Sunday, February 24, 2019

What if there exists a secret society of maesters within the Citadel


Potential Spoilers Below

I keep telling everyone that similarities between The Wheel of Time (TWOT) and A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF) are vast even if there are those out there that say otherwise.  What if there exists within the Citadel itself a secret society of maesters that none of the other maesters know about or will openly acknowledge.  I say they do exist and every maester unknowingly undertakes the initiation ritual but only a few are selected.  So that just leaves the ritual and how they are recruited for the cause.

“What are these glass candles?” asked Roone.

Armen the Acolyte cleared his throat. “The night before an acolyte says his vows, he must stand a vigil in the vault. No lantern is permitted him, no torch, no lamp, no taper . . . only a candle of obsidian. He must spend the night in darkness, unless he can light that candle. Some will try. The foolish and the stubborn, those who have made a study of these so-called higher mysteries. Often they cut their fingers, for the ridges on the candles are said to be as sharp as razors. Then, with bloody hands, they must wait upon the dawn, brooding on their failure. Wiser men simply go to sleep, or spend their night in prayer, but every year there are always a few who must try.”

If you can light a glass candle then you are approached and recruited to be a member of their society.  You then spend your time in pursuits of the higher mysteries.  The maesters, not in the secret society, were the ones who rid the world of dragons but in the process severed some ties to a source of the power and/or abilities of the secret society.  Three within the books leap to mind Marwyn, Qyburn and possibly Aemon.  I would also consider people like Melisandre, Thoros of Myr, Benerro, Moqorro, Ezzelyno and  Quaithe members of a similar type society although not directly connected to the Citadel.

Alleras stepped up next to Sam. “Aemon would have gone to her if he had the strength. He wanted us to send a maester to her, to counsel her and protect her and fetch her safely home.”

“Did he?” Archmaester Marwyn shrugged. “Perhaps it’s good that he died before he got to Oldtown. Elsewise the grey sheep might have had to kill him, and that would have made the poor old dears wring their wrinkled hands.”

“Kill him?” Sam said, shocked. “Why?”

“If I tell you, they may need to kill you too.”

Marywn smiled a ghastly smile, the juice of the sourleaf running red between his teeth. “Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragonslayers armed with swords?” He spat. “The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons. Ask yourself why Aemon Targaryen was allowed to waste his life upon the Wall, when by rights he should have been raised to archmaester. His blood was why. He could not be trusted. No more than I can.”

The tie to the Wheel of Time is simple.  Just click the link and read up on the Black Ajah.  Like all major themes I don’t think the secret society within the Citadel is hell bent on the destruction of the world like the Black Ajah.  That is the 180-degree difference that I speak of when it comes to the two books.


Comments encouraged.  Love to hear the idea’s of others.  Most believe that since I present my idea’s as “fact like” I’m not open to change my viewpoints which is far from the truth.  I simply look at the information presented and go from there.  If you can shine a light on another way of thinking that opens the door to debate.

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