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Last week's hike had better views. And a snake. Whenever I see snakes now I think of @Snakenaps

My bet would be on a natural (though extremely rare) mutation that became fixed in the population when a small group of people from Ashyn settled Thaylenah. And the fun part is that it can actually kind of happen in real life: Or maybe the ancestors of the Thaylen people did something to piss off the Nightwacher

Eh, yeah, they certainly aren't in NY. Hey! You'd be most welcome Here's a picture to whet your appetite: the view from Ben Lomond south along Loch Lomond towards Glasgow. (Robinski not pictured).

A bunch of Stormlight memes: tWoK spoilers: WoR spoilers: Oathbringer Spoilers:

And here we go! *Sigzil walks up to the others.*

Ways to find eliminators: an uncomprehensive list I sent this in a PM to a new player, and thought that it would be worth reposting in here. Here are some strategies for finding villagers and eliminators that I've used: comparison to standard player analysis, player-specific analysis, gut reads, connection analysis, and process of elimination. These aren't official names, just ones that I made up to categorize them. Comparison to standard player is when you're comparing people to how you think the standard villager or eliminator will act. For example, eliminators generally want to keep their teammates alive, so they might vote to lynch a random villager over their teammate. If Player A makes some bad arguments for keeping Player B alive, and later you find out that Player B is an eliminator, Player A could be an eliminator who wanted Player B to live. Another thing is that eliminators want to seem like they're contributing to discussion without actually contributing to discussion, so pay attention to people who are using a lot of words to say very little, especially if they never mention who they are suspicious of and who they trust. Alternatively, look at players who post just enough to remind you that they're alive, but not enough to make their opinions very noticeable. Keep in mind, however, what makes up standard eliminator behavior can change over time. One eliminator activity is called bussing, where they will purposely lynch a teammate to gain trust, because lynch teammates is not considered standard eliminator behavior. Now that bussing has been around for so long, however, it's been accepted as something that some eliminators will do, and is a somewhat expected standard eliminator behavior. Standard villager behavior generally looks like someone who is trying very hard to find eliminators and lynch them. If someone has lynched multiple eliminators, they're almost definitely village. People who talk a lot are more likely to be village, but there are a few players who are very good at talking a lot even when they're eliminators. Player-specific analysis is like comparison to standard player analysis, except that you compare people to how they've acted in previous games when they were certain alignments. For example, you might know that Player A always posts less often when they're an elim than when they're village. You might also know that Player B always gets lynched early when village, so you might decide to vote for someone else instead of Player B because they're probably village anyways. This can be confounded by players deciding to change their playstyle just because. Easier to do after playing a few games with people in this community. Gut reads/tone reads are when you look at a player and decide that you don't like how they feel, but you're not sure why. Maybe their posts feel too slimy, or you don't like how they're weaseling around other player's questions. Alternatively, you look at someone and decide you trust them, but again you're not sure why. Gut reads are based off of your subconscious picking up cues that your conscious mind is missing. Some people have very accurate guts, other people don't. However, since gut reads are so difficult to explain, it's harder to convince people to vote along with you, and they're difficult to defend against. Connection analysis is when you pay no attention to what people say and instead pay attention to what they do. Break everything down into votes, attacks without votes, defenses without votes, and defenses with votes (as in saying someone is village so you vote to lynch someone else). If you know that Player A is an eliminator, and Player B kept stating suspicion of them from very early on the game and voting on them, Player B is likely to be village. However, if Player B only ever half-heartedly stated suspicion of A, and never voted on A, they might be an eliminator trying to do some distancing. Usually eliminators don't care if villagers are up for the lynch, but they do care if their teammates are. Process of elimination is when you figure out everyone in the game who you trust. Sometimes abbreviated as PoE. Usually the number of eliminators is around 1/5 of the number of players, or the square root of the number of players. Let's say a game had 25 players, and now it's down to 10. You think there are 5 eliminators. You know you are village, and you trust 4 other people, so the ones that are left must be eliminators. Generally a good thing to start doing towards the end of the game when there are fewer players. These are the strategies that I know about. Other players use other strategies, so this isn't the one and only way to play the game. If you're lost, though, this list might give you some ideas on how to get started. I hope this helps.

Danex was overcome with such anger and depression that he crawled into the nearest gutter and became a hoed with the mantra “..” Nobody was sure how he managed to pronounce but he did. They’re called hoeds right? The insane elantrians? Also is it bad that I had to check how to spell my own username.

I hate running. There was one summer where I worked my way up to a mile and a half day, but it was torture. Then my mom got a puppy dog, and when he got big enough, I tried trail running with him, and he got to excited and bit my rear end. Not hard enough to break the skin, but just hard enough to leave a giant bruise. Now I have my own dog and I stick to walks with him. However, competing in a triathlon in on my bucket list. The local one is a 10 mile bike, 5k run, and 1 mile swim. I'm not sure why they put the run in kilometers and everything else in miles. I can bike 10 miles no problem (though I'm not fast because I don't bike often) and I can swim the mile. But I've never run a whole 5k. Ha ha ha I was doing one of the New Hampshire 4,000 footers and those are no joke. They may not be the highest mountains in the country, but they are steep. And I didn't make it to the summit. The top was in a cloud. It started raining. The last few tenths were big scrambles, which were too dangerous to do if they were wet, so we had lunch at an overlook just below the cloud line and turned around. This is looking south as some of the smaller mountains. The best views would've been from up top.

Journey before destination...

I'm agented and generally really enjoy it, though it does slow the whole process down. But eventually it should pay off with big advances and things (heck, even a small advance would be fine!) I also like knowing someone 'has my back' in the industry. Plus I get to meet all sorts of bigger name people through my agent, and through events like WorldCon and such because of the circles he's in. Agents are definitely gatekeepers of Big Five, so if you have a dream of accessing places like Tor and such, an agent is your only option. But it is sloooooooow.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you're reading a book, watching a movie, or even just walking around town, and there's just some person and you instantly think "is that Hoid?" before coming to realization that what you're doing has nothing to do with the Cosmere? For example, when I was watching the Hunchback of Notre Dam the other day, I saw that jester-storyteller guy and I said out loud almost instantaneously "is that Wit?"

Late last night whilst rereading Oathbringer, I happened to stumble upon this (context: Kaladin is flying everyone to Kholinar): Page 601 US Hardback edition of Oathbringer (bold added)^^ Which of course reminded me of this: Page 482 of the US hardcover edition of Arcanum Unbounded (bold added). Thoughts? WoBs? Tell me what you guys think! It may just be a throwaway line, or it could be evidence a hint that the Ones Above are from Roshar.

It doesn't go away entirely, it just becomes very small. Hence compression.(I bolded part of the WOB in the spoiler)

I wonder what movies Hoid is going to be in/direct in the modern age of Scadrian cinema...

Me: "I will not give in! I will not click on that notification!!!" five seconds later Me: Dangit I lost again Hour later Dangit I lost again

Somebody heeeeeeeelp I just got off of work and need some late night randomness

As long as he doesn't get cut out of the movie

In Brandon's books, I guess I think feruchemy is most interesting, if I can't just call the metallic arts one elaborate system of which almost all magic users only have access to a small part (though I guess everyone in the whole Cosmere has access to hemalurgy).

Just what is expected from a pun. @SteelShaper, you have succeeded.

So the Horneaters (Unkalaki), and the Herdazians descend from humans and singers and have singer ancestry. In Horneaters this gives them extra back-teeth, red hair, larger size, and are closer to the cognitive realm. For Herdazians it just seems to give them rock-like carapace fingernails. The Natan people and the people of Babatharnam descend from humans and Siah Aimians and have Siah ancestors. The Babatharnam manifest this with blue-ish veins visible beneath the skin and the Natans have faintly blue skin. They may also have other Aimian characteristics but this is all we know about so far. What's with Thaylen Eyebrows? Where did this come from? Does anyone have any idea?

A chance for Wyndlerunner, 17th of Shard, to show his quality. I like Tom Bombadil as well! Hey come, merry dol! Derry dol my darling, light goes the weather wind, and the feathered starling!

@Mist So I started with Warbreaker, because I was told as one of his standalone books that it was an easy way to get a feel for his writing style without committing too hard to his body of work. Then I read Elantris because even though its his first work and therefore not as good as some of his newer stuff its a key part of the Cosmere. I then read Hope of Elantris and Emperors soul and I am now getting ready to start Mistborn

Speaking of the next post:

And a MAJOR spoiler out of Karen's mouth for Words of Raciance (I think?) Oopsee

Yes, really Favorite type of candy? The edible kind. I like most candies. Scent? I like a lot of scents, but I don't have any favorites. Maybe that outdoors-y smell? When you're out in the wild and you got the breeze, sap of trees, lichen on rocks, that sort of thing.

When your wife responds with “well maybe you should have married Brandon” after you explain that the section of WoR she was confused about was not due to unclear writing as Brandon making mistakes is clearly impossible.

If only they really were made of sodium, then we could just throw water on them and they'd burn up. #badchemistryjoke But Darkfinder is right, it's confirmed that there are only 9 Unmade.

Woah. That's cool. My guess is that it's convergent evolution of ideas, but it is possible.

@Bzhydack After giving it some thought I think you might be right on this. Yesterday I came across some new interesting evidence when reading on the Near East mythology (I'll post a new theory within a few days) and I believe it implicates rather strongly (amongst other things) that the Unmade are Odium's equivalent of Heralds/Honorblades rather than Bondsmith or Trutwacther spren. If so, they are unlikely to be permanently bonded. As for the other part of this theory (that the Trutwatchers will be the special Voidbinding Order, rather than Bondsmith), I think it still stands - the Unmade simply need to replaced with some sapient (probably rare) Voidspren

Mostly, yes, but only in the summer (June-August, maybe September). I'm planning to buy a wet suit soon so I can extend my season a bit. However, by Nov, it will be too cold even with a wet suit, and the lake will start to freeze. I will skip a day if it is pouring really hard all day, however, I will swim in light rain. I'm already wet if I'm in the water. I won't swim when there is lightening, but thunderstorms don't usually last a whole day. This week, I didn't swim the day I went hiking since we left early and got back late, and then I had to skip he day after because I fell when I hiked and my shoulder was too sore. But before that, I think I had a two or three week streak of not missing a day.

There's actually only really one or two 'right' ways to write a query, at least in SFF. Queryshark is a great place for query letter examples, and you can always sub one through here in a crit spot if you want our help, too!

's code of conduct by hovering directly over a residential area and yelling out vaguely ominous statements. "If only today weren't a Thursday..." "Online shopping will be your fiery downfall, Jeff..." "The ducks have run out of bread..."

I don't think there's a way for a caste of illiterate Forever Warriors to effectively run a government. I think if we learn more about the ins and outs of Alethi politics, we'll find that a lot of it is done quietly behind the scenes by the women who actually transmit all the messages and relay all the information. What do these bozo Highprinces know about anything? Note that the only one we've seen trying to administer and grow his peoples' holdings is Sebarial, who is the most dismissive of Alethi cultural norms and the least interested in war.

Obviously this doesn't apply when you yourself are an eliminator In that case, you open your elim doc unless the game is very weird.

*Tinfoil Hats On* Brandon loves to twist the magic systems (as evidenced by Mistborn Era 2). The Stormfather and Syl keep reinforcing that she is special and not like other Honorspren. Kaladin at the same time is the soldier but also the surgeon. Perhaps the reason Syl was drawn to him was due to this duality? Perhaps the Stormfather is her Father but the Nightwatcher is her Mother as well. Making her half cultivation spren in addition to honor spren. As such, Kaladin could be the first (maybe only) dual Order Knight Radiant. His soldier self is a Windrunner but his surgeon is an Edgedancer. If Kaladin began swearing a second set of ideals “I will remember those who have been forgotten” and “I will listen to those who have been ignored”, Syl and Kal could get a second set of surges. Giving Kal progression in addition gravitation seems like a right fit if he were to take a secondary order. Not to mention this would make Syl a child of the two bondsmith spren who are also closely connected with the Rosharan Shards as well. Thoughts? *Tinfoil Hats Off*

The alethi are warlords playing at what they think politics is. Fighting, shows of force, backstabbing and appearance over substance.

t/w animal violence (swans fight, but they both live)

just a feeling i get when reading SA ive never imagined the Highprinces or much of anyone in Alethkar,really, as being very good at politics(just look at how the other nations veiw/interact with them) you want politics, go to the Azish you want war, go to the Alethi you want Chouta, go to Lopen

Understating it a bit. Kelsier would never knowingly work for any noble. A Kelsier born on Roshar and sold as a slave after being betrayed by a lighteyed commander would be leading a resistance movement of lower Nahn darkeyes in a class/racial uprising. The closest he’d get to any Kholin would be slitting one’s throat. The nearest Rosharan main cast comparison to Kelsier is Moash, ironically enough. Moash has, of course, far too little charisma to be the magnificent bastard Kel is.

Hi! I absolutely love Vin, Elend, Kaladin and Shallan. But right now I’d say Kaladin because of his struggle and growth in The Way of Kings, which is my favorite book from Brandon. It made me cry so many times I’ve lost track! Its also the longest book I’ve read so far. My fave series is Mistborn but I have a strong feeling Stormlight Archieve will surpass it once its complete haha, and I’m a Stoneward! I’d love to hear your answers too.

Welcome to the Shard, we’re happy to have you here!

New acronym for me, which I am assuming has nothing to do with the US postal service. I assume you found it? Unique Selling Point, in case you didn't. Marketing speak that has leached into common usage. (I use the word 'leached' advisedly.) Buy a liquorice shirt then, just in case. Ir has an excellent voice, and the setting is strong and interesting. I think your writing also has a confidence to it; the ideas are good and character interactions are interesting, believable, satisfying. Sure, there's plenty to do, but it's only Draft 2. You might have another four drafts before you got somewhere near something you would want to sub around. The central conceit of the world, the different categories of beings, works, IMO, and works well as a concept. It's very entertaining and thought-provoking. It's been done before in certain similar ways: it definitely works. Richard Scary's books and Blacksad came to mind before, Larry Niven's Known Space books is another example (the Kzinti are awesome!!), and of course David Brin's Uplift Universe books themselves. The issue of how mundane and 'uplifted' creatures and therios and Fey all interact is a fascinating and intriguing question, and something I would very much like to read more about. The challenge of working that out is something I am sure everyone here would be more than happy to brainstorm if you wanted to do that 'in the open' (although it might be best done in camera since it's likely to be fundamental to the story). If you want my 10c on this, spitballing out loud, I think I'd want to go back to the beginning and figure out how this came to pass, and maybe you have done this already. (1) How did creatures that, presumably, were mundane originally, become imbued with intelligence? (2) Then there are therios, which I think are the humanoid creatures with animal attributes? The Kzinti would qualify in this category, if I've understood it. I found this very interesting derivation: https://www.theriofoundation.org/page/UnderstandingTherio. How did humans and animals get combined so that you can, in this world, meet a humanoid with a tiger's head and claws, but that in all other ways has the attributes of a human? (3) Then there are the Fey, which I still don't have an explanation of, to a degree that gives me a sound footing. Like I said, it is such a fertile area for debate and fascinating narrative in the early part of the story

YKYAS when you and your friends start finding parallels between Hamilton (the musical) and Cosmere characters. It started when a friend decided that the love triangle between Hamilton, Eliza, and Angelica is like the love triangle between Navani, Gavilar, and Dalinar.

...until you find out it's the name of a chicken "We came to Aimia, through all, through all of that... To find a Dawnshard... And it's just this?" Rysn sputtered. "Don't be so disappointed," the scarred Thaylen replied calmly. "He's not a Dawnshard, just simply Dawnshard, and he's a good widdle chick-chick, isn't he? Oh yes, he is." He stroked the chicken's head, which cooed softly. "Besides, Dawnshard's actually harder to find on Roshar than what you are looking for. He's the only one of his kind here, but the Dawnshards that came here in the days before Heralds, ah, that is a different story... As well you would know, Sleepless One."

Wow, I hope nobody is reading this that's never read Mistborn.

I'm curious to know why she's less serious than other Honorspren. Other than Rua that is Is it because she's so young in terms of waking life? If so does that mean Rua is a 'new' Honorspren. Or is it something else. Her curiosity reminds me strongly of the Iri religion of 'The One' that believes god split themselves into different bits to experience the world. IIRC the same concept has appeared in other cosmere religions too. I've always suspected that that belief is close to the real story of Adonalsium. Could it be that Syl isn't just a splinter of Honor? Or that's she's a greater splinter in some way?

Hi, Is this group active? I’m drafting my fantasy novel now and will be ready for alpha readers in a few months. I will of course also be ready to review others’ work at that time in exchange...