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So I finished a re-read of the series after finishing Oathbringer. Hadn't planned to do that, as I did a re-read before starting Oathbringer, but it felt like so many ? moments from the earlier books have now become ! moments, I had to go back. Something I saw this time through is a trend with Kaladin over the arc of the books so far that I had not seen before. What I noticed reminded me of this worthy (non-WoB) quote: What I think: Kaladin has a tendency to shake the "them" box, and then take those that fall out and put them into the "us" box. The origin of this tendency is his father, Lirin. And I think this will become significant in the future. Of course, Kaladin does not start this way. As a slave, Kaladin has been broken down to the point of having an "us" box consisting of one person: himself. And he has been trained like this: Emphasis mine. The quote is from near the end of WoK. Those that have finished Oathbringer will note the contrast between that and what happens later in Kholinar. Bridge Four As we know, Kaladin stops caring just about himself and begins to strongly identify with Bridge Four. Over the course of WoK, they become his "us" people. But what really is Bridge Four? It starts as a set of individuals, but morphs into only an idea, a concept. Even before WoK ends, Bridge Four starts expanding to become Bridge Four Plus, as members from other bridge crews get added to the group. Here's where Kaladin begins helping wounded members of other bridge crews: So, no longer is Bridge Four limited to the original members. Other bridgemen stop being "them" and start getting added to Kaladin's group of "us." And it doesn't stop there: Bridge Four expands further to include, of all things, a Parsh. I think it meaningful for the future of the series that Kaladin brought a parshman into his 'us' group here. After his later return to Bridge Four, Rlain has a tough time, but Bridge Four only continues to grow as a concept and as a group. To include various random Herdazians. And women. And lighteyes. From Rlain's viewpoint: I'm no voidbringer, but if I had to predict the future I would bet Rlain gets over his difficulty and takes to the sky himself. Lighteyes Kaladin's attitude towards lighteyes throughout the books also slowly changes. I doubt I need to point out that lighteyes are strongly in his "them" box at the beginning of the series. But near the end of WoK, we see a small shift: In the interest of not making this fifteen pages longer, I won't trace in detail through all of Kaladin's shifts in attitude about lighteyes, but I will point out that it is masterfully done over the course of several books: his assumption of guard and leadership duties befitting a lighteyes, his ability to fit in with either lighteyes or darkeyes by shifting his own eye color, his realization that lower dahns of lighteyes in the wall guard feel towards the upper just like darkeyes feel towards lighteyes in general, not to mention just about everything with Renarin and Adolin...all these things slowly shift his concept of the lighteyes being "them" to "us." But my main point doesn't apply to Bridge Four or lighteyes. There's another "them" that looms larger: The Parsh Again, emphasis mine. Think back on the scene that WoM* references: immediately behind Kaladin was Bridge Four. You could easily interpret this to say that friends before him were Dalinar and his troops. But what was immediately in front of Kaladin in the actual scene? Who held the stormlight in gemstones in their beards? It's the Parshendi. Wait, so they are the friends now? The actual referenced scene doesn't happen too long after Kaladin labels them "the enemy." *Word of Moelach, of course. And it doesn't stop there, though this tendency does take a break in WoR. In Oathbringer, the trend goes front and center: Along these lines, I particularly like the conversations between Kaladin and Syl, regarding the shifting perspectives of right and wrong, and by inference who is right and wrong, who is "us" or "them." and All this culminates in his inability to keep the Parshmen in his "them" box: and of course in his crisis and inability to continue the fight at a critical juncture, due to these changing perspectives: There we have it. Too many people in the box marked "Us." Kaladin frozen as a result. But could this tendency of his have a different effect in the end? Might he end up putting all of Roshar into the "Us" box, and in doing so ending up being the force that unites? I think there's sufficient foreshadowing going on to point that way. Of course, there are lots of pointers heading in other directions as well, and we all know to be wary of anyone who claims to be able to see the future. So this isn't really a theory. More like it's just an observation I think will become significant. I'm not going to make any real predictions about what this may mean for Kaladin (or Dalinar), as I'd rather let Brandon tell the tale. On the other hand, Kaladin does seem rather well suited to Unite Them should Dalinar...err well, follow Honor's Path.

I'm so happy right now! I passed my last test for bachelors degree. It was a hard way to get here, but finally I made it.

When you get upset that you have no new notifications after checking back five minutes after the last time.

My name is Estariol, perhaps you've heard of me. AvacadocaDabRa! If magic does not exist, then science will attempt to emulate it. Perhaps every reference in this post is rong. 2 plus 2 IS 4... unless it's 11. Basicalthree. I was going to write a book, but then I realized, what kind of cracked out human would devote themselves to passing knowledge, entertainment or time and efort upon others. Perhaps this post is too long as it is, I lurk, but I shall return.

Well, I might be a little biased since this I'm running this game and I want as many people to sign up for it as possible, but I think the best way is to dive right in and play. It can be a bit complicated, but the good part is that you'll be on a team so you can rely on other people a bit to help you figure things out (EDIT: Also, because it's on a forum you have a lot more time to sort things out and conspire with teammates and whatnot). It's basically the same as Mafia, but with an extra dose of Sanderson, Roleplay (if you want), and interesting (some people say complicated) roles and rules added into the mix. As I said in this post earlier in this thread, if you'd like to get a feel for the game I'd suggest reading through one of the previously run games. A good choice would be any of the AGs (Anniversary Games) or LG12 (this game is a rerun of LG12, but with the rules fixed up and tweaked a bit). Also, as @Droughtbringer said, check out The Rules and The Q&A. If you don't feel ready to sign up just yet, you could sign up as a pinch hitter, meaning that in a week or two if a player goes inactive or has to drop out of the game you step in and take over their role/faction/etc. Or, alternatively, you are welcome to watch and get a link to the spectator doc where you can discuss the game with other spectators and players who have died, but in my (admittedly biased) opinion if you have time to read the game and comment on it then you have time to play, too.

This game is a fairly complicated game, but, that being said it will be a very fun one. Make sure you check out The Rules and The Q&A, as both have useful information. All SE games take quite a bit of a time commitment, so if you don't have too much time right now I would suggest against joining. If you are interested in playing a shorter game then there is also QF31 going on right now, which is less complicated and will run for less time. Although observing a game can be beneficial, jumping right in is also fun. It comes down to what you would feel more comfortable doing; observing or playing first. Also, Welcome to the community! We have a discord that we use for SE stuff over here that is a good way to get to know the community and make friends outside of killing them playing with them.

I've never done one of these before, but I'm interested. Is it complicated, or fairly easy for a newcomer? (I am familiar with Mafia, just never played in forum format.) Would it be best to observe first?

Our eldest started high school this year, started driving this month, and just got her first real boyfriend on Friday night, mere hours after I'd christened him her almost-boyfriend. So much growing up! Annie Pooh let me know that the new beau had been walking her to class, and I was all, but no touching, right? She said they had been hugging. At that point, I thought it was the perfect time to quote much of this chapter to her: And then I told her that I said all of that to say this, "NO MATING!" I told her I'd be saying that every time they hugged. And then this was the conversation: Do you have a favorite section of Oathbringer? Do you have a real-world application?

We've talked about our favorite and least characters and favorite relationships. As far as I know this isn't a topic yet. This tread is to talk about our favorite antagonists and why. My favorite villain is Sja-anat. I think is would be so cool to bond her. She would be my bond. And I like that she is considering to defect.

@Elandera, LG12 - the original version of this game, was my second game, and certainly didn’t feel too overwhelming. I’d never played mafia before joining this forum, and think you’d be absolutely fine to play this as a first game.

@Elandera I would suggest playing the QF first if you have concerns. It's a shorter format with fewer players (most likely) and rules more similar to standard Mafia than this game's. There's nothing stopping you from signing up for this game, but I know that when I started SE I was glad that my first game wasn't this complex. However, there have been players who have started in LGs and ended up doing just fine without too much stress. It just depends on the player.

Any news on if The Sanderson is attending Gencon this year? Related to that; last year there was a Worldbuilders event I missed out on and I can't find any info on if they are planning to run that again. I know there were games played and heard rumors of MtG...which is just mixing peanut butter and chocolate really. I've been at about 75% on the squee! index wondering if there will be an opportunity again this year...

I will sign up as (checks the Aons) Aladdin, a guy looking for a lamp.

My Brethren Sticks, I have encountered new revelation while pondering the tale of Stickbinder Prime. As all are Sticks and a manifestation of the Tree Realms, wouldn’t this mean-pardon my blasphemy-that even the Matchendi are our brothers in Stickdom? Consider it, a match is nothing more than a stick that has been corrupted, growing a carapace skullcap in direct revolt against the teachings of this mighty church. Fellow Sticks, we must band together, not in oppression, but support of our fallen brothers. These Matchendi are lost, they have forgotten what it truly means to be a Stick, and in their confusion and instability they have been corrupted, seeking change, to make all Sticks miserable like unto themselves. The Order of the Stick must return, spreading once again the gospel to our lost and fallen brethren. Join me, and together we will usher in a new age, one that will STICK to the hearts and minds of all who hear it’s precepts.

I second the motion put in place by @Rebecca. Hrathen was my first Sanderson "love", and he will stay that way. Give me Loki, give me Bucky Barnes, give me Hrathen.

Wait a second, we never get to see a diary of Rashek.

Hrathen, if he counts, is definitely my favorite.

Oathbringer spoilers:

SH spoilers

79. Become self-aware and slowly and subtly manipulate the events around you to the point where the author needs you to continue and form the story and your death would make the world fall apart. (So be like Joker or Deadpool).

One that always gets me is Tindwyl and Sazed. I don’t know why I like it so much, it just seems real and believable to me. And of course it fuels all of Sazed’s incredibly beautiful character arc in HoA. Aaaaaand now I’m going to go find a corner and cry about it. (Every storming time.)

Hi everyone, Jared from the OAASS (Official Assassination Assessment Specialization Society). I came to the Ghostbloods to assess their assassination skills and to give them an official OAASS rank out of 50. 1. Assassination was a success: 2. Sneakiness: 8 (pretty sneaky) 3. Planning: 8 (No contingencies, but still a solid plan) 4. Difficulty: 9 (They assassinated the target easily) 5. Flair: 10 (Ok, the method here was pure genius) 6. Time: 9 (Quick) A total of 44/50. Very nice. Would use again. Now, time to assess the Assassins in Technicolors.

My favorite is Kaladin and Tien. It is so sad and I have a brother. I don't ever want to lose him. I really just connect with Kaladin the most in SA. Also any of Kaladins relationships with bridge four especially Teft. Any Kaladin relationship. I really want something to happen between him and lyn. I digress. Another is Lopen and Rua. Lastly is Hoid and his insults.

Just the title.

[This is the first New Topic I've ever created! ] I just found this recent BBC video on the resurgence of hanbok, a traditional Korean fashion: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180321-korean-hanbok-the-comeback-of-a-600-year-old-garment At 1:54 the lady says that the sleeves of a "princess" robe are long so that the hands shouldn't show. Immediately reminded me of Vorin fashion!! ... but I bet Sanderson HAD to have it be only one sleeve in order for Shallan to be an artist. Hanbok is really beautiful! I saw a lady wearing "modern hanbok" at church a couple months ago - so elegant. I'm tempted to add a modern hanbok outfit to my own wardrobe, but I understand that the colors have meanings - I'd hate to choose something and find out later that it was offensive to someone actually from that culture. Tips from Korean members of our 17th Shard community are welcome!

Granted, but in exchange three of your closest friends become puppets. I wish my sister would finish reading Way of Kings. She started about two years ago before I read any of Sanderson and told me how good it was, but she hasn’t even finished part 2. What is wrong with her?

'I guess I'll have to give you another game later Ares. Your positional chess needs some work. For now, I need to show Nohadon the power of a master of the ways of the alley.' He whipped out the revolvers with the sandalwood grips from his sides, a red glow emanating from the chamber. Mac gave him a wink at the sight of this, realising that Lopen's experiments with mixing AonDor and Awakening had been successful. Lopen had made a sane Nightblood for the modern gentleman, and he was going to put the skills he acquired in Gilead to good use. He was still in middair when the sound of two simultaneous shots split the air, some confused looking birds trying to understand where the voice they heard was coming from chirped in vain. The only two people who could stop that bullet were Mac and Voidus, due to the precise nature of its command. 'Seek and kill Nohadon. Leech on him till a husk of his former self exhales its final breath within 5 minutes of being hit.' Of course in his native tongue it was much shorter, but that was long dead, so why waste its beauty on this cruel world? His armorer had done wonders with these new bullets. He should give her a substansial Rayse (pun shamelessly intended).

I don't know any of the words that you just said, but welcome to the Shard! Have an upvote!

Good news: I published a fanfiction! Bad news: it's about an obscure superhero card game no one's ever heard of.

That OoA is so long o.O I'll use my pass on this game, it sounds awesome.

You know, that sounds slightly creepy. (at least, it's not Re-Shephir) I think my favourite Villain is TLR, but only because Hrathen doesn't count.

Well... Except for the part where the handles rip off and they aren't spill proof. I get the feeling that you work at a grocery store and your only real enmity towards paper bags is that you have to go through the extra step of opening the bag compared to the metal hanger that the plastic ones sit on. I should know cause I worked at the grocery store in HS. I hated paper bags cause they were more time consuming to actually bag groceries in. Am I close to the mark here?

I would like to repent of my sins and crimes done against the church of the stick.

This game has been crystalizing in the back of my mind for a while now. This started with Straw's "limited god" role idea, Randuir's suggested modification to it, and my intent to turn it into a Cthaeh role. Elbereth understandably said that her KKC game was complex enough as it is, but that this could dwell in a different KKC game, so here we are. I've fleshed things out significantly, and this game is definitely not only about the Cthaeh anymore. It is still in the process of being refined, but I am ready to share draft one. MRXX: A Midsummer Night with No Moon "A clever mortal fears the night without a hint of sweet moonlight. On such a night, each step you take might catch you in the dark moon’s wake, and pull you all unwitting into fae. Where you will have no choice but stay." A troupe of Edema Ruh performers have travelled by night through a forest, and have been caught on a night with no moon. Now, the realms of the Four Corners and Fae are meshed together, and nobody can quite tell one from the other. Time is uncertain, as the forest has remained in a state of evening since the troupe's arrival. Strangers walk among the troupe, clothed in glammourie. Some may be relatively benign, as fae go. Others are quite literally the demons out of folklore. In the distance, there looms a gargantuan tree, lush with dense foliage and brightly colored flowers, wreathed in a warm, welcoming light. Beckoning you to come take refuge in its branches and sustenance from its flowers... Ground Rules Some More Rules Alignments Lovers Role List

Still not sure if Kaladin would go for it. Jasnah I'm sure would see the political advantage of having the foremost Windrunner as her consort and I believe that they'd be good for each other, be a strength in areas for which they are weak. Jasnah is certainly attractive and witty enough to engage Kaladin on a physical and mental level respectively. Problem is, I read Kaladin as someone who needs chemistry and I am not entirely sure any is there. Plus, in a battle of wills, who wins? Who submits?Neither seems the type to give over or compromise easily; an argument between them could set off enough sparks to start a fire in a monsoon. Not saying it's outside the realm of possibility, for my 2 cents i think I need to see more to be convinced.

Kind of creepy how invested you are into that no mating thing

I think the worldbuilding in Era 1 feels limited because so much of the story is confined to Luthadel and the surrounding area. If we got to explore the Final Empire, I'm sure we'd see more cultural diversity. Even under the Lord Ruler's homogenizing influence, a world without instantaneous communication can't possibly maintain a universal culture. Regions outside the Central Dominance would inevitably drift from the norm, driven by the personal preferences of the ruling Nobles. It really is a shame that we haven't seen more of that. But it just wasn't relevant to the story Brandon wanted to tell.

Of course, your completely entitled to your opinion and you do make valid points however when you say the other systems are more 'mystical' and 'magical' I would disagree with that I think that the only reason that they are so mystical is that they aren't fully explained yet. I saw the early Mistborn as very mystical but as the 2nd era advanced technology and science the peoples understanding of Allomancy increased to the point where most Scadrian School children could name each metal, its grouping and its effects. Feruchemy, on the other hand, is far less explored by the general populous which means effects such as that of Aluminium and Nicrosil are still steeped in mysticism. Stormlight is a good example of the kind of Magic system that appears mystical at first but as we learn more of it will lose that as we better understand its workings. Surgebinding in Stormlight is (to the people at least) brand new, almost no one in living memory knows about the surges and what they can do but even in Oathbringer we have learned that all Surgebinders have 5 ideals, 1st Ideal: First Power, 2nd Ideal: Second Power, 3rd Ideal: Spren Blade, 4th Ideal: Shardplate, 5th Ideal: Currently Unknown. This shows that any kind of magic is mystical but when you study it and learn more they stop being a form of magic and start to become more like an area of Scholarship. Although I do agree that Era 2 has far more engaging worldbuilding!

I actually considered that the shards might be in groups of 4 like the metals, although I disagree with your groupings. Here are my thoughts: Creation: Ruin, Preservation, Endowment, Cultivation. Personality: Honor, Ambition Remaining we probably have something like Greed and maybe something involving Humbleness Consciousness: Autonomy, Dominion. Remaining we probably have Sentience and maybe Knowledge/Wisdom Emotion: Devotion, Odium This gives adonalsium hatred and love. Missing is likely something like Jealousy and Serenity.

People at work declaring our current time zone to be "Central Standard Time." No. We are currently in Central Daylight Time. There is a difference. *wanders off singing the word "pedant" over and over to the Pink Panther theme*

Nale and the law.

Your comment made me think of this hamster: and I literally snorted laughing thinking about Adolin as a fabulous unicorn.

To repeat what's already been said in different words, "character development" does not mean improvement. Yes, Shallan regressed. And? This isn't a power up anime. We aren't trying to see what the next super sayan level is.

we have a WoB on the matter In WoR there are some reference of the 'darkness' shallan's father had in his eyes. i found only this, but should be other in the book He looked up as she walked back into the feast hall. She set the cup before him, looking into his eyes. No darkness there today. Just him. That was very rare, these days. WoR of Radiance Chapter 65 "The one who deserves it"

Why is Rosharan cooking so salty? Sodium reigns.

Why do the vain Highprinces like it in the Shattered Plains? A plateau is the highest form of flattery. I'll see myself out~

"They look handsome, they look smart. They are walking works of art. Such dazzling assassins of colors! How I love my assassins of many colors! They were burgundy and teal and smaragdine and razzmatazz..." -the hit Broadway play, "Burgundy and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamassassins"

The people who down-vote Stick references really do have sticks up their lower-part-of-their-bodies-that-are-their-backs.