Here's some late stuff

[Chaos]

Hey, this is super super late, because I've been crazy stressed and busy (notice how I do very little on the site? Yeah). But here it is! It's from SpoCon, so... a while ago.

Words of Radiance, Lift Reading and Q&A (interlude begins at about 7 minutes in): Download this!

Jasnah, Shadows of Self, Legion 2, Sixth of Dusk, various Q&As, which I think was posted, but hey: Download this!

Additional cosmere heavy Q&A with Brandon, Windy, and I, which Brandon insisted on having (hence Windy and I's hesitance at the beginning XD): Download this!

Darn you Brandon at giving non-answers about how many Shards have been on Roshar...

[Kurkistan]

*incredibly nervous* "Ha hahahahaha" on Endowment/Hallandran question.

 

And finally a place to link to for confirmation of Bloodsealing as different from Forging, though closely related.

 

EDIT: And Spren as fundamental to Realmatics... *cough cough*

Edited October 11, 2013 by Kurkistan

[Cheese Ninja]

Q: How many shards have ever been on Roshar?

A:*Brandon repeats question."

Okay, Oh boy, Um...I... Um....ehh...um

At one point, all of them were on Roshar, which is technically true.

 

Q: How many shards have invested their power on Roshar?

A: Technically, all of them did.

 

It's amazing what he'll give us as far as spoilers go, so the answer to this question must be both/either pretty major to the plot, and/or fairly complicated.

[The Question]

I'm going to go ahead and call it that Roshar (or The Tranquilene Halls) once had Adonalsium pre-shattering.

One of the things I've been wondering recently is what led the original 16 Shards to separate across the cosmere, 1-3 to various planets.

[Argent]

I decided to do a written transcript, because well... it's easier to search, copy, and look for quick references. Or if you can't listen for some reason (say, you are at work, but there is absolutely nothing to work on...). I don't guarantee 100% accuracy, and I've paraphrased and cut some things I find non-important (in relevance to the question). Also, I am ignoring common questions, such as "Did you plan the whole shared universe thing?" 
 
--- Lift's Interlude and Q&A ---
Note: The entire interlude is available on the Steelhunt page of Brandon's site. This is only the excerpt that was read during the signing (about 10% of the entire). Note that this contains some minor Words of Radiance spoilers (as it is a reading from Words of Radiance), but it's all worldbuilding, no plot, as far as I can tell.
 

Lift had never robbed a palace before. Seemed like a dangerous thing to try. Not because she might get caught, but because once you robbed a starvin’ palace, where did you go next?

 

She climbed up onto the outer wall and looked in at the grounds. Everything inside—trees, rocks, buildings—reflected the starlight oddly. A bulbous-looking building stuck up in the middle of it all, like a bubble on a pond. In fact, most of the buildings were that same round shape, often with small protrusions sprouting out of the top. There wasn’t a straight line in the whole starvin’ place. Just lots and lots of curves.

 

Lift’s companions finally climbed up to peek over the top of the wall. A scuffling, scrambling, rowdy mess they were. Six men, supposedly master thieves. They couldn’t even climb a wall properly.

 

“The Bronze Palace itself,” Huqin breathed.

 

“Bronze, is that what all of this is made of?” Lift asked, sitting on the wall with one leg over the side. “Looks like a bunch of breasts.”

 

The men looked at her, aghast. They were all Azish, with dark skin and hair. She was Reshi, from the islands up north. Her mother had told her, though Lift had never seen the place.

 

“What?” Huqin demanded.

 

“Breasts,” Lift said, pointing. “See, like a lady layin’ on her back. Those points on the tops, those are nipples. Bloke who built this place musta been single for a looong time.”

 

Huqin turned to one of his companions. Using their ropes, they scuffled back down the outside of the wall to hold a whispered conference.

 

“Grounds at this end look empty, as we were told by my informant,” Huqin said. He was in charge of the lot of them. Had a nose like someone had taken hold of it when he was a kid and pulled real, real hard. Lift was surprised he didn’t smack people in the face with it when he turned too quickly.

 

“Everyone’s focused on choosing the new Prime Aqasix,” said Maxin, his voice a hiss in the night. “We could really do this. Rob the Bronze Palace itself, and right under the nose of the vizierate.”

 

“Is it . . . um . . . safe?” asked Huqin’s nephew. He was in his teens somewhere, and puberty hadn’t been kind to him. Not with that face, that voice, and those spindly legs.

 

“Hush,” Huqin snapped at the boy.

 

“No,” Tigzikk said, “the boy is right to express caution. This will be very dangerous.”

 

Tigzikk was considered the learned one in the group on account of his being able to cuss in three languages. Downright scholarly, that was. He wore fancy clothing, while most of the others wore black.

 

“This side is vulnerable,” Tigzikk continued, “but that’s only because the guards will have been drawn to other areas. There will be chaos because so many people move through the palace tonight, but there will also be danger. Many, many bodyguards and a likelihood of suspicion on all sides.”

 

Tigzikk was an aging fellow, and was the only one of the group Lift knew well. She couldn’t say his name. That “qwaq” sound on the end of his name sounded like choking when someone pronounced it correctly. She just called him Tig instead.

 

“Tigzikk,” Huqin said. Yup. Choking. “You were the one who suggested this. Don’t tell me you’re getting cold now.”

 

“I’m not backing down. I’m pleading caution.”

 

Lift leaned down over the wall toward them. “Less arguing,” she said. “Let’s move. I’m hungry.”

 

Huqin looked up. “Why did we bring her along?”

 

“She’ll be useful,” Tigzikk said. “You’ll see.”

 

“She’s just a child!”

 

“She’s a youth. She’s at least twelve.”

 

“I ain’t twelve,” Lift snapped, looming over them.

 

They turned up toward her.

 

“I ain’t,” she said. “Twelve’s an unlucky number.” She held up her hands. “I’m only this many.”

 

“. . . ten?” Tigzikk asked.

 

“Is that how many that is? Sure, then. Ten.” She lowered her hands. “If I can’t count it on my fingers, it’s unlucky.” And she’d been that many for three years now. So there.

 

“Seems like there are a lot of unlucky ages,” Huqin said, sounding amused.

 

“Sure are,” she agreed. She scanned the grounds again, then glanced back the way they had come, into the city.

 

A man walked down one of the streets leading to the palace. His dark clothing blended into the gloom, but his silver buttons glinted each time he passed a street light.

 

Storms, she thought, a chill running up her spine. I didn’t lose him after all.

 

She looked down at the men. “So are you coming with me or not? ’Cuz I’m leaving.” She slipped over the top and dropped into the palace grounds.

 

Once down, she Lift squatted, feeling the cold ground beside her, the wall at her back. Yup, it was metal. Everything was bronze. Rich people, she decided, loved to stick with a theme.

 

As the boys finally stopped arguing and started climbing, a thin, twisting trail of vines grew alongside Lift. It looked like a little stream of spilled water picking its way across the floor, only it was made of dark plant. Here and there, bits of clear crystal peeked out, like sections of clear quartz in otherwise dark stone. Those weren’t sharp, but smooth, like polished glass, and didn’t glow with Stormlight.

 

The vines grew super-fast, curling about one another in a tangle that formed a face.

 

“Mistress,” the face said. “Is this wise?”

 

“’Ello, Voidbringer,” Lift said, scanning the grounds.

 

“I am not a Voidbringer!” he said. “And you know it. Just . . . just stop saying that!”

 

Lift grinned. “You’re my pet Voidbringer, and no lies are going to change that. I got you captured. No stealing souls, now. We ain’t here for souls. Just a little thievery, the type what never hurt nobody.”

 

The vine face—he called himself Wyndle—sighed. Lift scuttled across the brass ground over to a tree that was, of course, also made of brass. Huqin had chosen the darkest part of night, between moons, for them to slip in—but the starlight was enough to see by on a cloudless night like this.

 

Wyndle grew up to her, leaving a small trail of vines behind him. People didn’t appear to see those, except sometimes after they had been there for a while. The vines seemed to harden after a few moments of sitting, as if becoming solid crystal, then they crumbled to dust. People spotted that on occasion, though they certainly couldn’t see Wyndle himself.

 

“I’m a spren,” Wyndle said to her. “Part of a proud and noble—”

 

“Hush,” Lift said, peeking out from behind the bronze tree. An open-topped carriage passed on the drive beyond, carrying some important Azish folk. You could tell by the coats. Big, drooping coats with really wide sleeves and patterns that argued with each other. They all looked like kids who had snuck into their parents’ wardrobe. The hats were nifty, though.

 

The thieves followed behind her, moving with reasonable stealth. They really weren’t that bad. Actually, they were some of the best in the kingdom. Even if they didn’t know how to climb a wall properly.

Q: Regarding the Lines of Protection in The Rithmatist - is the protective field generated by them as the lines are completed, or...?
A: As with most things in The Rithmatist, the lines' effect starts when the person who draws them imagines the effect taking place. There is a mental connection here. As you are drawing, until you are finished, there is nothing there - unless, sometimes, there might be if you imagine it to be there. The Rithmatist is (mostly) consistent with the Cosmere rules.
 
Q: You recently announced that you will be writing a new Cosmere short story called Skyward. Could you talk a little bit about that?
A: Skyward is the working title. It will be a teen novel in the Cosmere. It's a science fiction era.
 
--- Multiple Readings and Q&A ---
 
Q: How many Shards have ever been on Roshar?

A: At one point, all of them were on Roshar. Which is technically true.

 

Q: What are you willing to reveal about the Seventeenth Shard?

A: They are a group of people who aren't convinced that Hoid should be doing what he is doing.

 

Q: Do the Parshendi have gemhearts?

A: Excellent question, and one I will RAFO!

--- Cosmere Q&A ---
 
Q: Are Selish magics their own distinct systems, or are they different manifestations of one system?
A: Different manifestations of one system, which is in turn a manifestation of the common laws between the worlds.
 
Q: Is all magic on Sel influenced by both Dominion and Devotion?
A: Technically, yes. But they definitely have their themes and focuses. Influence is a tricky word, I'll warn you.
 
Q: Before Sel's Shards were Splintered, were the Investitures there still form-based?
A: Umm... yes.
Q: Is "form-based" the right word we should use?
A: No. It's not really. The are all programming-based. But of course, with true programming, the form doesn't matter, it's the numbers. And in this case the form does
 
Q: Are gemstones the focus of Surgebinding?
A: Defined how you mean focus for this conversation.
Q: The definition you gave me a few years ago was that the Commands were the focus for Awakening, and Aons were the focus for AonDor, and metals are the focus for the Metallic Arts... and you haven't given us a proper definition.
A: RAFO
 
Q: Is there a similar relationship between Endowment and Hallandren's jungle as there is between Harmony and Elendel Basin ?
A: Yes and no. The flowers are being fed by something that's very similar to what you might find on other planets. So the ground is saturated with something that producing a similar effect as Elendel Basin. But it's not the same thing. Elendel Basin was just crafted really really well, and then it was endowed with a little bit of extra help. Here [in Hallandre's jungle] we have this extra seeping into the ground from the pool, which is saturated around and causing the flowers and causing what's going on around there. We'll wait until you've read Words of Radiance.
 
Q: What defines the early, middle, and late eras on Sel?
A: My instinct is (and I could be wrong) that... If you were to ask me to define the early era right now, it probably has to do with some ancient thing, pre-Splintering. And then the middle era is during Elantris' sort of reign, and the late era is after [its fall].
 
Q: Is Forgery completely distinct from Bloodsealing?
A: No.
Q: Are they distinct magic systems?

A: Depends on your definition of systems. For instance, do you call Windrunning your own magic system, or would Surgebinding be the magic system? Windrunning is further composed of two separate systems... So yes, they are more closely related than some others.
 
Q: How many Shards have Invested their power on Roshar?
A: Technically, all of them did.
 
Q: Was the city beneath the Shattered Plains inhabited when the Plains were broken?
A: Oh, good question, nicely done! Yes. Words of Radiance deals a lot with that.
Q: And is Eshonai kind of like Szeth there (I assume you meant whether she will be a secondary / interlude character that shows up more often than the others, or something along those lines)
A: Yes.
 
Q: Were the Shattered Plains broken before Natanatan fell?
A: RAFO

EDIT: I removed the 'transcription' of the reading, since its a Steelhunt thing, Thank you for transcribing the questions tho -- Joe

Edited October 12, 2013 by Argent

[Kurkistan]

Thanks for the partial transcription, Argent. Two things to note, though:

 

1. Not everyone has a Steelhunt code, so it might be a bit harsh to remind them us of that sad truth about their lives.

 

2: You missed an "A:" for 4th to last question.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Kurkistan

[cem]

Thanks for the transcript Argent.

 

Q: Is there a similar relationship between Endowment and Hallandren's jungle as there is between Harmony and Elendel Basin ?
A: Yes and no. The flowers are being fed by something that's very similar to what you might find on other planets. So the ground is saturated with something that producing a similar effect as Elendel Basin. But it's not the same thing. Elendel Basin was just crafted really really well, and then it was endowed with a little bit of extra help. Here [in Hallandre's jungle] we have this extra seeping into the ground from the pool, which is saturated around and causing the flowers and causing what's going on around there. We'll wait until you've read Words of Radiance.

This sounds like Endowment's Shardpool is beneath/around the jungle. Brandon even uses the word 'pool'. What's interesting is the connection to WoR.

 

Small, more or less baseless theory: Honor's Shardpool is in Shattered Plains, maybe somewhere around the city Eshonai's in. Splintering of Honor released lots of uncontrolled energy, and lots of boom which caused the land to shatter.

[WeiryWriter]

Yay!  Some really interesting stuff here.  I like the question on the Selish Eras, though its a shame he couldn't remember more specifics.

 

@Argent, I believe the [???] is "programming-based"

[Chaos]

@Argent, I believe the [???] is "programming-based"

Yes, it is.

[Joe ST]

as a programmer, I don't really get what he means >< XD

[Morsk]

I wonder if he has a list of changes or limitations he needed to make programming-based magic not completely broken. He says the drawing of the symbol is important, not just the information. But is there more?

To me it looks like Sel magics have the engineering side of computer programming, but not the mathematical side. It's about building little machines out of symbols.

[Argent]

Programming-based sounds plausible, I put that instead. @Joe ST, also as a programmer, I think what Brandon means by this is that Elantrians (and other users of magic on Sel) build their "spells" similarly to how we build programs - you start with some core functionality (the Aon in the heart of your "spell") and you add logic, conditionals, and specifiers (the Aon's modifiers) on top of it to make it more precise.

 

@Kurkistan, fixing right away! But why did you - or someone else - remove my transcription of Lift's interlude? The entire thing is available as a Steelhunt goodie, but I only copied the part that he read, effectively transcribing his reading without doing any actual typing. 

[Windrunner]

Did someone remove it? That's really odd. Just because it's available in the Steelhunt doesn't mean your transcription of the reading should have been taken down...

[Kurkistan]

@Kurkistan, fixing right away! But why did you - or someone else - remove my transcription of Lift's interlude? The entire thing is available as a Steelhunt goodie, but I only copied the part that he read, effectively transcribing his reading without doing any actual typing. 

 

Wasn't me. I don't have mod-powers, and I wouldn't have removed a transcription from a reading even if I did.

[Argent]

Added the stuff from the second recording. Not a whole lot or very interesting. I skipped the last reading, partially because I didn't feel like transcribing such a long text, and partially because I've missed the last couple of seasons of Writing Excuses and have no idea what this story is about. The interlude is also back!

Edited October 12, 2013 by Argent

[Chaos]

Joe did, apparently. Argent can post the transcription of the part of the reading that was recorded; no reason to not allow that.

[WeiryWriter]

Added the stuff from the second recording. Not a whole lot or very interesting. I skipped the last reading, partially because I didn't feel like transcribing such a long text, and partially because I've missed the last couple of seasons of Writing Excuses and have no idea what this story is about. The interlude is also back!

 

All of the readings (except the Lift interlude) were already transcribed.  Shardlet had a separate recording of them which he posted a while ago.

 

Also, the links don't seem to be working for me.

[Argent]

Fixed the links... I think. They are the same as the ones in Chaos' post.

[Joe ST]

I removed it because I didnt know if it was allowed, and it's better to be safe than sorry. Apologies for doing so prematurely.

[Chaos]

If it is publicly available to all (like say in a recording I made ) then it can be discussed.

[Sasukerinnegan]

Lift reading....... Transcript please..........

[WeiryWriter]

Lift reading....... Transcript please..........

 

It's in post #5 in the spoiler tag.

[Meg]

I love quotes and references but sometimes I try to find something and I fail.

 

Q: Are gemstones the focus of Surgebinding?
A: Defined how you mean focus for this conversation.
Q: The definition you gave me a few years ago was that the Commands were the focus for Awakening, and Aons were the focus for AonDor, and metals are the focus for the Metallic Arts... and you haven't given us a proper definition.
A: RAFO

 

I'm quite sure I've read a thread ... the thread where Chaos told as about this (Commands are the focus for Awakening). I tried to rediscover that thread to reread it but ... as I said: I failed.

 

Chaos or anyone else, might you help me?

[Chaos]

I don't think it was ever a thread. I was told that Commands were the focus for Awakening many years ago, possibly before 17th Shard existed. It was the first time I met Mi'ch, actually. Definitely before the AMoL split was announced, so it would be pre-17S.

So, you don't really get much better citation than me saying he told me this. It was a long time ago, and we are better at citing things now.

[Joe ST]

And he also didn't contradict you on your definition, so that's positive at least...