Today I’m bringing you a new theory about Liam. I’ve already told you previously that I think Liam is…special. His mother was the best at runes, right? Naturally, she might have passed some of that knowledge to Liam and Sloane. Why is this important? Because I think Liam is dead, but he’s not gone. A super cool theory was put together by one of the Empyrean Series fans, Kevin.

Buckle up because it’s really fun to read!

Part I

“I have a very long theory that while Liam is dead he isn’t actually gone. He is tethered to the ongoing story either through a late bond from Andarna or in response to Violet’s ability to compel. (When Deigh died Andarna screamed and Violet’s almost final words to Liam were ‘Fight to stay’) It was (nonvisible) Liam who saved Violet instead of Ridoc on the hike up the cliffs after Luella triggered the trap as well as pushing Sloane to safety when they encountered Solas in the cave.

But… let’s do something easier to explain. General Daramor isn’t a proper name but rather a title or description. Daramor? Dar amor. For love. You will take down the wards ‘for love’ etc.

The theory is based upon something fairly obscure- a supposedly ‘dead’ character continuing to exist within the context of the story. RY kills off her characters on a regular basis and when they die there is no doubt that they are gone. We know that Dylan (candidate who toppled off of the parapet), Nadine, Aurelie, etc. are dead even if they receive another mention or two along the way. The same was not true, however, with Brennan who, while ‘dead’, remained present through all of FW through constant references (i.e. Book of Brennan).

The same was true for Liam during IF. Even after his dragon was gutted and he very clearly appeared to die he remained alive within the narrative through Sloane, his letters, his appearance during the torture scenes, and regular references.

The point to remember is that nothing is impossible in a world that includes dragons stopping time and riders astral projecting.

We were told on the very first page of FW that when a dragon dies so too does its rider. An immutable truth… until JFB kills his own dragon and lives because he has replaced Baide’s magic. In a sense all that it might take to keep Liam’s tied to the story is some of that magic replaced possibly through a bond with Andarna (the only dragon to ever double-bond a rider (Violet) and therefore the most likely candidate to bond a second rider (Liam)).

This could also rationalize two other plot-related details: Andarna’s sudden growth following Resson (explained as a reaction to her expenditure of energy stopping time twice) and the length of time that she remained within the dreamless sleep. We know that dragons suffer to some extent when the rider they were bonded dies so if Andarna had bonded Liam there would have been repercussions.

Another way to look at this relates to ‘time’. Tairn can read memories and thoughts but Andarna can also see the future. She knew when to hatch, when to accompany Violet (squad battle, Resson, rune search into the cave, Basgiath) and kept insisting that she would be where she was needed. This means that she would likely have known before Resson what would happen to Liam so the issue is whether she had any reasons to save him and, if so, whether attaching a bond to him would suffice.

Another spin on this goes as follows. Andarna insisted on accompanying them on the squad battle. Given that Violet was never in danger the most logical explanation is that she went along in order to save Liam and if that were the case then it seems possible that she could foresee a reason why his existence would be important in the future.

The problem is that, while somewhat compelling, there is scant evidence of a ‘bond’. In fact, Andarna may have been able to foresee that Violet would ‘compel’ Liam to remain in the story which raises another couple of issues. First, was this her second signet? Second, if not then might it represent a source of magic that Violet was born with?

There has been ample speculation about her mother’s fever during pregnancy and Violet’s physical health and hair color. Some believe that her mother drew power from the earth during pregnancy and, if so, it seems possible that this would also have impacted her unborn child. There were a number of instances when Violet was being ignored until she spoke out with real emotion and ‘power’ causing those around her to react in surprise. This happened when Dain was going to read her memories during the initial RSC questioning, at Aretia with Mira and Brennan, and near the end of IF when she was trying to get her mother to listen to her with respect to fixing the wards. But… she also yelled ‘No!’ at the infantry cadet who was trying to toss her off the roof so this is far from conclusive. Yet the way her scalp always tingled when Xaden was looking at her suggests that she had some magical abilities well before she received her dragon bonds.

In any event… the basic theory was that Liam remains tethered to the story and continues to act as a protector to both her and Sloane. Why this is may be necessary has yet to be revealed and exactly how it was accomplished is also unclear. A feathertail ‘usually’ (but apparently not always) loses its original magical abilities when it begins to channel and that didn’t happen until directly after Resson (and has nothing whatsoever to do with being in or out of the dreamless sleep). This means that while Andarna could have bonded Liam- just like she bonded Violet- she couldn’t have provided him with the second signet during the battle that many seem to believe allowed him to wield ice. This, in turn, tilts the probabilities regarding Violet’s abilities to compel back towards something that she received during her mother’s pregnancy.

As for Violet’s second signet… that remains as much of a mystery as Garrick’s signet. She ‘needs’ information but she also could benefit from better physical health as it is difficult to wage war on venin hordes with dislocated joints and broken bones. There were references to increased speed but this might simply be the result of lesser magics.

Part II

The original idea came from a specific event and a curiously emphasized word.

While climbing the Cliffs of Dralor the flyer Luella triggered the gryphon trap and pushed both Violet and Visia towards the cliff edge. ‘A hand grasps the waistband of the back of my leathers and pulls, changing the direction of my fall. Ridoc.’

If it was, in fact, Ridoc then the arrows flew out several seconds after the trap was sprung which seems somewhat illogical given that by then the person or gryphon that triggered it would already have safely passed by. If the arrows flew out immediately then it seems possible that Ridoc was a little too busy getting skewered to grab and save Violet.

Then Cibbe- Luella’s gryphon- grabs Visia, ‘Visia was in his way. The gryphon dumps the rider on the ledge and then cranes his enormous neck towards Luella as bootsteps race down the ascent’.

As bootsteps race down the ascent with the word ‘down’ emphasized. On the one hand most of the key players (Rhi, Sloane, Cat, etc.) were ahead of them which means that they would be coming ‘down’ the path but, even so, the wording seemed curious. If she had written ‘down the ascent towards me’ or ‘back down the ascent’ the meaning would have been clearer but this particular phrasing created the impression that ‘someone’ in Violet’s vicinity was hastily moving away. Yet… only Ridoc and Dain were visible which, in turn, suggests that either Ridoc grabbed Violet or someone/something ‘not visible’ managed to save her.

With this in mind let’s jump forwards to the scene in the cave where they encounter Solas. Violet has thrown herself in front of Cat while Andarna moves in front of both of them to act as a shield, “Kiralair and Sloane fly into us next, swept in by an unseen force…”

Swept in by an unseen force? After a non-visible ‘hand’ grabbed Violet as she was going to tumble over the cliff edge we now have another non-visible force saving Sloane. Two obscure- and ambiguously written- events that (lightly) hint at the possibility of a non-visible protector for both Violet and Sloane- Liam’s sister.

As mentioned previously, Liam was completely healthy when Deigh was killed and ‘died’ as a result of the loss of magic. We know that if this magic is replaced (i.e. JFB) that the rider will live. We don’t know, however, what might happen if only a small part of that magic were replaced but it seems at least possible that some portion- perhaps in non-visible form- might remain. We also know that at least two of the den elders (Codagh and Andarna) have connections to ‘time’ (Melgren’s signet allows him to see the outcome of future battles). In fact if you do the math Andarna was in her egg 18 years BEFORE the Great War and, after hatching, couldn’t breathe fire for the wards until more than 3 years later (assuming that she was 2 when bonded in October of Violet’s first year and was able to toast marshmallows in late December of Violet’s second year).

This suggests that not only could she stop time as a feathertail but could also see future events so the issue is whether she knew that Violet’s survival depended in some way of Liam’s protection and, if so, whether she had the magical abilities to ‘tether’ Liam.

Two more things. First, even though Violet’s signet apparently didn’t manifest for months after Tairn started channeling she created a lightening strike almost immediately (while snogging with Xaden). The magic can be introduced or replaced very quickly.

Second, the book says that a feathertail (usually) loses its individual magic as soon as it begins to channel which didn’t happen until just after Liam died at Resson. Yet we also know that neither Violet nor Xaden returned to Resson to deal with the bodies which leaves open a tiny crack in the plot-based assumption that he is gone.

Violet has three potential sources of magic. Tairn’s signet, of course, as well as a second signet from Andarna, but also some level magical abilities that she was born with. The references to her hair color and her mother’s fever may simply represent RY’s justifications for making Violet ‘frail’ but, if not, then this opens up another can of worms.

What if… Jack was saved so that he could be used for research purposes? What if Violet’s mother wasn’t trying to find a cure for Jack but instead for herself? The amount of effort put in to ‘saving a soul’ seemed disproportionate for a single rider but perhaps more understandable if it was done instead for the commanding General.

Finally, the books continually note that only ‘power’ can kill venin as represented by the power-infused alloy in the daggers. Even when Violet encountered JFB taking down the wards when she threw her dagger she noted that she had thrown the wrong one. Fair enough but…

Earlier that year a first-year with ‘red’ eyes killed Nadine by mistake. Violet returned the favor by stabbing him repeatedly on the mat… with a regular dagger. This suggests that one of two things is likely. Either it takes some time and repeated drawings of magic from the source to create a true venin (which is why her mother’s eyes weren’t consistently red while also holding out some hope for Xaden) or… Violet’s ‘power’ can turn regular daggers into venin-killers as long as they are in her hand. Just a thought.”

Key Points from the theory above

1. Liam’s Survival Through Magic or Connection

• Tethering Through Andarna: Andarna, the unique feathertail dragon, has demonstrated exceptional abilities, including stopping time and perhaps even foresight. Given her capacity to bond multiple riders (as seen with Violet), it’s plausible that she formed a secondary, unseen bond with Liam. This bond could have replaced enough of Liam’s lost magic to tether his essence to the world, allowing him to exist in a non-visible form.
• Time Manipulation and Foresight: Andarna may have foreseen Liam’s importance to future events. Her actions—insisting on accompanying the squad during key moments—could suggest her intentional intervention to ensure his survival, at least in some form.

2. Violet’s Compelling Abilities

• Violet’s potential second signet might be the ability to compel. There are numerous moments where her emotional outbursts seem to influence people in surprising ways. For instance:
  • When she shouted at Dain during the RSC questioning.
  • Her interactions with Mira, Brennan, and her mother, where her words often had unusually profound effects.
• This ability might also extend to tethering or compelling Liam’s presence to remain. Her final words to him—“Fight to stay”—could have subconsciously triggered this bond.

3. The Evidence of Liam’s Presence

• The Cliffs of Dralor Incident: When Violet was saved from falling, it’s ambiguously attributed to Ridoc. However, the sequence of events—arrows flying, Ridoc possibly too occupied to assist—leaves room for the possibility that a “non-visible” force intervened.
• The Cave with Solas: Sloane and Kiralair are described as being swept by an “unseen force.” This aligns with the idea that Liam, tethered in some way, continues to act as a protector for Violet and Sloane.

4. Andarna’s Growth and Repercussions

• Andarna’s sudden growth and extended dreamless sleep after Resson might hint at the consequences of expending energy tethering Liam. Dragons suffer when their riders die, and if Andarna bonded with Liam, even partially, it could explain her prolonged recovery.

5. Violet’s Innate Magical Origins

• The theory about Violet’s mother, Lilith, drawing power from the earth during her fevered pregnancy may have transferred residual magic to Violet. This could explain:
  • Violet’s frail health and silver hair.
  • Her latent ability to compel before bonding with her dragons (e.g., feeling Xaden reading her memories, despite it being supposedly undetectable).

Broader Implications:

• Brennan and Liam as Parallels: Like Brennan, whose presence loomed large in Fourth Wing despite being “dead,” Liam continues to impact the narrative. His letters, role in Violet’s torture survival, and references to his character keep him alive metaphorically, if not physically.
• The “General Daramor” Motif: If “Daramor” translates to “For Love,” it ties into the theme of self-sacrifice and enduring connections. Love, in its many forms, drives characters to protect and save one another—even defying death itself.

Open Questions:

1. The Nature of Violet’s Second Signet: Is it compelling, as theorised, or something entirely different? If she can influence magic-infused objects (e.g., turning regular daggers into venin-killers), this could reveal an even deeper connection to her magical roots.
2. Liam’s Role Moving Forward: If tethered, how will his presence influence the war against the venin and Violet’s journey?
3. Lilith’s Mystery: Was her fever during pregnancy tied to venin corruption, and how might this affect Violet’s powers and destiny?

Final Thoughts

The interwoven theories of Liam’s tethering, Andarna’s unique abilities, and Violet’s potential compelling power create a fascinating framework. This theory ties together so many threads, from Andarna’s foresight to Violet’s compelling nature to Liam’s lingering presence. It’s wild but exciting, and there’s just enough evidence to make you wonder: Is Liam really gone?

Read More Onyx Storm theories

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