KKC Theory Wiki

The Edema Ruh Were Systematically Killed for Knowing Too Much

plausible motive · popularity 292 · 1 source thread

Both the Chandrian and the Amyr targeted the Edema Ruh to suppress dangerous stories and forbidden knowledge.

About: Edema Ruh, The Chandrian, The Amyr

Also involves: Kvothe, Skarpi, Arliden

The theory§

This theory recasts the historical persecution of the Edema Ruh as a deliberate suppression campaign rather than simple bigotry. Because the Ruh 'know all the stories in the world,' they become dangerous to two factions that guard secrets: the Chandrian, who silence any troupe that learns their names and nature — as they did Kvothe's, killed after Arliden began composing the song of Lanre — and the human wing of the Amyr, who could authorize broader purges 'for the greater good' to keep forbidden truths from spreading. It further speculates the Ruh's wandering and story-keeping were once a deliberate archival mandate — to travel, witness, and preserve the one true history of the world — a charge perhaps still carried out by figures like Skarpi. The strongest historical counter notes the in-world cause is the Aturan Empire branding the Ruh roadside 'filth,' an ethnic prejudice resembling real-world persecution of the Roma; yet because that Empire was bound to the Tehlin Church, of which the Amyr were a part, the racist pretext and a deliberate purge are not mutually exclusive.

Evidence§

  • It is said that the Edema Ruh know all the stories in the world. Perhaps this has been to their detriment.
    OP's premise: the Ruh's universal story-knowledge is itself the source of their danger. — u/AcesErrorTheory
  • We know that knowledge of certain stories puts a target on one’s back. The Chandrian don’t like people having knowledge of them. The Amyr seem to have scrubbed the world of references to any particulars about them.
    Establishes both factions as secret-guarding parties motivated to silence knowledge-holders. — u/AcesErrorTheory
  • Perhaps the systematic slaughter of Ruh that gets mentioned a few times throughout the story was the sum of efforts to preserve secrecy by both the Chandrian and the human wing of the Amyr.
    Core claim: the genocide was a joint suppression campaign by Chandrian and Amyr. — u/AcesErrorTheory
  • emperor what’s his face ordered the Ruh slaughter “for the greater good” because the Amyr felt they simply knew too much about the world … any Ruh that had loose lips regarding the particulars of the Chandrian and their names would be picked off as Kvothe’s troupe was.
    Splits the two mechanisms: broad Amyr-authorized purge plus targeted Chandrian killings. — u/AcesErrorTheory
  • why do the Ruh know all the stories in the world? … was that their historical purpose? To travel the world, see things as they are, record what they see, and pass the stories on … maybe Skarpi is Edema Ruh carrying out their original mandate, to preserve the one true story of the world.
    Extends theory: Ruh wandering was an archival mandate, possibly continued by Skarpi. — u/AcesErrorTheory
  • They keep moving to make it harder to find them - learned behaviour.
    Comment supports the persecution premise: nomadism as survival adaptation. — u/HellStoneBats
  • it is said that it was the Aturan Empire who encouraged the killing of Ruh, beacuse they were "filth that filled the roads" … I believe that it was more of an ethical-racism reason than for silencing them. The Ruh seem to me very similar to the Gipsy in our world.
    CounterCounter: in-world cause is ethnic prejudice, not secrecy suppression. — u/TheFrostSerpah
  • It is also true that the Aturan Empire was in fact under control of the Tehlin Church, and the amyr were part of the church in the empire. It is possible that some of the "real" amyr were in fact controlling things and decided on the extermination of the Ruh to silence them.
    Reconciles counter with theory: racist pretext and deliberate Amyr purge can coexist. — u/TheFrostSerpah
  • Defer to the simplest explanation: Kvothe is an unreliable narrator who is full of shit.
    CounterCounter: the whole evidentiary basis may be untrustworthy narration. — u/Quaffiget

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier kept: reasonable fit, partly grounded in the troupe's fate

Contributors§

Source threads§