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​A collaboration between Edgedancer and I. Voidgaze’s conversation with Sam was interrupted as the ground under them began to tremble and the building jerked upwards, so that’s how the museum was lifted into the sky. No actually, how did this work? Funtimes couldn’t just make things fly, could she? So it was most likely some kind of mechanism under the building. Whatever it was, Voidgaze was distracted from it, as Funtimes seemed to get ready to leave. Leaving out a startled yelp, Voidgaze hurried over to her, “Ah wait, I know you’re busy right now with stocking up for Altermind and all that but my house got damaged pretty badly when Nighthound attacked me, so I wondered if maybe you could help me repair it.” Funtimes tilted her head. “That meanieface was at your house?” “Well yes,” Voidgaze tilted her head to match Funtimes, “remember when I wanted an apology from him for attempting to kill me? At the same time he also broke into my house and now it’s full of holes.” “Holes? You--” Funtimes gasped, pressing her palms to her cheeks. “You mean that dirty meanieface turned your house into icky Swiss cheese?” “It… isn’t edible, just damaged.” Funtimes tilted her head further, not seeming to notice when Sam’s pug did the same thing. “You don’t eat icky things. Unless you like icky things, but you’re Blueberry. Blueberries aren’t icky.” “Right, they taste wonderful, don’t they? Especially if you eat them with waffles and whipped cream. That might actually be one of my favourite foods.” She gave a long gasp, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Me too me too me too! Whipped cream is amazing and it’s so good and it makes everything taste better!” Voidgaze was infected by Funtimes’ cheerful manner and started bouncing around as well. “Exactly! And it’s so practical, like the perfect mix out of milk and a sheet of paper.” Funtimes made a face. “Paper? Paper’s gross. Even the colorful ones. They look like they should taste like candy, but they just taste like butt.” “Of course you don’t eat paper. Who would ever do that?” Voidgaze laid a hand on Funtimes’ shoulder. “You use it to cover the ground or throw it at people, preferably as paper airplanes. Did you ever make those? It took me an eternity to figure out the best way to fold them but now I’m a master airplane folder and they are super fun to throw.” She gave a delighted squeal. “I love paper airplanes! Especially pink ones with pink wings and pink everything ‘cause they’re pink! How many paper airplanes can you make at once? I’ve never tried to see all how many I can make at once but it’s a lot ‘cause paper airplanes are the best!” “I kind of need my paper airplanes to be white but I’m not quite sure how much I could make at once either,” Voidgaze made her tassels wiggle, “but these certainly help with folding them.” Funtimes giggled in delight, bouncing up and down. “Those are amazing and paper airplanes are amazing and we should go make some right now!” “Yes we… no wait, we still need to repair my house, please.” “So we can make paper airplanes in it! Yes yes yes yes yes!” “Sure we can… I guess.” “Yay!” Funtimes joined hands with Voidgaze and Nathan, who put a hand on Sam’s shoulder as Revolution took her arm, which still cradled Suki. “Ten million paper airplanes, here we come!”

Day 9: Dead For Real Ebony’s equal justice meted out and finalized so many nights ago, she had scarcely anything to do at night. Only a spanreed to communicate with the others and a shield that prevented only Shardblades. Nothing quite like a Grandbow to make others pay. As she slept soundly, her spanreeds scratching all night from messages she’d never awake to see, one man prepared his bow for another shot. He scoped out the window, making sure he had a straight line to it from his perch. Bow strung, arrow primed, he pulled back and let go. The arrow sang as it was flung through the air, through the window, through Ebony’s neck. Burnt was shot by a Bow! She was a Noble with a Spanreed, Reverser, Half-Shard, Shardblade, and Emotion Bracelet.

Rainmaker laughed out loud. She couldn't help, it really. How a nomadic kleptomaniac had ended up in Corvallis of all places was beyond her. Surely he would have done better in chaotic Portland. Even epics in Astoria were more free to come and go, provided they submitted to the Diamond Queen's rule. Did Thunderspear not realize where he was? "My apologies," she said, once her laughter had subsided. "I was just laughing at a private joke." Giggling again to herself at how ridiculous this was, she returned her attention to the matter at hand, hoping to resolve things quickly. "The giant force-field you passed through on the way in here keeps everyone in, of course, but provided you do not represent a danger to the city, you are welcome to leave the next time the bubble drops. As for punishment if you get caught stealing, there is only so much I can do publicly to protect you, but in exchange for a favour or two, I'm certain I could figure out something." Rainmaker lowered herself to better accept Thunderspear's handshake. "I'm glad to see we have come to an agreement. Head to the Oregon State University Campus at the centre of the city. I'll leave a list of approved targets, and directions to a 'storage space with a bed' for you with my staff there. Just say your name and they can assist you from there."

Night 2: A Tempest of Colors Though the storm across Hallandren did not approach the power of one of the highstorms of Roshar, it was still stronger than any the city of the God-king had seen in decades. Roof tiles were torn and sent flying through the air, waves taller than the city walls swamped the docks, and wind ripped up trees by their roots. The destruction was tremendous, leaving many dead and still more mourning. But amid the devastation, there was reason for rejoicing. Fully twelve new gods were born that night, raised from the most exemplary of the many heroes of the evening. Endowment, it seemed, smiled upon Hallandren. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nijza floated on a sea of colors. Her passing had been painful, but she was now at peace. She could feel the pull of another realm, calling to her, but she paused for long enough to revel in the absence of pain. Odium had not been kind. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled her focus to her surroundings. She did not recognize the Shardworld turning beneath her, but she could feel its Investiture. Endowment. Starting awake, she looked around. The Vessel stood before her, human in form, gender veiled. "What do you want of me?" Her voice was confident. After all, hadn't she held a fragment of the power of God, every bit as powerful as the one before her? "Nothing. Nothing but what you want, Nijza." "And what gives you this special insight into what I want, Vessel?" Endowment laughed, the sound silky. "I claim no special insight, Nijza. Only an offer. There is much work still to be done down there." Nijza raised what would have been her eyebrows had she had a physical form. "Indeed?" "You know as well as I do what is at stake. Return, and you can help. Pass on, and you leave all of your responsibilities to us." Nijza shook her head slowly. "Very well, then, Vessel. As you wish." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The back streets of Elendel were a rough, lawless place, but Nila Hamming knew them well enough. Well enough to keep out of trouble, and well enough to find it when she looked for it. Tonight, she was looking for it. She had heard the rumors over the past few months, and knew that the worldhoppers were growing increasingly displeased with her. Some were even accusing her of being the Wanderer in disguise, as if such a thing could possibly be believed. As she crept closer, she could hear the angry voices in the tavern, calling for volunteers to go find her and kill her. Another voice shouted back, claiming that Amanuensis was far more clearly a follower of the madman than Nila. What sounded like a beautiful tavern brawl began, and Nila was sorely tempted to join in. But tonight, discretion seemed the better part of valor, and she slipped silently away. Nijza (Nyali) has been Returned! No one was lynched! Vote Tally: Aman(5): Sheep, Arraenae, Joe, Maill, Deathclutch Arraenae(5): The Young Bard, Elodin, leiftinspace, Mark, Lopen Joe(1): PK Mark(1): Araris Haelbarde(1): Haelbarde Day 2 is over. Night 2 has begun, and will end in 24 hours!

Funny out-of-continuity idea: Someone steals some of Rainmaker's DNA to make a motivator out of, but the only current they can get to work properly is the one that activates her shining skin power, providing them with a flashlight that makes a very powerful epic angry and helps her to track them down. Maybe it's not that funny, but it is in my mind. Also, Wpx, I didn't notice the edit of your earlier post before, but I am enjoying the Rainmaker/Thunderspear exchange as well, haha.

I.... I feel a sudden urge to draw this.

Deathgale used the time in which the Epics fought outside to contact Mary and have her investigate Antimatter and Ragnarok, given that both of them seemed to be powerful and lacking in subtlety, he didn’t expect her to have much trouble. As he waited, Deathgale poured himself another drink and listened to the sound of fighting that was steadily drifting farther away, plenty of explosions but nothing that sounded like a collapsing building or screams of slaughtered kettle. Not long later, Mary had basic information about the two at hand. According to her, tracking down Antimatter’s exact movements and kills down would require a good deal more effort but everything pointed towards him being nomadic, which would fit with his claims of being on a hunt. His powers naturally included the explosions he already displayed and resurrection, which unfortunately was connected to records of extremely violent behavior on his part afterwards. Of course the vixen didn’t pass up the chance to preemptively blame him for the possibility of him demolishing the city. He also seemed to possess some kind of mental enhancements but their exact nature were not something she was entirely certain about right now. The one called Ragnarok on the other hand seemed to be a recruiter, and looking at his track record possibly hitman as well, for an Epic ruling her own city while mostly keeping to herself. His primary means of attack was telekinesis, which was also capable of precisely break down matter as he displayed earlier. Rumors had it that the invulnerability he displayed also originated from the same ability, given that both powers eventually show signs of exhaustion. Another power that wasn’t much more than a rumor was a kind of emotional manipulation, seeing reports of people acting unusual and especially aggressive towards their allies once he got involved. After Mary finished her report, Deathgale took note that he could no longer hear any noises caused by the fight. Swallowing the reminder of his drink, Deathgale dissolved into smoke and went out to search for Antimatter. It wasn’t a hard search, the traces of the fight, while not devastating, were a clear trail. What he found wasn’t a pretty sight but at least Antimatter was still alive. Reforming his body mid-stride, Deathgale stepped up to Antimatter and Harkness. “To your credit, the amount of damage I noticed was within bounds, especially given your abilities,” Deathgale said. “Regrettably I do not see Ragnarok, be it dead or captured. Are you in a condition to report or will you need space set aside for your recovery first?”

Had Taylor heard right? Did Edgerunner really just tell Deathwish to get hit by a missile or something? Taylor could not tell if she was being serious or sarcastic. While Taylor was certain she could survive the missiles, and Deathwish obviously could as well, the vanilla she was playing definitely could not. She wanted to continue working the relationship with Deathwish to see what she could get out of him, any vanilla would surely balk at the idea of being put in such danger?" "Ummm, did you say missiles?" Taylor gulped audibly, and let some panic sneak back into her voice. "You'll be setting me down before that happens, right?" Brandon stared glumly down at his bowl of tomato soup and greasy grilled cheese sandwich. After a night of being accosted by a nosy epic telepath, a freaky epic-child with a monkey, and a contingent of the Dalles city guard, he was ready for some comfort food. On top of everything else, the public housing projects rooms had not been comfortable, and the group room was filled to the brim with a dreadful combination of snorers, sleep talkers, and crying children. After all of that, Brandon had woken up in the morning, feeling dirty and depressed, with no idea of what he was going to do about finding something to eat. A kind woman on the street who said he had a nice smile had provided him with a coupon for a soup and sandwich at a local diner, and so here he was, staring at the tomato soup and grilled cheese. It's funny that I still think of it as a local diner, when every diner is technically 'local' now. Calamity had made nation-spanning food and retail chains a thing of the past. Brandon's stomach growled, and he begrudgingly dipped the sandwich in the soup and took a bite. It tasted amazing, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach, along with the remnants of the greasy sandwich. On their trip to the Dalles, Taylor had him on a diet of lean proteins and vegetables whenever possible. She ate whatever she wanted, of course, but it was important to her that he maintained his impressive figure. If she caught him eating grilled cheese of all things, he'd likely be in for a scolding, but at least that would mean they were together, and he was back under her protection again. Resolving to cancel out the extra calories with some crunches later when he found the time, Brandon took another bite of the sandwich, and tried not to feel so pathetic.

Devious Brandon. Gives us three different effects that could be considered the 'Bonus magical effect' so we can't be sure which it is. For Shallan, is it far-seeing, potential unlocking, or her perfect recall/art skills? For Kaladin, is it Stormriding dreams, leadership/squires, or his uncanny fighting skills? Which is just talent and which magical? Are all three bonuses and Kriss was wrong about there only being one effect? Edit: As I was re-reading my post I noticed a pattern. One potential bonus is magical in nature(i.e farseeing and stormriding) One was related to the KR relationship with others(i.e. Potential unlocking and leadership skills) and one was internal to the KR (i.e memory talent and fighting talent) I'm seeing an effect for each of the Realms possibly.

Mistborn spoilers:

I'm not sure the forum could handle the Demon love child of The Brightness and The Shadows. That being said, El has agreed to be Kiireon and Edaan's wedding planner should it come to that. For some reason, I didn't foresee this being the topic for my 1000th post.

So, I know there's a gallery, but it only allows you to post one picture at a time, and I thought it would be a cool idea to share fanart illustrations I've done. SA is really colourful and reads like a graphic novel in my head sometimes, and I like creating character designs after finishing a book. Inspired by many many years of watching cartoons, as you can probably tell. Feel free to ask questions, give feedback, or whatever. This is just my take on SA, so artistic license disclaimer. Click to open spoilers, click picture to open up full size. Illustrated scenes "Visions from God" "Honor is Dead" "Lashed to the Ceiling" "Blossoms and Cake" "The Chasms are Mine" Character portraits "Kaladin" "Dalinar" "Navani" "Jasnah" "Shallan" "Adolin" "Renarin" Character designs "The Kholins" "Shardplate Proportions" "Dalinar and Navani" "Eshonai and Szeth" "PoV Portraits" "Frenemies" Shallan's sketchbook pages "AK + SD" "Stormfather" "Unconscious Brother" "Oathgate" "Adolin" "More Adolin" Silly stuff "Arena Groupies" "Eshonai the Explorer" "Mornings" "Kaladin Valentine" "Adolin Valentine" The end!

Recently I read a WoB that stated that a Zombie Elantrian is similar Realmatically to a dead Spren. This got some gears turning, so I posted a theory to the Cosmere Theories forum which basicly stated that Elantrians share a bond similar to that of a Knight Radiant and its Spren, but i stead of a Spren they are bonded to their country. Some discussion involving the Cognitive realm and the nature of bonds insued, you can check that out over in the OP. After some discussion I decided to message Brandon through Reddit to see if I could get an answer out of him. I asked "Is a bond between an Elantrian and Arelon similar to that of a Knight Radiant and its Spren?" He responded with "Yes, that is a similar relationship." This is EXTREMELY interesting, I'm following this answer up with the question "Is there a similar ideal system? Are Elantrians transformed because of their character? Maybe their closeness to the culture of Arelon?" Hopefully he responds, but even if he doesn't we now know that people are intiated into AonDor by forming a bond with their country of origin. I'm very exited to have figured this out, let me know what you guys think. Edit: I got RAFOed basicly, here is his reponse. "from mistborn sent 26 minutes ago Ah, now you're getting into RAFO territory. Let's just say that you don't have to have a Seon to be made an Elantrian, but in the vast majority of cases, you need a spren to be a Knight Radiant. So there are some differences." Edit 2: So I asked the follow up question "Does any of this have to do with the personification of culture, similar to how Spren are a personification of natural forces and emotions?" He responded with "To an extent, yes." Think of that as you will.

Hi, I love all Brandon Sanderson Books i´ve read yet and infect some of my friends for reading him. I have the books from my Uncle hwo like Brandon too. Its funny because Brandon is a Mormon and i´m too. The Books i´ve read yet: -All Mistborn -Stormlight Archive -The Rithmathist and i want to read Elantris Now. Sorry for my bad English.... im German...

I have been developing a theory on why bodies of water in the cognitive realms of the planets we have seen seem to manifest as solid bodies while everything else seems to be incorporeal. I think that Leras actually gave us the answer. When Kelsier approaches the lake where he meets Khriss and Nazh he is weirded out by the fact that the mists seem to "congeal" where the lake begins. Leras remarks that this is because of the way men think and "where they are likely to pass." I think that what he is saying here is that bodies of water congeal like this because of how we observe things and specifically how we perceive bodies of water, especially how we think of them in terms of how we move through them. I think that as humans we think of bodies of water as one entity. When I say "The Atlantic Ocean" we don't think of the individual atoms of water, or even individual different regions of the land, but rather we think of it as one mass. One entity. However, when I'm walking down a sidewalk I think of every block of concrete, every rock and blade of grass. So when human ideas shape these different things bodies of water are shaped into one mass, while land is seen as many different things at once. Let me know what you guys think.

All right, I cleared things with Mailliw, so here are my promised RP samples for Ian the Lorist, and for Upgrade Ian Buhler RP Sample: Upgrade Profile: I wanted to do the scene with Timeport as well, but I think I went on long enough. What do you guys think? Also, I think the next plotline has Upgrade working with Quota, so Twi do you want to start a scene? Let me know!

I once made a presentation named "Basic guide to Internet Safety". I don't know how to get a powerpoint file here, so I'll transcribe. Thanks for your attention. P.S. Do NOT write the passwords down! What's the point of having strong password if you put it at the sticker at your desk?

Wow... Just realized Wax and Wayne... Moon phases... Wow - face-palm.

This is a good assessment. I guess my real issue is that he reminds me of the Ooze guy from the Power Rangers movie in the 90's... Edit: This is perfect, I was looking for a picture of the Ooze guy and I find this:

Thanks! I'll shoot him and PM, and then see about getting an RP sample together to make sure I get the voice correct. Also, on the subject of Brandon, I love sailing, so feel free to ship away . Nothing specific. Just more general bureaucracy. The list of names will be epics who have wronged or annoyed Rainmaker (Skinsaver will be on the list for sure). I was thinking Thunderspear would be housed in one of the old dorm buildings on Campus, providing him with the requested "bed and storage space". You can feel free to make up some NPC epics to steal from, if you wish. One thing to keep in mind is that the Government Building will have epic and human security, so if Thunderspear randomly starts shooting lightning at things or stealing there, you should probably have an epic guard come up and accost him. The guards there would be of middling power, and since they are used to dealing with epics, most of them probably have some sort of defensive ability. For the future, one idea that just occured to me is that Rainmaker could give Thunderspear the "challenge" of tracking down Iconoclast. Since Thunderspear seems to be a bit of a thrill seeker who likes to prove himself more powerful than others, if Rainmaker pitched it as a test of his abilities, do you think he would bite?

Well, Apocalypse is kind of a hard sell to begin with. The character is, frankly, kind of awful. His M.O and regalia makes him seem like an A-List villain -definitely an opinion bolstered by the way everyone reacts when he shows up- but in practice, he's very solidly a B-List X-Villain. I actually kind of liked some of Apocalypse early scenes in the film... but he quickly became sort of a generic villain, which is disappointing.

For secure passwords, try stringing three or four dictionary words together. That's both more secure than including in special symbols or numbers of capital letters, none of which actually increase the difficulty to crack the password more than a tiny bit, and it's easier to remember. I don't write my passwords and put them next to my computer - I draw them instead. Works great, makes them easy to remember, and no one can tell what my terrible artwork is supposed to be let alone realize that they're depictions of passwords. EDIT: But just to be clear, the words you string together have to be random. I use a random word generator to create suggestions and pick one that I can draw easily. If you string together words from known phrases, like the names of famous people, movies, albums, bands, cleaning products, etc - it's extremely easy to crack. When forced to generate passwords with multiple dictionary words and/or names, studies show that people will generally make extremely unsecure passwords that are easy to crack because the average computer user will still pick a common phrase, just like they'd pick a single common dictionary word if given no restrictions.

Nijza awoke with a start. She continued to lie on the cold stone slab a moment, gasping for breath she hadn't needed to breathe in quite a long time. Breath she still didn't need. She sat up. What happened to her? She couldn't remember anything except colors and light and... And it all came flowing back to her. Thousands of years of history, of the death of Adonalsium, of her time with Honor forging a world into something beautiful, of Cultivating it and the people there. She remembered hearing about threats to the Cosmere, of a man who would reforge that which needed to be broken, of another who wanted nothing more than to see her dead. And she remembered a plan. A plan that, it seemed, had worked exactly as she had planned. She laughed at this, even as she recalled the pain of being torn apart. "Next time I make a plan that involves dying," she said to herself, "maybe I should try to see if I can come up with something better first. By the Good Beyond, that hurt! It seems that my theory was right, that being a Sliver would allow me to retain my memories across the Boundary." She frowned. "Well, all of them except my brief jaunt through Shadesmar as a Cognitive Shadow. A shame, I was hoping I'd remember what name my old friend was using these days." She stretched and stood up, finally starting to look around the room. "After this, I should find Valan. He's going to have such a fit when he hears that I planned..." her voice trailed off as she saw what lay beside her. Valan Quivar, the Vessel of Honor with whom she'd spent the last few centuries, lay on a stone slab next to the one where she had awakened. Dead. She grew cold. "Endowment, my old friend," she said to the ceiling, "thank you for letting me carry though with my plan. But once this is done, or before if you need the power, take back the Splinter you have lent me. There is someone I'd like to see again in the place Beyond." Nijza left the room - the mausoleum, she realized - and headed toward the nearest Perpendicularity. There was work to be done. ---------- So! That was probably not the smartest plan, but it did work out fairly well. I figured that if either of the two people who started on the same world as me were Odium, they'd kill me. Then, either the other would call them out, or they would be Odium's champion. I had hoped Endowment would pick me if that happened, and it seems they did! So, I started on Taldain with Burnt and Aman. I told them I had a Shard. See, the eliminators already have a list of everyone who starts with a Shard, so I figured there was a relatively small chance (10%) I'd be giving anyone information dangerous to me (Odium and/or their champion), and if either were one of them, they couldn't resist killing me. By dying in that way, not only would it reveal Odium, it would also permanently block the eliminator's instant win condition. Looking back at what I missed, it seems that Burnt claimed I said nothing to indicate I was Cultivation. Well, that's a nice Aes Sedai lie. I explicitly said I had a Shard, but not which it was. That's kinda key info, so that makes me think Burnt is Odium's champion. I know Burnt didn't start with a Shard because I successfully used a power on her that would have failed if she had a Shard. That means there's a ~87% chance that Aman is Odium, and I'd give it a ~80% chance that, if Aman is Odium, Burnt is Odium's Champion.

I'm frankly amazed at how quickly the Rainmaker/Thunderspear interaction is going Like, a conversation between characters.... that doesn't take weeks? What????

By "someone," do you mean Backtrack?

I found the relevant WoB here: http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=1160#105 Yata, you are indeed right about that. And from what I interpret in those WoB, SL cannot be transferred from gem to gem by direct illumination. But that is a bit of a stretch, I admit. Could we make that a question for him?

[insert Epic Lightning Spear Picture Here] ThunderSpear relaxed as the epic appeared to calm further--unless she gets dimmer as she gets angrier...I really hope not, he thought to himself. Though that would be quite ironic. As he listened, ThunderSpear toyed with the idea of just flat-out rejecting her. Slaves? Suitable residence? Bleh! He'd much rather just have a safe storage place. "I think that, for the most part, that is a wonderful deal," he replied, grinning. "You can cut the part about the slaves and the house though--a safe storage location with room for a bed should do just fine. However," he continued, turning a bit more serious. "There is nothing forcing me to stay here, correct? In addition, what would happen if I get caught? It's not as though I try to hide." He added, thoughtfully, "As I said, this could be very interesting. I can't guarantee that it is something that will last in the long run, however, as I in general prefer a more nomadic lifestyle. But I suppose it probably wouldn't--or more accurately, couldn't--hurt us try to it out," he finished with a wink, sticking his hand back out.

At first I kind of thought that we'd see more of Ym again. I figured with his spren begging for Stormlight at the last moment he might be pulling a Jasnah -- disappearing and leaving a body in his wake. After finishing the book, though, I changed my mind and decided the main purpose of that interlude was to imply that Radiants are sprouting up all over Roshar, to introduce Darkness, and to show that proto-Radiants are far from immortal. By showing one sympathetic character bite the dust, Brandon ratchets up the tension regarding the safety of the other characters.

It's Book Two of the Stormlight Archive so there's every possibility that Ym might still be alive and kicking in the further books, but just to put it out there, I always had this belief that only one of each of the Knight Orders would be reappearing in the books. This idea of mine has no explicitly factual basis since I'm only drawing this conclusion out from Pattern and Syl saying that they were the only one's of their kind that disobeyed and went looking for potential surgebinders. Ym was supposed to be the chosen Truthwatcher of this generation's surgebinders, but since he died I guess that role was relegated to Renarin.

Why would it have to be Shallash at that point in time? Or any specific point in time? I'd wager it was happening right then, as we know Shallash does these things regularly (Lift interlude). It has something to do with her memory? Contact with the Cognitive through Pattern? No idea.

"Hey," Cutcloud said, talking to a vanilla. He was young, maybe fourteen? Barely a toddler when Calamity would've came. The vanilla looked up at Cutcloud. She stood next to him. "Have you heard about a sequin Epic? One who wore a lot of colors?" "Uh, no," he said, and tried to walk away. "I wouldn't look into Epics if I were you." "Oh, I'm not a vanilla," Cutcloud said, blocking his path. She broke a window nearby and sent the cloud of glass to near his face. The vanilla turned around. "Um, I'm sorry, ma'am. Of course you know better than I do in your infinite wisdom, Oh Queen of Knowledge." "Better," she said. "So, what do you know about her?" "She's from the museum. You know, the floating one?" he asked. "Your Majesty." "Yeah, I know," Cutcloud replied. "I haven't been paying much attention to recent events. Tell me everything." "I don't know much. Her and some other Epics came and said they were in charge, after a big battle between them. I think her name is Funtimes? I'm sorry for my lack of knowledge, oh, Glorious Infinite Wise Epic." Funtimes. Now she had a name for the Epic she was going to kill. "Alright, now, have you heard of an Epic called Chess?" she asked. At the name Chess, she wanted to cry. But that would ruin her tough Epic image. She always had to be aware of how she was coming across. Slontze. "Wore black and white?" he asked. "Turned into a chess piece? Oh, beautiful one." "Yeah, you heard of him?" she asked. "I saw him two days ago, looking around, with a chip on his shoulder. Mad at the world. I'm sorry if that isn't the answer you wish for, oh perfect woman." Chess, always so angry. He missed their family. The chaos in Miami, the annexing of Chicago... these events were the reason why he hated himself. He hated everyone, but mostly himself. He'd get himself in the most reckless of situations, thinking he could escape. Most of the time he did. She felt the first tear drop down her face and she sat down on an empty box. The vanilla awkwardly just stood there. "You okay, Epic lady?" he asked. "No," she said, tears coming faster. "He was my brother." "Who, Chess?" She nodded, miserable. Her nose got all snotty. She hadn't cried in years. Epics got mad, not sad. They got revenge, instead of upset. "She killed him," she said, angry as the tears came. "He hated himself and wanted to prove a point and she killed him." "I'm sorry," he said, sitting down next to her. "Don't know if that means anything. When I was seven, my only brother died. My ma and da had been dead since Calamity. He practically raised me." "My parents died in front of me. My grandparents were all killed. One pair was in Chicago. The other pair was in Miami. I've lost everyone I care about, except for Burnheart, and sometimes I feel like he doesn't care about me at all. Just using me. But it's not like I can break up with him, because that would tear the hotel apart." "Life really sucks, doesn't it?" he said, awkwardly patting her back. "You aren't going to kill me, are you?" "No," she moaned. "I'm a horrible Epic. I don't even use my powers that much." "Well, you scared my pants off," he said. Cutcloud sighed. "I miss Chess," she admitted. "My friend Lightbulb -- yes, that's his name--" she said when he started laughing, "just found out this morning." "Fresh pain is the worst. You still think it can't possibly be real." "I keep waiting for him to bounce back into my life, with his stupid, arrogant walk," she told him. "I'm sorry," he said. "Everyone's lost someone these days." "Yeah," she said, her tears slowing down. "Thank you. Don't tell anyone, okay? I'd lose all street cred as a tough Epic if it was known I broke down to a vanilla." "It's alright," he said. He stood up, brown skin illuminated in the light. Suddenly, Burnheart turned the corner. Cutcloud waved. "Who is this vanilla?" he asked her. "I dunno, I was just interrogating him," she said, turning back on her cruel face. She turned to the vanilla and told him, "if you ever say you were talking to me, I'll kill you, slowly." She then winked. But she turned back to Burnheart and he saw that she'd been crying. "Did he make you cry?" he asked, incredulous. The vanilla backed away, slowly. "No, he didn't." "Did he see you cry?" he demanded. "Did he see you've been crying? Why were you crying?" Cutcloud stepped up to Burnheart. "If you're going to act like a possessive jerk, I'm going to break up with you." "Shut it up, he's like half your age. You're really robbing the cradles now, aren't you?" Cutcloud glared at Burnheart. "You've got to be kidding me," she said, blocking his way to the vanilla. "You should probably go," she said, to the vanilla. He ran off. "I swear, I'll break up with you now if you don't calm down and think about what you're doing." He backed down and then facepalmed. "I'm so sorry - I didn't realize what I was doing...." he said. "Sorry doesn't excuse anything. Look, you can still be my friend, but I'm done with dating." Cutcloud stormed off and returned to the hotel, even more upset than when she'd started out.

Thinking a bit more about Hoid and Vasher it seems Vasher realizes that Wit is Dust. Does Hoid know Zahel is Vasher? I wonder if anything they are doing is connected or if it is more of a "Oh hi, fancy seeing you on Roshar. My, these ugly-lizard-crab things sure are something!"

When I still blush profusely upon seeing women's left hands uncovered.

@AndrolGenhald - thanks for that link! The quote from WoR is as follows (page 911-912 of the original Kindle edition): [emphasis mine] So, it looks like I was wrong. Szeth seems to be quite clearly referencing seven (7) Honorblades that are still in Shinovar. Szeth is still carrying another at this point, Taln has his and one (1) was recovered by a herald. Voila! Ten (10) Honorblades accounted for! Thanks everyone for helping clear that up for me.

How long does the piece have to be? I'd suggest building up a bit more tension at the beginning with Marx, before Johnny arrives. Have him drinking, throwing back the shots, and make some kind of comparision between his mind set and the jazz. You called Jazz "order out of chaos"... so maybe stretch that a bit. Show some of his own thoughts, racing wildly; his own self-justifications, like how he 'had to do it', and it was 'just business'. Build up to the moment when the record suddenly stops. Because, if the jazz is meant to be giving some kind of order to the world and to his thoughts, then when it stops is when everything goes out of control.

I'll write a few for the adoptable Epics list, just because. Epic Name: Sorry Vanilla Name: Amina Stacato Primary Power: Can make people feel sorry for what they're doing and leave her alone. Passive: Makes everyone in a ten yard radius sad. Description: A 27 year old latina who spends most of her time crying. Epic Name: Tear Vanilla Name: Ebony Ralexa Primary Power: Can cause people to start crying by simply being around her. Description: A 42 year old white woman who wanders around, annoying people and being apathetic. Epic Name: Bore Vanilla Name: Ben McKea Primary Power: Can make people bored. Works automatically if someone is trying to kill him. IE, if someone is really invested in killing him, they can do it, but most people are just kinda meh and leave him alone. Description: An 82 year old man who is ignored by most Epics and vanillas. Epic Name: Cherry Vanilla Name: Kira ? Primary Power: Can make cherries blossom on trees. Also can make cherries explode. Description: A moody 15 year old African American girl who occasionally kills people. Epic Name: Insomnia Vanilla Name: Washington Anab Passive Power: Makes people really exhausted but unable to sleep. Works within a twenty yard radius. Description: A perpetual insomniac, his powers working on himself. He's a 72 year old Latino and grouchy. Epic Name: Tinfoil Vanilla Name: Rocky Primary Power: Making tin foil hats protect the user from emotional/mental manipulation/control. Description: A 52 year old white conspiracy theorist who lives by constantly telling people "I was right," even though most don't actually care. Epic Name: Death Reaper of All, Destroyer of Kingdoms, Most Powerful of All, Extreme Ruler, and King of All That Is Beneath The Sun (AKA, DRoADoKMPoAERaKoATiBTS. Or DRADKMPAERK.) Vanilla Name: Arnold Asgole Primary Power: Making people sneeze excessively. Description: A 42 year old white guy with an overinflated sense of self worth. I wasn't actually in a bad mood when I made these! (Also, long live DRADKMPAREK.)

There's a short story on Brandons site called The Eleventh Metal.

That was supposed to say transsexuality. My stupid computer 'fixed' the word. I'll go fix it. (Spellcheck..grrr...) My point wasn't that they don't count, but that gender identity and sexual preference are two separate things and writing a character who is trans is very different than one who is bisexual or homosexual. (HOW is that a slur? It's simply a more clinical term and is basically a description. Just like heterosexual.) Transsexuality is irrelevant in this conversation so I'm not including the T. I also feel that conflating the two is damaging to both groups. The issues faced are so different but by merging them the public gains a false impression that they are related or the same when there is really no connection beyond merged advocacy groups. So if I am referring to the homosexual and bisexual communities I do not include the T. If I am including the transsexual community as well I include the T. I don't know how well that came across and typos did NOT help. (Note: do not try typing when two year old is wrecking house... Sigh... What did I expect from the kid who named his Stitch doll Ati?!) To address your other point: It's great your willing to take that risk. Not everyone is willing or capable of doing so. I would be afraid to. You wouldn't. That doesn't make me horrible or you a great, it just makes us different and that's wonderful. But you can't demand someone else take the risk. That isn't fair to them. And doing it right is, apparently, hard, to go by all the awful ones I've read. Brandon has said he wants do it right and will not make a major character homosexual until he is certain he has it right. I'm perfectly happy to wait. A better question is why we don't have a homosexual writer writing a homosexual character. I'm pretty sure they'd do it well. A bisexual writer could write us a well done bi character. It's easiest to write what you know.

Rumors have it that Netflix will be producing a Moon Knight series!

Moving a bit into tinfoil hat territory, perhaps there's too little Stormlight there for spren to manifest in Physical Realm? Shinovar is the only country on the face of Roshar that doesn't get its semi-regular dose of highstorms - and Stormlight they bring with them - and the only country not to have visible spren, so I'm guessing there's some connection.

I dunno... they had vials of what seemed to me to be full of Dor. I don't know how they would get those from the physical realm if they didn't prepare before leaving it, leaving intentionally, to go off to form the Ire. Also, Elantris takes place many hundreds of years before Mistborn: The Final Empire, so they've had quite a lot of time. While they probably do transport themselves to Shadesmar via the Elantris Shardpool, which is almost certainly Devotion's Perpendicularity, I don't think it was the Elantrans that were put into the Shardpool during the events of the book, or before that. Even though they were described as ancient, I just feel like the left long after Raodan fixed Elantris, and they left knowing what they'd find and how to get there. Also, wouldn't they just get torn apart by the Dor Storm if they hadn't done extensive research first anyway? (Btw, speaking of the Ire, I love that the symbol for that "Part" of the book was the Aon for Ire (time, age), but done in the style of Scadrial metallurgic runes. When I looked at the symbol, I was like "Huh, this looks familiar..." and then they mentioned the silvery skin, and I was like "!!!" and looked up the Aons, shortly before it was obvious that "Ire" was the Aon Ire xD)

So with recent revelations regarding the way Elantrians gain their power (it's to do with a bond with something which I am pretty sure is a cognitive manifestation of the nations/cities of Sel - it also has something to do with the personification of culture to some extent), I've had an idea on how one could hack the AonDor and turn anyone into an Elantrian (something I'm sure Hoid would be interested in). The idea is based around something revealed in Bands of Mourning, that is, the use of medallions as unkeyed Feruchemical metalminds. In Bands of Mourning, we see the Southern Scadrians using a connection medallion to give them connection to the land around them, letting them speak the language. On the assumption (making this not an overly strong theory, but one I find interesting at least) that bonds with Arelon are formed by having a large connection with the land in some way (something definitely seen with Raoden, Karato and several others), it would then be possible to use these medallions to gain this bond. One would simply take a Connection metalmind filled to the brink, then activate it in a short burst whilst in Arelon (or to be safe, Elantris) and in a few instants gain a massive connection with Arelon, which would trigger a bond to form between the Cognitive Arelon (or the semi-sentient investiture/splinter attached to it), making the user an Elantrian. I don't know whether this bond would stay in place after the connection had gone (it is possible that the bond only exists as long as the connection is strong), but hopefully it would. So, to summarise the above: Visit Southern Scadrial Obtain Connection Medallion Spend a lot of time filling it up Visit Elantris Activate Connection Medallion and drain all the connection instantly Form Bond with Arelon Become Elantrian Thoughts?

Explosions shook the city. Missiles flung through the sky. Quicksilver was stark against the cityscape, tossing aside everything sent against him and overflowing the command center with liquid metal. The mad High Epic was waging destruction across The Dalles, towering over the city on his tower of steel with no meaningful opposition. It was long past time for someone to rise up, stand up, and fight against his monster. Deathwish turned his back on the sight. "Please," the pretty female Guard whimpered, completely beside herself with panic. "I.. I don't know what to do." "Shhh," Deathwish crooned, stepping closer to the woman and tilting her chin. "No worries. I've got everything under control." Another missile hurled overhead, spinning out of control as if it had been thrown by a giant tentacle. There was a great opportunity to fly into its path and get knocked into a thousand pieces, finishing Quicksilver's rampage in a heartbeat, but Deathwish had more important things to do. His free hand, feeling left out, went to the pretty Guard's waist. "I'm just about to bring all this pointless fighting to a close," he promised with a smile. "Why don't I fly you a little closer and give you a front-row seat? It's gonna be spectacular." Nothing impressed the chicks like stabbing a murderous demigod to death in a thrilling high-octane sky duel, right? The meeting with Shiny Sparkle--or rather, Liz Tanner--was forced to a close. First came the sound of explosions, nearly shaking the building they were so close. Then the only window in the office went dark, a thick layer of fluid metal settling over it. This had just become a crisis. The cause was obvious, but within a minute a harsh voice began booming over every radio in the office. "People of the Dalles, HEAR ME!" Vondra gritted his teeth. So that's what Quicksilver's voice sounded like. The arrogant, gravelly tone was unsurprising. The boldness in making an announcement to the entire city was. "I ask you to look at your city, at this haven for humanity amidst a world ruled by Epics," Quicksilver began. "This city, where those sworn to protect you rain missiles down on your heads even as the one branded as an outlaw fights to stop it. Your protectors allow wild animals to roam the streets and sanctioned epics to destroy your homes." Dewhickey was authorized to deploy missiles, but by the sound of things he wasn't taking much care in said deployment. " And still Vondra claims he can protect you!" the Epic went on, his voice growing more passionate and almost patronizing. "He maintains that Arsenal is under his control, that Deathwish follows his strict orders, that he is still in charge. But even as he says these things Deathwish and his ilk continues to molest the city while Arsenal's totalitarian hold grows tighter and tighter. "I have been here for years! Not once have I gone on rampages through your homes, or one by one stolen your freedoms. I fought the invaders when they came just yesterday and even now I stave off missiles aimed at your children in hopes that I might preserve what remains of this city. Ask yourself who is the true villain in the Dalles. Because I guarantee you Stephen Vondra knows." Vondra gritted his teeth at the speech and the mention of his name. The gall... "Don't you Stephen?" With that the announcement ended. Vondra's fist clenched as he turned to his secretary, just in time to see Liz Tanner disappear in her signature flash of sparkles. No matter. She could be found and dealt with later, if she stayed in The Dalles. "Follow me, Rhonda," he ordered, packing an extra pistol onto his belt and making a beeline for the hallway. "Be alert and stay away from windows." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dewhickey was to be found in a darkened command room, vacant of all souls save himself and a couple of terrified technicians panicking over computer screens. The rest of the usual staff had fled the room in horror when their commander had begun hurling missiles practically out the window, and those who remained did so only out of fear for their jobs. Perhaps their lives too, if the frenzied voices of the technicians who'd left were to be believed. Vondra stepped into the room with Rhonda close behind him, eyes fixing on the Epic chaplain's back. 'Arsenal' was tense, head bowed and his fists clenched as if lost in his own rage. "Daniel." Vondra's voice was clear in the room, but Dewhickey neither moved nor responded. Vondra felt a wave of trepidation pass over him. Dewhickey had been exerting his powers more than he had in years. That had a terrible effect on his kind. Abruptly, Dewhickey raised a fist towards the metal-glossed window and opened his hand. The window frames were instantly destroyed as a pile of porcelain bathtubs appeared in them, tearing a hole in the building that disrupted the sheet of metal covering. Wall fragments and a very large number of bathtubs went crashing through the hole to the street below, over and over until the metal on the building's outside stopped rushing to cover the gap. Sunlight streamed in and revealed the outside, in particular the towering pile of liquid metal looming ominously not far from the command center. Quicksilver. With no time wasted Dewhickey began conjuring new missile rigs outside, some sort of controller appearing in his own hand to allow him to trigger the artillery himself. The missiles began roaring outwards towards Quicksilver, exploding in fiery blasts the instant any of them were stuck by a metal tendril. The barrage was immediate and fierce, driving Quicksilver nearly a block backwards as the metal in his control was blasted into shrapnel, but already a few were being knocked off course and hurtling blindly into the city. If this battle continued, it would leave piles of corpses and burnt infrastructure in its wake. "Daniel!" Vondra repeated, more harshly than before. "Stand down!" The missile strikes continued, new rigs continuing to appear as speedily as Quicksilver could suck out their metal. The explosions wouldn't stop... Vondra began striding forward angrily. "Storm it, Dewhickey! I gave you a direct or--" He was barely halfway through the room before Dewhickey had swiveled around to face him. The man's face was wild, completely distorted in anger and an inhuman snarl across his mouth. There was sweat dotted between his wrinkles, and though he was beginning to slump in exhaustion there was fire in his eys. "I do not," he hissed sharply, "accept that order." Not much human was showing. Right now he was the Epic Arsenal through and through--in his glory, as the newer generation said. Vondra's hand moved to his belt, gripping his pistol. Rhonda tensed behind him, poised to freeze the Epic the moment things went sour. "You take orders from me," Vondra said, quietly but sternly, "for the well being of this city. You don't want to destroy it." Arsenal breathed raggedly, glaring at his commander with a look of pure hatred. "If that's what it takes to eliminate this threat..." "There's no point to eliminating this threat if the people we protect are blasted out of their homes." "Not to you, perhaps. I have to defeat him." "No, you don't," Vondra stated firmly. "We have other Epics. We'll bring Quicksilver down without excessive casualties. Hawk and Runes--" "Are scum and an idiot!" Arsenal snapped. "And they're nowhere to be seen. I am here. I have the power. And I will stop him." There was a moment of silence. Quicksilver's tower of shimmering metal was still visible out the window, creeping cautiously in the distance as if waiting to see what the moments of respite would bring. Vondra took a breath and slid his pistol slightly out of its holster, in clear sight of Arsenal. "Right now, you are the bigger threat to this city." Arsenal's eyes flashed. For a moment he seemed torn in an internal struggle, leaning dangerously close to creating a weapon and attacking with everything he was worth... but, slowly, miraculously, his eyelids drooped and he let out a long, frustrated breath. "What are my orders?" he growled softly. Vondra breathed an internal sigh of relief, though didn't yet relinquish the hold on his pistol. "Go to your office. Close yourself in. Do not use your powers. I'll be by in a few hours to discuss this incident. At length." The other man seemed about to raise an argument, but in the end kept his mouth shut. Stiffly, he put one foot in front of the other and headed down the hallways in the direction of his office. Keeping his eyes on him until he disappeared, Vondra finally backed out of the room himself, away from that window and the sight of Quicksilver towering over the streets. The Dalles was in a state of extreme crisis now, but at least one major threat had been neutralized. Now it was up to any City Guard Epics still capable of doing their jobs to neutralize the one that remained.

Deathgale’s body regained its solid form out of the smoke once he reached the bar. Antimatter inside and, as Deathgale noticed surveying the room, smoke trailing behind him as he entered, setting heavy on the ground, only Antimatter inside. Antimatter, who had jumped out of his seat and seemed like he had just barely managed to restrain himself from attacking Deathgale. Worried about someone coming for him or just easily startled? One way or another, he wasn’t foolish enough to actually throw an explosion at him. Small mercies. “Please, sit down again, I’ll join you shortly,” Deathgale said, a polite tone taking the edge out of the order. With that his attention turned away from the Epic and towards the liquors on display. They would suffice. Barely. He breathed out a tendril of smoke. It twisted through the air and split, one part of it reaching for bottle of liquor and the other for a matching glass. Deathgale sat down at the table Antimatter occupied, the tendrils of smoke setting down the now filled glass and bottle before settling down and clinging to the table. Little curls of smoke trailing upwards, ready to snap up at any moment. “How about I get to the point?” Deathwish said while looking directly into Antimatter’s eyes, before continuing, “Do you plan on killing anyone else in this city? Not that a couple of deaths in the lesser population would cause much of a ripple but we are not in the mood for someone going on an Epic hunt in the city.”

The Christmas of Neverthere -------------------------------------------------------------------- Neverthere opened her eyes, pupils dilating as they adjusted to the artificial lighting in the house. She'd been skipping through the snow keeping an eye out for anything interesting but everyone had been celebrating and witnessing so many acts of sickening good will had forced her back into her own body. At least in this house she could always be provided with the entertainment of others' suffering. A low sobbing could be heard from another room. "Excellent, C4 is up." She said before stretching her legs and skipping into the next room. "Hey bestie how's it going?" Dull, pain filled eyes looked up from between the bars of a cage, pain turning to anger as Neverthere's former 'friend' looked at her. "Naww, it's so sweet that you still remember. Has Nighthound been visiting again? You sounded like he's come to pay you a visit." C4 looked as though she were seriously contemplating blowing herself up if it would just harm Neverthere a bit. "You're lucky I'm not the jealous sort you know." Neverthere said as she waggled a finger at C4. She quickly drew her finger back to avoid getting bitten. A knock sounded out before the sound of an opening door could be heard. "Whoops, sorry hun, no time to play now, I have to go greet the man of the house." Skipping into yet another room she was met by Nighthound as he entered, Ray trailing behind him and glaring daggers at his back. "Hey!" Neverthere greeted as she skipped up to embrace Nighthound. She was stopped short as he held a box out for her. A present? Oh god not him too, I never would have thought he'd be the type. Neverthere attempted to retain her usual smile as she accepted the box, at least if it was from Nighthound it might be something that would at least suit her tastes. She suddenly noticed the tag on the box was labeled: For: Ray From: Santa (And everyone else) She looked quizzically at Nighthound. "Someone left it at the door for her." He explained. "But she just hasn't been a good enough pet today to deserve a reward, so I thought you might like it." His smile said that he'd enjoy depriving Ray of something far more than he would giving it to Neverthere but she didn't mind that. He always payed more attention to that stuck up energy Epic than he should. She'd gladly steal something from her. "Well I'd be happy to accept then." She said, shooting a big grin at Ray who shot a look of utter hatred back at her. She carefully undid the bow on top and unwrapped the paper, savoring the moment as much as she could. She finally managed to open the box and then stared at its contents. Utter silence. Nighthound began to look at her curiously as she did nothing but hold the box in shaking hands. She screamed. Dropping the box and backing away as she stared at it with horror. A tiny slip of paper fell out, drifting towards the couple in the doorway but the box itself fell heavily, its contents refusing to spill out as it thudded to the ground. "What the?" Nighthound said, picking up the fallen slip. Neverthere's weakness. The slip said. A look of sadistic glee spread across the Epics face as he bent down to retrieve the box. Evidently pleased to be able to inflict even more control over the woman. He picked the box up before staring into it. Another moment of silence ensued until finally. "Ahhh!" Nighthound screeched, leaping backwards a dozen feet and nearly out the door before accidentally tripping over his own feet. The slip of paper fell once more, this time being picked up by an incredibly curious Ray who read it then turned it over. Nighthound's weakness too. A look of utter relief spread across Ray's face as she picked up the box, casually sending a lance of energy through the leg of a still-cowering Neverthere before turning to confront Nighthound. She held the box out in front of her like a charm, warding off Nighthound who was reduced to crawling backwards. "Merry Christmas, from the world." She said before spearing the head of the Epic hated by all, as she had done so many times before. But this time she threw the box onto his spasming body and the wounds did not heal. And then Nighthound died.

It took me a while to realize that when Wax stores weight in his metalminds, they don't actually get heavier.

That's weird... Meanwhile, mine was when I saw Hoid in Warbreaker, and thought "Huh. Brandon's run out of names, it seems." and stuck with that for a month, before finding out about the larger Cosmere.

In German they substituted "Elend" with "Elant", because "Elend" means "misery".