Bloodwitch spoilers (actually spoilers for the whole series really) follow under the line so read at my crackpot theories at your own risk :) AND LEMME KNOW WHAT Y’ALL THINK. I really and truly need to procrastinate studying for finals right now so interaction really welcomed <3
I’m rereading the series after reading Bloodwitch, and I’m trying to wrap my head around how the hell the Cahr Awen fit into the world of the Paladins. So first, I’m going to set out the relevant facts from the books.
Here’s what we know about the Cahr Awen:
Every single pair has been an Aetherwitch and a Voidwitch
They’re the only ones (as far as we know) who can reach the center of the Origin Wells
There’s an estimate of 60 pairs, but only Memory Records for 40 pairs
The last pair was about 600 years prior to the present day of the story
The Carawen monks were created to protect, defend, and support the Cahr Awen. Their symbol is... “the rook and tree”!
Here’s some of what we know about the Paladins:
The Paladins were very much alive and in power 1000 years prior to the present day (re: the timeline in Sightwitch)
They’re reincarnated, and there’s a strong inference that each reincarnation remembers their past lives, and has access to their past lives. Something about that fight changed the nature of how magic works in the Witchlands (since the reincarnated Paladins don’t remember their lives, and since that’s when the Wells sprung)
The element Paladins have full control of their respective element. I’m going to go ahead and write out who in the present day has been confirmed and who most likely is a Paladin.
Kullen (Air) who was Bastien/The Fury and is confirmed
Stix (Water) who is confirmed and was most likely Baile based on her connection to the under-city & the weird moment with Baile’s eyes
Dirdra/Owl (Earth) who is not confirmed, but we can make a very strong inference she is one as well based on her sudden knowledge of the doors which also suggests she was Saria who helped Eridysi with the doors
We don’t know what power the Rook King had, but I’m about to go into that in my theories. We just know that he’s one of the 6 rebel Paladins. And he has a pet Rook. And he was able to interact with Iseult.
OK THEORY TIME:
The Cahr Awen were two of the Paladins - there’s no way for the timelines to work out otherwise. That wasn’t all that clear to me until...
The Rook King was the Voidwitch half of the Cahr Awen.
His pet Rook has been making himself available to numerous characters (Ryber, Aeduan, & Safi) but the Rook King himself only ever showed up in Iseult’s dreams. If Paladins can access their past lives, then it’s reasonable to assume that Iseult’s past life was the Rook King, who is a confirmed Paladin. And Iseult’s power comes from the Void. I realize it hasn’t actually been confirmed yet, but we can very much assume that at least Iseult is 1/2 of the legendary pair.
Also the fact that the symbol of the Carawen monastery includes a “rook” which I highly doubt is a coincidence. The Rook King most likely established the Carawens himself - him and whoever stands for the “tree” bit.
The Rook King was probably the Paladin who “betrayed” the others. He’s notably missing in Eridysi’s journal entry. His Aetherwitch half was probably one of the Exalted Ones. And b/c they’re a pair, his half was able to convince him or use him somehow to get the information about the Rebel Paladins. And the two set up the Carawens not to support the Cahr Awen, but to protect future reincarnations from the vengeance of the awake rebel Paladins.
Habim, Matthew, and Eron are “awake” Paladins: Habim (fire), Matthew (aether), and we don’t know about Eron. Actually, Eron’s a weird situation. He used to have some sort of witchery, and then he became a Hell-Bard so he’s technically dead, and therefore, no longer a Paladin. But I’d venture a guess these three guys “woke up”, are heavily invested in Safi because they can sense she’s the Aetherwitch of the Cahr Awen. And if my theory about the Aetherwitch half being an Exalted One is correct, then this would all work together because those three are also Exalted ones. Their super schemes to take down the empires is to take back their own land and power. Would also explain why they randomly visited the Sightwitch convent - to find the hidden doorways, duh!
Also these people as other Paladins:
There’s also a strong inference that Noden - the Nubrevnan God - is a Paladin since the temple in Lovats has him standing between Lady Baile and The Fury, two confirmed Paladins. We just don’t know what his particular power and/or present-day identity is.
Corlant (Void) who Aeduan knows to have grown up with Ragnor since they’re both from the same tribe. Grown up with - not just from the same tribe. Ragnor was very much an adult and not with his tribe when he entered into the sleeping ice. Corlant is referencing his past life who knew Ragnor, not the current one.
This is less a theory and more or less confirmed in Sightwitch but wasn’t explicitly clear: Something is happening to Sirmaya (the source of all Witchlands magic) - presumably, Esme’s Cleaving is corrupting the magic somehow resulting in dead wells. The Cahr Awen can heal wells... they can probably heal Sirmaya as well.
