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I finally received my copy of Bands of Mourning today, having asked for information on Adonalsium (IN my copy of Firefight it was revealed that there was a failed plot to kill Adonalsium which failed) The Inscription reads: "Adonalsium shattered because he was killed." We now have confirmation that Adonalsium was a living being, and was male. It sounds as if there were several attempts on His life... What is the current info on the Weapon and the other plots? Can we start to tie things together? Particularly with M:SH revealing so much?

In my preorder copy of Bands of Mourning I asked Brandon a question which I debated for a while with some of you guys. The exact wording of my question was: "Hoid says he would watch Roshar burn if it meant his goals were achieved. Would Hoid go so far as to kill to achieve these goals? Can you give a hint about what his goals are?" In the lower left-hand corner he drew the symbol for Harmonium, I'm assuming a new Godmetal. To my knowledge we don't know anything about this yet. I'm super stoked to read the book, but I had to share this info with everyone first. So Hoid would, and probably will kill. And, we probably won't agree with some of his goals, that has me extremely interested.

She can have half.

A Rosharan Political Analysis: Secret Societies Ghostbloods, Diagramists, Skybreakers, Sons of Honor, Envisagers, Stone Shamans, Ardentia The following is intended to be a comprehensive guide on known secret societies on Roshar, especially ones interfering in The Stormlight Archive. Due to the complexity and excessive number of such societies, this will hopefully be a useful reference for newcomers, confused fans, and those that want to double check or reference any information. If you note any inaccuracies or things that I missed, feel free to let me know so that I can update the information to be as accurate as possible. The Ghostbloods: The Ghostbloods are the most encountered secret society with the least information given. As Mraize told Shallan at the end of Words of Radiance, we know next to nothing about the Ghostbloods or their purpose. We can, however, make some educated approximations, and codify the information we have been given. · Jasnah Kholin: She and the Ghostbloods seem to be engaged in a policy of mutual assassination; but unfortunately we don’t know the history or reasons behind this. · Sons of Honor: There seems to be a specific rivalry between the Ghostbloods and the Sons of Honor. The Ghostbloods have a keen interest in Amaram at the Shattered Plains, and Iyatil tried to assassinate him at the end of Words of Radiance (most likely, she has at least one nonlethal poison); Amaram also suspected the Ghostbloods of sending Helaran as the Shardbearer to kill him, though later evidence indicates that it was really the Skybreakers. Gavilar’s two suspects for his assassination were Thaidakar (probable leader of the Ghostbloods) and Restares (probable leader of the Sons of Honor). Both are also seeking maps and Urithiru. · Maps and Urithiru: The Ghostbloods have an uncanny interest in maps. (This is not singular to the Ghostbloods; the Sons of Honor, Parshendi, and others seem to have the same interest.) Either they (as well as the others) are putting plenty of effort into the search for Urithiru (as seems likely), or the maps have something else of interest. · Taravangian and Tukar: Mraize, in his conversation with Raspy Voice, seemed to indicate that he thinks Taravangian and the Diagram of little importance. Either he is unaware of the Diagram or its extent, or the Diagram is of less importance than we are led to believe. In the same conversation, he speaks of a “creature in Tukar” that is either not human or not of the local species. As pointed out, this is likely the "god-priest, Tezim," leading the Tukari in the conflict over Sesemalex Dar. · Worldhoppers: Secret conversations, key props, the Diagram, and Words of Brandon confirm that Mraize and Iyatil are worldhoppers. The conversation Shallan overheard in Chapter 54 of Words of Radiance seems to indicate that there may be at least one other. A person with a raspy voice. Conspiracy theory! Dreok Crushthroat! The Ghostbloods could, therefore, be a Cosmere-wide organization in either membership, expanse, or at least information. Significant Members: · Mraize: A man who, on first sight, reminds Shallan of Hoid. He is twisted an scarred, fixates on courage (in his first conversation with Shallan), and likes to use local weapons to learn of different cultures. He is the ward of Iyatil, and a worldhopper. In fact, Adrotagia wondered (in her annotations to the Diagram) if he was the “wanderer Taravangian spoke of. · Iyatil: She is considered the “babsk” of Mraize. The only other babsk we see is Vstim, and from Rysn we learn that the babsk is considered the parent of the apprentice, in charge of “rearing” them to be a full trader. I am not sure how this relationship works with the Ghostbloods. She has an orange carapace mask she refuses to remove, is a skilled actress, and is also a worldhopper. · Tyn: An expert con artist that took Shallan under her wing. She was in league with the Ghostbloods but may not have been an actual member. She was in charge of the operation to assassinate Jasnah Kholin. Shallan killed her with her Shardblade when Tyn discovered her identity and tried to kill her. · Thaidakar: This appears to be a leader or high ranking member of the Ghostbloods (he is spoken of in conjunction with the Ghostbloods in a way that implies he is the head of the organization by Amaram in The Way of Kings, and Words of Radiance reaffirms a Ghostblood position, with the term “Master Thaidakar” used by Mraize. Gavilar suspected Thaidakar for his assassination, telling him that he was “too late;” though Restares (a Son of Honor) and Sadeas were also suspects. We have no other information at the moment. Lin Davar: Father of Shallan and Helaran (along with three other siblings). He assumed the blame for the deaths of Shallan's mother and her friend in order to preserve the secret of Shallan's Radiancy and the fact that Shallan had killed them (albeit in self-defense). He grew politically ambitious, increasing House Davar's importance and preparing to make a bid for Highprince, but making enemies and alienating allies. His steward, Luesh, was his intermediary with the rest of the Ghostblood organization, which had been backing his bid for the Highprince succession and had loaned him the Soulcaster. He was killed by Shallan when he tried to kill Nan Balat during one of his rages. Luesh: Steward to Lin Davar and his intermediary with the Ghostbloods as they backed him politically. He was trained to use a Soulcaster. He (purportedly) died in his sleep after Lin's death, while Shallan was in Kharbranth. Kabsal: A Ghostblood posting as a Kharbranthian Ardent. He befriended and fell in love with Shallan, but his main purpose was to assassinate Jasnah Kholin. He died from poisoned bread during the assassination attempt after Jasnah inadvertently Soulcast the antidote. Shallan: Following Jasnah's "death," Shallan's encounter with Tyn, and her arrival at the Shattered Plains, Shallan infiltrated the Ghostblood organization under the alias Veil. She was ultimately admitted as a full Ghostblood member, but her true identity was ultimately discovered. Despite this, Mraize still offered her the membership. "Let Shallan Davar be a Radiant, conformist and noble. Let Veil come to us. And let her find truth." Interesting quote (from Mraize's conversation with Shallan at the end of Words of Radiance): "Your family [the Davar's] has a long history of involvement in these events." The Sons of Honor: The Sons of Honor are a group of Vorin extremists. Fortunately (or unfortunately), we see a lot of them through the interactions and investigations of Amaram, especially from Words of Radiance. (Ironically, the English singular – Son of Honor – is only one letter away from perfect Rosharan symmetry, a good Vorin name.) Their purpose is to return the Desolations in order to bring back the Heralds and restore the Heirocratic dominance of Old Vorinism. While obviously misguided and misinformed, and seemingly unimportant, they still manage to kick up quite the storm. Restares: We know little more of Restares than we do of Thaidakar. The apparent leader of the Sons of Honor, all we truly know is that he is Amaram’s superior, one of Gavilar’s murder suspects, and that his cronies were “close,” according to Mraize, presumably to finding Urithiru. He is usually mentioned in context with Thaidakar. He is the individual to whom Amaram sent his progress report at the end of Words of Radiance. Amaram: A devout Son of Honor, he has been seeking Heralds (namely the “person who calls himself Taln), gathering maps (presumably seeking Urithiru), and trying to get the Parshendi to transform into Voidbringers. While he has garnered much dislike in the novels and among fans for murdering Kaladin’s men and being generally dishonorable, I feel he is no worse (and absolutely no better) than many of the other misguided, semi-antagonistic members of such secret societies; while he is more misguided than most, he honestly feels he is doing what is best for Roshar, without regard to himself, but has a very destination-before-journey mindset that is common in similar individuals (Taravangian, Mraize, and even Hoid to an extent). The Diagramists: The most appreciated and generally understood secret organization, the society of the Diagram is the prime example of “Destination before Journey,” summarized by the Catechism of the Back of the Flowered Painting: Q: What cost must we bear? A: The cost is irrelevant. Mankind must survive. Our burden is that of the species, and all other considerations are but dust by comparison On the night of his death, Gavilar confided in King Taravangian of Kharbranth, telling him of his visions of the Almighty. Following this, Taravangian sought out the Nightwatcher, asking for the capacity to save humankind. The result? Daily intelligence fluctuations, inversely connected with compassion levels. Then came one “singular day of unparalleled brilliance,” “making connections no man had ever before made”: The Diagram. Information written in an alien script (devised by Taravangian that day to express information more clearly) all over Taravangian’s bedroom, with a key fortunately carved into his table; now codified (in its original form) for more practical use. Although Taravangian’s Interlude maintains that he did not truly see into the future, the Diagram has made “eerily accurate” (though not entirely infallible) predictions of the results of specific actions necessary to unite the world (under Taravangian) to resist the Desolation, as his interpretation of Gavilar’s visions required: “You must become king. Of everything.” Quotes: · Inaccuracies: The Diagram, while startlingly accurate, has been off about a few things, more so the farther into the future it goes. Taravangian hopes for another day of equivalent intelligence to revamp the Diagram, but Adrotagia’s calculations declare this to be unlikely. Therefore, the current method is to use Death Rattles, little precognitive phrases uttered by the dying, created by Moelach (according to the Diagram, one of the Unmade) and powered by the “spark of life itself.” Two problems thus arise: First, that the Diagram is gradually decreasing in accuracy; Second, that the method of updating the Diagram is controlled by an evil, powerful being most likely a Splinter of Odium. These could have interesting future ramifications. · Death Rattles: · Sleepers: These are members of the Diagramist group, likely a term for a specific type of undercover agent. “Wake every Alethi sleeper we have; send every agent in the area.” These may include Graves and his men. · Silent Gatherers: These Diagramists are headed by Joshor and are in charge of murdering the terminally ill in the Kharbranthian hospitals in order to find and record as many Death Rattles as possible to augment the Diagram. Members: · Taravangian: King of Kharbranth and now Jah Keved, Taravangian was the confidante of Gavilar Kholin on his final night. After seeking out the Nightwatcher, he received the boon of intelligence fluctuation and created the Diagram on a day of unparalleled genius (as explained above). Through his occasional brilliance, he is able to interpret the Diagram and is the leader of the society. “Besides, in dealing with the Diagram, he might not remember what he had written or why – but there were echoes sometimes.” · Adrotagia: Head of Taravangian’s scholars and his boyhood friend. Following Taravangian, she probably knows the most about the Diagram. · Mrall: Taravangian’s bodyguard, in charge of determining his capacity to serve in public on a daily basis. A peculiar figure, he claims to be able to “change emotions on a whim,” such as ceasing to take pleasure in suffering. · Graves: A self-styled Alethi patriot and a Shardbearer, he was in charge of the group trying to assassinate King Elhokar. He is now fleeing the Shattered Plains. Through the assassination attempt, he recruited Moash to their cause. · Szeth-son-son-Vallano: Truthless of Shinovar, the Assassin in White. An explanation should be unnecessary. From the middle of The Way of Kings to the end of Words of Radiance, he is under the control of Taravangian and acts on his orders. The Skybreakers: The name originally applied to an order of the Knights Radiant. Whether they remain so, are the organizational remnant of what used to be Radiants, are Radiants ("This act of great villainy went beyond the impudence which had hitherto been ascribed to the orders; as the fighting was particularly intense at the time, many attributed this act to a sense of inherent betrayal; and after they withdrew, about two thousand made assault upon them, destroying much of the membership; but this was only nine of the ten, as one said they would not abandon their arms and flee, but instead entertained great subterfuge at the expense of the other nine."), or merely share the same name and Heraldic leader remains unknown. In any case, they are a group headed by Nalan, Herald of Justice. They do seem to “put the law above all else,” though laws are twisted to suit their needs, and they certainly have a proliferation of Shardblades; however, their actions do not seem Radiant-worthy and they seem to be trying to assassinate – pseudolegally, of course – Surgebinders along the path to Radianthood, all in the name of preventing another Desolation. The best knowledge comes from the Interludes of Ym and Lift, along with Szeth’s portion of chapter 88 of Words of Radiance. I hope for a vast increase of information with the release of the next book (such as the information and references in The Way of Kings versus those in Words of Radiance.) · Nalan’elin: “Nin” to Szeth, almost certainly Darkness to Lift and the man in Ym’s story; Herald of Justice, Divine Attributes of Just and Confident. We don’t know what the years since Aharietiam have truly done to the Heralds, though they seem to be “doing worse.” This one has gained a penchant for assassinating Surgebinders and (Jezerezah only knows what else he’s been up to! I’ll leave it up to your imagination). · Szeth-son-Neturo: Once again, the Assassin in White needs little introduction. Now he has and a mission to bring justice to the leaders of the Shin, and he is learning at the feet of a dangerous Herald who may or may not be just as unstable as Szeth. · Helaran: Shallan’s oldest brother apparently “sought out the Skybreakers,” presumably where he received his Shardblade and Plate. Taravangian and Adrotagia considered him a possible tutor of Shallan in her Surgebinding. Nothing else is known, despite Shallan’s flashbacks (I am beginning to tire of saying that. I expect some good information from the third book!) The Envisagers: A cult, as Teft called them, that “believed in the Radiants, Heralds, and Old Vorinism; especially Old Vorinism.” They believed that if they could return the Voidbringers, it would bring back the Knights Radiant (comparable to the Sons of Honor in the preceding respects). They believed that if they put their members in mortal danger, they would manifest Surgebinding powers – a Snapping concept, of sorts. None did, but many (including Teft’s mother) died trying. Teft turned the Envisagers in to his citylord, who executed them all. If other groups exist, he (and we) is unaware. NOTE: This concludes the section on all known secret societies – at least, those known to be secret societies. The two following are potential candidates once more information is known; as things stand, any accusations of ulterior goals remain theorization. I hope the information is helpful, regardless. The Ardentia: The Vorin ardentia are the religious officials that remain after the Sunmaker destroyed the Heirocracy and Old Vorinism. While they lack the overwhelming political power they had previously, they are extraordinarily well placed to be a massive secret society in the Vorin nations of the East: ardents include cutting-edge scientists, scholars with access to practically all of the Eastern world’s knowledge (especially the Palanaeum), politicians (though they technically aren’t supposed to be), religious authorities and advisors, fighters, Shard-trained soldiers, and Soulcasters – in fact, they control all known Soulcasting fabrials. They seem too suspicious and well-positioned, especially with the fact that they once controlled the major Vorin nations. Stone Shamans and the Shin: I hesitated to include these, but the information, while mildly speculative and not truly a secret society, could still be of use. Stone Shamans seem to be the leaders of the Shin – certainly of their religion, which worships the spren of stone. They have the Honorblades and have kept them safe “for millennia” – likely since the Last Desolation. Szeth mentions eight of the nine, specifically (though he wasn’t terribly surprised with the fabricated news that one was stolen), and we have WOB that a Herald came back for his. Unfortunately, insofar as I know, we lack a time indicator – whether it was immediately following the Desolation, before Szeth’s expulsion, or afterwards is unknown, and the latter would mean that there is another unaccounted Honorblade. Presumably, the Stone Shamans use them, for they would have been able to retrieve the Honorblade following Szeth’s death in normal circumstances (whether they will try or succeed to regain the Honorblade from the new Knights Radiant remains to be seen) – though how this reconciles with the societal abhorrence of weapons and soldiery is unknown. Regardless, we know Szeth plans to “face enemies with Shards and with power.” Besides the ownership of the Honorblades (and potentially other Shards), however, is the potential knowledge, both generally held and that discovered by Szeth, leading to his naming as Truthless. Unfortunately, all that we know is very vague and will likely remain so until Szeth visits Shinovar or we see his flashbacks. Regardless, we can extrapolate from the few glimpses Szeth does give us, namely in Interlude 9 of The Way of Kings and phrases screamed while fighting Kaladin. Something made Szeth believe that the Radiants and Voidbringers had returned. He told others, probably the Stone Shamans, but was convinced or forced - despite what he claims his honor demanded - to become Truthless. (I am of the opinion that he was forced religiously, and he complied in the name of law and order, which Nalan claimed Szeth worshipped - “They told me I was Truthless,” emphasis added, and “There was no place for him in the Valley of Truth,” a name that seems to imply religious significance. There is also an interesting dichotomy following his acceptance of his station; while “his honor demanded” that the Voidbringers existed despite the fact that “his punishment declared that they did not,” the appearance of Kaladin as a budding Radiant made Szeth question his nature as Truthless until Taravangian’s explanation forced him to remain in his place.) Along with a possible knowledge of Radiants and Voidbringers, Szeth recognizes a Herald on sight (albeit by a different name than they are called in Vorin nations), and he knows more about Surgebinding than the Ars Arcanum from The Way of Kings and arguably that of Words of Radiance, despite Shinovar’s lack of access to Stormlight. They also had a knowledge of Urithiru. It will be very interesting to learn more of the Shin in future novels. Honorable mention: These are groups that deserve notice but lack requisite information for full consideration. Worldsingers: An order that travels across Roshar, "spreading knowledge of cultures, peoples, thoughts, and dreams; bringing peace through understanding." They claim that their charge to do so came directly from the Heralds. Related to the Worldbringers of Terris and probably founded by Hoid, Hoid is a member and was the mentor to Sigzil, graduating him during The Way of Kings. Veristitalians: A group of scholars that seeks to find the truth of what has happened in the past, such as finding natural explanations for supernatural phenomena and discovering unbiased history. Jasnah is a prominent member. Stormwardens: A group of make scholars finding loopholes in Vorin restrictions. They mathematically predict highstorms, use glyphs as a written phonetic script, etc. Several stormwardens have been involved with secret societies, but nothing indicates that the organization as a whole is. Vanrial: Am order of artists at Silent Mount in Jah Keved, responsible for preserving the full text of The Way of Kings throughout the Hierocracy. Each year they sing songs believed to be in the Dawnchant, of which Dalinar's visions seem to be giving a translation. Oldbloods: The descendants of the dynasty that once, long ago, ruled Alethkar. They mark themselves with blue tattoos on the cheek. Teleb, a Kholin highofficer and ultimately a Shardbearer, is an Oldblood. "In Yulay, there are groups of people who talk of the Radiants. And wish for their return." This quote from Sigzil may refer to the Envisagers or a separate group. I hope that this compilation is helpful. If you note any inaccuracies or know of anything I overlooked, any and all help is appreciated – I mean this to be a full, complete resource for anyone that could use it. Thank you! Edit 1: Updated the Ghostblood information, switching Iyatil for Mraize (as the assassin fit Amaram), added nonlethal poison as an option, fixed ambiguity of worldhopper status for Mraize and Iyatil, fixed "creature in Tukar," and added Lin Davar, Luesh, Kabsal, and Shallan/Veil. Edit 2: Added Worldsingers, Veristitalians, Stormwardens, Vanrial, Oldbloods, and Yulay groups.

We will all feel very foolish when his true role on Roshar is revealed: Yup, you guessed it, all along Kelsier was the true identity of Shshshshsh.

For a while, Third of the Dawn had doubted her plan. Trappers were solitary. A chance meeting in the jungle would usually see them part ways without a single word. And she wanted them to confer as the councils did! What were they going to do, glare at each other? As it turned out, there were not as many glares as she'd expected. Some of them did, eyes full of the animosity that unfamiliar situations could inspire. Others seemed more relaxed. Two seemed curious more than anything else. Several minutes of silence passed. Then one raised his machete. "You," he said, voice oddly accented, "are with them." His accused raised an eyebrow, but another voice sounded. "You move too fast. What do you know?" And the hardest part was done. The group's conversation shifted back and forth between accusations of allegiance with the Northern Interests traders and the best traps to set at a safecamp. Really, it didn't matter what they said; the most important part was that the words were there at all. Jay hissed at something outside her vision, and struck his beak against her shoulder. Dawn turned. "Ah. So you did come." "It works better than I expected." Fourth of the Rain, her brother, looked back at the group. The crowd. "Look, they have made a decision." One of the trappers had made a mistake, it seemed. The crowd had turned against him. He didn't argue, not any more, and didn't even look surprised when angry voices became machete blades. Dawn watched, horrified and fascinated. It was a quick death, of course. No sense letting an enemy throw you off balance when a brush with the wrong leaf could be fatal. But when the trappers searched his body, searching for a sign of the traders' influence, they found only his notebook. Rain shrugged, apparently unsurprised. "Do you have a safecamp?" Sun's book should show the way. "Yes." ----- Axies (Phattemer) was lynched! He was a Regular Trapper! One of his Aviar was given to the first voter. Phattemer (4): Paranoid King, Arraenae, Mailliw73, Elbereth Adavantos (1): IrulelikeSTINK Mailliw73 (2): luckat, TheMightyLopen Shallan (2): Elkanah, Clanky TheSilverDragon (2): Shallan, Water

Argh, I've got to strongly disagree with this. You're really annoyed at Kell for staying alive? Why not be mad a Marsh or Demoux or anyone else who's lived and extended lifetime? The only difference is that Kell's body died. Except, at the end of SH Kelsier hadn't even lived a natural lifespan either. He died a premature death at the Lord Ruler's hands. He died young, but now he has a chance to pursue continued existence. Why in the heck shouldn't he? Wanting to live shouldn't make someone a "big, selfish, ego baby". What I'm essentially getting out of this is that Kelsier should die just because he can and his because job is done. People don't live just to do one thing. He's completed his purpose, great, now he can find a new purpose. At the very beginning of SH it looks very similar, he did what he needed for the plan, and now it was up to the rest of the crew. But, if he hadn't clung to life then he wouldn't have been around long enough to see how messed up things really were. You talk about Kelsier meddling, like he's running around playing pranks or something. He saved a continent full of people that everyone else seems to have neglected. He may have selfish reasons for doing good things, but those aren't the only reasons, and he's doing good things. He stuck around during SH to make sure his friends, and the world, didn't all get wiped out. Well, that really hasn't changed very much. There's a red haze bearing down on Saze, who's having difficulties dealing with the Intents of his Shards, and there are several other forces which would probably get the drop on Scadrial given the chance. I feel like Harmony needs someone like Kelsier to act as a straight man. Someone to tell him if his Shards are messing him up too much. Ati and Leras seemed to get really wonked out by their Shards. Saying Kelsier should just go to the Beyond already, seems equivalent to saying he should let himself die. The way I understand the Beyond is that it's supposed to be like the idea of an afterlife in real life. Souls might be going to an afterlife or they might be going to oblivion Some people believe in it, some people don't, and there isn't direct physical evidence for its existence. Kelsier was an atheist before he died, and I don't think a knowledge of Realmatics is necessarily going to change that for him. There's a good chance that he doesn't think that there is anything Beyond. He's probably not sure that he gets to go be with Mare again, but if there is an afterlife, it's not going anywhere. Narrative wise, I think it's alright for Kelsier to be alive because Vin and Kelsier are gone for certain. I never cared quite as much about Kell as other people seemed to, so this is more like a consolation prize or an apology gift. I really hope this doesn't come off as antagonistic or anything, I just don't like the idea that it's somehow morally wrong or stupid for Kelsier to continue to live.

While I can understand wanting a dead character to stay dead, what gave you the impression that he'd be anything but a good character? Yeah, Sazed doesn't like Hemalurgy, but the Wax and Wayne books makes it clear that Spook didn't mind. Combine that with the fact that after resurrecting, Kelsier went and used his power to rebuild a civilization that Sazed had inadvertently crushed, I don't think you could ever justifiably call him a bad guy. With the Marsh stuff, I think you're misunderstanding. Kelsier could never touch Marsh. Ati got in his way every time he tried so the only thing Kelsier ever did was accidentally tell his brother how to save Vin. It was up to Marsh to actually do the saving. If Marsh hadn't been playing "good little Inquisitor" the whole time, Ruin would have focused more on him and would have maintained control when Kelsier surprise attacked him. Kelsier knew his brother was trying to resist Ruin and thanks to reading the plate, he knew how to save Vin. All Kelsier did was give his brother a single moment of total freedom. If Marsh hadn't been resisting and keeping his sanity all that time, he wouldn't have yanked out the earring. Honestly, I feel like this side of things added a lot to the story for me because I always wondered why Ruin wouldn't take full control in such a critical moment. As for the epilogue, I can see that, but I think what we saw was that Spook had crawled out from under Kelsier's shadow to discover that he was now on-par with Kelsier. That's how I took it at least. Spook had gone from understudy to equal and friend. I'd call that more powerful, but I admit that's a personal preference.

Hehehe hahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Hey guys! Okay, so I'm totally new to this forum thing, but I just devoured BoM and SH in a single day, and I had a couple of ideas based on linguistics that might provide some insight into the whole Ettmetal/lost metal thing. You see, one thing I noticed when reading BoM is that the Southerner's language patterns seem to be somewhat derivative of our own Scandinavian languages - some words are even directly translatable (I'm Norwegian, which is why I noticed it), while others just bear similar linguistic patterns. For instance, when Allik talks about the "Jaggenmire", he mentions that the Jaggenmire is composed of Herr and his sister/wife Frue, which in the Scandi-languages translate directly to Mr. and Mrs, and makes complete in-world sense as well. Or when Allik first recognizes Wax as an Allomancer, he says "Hanner konge?", which would more or less translate from Scandi to English as "He is a king?" - which again makes total sense considering how Allik pretty much sees Wax as a godlike being from there on out. Anyway, this is all just grasping at linguistic straws on my part, but! If I follow this little "theory" even further and apply it to Ettmetal, and translate that, then we get "The Onemetal". To me, anyway, "The Onemetal" implies something that is one - something unified - which obviously brings loads of associations to Harmony with it. But hey, I'm new to this and it might not make much sense to anyone but me!

Twimom is more like a clock that runs slightly too fast. It is right about every ten years.

It was a good thing that Autumn was the one leading the interview. Jack himself could barely stand some of the sparking rubbish Orange Crush was saying. He was a testament not even to the vileness of Epics but simply the justification at the core of it all, Calamity’s mind poison. Even if Orange Crush wasn’t able to fight it, the result was something barely watchable. In his favor he wasn’t as bad as the likes of Deathwish and reader, which means nothing. Naturally, he wasn’t here to judge, even if he could remain impartial. That was Autumn’s domain. And it seemed that Crush was not feeling very confident about said judgement anymore, a state of mind that could easily make him dangerous. Thus, with Crush growing more irritated Jack instead grew tenser. Still, what actually caused Orange Crush to lose his cool unexpected. Jack didn’t exactly care about what Crush’s opinion on the topic of bananas was. What mattered was that he directed his overzealousness at Autumn. It was where Jack drew the line. Jack rose to his feet, roughly slamming his hands on the table, while making sure one was next to Autumn, in case he needed to reach for her and told Crush in clear terms that he should stop screaming at Autumn. If he calmed down now, there would not have been a need for violence. Orange Crush escalated the situation. It ended with Crush pretty much throwing the cookie at Autumn. Immediately Jack touched Autumn and put a piece of Vapor Snake inside her to protect her from possible harm. By the time Jack was on Orange Crush it crossed his mind that the cookie may simply have been the result of Crush throwing a tantrum with no greater danger or hidden use of powers behind it. It wasn’t a risk he would take. Whatever kind of fighting prowess Orange Crush might have with his powers, he was not much of a challenge in close quarters. It didn’t take long for Jack to pin him against the wall in a way that would allow Jack to incapacitate Crush rather easily. How much he would have to rough up this Orange would depend on two questions. “Autumn, are you alright?” He asked her without taking his eyes from Orange Crush. "Yes, I'm fine," responded Autumn. Apart from being shaken, she didn’t sound like anything bad had happened to her. That was good. He relaxed, even if he didn’t loosen his grip on Orange Crush just yet. “What should I do with him?” "Give him one of those cookies and see if that calms him down. If so, let him out under guard to complete processing." With that Jack let go of Orange Crush, “You heard her, Crush. You get a cookie.”

He's not just casting himself in the savior role for the South, he's also saving the South. You know, preventing all the people on a continent from freezing to death. That was kind of a very important thing which needed to be done. This feels like a simplification of his character. He does have quite a large ego, but it's far from the primary motivator for everything he does. He probably gets a kick out of being in that role, but I doubt that's why he's doing it. If he just wanted to fuel his ego there were plenty of other things he could have done. If anything, it seems like his ego has gotten more in check after SH. But, unless he's gone off-planet and made himself the king of Threnody or something, he must have switched to working in the shadows after saving the South.

Well, Marsh DID say that Wax was doing his Brother's work.

So, I've got a pretty boring job at a call center, so over the last couple months I've sketched out characters for all two hundred fifty six twinborn combinations. They're not all great and most of them were written before the Bands of Mourning was released so the enhancement feruchemy abilities are a little off, but I had a ton of fun with this and I thought I would share it. Twinborn Combos - Google Docs.pdf

If Jane Austen wrote The Stormlight Archive, it would be a fantasy of manners with the Desolation happening in the background but being commented on now and then as a mildly troublesome inconvenience, equivalent to the merchants not being able to get fill orders on violet wine due to the blockade on France and Napoleodium. Adolin would be Duke of Kholinar Court, nephew to the King. He'd be a playboy with an impressive win-list for pistols-at-dawn, very fashionable and flirty but looking for "the right one". One morning his second (The Hon. Jakamav, Esq. - what a cad!) whom he met at Eton decides not to show up, and his physician, Dr Kaladin, takes on the job and helps him win another duel. Adolin's cousin, Countess Jasnah of Ivory Lane, arranges a betrothal to a rural Scottish girl of Clan McValam. Jasnah arranges for Lady Shallan to travel to Kholinar Court. She is met at the village coach house by Dr Kaladin, whom she mistakes for an estate servant and teases by pretending to be an Angloalethiphobic culchie who speaks only in broken Gaelic. Upon meeting His Grace and seeing his estate for the first time, Lady Shallan is smitten by the lure of wealth. Duke Adolin and his family possess a considerable fortune whilst the Davars of Clan McValam only put up the front of having a modest income. The late Laird Davar mortgaged the family estates in support of an Irish-independence faction who ran off with the money. Duke Adolin turns out to be a first-rate gentleman of charm and temperance and not at all like the skirt-chasing rake she was expecting. Dr Kaladin, however, turns out to be a properly educated man of letters. He was educated at the Kharbranth Academy as a charity student and was forced to tutor wealthy but stupid children by Headmaster Roshone so now harbours a grudge for the gentry, even though he earns a handsome salary on top of his share from the duel bets. Lady Shallan can't help but feel attraction to him since he quotes Lord Byron, whilst the only books Duke Adolin ever opens have large pictures. But Kholinar Court alone brings in an agreeable sum of 60 000 spheres sterling per annum, Dr Kaladin only makes 2 000, and while it is enough for a tidy and well-staffed townhouse, that house is far from a Grand House. And worst of all, he has to work for his living! Anyways, lots of romantic misunderstandings ensue after The Hon. Jakamav is very pointedly uninvited from the next Feast, and Dr Kaladin is brought in to fill in the gap for the obligatory cotillion. And because he is a man well respected by Prince Dalinar, he is assigned to act the chaperon to his son's outings.

What do you call a survivor who's lost one eye? Survvor. Voidus makes no apologies for the terribleness of this joke.

Brandon Sanderson stores his works in the cloud. Not an electronic cloud, an actual cloud. He uses it to keep the sun out of his eyes when he is writing. Brandon Sanderson made a bet with himself that he could create a real life spiritweb. You may know it as the Internet.

Oh this is a good one.... Glowing Adolin breaks up with Shallan because, you know, he is glowing and she isn't. There is also the fact he really likes chicken and she doesn't. The relationship just has to end. Shallan thus spend the next 200 pages (or 2h if you are watching the movie adaptation) curled up in a ball, in her bed, crying and crying and crying over the failure of her entire life. She will then meet Kaladin: a boy who spends all his time running in the wood with his bridge brothers carrying bridges, a task they have solely entrusted to pertain by their elders. Shallan will instantly notice Kaladin is more muscular than Adolin. Adolin is an expert swordsman and he is quite cut, but lifting heavy bridges did give lend Kaladin broader shoulders and a heavier musculature. Shallan will then spend the next 200 pages pondering as to who's abs are more chiseled. Who's hair does she likes best? Adolin neatly tousled blond hair or Kaladin messy and knotty brown locks? Who's smell does she prefer? Adolin's cologne or Kaladin freshly scent of sweat and musk? She will also ponder about other part of their anatomy, but it will send her giggling so she will use fruit or vegetable names to refer to it.... There will, of course, be some war or battle or world crushing event happening in the background, but it will have little significance when compared to the heart breaking decision Shallan is forced to do. In the mean time, Adolin will be depressed. As it turns out, not glowing and not liking chicken may not have been good reason to dump Shallan. He will thus decide to surrender to Taravangian to dispose of him as he wishes. As he is about to be slay by Taranvangian in order to extract his death rattle, Shallan will bounce in, Renarin in tow, to save Adolin from a sure death. Yeah. You will now think her dilemma is over as she appears to have chosen Adolin, but no. Kaladin is still lurking in the back of her mind. As to the world important events that may results in many innocent life being lost, nothing will be decided at the end of the book. In the next book, after removing Adolin's shirt, Shallan will start to ponder as to what Kaladin's chest may feel like.... And then she will realize those broad shoulders must be firm to the touch........ And....... It will go on for another book or two or three.

OK, simple and whimsical theory here, and probably wrong. Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell is a cosmere work, one which Sanderson specifically said he wrote in order to highlight the Cosmere afterlife a bit. Or the...kind of afterlife. Whatever it is. Is it possible that he's just being ridiculously blunt, and the truth is in the title? Its the Forests of Hell. Therefore, these forests are the Cosmere's physical manifestation of Hell, the place where bad shardfolk go from all over the cosmere. It's too simplistic, but knowing Sanderson's habit for putting the truth in obvious places...I find it hard to let go. More importantly, I like the idea of trying to understand what this says about the cosmere afterlife by starting with this assumption. Instead of trying to figure out how this ties into the Cosmere afterlife by examining the shades' actions, let's examine their actions with the assumption that these are the shades in hell...

The Set is a well defined organization with members that nearly all worship the 'god' Trell. Most of the members we have met in the Set have been native Scadrialans. For the plot of the Wax and Wayne trilogy to feel complete, Sequence and the Set obviously need to be dealt with in The Lost Metal, but I don't think the Set will be completely destroyed--only the part of the organization based out of Scadrial. The Set will continue their machinations in the background, and will be important during the Era 2 Mistborn trilogy. So far, the focus on the Set has been through Suit and Sequence, who appear at the end of Bands to be little more than middle managers. They commanded the actions of Miles, the Marksman, Irich (who called his rank 'Array'), Kelesina, and Templeton Fig. This level seems to be the lowest that actually know much about the Set. They commanded some people (Miles' robbers, Templeton Fig's grave robbing, etc.), but that's the end of the chain. All of the above people are from Scadrial. Above Suit and Sequence are 'the Series', who are a group of people who seem to care about technological advancements (Page 400): The naming scheme of the organization also proves their scientific focus: Set, Sequence, Array, and Series are all mathematical terms (though I'm not sure how Suit fits). This Series seems to be a council, very high ranking within the Set. Suit speaks to one at the end of Bands, and calls it a "Faceless Immortal." I believe they are all "Faceless Immortals"--but not kandra. The Series are not from Scadrial. At the very least they don't have any affinity for the planet, as shown by the "Faceless Immortal" that speaks to Suit (page 434): We know the Set worships Trell, and that the spike is from a Shard we know (Link). It stands to reason that the spike and the "Faceless Immortals" are from the same shardworld. Harmony hasn't said anything about the material from the spike, so it's probably not of Harmony, or something he would understand (Scadrial). From what I can see, Trell is acting entirely through agents. He isn't invested in Scadrial, so he is having people below him do what he wants to be done. This means he has to have a sizable group of people cosmerically aware enough to do his bidding. Secret History Spoilers: So, these beings can take the form of others, and are not from Scadrial. They also have "softly glowing red eyes." I believe they are a group of Svrakiss from Sel. Coppermind: I think this is close enough to a "Faceless Immortal," at least relating to the changing of forms. It at least matches Suit's understanding of the creature he spoke with. Also, someone asked back at the Salt Lake City Comic Con 2014 about Svrakiss: Clearly Svrakiss, or something equivalent, had some influence on Miles--and possibly the Set as a whole. I think introducing the Svrakiss is the reason Sanderson wants to have Elantris 2/3 written before Era 2 Mistborn (State of the Sanderson 2014): The Set worships Trell; believe him to be a god. I think Trell is related to Dominion; Trellium is Dominion's god metal. Trell himself would be someone who holds a sizable amount of Dominions power (not sure how; maybe there exists a particularly large splinter, or found a way to combine Skaze and hold their power). This person with some of Dominion's power commands the Series, and uses them to do his bidding around the Cosmere, including on Scadrial. Summary: Trell is related to Dominion; the higher ranking members of the Set are Svrakiss from Sel.

After reading Words of Radiance I was interested in the symmetric design of the names and poetry. Soon after finishing the book I was in a poetry class so I decided to try my hand at a ketek. I am fascinated by the differences between truths and lies after all everthing is subject to perspective. So here is my first attempt at a ketek. Lies are truths that see that truths are lies. What do you guys think? Is it too literal? Does anyone else have a cool ketek or poem for sharing?

While doing research on Seons, I re-read the scene where Hrathen was talking to the potions maker Forton via Seon. Forton is from Hrovell, one of the nations under the Fjordell Empire. Forton can apparently create potions that can counteract poisons that have no known antidote. He was also able to create potions that make someone temporarily look like a Fallen Elantrian. What I'm wondering is if Forton is just a very clever chemist, or if his potions are actually magical. If they are in fact Invested substances, it would imply that this is Hrovell's regional manifestation of Investiture. But if the potions are Invested, how would that work given the requirement of having specific shapes/forms in Selish Investiture? What would be the Forms behind Hrovell Investiture? I can think of a few possibilities: One is that the molecular properties of the potions act as the Form, but that sounds a bit too much like the Metallic Arts. Another is that Forton might be arranging potion ingredients in a certain way to activate their magical properties before combining them. Still another idea involves Hrovell's roughly circular shape: Perhaps the Forms exist in the way a potion is stirred, whether clockwise or counterclockwise, whether in full turns, half turns, etc as well as the duration of stirring. Yes, I know this sounds very Harry Potterish, but specific stirring directions did seem to exist in medieval potions recipes so Brandon might have been inspired by that. What do you guys think? Are Forton's potions Invested? What other ideas do you have regarding possible Forms in potions making? UPDATE: They are Invested.

Okay, so I'm not convinced that Trell is Autonomy. My theory is that Trell is Rust, a being who was created by Ruin (hence the common phrase "Rust and Ruin"). Here are some ideas to back this up: Trell has great knowledge and skill with hemalurgy. The Trellic spikes seem to be "rusted". Brandon said that the new shardic influence is well-known. That makes sense if the influence is from Ruin! Thoughts? Up-votes? Spiked cookies?

Here is a compiled together version of the broadsheet from BoM. http://i.imgur.com/R3JENFF.jpg Much easier to read this way.

All right, this isn't some hardcore theory or anything, but more something that made me chuckle. Also, apologies if this has been said before, my quick searching didn't find anything of it, and I didn't want to dig deeper since I still haven't quite finished the book. Note: I did see the thread discussing it being Khriss, but it didn't mention the broadsheet ad. So at the party in New Seran, the strange woman who approaches Wax and begins jabbering about the intricacies of the magic system really felt, to me, like Khriss or at the very least someone else related to her. Given her knowledge of conservation of momentum, and redshifting, I'm willing to bet it's Khriss. But that very special ad in the broadsheet also points to Khriss. You know, the Do Your Metal Tools Speak To You? ad, with the hammer saying "Hello!" Here's the ad's text: "Your neighbors probably don't want to hear about it, But WE do! Visit 27 Ralen Place. Ask for K or N. Bring the talking metal with you." K or N? You can't hide that easily, Khriss and Nazh! Though I have to say, I was a little sad when the address wasn't 17 Ralen Place. Though this begs the question of why they suspect some sentient metal is on Scadrial. Are they looking for Spren, Seons and Skaze, or Type IV Biochromatic Entities?

An interesting note as well is that while Kaladin can manipulate gravity with ease, it could easily be countered with a little steelpushing and weight decreasing. Gravity works according to mass, so it follows that the harder Iron is tapped, the less lashing power Kaladin would have on him. This could easily play into the fight. I would further argue that while Wax has more experience fighting in partial gravity, Kaladin is better at it. Kaladin managed to smack down Szeth, an honorblade holder and full-time gravity-wrenching shardblade assassin with years of experience. While Wax is fantastic at fighting against others who are bound to the ground much more firmly, he has issues with completely flying at the same time as he fights, and his pushes can never get him the same amount of height that Kaladin's lashing to the sky would get him. While Wax struggles to climb a skyscraper, Kal is full-on FLYING high enough to see the entire shattered plains. This opens up the battlefield significantly in Kal's favor. With all of this in mind, I would argue that assuming Kal and Wax could get off the ground fast enough to avoid Wayne interfering hugely with Bendalloy, Kaladin could both outfight and outfly Wax. The only real advantage that Wax would have in this scenario is that Wax would have a ranged weapon while Kaladin has a spear, but Kal obviously has experience in moving around projectiles before they get to him (WoK, pg. 918, Kaladin easily takes every single Parshendi arrow and protects everything around him by putting them on one shield.) I would have to put my money on Kaladin, although I love all three greatly. Oh, and hello to the Forums.

As long as the statue did not also contain a backpack and a kind of a bandoleer, I am not worried.

The only private school I attended was in kindergarten. After that, I was homeschooled until seventh grade (I was twelve when I started public school, for those outside the US). That's when I began going to one of two middle schools in my small Washington State town. All throughout middle school and high school, until the day I graduated, the focus was on academics. "Why aren't your grades better?" my parents would ask. "Why aren't you more concerned about this B? If only we'd put you in a private school, this wouldn't be an issue. They push students to their potential, and you're not getting that in public school. Oh, and the other kids you have to attend with! I wish you didn't have to see them every day…." I wish they'd seen school the way you do. I wish they'd seen friendship as holding equal value to academics. I wish they'd seen public school as a place to socialize with people outside my social strata, to develop compassion and empathy, not to feed my elitism. I wish they'd seen creativity as something to foster, not something to squelch until it made them look good. I wish my parents had had your outlook on education.

NeLaar sat in her shelter, 20 feet above the ground, and mentally listed out everything she knew about First of the Sun as she snacked on a handful of tree nuts. She wasn’t sure if Harmony was listening -- she only knew he was paying attention when he responded -- but it was a good way to make sure that she didn’t forget anything. First of the Sun was a planet with a lot of islands. The island NeLaar was on was called Amaji, the Mother. The Eelakin separated these islands into two categories: the Homeisles and the Pantheon. The Homeisles had been modernized, and some of the Eelakin wanted to bring that modernization to the Pantheon. The traditional naming convention was to put the order of birth, then the time of birth, such as the names First of the Morn or Last of the Equinox. However, there was also a more modern trend, which was similar to the North Scadrialan naming convention. Some examples of these names were Avis, Gylfie, and Saludan. That last name had a hint of a Rosharan accent to it, but NeLaar wasn’t sure. If it did, the implications would be enormous. The typical method the trappers used to deal with situations seemed to be death. When Axis had said that he discussing Sun’s death was pointless, the other trappers had grown increasingly suspicious of him before one of them took a knife to his neck. Aviar were extremely important. All the trappers -- Something crashed in the distance and NeLaar jumped. Was that another trader? She blinked and slid into Noon’s perspective. My Aviar! she thought. Her hand fell on the handle of her machete and she ran towards the cages she’d constructed for her Aviar. Cesarlii -- Sanaru -- Steak -- if another trapper was trying to steal them -- or worse, a traitor from the Northern Interests -- Noon climbed up the tree her shelter was on. Up, up, up another few branches… The cages were intact. Noon relaxed and stopped climbing the tree. Then she frowned. Where had Cesarlii gone? Sanaru and Steak were mostly dull colored, perfectly suited to camouflaging in a jungle. But Cesarlii was bright blue, so he ought to be visible. Noon climbed up to the cages and gasped in shock. Here initial assessment had been correct: the cages were intact. Mostly. But the doors of them had been unlatched, so there was a gaping hole in the fronds and wires. Only a human could have opened the doors. Someone had stolen Noon’s Aviar. Yes, Noon/NeLaar has an Aviar named Steak. She was very hungry when she acquired him. No, I did not start off with three Aviar, but RPing with zero didn't seem quite right either. EDIT: formatting

Hehehe, trust me, you don't want what I've given them. Nope! I supply them with me, but that's it. Well, that's not a question, but thanks! Makes me feel all simmery inside! And yes, that's fine! https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=gV7a22pVrj0I'm not in a cold mood right now. I've never heard of a real artist named after me., to be brutally honest. I do, but I try to never get in an argument with him. Oh my god, he burns me so bad. Like putting H2O2 on a cut, almost.

I would like to preface this by saying they most of this theory is based off of educated guesses and other unconfirmed theories. I do think I am on to something however. My theories' thesis is this: Kelsier is the founder and possibly leader of the Ghostbloods. After regaining a physical form he traveled to the Southern Scadrians and saved them using his new Mistfabrials. Afterwards he continued to explore the Cosmere, eventually founding a group to hurl him push forward his as of yet unkmown agenda. He named them after what he had become and had since been trying to new, probably intricate Cosmere wide plan. This is why him in Sazed have been out of contact despite Kelsier being spiked as we learned in SoS. This is why a (probable) SoScadrian is in charge of finding out Roshar's interesting secrets. Please feel free to add to my musings and tell me whet you think.

I will preface this by saying that I was also confused when I was reading the book, mainly because I had no idea that storing Investiture would work this way until I read BoM. How complicated this gets depends on how nicrosilminds work. I expect that they work like tinminds, and you need a seperate nicrosilmind for each Misting or Ferring ability. (that's 32 of the things embedded in that spearhead, lol, plus another 15 metalminds to be able to use the feruchemical abilities) It's possible you can store ALL your investiture in a Nicrosilmind, but then you'd most likely have the Malwish using medallions that made them full feruchemists instead. You need at least three powers to create a nicrosilmind that can be used by anyone, assuming the difference between the unlocked goldmind and the medallions the Malwish were using is just that the medallions used a nicrosilmind rather than a goldmind. Either you need a Feruchemist creating their own nicrosilminds to grant the relevant powers, or you need to use Hemalurgy. I rather suspect that they've had all their Feruchemists creating a store of unlocked nicrosilminds that grant Nicrosil and Aluminium Feruchemy, rather than going around spiking all their Trueselfs and Soulbearers. We have no evidence that southern Scadrians are even aware of Hemalurgy. From there, creating medallions that grant Allomancy is comparatively straightforward. You find a Twinborn that is either a Trueself or a Soulbearer. You give them the relevant medallion so that they have both the necessary Feruchemical powers. They then store their identity in an Aluminiummind, while storing their Allomancy in a new nicrosilmind. Creating the double metalmind medallions is both easier, and harder. The most straightforward way is to simply have a Feruchemist do both parts, but that seems almost wasteful. You could also have a Feruchemist (or a spiked Ferring who is now both a Trueself and Soulbearer) create an Aluminium-feruchemy nicrosilmind, and a nicrosilmind edging for the medallion storing the type of feruchemy you want accessible. You pass the Aluminium-feruchemy nicrosilmind to a ferring, who then creates an unlocked metalmind. Bonus points if they're a compounding twinborn, as they don't need to use much of the nicrosilmind in order to make the inner part of the medallion. If nicrosilminds work how I think, the process adds an addition nicrosilmind and an additional Ferring for each extra Feruchemical store you add to a medalion. So you need at least three people to craft those heat-and-connection medallions. edit: I also just had the really weird thought while wondering about how this applies to other magic systems that creating a nicrosil Feruchemy nicrosilmind must be very slow because you have to balance keeping enough of your investiture to be able to still store investiture at an acceptable speed. I hope they have Nicrosil compounders for that.

You....accepted.....a Dark Alley cookie? That has to be a first. Beware the voices of mods speaking in your head. Beware Voidus. Beware - Oh what the heck. You ate the cookie. You can deal with the consequences. Welcome to this wonderfully insane corner of the Internet.

Twi knows better than to put that link anywhere I could see it.

I'd like to make a case for Justice being distinct from Honor. (And probably Mercy being distinct from Honor, as well.) Users of a Shard's magic do not necessarily act according to their Shard's intent. You have people on Scadrial reusing spikes (Ruin's magic, acting according to Preservation). You have Vin throughout the second and third books (Preservation's magic, killing people according to Ruin). You have Awakeners hoarding breath (doesn't sound like Endowment to me). A Shard's intent is a property of itself - how that Shard acts. Yes, in some cases there might be a necessary response in its followers (say, Dominion), but a Shard's Intent can also have nothing to do with humans (Odium, trying to kill other Shards). So, just because the Skybreakers are concerned with justice doesn't mean that Justice is a facet of Honor. What does Honor have to do with "remembering those who are forgotten"? Or the secrets that Shallan is keeping, or the way that Lightweavers were renowned as making great pieces of art? The Knights Radiant aren't all representing aspects of Honor; only Kaladin has attracted an honorspren. (Well, and Dalinar has The Actual Honorspren.) What does "Honor" actually mean? The technical definitions of a Shard's name aren't always the best indication of what that Shard means. Think of Devotion, which Brandon said he used to refer to as Love. Devotion and Love are two very different things, but somehow both could have been applied to the same Shard. So, instead of going on dictionary definitions of honor, let's look at how the Shard of Honor behaves, and see what piece of God it most closely resembles. I was leaning towards Self-Sacrifice for a while, that Honor might have given himself up to protect his system, but then I remembered some of the terminology in the books. Oathpact, Oathgates, Oathbringer... there are promises. I think Honor represents the part of God that makes and keeps promises. Tangent alert: Flaws of Shards What does Justice actually mean? People get what they deserve. To tie this to Honor, the laws of manking would have to be a compact with their God, the ways that they would live. However, if this is a world of absolute morality, where there are inherent laws, then no Oath is needed to make these laws; they exist apart from the Shard, and Justice is just acting upon them. The Shard of Honor makes agreements with people and acts according to that; the Shard of Justice gives to people what they have brought upon themselves.

Wow great news, we may exclude a Divine suicide now.

Turtles all the way down?

Maxal, this woman may have the luxuries that you can't afford but that's not what matters. It's how you live your life, and doing what makes you happy. You're there for your children, and as someone who was raised by workaholics, having your parents there with you is worth a lot more than having a fancy house with a nanny.

Behold, The Piano Guys have come up with another amazing cover. Adele's "Hello" mixed with Mozart's "Lacrimosa." Absolutely fabulous.

From the reading from Stormlight 3 Brandon's been doing on the Shadows of Self tour:

This is not okThis is very not ok

A few Reckoners memes: David meeting Megan for the first time Maybe a little spoilerific for Firefight

DragonSight had entered the bar hours earlier. He had watched as nearly every seat in the establishment was being filled. People were slowly filing into the bar with weary and detached visages. They were all wary and nervous; they were ready to start killing their government. The bar keep had looked at him strangely when he had walked in. He had simply sit down without ordering drink. That was his way of operating, clean and completely capacitated. Drinking was one of the only things that he couldn't do. Anything else, killing, lying, stealing, betrayal, arson, treason, especially treason, he could and would do. But only if it suited him. There were traitors in the group gathering in front of him, he knew there were. He would find them eventually, but right now, he had bigger fish to fry. The man beside him regarded him with a jovial look. "Hey Nate, you wa-" At the mention of that name, DragonSight whipped around to glare at the offender. "Never Call me Nate again! Rykor died two years ago, you should know that Rylin. What do you want?" "Jeezes, nothing. Just trying to start a conversation." "By the dissonance of the music man, this business is too important for petty small talk about your boots!" The archaic curse was designed to confuse any who might out-maneuver him with their words, force them to slow down and think. It didn't happen with his second-in-command. "How did you know I was going to talk about my boots? "You just got them two days ago, what else are you going to talk about? Now go get yourself a drink or something." With that, he burned some of his earlier ingested steel and pushed the chair away from him. The feet of the chair had been coated in metal so that they could be organised more efficiently by the staff. Rylin got up off the chair and walked to the bar, grumbling to himself about sleep and booze. DragonSight pulled the chair back to the table with a quick tug of iron. He was an anomaly. He was able to burn steel and iron, but nothing else. Several doctors had checked for hemalurgic spikes inside and outside his body, but had always found none. On top of what he could do with allomancy, he could store his wakefulness in bronze. He wore a pseudo-armor of aluminum and bronze. All it was is just thin, fitted plates of aluminum covering his chest and coming over his arms and legs, leaving gaps at his joints. It had bands of Bronze in the torso. True he was a bit less maneuvrable than he was, but he could fit clothes over top of it, and he looked more burly and muscled than he actually was. Other than his abilities and odd choice of outfit, he was just an unremarkable guy taking part in a rebellion. I'l sign up as DragonSight please. He has a bit of a backstory, but you'll learn about it soon enough.

Just finished reading Secret History. I didn't even know this existed until I saw the mention at the end of Bands of Mourning, and I immediately started in on it. To give some context for what follows, I read almost exclusively on e-books. One of the reasons for this is so that I can highlight things of interest, particularly Cosmere-related things. Here's a list of everything I highlighted in Secret History, even if it's something that might not be overly important (such as this first one): "Two tiny sources of metal still glowed fiercely there to Kelsier's eyes." Obviously the beads of Lerasium. "Cephandrius" Clearly a pseudonym for Hoid "...when he rejected the rest of us..." The "he" here is Hoid. So the Shards were all normal people at one point? Hoid knew them all, and from the sounds of it, had an opportunity to become a Shardholder himself. That's not stated, just what the tone seems to imply. "It's the world of the mind" Something I highlighted before it became more clear that they were in Shadesmar/the Cognitive Realm. For any new Cosmere fans out there, they're the same place. "'You told me this was your power,' Kelsier said, gesturing again at the Well, trying to get the god back on topic. 'That it gathers here.' 'Yes, and elsewhere.'" It gathers somewhere besides the Well of Ascension?? Does it gather in the same way, in another Well? Does this have anything to do with the people on Southern Scadrial? Or something else entirely? "You're not Connected enough to me." We see more of this later, but it still seems pretty important. How does one form Connection? We know from Bands of Mourning that it can be stored in metalminds by Feruchemists/Ferrings. What purpose does it serve, aside from apparently making it possible for interaction between a Shard and a normal person? "Senna" Something Leras/Preservation said. Not really any context to describe who or what this is, but I would hazard a guess at another Shardholder's original name, maybe one Leras was close with before they Ascended. "Khriss, of Taldain" I had to look this one up, as I didn't realize she had already been talked about. For anyone else who is in the same spot, WOB says she's the most knowledgeable of anyone about what's going on in the Cosmere by a long shot "Nazh" Also had to look this one up. Apparently employed by Khriss, wrote messages on the map of Elendel and the sketch of the bridgemen's tattoos in Words of Radiance "Ruin, Preservation, Autonomy, Cultivation, Devotion..." This was Khriss explaining the situation to Kelsier. Just thought it was a good example of how in-the-know she is, since she at least knows all the Shards "'Other planets,' she repeated gently. 'Yes, there are dozens of them.'" Well there's only 16 Shards. Do some planets not have a Shard at all? Or are there Shards that watch over multiple planets? If it's the former, do these planets have humans? If so, are they important at all? If it's the latter, do the people on separate planets that share a Shard have some form of communication? "There is an original [planet], shrouded and hidden somewhere in the cosmere. I've yet to find it, but I have found stories. Anyway, there was a God. Adonalsium. I don't know if it was a force or a being, though I suspect the latter. Sixteen people, together, killed Adonalsium, ripping it apart and dividing its essence between them, becoming the first who Ascended." I don't think we'd ever had this information before. How did these 16 kill Adonalsium? What, or who, WAS Adonalsium before they did this, and how were 16 presumably normal people able to kill what is essentially the combined power of 16 Shards? As for the planet part, is this Yolen? If so, why is it "shrouded and hidden"? "'Who were they?' Kelsier said, trying to make sense of this. 'A diverse group,' she said. 'With equally diverse motives. Some wished for the power; others saw killing Adonalsium as the only good option left to them.'" We know from this that killing Adonalsium was no accident. People didn't stumble upon something that, when used, started a chain of events that killed Adonalsium or something like that. No, these people started out intending to kill Adonalsium. How did they come together in the first place? Why did some see killing Adonalsium as the only good option left to them? What was the alternative? "Adonalsium originally created the first humans..." I believe we knew this, but it does bring up some interesting questions. When did Adonalsium do this? Why? We know where the Shards came from, but did Adonalsium ever have a beginning, or was it always there? "'The power . . . distorts,' Khriss said. 'There's a person in that somewhere, directing it. Or perhaps just riding it at this point.'" We already know about Shardic influence, but I believe this is the first time it's mentioned outside of WOB. "...perhaps if I could convince the Eyree [ire] to answer my questions..." We find later that the Eyree (or Ire) is a group of Elantrians (Aon Ire actually means time or age) that are presumably led by the oldest among them (they use "ancient one" as a title, seemingly out of respect). Why do they exist? What answers do they have that Khriss, supposedly the most knowledgeable person in the cosmere about what's going on, does not? Why won't they answer her questions? "Help you? I can't even help myself, Survivor. I'm in exile..." Why is Khriss in exile, and what is she in exile from? "Threnodite" Apparently people from Threnody are clashing with those from Sel, here. "A large yellow gemstone the size of Kelsier's fist shone in the center, glowing even more brightly than the walls. That gem was surrounded by a lattice of golden metal holding it in place. All told, it was the size of a desk clock." This is particularly interesting. It sounds just like a Rosharan fabrial, one of the ones used to tell when people are near. That is what they seem to use it for, but they somehow have it tuned to people of a specific shardworld, rather than anyone at all. Furthermore, I am curious as to how fabrials can work in the Cognitive Realm. To my understanding, they are powered by spren trapped inside the gemstone. However, in the Cognitive Realm, would that spren still be trapped? It seems odd to me if it would be, but maybe since it is trapped in the Physical Realm, it has to stay that way in the Cognitive Realm as well. "'I must speak with the rest of the Ire.' As she said the word, this time Kelsier got a sense of its meaning in the language of the green plants. It meant age, and he had a sudden impression of a strange symbol made from four dots and some lines that curved, like ripples in a river." This was, for me, the hint that drove the point home. At the description of the symbol I thought it sounded like an Aon, and looked in the Ars Arcanum for Elantris. And right there, under Aon Ire, was the symbol described here. "The beings all had that same silvery skin, though two were a shade darker than the rest." More proof that these are indeed Elantrians. And the two that have darker skin, Dulas? Maybe one is Galladon? And one's name is Elrao. I wonder if that's a name Raoden chose for himself. "Vax?" For some reason Ati says this as he looks around, confused, after dying. Maybe he Ascended on Vax, lost his mind after that due to Ruin, and is now confused that he is no longer there? "They sat there together. Two friends at the edge of the world, at the end and start of time." This one is a bit odd. It really struck a chord in me, and I was distinctly reminded of the passage in Words of Radiance, where Hoid says, "Two blind men waited at the end of an era, contemplating beauty. They sat atop the world's highest cliff, overlooking the land and seeing nothing." Now, obviously neither Kelsier nor Sazed are blind, but they could be considered so if you were speaking metaphorically. They are (at the time) blind to the dangers that the other Shards (like Odium) represent, and seem to think that all the big problems are over. Of course, when Hoid says this in Words of Radiance, he is using it to teach a lesson. Still, I think it may have some significance. Well, I know that was really long. Let me know what you guys think, or if I missed something.

On the bit with Marsh. I disagree that Kelsier used his power to give Marsh the ability to rip out the earring. He just made sure he had the information he needed to know what to do. Without Kelsier he wouldn't have known to pull the earring out. However, Marsh still needed the willpower to overcome Ruin enough to actually do it. Kesier did not do that, just gave Marsh knowledge needed to accomplish it. I cannot comment on the other two as I did not have a strong feeling for them. As a whole I personally really loved the novella. The whole background cosmere stuff I find interesting. I also like the idea that Kelsier's whole thing of "surviving" even permeated through death. Even death could not kill Kelsier.

I think the world in our game easily allows for other vanilla characters. We could do more with the Black Fist in Portland, or even focus on a group of vanillas within one of the different territories and what they go through trying to survive. The life of a Thoughttown guard could be a fascinating story. We could hear from the rank-and-file vanillas trying to survive Lucentia's brutal regime, or Salem residents and how the arena messes with their lives, or Corvallis residents who find themselves caught between a brewing rebellion and an angry dictator. Their stories might not be as flashy as those of Epic characters, but they're every bit as interesting.

When you know that the answer to life, the universe and everything isn't 42. It's 16.