KKC Theory Wiki

The University Stands on the Ruins of an Ancient City (Likely Belen)

plausible connection · popularity 143 · 2 source threads

The Underthing's ancient architecture and four-plate door suggest the University sits atop a city lost long ago.

About: The University, The Underthing, Belen

Also involves: The Archives, Auri, The Chandrian, The Creation War, Elodin, The Four-Plate Door, Haliax, Myr Tariniel, The Eight Cities, Skarpi, The Slow Regard of Silent Things

The theory§

This theory holds that the University stands atop the ruins of an ancient city, pointing to the Underthing's vast, water-flooded, machine-filled architecture and to the four-plate door in the Archives as a possible seal over a Creation-War relic. The original framing names Myr Tariniel, the city Lanre destroyed, but this is widely judged wrong because Myr Tariniel sat atop the highest mountains of the world, whereas the University does not. The favored candidate is Belen, one of the eight cities of the Ergen Empire named in Skarpi's account: the University's province is Belenay-Barren, Elodin states the University was built on the ruins of an older University, and Belen may have been a city lost to time rather than razed, which would explain the Underthing's striking preservation. A further wrinkle from Adem and authorial lore is that not all the ancient cities lay within the Four Corners, leaving open where exactly the buried foundations belong.

Evidence§

  • the Underthing’s ancient architecture plus with Auri’s knowledge I feel like it hints at something older. The four-plate door in the Archives could be a seal to some sort of Chandrian relic?
    OP's core claim: Underthing's old architecture and four-plate door point to something ancient buried below. — u/DictionaryDave
  • it seems like the University is built on top of ruins, old ancient ruins that go deep under the underthing, so far deep that they are under water and underground. Much like an archeological site in our world.
    Second OP frames the Underthing as a submerged archaeological site beneath the University. — u/ChaoticHopefulDM
  • My theory is kind of based on auri in tsrost and how she dives deep into the water to find ancient things, so deep that she feels the pressure of the water and has to let air out to go deeper. This is much like a modern free diver. She also easily brings back a bone so casually as if she's done it many times before.
    Auri retrieving ancient bones from deep water is offered as evidence of a buried city. — u/ChaoticHopefulDM
  • One of the prevailing theories about the ruins in the Underthing is that it is the lost city of Belen. The province where the University is located is called Belenay-Barren, so it's easy to make the connection.
    Refines OP: the city is Belen, not Myr Tariniel, via the Belenay-Barren province name. — u/ThatLionTamer
  • Elodin says the University was built on the ruins of an older University, which makes sense if you consider the location of the 4 plate door being underground, and fairly close to the Underthing.
    In-world authority Elodin confirms an older University underneath, near the four-plate door. — u/ThatLionTamer
  • But eight cities remained. They were Belen, Antus, Vaeret, Tinusa, Emlen, and the twin cities of Murilla and Murella. Last was Myr Tariniel, greatest of them all and the only one unscarred by the long centuries of war. It was protected by the mountains and brave soldiers.
    Skarpi's text names Belen among the eight cities, grounding the Belen identification. — u/LostInStories222
  • Belen may have been the one city that was not destroyed, but was rather lost to time, per Shehyn's story. Given how entact it is, I'm not sure it was one of the destroyed cities.
    Explains why ruins are so preserved: Belen was lost to time rather than razed. — u/LostInStories222
  • Myr Tariniel was high up on a mountain top. The most common theory is that the University is on the ruins of Belen.
    CounterCounter to OP's Myr Tariniel claim: it sat atop a mountain, unlike the University. — u/LostInStories222
  • Rothfuss has also said that not all of the ancient cities were in the 4 corners.
    Authorial lore complicates placement: ancient cities weren't all within the Four Corners. — u/LostInStories222

Book refs: NOTW

Tier reasoning§

tier upgraded: Elodin's canonical 'older University' line makes an ancient-ruins basis well-supported, even if the specific city is debated

Contributors§

Source threads§