Chaos Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Here's a chilling, chilling epigraph, which means a heck of a lot more now that we know the Almighty's Shard is Honor. Chapter 35, page 519. Though many wished Urithiru to be built in Alethela, it was obvious that it could not be. And so it was that we asked for it to be placed westward, in the place nearest Honor. I think my jaw dropped reading that. So... Honor is in the west. I don't know what that really means (especially since any Shard could will him or herself wherever they want), but perhaps the important thing is that he is the furthest from the east and the Origin as possible. This suggests to me the highstorms are of Odium, and that Odium, perhaps, is located in the east. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyman Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Here's a chilling, chilling epigraph, which means a heck of a lot more now that we know the Almighty's Shard is Honor. Chapter 35, page 519. I think my jaw dropped reading that. So... Honor is in the west. I don't know what that really means (especially since any Shard could will him or herself wherever they want), but perhaps the important thing is that he is the furthest from the east and the Origin as possible. This suggests to me the highstorms are of Odium, and that Odium, perhaps, is located in the east. Possible, although why the Highstorms would then fuel Honor's magic is beyond me. Since Storms are sources of Stormlight, I think something more complicated is going on. Although you're right that that is probably a reference to the Almighty. What interests me more is the fact that this epigraph means that at one point, the humans on Roshar knew the names of their gods... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 My question is, is the west closest to Honor (or it's pool, or his body)? Or does is Urithiru close to a actual spot? (like Elanris is near the pool, and Luthadel on the Well of Ascension), that just happens to be west. I guess my question is, is Honor on the mainland? Or is he at some point at the west? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOM1else Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Depending on how far west then the highstorms could still be linked to him, if you go far enough west your gonna end up in the east after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew the Great Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 .....Unless Roshar is flat..... just had to throw that out there. Also, if you remember, in one of Dalinar's vision he sees a Desolation (or at least he thinks that's what it is, though we're not sure IIRC) and says that it looks very much like a highstorm, but much worse. Not that that necessarily means anything, but the Highstorms do seem like they could be of Odium. As to why Odium would fuel the Almighty's magic system....ummm.....so they could get used to the power, and then he could withdraw it? Or maybe it's Honor taking advantage of Odium's storms (which seems far more likely). But yeah, Stormlight is kind of throwing a bunch of my theories down the drain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Possible, although why the Highstorms would then fuel Honor's magic is beyond me. Since Storms are sources of Stormlight, I think something more complicated is going on. Although you're right that that is probably a reference to the Almighty. What interests me more is the fact that this epigraph means that at one point, the humans on Roshar knew the names of their gods... Odium and Honor could simply share a focus with the Stormlight. Why Odium would send regular highstorms, though, is perplexing. .....Unless Roshar is flat..... just had to throw that out there. Also, if you remember, in one of Dalinar's vision he sees a Desolation (or at least he thinks that's what it is, though we're not sure IIRC) and says that it looks very much like a highstorm, but much worse. Not that that necessarily means anything, but the Highstorms do seem like they could be of Odium. As to why Odium would fuel the Almighty's magic system....ummm.....so they could get used to the power, and then he could withdraw it? Or maybe it's Honor taking advantage of Odium's storms (which seems far more likely). But yeah, Stormlight is kind of throwing a bunch of my theories down the drain. Stormlight is freaking weird. Is it a focus, or is it something different? I have no idea. I don't think there's enough evidence to say for certain, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyRioter Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 We also have hints that the highstorms are getting stronger(Dalinar and Navani talk about it), which also suggests that they're connected with Odium's rise to power on Roshar... yeah, it's blasted frustrating trying to figure this out with only hints thus far. 2012 can't come soon enough. In case of Soulcasting, the gemstones themselves seem to act as some kind of focus, but I don't know what the focus might be with Windrunning. I suspect that Honor took advantage of the storms somehow to distribute his power, although granted, the only other example we have of a Shard taking advantage of another Shard's power (Ruin taking advantage of the mists) the first Shard was effectively mindless and without direction. Why Odium has not done something to stop it now that Honor is dead I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyman Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 We also have hints that the highstorms are getting stronger(Dalinar and Navani talk about it), which also suggests that they're connected with Odium's rise to power on Roshar... yeah, it's blasted frustrating trying to figure this out with only hints thus far. 2012 can't come soon enough. In case of Soulcasting, the gemstones themselves seem to act as some kind of focus, but I don't know what the focus might be with Windrunning. I suspect that Honor took advantage of the storms somehow to distribute his power, although granted, the only other example we have of a Shard taking advantage of another Shard's power (Ruin taking advantage of the mists) the first Shard was effectively mindless and without direction. Why Odium has not done something to stop it now that Honor is dead I don't know. I believe that for Windrunning, the inhalation itself is the focus. That's why Kaladin "breathes in" Stormlight. Also, as for Odium, I believe that he is not completely present on Roshar. That is, his influence is there, but only a part, not the real McCoy. It's possible he is bound, like Ruin was, but I doubt it; facing a god unleashed is far more worthy of this kind of epic saga, and having him accidentally released would just be pointless and repetitive, not to mention unlikely given how much power he apparently has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted February 22, 2011 Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 Well, if Odium is controlling the Storms and Honor is piggybacking them to spread his power, the why would Odium want to make the Storms stronger? Stronger Storms would lead to more Stormlight, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Why can't it be like on Scadrial: separate magic systems are Fueled by one common element? Instead of metal, it's stormlight. The thing that would differentiate the Shard magics would be all of the other stuff (Foci, Intent, net energy, etc). I feel like precedent has already been set for this, as well as explanation given by Brandon (stormlight is how the people of Roshar interact with the powers of Creation due to the genetic, realmatic balance specific to their world, etc.). Maybe I'm way off; I only just realized that this was my unchallenged assumption throughout my read of WoK. Either way, I'm sticking with it for now. If this were the case, it would make complete sense for Odium to amp up the storms. Sure, increased storms would give Honor more to work with. But here's the thing: Honor's dead. Odium killed him. So Odium probably isn't terribly concerned with giving his fallen enemy ammo. (Whether this is intelligent of Odium is another matter. That does tend to be the universal flaw of BBEGs: hubris) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Perhaps Stormlight is of Honor, and the black sphere that Gavilar had (that Szeth took and hid) is of Odium. The stormlight, as has been mentioned before, is eerily similar to the Mists in Mistborn (and Vin's interaction with them.) EDIT- I found a quote! Perhaps it is further evidence for the Honor=Stormlight theory. Condensed 'essence' of these godly powers can act as super-fuel for Allomancy, Feruchemy, or really any of the powers. The form of that super fuel is important. In liquid form it's most potent, in gas form it's able to fuel Allomancy as if working as a metal. In physical form it is rigid and does one specific thing. In the case of atium, it allows sight into the future. In the case of concentrated Preservation, it gives one a permanent connection to the mists and the powers of creation. (I.e., it makes them an Allomancer.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Well, then what form is Stormlight? There are instances of it seeming to act like a gas, but it's light, which makes things terribly confusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyRioter Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 it would appear to be gaseous, it behaves like the mists in Mistborn, if you read the end of HoA, I recently reread that bit after having finished WoK, and the similarities are striking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyman Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 it would appear to be gaseous, it behaves like the mists in Mistborn, if you read the end of HoA, I recently reread that bit after having finished WoK, and the similarities are striking. This would make sense. If Stormlight is an aspect of Honor, it could fuel magic. Maybe Odium doesn't have a choice about fueling Honor's magic system if it also means keeping Honor's power splintered, or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arrowlyn Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Why can't it be like on Scadrial: separate magic systems are Fueled by one common element? Instead of metal, it's stormlight. The thing that would differentiate the Shard magics would be all of the other stuff (Foci, Intent, net energy, etc). I feel like precedent has already been set for this, as well as explanation given by Brandon (stormlight is how the people of Roshar interact with the powers of Creation due to the genetic, realmatic balance specific to their world, etc.). Maybe I'm way off; I only just realized that this was my unchallenged assumption throughout my read of WoK. Either way, I'm sticking with it for now. I actually really like this thought! It is possible that while sending Stormlight in the Highstorms, Odium thinks it is worth it because they power his own magic users. The Parshendi maybe? We know they hang those gems in their beards and Kaladin was able to use their Stormlight. Is it possible that their own magic users do the same? I've got no basis for any of this...just throwing it out there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leinton Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 If Honor is in the west, and the highstorms come from the east, I wonder if it's possible that the cause is more natural? Maybe Honor is like a magical center of low pressure, drawing Stormlight from the east where there is, for some reason, a magical center of high. This is, of course, coming from someone who LOVES meteorology and climatology, so I'm probably totally offbase and just going off of my nerdiness. But, just putting the possibility out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 I like that more scientific approach. It seems to make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew the Great Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 I'm also really liking the idea that Stormlight is the focus for both Honor and Odium's magic systems. It's entirely possible that Odium thinks that providing more fuel for users of Honor's magic systems is completely inconsequential, because really, so far as we know, there are a grand total of around five magic users in the world at this point. Though I'm not counting any of the people who Soulcast with fabrials. Still, if both Odium and Honor use stormlight as a focus, it makes sense that Odium would want more Stormlight in the world, assuming that there are active Voidbinders and Odium is actively working to make sure that there are more of his magic users in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyRioter Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 so what do you think about the dark-glowing sphere that Galivar had? I'd assumed that that dark glow was the fuel for Odium's magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was the Roshar equivalent of a Atium/Lerasium bead. A super-powered sphere that has some of Odium's power in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was the Roshar equivalent of a Atium/Lerasium bead. A super-powered sphere that has some of Odium's power in it. Dang it, zas! You beat me to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have an issue, it says that in its gaseous form the power acts as a super fuel, doing the same thing as the solid form, but where's the solid form to set the precedent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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