How did the Unfettered One know?

[Forestal]

I just had a thought while looking through old threads, looking at instances of people using the seven words. Which lead me to the celebration of spring where an Unfettered One uses a combination of them...

"Do you forget your task? You must reach the Lords-must!"

Forgive me if I'm failing to remember something, because I'm looking at the quote in isolation and I don't recall... did Covenant and Atiaran meet the Unfettered One before? Because skipping back a little, I only saw them go from Soaring Woodhelven into Andelain and suddenly this Unfettered One knows their purpose? How did he know?

[wayfriend]

No, they did not meet before. That's a true "huh?" you found there.

I am going to say "a little bird told him".

But seriously, the only explanations are: he, or an animal friend, were watching them and overheard something; he had an Unfettered "vision" about that night; the Wraiths told him.

[samrw3]

Another long shot possibility - but I am realllly stretching here. It possibly could be read as.

"Do you forget your task? ------Hypothetical question to Covenant and Atiaran. In other words the Unfettered did not know their task just asking them - hey guys who are standing over there do you know what your task is?

You must reach the Lords-must!" ------The Unfettered is now 'imposing' a task on them - it is urgent for you two to create your task of reaching the Lords.

I know I know I'm stretching it thin there but give a guy a break

[wayfriend]

Yes, samrw3.

Before Covenant could take in all that was happening, the hulking figure who had saved them turned and hissed, "Go! North to the river. I have released the Wraiths. Now we will make time for your escape. Go!"

"No!" Atiaran panted. "You are the only man. The animals are not enough. We must help you fight."

"Together we are not enough!" he cried. "Do you forget your task? You must reach the Lords-must! Drool must pay for this Desecration! Go! I cannot give you much time!" Shouting, "Melenkurion abatha!" he whirled and jumped into the thick of the fray, felling ur-viles with his mighty fists.

It may be that the "task" was to "Go!"

It may be that the Unfettered one was charging them with going to the Lords to report this Desecration, and not referring to a mission that they already had and that he somehow knew about.

[Forestal]

That is definitely a possibility, and one that I considered, but it doesn't seem to fit the scenario as well for me as the Unfettered One simply just knew.

Actually, looking at the rest of the quote that just adds more queries to it. How does the Unfettered One know that Drool did anything? It seems to suggest that he does know their original purpose, not one that he gave them. Even if it were a new task, that doesn't explain how the Unfettered One knows the attack was caused by Drool.

I also don't believe that Covenant and Atiaran spoke about their message to the Lords at any time other than when they were in Mithil Stonedown... maybe when they were in Soaring Woodhelven, but in Mithil Stonedown Atiaran didn't want to hear the message, so I find it unlikely they were just talking about it in the open on their trip for one of the Unfettered One's animal friends to overhear.

[Gaius Octavius]

I just interpreted that as the Unfettered One had the gift of prophecy or vision.

[Fist and Faith]

I just interpreted that as the Unfettered One had the gift of prophecy or vision.

Me, too.

[wayfriend]

Certainly the Unfettered one, who dwelled in Andelain, would have known about the ur-viles recent movements in the area, and who they worked for. So the part about Drool is completely understandable. He would know that the attack on the Wraiths was ordered by Drool.

I'd like to say I chalk it up to vision or prophecy. But I honestly never noticed until Forestal pointed it out.

Supposedly the Unfettered are guided to their solitary lives by prophecy. Perhaps this one became Unfettered and lived in Andelain in order to meet that very moment when the Wraiths were attacked and Covenant needed to be rescued. If so, then he would know of their mission to Revelstone.

[High Lord Tolkien]

I just interpreted that as the Unfettered One had the gift of prophecy or vision.

Me, too.

Me three.

Although now that I think of it maybe that Unfettered could understand the ur-Viles language.

[Fist and Faith]

Supposedly the Unfettered are guided to their solitary lives by prophecy. Perhaps this one became Unfettered and lived in Andelain in order to meet that very moment when the Wraiths were attacked and Covenant needed to be rescued. If so, then he would know of their mission to Revelstone.

That is an excellent theory!

[Forestal]

I like that theory, it makes sense, it includes either a vision or the Unfettered One being a seer - which there is prescident for.

Of course, there's nothing that establishes it as fact, or anything else - on the face of it, it seems to just be deus ex machina.

[wayfriend]

on the face of it, it seems to just be deus ex machina.

I'd hesitate to call it that because it doesn't move forward the plot in any way. I think it's more of an authorial oversight. A mistake. Something was re-written but not all the bits were cleaned up.

(Think about that an early draft of LFB may have included Covenant and Atiaran meeting the Unfettered One, sitting down, having a nice dinner, discussing their excitement for tomorrow's Celebration of Spring.)

[Forestal]

Have there been any releases of "cut content" like that besides Gilden Fire? I would like to see some of the things that got dropped from the first early drafts... I'm sure there's some interesting things in there. Like, as you say, the possible meeting between these three characters.

[wayfriend]

Nothing has been released, but there is an early draft of Lord Foul's Bane curated at Kent State (I think). Some Watchers have been there and read parts of it.

There're some threads about.
Kent State University and SRD
SRD's writing at Kent State University