Kvothe
Kvothe (kəˈvōTH) is the main character in The Kingkiller Chronicle. Much of what is known about him is self-reported to accomplished scrivener, Devan Lochees, and may not be fully reliable. While he has proven to be quick of wit and sharp of memory, he also admits at times in his telling of his tale that his mind was not always "fully awake," or to have been under the influence of mind-altering chemicals, and some of his alterations to his story may be intentional.
Contents
Description
Kvothe has pale skin and green eyes, though the intensity of this color is often noted as changing throughout the series. His eyes are similar to the description of his mother's eyes. He has extremely red hair often compared to a flame. He is exceptionally intelligent, quick-witted, sharp-tongued and clever, as well as a talented musician. He is also very curious, a quality that often gets him into trouble. He has a nasty, flash-pan temper and acts reckless when emotional.
Kvothe is a skilled arcanist in sympathy and sygaldry, often outstripping his peers. He quickly picks up many new things to the amazement of those who have mastered it, from methods of shorthand-writing such as that by Devan Lochees, the entire ballad of "The Lay of Sir Savien Traliard" from hearing it sparingly, or the entirety of basic sygaldry. It is this proficiency for learning that convinces his early tutor Abenthy that Kvothe will grow to be great at whatever he does, comparing Kvothe to Illien and Taborlin the Great.
Life Story
Early Life
Kvothe was born to Arliden and Laurian, the leaders of a troupe of Edema Ruh known as Lord Greyfallow's Men. His early education was spotty - mostly focusing on music and acting.
In his youth, Kvothe meets an elderly arcanist named Abenthy and witnesses Abenthy call the name of the wind to frighten off town officials who are pestering him, sparking Kvothe's interest in naming. Soon after, Abenthy is invited to join the troupe in traveling in exchange for his services as an arcanist.
This encounter is pivotal for Kvothe's life, as Abenthy recognizes that Kvothe is extremely intelligent and agrees to educate him. Kvothe receives education in Sympathy, Chemistry, Rhetoric, and Arithmetic in preparation for admittance to the University. Abenthy instructs him in several useful mental tools, such as the "Heart of Stone" to be able to think without emotional attachment, and the "Alar," faith powerful enough to influence the physical world. Abenthy serves not only as an instructor but a close friend of Kvothe. Abenthy eventually leaves the troupe, to Kvothe's dismay, but not before gifting a copy of Rhetoric and Logic, the only book in Abenthy's possession that Kvothe did not read cover-to-cover.
Kvothe, Defend yourself well at the University. Make me proud. Remember your father’s song. Be wary of folly. Your friend, Abenthy
After Abenthy's departure, Kvothe is left depressed. His fellow troupe members attempt to broaden his education to distract him, teaching him the skills of acting and the stage. One night, while Kvothe is away in the woods playing, the troupe is brutally murdered by the Chandrian. Kvothe comes upon the eerie scene in shock, hardly believing what he is seeing. He has a brief encounter in which he witnesses several supposed signs of the Chandrian to include wood rotting, iron rusting, and blue flame. Young Kvothe comes face to face with the Chandrian, chiefly Cinder who mocks and antagonizes him, and Haliax who rebukes Cinder.
Traumatized by the experience of finding his troupe and family dead, Kvothe flees with his father's lute into the woods. Kvothe describes his mentality at this point and, for some time later, as being "not fully awake." Using skills taught to him by Abenthy and the troupe, he manages to survive in the wild. It is during this time he learns to play the lute so well he can conjure up specific feelings and images with the notes. He learns to play his lute with fewer and fewer strings as they break, until so many break that he is forced to leave the forest, walking with the intent to find a town to buy new strings. He meets a humble farmer named Seth, who takes him the rest of the way to Tarbean.
In Tarbean, Kvothe lives for three years as a beggar and thief on the streets of Tarbean. He makes enemies with the town guard and with Pike, and is helped along the way with food and medicine by Trapis. He becomes an accomplished lock-picker and roof-climber. Eventually, Kvothe hears Skarpi tell the story of Lanre, and it reawakens his mind, pushing him towards the University.
The University
Kvothe buys passage on Roent’s caravan headed to Imre, the town next to the University. On this caravan, he meets Denna for the first time. Upon arrival at the University, Wilem directs him to admissions, where after listening to other student’s questions he amazes the masters and talks them into admitting him and giving him three talents. Quickly rising through the ranks of the University, he alienates many of his peers, and starts an archrivalry with Ambrose Jakis. Ambrose gets him banned from the Archives by letting him in with a candle. Kvothe quickly narrows his main interests down to sympathy, medicine, and artificing. Because he is so poor, he spends nearly all of his free time in the Fishery. Almost every term, when he can’t get enough for tuition, he goes to Devi, a gaelet in Imre.
As the year progresses, Kvothe finds lodging at the White Hart, but Ambrose buys it to spite him, and Kvothe is forced to stay at the only inn that will accept him, Anker’s. Kvothe meets Auri and Alder Whin, two “cracked” students who have gone mad from the stress that arcanists put their minds under. Kvothe discovers the Eolian, where he plays music for nobility and occasionally finds Denna. He is tutored by Manet in the Fishery, where he learns sygaldry and artificing. Kvothe saves Fela from a fire in the Fishery, but misses a lunch with Denna when she meets her patron.
Trebon
In the middle of Kvothe’s third term, he hears tell of a wedding destroyed by blue fire in the town of Trebon. Assuming it is the Chandrian, he desperately buys a horse and rides 80 miles in a day to learn more information. He finds Denna at the scene because she was at the wedding, and learns that she has found a patron, Master Ash, but does not know his name because he is extremely secretive. They commence a search of the surrounding area and meet a pig farmer, Schiem, who tells them there is a monster in the woods. Searching further, they encounter a draccus who is addicted to denner resin. They attempt to kill it using a massive amount of the deadly resin, but seeing the fires it partially burns down Trebon before Kvothe stops it. Unfortunately, Kvothe is knocked unconcious, and the unknowing townspeople bury the extremely valuable body of the draccus. After asking around, Kvothe meets Nina, who has seen the vase and confirms that it shows the Chandrian and their signs. She is scared that she will be hunted and killed, so Kvothe gives her a “charm” (an inscribed disk for a sympathy lamp).
If you are looking for a reason for the man I would eventually become, if you are looking for a beginning, look there.
First Return to The University
When Ambrose steals Kvothe’s lute, Kvothe calls the name of the wind in a fit of rage, breaking Ambrose’s arm and getting promoted to Re’lar. Kvothe finds the entrance to the Archives in the Underthing. Ambrose poisons Kvothe with a plum bob. Lorren lifts his ban on Kvothe, and he spends most of his free time researching the Chandrian and the Amyr in the archives. He begins taking Elodin’s class on naming, but finds it a waste of time. To get revenge on Ambrose, Kvothe attempts to get Denna’s ring back, but the blood he leaves on Ambrose’s window allows Ambrose to create a clay mommet of him. Ambrose commits malfeasance against Kvothe repeatedly, forcing him and his friends to thoroughly execute a search of the Archives for a schema of a gram. Once the gram was complete, Kvothe and a team of friends (Simmon, Wilem, Fela, Mola, and Devi) set fire to Ambrose’s rooms, then destroy the mommet. Kvothe also steals eight talents and the jeweler’s slip for Denna’s ring.
One day while Kvothe is working in the Fishery, he runs into Nina who gives him a drawing of the Chandrian standing with one of the Ciridae. Kvothe and Wilem find a discrepancy in two histories of the decree denouncing the Amyr (the Alpura Prolycia Amyr), reinforcing Kvothe’s suspicion that the Amyr still exist. Kvothe creates the schema for the Bloodless Device.
The iron court of the Commonwealth, having finally heard of Kvothe calling the name of the wind, accuses Kvothe of Consortation with Demonic Powers and Malicious Use of Unnatural Arts. According to legend, Kvothe gets out of the trial by reading a verse in Tema. Even though he was not convicted, Kvothe is encouraged to to leave the University by his friends, who say that he will recieve a massive tuition, and Elxa Dal, who says that he lacks practical knowledge. Count Threpe tells him of an opportunity to work for the Maer Alveron, in Severen, and Kvothe accepts.
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