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Humph

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  1. I believe ultimately all concepts of morality are based in the notion of law/lawgiver. However I think that there is a hierarchy to the multiple levels of law. 1. First, we have the Divine Law, rooted in the nature of the Ultimate Being. Dalinar strikes me as a character in the book who would be most willing to admit moral and right action to be ultimately based on this level of law. 2. From thence would derive the Natural Law, which would be the created participation in the Divine Law by virtue of being created/made as a certain kind of being. Certain people -- atheists such as Jasnah for instance -- might hold to this level of law while denying the existence of Divine law. Others (Kaladin for instance) might hold to this level without outright denial of the Divine, but with an inchoate or incomplete view of the Divine. 3. Creatures with intelligence can then use their reason to issue edicts and structures that then have the force of law (this level of law would be known as human positive law, i.e. law as originating from the decrees of human agents). At this level, we can run into conflicts between human laws and the natural law and/or Divine laws, and two categories of response are possible: to uphold human positive law above and/or in contradiction to Divine/natural law concepts [which is commonly seen to be Nalan's general view, although I think there is something different going on there], or to uphold the priority of natural and/or Divine laws above human positive law [the Sylphrena view]. Sanderson gives multiple views of morality throughout the book, but no evidence that such multiplicity of views was foundational to the KR system. I could certainly see Truthwatchers or Lightweavers or Edgedancers for instance to have individual members with quite varying view of the relationship/existence of the three level of law. Others (those bonded to Honorspren) would seem to have an intrinsic self-selection towards one view, e.g. upholding the primacy of natural law above human positive law. So while I do think there might be some general form of self-selection into a few KR orders based on one's view of the relationship of human positive law to natural/Divine law, I don't see the KR orders as a whole being based upon the notion that there is no perfect morality system.
  2. You mean, other than the nerd carapace pocket-protector for pens and pencils?
  3. I'm just waiting for some crazy Stone Shaman from Shinovar to come and start the Church of the Stone, whose motto will be: "In the Church of the Stick, you get stuck, but in the Church of the Stone, you get Stoned". I'm guessing they'll probably have a Weedspren as their symbol.
  4. Unfortunately, the "ellipses" only work in the map projection. They would not work on the globe of Roshar. This is because, as one moves from the equator, the map gets more and more stretched out to project a 3-D portion of a globe onto a 2-D projection.
  5. Fractal = mathematical "Pattern" ....... Cryptics .....
  6. Zahel thought it important for Kaladin to surmise the reason why the practice ground was flooded -- it was to the sand by flooding and stirring and letting the crud flow off. Perhaps the Desolations are somewhat analagous, needed to reset the balance and harmony between the physical, cognitive and spiritual realms on Roshar. With Honor dead this time around, the situation might be a little different now ....
  7. We oppose this cult and our numbers are legion!! We have overthrown Stick and burned her to Ash. She who was formerly Shalash the Stick has now repented of her ways and is going around destroying all the Statues and idols of Stick! Woe to you Jezrien and Kalak, who lack faith in Ash! You will be next!
  8. Wasn't Tyn's former apprentice "Si" ........ hmmm food for speculation here.
  9. My secret pet theory is that Jasnah was going to have Taravangian bumped off. We learn later in the book that he was present at the festivities that night.
  10. Straw isn't there so much as a binding material -- although it could have some aspect of that function -- but is primarily there to provide tensile strength. In similar vein, in some areas of the world, bamboo is used to reinforce concrete as it serves analagously in providing tensile strength the way steel rebar does. I would imagine that Rosharians could use plant/animal fibers in the same role -- the "silk" they have I saw elsewhere on these forums is derived from some sea organisms. Silk on earth has great tensile strength.
  11. We're in a world where Newtonian physics don't really ultimately apply, as the meaning of "same direction" would have a different meaning on Roshar than on Earth. Replacing one lashing with another lashing normal to it would still retain the "same direction" for purposes of momentum for the surgebinder. The surgebinder's intention to oppose one lashing to another would then the creator of "different direction" for such purposes. That and actually colliding with an object (which presumably has its own ideas on the matter, ha ha!).
  12. Void glyphs have rotational symmetry, but surge glyphs have mirror symmetry. Not sure if much can be drawn forth from that other than it appears to be a way of grouping them in different classes while still maintaining the note of symmetry as being fundamental to Roshar.
  13. What would be the Rosharian equivalent of atium-burning? Hmmm .... I wonder if stormlight shining through a prism would split into 16 (or 10 for Roshar) different types of colors?? And that a different specific color frequency of stormlight is actually 'burned' by the various KR orders?
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