Argent Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) [Link to Tor's blog] Here's the blurb, first: Now, with Bands of Mourning, Sanderson continues the story. The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metalminds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. But now a kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate, and along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set. It sounds to me like the Bands of Mourning are the atium rings Vin ripped away from the Lord Ruler. And now the cover art, again for reference (or if you don't like external links or something...): Edited April 9, 2015 by Argent 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I hate to say it, but Wax has somehow managed to look even more like Tom Cruise in this cover. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Very exciting. I'm going to guess that that is Steris with Wax, she's blonde. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I hate to say it, but Wax has somehow managed to look even more like Tom Cruise in this cover. Your complaint is disturbingly valid. In seriousness though, I love the cover. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 How have you guys not discussed the massive implications of this blurb yet? News topic coming almost immediately (I'll link to this discussion topic). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 How have you guys not discussed the massive implications of this blurb yet? News topic coming almost immediately (I'll link to this discussion topic). Well I'm betting the language is from the Southern Continent (since Brandon said we will know more about them by the end of Era 2, and really where else would that kind of thing come from? the Final Empire was too homogenous) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) Way ahead of you, Chaos. To expand, I'd guess that individual spikes (or individual atium spikes, at least) can hold multiple powers. That and either TLR picked a perfect bindpoint or atium is once-again special in not necessarily requiring as much bindpoint precision. EDIT: @Weiry Yeah, that too. Edited April 9, 2015 by Kurkistan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Well I'm betting the language is from the Southern Continent (since Brandon said we will know more about them by the end of Era 2, and really where else would that kind of thing come from? the Final Empire was too homogenous) Did he say that? I forgot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrncRny Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 It'll be interesting to see the mythology that has popped up around the rings, assuming that's what they are, over the past three (?) hundred years. Considering how...tweaked...the history that we know is understood by modern society after all that time, there are bound to be some interesting stories surrounding those. I like that about Sanderson. I feel like it's almost like actual world history. There's what really happened, and then there's the way we understand it. As close as we come, sometimes we are VERY wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaymyth Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Very exciting. I'm going to guess that that is Steris with Wax, she's blonde. Or it could be the as-unnamed kandra in human guise. And STILL no Wayne on the cover? I feel cheated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Did he say that? I forgot. He did at some point over the last few months, but all the audio kind of blurs together, let me look. Atlanta signing line at about 8 minutes 30 seconds. Or it could be the as-unnamed kandra in human guise. And STILL no Wayne on the cover? I feel cheated. Well Wayne is on the cover of Alloy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Or it could be the as-unnamed kandra in human guise. And STILL no Wayne on the cover? I feel cheated. Hey, maybe the woman is Wayne. He's very good at disguises 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Hey, maybe the woman is Wayne. He's very good at disguises By that logic, Wayne could be on ANY Cosmere cover. ... Time for a "Cosmere Theories" post, I should think. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookingglass Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Way ahead of you, Chaos. To expand, I'd guess that individual spikes (or individual atium spikes, at least) can hold multiple powers. That and either TLR picked a perfect bindpoint or atium is once-again special in not necessarily requiring as much bindpoint precision. EDIT: @Weiry Yeah, that too. Did TLR spike himself? I always thought that since he had one of the original beads he didn't need to enhance any of his abilities and he had the bracelets imbedded in his flesh so no one could push or pull on it. Or are you saying that the bracelets can be used as spikes for someone else? Isn't Hemalurgy a lost art by this point. Are the spikes even hemalurgically charged since they have been outside his body for so long and they weren't made using the rituals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kestrel Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 The cover is very nice. Looking forward to this trilogy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Huh. So, Wax is cosmere Indiana Jones? Not a complaint, of course- Indy is awesome- but the blurb reminds me of Raiders or Last Crusade for some reason. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaymyth Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Well Wayne is on the cover of Alloy... True, but still. He's part of the pun, he should be more. There's always the last book... By that logic, Wayne could be on ANY Cosmere cover. ... Time for a "Cosmere Theories" post, I should think. Wayne could be on ALL the covers... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) Did TLR spike himself? I always thought that since he had one of the original beads he didn't need to enhance any of his abilities and he had the bracelets imbedded in his flesh so no one could push or pull on it. Yes he did. He got some of his fancier stunts from Hemalurgy, apparently. Also, as an aside, he didn't use a bead (though he still made himself exactly as powerful as a Lerasium mistborn, apparently (sorry, can't find the citation on that at the moment)). Or are you saying that the bracelets can be used as spikes for someone else? Isn't Hemalurgy a lost art by this point. Are the spikes even hemalurgically charged since they have been outside his body for so long and they weren't made using the rituals? So yes, that is what I'm saying. Or at least implying. They are atium spikes, and the MAG (that font of ever-trustworthy magical knowledge... ) indicates that atium spikes are special in part because they don't decay; this alongside what we already know in that atium can apparently steal basically any power it pleases. I'm not sure what rituals you are referring to. Edited April 9, 2015 by Kurkistan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookingglass Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Yes he did. He got some of his fancier stunts from Hemalurgy, apparently. Also, as an aside, he didn't use a bead (though he still made himself exactly as powerful as a Lerasium mistborn, apparently (sorry, can't find the citation on that at the moment)). So yes, that is what I'm saying. Or at least implying. They are atium spikes, and the MAG (that font of ever-trustworthy magical knowledge... ) indicates that atium spikes are special in part because they don't decay; this alongside what we already know in that atium can apparently steal basically any power it pleases. I'm not sure what rituals you are referring to. Man... I thought I was being smart. I forgot Brandon plans EVERYTHING. That first link was from 2008!!!!! I know atium is special and random in hemalurgy but how do we know they don't decay? Not rituals per say... more like you have to spike the people in specific areas, it involves lots of suffering and the spike has to be in contact with blood and it steals a bit of their spiritual DNA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindrunnerRadiant Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 The bracers may also be inherently special, beyond being atium. After all, TLR had a massive amount of power for those moments at the Well. He could have made something that had properties beyond any of the Metallic Arts on their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natc Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Man... I thought I was being smart. I forgot Brandon plans EVERYTHING. That first link was from 2008!!!!! I know atium is special and random in hemalurgy but how do we know they don't decay? Not rituals per say... more like you have to spike the people in specific areas, it involves lots of suffering and the spike has to be in contact with blood and it steals a bit of their spiritual DNA. He literally tells you where it is said that they don't decay and you still ask regardless. Wat. Atium isn't being any more random than lerasium allomancy is. It's literally a solid bead of Ruin, being used in the Ruin-aligned metallic art. You gotta expect that much. . . . actually atium allomancy breaks the norm too now that I think about it. Damnation gods. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 At first I assumed those bands held nothing more than tlr's storage of youth, so they would be of little value to anyone else (except for the part that they are made of atium, of course), but if they are hemalurgic spikes that changes everything. Anyone putting them on ould become superpowerful. Or he could just sting himself, if he fails the proper binding points, but that won't happen because, you know, story. But still, my biggest wonder is the woman. She's clearly steris, unless some other blond stern-faced character is introduced, which is clearly unlikely, and the steris we know would never go on an adventure. I have no idea how much development she needs to go from her current self to the one on that cover. I'm all OMG! I never liked her as a character, but if she loosens up a bit she may become ok. Good spotting that the writing must be from the southern continent. The words of founding include the recording of alll the keepers copperminds, so even pre-ascension writings would be readable, with the help of the right scholars. Also, Wax is sent south to investigate, and the cover depicts him in the snow, which sort of implies the southern emisphere - south of elendel they are unlikely to have winters harsh enough for snow, although it could still be a high plateau. I just wonder, if the southerners ffound the bands, why they wrote something and left them there, considering how much they're worth (and if they didn't knew what they are and how much they are worth, why write something in the first place?). ARG! I'm becomiing as bad as the other epilectic trees around. Not long ago, I would have said that the most likely explanation was that the bands are rusted to nothingness (atium was sensitive, to the point that keeping it in the stomach for a few hours would damage it), and even if they exist they are useless without the knowledge of hemalurgy, which nobody has*, and the writing are likely a gang of teenagers drawing graffiti around, and the cover depicts wax and steris in the snow because they went skiing for their honeymoon, and absolutely nothing spooky is happening. Because, in the real world, that would actually be the most likely explanation. * and even if someone knew how to spike himself, tlr was already a fullborn himself, so he only loaded the spikes for some spectacular powers, but he was relying on hi own power most of the time, so the bands are unlikely to have a complete collection of powers and anyone having them is unlikely to become that powerful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) @natc There's no need to be harsh: I should have spelled out/explained the acronym. I know atium is special and random in hemalurgy but how do we know they don't decay? Sorry, I used an acronym there. We know it from the Mistborn Adventure Game, the pen-and-paper RPG put out by Crafty Games. It's status is best described as "pseudo-canonical", particularly when it comes to the nitty-gritty of the magics (game balance and whatnot), but that's where we get the matter-of-fact claim that atium metalminds don't degrade. Edited April 10, 2015 by Kurkistan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookingglass Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 @natc There's no need to be harsh: I should have spelled out/explained the acronym. Sorry, I used an acronym there. We know it from the Mistborn Adventure Game, the pen-and-paper RPG put out by Crafty Games. It's status is best described as "pseudo-canonical", particularly when it comes to the nitty-gritty of the magics (game balance and whatnot), but that's where we get the matter-of-fact claim that atium metalminds don't degrade. Thanks! I've not played the game so I don't know much (anything) about it really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjustice99 Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 But they wouldnt be the atiumminds because those were used up in or before WOA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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