KKC Theory Wiki

Puppet Was Once Master Archivist and Is a Secret Member of the Amyr

fringe identity · popularity 219 · 1 source thread

Puppet's privileged status in the Archives and his live fire suggest he was once Master Archivist and may be an Amyr agent.

About: Puppet, The Amyr, The Archives

Also involves: Master Lorren, The Chandrian, The University, Elodin, Naming, The Four-Plate Door

The theory§

Puppet is an eccentric, near-reclusive scriv who lives deep within the Archives, granted liberties no ordinary student enjoys, including the only live fire permitted inside the stacks. The theory holds that he once held the post of Master Archivist before some quiet catastrophe stripped him of it, an upheaval possibly tied to Elodin's troubled period as Chancellor. From this, two readings of his privileged fire follow: that Puppet and Master Lorren are both secret Amyr, and the flame is kept burning so its turning blue would warn of the Chandrian drawing near; or that Puppet knows the Name of Fire and lives among the books as a living failsafe, able to quell any blaze that threatens the irreplaceable collection. His unusually deep knowledge of where books lie, and the heavy narrative buildup before he ever appears, are taken as marks of a former master and a figure of real importance to come.

Evidence§

  • I assume Loren wouldn’t let just any cracked scriv live in the archives? Also puppet seems to know about the importance and potentially what is held behind the 4 plate door. Seems like some master level stuff.
    OP's core argument: Puppet's privileged residence and deep knowledge suggest master-level status. — u/AcesErrorTheory
  • Theories that both him and Master Lorren are members of the Amyr. Basically the reason for him being the only one allowed to light a fire inside the archive is to notice it turning blue in the chance the chandrian go nearby
    Top reading: Puppet and Lorren are Amyr; the live fire warns of Chandrian via blue flame. — u/felipeefl
  • Considering also that puppets rooms are the ONLY place in the archives with live fire. He seems like a former master or at the very least a VERY ACCOMPLISHED guiller.
    Refines: the unique live-fire privilege marks him a former master or accomplished guilder. — u/clemjones88
  • There are a few clues that something big happened at the university some years before Qvothe arrived. If puppet was master archivist, it would have been around the time Elodin was chancellor.
    Adds: ties his loss of the post to a prior catastrophe during Elodin's chancellorship. — u/wazir
  • Maybe he knows the name of the fire and he LIVES inside of the archives exactly because of that. He is the plan B in case a fire happens, he will be able to stop the fire. That's why he never gets out.
    CounterCounter-reading of the fire: he is a living failsafe who knows the Name of Fire. — u/Rucs3
  • And Puppet has a lot o' books in his room. Stolen from the shelves maybe? And he seems to talk bout the place of that book to Kvothe with certainty. Like and old archivist telling where the given book would be located in his system.
    Adds evidence: his certainty about book locations reads like a former archivist's system. — u/S6BaFa
  • We learned about pupper in book 1 ages before we saw him. The build up was massive. … i surmise he is extremely important to the plot.
    Adds: heavy narrative planting before his appearance signals major plot importance. — u/_jericho
  • Every always thinks puppet had candles burning I think he created the illusion of having lit candles with glamour
    CounterCounter: the privileged fire may be illusory glamour, undercreating the live-fire premise. — u/CalumSCO

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier downgraded: Master-Archivist identity rests on stacked inference, not direct text

Contributors§

Source threads§