Rysn's Interlude from Stormlight 2

[Green Fire]

Yea, yea, NEW GUY here, but I could not find a topic on Brandon's new youtube account and its subsequent videos. I just had to cease and desist my lurking to start a topic on the subject and perhaps start the ideas flowing.

I am fully aware that anything we read on these videos is not cannon in any way, until it undergoes revision and gets published. But, I find this insight into Brandon's method fascinating. I am a big fan of this sort of thing, and wish I was a fan back when the whole Warbreaker evolution was being updated real time.

I can say however, that I love the idea of getting another Rysn POV since the idea of her character, (The uninitiated traveler visiting strange locals) really is a wonderful proxy for the fans. I love the callback to the strange lethargic Shin grass and how alien our "normal" flora is to Roshar, and I am glad Tyvnk is doing well. (on a related note... Get well soon Vstim)

I will re-post what I said on the youtube comment of Part 3~

O wow. I had a hunch that a "moving Island" would be a Great Shell but I would assume that a species of Great Shell that large would be hunted to extinction years ago. Just imagine the SIZE of the gem hearts they must have. I love these videos.

Hopefully everyone else is enjoying these posts as much as I am. I posted In the Newbie thread and then came directly here. Hopefully I have done everything alright.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on these videos?

  Edited March 18, 2013 by Green Fire

[king of nowhere]

unfortunately I did not understand much of those videos. I pride myself of having a good english, but if someone speak too fast, or with an accent, or the audio is disturbed, my understanding drops quite quickly. And brandon speaks well most of the time, but every now and then he will pronounce a few words very fast, so I won't understand those. And that will be enough that I will not understand the sense of what he's saying.

That said, I liked the part of islands moving, and I laughed hard at the "rysn tried to pretend that her grass wasn't dumb, merely contemplative". And it seems like her master is going to die and the plot is pushign her towards having to lead things by herself.

[Kurkistan]

^Feel free to post when that happens. I'm sure if you said "I can't understand what he said from 2:30-2:40" or "What was that at 5:10? 'My favorite color is ???'?", someone would help you out.

You can PM me if worst comes to worst and everyone else turns evil as the Admins' spikes slowly corrupt them.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Kurkistan

[Riceloft]

The next section is up. Not a whole lot going on, but a lot of world building explanations from Brandon.

[Green Fire]

When Rysn saw all of the naked Reshi, did anyone else think back to The Wheel of Time when Elayne and Nynaeve set off with the Seafolk in The Shadow Rising? I like how Rysn thinks that she isn't a "Alethi prude." I feel if Shallan (although technically Veden not Alethi) was the one in the boat instead, she would have freaked, possibility passed out.

In an unrelated note I do wonder what they do to protect the boats from highstorms if the "islands" have no proper harbors.

[Cheese Ninja]

He just put up the sixth video of the writing, and Axies has yet to make his appearance. Is anyone else uncertain about the scale of the Tai-Na (Reshi greatshells)? I'm not sure if they're a few hundred feet across or considerably larger. "After climbing for what seemed like forever without seeing a soul, they finally heard voices." Thousands of feet? A mile?

@Green Fire, the high storms proably aren't that bad that far north and west. They're probably similar in strength to highstorms when they reach the Purelake, but I imagine the deeper water makes things a bit more dangerous.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Cheese Ninja

[Inkthinker]

unfortunately I did not understand much of those videos. I pride myself of having a good english, but if someone speak too fast, or with an accent, or the audio is disturbed, my understanding drops quite quickly. And brandon speaks well most of the time, but every now and then he will pronounce a few words very fast, so I won't understand those. And that will be enough that I will not understand the sense of what he's saying.

That said, I liked the part of islands moving, and I laughed hard at the "rysn tried to pretend that her grass wasn't dumb, merely contemplative". And it seems like her master is going to die and the plot is pushign her towards having to lead things by herself.

 

 

^Feel free to post when that happens. I'm sure if you said "I can't understand what he said from 2:30-2:40" or "What was that at 5:10? 'My favorite color is ???'?", someone would help you out.

You can PM me if worst comes to worst and everyone else turns evil as the Admins' spikes slowly corrupt them.

 

Seriously, this. It's one of the benefits of community. Tell us what times you were lost, and we'll fill it out.

[Yemeth]

Was I the only one who did a spit-take when Axies was described as having a "voidbringer" shadow? And that he can take off his limbs? I guess those things might not necessarily be true, and just what people say about the Aimians, but I think there must be some truth to them. So many theories. I'll have to think about this some more.

[FlashWrogan]

Was I the only one who did a spit-take when Axies was described as having a "voidbringer" shadow? And that he can take off his limbs? I guess those things might not necessarily be true, and just what people say about the Aimians, but I think there must be some truth to them. So many theories. I'll have to think about this some more.

 

I didn't find  the voidbringer shadow thing to peculiar. In our nomenclature it is like saying he has a demon shadow, which some more conservative-minded people might if they saw Axies' shadow. I was more interested in the reference to the soul of greatshells being spren. It makes it sound like there might be a spren in the gemhearts? I hadn't seen any indication of that in book one, other than the fact that fabrials trap spren in their gems apparently.

[Hajt]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a place where the latest text of the story is written down. Thanks a bunch.

[Kurkistan]

I didn't find  the voidbringer shadow thing to peculiar. In our nomenclature it is like saying he has a demon shadow, which some more conservative-minded people might if they saw Axies' shadow. I was more interested in the reference to the soul of greatshells being spren. It makes it sound like there might be a spren in the gemhearts? I hadn't seen any indication of that in book one, other than the fact that fabrials trap spren in their gems apparently.

 

We know that spren bond with animals on Roshar. The biggest example is Chasmfiends, so I'd assume all Greatshells have spren bonds along with their gemhearts. We also have this:

 

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/2979-new-hampshire-signing/#entry49247

Me: Ok. The gemhearts/stormgems/whatever that are grown inside the beasts in way of kings ... is that the same as the way Atium is grown inside geodes in the Pits of Hathsin?

BS: It's similar. The pits are an area where there's like a leak from the spiritual realm into the physical. That's what happens there

 

[. . .]

 

Me: You said that the Pits are a leak from the spiritual into the physical -

BS: A necessary leak.

Me: Ok. Are the spren a similar leak but from the Cognitive?

BS: The next book is going to explore the spren a lot further.

 

I would guess, then, that all gemheart-having creatures are bonded with spren, with the gemheart forming as a result of that bond as a space to store stormlight for unnatural effects (such as a giant crab not dying under its own weight, on any planet). Weird question: Do Surgebinders have gemhearts?

[Krelian]

Weird question: Do Surgebinders have gemhearts?

 

Just had a great image of Kaladin and Szeth having to help each other flee across the Shattered Plains as a mob of Parshendi and Alethi chase after them, trying to harvest their gemhearts 

[Rosa85]

Just had a great image of Kaladin and Szeth having to help each other flee across the Shattered Plains as a mob of Parshendi and Alethi chase after them, trying to harvest their gemhearts 

Totally can picture this. But what are these videos everyone is refering too. Sorry Newbie to the Cosmere.

[Yemeth]

Rosa85: Here's the list of videos of Brandon writing the interlude: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3g-w83Cb5pEAu5UmRrge-A/videos

 

FlashWrogan: I agree, I didn't think that meant that Axies was a voidbringer, it was probably just something said about Aimians. I'm more interested in why they aren't even considered human. If the strange abilities listed were accurate, I could see why people would associate them with voidbringers and bad luck. But all we know for sure are that their shadows are cast in the wrong direction and that they can write on their skin. If they can take off their limbs, why would the Reshi even hang him like that in the first place? Do they have different superstitions about what the Aimians can do? How much of what is said is fact? We probably won't find out until there are more Axies viewpoints. I guess its weird to me because I assumed that each of the Heralds represented one of the Silver Kingdoms, and that the herald form Aimia was Aimian. So it would be strange if Aimians were so exotic they weren't considered human.

[NewbSombrero]

Rosa85: Here's the list of videos of Brandon writing the interlude: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3g-w83Cb5pEAu5UmRrge-A/videos

 

FlashWrogan: I agree, I didn't think that meant that Axies was a voidbringer, it was probably just something said about Aimians. I'm more interested in why they aren't even considered human. If the strange abilities listed were accurate, I could see why people would associate them with voidbringers and bad luck. But all we know for sure are that their shadows are cast in the wrong direction and that they can write on their skin. If they can take off their limbs, why would the Reshi even hang him like that in the first place? Do they have different superstitions about what the Aimians can do? How much of what is said is fact? We probably won't find out until there are more Axies viewpoints. I guess its weird to me because I assumed that each of the Heralds represented one of the Silver Kingdoms, and that the herald form Aimia was Aimian. So it would be strange if Aimians were so exotic they weren't considered human.

 

WoB says Aimians aren't human in a quote that I know I saw but can't find again. Someone asked about non-human sentient races in the cosmere, and along with koloss, kandra, and Parshendi, he listed Aimians.

[Meg]

WoB says Aimians aren't human in a quote that I know I saw but can't find again. Someone asked about non-human sentient races in the cosmere, and along with koloss, kandra, and Parshendi, he listed Aimians.

 

 

Should I or shoud I not?  

 

 

2) Are there non-human races on Roshar, or non-humanoid races that are sentient?

The Parshendi are not human, but you probably already knew that. The two races of Aimaians are not human either. There are many races of sentient spren. From there, it depends if you call something like Ryshadium sentient or not.

 

Forum Q&A

Note to myself: Do not only mention the source but give it! It's easier.

[NewbSombrero]

 

 

Should I or shoud I not?  

 

 

 

Forum Q&A

Note to myself: Do not only mention the source but give it! It's easier.

 

Thank you very much. That is exactly what I was thinking of.

[Yemeth]

I swear, I read through that whole Q&A last week, and completely missed that tidbit. Also, two races of Aimians? Every piece of information just leads to more questions. Now I'm wondering what the differences are, and whether people outside of Aimia can tell them apart. I guess we'll find out ... eventually.

[Cheese Ninja]

It seems like Hoid was using a Dysian Aimian's ability to be taken apart and put back together as a simile for Adonalsium and the Shards:

“I know,” Wit said, then looked directly at him. “Adonalsium.”

Dalinar frowned more deeply. “What?”

Wit searched his face. “Have you ever heard the term, Dalinar?”

“Ado…what?”

“Nothing,” Wit said. He seemed preoccupied, unlike his usual self. “Nonsense. Balderdash. Figgldygrak. Isn’t it odd that gibberish words are often the sounds of other words, cut up and dismembered, then stitched into something like them—yet wholly unlike them at the same time?”

Dalinar frowned.

“I wonder if you could do that to a man. Pull him apart, emotion by emotion, bit by bit, bloody chunk by bloody chunk. Then combine them back together into something else, like a Dysian Aimian. If you do put a man together like that, Dalinar, be sure to name him Gibberish, after me. Or perhaps Gibletish.”

Since Axies is a Siah Aimian, he probably can't do that.  He can heal bruises at will, but the ease and rate of larger wounds is probably heavily dependent on severity:

He sat up, stretching, checking his muscles. All seemed to be in working order, though he had quite a few bruises. He’d deal with those in a bit. “Now,” he said, turning, “you wouldn’t happen to have a spare pair of pants, would you?”

He does seem to have a lifespan extending into centuries, though.

The guards towed him off toward the city dungeons, but he didn’t mind. Two new spren in as many days! At this rate, it might only take a few more centuries to complete his research.

I think at some point, Brandon is going to have to explain to us about the lanceryn (now extinct Aimian greatshells), the Scouring of Aimia, the Aimian races, and the Curse of the Kind.  The Curse of the Kind might simply be discrimation against Aimians for being different from humans, but the capitalization makes me think it's something special.

Perhaps he drew stares because of his blue nails and crystalline deep blue eyes. Aimians—even Siah Aimians—were rare. Or perhaps it was because he cast a shadow the wrong way. Toward light, instead of away from it. It was a small thing, and the shadows weren’t long, with the sun so high. But those who noticed muttered or jumped out of the way. Likely they’d heard of his kind. It hadn’t been that long since the scouring of his homeland. Just long ago enough for stories and legends to have crept into the general knowledge of most peoples.

Perhaps someone important would take exception to him and have him brought before a local magistrate. Wouldn’t be the first time. He’d learned long ago not to worry. When the Curse of Kind followed you, you learned to take what happened as it happened.

[Windrunner]

The "Voidbringer shadow" thing is interesting. My gut says it's just one of those odd things which people don't understand, so automatically they go "VOIDBRINGER! EVIL, RUN!"

[Cheese Ninja]

Two new videos were put up of the Interlude writing.  No one has jumped yet, but even with 0.7 Earth gravity, shouldn't a few hundred feet drop into water still be fatal?  It looks like the record on Earth for an extremely skilled diver is about 170 feet, with fatalties at heights considerably lower than that for unskilled/unlucky people.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Hmm... not sure air resistance would be that significant a factor for so short a distance. 

 

At t= 12 seconds, things in earth's atmosphere reach terminal velocity (which is proportional to sqrt(g).  But at the initial dropoff, there's no air resistance, and velocity is proportional to g.

 

Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is proportional to v^2, and that's the real killer as far as I understand.

 

So if we go with 170 ft, high end calculations put 'survivable' at 170 ft* (1 g /(0.7g))^2 = 346 feetish.

 

 

Basically, it seems you can dive about twice as high as you could on earth.

[callumke]

Also, we have another potential Herald in the guy who had no hint of an accent, the adviser to the king (queen).

[Windrunner]

I honestly don't think he's a Herald. I think that sometimes we get too excited about people without accents. Couldn't even the Heralds have accents, just ones considered odd or archaic by those they met? Sometimes people just learn a language really well. This is the best trader on the Tai-Na, being able to speak to foreigners extremely well would be crucial in his line of work.

[callumke]

I honestly don't think he's a Herald. I think that sometimes we get too excited about people without accents. Couldn't even the Heralds have accents, just ones considered odd or archaic by those they met? Sometimes people just learn a language really well. This is the best trader on the Tai-Na, being able to speak to foreigners extremely well would be crucial in his line of work.

I have just posted my theory about this in the main SA forum!