KKC Theory Wiki

Kvothe Stole the Thrice-Locked Chest Instead of Making It

fringe mechanism · popularity 99 · 1 source thread

The chest holds Kvothe's lute and possessions, sealed by a captor, and he stole both it and the keys while escaping.

About: The Thrice-Locked Chest, Kvothe

Also involves: The Lackless Box, Bast, Folly

The theory§

Against theories that Kvothe sealed away his own name or magic inside the thrice-locked chest, this proposal favors a more mundane reading: Kvothe did not make the chest, genuinely wants to open it, and cannot. It holds that the chest contains his trademark possessions, his lute and perhaps his cloak and rings, locked away by whoever captured or imprisoned him after he killed the king, and that Kvothe stole both the chest and its keys while faking his death, yet still cannot defeat the third, unseen lock. Supporting details include that the chest is so heavy it took both Kvothe and Bast to carry it up the stairs, that Kvothe possesses keys he cannot use, and that he visibly struggles with his desire to open it, echoing the tale of Scyphus locking away Taborlin's belongings in an unopenable chest. The main counter is that during a lesson Bast tells Kvothe 'you made the thing, Reshi,' implying Kvothe built the chest himself and secured it with a lock requiring Alar and bindings he can no longer reliably summon.

Evidence§

  • I think it is more natural to assume that Kvothe didn't make the chest and that he doesn't know how to open it. I also think it is more natural to assume that he really does want to open it
    OP's core claim: Kvothe didn't make the chest and genuinely wants it open. — u/sjc1986
  • I propose that the chest definitely contains his lute and maybe other trademark possessions (cloak, perhaps rings), and that for some reason someone locked these up after capturing or imprisoning him (after he kills the king?). Then, in true Kvothe style, he stole the chest while escaping/faking his death.
    Core proposal: chest holds his possessions sealed by a captor; Kvothe stole it escaping. — u/sjc1986
  • He also has the keys for the chest, so it seems silly that he can't open it. But if he stole the keys and can't yet figure out the third unseen lock part, it all makes sense.
    Addresses why he has keys yet cannot open: stole keys, stuck on third lock. — u/sjc1986
  • I like this. He really strugles about opening it. So its safe to assume he stole it from someone.
    Comment reinforces theft reading from Kvothe's visible struggle to open it. — u/WhoMustNtBeNamed
  • This reminds me of Scyphus locking Taborlin's stuff in the chest. Taborlin says Edro, just like Kvothe! … But in Kvothe's case the chest does not open :)
    Echoes the Scyphus tale of locking away a hero's belongings in an unopenable chest. — u/BlueVCoin
  • it took him and bast combined to move the chest up the stairs, extremely heavy... i wonder how he would steal it from someone
    CounterCounter: chest's extreme weight makes stealing it while escaping implausible. — u/chicken_afghani
  • Bast comments that Kvothe did make the chest during their lesson. … Bast comments 'you made the thing Reshi'
    CounterMain counter: Bast says Kvothe made the chest, undercutting the stolen-chest premise. — u/Jonnyshuffle
  • He made the chest, and secured it with a lock that requires alar and bindings to open. Because he doesn't have reliable access to his power, he can't open it.
    CounterCounter-explanation: he built and sealed it himself but lost the Alar to open it. — u/zaphodava

Book refs: NOTW, WMF

Tier reasoning§

single page; fringe tier accurate, core evidence is actually counter-evidence

Contributors§

Source threads§