This is my reaction blog for Wind and Truth. Beware of spoilers! Index post here.

Title: For the good of all Roshar.
Um, maybe Adolin is gonna give a speech?

Icons: Jez and Taln
Leadership and stalwart determination, perhaps? This is gonna be a slog for Adolin and his troops. Also, the arch bearing the icons is definitely crumbling.

Epigraph: Time to start a new series of bad guesses for who’s talking and when. Ending of a stewardship makes me immediately think of the Heralds abdicating, either now or in the past. My instinct for found documents would push for a historical work, but I made that mistake last time. I’m going to guess it’s a current author.

The oathgate spren’s equanimity to being converted is disconcerting. “We’re helping you now, but we’ll stop soon.” No insistence on switching sides now, when they could refuse to help, but also a certain eagerness to being transformed.

Colot is a former Windrunner squire in the Cobalt Guard. I didn’t expect squires would quit, even when spren are in short supply. I guess it makes sense, though. They find that they can serve better elsewhere, or their ideals are not as compatible as they thought they were. I wonder if squires ever shop around between orders?

Oh! Well, if I knew this before, I’d clearly forgotten. The entire oathgate platform transfers when moving between physical locations, but going to or from Shadesmar only transfers the control room. That is way different than I was expecting, though I vaguely remember that being a plot point now that Adolin brings up the escape from Kholinar. I forgot that there were other people who didn’t traverse with them. Well, the upshot is that this whole defense of the oathgate is suddenly a whole lot more feasible. If the enemy can only pass through that small room, there really is a chokepoint after all.

Maya! She’s talking! The tower apparently helped revive her a ton more than she had already achieved, and she is growing fast. Talking! And she can see through Adolin’s eyes, plus their bond is strengthening. Nice. Can’t wait to see what not-Radiant bond they land on. Bonus points if it takes inspiration from the Rhyshadium.

Yeah, that tactical breakdown makes sense. Singers are tougher, so you want formations on your side. And that’s ignoring any Regals or Fused they bring along. Good to know that the fire is a losing strategy, too. It was one of the first things I thought of, so I’m glad Adolin addressed it from the start.

Nice that Colot is convinced so quickly of Adolin’s conclusions. We’ll see how the Azish respond, since Adolin is here as support not a commander.

Of course he’s wearing a cape. One that flutters fashionably in the wind. Because what else would you expect of him? Shallan’s sketch, suggesting he’d like it if she got one, makes even more sense than before. Aww, and Maya likes it too! If she watches through his eyes, does she read fashion folios with him?

Woah. All their bronze armor is soulcast? I mean, obviously, if I’d thought about it I’d have realized they don’t really have the option to smelt metal ore, but it’s a very different take on natural resources than I’m used to thinking of. The Azish use bronze in everything because they have a soulcaster that specializes in that material.

Kattari are sidearms, apparently. Makes sense.

Not surprising that empire and civilization took root in the west before making its way to Alethkar. The more potent highstorms have got to have an impact on your ability to establish permanent settlements and high population centers.

Another mention of the Sunmaker. Still don’t know much about him. New fact: he conquered Azir but couldn’t keep it.

Kushkam isn’t happy about the Alethi, and I can’t blame him. Of course he isn’t impressed by Adolin’s “for the good of all Roshar” line, but to his credit he can immediately tell that Adolin means it.

The whole thing is surrounded by residential apartments full of civilians. That can’t possibly help the situation.

Yeah, Adolin is having flashbacks to all the people who weren’t able to escape Kholinar with him. Lotta guilt going on here. I definitely should have remembered that part of Oathbreaker. I feel bad that it didn’t make that much of an impact on me when it’s clearly a big deal.

And he’s thinking of his mom! We have so little about her. Hard to tell if this recollection is genuine or overly rose-tinted, but she sounds like a very kind woman. Hopefully this tendency to seek advice from her memory is a habit and we’ll see more of it as the days proceed.