The Chandrian

The Chandrian are a group of seven beings known in myth, folklore, and children's stories throughout Temerant. They are also known as the Nameless, Rhinta, and the Seven.

Description

Little is known about the Chandrian, other than that they are universally seen as evil and have signs associated with them. They go by many names, though "Chandrian" is one of the most common. What these signs are is subject to great debate. In most cultures, they are seen as mythological beings, and it is often accepted that seven people or beings make up this group, though some sources claim there to be ten. It is believed they root out and destroy all mentions of themselves, possibly because they are on the run from the Amyr, who may know their weakness.

Who keeps you safe from the Amyr? The singers? The Sithe? From all that would harm you in the world?

– Haliax to Cinder

Etmology

Their name comes from the Temic word "Chaen-dien" meaning "seven of them," which is one of the strongest arguments for there to be seven beings in the group.

Signs

Kvothe's father, Arliden, and later Kvothe uncover several signs that are to signal the presence of the Chandrian. It is wildly suggested that blue-flame indicate their presence, but others are more circumspect, and blue-flame can be recreated chemically, as Arliden and Laurian have Abenthy do to use in plays. Arliden and Laurian disagree on several accounts of the signs; Laurian suggests that each Chandrian has their own sign, explaining why there are disagreements in what the signs are; if different chandrian are present, different signs will be seen. Many of these are considered to be "accelerated entropy." Kvothe personally experiences these in his early life, to include blue flame, rusted metal, blight, and darkness. He may have experienced others but not attributed them to the Chandrian. These others include madness and silence.

Noted signs:

• Blue Flame
• Decay (of wood)
• Blight
• Rusted iron
• Madness
• Darkness / Moonless Night
• Silence

The Adem have a poem assigning each of the Chandrian to their sign:

       Cyphus bears the blue flame. 
       Stercus is in thrall of iron. 
       Ferule chill and dark of eye. 
       Usnea lives in nothing but decay. 
       Grey Dalcenti never speaks. 
       Pale Alenta brings the blight. 
       Last there is the lord of the seven: 
       Hated. Hopeless. Sleepless. Sane. 
       Alaxel bears the shadow's hame. 

Of these, based off of Kvothe's experience, it is believed that one referred to as "Cinder" is the poem's "Ferule" and Alaxel refers to Haliax.

These signs are also described in children's songs. The only other descriptions Kvothe has uncovered were from Nina, a girl from Trebon, who described and later drew a relic. However, she only saw one side of the vase, and so was only able to describe three of the eight figures; the seven Chandrian and a member of the Ciridae. Kvothe believes these three to be Cinder, Halifax, and an Amyr. In the drawings Cinder is depicted with black eyes, standing in water surrounded by snow. Haliax is shown with a waxing moon and two candles, one bright and the other shrouded in shadow. She also remembers additional figures in less detail, a nude woman, a broken sword, and a fire.

It has been suggested that the Chandrian may be able to at least partly mask the signs that reveal their true nature using the fae magic known as glamourie.