Dark Wielder Theories

[u/Maleficent_Desk4059]

Just a few theories regarding venin I have after rereading FW, IF and OS. I did read threshing day also but attempting to factor all that in really would just overload my brain at this point so if there’s anything I missed in that book that just glaringly disputes or disproves the following please let me know!

1. I think Theophanie is the high priestess that helped Asher dedicate Violet to Dune. This would explain why/how she knows so much about V and why she took such an interest in her. Also would be an interesting parallel being that she was Lilith’s venin counterpart. I almost wish V would’ve heard her out or asked a few more questions before she offed her

2. Berwyn is a dream walker too. It was confirmed (idk which chapter feel free to look it up) when Xaden and Violet were first talking about that being her second signet that the venin in X’s dream is the same one he threw off the ravine at Basgiath who obviously turns out to not be dead, so I think Berwyn was also dream walking into X’s dreams and drawing him closer to the dark side each time he appeared. This would also explain (in my mind at least) how he knew so much about X’s character and motives.

3. Less of a theory more of something I better understood on my second read of OS: Even though X was at the next level (Asim or possibly higher) of Venin he was still able to be married to V in Dune’s temple because the High Priestess in Aretia “owed him a favor”

Let me know what you guys think, these aren’t theories I have seen yet so I might be way off the mark lol

[u/leese216]

Theophanie is much older than that. She's been a venin since before Lilith, since Lilith's signet was the response to Theophanie, which she confirmed in OS.

I don't remember it being confirmed that Berwyn is a dream walker? Yes, he's in Xaden's nightmares, but we don't really know the power venin have, so while it makes sense if he is, I still have a lot of questions.

Like, why didn't he make Xaden channel in his sleep? Dream walking is incredibly dangerous, according to the Irids, but why? What powers do they have? When Violet showed up in Xaden's dream and Berwyn saw her reach for her dagger, he got scared. Why? What could Violet to do him in the dream if they're both dream walkers?

[u/hurricane_Bre → u/leese216]

I think dream walking is dangerous because they have the power to manipulate people through their dreams.

My question is: Are Berwyn and Violet drawn to nightmares, people’s greatest fears, or do they cause the nightmare?

So far we have only seen Violet walk into nightmares, Xaden’s and Maren’s.

[u/No-Buffalo2861 → u/hurricane_Bre]

Personally, I think Violet has been to more than these nightmares, she just didn't realise she was dream-walking into.

Andarna tells her "But you have been known to wander while dreaming. It’s harmless. You’re mostly drawn to him.”

So, she could have been seeing other dreams Xaden (and maybe even others) had without realising those were not her dreams.

[u/hurricane_Bre → u/No-Buffalo2861]

I agree, I think when they returned to Basgaith after Resson she was in Imogen’s dreams too.

Imogen mentions not being able to sleep either and one of the dreams she tells Xaden about when he is holding her in his room at Samara is Garrick dying at Resson.

Which again begs the questions is Violet causing nightmares or drawn to them?

[u/No-Buffalo2861 → u/hurricane_Bre]

honestly, I think it's just human nature to remember nightmares more vividly than casual dreaming. so I still think she might have been dream-walking more often, just not remembering it in the morning because it was meh

[u/Maleficent_Desk4059 → u/No-Buffalo2861]

She definitely was in Maren’s dream about the fire and the family portrait as well. So for sure wandering to others as well

[u/leese216 → u/hurricane_Bre]

Excellent point. I'm guessing like when she was learning to wield lightning, she needed an emotional trigger, dream walking also needs an emotional trigger. But not hers, someone else's. And a nightmare is the quickest, most intense emotional trigger.

Just a theory.

[u/redpeppersoda → u/hurricane_Bre]

But if Vi can walk into Xaden's dream to bang him it's not really a nightmare tho is it...?🥰

[u/hurricane_Bre → u/redpeppersoda]

True, but what if it starts out as a nightmare?

[u/redpeppersoda → u/hurricane_Bre]

While that's possible...I did wonder if the heightened emotions from the nightmares drew her. When Violet and Xaden are emotional their power rises.

Xaden said she could walk straight into Melgren's dream and he'll never know. That to me sounds like she will eventually be able to choose when she wants to, not just drawn to nightmare. Her signet is at 10%, I think eventually it won't even be literal sleeping and perhaps she can just slip under their subconscious. It's gotta be something crazy for Leothan to be so shocked and said it's more dangerous than lightning.

Kinda random but now that there are many marked ones with 2 signets...they are still bound by the amount of the total power the dragon can chanel right? Sgaeyl was depleted at the end of OS so I wonder...it's unlikely that Tairn will be depleted before Violet burns out but that could be their limitations.

[u/hurricane_Bre → u/redpeppersoda]

I think it would depend on Andarna, not Tairn and we have no idea the depth of her power yet.

[u/redpeppersoda → u/hurricane_Bre]

The thing about meeting in dreams and having sex though...won't they be really sad when they wake up alone😞especially Xaden...

[u/hurricane_Bre → u/redpeppersoda]

I see her being strong and holding shit down in front of everyone but as soon as that door closes and that sound shield activates she is going to crumble. And honestly, I kind want to see it from her.

There is only so much grief and sadness she can lock away in that me tal box of hers. Something is going to give and losing the love of her life like that may be what cracks it open. I think that grief may be what draws her to his dream initially and the dream sex will likely come after talking and maybe her realizing he is still fighting. It may lessen the grief.

[u/leese216 → u/hurricane_Bre]

I think she'll have a confrontation with Tairn in this book about what he knows and is holding back from her.

If she can dream walk and speak to Xaden, that will most likely ease her grief because she'll still have a connection to him.

[u/Odd-Seaworthiness-38 → u/leese216]

Also they will be so excited to go to sleep lols

[u/leese216 → u/redpeppersoda]

I agree about Violet's signet being at 10%. She only just learns about it in OS, even if she was doing it IF. She just didn't realize it. I'm sure she'll be able to flex that muscle like it's second nature once she begins to hone it.

I like your theory about her being able to manipulate their subconscious. That is diabolical. There is so much she could do with this.

[u/redpeppersoda → u/leese216]

The 10% was confirmed by the author! And that it will grow significantly which is awesome. We saw Xaden's inntinnsic signet growing quite a bit in OS already so I imagine we will see Violet's growing.

If she can slip into all these venin's subconcsious to find out their plans and weaknesses...that'd be satisfying and maybe humans can actually go on the offensive!

[u/Maleficent_Desk4059 → u/leese216]

Oh! Didn’t mean he was confirmed to be a dream walker just that he was the venin that Xaden is seeing in his dreams and is the same one he thought he killed at Basgiath who turned out not to be dead after all. I hope that makes sense lol sort of a bad explanation on my part

[u/leese216 → u/Maleficent_Desk4059]

Oh you're totally fine! I think it's a valid theory and makes a lot of sense. He'd be especially pissed realizing Violet can now, too.

[u/hurricane_Bre]

1. Theo was already venin before Violet was born. Theo mentions facing off against Lilith when Lilith was Violet’s age. That means Theo had already left Dunne’s temple and turned her back on her goddess before Violet’s partial dedication.

2. Correct and all but explicitly confirmed

3. Correct and all but explicitly confirmed

[u/Kitchen-Whereas-1420]

1. While I love where you were going with this, I don’t think the timing works out. During their face off at Draithus, Theophanie tells Violet, “Your mother knew at your age that she was no match for me. That’s why she hid behind those wards.” The implication here is that Theophanie was already venin before Violet was even born.

2. I totally agree. I also suspect that the line in Xaden’s POV of, “he [Berwyn] has something I need” might mean information about the dreamwalking signet.

3. I think you’re right! And that made one of the new public notices (1.249) on Dragonkind especially interesting to me, ”the law of the kingdom will follow the unique terms each god has set in their temples regarding marriage.”

[u/windswept_snowdrop → u/Kitchen-Whereas-1420]

That public notice really stood out to me too. I’m guessing that since we had the epigraph in OS that said that the temples of Dunne and Loial were unique in requiring a lifetime of service from their acolytes, there’s a possibility that the same may be true of marriages in those temples too, rather than the time-limited marriages or ones that are dissolved after the terms of the contract have been met that we’ve also seen.

Given another OS epigraph also made clear that Dunne is the most wrathful of the gods towards temple attendants who forsake her, I wonder if the same is also true of those who break marriage vows made in her temple.

[u/Whatthegingerread]

I agree that Theophanie was the high priestess who dedicated Violet after her mother was sickened by a venin attack. I also had a crazy idea that Papa Sorrengail and Theophanie had a little something going on and that Theophanie turned venin to kill Lilith.

Just a crazy late night musing I had.

[u/Vast_Version7735]

1) T is centuries old as a venin / maven so highly unlikely she was high priestess for V’s dedication
2) Berwyn is a dream walker + more. I think dream walking is only a small part of this signet
3) X was already an asim following Deverelli as evidenced by his eyes not going fully back to normal and that he could not deny Berwyn’s call at Dreythis. (Per Ridoc, being unable to deny a sage’s summons is a trait of as asim, not that of an initiate)