always extremely serious , seems like he never shows up any emotion whatshowever ... Could he be almost perpetually into the Heart of stone ?
    OP's core claim: Lorren's emotionlessness means a permanent Heart of Stone. — u/Leony_Daz
  • Maybe he lived something very similar to what Kvothe as to go through with the Charidians and he never leave this state to evade from the suffering... Or maybe is he just so focused in his job that he prefers to stay alert
    OP offers motives: walling off trauma, or job-focused alertness. — u/Leony_Daz
  • I believe there are also theories about Lorren being one of the Amyr. … I can imagine that Heart if Stone is quite useful for Amyr when they are faced with hard choices where they ought to choose the option that is in the interest of the greater good.
    Adds Amyr angle: Heart of Stone aids the order's greater-good choices. — u/theMockingbird1
  • Lorren chooses to stay in Heart of Stone to stop himself from thinking about the horrible things he did during his time as an Amyr. His work in the archives is the only Amyr-related activity he can handle now.
    Refines trauma motive: Heart of Stone suppresses guilt from past Amyr deeds. — u/the_harvan
  • I had never noticed that Heart of Stone has not been taught at the University (at least not yet) … It's one of those evidence by absence moments that are often important clues.
    Reinforces the absence-by-omission clue underpinning the theory. — u/gtkrug
  • it also seems unlikely as Devi's Alar is just as strong, but during her duel with Kvothe, emotion is written all over her face, so I don't see her using the technique.
    CounterCounter: strong Alar doesn't require Heart of Stone, weakening the rarity claim. — u/gtkrug
  • I just thought Master Lorren was just a sensible adult Master Lorren definitely shows emotion when he bans Kvothe from the archives.
    CounterCounter: Lorren does show emotion, undercutting permanent blankness. — u/rhubarbland

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

plausible: behavioural inference, not stated in text

Contributors§

Source threads§