Ashlings' guildleader
13 years ago
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
Like many of IC's books, there are several common threads between Greylands and the Legendsong books.
In greylands, people who are sick or hurt enter the grey world via mirrors and reflections. They are hunted by wolves who can smell that they don't belong until they are taken to the tower, where they "get wings". While reading I couldn't help but think that this was death.
On Keltor, strangers are people who never really fit in on Earth and were then transported to Keltor via Lanalor's portal. They are hunted by the hounds of the Drakaa/her various predecessors until they are taken to Darkfall where they suddenly loose whatever 'scent', for want of a better word, the hounds detected them with.
I was thinking of all of this in the context of some specific points in the Legendsong Saga.
- It is said that strangers often believe that they are dreaming when they arrive on Keltor.
- Alene once advised Ember to think of it as a dream which can kill.
- The continuous vision of Glynna falling off a cliff. It is an old saying that if you dream of falling off a cliff you must wake before you hit the ground or you will die. How anyone would go about testing this I'm not sure, anyway...
- Wind also said that Keltor was a dream of Earth.
(Yeah, I know, I probably need to get over these particular bits, I just keep coming back to them)
Also consider that there are large connections between Keltor and "the nexus", a hospice on Earth, where there are a number of people in Comas.
I think that its possible that Keltor exists independently of Earth, but strangers come to Keltor by falling into a coma and traveling on the astral plane. Glynn and Ember were both close to drowning during their crossing and I find it significant that IC began the story mentioning that Ember's medication could involve hallucinations. Glynn wasn't aware of falling unconscious at any stage, but I know that the one time I fainted, I wasn't aware of the fact that I wasn't conscious, there's no reason one would need to be aware of it.
I think that Ember and Glynna might be comatose in a hospital on Earth as well as existing on Keltor. Soonkar would have been a long time ago, but Soonkar went to Darkfall where he was broken off from his body on Earth, resulting in him being brain dead and probably taken off life support. I think when Glynn falls off the cliff, she will wake up in hospital and need to do something on Earth, to help Keltor with the knowledge she gained on that planet. If she is the soulsaver, then it may be important that she return to complete her role there since that's where Ronaall's body is.
So yeah. Thoughts? Opinions?
Mystic Guilden
13 years ago
Mystic Guilden
Mage
I love this theory!
The whole Glynn falling off a cliff/getting back to her world sounds really plausible. And like you said, considering how many segue's take us back to the hospice and people in comas, why wouldn't potential drowning victims Ember and Glynn be there too?
I have nothing constructive to add (there's a reason why I never theorize :P) but saw the heading in the side bar and had to read the theory in full :) Looking forward to seeing a discussion on this!
Umm but then...Solen...gasps
She can't go back to earth no matter how good the theory (and I think it is very good) because then what happens with her and solen?
Ashlings' guildleader
13 years ago
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
He already swore he'd follow her wherever she was, alternate reality or no. Lanalor got there, so can he.
Actually this is the one bit that doesn't really fit with the theory. I can't figure how a Keltan could be transported to Earth... but I don't think it wrecks the theory, there might be an explanation for that which I haven't thought of yet.
I like your ideas. If Ember and Glynn have ended up in the hospice, it would also go part way to expalining Ronaal's comment about the nexus going from closed to open, and drawing to it those people who most feel the struggle between chaos and Song.
One thing we have to keep in mind, is that one character was already close to the soul stream, because of her illness, and the other was brought into it because of her close ties with her sibling, and her desperateness to save her no matter what the cost, brought her to the same existence. One acting as the guardian and navigator. The other as the intuition and the fire.
Ashlings' guildleader
13 years ago
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
Fair point, but Glynn traveled to Keltor first, and its still a bit contentious as to who's really protecting who.
