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I quote myself because Peter read my question to Brandon and expanded the answer a bit (three tweets put together) Peter: Oh, I think Aluminum would stop Shardblades from magical cutting. But if it's too thin like foil, a sword... would cut it anyway. What I'm arguing is that something else that Shardblades don't cut doesn't need... to necessarily be made of aluminum, for various reasons. Me: For example Invested objects (metalmind,spike,ecc) or polestones (from some SA's Quote) ? Peter: RAFO After made the last question I realized that I swapped "Polestones can't be Soulcasted" with "Polestones can't be cutted" so I din't expect a RAFO and neither an answer at all. But I think if Polestone can't be cutted by a Shardblade, almost every Alethi will know. <sarcasm> Or maybe the "Luckly sphere myth" began when a commoner's sphere stopped a Shardblade....Like the bible and the bullet </sarcasm>

..... that is so, so much a lie of the brain weasels. Thats exactly what they tell everybody. Me especially. For the record, I wasn't 'noticed' until I was 19-20. Also, for the record, saying "I'll be a burden" is the brain weasels favourite lie. If they can make you feel useless? Make you feel that the world is better without you? That's their whole plan. That's their goal. And it's a lie. Its a thrice cursed storming lie. It's the lie they tell me. That they told me for years. It's the lie they told my mom almost every day of her life. Still tell her when she listens. It's the lie they tell you because they want you gone. The brain weasels want you out. Personally, I am a devout Christian. If you are religious, this may help. If not, then up to you. To me the 'brain weasels' are the tools of the Adversary, the devil. And you know why he would use them? Becuase he knows that you make the world a better place. Because he knows that you will make the world a better place. And he doesn't want that. Dont listen to them. (If you're not religious, it may help you psychologically to personify the brain weasels as an enemy anyway.)

Obviously it was Taln, taking the sword back from the man calling himself Taln.

"Hasing the escaping of one of Joe (Hemalurgic Headshot). Being of death of knowledge. Hasing of not the escaping of two." Honestly, Sart was surprised they hadn't lynched the man sooner. He didn't care how well the man cooked, it was high time for Joe faced his maker. Sart was a little hurt by Jack's accusation though. He supposed he was suspicious because he talked in High Imperial. He could stop, but where would the fun be in that? Did they actually think he would drop the gag because his life was in danger? "Being the wasing of ising of hasing the being of ising of hasing." he replied saucily. "Hasing the being of willing of being. Hasing the being of being of willing." He walked off, humming. He wondered how they would parse that one. Then again, knowing those morons, they wouldn't even try. It would be interesting to see their translation though. Ah well. Idle thoughts would get him nowhere. He had work to do.

This inspires me so much. I try to tell people this literally all the time. So bravo @Erunion! The internet has such a way of promoting that "it's ok to like this, but if you like this too much, you are trash", "you should love your body, but here's a new diet", and "you are worth it, but you are still a not as good as this person over here." It's all just a big sack of lies. You are beautiful in everyway because you have the body you were supposed to have. You are talented at something, even if it's not a typical thing (My mom is a great people reader, she may not know calculous or sing on American Idol but she can tell if your lying or uncomfortable in 0.05 seconds. That's a talent too). You are worth it, anyone who tells or treats you otherwise is the worthless one. But most importantly, don't tell yourself that your worthless. In the end, your only hurting yourself.

Those people usuall don't have brain weasels unfortunately :/

When you channel your "inner Lift" as you skid across your hardwood flooring (on the way to the kitchen) in your socks.

"But you can't kill me, Lord Tyrant. I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope." Lord Ruler:

Edit: Feel the need to add two warnings. Like Brandon said to preface the reading, this isn't a final draft and there may be changes. Second, there are undoubtedly mistakes. Words that we/I couldn't figure out at all are generally marked with question marks (or a guess). But there are almost certainly a number of words that are just plain wrong and we don't even realize it. So if you're coming up with some theory or whatnot and it hinges on a particular word or phrasing, then you might want to check it against the recording. /u/RyanEl on Reddit put together a fantastic transcript. I did my best to fill in the holes of his work (and make some corrections). Then I compared it with @Kanrei's work above, and made a few more corrections. Here's what I got: (The bold text is whatever was add/changed from /u/RyanEl's work.)

Greetings! This is my first post, so please bear with me if anything is not formatted correctly In an English course I am taking at University, we have an oppurtunity to write an analysis about a text we enjoy and are interested in. I've been devouring Sanderson's books lately, so naturally I want to do the assignment on one of his works. I was wondering what people think would be the best/ most interesting to analyze. The analysis will feature a brief summary of the text, and should focus on a theme or two that run throughout the piece (Keep in mind the paper can't be too long, ca. 1500 words). Thanks in advance to everyone who replies!

In the recent Oathbringer prologue reading we learned that Gavilar believes that some kind of acient, powerful spren was used to turn the Parshendi into Parshmen. A lot some people believe this spren to be an Adonalsium spren (and that this Adonalsium spren is the third bondsmith spren), but I have a different theory. A quote directly relating to how a Bondsmith defeated the Voidbringers is as follows. "So Melishi retired to his tent, and resolved to destroy the Voidbringers upon the next day, but that night did present a different stratagem, related to the unique abilities of the Bondsmiths; and being hurried, he could make no specific account of his process; it was related to the very nature of the Herald and their divine duties, an attribute the Bondsmiths alone could address." This suggests that a Bondsmith, Melishi, is responsible for the creation of Parshmen. It has long been hinted at and theorized that the Nightwatcher is the second Bondsmith spren, and this is supported by a recent interview when Brandon seemed to believe that the fandom knew who the second Bondsmith spren is. It struck me that the Nightwatcher has displayed the ability to change beings and their spiritual or cognitive aspects. I think that it would make sense that Bondsmith bonded to the Nightwatcher would be able to 'curse' the Parshendi into the state they are in now, or at least persuade the Nightwatcher herself to do so. What are your guy's thoughts on this new info?

SO, I HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS. Yes, there are similarities with Cap; the both that both characters are getting their first films produced as period dramas (with superheroes!) and presenting the idea of "superhero as warrior" is a thing that both films that definitely pushing. Basically, Wonder Woman is the Thor analogue (character wise) but her film looks like it'll be their version of Cap. That being said, there is a major difference between the two, and that's where I'm a little concerned: namely, that Wonder Woman is set in World War I, while Cap had World War II. World War II is -and I think I can say this without controversy- one of the most "just" wars ever waged. I don't think that there is much debate about the merits of, and whether it was worth, fighting fascism. However, World War I is... messier. It was called the Great War for a reason, in that it was a grinder for human lives, and the reasons why it was fought are a lot less moral and justified than other wars are (basically, a network of alliances without any kind of international checks and balances dragging the entire world into a conflict). That is actually a fantastic setting for Wonder Woman; part of her deal, historically, is meeting violence with love and redeeming villains. So, putting her in one of the worst, and most morally complicated, wars in history is a pretty cool idea, since it means that you have her in a place where she can be trying to solve the problem, rather than just winning the war. ... My concern is that the film makers aren't going to recognize that, and the sides are going to be presented as stereotypical, with none of the actual complexities that marks World War I as different from World War II. @Orlion Determined @Deliiiiiightful I might be working on a piece of fan fiction that I might post featuring Wonder Woman and/or Captain America.

To the topic "Gavilar was on the way..." Feel free to correct me, but if the visions are the way to become a Bondsmith, we'll have to look at the chosen conception of this visions. You aren't just an onlooker, you are able to interact with the past, to change - not the past per se - your own vision of the past and with the personal reaction you get different sorts of informations. Perhaps the way someone acts will decide if you are the special material for a Bondsmith, because this will show your person, your intentions.If - as a example - Gavilar has chosen not to fight for the family or was killed before the arrival of the knight radiants, he wouldn't have the talk about the training.Or perhaps Gavilar had chosen not to leave Feverstone and had ended up with a chat with other soldiers about what was happening. All in all this can be the reason, why Gavilar ended up dead and Dalinar bonded - because of how each one acted in the visions. As fo unity - I always thought Bridge 4 is like a role model for the right form of unity. There are all kind of people united - Darkeyes, Brightlord, Herdazian (even one-armed), Azish, Horneater....the list goes on until we also get a Listener. As much as I would like to see Dalinar as the Bondsmith of the Cosmere, I think it is more likely for his arc to find a way to unite all the Rosharians, not against the Parshendi, not to continue to enslave them, but to find a way to unite with them against the forces of Odium. I know that the Listener weren't Knight Radiants in the past, but this is possible the reason why there never was an end to the Desolations - because without the Listeners the unity isn't perfect.

Taravangian is seen as a bit slow, and politically dense (or at least apathetic). He wears regal robes of white and orange. He is often accompanied by a tall, stern, imposing figure, particularly when in public, who might often be seen to subtly whisper guidance to his king, or even overtly obstruct the king if he is going off message, making some excuse for the kings sudden withdrawl. In his first scene he is cast with a (grand)fatherly air, next to a princess that is taller than him and has long black braided hair. My question: Is Taravangian short and portly? Because I'm scared that I'm not recognising him by obvious descriptive cues, as in my minds eye he looks like this:

Gavilar seems like a WWII general who's tasked with the decision to risk thousands and thousands of lives for a chance to end the war once and for all. It's a touchy call to make, but I think he just seems like the guy who doesn't want to sit on the sidelines and watch the world burn. I think his end game was luring out Odium in an attempt to crush him.

It is pretty clear by now that Dalinar's and Gavilar's paths have diverged significantly. It is also clear that there are sufficiently many people on Roshar running around and one way or another trying to save Roshar from <insert something here>. Here are some of the wacky ideas that are being toyed with. There is a group of people who misinterpret what can only be the in-world version of the "crack in the soul" myth and self-torture hoping to become Knights Radiant. There is a group of people who run around and kill any emerging Surgebinder hoping that this will prevent Desolations from coming. There is a group of people who assassinate monarchs, cause political chaos and try to amass power, all staked on semi-coherent writings of an obsessed person, hoping that this will save the world. There is a group of people trying to kill Jasnah. There is a special place in hell for them. And then there are people who decide that because life just isn't interesting enough because unlike five thousand years ago, they cannot just go and talk to their Gods [1], the correct course of action is to unleash upon the world the very enemies these Gods keep on fighting. This latter plan makes Skybreakers look pitiful, and make the Diagram look positively the only sane people in the room. I am now absolutely convinced that Sons of Honor are the creepiest, most deranged and dangerous SOBs around. The Earth parallel is the Christian sects that want to see all Jews move to Israel, because this is the event that will trigger Apocalypse. Yeah, Gavilar was on his way of Nahel-bonding Stormfather. This actually is probably the best argument for why there should never be more than three Bondsmiths. Because if at least one of them is Gavilar-style wacko, Roshar is going down the drain. [1] Who, we know from WOBs are certifiably insane in their own right (which makes this idea even worse than it otherwise looks) Nope. It really is nowhere near "pragmatic". "Pragmatic" is running around and offing Surgebinders. You are killing individual people, but very few of them, and if this prevents entire countries from being burned out, certain lines of thinking may treat it as pragmatic: it is minimizing the overall loss of life over a long period of time. The Diagram is the tragedy of an anti-villain turning dark and sociopathic. But Gavilar's approach to saving the world is wistful insanity of a spoiled child who has a sad because Santa isn't real and there is no Easter Bunny.

Shallan doesn't lie. She just says alternative facts. *Those who interpret this as political satire are mistaken*

After treating myself for Christmas to 7 of Brandon's books, at last I found time for Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning. Oh, yeah. I'm not going to start into the EPIC proportions the Cosmere is getting. I came here to talk about love. I'm a woman but I never liked what are called "romance stories" much (or at all). I like action, and I like romance within the action, and friendship, and brotherly-sisterly-fatherly-motherly emotions, and epics... inside the action. Those feelings are part of life, not the whole of life itself, and I can't stand a story where romance is everything. I can't stand a protagonist for which romance is everything: I needed to pass exams, find jobs, pay for things, go out with friends... I had a crush, but if it was a bad idea, I could wait until I was over it. Love was not ALL of life. It was a part of life, and art that does not focus in all parts of life is limited... and boring. Plus, romance stories or movies, or especially TV series, were based in the fact that the lovers to be were idiots with ZERO ability to communicate, talk to each other and explain what the problem was. Those stories demanded from me the following of an idiotic plot, or to respect or care for characters that were acting stupidly. I wanted to scream: "TELL HIM!" or "TELL HER!" Booooring... the reason why the most enjoyable romances appeared in action or adventure movies and series is that they didn't have as much time to make the plot stupid and have the characters hide info from one another so they could be separated forcefully. Not to mention the fact that all those stories are about sexual tension or falling in love. It's rare to find a love story. It's easy to find a story about falling in love. Most instances are about unresolved sexual tension. But, love? It's rare. The best love story in a screen I've ever seen is in the first 15 minutes of UP! Wall-E's and EVE's is beautiful, but again, it's a story about falling in love, not about love (unless you count love for life, which is another type). Love goes beyond the falling, beyond the fascination, beyond the magic bubble. Falling is looking at each other in awe: love is looking together in the same direction. When you have a crush, you are on a high when the other person is in the room. When you love, the other person is like your arm or your leg: you are not fascinated by them, but you start feeling bad if s/he's not close. It's a completely different feeling, and it's hard to express or to describe or narrate, and hard to find. Sexual tension is much easier to sell. Love requires frankness, and lots of communication, and negotiation, and admitting the quirks of the other, and learning from the other, and even, whenever possible, looking at the world through the eyes of the other person and see beauty and wonder where you would never have even considered to look for it. I love the action, the magic, the politics and everything that the Cosmere offers. But after finishing The Bands of Mourning, I have also been immersed in one of the best love stories (not the crush, not the falling, not the sexual tension: love) I have ever had the pleasure to live. THIS was love. For real. As it really is, as it really grows, as it needs to be nurtured, as it changes people so they grow closer to one another, as they make little concessions to one another's quirks, as they accept each other's flaws and traits, yet try to learn from each other and become better people. I've rarely seen love in art so well portrayed. And I just had to tell someone.

If previous AMAs are an indicator, time will be irrelevant - Brandon will keep coming back and answering questions for like 6 months. I am beginning to worry, however. He has been so active, I am starting to run out of questions...

Brandon was so kind to reply to my answer about Shardblades and Alluminium: Q: Hi, the Comunity has a doubt, We have two WoB: Shardblades cut Alluminium Shardblades can't cut it Witch one is true one? A: Hm. Yes, I wondered last night if I'd ever answered this before. Truth is, the answer is contentious at Team Sanderson. A: I've been pushing for one answer, but Peter (whom I trust) is pushing back. We will see what ends up in the books as canon. A: Problem with magic like I do is sometimes you have to wait for the scientific consensus... Err on "no" for now So for now there is a no canon answer because honestly even God doesn't know

I went to my first signing ever on the Arcanum Unbounded tour, and when I went through the personalization line, Brandon and I had a nice conversation about the physical properties of ettmetal, otherwise known as harmonium, and how they were impacted by Realmatics. (Influenced in part, I assume, because when he was going through his opening talk, I fist-pumped when he said he was originally a chemistry major. He saw, and asked if I was a chemist, to which I replied I was a chemical engineer. So, I think he took the chance to share some details with someone who’d be able to fully comprehend them.) I’m still waiting to get the recording of the signing line, but I’ll paraphrase what I got out of it. Brandon said that it makes sense for ettmetal to be so volatile, because it has the power of both Shards in it, and the conflict associated with them. He also clarified that it’s not a nuclear reaction; it’s chemically reactive, it’s the properties of the electrons in Harmonium that make it so reactive. It’s like ‘super-cesium,’ reacting very quickly with water. I wasn't quite ready prepared to deal with the implications (I was there as a cosmere fan, not a scientist), but I've spent some time thinking it over, and I think I understand a little more exactly how the physics and the realmatics are interacting. I've come to several major conclusions, which are reliant on a college-level understanding of chemistry. If you’re not at that level, skip ahead to the next section, where I’ll try to build it up in layman’s terms. For those who feel knowledgeable, though: Overview of the Theory · I propose that the subatomic particles of harmonium (protons, electrons, and neutrons) are comprised of pure Investiture, but still functioning as normal subatomic particles. This Investiture would be still of each individual Shard, even though the atom as a whole would be of Harmony. · The reactivity of harmonium follows the trend of alkali metals, but would be enhanced due to an additional electron shielding factor that would come from the repulsion of Ruin particles and Preservation particles, lowering the ionization energy and increasing reaction rates. · The alkali-metal behavior of Harmonium would come from the imbalance between the two Shards, the extra piece of Ruin. It would follow the orbital structure of cesium (atomic number 55), with one electron in each filled orbital from each Shard. The single valence electron would be an extra Ruin electron. · I’d like to say that each harmonium atom (cesium-133, the only stable isotope) is a combination of a lerasium atom and an atium atom, which would make atium = nickel (28) and lerasium = cobalt (27). However, I can’t get the neutron math to add up. It’s possible that the nucleus looks different, that the stability of harmonium is different because of the competing Investiture in the nucleus. This gets into physics, not chemistry, so I’m not equipped to dig deeper into this idea. So, if you understand that, great. Head on down the page to my conclusions, to see what I’ve thought of as implications of this. If you didn’t (which I assume is the majority), let’s do a quick* chemistry lesson. (For those who have actually studied chemistry, be aware this explanation will be pop science. Like one of my professors used to say, all explanations of chemistry are lies, and we just learn slightly smaller lies the farther and farther we go.) Chemistry of Alkali Metals What are atoms? Elements (like copper, oxygen, or chlorine) are made of fundamental particles called "atoms." These atoms interact with one another, bonding together to form more complicated substances (from water to gasoline to medicinal compounds). Different atoms will behave in different ways, based on the number of subatomic particles they’re comprised of. All atoms have dense nucleus, made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by a cloud of electrons. The number of protons defines the element: any atom with one proton is hydrogen, any one with six protons is oxygen, any one with 55 protons is cesium. Chemical reactions are largely driven by the transfer of electrons from one atom or group of atoms to another. How do electrons behave? Electrons are attracted to the nucleus through the electromagnetic force, pulling together the negative charge of an electron and the positive charge of the protons. But electrons aren't like planets in a solar system, just floating wherever they feel like. When they surround a nucleus, they order themselves into levels, filling from the lowest level (closest to the nucleus) and going up. For chemical reactions, only electrons in the outermost level will be involved; anything in a lower level that has been completely filled will not react. In chemical reactions, atoms will trade or share electrons until every atom involved has a filled outermost shell (either by getting more electrons or getting rid of some of theirs), since a filled shell is the most thermodynamically stable. That's how the periodic table of elements is arranged; elements in a column all have the same number of electrons in their outermost level (called 'valence electrons'), so they will all behave in a similar fashion. If they have an almost-full shell, they will be very reactive, like chlorine and oxygen. If their shell is filled, they will be nonreactive, like helium. The reactive properties of ettmetal match the first column of the periodic table, the 'alkali metals.' They all have a single valence electron, and they want to get rid of it like none other, so they'll take any opportunity to do so. They are metals, but they will react very violently with water. Other alkali metals you may have heard of are sodium, lithium, potassium, which are not found in nature in their pure forms because of how reactive they are. How can we free up that electron? Pure alkali metals would like to pass off their single valence electron to another molecule or atom, which would be more thermodynamically stable with it. However, to get rid of this electron in the first place, there is some energy required to ‘knock it loose.’ It's sort of like trying to launch a rocket from earth; you need a bunch of energy to overcome gravity, but once you're out in space, you can go wherever you want. Unlike that rocket, though, there are many different forces acting on an electron. Each proton is pulling on that valence electron, trying to keep it there. But, believe it or not, as you take alkali metals with more protons, the total force on a valence electron electron goes down, and they get easier to remove. Why is this? Two reasons: first, the electron is farther away from the nucleus. But, more relevant to this discussion, the lower shells filled with electrons are also pushing the valence electron out. This concept is called "electron shielding.” Negative charges repulse other negative charges, so when there are a ton of electrons between the valence electron and the nucleus, they will cancel out some of the pull of the protons. Since the electrons in heavier alkali metals aren’t held as strongly, reactions happen faster, and release their energy much quicker. Harmonium reacts even quicker than cesium, the highest alkali metal that's not a pretend element (another of my old professor's fun sayings about transuranic elements). That means its electron is even easier to remove, and it reacts even faster. Realmatics of God Metals How does this play with Realmatics? Finally, we get back to what Brandon said about the opposite forces within the same atom. An atom with protons and electrons comprised of Ruin would behave like a normal atom; no unusual interactions. Same for an atom completely of Preservation. But mix and match, and Preservation electrons would push on the Ruin electrons, giving extra electron shielding. And the Preservation protons would also push on the Ruin electrons (partially countering their normal electromagnetic attraction), reducing the force holding them in. By making it easier to remove harmonium’s valence electron, the rate at which it reacts with other atoms will increase. Which is what we’ve seen. Why does Harmonium have 1 valence electron in the first place? Lastly, I think that harmonium needs to be an alkali metal and have that 1 extra valence electron because of the balance between Ruin and Preservation. In a filled electron shell, each electron has a pair. I think each electron pair contains one Preservation electron and 1 Ruin electron. But, here's the problem: there's extra Ruin. Some of Preservation is in mankind, so if he doesn't physically manifest this extra Ruin somewhere, he won't be in balance. So, he throws in an extra Ruin proton and Ruin electron; this very reactive valence electron. As long as he manifests enough harmonium, the extra Ruin is there in the environment. Brandon has referred to ettmetal as super-cesium. That could be interpreted as a magically stabilized francium (which isn't stable, and doesn't exist outside of a few moments in a laboratory), but I think he means it's a super-reactive cesiuim. Cesium has 55 protons and 55 electrons; harmonium would have 27 of Preservation and 28 of Ruin. The Invested protons, neutrons, and electrons change the atomic behavior of Harmonium, which is why it isn’t exactly cesium. In Conclusion So, I learned in my discussion with Brandon that 1) the pieces of Ruin and Preservation are distinct in harmonium and 2) the battle between them causes ettmetal to be highly reactive. I think I’ve identified the specific mechanism by which this happens. It does, however, carry some interesting implications that I’m still working out. Let me share some of them with you; feel free to comment. · If there’s a repulsion between electrons, there must also be one for protons and neutrons. This would make Harmonium’s nucleus more unstable. Although Brandon said it is not a nuclear reaction that we’ve seen, it may just require the proper catalyst, so I would not be surprised to see an ettmetal nuclear bomb at some point. · If harmonium is cesium made out of Investiture, then maybe it is a fusion (the scientific term, combining the nuclei) of a lerasium atom and an atium atom. That would mean that lerasium would have 27 Preservation protons, and behave like cobalt. Atium would have 28 Ruin protons, and behave like nickel. However, although the electrons add up, the neutrons will not. (The number of neutrons doesn’t affect how an atom behaves chemically, but it can make it radioactive, which will change it into a different element.) There’s only one stable isotope of cesium, and one of cobalt, and doing the math doesn’t yield one of nickel’s stable isotopes. It’s possible the stability of harmonium is different, because of the extra forces between Ruin’s and Preservation’s protons and neutrons, somehow requiring fewer neutrons for stability. But, this isn’t anything I’ve studied as a chemist; it’s in the realm of physicists. · Because there are individual elements of Ruin and Preservation, this doesn’t bode well for Harmony as a whole. Sure, on a macroscopic scale, there’s balance. But it could mean that, in each of his individual interactions with people, he might go back and forth between two extremes. It also makes me wonder how easily Harmony could Splinter back into two Shards (although we do know that at this point, if Sazed died, he would drop a single powerful Shard.) · Ettmetal reacts, which means its transferring part of itself to water. Once the electrons are gone, they ain’t coming back. Atium burns and regenerates; how would a harmonium oxide make its way back to continue the cycle? It seems like Investiture is lost to the environment when ettmetal reacts with water. · People have extra Preservation, but if ettmetal is Harmony’s way of sequestering his extra Ruin, then as it continues to react with water, the extra Ruin could end up transferring to the environment. Man vs Nature is a very big concept in sci-fi, so maybe it could come up in Mistborn Era 4, that the planet itself is of Ruin while its inhabitants are of Preservation. Just spitballing here. · How do other god metals work? If they’re elements made out of Investiture particles, then can Shardblades rust? Or maybe are they silver made out of Honor’s Investiture, which is why they won’t react? (Unfortunately, Element 10 is neon, which is not a metal.) But that wouldn’t give them the structural integrity they need (even if they don’t physically do the cutting, a pure silver sword would be deformed in a duel). Does each Shard make a different metal for its god metal, or could it make any metal it wanted? · Are all physical forms of Investiture (the mists, the liquid Shardpools, Stormlight) similarly constructed? Maybe the mists were composed of two Preservation hydrogens and one Preservation oxygen? Are Perpendicularities just Invested mercury? The reactivity of ettmetal shows that, at the very least, the solid form of one Shard’s power manifests below the atomic level; does every solid form of Investiture do so, as well? Uh… In Conclusion, Again Okay, I’m done for real this time. I know people have proposed similar things (like atium is Ruin’s electrum) based on allomantic behavior, and I didn’t like them at the time (the ideas and logic behind them, not the people), but the way Brandon spoke of Harmonium makes me think that approach was on the right track. However, it’s on a more fundamental level: the very protons and electrons are either of Ruin or Preservation, and when you combine the two, you get a very reactive metal. I’ve tried to completely explain the chemistry of the situation, but it does dive pretty deep at times. If you’d like to know more about that, please just let me know. I didn’t bring out any graphs to show exactly why electron shielding increases reaction rate, but I can if anyone’s interested. I will also try to get the actual transcript to post it. I’m confident in the broad strokes of my conversation with Brandon, that Harmonium is extra reactive because of the opposing Shards it’s made up of, but I do think that having his exact words would have preempted some objections that I’m sure are coming. I’m just not patient enough. 07/19/17 - Made slight changes to the text to (hopefully) clarify what is canon and what is supposition on my part. To emphasize, it is not confirmed that harmonium is unbalanced towards Ruin. What is canon is it behaves like an alkali metal. If my supposition is true, that each electron is either of Ruin or Preservation, then the idea of unbalanced harmonium naturally follows.

I just attended a book signing with Brandon in Provo and he did a reading of the Prologue to Stormlight Book 3, Oathbringer. Oathbringer.m4a

So, we know that ettmetal/harmonium can be used to replicate Allomantic abilities (engines using Steelpushing to move turbines, primer cube/grenade Wax and co charged with Allomantic steel, Allomantic cadmium and Allomantic bendalloy). While all those abilities are external Allomantic and we don't know how would internal work (for example, how would tin work with allomantic grenade?), perhaps they could be used also with feruchemy. Thus, we could make machines which could use Allomancy and Feruchemy (and perhaps Hemalurgy) since sentient machines would have a soul. Now, let's leave all the "hey, Metallic Arts golems/Terminators etc" and focus on other uses. How could we use the fact that machines could use Allomancy and Feruchemy? My first idea is computers using Feruchemical copper to store data. I think it could be faster than traditional methods. What else we could do with such technology?

So I was thinking about the fact that Renarin, we know, is a Truthwatcher and so has the two surges of Illumination and Progression. From the interludes, we know that Lift can use the food she eats to surgebind and heal herself but if she uses it too much it makes her tired and weak. My theory is that Renarin is doing this unknowingly and using up his energy which may be why he apeares 'weak' or 'sickly'. What do you guys think??

I am, therefore I think.

Here's a friendly reminder that Chapter One will be ending in a little less than 8 hours. So if you'd like to post more, or want to put in any orders for Honor allocation this turn, you have until this clock runs out for it to count. Furthermore, I will be amending the rules for earning Honor just a little as well. Only two "discussion posts" will be required a Chapter to earn 1 Honor (a discussion post being defined as something regarding the game itself, not the story, whether it be the players or the mechanics, that responds to another player's post or opens up another player to reply back). In the case of RP posts, if your first contains 168 words, for example, and your second contains 73, I will combine the total value for your required 200 words. I wish I could upvote all your RP, but I'm only allowed 16 a day, so I want to let everyone know how happy I am watching this game unfold. I sincerely hope it keeps up, and for those who have been busy so far, that life allows you a little time to participate as well. So with that being said, thank you all very much.

Yeah, let's totally ignore the fact that it's obvious visions are coming from Honor and use a counter-example of an evil god. Yeah? Where did I say anything about whether Gavilar's actions are reasonable or not? (Hint: nowhere) Stop putting things I didn't say in my mouth, would you? I only said you're building a strawman by saying Gavilar's goal is to bring apocalypse just because he feels like it or that he "wants more fun things for himself". That's very clearly not the case, as bringing back Parshendi gods is just a step in his plan, whatever it may be and whatever he wants to achieve.

If I'm interpreting the rules correctly(which isn't always the case, I'll admit ), I believe that you spend your Honor, but that it accumulates. So, if you earn 2 Honor per Cycle and you spend it each Cycle on a liespren, then you'll just be adding to how much Honor you have towards getting a liespren. So, 2 at the end of C1, then 4 at the end of C2, then 6, 8, etc. until you reach the amount you need to get the liespren, at which point you'll get the liespren, consuming the Honor you've put towards it, unless someone else gets picked over you, in which case your Honor will still be there, you just have to wait until the liespren abandons the other player/the player dies, giving you another chance of getting the liespren. However, once you spend Honor on a certain Spren, you can't remove that Honor and put it towards a different Spren. @The lazy anarchist, @Shqueeves, @Elbereth, if you all want some Honor this Cycle, you better post stuff!

What choice is there but to... bandwagon! Yes, with this limited time offer, you can vote for El for FREE! Yes, I said free, and if you order in the next sixty seconds, I'll even throw in a lifetime supply of chouta! So order now while supplies last! Hemalurgic_Headshot is not responsible for any poisonings, spikings, wild boar attacks, political unrest, debt, or an eternity of pain and torture wrought upon your soul because of your decision. Side effects of chouta may include queasiness, vomiting, hallucinations, strange animal noises, constipation, Ebola, Zika, the Black Death, Donald Trump, and/or death.

Aralis was disappointed in the town. After all the kerfuffle they had made about the "Spiked" and "Koloss," it seemed like everyone was just going to lie down and die. But if they thought about it a while (which Aralis had), then they would realize that there really couldn't be that many people trying to throw the town into chaos, regardless of what they were called. Aralis had been alive long enough to see some skaa rebellions, and the relative success of those had hinged on their small size and secrecy. Well, whatever was going on in Tyrian Falls certainly seemed small, and the discovery of two perpetrators both decreased the size further and took away a large part of the secrecy. If this was a skaa rebellion, and the Inquisitors had caught two rebels, the whole thing would have been over in a couple days. Surely the townfolk, deluded as they were, could manage to put up some resistance. So as Aralis put it, this game is nowhere near over. I mean, I expect there to have been a total of ~6 elims this game, based on the square root rule. That is now down to four (again, based on my assumption). With 18 players left, we are still ahead of the game in that the square root of 18 is greater than 4. Not only that, but we aren't shooting blindly in the dark, either! We have 9 days and 10 nights worth of discussion and actions to go with. Even if we started over and completely ignored the parts of the game that have happened, we are winning. The strongest ability is the power to vote, and we all have that left. If you feel overwhelmed by what has happened so far, look at the list of confirmed players, and then play as if it was Day 1! That is far better than not contributing at all. If you can look at the lynches of Dalinar and Nyali, even better! Now I said all of that, but I am right in the middle of my school day, so I'll be back in a bit and actually put together some analysis and a vote.

If you could be so kind as to provide that WoB; there's so many WoBs that talk about healing the soul after being cut by a sprenblade that the implications seem fairly clear. I don't recall any that directly state physical and spiritual, but at the same I don't recall any that say physical cognitive either. Edit: Also, I need the WoB if I'm to find a more recent one.

Considering you can burn a copper IUD... Yes, you can burn rectally inserted metal.

When you start thinking about the blood disorder hemophilia but your brain insists on calling it hemalurgy.

I am surprised by how many people are surprised by Gavilar's behavior here. We knew he was in the Sons of Honor, and we knew what they were all about. But do go ahead, I find this discussion positively fascinating

I don't think we can judge what is pragmatic for him to do because we know next to nothing about what his true intentions and the extent of his knowledge were.

I see where you are coming from, and this makes more sense to me now than before. However, I am still not certain that "OMG, we do not have the time to train! Let's speed up DOOM!" is a pragmatic approach. This is more of a grasping for straws approach that is borne out of someone reading in some text some obscure reference and coming to Gavilar all like "My lord, it is all clear to me! This ketek here... it says: Nice things happen sooner the sooner they happen to nice things! This can only mean one thing! If we start Desolations NOW, Knights Radiant will magically appear. Totally. The books says it... yes... the book...right here sir..." and Gavilar is all like "Yeah... Sounds like a plan" Let's put it this way. Dalinar has seen the same visions. He may, as of yet do something stupid, but so far, making it easier for the enemy to kill everyone in sight is not something he is keen on doing. So, I see what you are saying, but I somewhat disagree that Gavilar and his posse acted in a pragmatic way. My view of pragmatic way is "let's do everything we can to postpone this until very very late". So, I am with Parshendi here. They did the pragmatic thing.

Aaaand this is a good time to chime in with the classic "keep politics out of the boards" message.

Heh. I just clarified a few things I had been wondering about. Don't hold your breaths The last question is, perhaps, the most interesting one. What I really want to get an answer on is a pet theory of mine I asked in a follow-up post. But we'll see if it gets anything (I did dream that he RAFO'd me on it, so there's that...).

Here is one I made today, not specific but still I think it gets the feeling of being a Sanderson reader.

CHAPTER ONE And so it begins. Everyone shall receive their alignments in their GM PMs shortly. Note that there will be no interrogation today. This Chapter is an opportunity for characters to interact, strategies to be discussed, PMs to be established, and Honor to be earned. Use the time wisely, Initiates. If you can't be bothered to read the entire write up, I recommend you read the fourth part, at the very least, as it describes the scene in which your characters will be interacting. Feel free to take some creative liberties with it, if you wish, as I've not given nearly as many details as there should be. INITIATES Amanuensis as Lomot A Joe in the Bush as Jonly Assassin in Burgundy as Araon Darkblade Jondesu as Kintas randuir as Ranatar Hemalurgic_Headshot as Sareth-son-Erneth TheSilverDragon as Rea Ecthelion III as Fifth Nameless Arinian as Arionium JUQ as Hess Quiver as Veriq Shqueeves as Leif Doc12 as Hithon Magestar as Balthazar Arraenae as Ralaani TheMightyLopen as Shinon Drake Marshall as Teresh AliasSheep as Ashetvl The lazy anarchist as Lyna Telavalet Alvron as Naihar DroughtBringer as Petrik Darkness Ascendant as The Phantom Stranger & Hashiv Elbereth as Tintallë Iurnu COUNTDOWN Chapter One will end on Wednesday, February 8th, at 0400 EST. Chapter Two will begin 2 hours later.

After several long nights of deliberation, Shallan finally decided she was ready to learn the truth. “No, not Shallan,” she mumbled as she examined herself for the seventh time that evening. The havah that Navani gifted her for tonight’s gala fit astoundingly well, despite her not being present whenever it was made. Even so, Shallan could not help but feel awkward wearing it. It was a dress befitting a queen - which she most certainly was not - woven from the finest silk she’d ever felt. Dyed a rich variety of blues, it glistened like the sea, or perhaps more like a sapphire broam. Black lace traced each hem, the tiniest, most intricate flowers that a master seamstress would dare create sprouting from their edges. Beginning at her throat and going down to her waist, five golden needles pierced ten silver loops, binding the two layers of the havah tight to keep it from sliding off her shoulders and pooling at her feet. Let Shallan Davar be a Radiant, conformist and noble, Mraize told her on that equally terrible and glorious day. Let Veil come to us. And let her find the truth. It was Veil who decided for her, and once she did, any fears Shallan had left receded deep within her, allowing confidence to swell into the chasm left in its wake. Oddly enough, Pattern seemed affected by the decision, too. Whenever he hummed, he did so in a brighter tone than usual, and his intangible tendrils undulated with more energy than she had ever witnessed before. Though she did not acknowledge it at the time, she felt their Bond grow the moment she admitted that last, horrific truth. Before then, she would have to observe and analyze the Cryptic’s peculiar mannerisms to determine his mood, but now the understanding came natural to her. It was difficult to explain exactly what she was feeling, but at the very least she knew that Pattern had somehow become a part of her. Strange feelings tickled her mind whenever the spren thought or moved, similar to how a frozen limb felt shortly after it found warmth. Despite everything that transpired between them, she could sense that Pattern was happy, but perhaps that was not the right term for it. He was just… well, more alive. More vibrant, and more real. I hate you, she sobbed to him on that very same day. To the monster who destroyed her family and ruined her life. I know, Pattern murmured to her, his buzzing hinting regret. Because of him, a Radiant was born, forged from sorrow and lies. Eventually, you will kill me, and you will have your revenge. That was his way of trying to reassure her, she now realized. But what good would revenge do her? Neither Shallan nor Veil had a need for such a fantasy. Despite the facade of sanity she fought so hard to maintain, that was one lie she wouldn’t try to sell herself. Revenge could not change the fact that her mother had tried to kill her, nor could it bring her father or Helaran back to life. Her only hope was to find a purpose and keep on pushing. “I get how hard it must be to accept, but we’re Radiants now; aren’t we? We’ve got to think for more than just ourselves.” Those were the words she told Kaladin, when he asked for leave to save his family. They were both the hardest words, and the truest words, Shallan ever had to say out loud. Considering that Kaladin remained, they seemed to convince him to stay. The only question Shallan had now was if they managed to convince herself? Behind her, a pair of knocks resounded from the metal door that separated her washroom from her bedchamber. After that day, she had to move rooms, too traumatized by the truth Pattern forced her to admit. Eyebrows raised, Shallan glanced over the reflection of her shoulder and beckoned for her visitor - or, as she soon learned, visitors - to enter into her washroom. Wearing a simple, cloth dress made for leisure, Navani walked in, her eyes sparkling as she glimpsed Shallan in her havah for the first time. Just a step behind, Navani’s nephew and Shallan’s betrothed, Adolin, smiled at her handsomely. He too wore a casual outfit, albeit a stylish one, though it seemed a little dirty at the knees and scuffed at the cuffs. “Why, dear, don’t you just look Radiant,” Navani complemented Shallan as she pulled her into an embrace. Over the last week, the woman was treating her more and more like a daughter. A part of Shallan worried that she might be trying to fill the gap Jasnah left behind, but she had to admit, it felt good to have a mother figure in her life, again. Deciding it better not to mention how uncomfortable she felt wearing the havah, Shallan thanked Navani kindly, then slipped through the woman’s arms to greet her fiance. Noticing the loving gaze they shared, Navani excused herself from the washroom to wait in the hallway outside. “She’s right, you know. I can see the grimace you’re hiding, but you really do look quite stunning.” “Come now, Adolin. I thought we were well beyond flattery.” Having never stopped smiling, the prince’s grin only grew bigger, though when Shallan moved in close for a kiss, he had no choice but to purse his lips together so that he could return it. For a long moment they remained there, pressed together, sharing the same breath. Although they were as still as stone, Shallan trembled within, and judging by how tightly Adolin’s hands gripped her waist, she imagined he felt the same way. Once satisfied, the two parted. Already Adolin was smiling again. As he did, he looked her up and down, then leaned over the side to see her reflection in the mirror behind her. Astonished by his blatancy, Shallan slapped the boy - lightly, of course - on the cheek, and then tilted his chin so that his eyes were looking into hers again. “I’m sorry,” he told her, though his tone didn’t sound very apologetic. “I just want to see as much of you as I can before the gala begins. I really wish I could be there with you. You know that, right?” “I know you do, and I wish you could be there, too. But tonight is for the Radiants and the Initiates to all meet and mingle. That’s it. Honestly, I don’t understand what you’re so worried about.” “It’s not that I’m worried. It’s just I…” he frowned. “Stop it. I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t want to hear it. I’m telling you, Adolin, nothing is going to happen. If they can breathe stormlight, then they can’t be bad people. Spren don’t Bond bad people.” “But how can you be sure? Just because you’re great doesn’t mean they all automatically have to be.” Shallan rolled her eyes. “What about your father? And Renarin? Are they not great, too?” “Well, yes…” “And Kaladin?” “I mean, he’s alright, I guess…” “Adolin,” Shallan sighed, then began to tap her foot impatiently. “Fine, fine. Just be careful, alright? I can’t explain why, but I have a really bad feeling about tonight.” “Well maybe you should worry about yourself, then, or perhaps the rest of the people living in Urithiru. If anything, the gala should be the safest place in all of Roshar, with so many almost-Radiants running around.” This time it was Adolin who sighed. “Yes, yes. You’re probably right. But just in case, there’s something I want to give you. For luck, and protection.” “What is it?” Shallan asked as Adolin reached into his pocket. A series of jingles, or perhaps more accurate, a soft rubbing of metal on metal, came from it as he fished whatever-it-was out. When the prince finally removed his hand and opened his palm, she couldn’t help but gasp. “Your mother’s chain? But why? It means so much to you…” “It does mean a lot to me,” Adolin said with a soft, yet confident smile. “But not nearly as much as you do.” Stunned, Shallan stared at him in silence. Without even thinking, her hand suddenly covered her mouth, in a vain attempt to hide her reaction. A second later she shivered, and her eyes began to water. “Oh, Shallan… please don’t cry...” Shallan couldn’t hold it in anymore. Shaking now, she burst out with laughter. “Adolin! That was horrible!” she choked out between snickers. “How long did you practice that corny line?” “What? I offer you an extremely personal gift, and this is how you repay me? By laughing in my face? Maybe I should just take this back, then, since you clearly don’t want it... ” he said as his hand slowly returned to his pocket. “No, no,” Shallan intercepted his hand, though she couldn’t stop laughing, not that she made an effort to try. “I love it, Adolin. I really do. I just… storms, that was bad. But bad in a good way, I promise.” Again he looked at her with that breathtaking smile of his. “Can I put it on you then?” “Please. It would me a lot to me. But not nearly as much as you do.” Perfect! Perfect! It needed to be perfect! It was the only thought Lomot could process while he worked on perfecting his face. All around him, creationspren faded into existence, not that he ever noticed, as thankfully they never appeared between his face and the mirror before him. If he did look, however, he’d see the silver strings take the shape of his lips, some bending in ways that weren’t physically possible, others opening up to reveal a spinning eye within. Hours had passed since he began his art. His cheeks were covered in numerous layers of foundation, each coat slightly darker, smaller and more precise than the last, their purpose to emphasize his bone structure while also masking his imperfect complexion, and to do so in a way that was both noticeably distinct and realistically shaded. When will it be perfect?, a voice whispered in his mind. Not his voice, but a voice that sounded a lot like the rapid flapping of a larkin’s wings. Lomot paid it no attention, however, as he was much too focused on his art. A few more strokes and he’d be done contouring his face, and once that was finished, the true challenge would begin. Reaching into one of six bowls that lay in front of him, he grabbed a handful of red leaves that crumbled easily at a touch. Holding them over a small, funnel-like tube, he rubbed his hand together until its maw was filled with the vibrant dust, to which he added a viscous, colorless liquid whose name he could hardly spell, let alone pronounce. For a minute he watched the mixture bubble and writhe. All around him, creationspren faded out of existence, not that he ever noticed, as his eyes did not wander from his task. If he did look, however, he’d see a single, black string take the shape of a his lips, sometimes curving in ways that weren’t physically possible, other times opening up to reveal a pair of blinking eyes within. Perfect! Perfect! He needed to be perfect! YOU’RE A FOOL, DALINAR KHOLIN. Storms, was he tired of hearing that. For a sliver of the Almighty Himself, the Stormfather wasn’t very kind or benevolent. If not for the Squire kneeling on the ground before him and the crowd of servants flocking nearby, Dalinar would have responded to the god’s taunting just then. But alas, he had more important matters to attend to. “Rise, Sigzil. What brings you to me this evening?” “Well, sir, it’s a little complicated” the man replied in his distinct Azish accent. It was hard to tell by his face if he was nervous, as his skin was so dark and the night so dim, but there was the faintest hint of something in his tone that made Dalinar’s brow crease with worry. “Isn’t everything these days,” he said, more to himself than to the young Squire. “I suppose this can’t wait until the morning?” Nearby, a few servants chattered as they fixed a table, and behind Dalinar, a caterer dropped a platter of food in surprise. “Perhaps it can, sir, though he insisted on speaking with you at once. He wouldn’t tell me why, exactly, but he did mention your niece.” “My niece? Jasnah?” No wonder Sigzil seemed to be dancing around the subject. Jasnah was dead, after all, and few men were fond of bearing bad news. “I’m guessing her body has been recovered, then?” “I’m not sure, sir, but I don’t think that’s the case. He sounded happy when he mentioned her.” Dalinar considered that for a moment, stroking his beard as he thought. Shallan had assured him, with a heavy heart, that Jasnah was dead. She described the attack, and how she only narrowly escaped the ship before it was consumed by flame. What good news could anyone bring after that? Close by, someone cackled with delight. “I suppose there’s still time until the gala is ready. Where is this man, Sigzil? And just who is he, exactly?” “Well, sir… he’s right behind you now, actually,” Sigzil said, pointing over Dalinar’s shoulder, prompting him to turn around. Several feet away, a man dressed in all back watched a servant, like a hawk, as she anxiously cleaned up the mess that she made - or more likely, he - made. “You!” Dalinar shouted, surprised, confused, and maybe a little bit amused, as well. “Me!” Wit shouted instinctively and then, suddenly aware that he had been addressed, lifted his head to begin searching for the source. “Ah, Dalinar. There you are! Long time, no see. I hear you’ve been talking to Shadows while I’ve been gone. Everything okay up there, old friend?” Wit asked, wagging a finger at the Highprince’s head. Ignoring the provocation, Dalinar went straight to the point. “What do you know about Jasnah?” “That unlike a fine wine, she really doesn’t get better with age.” Dalinar’s jaw tightened. Wit stared at him blankly, and then, suddenly, his face became more grave. “Despite what you’ve heard, Jasnah is still alive and kicking. In fact, she’s on her way to Kholinar now, hoping she can fix the damage Aesudan has done before the city falls apart at its seams. She also thinks she can open the Oath Gate there using what he learned from the Highspren in Shadesmar, though I’m not so sure about that. Jasnah, alive? Damage Aesudan has done? Highspren? Shadesmar? So many questions, and so little time for answers. “Wit… thank you. I’m glad you came here to share this with me, but unless you’re going to tell me you’re a Radiant now, too, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Tonight’s a little important. Can we finish this conversation in the morning?” “Hmm. I suppose Elhokar’s not here, is he? Huh. I should probably go find His Majesty, then, and tell him the news as well. I am the King’s Wit, after all. Not the Tyrant’s. Enjoy your night while you can, friend. Oh! And do tell what’s left of Tanavast that Midius the Meddlesome says hello.” Expression stoic, Dalinar watched Wit depart, then turned to find Sigzil doing the same. Although he could still not real the Squires face, an idea struck him. “You know him, don’t you?” “I do, sir. More than most, I reckon, though I still know so little.” “What can you tell me, then?” “Not much that will have any meaning to you. Though I can say he’s a smart man. Dangerous, too, even though he may not seem it. I wouldn’t want to be on whatever side he isn’t, that’s for sure.” “Well then, son. Let’s hope he remains on ours, then.” The sky was beautiful at this height; so clear and majestic. As Lomot ascended the stairs to the roof of Urithiru, he stared upon that vast, black mural, tracing patterns by the countless stars. As usual, Taln’s Scar was the first of the constellations he saw, being the only slash of red among clusters of blue and white, though once he stepped out into the open, all he could see was the gala. There were no servants present. Only Radiants, Initiates, and a few of the Squires. Lomot did not know all their names, but he recognized the important ones. Those two men who fought Kaladin on that first day, for example. They stood between him and a group of Initiates now, along with an Azish man and a massive Unkalaki. Beneath the glow of one of ten four-pronged post bearing an equal number lanterns containing infused spheres, Highprince Dalinar and his son, Renarin, talked alone. By their body language, it seemed like they were having a debate, although the younger boy had the faintest grin upon his face. Lingering nearby, a few Initiates watched the two Kholins curiously, likely hoping that they’d finish their conversation soon so that they could introduce themselves. Close to a large heating fabrial that sat at the roof’s center, Shallan Davar seemed to be instructing a few curious Initiates on the science behind the technology. Although Lomot himself wasn’t very interested in fabrials, his instincts urged him to join that crowd and see what he could learn. That was before he caught a whiff of the massive buffet and his stomach growled of hunger, however. The long table was packed with food and was, perhaps, the most crowded attraction of them all. Judging by the smell, Lomot could tell why. While the culinary arts certainly weren’t where his talents lied, he appreciated them as much as anyone else. Wandering towards the buffet, he watched a man sip from a bowl, then listened as they sighed with bliss. Stepping beside him, Lomot reached for a lump of bread making sure to brandish the rainbow henna that decorated his flesh. On his arms, they traced his veins, but the true art was upon his face. Taking care not to ruin it, he took a small bite of the bread, pleasantly surprised by meat, cheese, and vegetable gravy filled in its middle.

Long-time lurker, first post, but others who were there can confirm what I say. Most questions were about his writing process and other general topics. The only Cosmere-specific ones I remember were as follows: Does burning cadmium actually slow down time or just slow down the perception of time? (there was a bit more to the question but I was on the opposite end of the room) The answer was it does actually slow time. Is there or will there be a shard for Entropy? That was/is Ruin There were a couple others with obvious answers (Is Odium the same person as Ruin?) but nothing else stood out. There was indeed a reading of the prologue to Oathbringer. POV character is And for my own question while I got a book signed I asked "What would happen if you tried to cut aluminum with a shardblade and as a follow-up how significant is it that Nightblood has a metal sheath?" To which he answered, "It is significant, and a shardblade would not cut aluminum."

Reflectionspren can spot Highspren as well, yes. You will be informed. For example: Kaladin has been murdered. He was an Honorable Windrunner! Not that I plan on killing Kaladin, of course

Lots of good points here so far. Everyone seems stuck on the idea that it has to be one movie. Hollywood turned The Hobbit into three movies. Stormlight books can definitely be broken up into two movies each. I don't see why they wouldn't be. One movie per book risks stripping too much of what makes them good, and there's definitely enough engaging content in each book to fill two movies. That gives us a good 5 hours (plus or minus) to work with. Movie 1: Movie 2: Notes: 1. Skip the Prelude. The key points of information gathered there can come from other discussions and Dalinar's visions. 2. Scrap MOST of the interludes and flashbacks. Szeth is the notable exception. 3. Sprinkle short glimpses of battle with Parshendi before/after Dalinar and

Do we know where Navani was during the night of the assassination? (I can't remember if her presence was mentioned in the books or not.) I think her perspective in book 4 could be interesting if she was there.

To be fair, the question explicitly asks about Hoid's physical aspect, so it makes sense that Brandon responds in kind (regardless of whether he is being shifty or not). Regarding Hoid's humanity, I've seen a couple of confirmations (one very recent) that he is human in the same way Steel Inquisitors are human. In other words, mostly, but with a lot of Spiritweb hacks. Reminds me strongly of sci-fi people with a lot of body augments.