Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing most liked content on 01/10/19 in all areas

  1. When you're trying to tell your friend about Hemalurgy, and she somehow twists that into "magic insulin needles", and you're just trying to rein that in but can't. When you see a lady with a bird on her shoulder in a video, and someone says a character is a time traveler, and you think "Worldhopper - there's a difference. That must be an Aviar." When you get Sanderson books for Christmas and your birthday. When this is your birthday cake.
    7 likes
  2. I felt awful for Elhokar when Moash killed him about halfway through Oathbringer, which says something about Sanderson's writing, because I rather despised him nearly all the way through Words of Radiance. I always remember the transformation as beginning with his conversation with Kaladin when he pleads for him to "teach him" how to be a hero and a leader. And his resolve to figure it out even after realizing that it wasn't a skill he could be instructed in, but had to grow into: "I will be a king to be remembered." Then, when he saw Shallan's drawing of him. Beaten, on his knees, but defiant, resolute, and determined. This is what he could be. The special mixture of Transformation and Illumination that is the Lightweaver's forte, that could turn a callous slaver's henchman like Bluth into a selfless hero, even give Gaz back a measure of self-respect... And then, think about this: had he become Radiant, without Moash killing him, he would have been a Lightweaver himself.
    6 likes
  3. Guess I gotta make more Fulfillment memes. I'll get on that. Edit: Made a meme. It's not the Fulfillment, but it IS something I plan to do more of if possible. I really enjoyed making this one, for some reason. (Who am I kidding? I love them all.) Inspiration for the original joke goes to Doomstick. Spoilered only for size. I just love how the bottom three are laughing, but Chaos is very much not.
    6 likes
  4. Today is the one-year anniversary of me joining the shard (and my 1000th post) and I thought it’d be fitting to make a topic for people to put their favorite parts of this site, and how they joined. So how did you find, join, and what do you like/dislike, about the 17th Shard? For me, I was reaserching more about Dalinar for a book report, and the Coppermind had a link here. I just thought it’d be fun to see what this was all about, and honestly, it’s something I wouldn’t change for the world. So many awesome people from so many different places, united by a love of Sanderson’s books. You guys are all so great. I don’t think I’d be as happy or confident as I am now, or as good of a writer. I discovered the wonderful world of roleplaying, silly forum games, and discussion on other similar interests, and through that, made a ton of friends. So yeah, what’s your story?
    5 likes
  5. Author's Note: Did this one up quick after realizing Sazed is definitely an advice recycler. Some quotes come directly from Chapter 45 of Well of Ascension. Enjoy! “I need to talk to you, Sazed,” Mare said. “I can spare a few moments, I think,” Sazed said. “But, I must warn you that my studies are very pressing, and my next assignment is coming up soon.” Mare grinned, her gleaming smile lighting up her dark features. “When are they not? What is it this time, the lost religion of people who worshipped anthills?” “Close. These people diefied nature itself--everything, from the fiery ashmount to, yes, even the smallest of ants, was seen as part of the divine. I…” Sazed trailed, off, catching a curious look in Mare’s eye. She seemed tense, distracted. Usually she paid rapt attention to anything to do with pre-ascension times, but today something was off. “Mare… what’s wrong? Mare hesitated, biting her lip slightly. Then, she moved over to the table, sitting down across from Sazed and pulling her legs up before her on the wooden seat. “Sazed,” she asked, “how do you know if you’re in love?” Normally so confident and brave, it was strange to see Mare shrink back into herself, looking almost like the girl who had saved Sazed’s life years ago. Sazed blinked. “I…I do not think I am one to speak on this topic, Mare. I know very little about it.” “You always say things like that,” Mare said. “But really, you’re an expert on just about everything.” Sazed chuckled. “In this case, I assure you that my insecurity is heartfelt. You certainly seem to have a better understanding than I.” “Humour me. You’ve got to know something.” “A bit, perhaps,” Sazed said, moistening his lips nervously. “You know, when we first met I think part of me thought I had a… an infatuation with you, to be honest, not that that would have ever worked out.” “Oh Sazed,” the sound of Mare’s laughter was somehow enchanting and heartbreaking at the same time. “You didn’t really, did you?” Of course I didn’t. It’s not a Eunuch’s place to love, after all. “Only a little, when I thought we might be kindred scholastic spirits. That was before I realized you have far too volatile a temperament for true scholarship.” Mare swatted Sazed playfully. “I’m serious Sazed. Please, I need to talk this out.” “Very well then. I’ll bite. You seem to be getting quite close to that conman who won’t stop bothering you. What, you thought I missed all those notes and gifts he’s been leaving at your window? You know, back before the Final Empire, a gentleman would leave a lady a whole bundle of flowers as a show of affection. They called it a bouquet.” “A whole bundle, really Sazed? I can’t even imagine. Kelsier will need to up his game then. He hasn’t even managed to find me a single flower, let alone an entire bouquet.” “You might be holding him to slightly too high a standard, Mare. So how do you feel when you are with him?” “I want him to consume me,” Mare said, softly. Her hushed tone almost sent a chill down Sazed's spine. “He’s like fire Sazed, and sometimes I think just being near him will be enough to destroy me entirely. He’s like the sun, blotting out all the stars in the sky with his radiance. When I’m with him I feel exhilarated, and alive. It’s like all my emotions are being rioted while I’m flaring tin. He makes me feel like being a part of something greater.” Sazed blushed, unused to hearing Mare talk in this way. “That… uh… seems to be a good sign, Mare.” “But… he scares me too, Sazed.” “Scares you?” “Sometimes, when I look in his eyes I see something. A darkness.” Mare held up her hand before her, as if she were reaching for something intangible. “His light makes me feel like he might turn me into something far greater than I imagined, but there is darkness in him too, beneath all that charm, and it is equally seductive. Dangerously so. What if I give in to him, and he changes me Sazed? Makes me forget about everything I care about. Destroys my hopes and dreams, leaving those flowers to wither in my imagination, subsumed to his wishes.” “That's… very poetic, but perhaps a little melodramatic as well? I understand the concern. Master Kelsier is… well, he’s certainly not someone I’d have chosen for you. But I also trust you to know yourself, and I doubt even the blackest darkness could blot out your dreams. Like the stars, hidden by mist, I think you could find a way to bring light to even the darkest night.” Mare smirked. “Now who’s being a poet?” “I learned from the best. But since we are playing Deepness’s advocate, I’ll try a different line. If Kelsier is so frightening, let’s turn to our more obvious choice, hmmm? What about Master Marsh? He’s been fond of you for far longer than you’ve even known his dangerous thieving brother.” “Ah yes, Marsh.” Mare’s lips quirked slightly, forming a hint of a smile before flattening into a thoughtful line as she glanced back out the window. “I don’t want him to love me. Marsh needs… he needs a woman who can stand by his side as he leads the rebellion to victory. A woman who can live up to the ideals and standards of perfection he holds so dear. Someone who can sink back into his arms and be glad of their protective embrace.” Mare turned back, meeting Sazed’s gaze. “That’s not me, Sazed. Marsh wants to protect me, but sometimes I think I’m already lost. I’m not the person he thinks I am, and it would be cruel of me to pretend otherwise.” “Master Marsh, though, is in love with you, yes? You trust him. Those iron eyes, as people call them, see a great deal, I think. How do you know he doesn’t love all of who you are, because you are exciting and different? That man could use a lot of things, but a little laughter and spontaneity certainly could not hurt.” Mare cocked her head to the side. “Careful Sazed, flatter me too much more and I might believe you do still fancy me.” She means no harm, she’s your friend. “My point stands. You are who you are. Despite Master Kelsier’s interference, despite your different approaches to life, Marsh fell in love with you, and I have to say your dreams, though ambitious, are rather compatible.” “I shouldn’t have let him fall in love with me. He deserves to be with someone who… deserves him, not someone like me.” Sazed frowned, feeling like he was missing something. “And why do you, of all people, not deserve to be loved?” Mare shook her head. “It’s not that simple, Saze.” “Few things are. Yet, I tell you this. Love must be allowed to flow both ways—if it is not, then it is not truly love, I think. It is something else. Infatuation, perhaps? Either way, there are some of us who are far too quick to make martyrs of ourselves. We stand at the side, watching, thinking that we do the right thing by inaction. We fear pain—our own, or that of another.” He reached forward, taking Mare’s hand in his own. “But…is that love? Is it love to assume for Marsh that he has no place with you? Or, is it love to let him make his own decision in the matter?” “And if I’m wrong for him?” Mare asked. “You must love him enough to trust his wishes, even if you disagree with them. You must respect him—no matter how wrong you think he may be, no matter how poor you think his decisions, you must respect his desire to make them. Even if one of them includes loving you.” Mare smiled slightly, but she still seemed troubled. “And…” she said very slowly, “if it doesn’t flow both ways? If I’ve already betrayed his feelings?" Ah…. Mare tensed immediately. “This must stay between us.” “Of course, as always.” Sazed hesitated. “It is Master Kelsier then? Mare shrugged. “Let’s say it is. You heard me before Sazed. He makes me feel so many things. Marsh makes me feel loved, but nothing else.” “Do you love him?” “Who?” Sazed shrugged. “You’re infuriating. Fine. I don’t know. I respect Marsh, and I think I’m infatuated with Kelsier, or maybe, the idea of him. There might be something more there, but I honestly can’t be sure.” Sazed hesitated. In this matter, he knew he should remain unbiased. He didn’t know enough about Kelsier, or his intentions, to compare him to Marsh—and Keepers were supposed to give information, but avoid specific advice. “And does he love you?” “Marsh certainly does. I mean, it’s obvious isn’t it? Kelsier… I… I think he does. I know he wants me. It’s just hard to tell with him. For all I know he’s just doing this to spite his brother. With Marsh, it’s an open book. I know exactly where I stand with him. With Kelsier, there’s... always another secret. Shouldn’t I pay more attention to the man who is more exciting for me? Or should I play it safe and choose the more dependable one?” “I don’t know, Mare. I honestly don’t know. I warned you of my ignorance in this area. I think you’ve already made up your mind though, and maybe just needed to talk yourself into it?” She sighed. “It’s all so frustrating. I should be worrying about the city and about overthrowing that Lord Tyrant, and making flowers bloom again, not which man to spend my evenings with!” “It is hard to defend others when our own lives are in turmoil,” Sazed said. Mare stood. “Thank-you Sazed. You’re a good friend. Thank-you for listening. I don’t know what I’ll do without you. Please say you’ll stay?” “I’m afraid the Synod has another assignment for me elsewhere. I’m sorry Mare but, we can’t all be as brave and daring as your Kelsier. Give Master Marsh my regards.” Mare nodded in understanding. “Yes. I will. Good luck Sazed. Stay safe.” Sazed smiled, and wished her the same, though in his heart he knew she wouldn’t be.
    5 likes
  6. Alright, yon Shardlings, maybe you can help me make sense of something that's been bothering me for years and particularly this past month or so since I re-read SLA last. You'll have to bear with me through what will certainly be a large wall of text as I present the facts as I see them, the conclusions I've drawn, and some tangential speculation (cause this is my thread dammit and I'll speculate if I want). If reading the Stormlight Archive has taught me anything about Brandon's writing, its that to find where the big secrets are you should look at what he writes around. Look at the elephant in the room. And here in the first half of the series I don't think there's a bigger elephant in the room than Gavilar and, by extension, the Sons of Honor. For a man who we spent two books fighting a war over (20% of the series) we know remarkably little about him. He was certainly a man of secrets. Of all the secret societies we're aware of on Roshar, the Sons of Honor are the most secret to us, the readers. Gavilar gets very little screen time and much of that is early in the timeline of OB flashbacks. So what do we know about Gavilar Kholin, beyond the blindingly obvious (king of Alethkar, Navani's first husband, was assassinated by Szeth, etc)? I see Gavilar's life as taking place in 3 acts. Very early on (probably sometime before the first Dalinar flashback), Gavilar graduated from tribal warlord to aspirant King. Something, possibly the birth of Jasnah, inspired Gavilar to look beyond his own generational aspirations toward founding an Alethkar that would maintain continuity for generations. He did not want to Alexander the Great his way through life, choosing instead to Wilhelm I of Germany and organize and consolidate power in Alethkar, ostensibly for the first time in generations. I'm not sure how I feel about going around conquering your neighbors in the simple name of unity but as far as pre-Industrial warlords go Gavilar seems fairly forward-thinking, even if some of his philosophizing about dynasty and stability is after-the-fact justification for actions taken earlier in life. After uniting the Alethi under the Kholin banner, Gavilar spends much of the rest of his life attempting to politic his way into legitimacy, both among the highprinces and internationally. From here on out Gavilar effectively abandons the battlefield, choosing instead to tactically deploy the Blackthorn to prove a point when simple words fail. Judging purely by results, he is not very good at this, though we only really have one result to go by. When Tanalan and the Rift go into rebellion, Gavilar stalls them purely with his own politics, then later by deploying Dalinar to the Vedan and Herdazian borders to prove a point, then by using Dalinar to smash the rebellion outright. Not very politic. But the attempt was made and Gavilar was at least able to divorce himself from his younger warlord persona by shoving that onto Dalinar while adopting the airs of a politician himself. Somewhere in this time is where the third act of Gavilar's life begins, however, and where things relating to Gavilar start to get a little hazy. We know at some point, almost certainly after the unification of Alethkar, that three things happen concerning Gavilar: he joins the Sons of Honor, he starts receiving the Bondsmith visions, and he starts reading The [In-Universe] Way of Kings (in case it becomes relevant, I will hereafter refer to the in-universe Way of Kings by full name and to the book on my desk as TWoK). We do not know the order of occurrences here. We also do not know how many of the visions Gavilar received or if he actually swore any Bondsmith oaths, unless there's some WoB I'm unaware of. However, given the quotes above and their contexts, as well as clues given to us about how Gavilar went "strange" later in life, I suspect that he must have joined the Sons of Honor before he started receiving his visions. The first quote implies some purpose found, and the Sons of Honor would supply that while newly received visions would probably provide more questions than clarity. As to the second quote, I believe the visions qualify as "revelations" to be shared. It is worth noting that Gavilar was a lot less cagey than Dalinar about his visions. Mr T tells us directly that he'd been told of Gavilar's visions. And Amaram's response to the leaked visions at the feast in WoR... you know what I'm just gonna quote it. Amaram speaks with the air of having read the vision in question, despite it being one of many released just prior to the conversation and not actually being able to read the women's script. I realize that he could have had it read to him, but he's still really quick off the cuff with his spicy take on "And now I am dead, Odium has killed me. I am sorry." Almost as if he'd already known and parsed what Tanavast had said. This, combined with the fact that he conveniently shows up in the warcamps shortly after Dalinar having fits during the highstorms becomes public knowledge, leads me to believe that he had knowledge of Gavilar's visions and their contents. If Amaram knew their contents, it is likely that the body of the Sons of Honor knew their contents as well. Indeed it is possible that Mr T had associations with these guys prior to visiting Cultivation/Nightwatcher and that's how he knows about it too, but this is baseless speculation. The one person who does not know anything about these visions who, it seems to me, definitely should have is Navani. Failing to confide in Jasnah is understandable, to a degree. But is Gavilar really spending every highstorm apart from Navani after this starts happening? Even if there's not something more sinister going on, this illuminates exactly how rough their marriage was by this point. And if, as I believe, Gavilar's visions started before sending Dalinar to Rathelas, then he was ditching Navani every highstorm for at least five years before his death. Not that there are that many visions, necessarily, but my point is more that this was not attached to some shortly pre-death strangeness associated with Gavilar. His and Navani's issues, whatever they were, were not new when he died. This entire paragraph presupposes that Navani is not concealing information about Gavilar from Dalinar, and indeed her mention of Gavilar's black spheres seem to indicate that she's being up front with Dalinar. At this point I will move off Gavilar directly and address the Sons of Honor more directly. As I said in the opening of this (already horrendously long) post, we know next to nothing about the Sons of Honor. Mraize tells Shallan that Gavilar was a "driving force" in the expansion of the Sons of Honor. We know that Amaram was recruited by Gavilar into the Sons of Honor. I believe that Gavilar intended to recruit Dalinar especially after he started distinguishing himself on the Alethi frontier, but it was impractical while Dalinar was on the front lines and Dalinar became extraordinarily unreliable after Rathelas. I further believe that Amaram's presence on the Shattered Plains was specifically to recruit Dalinar, especially since his fits in the highstorms became public knowledge. As to the Sons of Honor's relationship with the other secret societies, I believe both the Skybreakers and the Ghostbloods opposed the Sons of Honor's attempts to usher in a Desolation. Obviously the Skybreakers tried to kill Amaram, and Gavilar expected assassins from the Ghostbloods. Incidentally, I think this is what set Jasnah at odds with the Ghostbloods: the Ghostbloods were trying to prevent Gavilar from starting a Desolation, and Jasnah was counter-assassinating their assassins, making a target (and an enemy) of herself. I think in a way, the Diagram is kind of an offshoot of the Sons of Honor. Gavilar and Mr T were friends, and Gavilar made Mr T aware at some point of his visions, but Mr T ended up taking a different path than the the Sons of Honor. The only other confirmed member is Restares, who on the one hand Amaram writes to as a superior in his letter to him at the end of WoR, but on the other Gavilar fairly easily suspects as being behind his own assassination after Thaidakar is eliminated as a suspect. Beyond these two tidbits we really know nothing about Restares. I also believe that Aesudan was a member of the Sons of Honor. My evidence is shaky but not nonexistent. My first supporting piece is the fact that Gavilar desperately wanted to marry Jasnah off to Amaram, and I suspect he was following the same behavioral pattern that Jasnah shows in trying to get as many Knights Radiant tied into House Kholin as possible. Elhokar says that Jasnah opposed his marriage to Aesudan, but there appears to be no opposition to it from Gavilar's corner. The second supporting piece are Aesudan's own words (of which we have precious few): Not only is Aesudan clearly aware of what Gavilar was up to in his later days than us readers are, she's gone totally next level with it. If it is true that Gavilar was attempting to bond an Unmade, and bear in mind here that I take everything Aesudan tells us with a pinch of copper, then this to me is strong evidence that Gavilar never progressed beyond proto-Radiance. And this leads into the problem what's been bothering me all this time. Mraize tells us that the entire mission of the Sons of Honor was to ignite a Desolation. Gavilar's words to Eshonai on the night of his assassination corroborate this, only extending that Gavilar and the Sons of Honor knew exactly what they were about. And again, if Gavilar really was trying to bond an Unmade, then he really really knew what he was about. Here's the thing: I get not understanding what Tanavast's visions were trying to show. They're fairly arcane and for a long time Dalinar takes them in the context of the life he's living. Dalinar spends two whole books thinking that he's being charged to unite the Alethi against the Parshendi, when in reality the scope is so much larger. He's supposed to unite the world against the void. This is an understandable misunderstanding. Its a mistake of scale, not of intent. But how in Damnation does Gavilar talk himself into thinking these same visions mean that he should take an active hand in kickstarting the Desolation? For the purpose of bringing back the Heralds and strengthening the Vorin Church? This is a massive gamble based on layers of misunderstanding. Firstly, the visions themselves are incompatible with modern Vorinism, and not just the part about Honor being dead. Secondly, like Nale and Ishar, they seem to be putting the cart before the horse in terms of how a Desolation starts based on a wild misunderstanding of the Oathpact. Nale and Ishar seem to think that the return of the Knights Radiant are somehow causal to the Desolation instead of being responsive to it, and the Sons of Honor seem to think that they can shepherd in a Desolation and that the Heralds and Knights Radiant will return, rather than a Desolation starting as a result of a weakening or breaking of the Oathpact. But regardless of what they thought they knew, if your conclusion is "yes let's start a Desolation" it seems pretty apparent to me that your reasoning has strayed somewhere. So, am I missing something somewhere that we know already? From what information we've been presented so far in the text, Gavilar's motives make less than no sense to me. Causing an event known to cause 90% extinction and risking 100% extinction in the name of Alethi and Vorin unity is not the act of a sane group of people. In fact, if you take the phrase "voidbringer" at face value, that is, someone who brings the void, then Gavilar and the Sons of Honor are by definition Voidbringers. Sure, Amaram goes full Voidbringer at Theylan Field, but on the face of things as we have it he's been a voidbringer for the better part of a decade by the time Theylan Field rolls around. This is what he was working towards. And I can't for the life of me figure out why.
    5 likes
  7. I have found you. So glad to be here and to find out this exists. Cannot wait to nerd out with all of you.
    5 likes
  8. Okay I have a few. When your 5 year old puts an orange and some strawberries on his plate and says “I’m eating two types of berries, Mom.” I didn’t know my kid was Rosharan. (Picking oddly specific words to describe a broad variety of things) When you recommended Sanderson to a friend and she says she started Mistborn and has read the prologue and loved it so you continue to gush about how great it all is and how the first book is awesome but as a trilogy it is phenomenal. And then give yourself chills just thinking about the ending. (Then she went on to say she is a little nervous because she gets crazy attached to characters and still isn’t over Fred Weasley and already loves Kelsier and you think oh these books will crush you but in the best possible way.) When you are watching Jimmy Fallon with your husband and he points out that Jimmy Fallon has his own Wit.
    5 likes
  9. I have no interest in mushrooms but my new friend seems a bit kayana for them. As this is the introduction section and my first post, it is safe to assume I am new here. I have been reading (devouring?) Sanderson works for years, And needed a place to do deeper dives, kolo. This seems to be the perfect place. My enjoyment of Mr Sanderson’s work started with Elantris and I haven’t looked back. I just finished Skyward, and finally working through Warbreaker and white sand. I’m also re-listening to elantris. Don’t judge me. I look forward to discovering more details and hidden gems of the cosmere. Now, I need to get back to that mushroom research.
    4 likes
  10. I know that I am new, well very new, but I have watched a couple of games and would like to try my hand in the ring. Svarin the Rogue, your doom and destruction! Mwhahahahaha!!! You know, if I get in.
    4 likes
  11. Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. Wayne before Wax. Did I do it right?
    4 likes
  12. Hmm, isn't there a "broadsheet" column in Alloy of Law about "Ironeyes sightings on the rise"? It'd be even funnier if that wasn't just ad copy hyperbole, and Marsh has made a list of 16 things he'll play along with and pretend he's repelled by. "Noooo! You have 16 marewill flowers circling the crown of a black Derby hat! How did you KNOWWWWW?"
    4 likes
  13. I think the distinction is that she can sense the Present, while the Future requires the inverted Voidbinding Surge (I say Inverted because we know they are qualitatively different, and the Voidbinding chart seems to depict this with one-half of the sigil being Inverted). I think both allow you to peer into the Spiritual Realm to some extent, but for reasons relating to Roshar's specific segregation of Surges actually Looking Forward requires Voidbinding. As far as proving that she drew Shalash, it was in Ch 30 of WoR. She was idly sketching, and first drew a picture of some of the sailors from their sunken ship helping each other to shore; she was sure one of them was Yalb, but wrote it off as hopeful fancy. Then she drew one she didnt understand at all, of a woman raising a hammer and chisel about to destroy the face of a statue, which is classic Shalash behavior (and I think was happening around that time per one of the Interludes).
    4 likes
  14. OK. One, I don't think Brandon saying "Nightwatcher" in those WoBs mean anything beyond "the old magic" which can be either the Nightwatcher, or Cultivation. Two, Lift and T may very well have been able to tell the difference between Cultivation and the Nightwatcher, if both happened to show up. We don't know that that happened. People seek the Old Magic and get stood up. If only Cultivation showed, what reason would they have to question? Furthermore, Lift tells Dalinar that he "smells like her." Dalinar was not changed by the Nightwatcher, but Cultivation. The touch that she can "Smell" on him is Cultivation's. And Finally Lifts gift, in my opinion, is a more massive change than Either of the other two. I don't think we've seen half of what she's capable of. Not only does she convert food into stormlight and touch Wyndle physically, which he says should be impossible, but she also enters into the Stormfathers visions without his permission or knowledge. I don't think the shift in Lift is on the same level as either Dalinar or T. I think it's a step above. Until we see her flashbacks and her visit to the Valley and it's shown what was done to her was by the Nightwatcher, I do not believe that the spren is capable of the level of change that has been made to Lift.
    4 likes
  15. Just realized something: Dalinar's fatal flaw is his rage and his addiction to the Thrill. Evi's fatal flaw is her naivete. Tanalan's fatal flaw is his pride. Everything collides at the Rift to produce a horrifying problem for Dalinar that isn't truly anyone's fault, simply the inevitable result of everyone acting according to their character. It gets resolved through the personal intervention of one of the Gods. The Oathbringer flashback sequence is a classical tragedy.
    3 likes
  16. My favourite Radiant is Renarin (If that isn't obvious) The reason why is because he is different, an outsider to his own group, which is something deeply relate to. Along with his medical issues, I relate because I have seen how those can influence a person in who they are. Matala is a radiant I don't like because she seems so keen to just break things without thinking of the why, I don't hate her for her association with the diagram but I do hate her because of her attitude towards others
    3 likes
  17. To tree, or not to tree, that is the question Whether 'tis nobler of the grapevine To suffer the toast and bagels of Retributive Toasters Than to bury this precious folio backst 'neath yon yew tree. etc, etc. Ok, I buried it.
    3 likes
  18. 141714178283101314152947171045 CICIVJTZCSYBITF Araris that's suuuper duper suspicious. Elim confirmed.
    3 likes
  19. We could have a discussion about the merits of a D1 lynch
    3 likes
  20. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you've waited for! It's time for the melee! 21 Rithmatists enter, but only 1 will emerge victorious. I can't handle the excitement. Ready, set, melee!!! PMs are now closed. Please submit in your role PMs what action you are taking. This cycle ends on Friday, January 10, 4:00 PM EST. Good luck everyone.
    3 likes
  21. By these WoBs I think you're trusting what Odium says about himself maybe a little too much. Not only that, but Frost describes Odium in his response to The Letter: Odium the Shard is Odium. As to whether Rayse is trying to steer it towards being something more than that... maybe? Even when Odium showed Dalinar his true self in that first vision, the core of it was hatred.
    3 likes
  22. We got in a grain cart, away we started rollin' I said how much you pay for this, Said "nothin' man, it's stolen".
    3 likes
  23. He began to sing a song about his delicious meal, it went something like this: "Oh Ghanderflaffle, oh Ghanderflaffle, how good with maaaaaaple syyyyyyyrup. Oh Ghanderflaffle, oh Ghanderflaffle, being eaten byyyyy the Reeeaaal Butt. You taste so graaaaaand with cinnamooooooon, but I've got iiiiiiiiiiindegeeeeeestion. Oh Ghanderflaffle, oh Ghanderflaffle, I feel like IIIIIIIII might throooooooooow up." And he did.
    3 likes
  24. Thanks! It's my birthday now, so it's all good. Wow….I'm not sure what to say. Thank you so much! I'm beaming right now. Thanks! It's looking to be a good one so far.
    3 likes
  25. Happy B-Day, whenever it is! You’re super cool and you’ve made a huge influence on my writing over the years. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn from you.
    3 likes
  26. So he played 9 dimensional chess against himself and lost?
    3 likes
  27. When you feel personally offended during the following experience: Your brother, who has read, and hence loved, Mistborn asks for the title of “the next Brandon trilogy,” by which he means Stormlight. So I tell him, and then launch into an explanation of the series (because I want him to have realistic expectations-it being larger and longer than he has read and that 3 of 10 are writte ). I talk about the two five-book story arcs, and then mention that each book is essentially a trilogy and a novella and my sister who was sitting nearby started laughing. And now she is telling each member of my family this while laughing. She thinks I’m making it up. So I told her this is like his big epic fantasy, something he didn’t know if he’d ever publish because he didn’t know if anyone would want to read it (I thought I’d read he said something like that). And she said, “and no one is reading it.” And I said “everyone is reading it.” And that made her laugh more. And I’m feeling personally offended, but also defensive about Brandon and his awesomeness. Currently, the only redeeming quality of my sister is that she’s on page 150 of Mistborn.
    3 likes
  28. (Some Spoilers from Stormlight Archive and Mistborn ahead) I'll start off by saying that the entity comprised of the unity of Rayse and the Shard he holds can best be described as Odium. However, the actual nature of the Shard itself isn't. I believe it would be best to describe it instead as Passion. I have been thinking for a long time that Odium seemed an odd intent for a piece of God. It never made sense to me. Then we get to see Sazed as Harmony and I realized the intention of the being could be different based on who the holder is. For inatance, if the Lord Ruled had obtained Preservation and Ruin, he would likely have been a far more strict balance of intentions whereas Sazed is a balance promoting growth, leaning more toward Preservation. The next hint we had before we even see Odium's name printed in WoK. Vorinism preaches the "Passions" as the source of sin. This coupled with Vorinism being the result of casting aside Odium and taking up Honor as their Almighty serves as an extra piece of evidence to me. My last clue was the Unmade. Most likely Slivers of Odium, they should directly portray aspects of the Shard. However, instead of being entirely hate filled beings as you would expect of Odium's strongest servants, you instead see beings representing different passions. Because they don't represent Odium, they represent the Shared Rayse holds, Passion. *edit* I should have clarified this in my initial posting, this is not a fully fledged theory. It's an idea that's been rumbling around in my head that I would love input on.
    2 likes
  29. 2 likes
  30. So this is the thread you've been preparing, you sneaky rascal you. Happy thousandth, Ink! Like some others before me, the Coppermind was my gateway drug. The usual cabal of boredom, fandom, and chance hooked me. Shortly afterwards, I received a stroke of outrageous good fortune, and ended up becoming involved in a fantastic group of likeminded individuals. That's why I've stayed so long. That, and the memes. I really like the format of this site. No other forum comes close to being as easy to read and well structured as this one. The sigs are short, there's no ads, the text is a nice font and black on white. That really jumps out. But I love the subtle details too. The ranks, the filter, the widgets, even the way the administration works. I appreciate all of it. I know I'm supposed to say something here about loving the community (which I do), but have you seen the emojis? THERE'S A NINJA FACE.
    2 likes
  31. I always thought Elhokar wanted to become like Kaladin and believed him saving his kingdom was a way to prove to himself and others that he was worthy king. He didn't want to die because he tried to say the Oath but was killed half way through saying them. You could really see him changing into a better man in the writing so you knew he was going to die but the actual character didn't want to. That is why his death was so tragic because he hadn't accomplished his character arc.
    2 likes
  32. I personally have always thought you were dead.
    2 likes
  33. This is written to read like you and I aren't in an alliance, but i can also imagine that this us a ploy to make it look like we aren't collaborating.
    2 likes
  34. This is written to read like you chose Matson and are revealing the results to your PM partner, but I can also imagine that this is a ploy to make it look like your Matson when you’re actually Ballantain or Taylor.
    2 likes
  35. There's this recent WoB from the Skyward AMA that goes a long way to confirming this, usually: Our favorite crypto Elantrian, Riino, has a fortune viewing device in his lighthouse in Shadesmar, looks kind of like a crystal ball, but it definitely allows Kaladin to glimpse the future, not sure what the underlying mechanic is (seemed like access to the Spiritual Realm), but it was triggered by the passing Shadesmar manifestation of the Highstorm. I like this idea, like you could have a worn fabrial that has essentially the same effect as creating Electrum shadows. Basically a limited proximate effect that masks the future of a single agent. Pretty freaking awesome idea!
    2 likes
  36. ( @Archer Era 3 character.) Name: Nakome Tomoda Gender: female. Age: 20 Investiture: Forger. Special skills and weapons: Very skilled in forgery with inanimate objects. Master warrior.(Like kung fu!) Has a pain knife. Weakness: Not good with making stamps for people. Simply doesn't understand them. Struggles with controlling her temper. When she's mad she will lash out with words and fists. Often hurts people physically, mentally, and spiritually. Hates most people. Most people hate her. She desperately wants to have friends but her temper pushes people away. Has PTSD. Witnessed a murder as a child and now freezes whenever she sees someone die. (Length of time varies.) When she snaps out of it she's very confused and disoriented, as she relives the childhood memory. Physical characteristics: Short. (little over 5') muscular. brown hair. Blue eyes. small nose. She has a hostile beauty, like a cactus. Family: Had a ugly fight with mother which ended with her leaving and never going back. (Mother is now dead.) Father MIA since she was 7. has one uncle. her and her uncle send letters and keep in touch as much as they can. Home planet: Sel. History/Biography: Saw a man murdered when she was 8. Grew up feeling alone and unloved. Learned Forgery and fighting skills from her uncle. Her temper finally was too much and her mother sent her away(Nakome has successfully convinced herself that she left.) Found her way to Alleycity when she was 16, where she was accepted by a shop owner. The two of them now run the store together as the owner couldn't manage it all on her own(the shop owner is growing old.) Nakome provides her forgery skills to the store and now owns 50% of the business.
    2 likes
  37. I'd love to see the team from Mistborn Era 2 (Wax, Wayne, MeLaan, etc.) vs pretty much anyone. It's bound to be intriguing and hilarious.
    2 likes
  38. And here's where I disagree a little. I think with what we know it makes a kind of terrible sense. It's like doing the wrong thing for the right (or in this case stupid-but-understandable) reason. The voidbringers are coming back as told from the visions, right? And the visions Gavilar received didn't have a clear meaning other than "get ready" and "unite them". If even Dalinar wasn't so sure he could trust the visions until Navani helped translate them, why would Gavilar? So Gavilar starts to receive visions he doesn't understand, and goes out to understand them, eventually finding the Sons of Honor. The visions say the Radiants (and maybe the Heralds? Again, my memory is fuzzy) need to come back, and the Sons of Honor want Vorin powers and the Heralds back. What brings them all together? A Desolation. So, like many villains in today's pop culture, Gavilar wants to use a potential world-ending threat to bring people together. Is it a good idea? NO. But it does make sense. Galivar's problem was most likely that he couldn't see why people would disagree with him. He knew they would, but he was so caught up in himself and his goal he didn't see the why. As for matching up, a Desolation answers that too. The Heralds are all but deified in modern-day Vorinism. And they're supposed to come back with every Desolation. So you start receiving visions from a being who claims to be God warning you about the apocalypse (when the final one was thought over), you've got your faith stating something else. Dalinar goes the path of "is this me? Am I insane?" while Gavilar goes the path of "how can I reconcile these two differences?" and his path takes him to the Sons of Honor. After all, if the apocalypse is really coming, and you're having a crisis of faith (while trying to secure your own legacy), why not call back Jesus and get all the answers while uniting the world? Also, quick Q about the Aesudan quote, which chapter is it from? Because from the quote above, it could be misconstrued as Gavilar knew that Radiants had to bond to ancient spren, but he didn't know which or how. Unless Aesudan said "Gavilar was trying to bond an unmade" she could have just as easily assumed that Unmade = High Spren/Bondable Spren. Aesudan's words lend to that too in a way; calling her guards Radiants, talking about bonding with spren. Gavilar's last words being about "The most important words a man can say," something he seeming to only focus on at the end of his life (hinting that he himself didn't really have the answer). It feels like Galivar had all the pieces to the puzzle, but arranged them in a way that was ultimate detrimental. I don't think Gavilar was 100% Team Void. I don't think he could be, if he was really on the path of being a Bondsmith. I think it's a little more nuanced - and in turn far scarier - than that.
    2 likes
  39. I don't think that the lessening of the highstorms needs to have anything to do with Shadesmar, or anything magical at all. Hurricanes (which highstorms are based on) naturally die down as the make landfall and continue on land (due to lack of moisture to sustain them). As far as the ocean->land dynamic of Shadesmar: Shadesmar represents the Cognitive beliefs of beings in the Physical Realm. People's perception of where "the ocean" is and where "the land" is doesn't change due to minor, temporary things like waves. It also doesn't change quickly (similar to the concept of hysteresis). However, if there was some sort of cataclysmic event that flooded a city, say, then yes, over time Shadesmar would change to reflect that portion becoming "water" instead of "land."
    2 likes
  40. Happy birthday Twi! Have a fantastic day!
    2 likes
  41. He could have also doubled-up on some powers to amplify them. Extra steel allomancy could be useful.
    2 likes
  42. I want to see one of Darksider culture on Taldain, one about Nazh and how he escaped Therody, and one about how Viviana created her shardblade. I also want a buddy cop short story revolving around a Willshaper and Skybreaker hunting down a thief in between Desolations.
    2 likes
  43. I guess that’s fairly good evidence that he hasn’t been off world as well. If you’re gonna world hop it only makes sense to hit up Nalthis long enough to reach the 5th heightening which would make Atium compounding pointless. I forgot to add something Marsh could have bee doing all this time so here it is. Hang around graveyards at night and scare the rust out of rebellious teenagers.
    2 likes
  44. TO: All Silverlight staff and students, here is growing list of the classes that will be offered this Spring at Silverlight University. Art 160: Analysis of Cosmere Art. Art 170: Drawing Art 240: Selish Art-Investure connection Art 480: Preserving Art from the Court of the Gods, a Personal view from Professor Scoot. Accounting 378: Economic costs of Invested Abilities. Taught by Professor Steris Ladrian Anthro 100: Cultures of the Cosmere Anthro 220: Religions resulting from faulty historical filters. Taught by Professor Jasnah Kholin and Professor Lightsong. Bio 185: Overview of invested Flora and Fauna Bio 190: Surviving non-Scadrian field trips. Class equipment list includes sliver knife, aluminum dueling canes, and a gun. Note: Due to the inherent danger of the Threnody unit, all students have to sign a waver. Bio 215: Rosharian ecology Bio 235: Taldainian ecology Bio 240: Effects of investure on Human Anatomy and Physiology Bio 270: Singer Anatomy and Physiology Bio 275: Kandra Anatomy and Physiology. Taught by Professor Lann Bio 345: Vaxian microbiology Bio 400: Field Study of First of the Sun's Flora and Fauna: Prerequisites Include Bio 190 Business 380: Allomancy and sales. Chem 230: Metallurgy Chem 235: Allomantic Metallurgy Chem 350: Aonic transformative chemistry Chem 490/590: Chemistry of Soulcasting: All students are required to either have a soulcaster or be bonded to an inkspren or cryptic by the second week of class. Soulcasters can be rented from the book store. Computer Science 130: Creating Intelligence. All students are required to have the proper aluminum coated gloves for interaction with the TA. Taught by TA Nightblood Engr 120: Bridge design Engr 245: Rifles and anti-Allomancy weaponry. Taught by Dr. Ranette Engr 370: Airship design and construction lab Engr 450: Aonic computer design Fab Engr 265: Fabrial engines: Taught by Professor Navani Kholin with labs being run by the Ardents. Investure 101: Basic Realmic Theory. CoReq: with Bio 190 Investure 102: Manifestations of Investure on Major Shard Worlds Investure 103: Manifestations of Investure on Minor Shard Worlds Investure 205: The Metallic Arts. Guest Lecturer: Harmony, Formerly know as Sazed of Terris. Investure 215: Awakening and Biochromatic Breath. Taught by Professor Zahel Investure 225: Surgebinding. Colectured by Professor Dalinar Kholin, Professor Lift (if she happens to show up), and Professor Teft Investure 300: Hacking the Investure systems. Colectured by Professor Zahel, Professor Kelsier, and The Dean of Research, Lady Khriss Investure 450/Bio 450: Advanced Hemalurgic Theory Invested Engr 335: Aonic programming and development. Rotating lecturers from Sel. Note: All final projects have to be submitted to the Elantrians for Safety Testing. We do not want a repeat of the the killer swimming pool incident. Psyc 101: Wayne's world (of hats) Psyc 345: Singer forms and their effect on mental processes. Taught by Professor Venli Psyc 560: Lightweaving and Emotional Damage Physics 212: Allomancy Physics 309: Physical laws in the Cognitive Realm Physics 315: Gravitation. Taught by Professor Sezth and TA Nightblood PE 101: Shard Dueling: Shardblades can be rented from the books store or checked out from the rec center PE 106: Target Practice. Taught by Professor Venture of the Political Science Department Polisci 101: Governmental Theory: Taught by Professor Venture Polisci 210: How to rule without even trying. Taught by Professor Lightsong Polisci 400: Winning Friends and using assassins to take out the rest. Taught by Guest Lecturers Taravangien and Straff Venture Spren 101: Spren Identification Spren 200: The Nahel Bond Spren 350: Fabrials Spren 480: Spren society Theft 101: Con artist and Nobles: Taught by Professor Ladrian the Older Theft 205: Best place to stick a knife in a nobleman: Taught by Guest lecturer Kelsier Theft 315: Forgery. Taught by Professor Shai I am too tired to write any more. Please add more classes. All of Silverlight thanks you. Edit: I added some Mistborn stuff.
    2 likes
  45. Iron and Steel are indeed liquefied, otherwise Cast Iron and Crucible Steel wouldnt have been a thing, in fact "Puddling" is one of the most critical steps. It's not always perfectly distributed, and a lot of useful metallurgy takes advantage of the various imperfections (they can be great for preventing crack propagation if done correctly) but mostly it's uniform at flake sizes. It's true that in antiquity iron was made in Bloomeries that used other chemistry to reduce/control the Carbon and other impurities and weere then hand-worked into more useful shapes, but did still require the metal is melted during the alloying process. Blast Furnaces, which produce Cast Iron and were a much later development in europe (way too expensive for the most part) but were in use in china as early as 5th century BC. It's not easy or cheap as far as such things go, and there were a lot of ways to mess it up, but by the time western societies reached the Industrial level that era1 had, they'd figured it out fairly well. And Scadrial would have been far more motivated to do it even for small quantities, whereas we were limited by the fact that it was only economic for larger quantities (or because of other military concerns). There's a good chance they figured out something akin to the Bessemer Process which was a real turning point in our ability to produce large quantities cheaply.
    2 likes
  46. The Shard blade would make that pretty tough on Hrathen. Has anyone ever asked Brandon if Dakhor bones can block a Shard Blade? If they can it would probably give him a massive edge simply from the surprise Adolin would feel at having his blade blocked by someones hand. Another fight I would like to see is Jasnah V Malata. I think Division against Transformation would make for a cool battle. Add in the potential for Malata sliding around with Abrasion and Jasnah teleporting with Transportation and it could be a very interesting scene (would be very cool in a movie too).
    2 likes
  47. General RPing: KotC: RWBY: Actual cosmere memes: (it's like this is a thread for them or something)
    2 likes
  48. Probably been posted before but this one was in my memories today on Facebook
    2 likes
This leaderboard is set to Los Angeles/GMT-07:00
×
×
  • Create New...