Leaderboard

AG7: Day 7 - Glitterally Deadly So, what will we do for the writeup this week? I don’t know. Nothing even happens. Yeah. Surely we can think of something? Even if someone had been attacked and survived, that’d help. Well.......... Does it have to be a player that was attacked? Uhh. Yes? It kinda does? Okay, but consider: Wilson, the Bloodthirsty Goddess the Brightness Ascendant, walked through the Cosmere, surveying her work. She’d delivered all the messages she was supposed to, letting the Cosmere’s most powerful know where they stood with each other, but she was bored. Usually the information she delivered was important! Significant! She’d heralded the deaths of Shardholders, the splintering of Shards, the destruction of entire planets and what was there now? Nothing. She sighed. At least she’d gotten to them all this time before that cheeky interloper Elbereth could. In fact, she hadn’t seen any trace of the girl at all recently..... Wilson shrugged. I’m sure she’ll turn up eventually. Then she heard a rumbling noise behind her, and the ground started to shake. She looked back just in time to see a big sparkling something before it hit her, nearly knocking herself off her feet. Regaining her footing, she looked up and saw - well, things approximately the size and shape of boulders, except... glittering. And hurtling towards her at- crash! Another boulder slammed into her from behind, knocking her to her knees. Sighing internally, Wilson covered her head rather than getting up to just be knocked down again. As more boulders hit her, she noticed that while the initial hit of the things was hard enough to cause bruises, upon contact they just - shattered? Exploded was the better word, maybe, into showers of glitter that fell softly around her. She winced and closed her eyes. Well, there goes this dress, she thought somewhat distantly, trying not to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of the whole situation. She counted at least a dozen more impacts before the rumbling finally stopped. After waiting a moment longer to make sure there were no more surprises in store, she judged it was safe to get up. Groaning slightly, Wilson pulled herself to her feet and took stock. She was absolutely covered in glitter - as was the land around her for several hundred yards, and deep enough to be nearly up to her knees. It was in her mouth, even. She tried to spit it out but she could still feel the flakes of glitter. And she couldn’t very well use her hands to get the glitter out of her mouth or off her face or…..off her dress. They were covered in as much glitter as the rest of her. A few feet away from her, in a particularly high pile of glitter, she noticed a long shaft sticking out at an angle. Also made of glitter (or just covered in it; she probably looked like she was made of glitter right now), but... She waded her way over and pulled at the thing, uncovering a long spear with a point that - well, it wasn’t sharp exactly, but it definitely would’ve hurt if it had been on target. She took a deep breath and blew on the glitter on her hands. The glitter swirled up and went into her eyes and down her throat. She recoiled, coughing, and blinked hard. That….had been a mistake. She stared at her hands, at a loss for what to do. Then her eyes narrowed. She growled, curling her hands into fists at her side, and stomping her foot into the glitter surrounding her. She knew exactly who had done this, and there would be a price to pay. El attacked Wilson, but other than that nothing happened! Day 7 has begun and will end in 45.5 hours at 8am MST on January 21. Player List 1. Amber Vulture - (Creative Cook) 2. Amethyst Scorpion - Mort (Deathspren) 3. Azure Mouse - Tenth of the Dusk/Kaikoa (Bounty Hunter) 4. Charcoal Hyena - Soren (Hobbyist (Poet)) 5. Chartreuse Penguin - (Bumblebee) 17th Sharder 6. Coral Swan - Enoras (Prophetic) 7. Cream Tuatara - (Prophetic) Cultivation 8. Fuchsia Ostrich - Konion (Unlucky orphan) Dominion 9. Indigo Weasel - Iadhain 'the Weasel' Ramer (Kleptomaniac ) 10. Ivory Dragonfly - Eris (Decisive) 11. Magenta Albatross - Relas (Distracted) 12. Mauve Crocodile - Siena Ashao (Unlucky) Forger 13. Melon Dingo - Niru Drash (Insane-Egomaniac-Scholar) Original Ruin 14. Mint Heron - Nihalin (Hobbyist) Original Prudence 15. Onyx Flamingo - (Excitable) 16. Opal Lion - Remy (Hobbyist) 17. Oxblood Beagle - Lady Orchid (Gossip) Endowment 18. Pearl Chameleon - (Compulsive Gambler) 19. Plum Rhinoceros - Solemnheart (Returned-Amnesiac-Scholar) Mercy 20. Quartz Zebra - Sophos (Bad Stormwarden) 21. Saffron Iguana - Vatorr Maj (Tinker) Honor 22. Sage Kangaroo - Arleoxtai Ashvtet (Gossip) Original Valor 23. Sapphire Elephant - Al (Drunk) 24. Scarlet Octopus - () 25. Taupe Gecko - Aurora (Bad Human) Elantrian 26. Turquoise Gorilla - () 27. Violet Axolotl - Sir Brockett (Elderly)

Vespyr went cold. There was no escape, true. After this, the flow of the drugged nectar would be no more. After these few, precious bottles, Vespyr would suffer from years of constant influence. Vespyr would die a painful, excruciating death as years of the influence caught up to the creature in one great, terrible rush. To die to the Queen would be a mercy. It wasn't a mercy Vespyr would allow itself, not with Janice on its back, not when it had thrown away its life for one small, moronic, insignificant child. The least it could do would be to die having done one shred of worthiness... no, that wasn't the right word. Good. One shred of good in its life. Vespyr soared. Nothing could match it for speed, nothing could match it for height. Nothing could match it. Vespyr took to the clouds, vanishing in the storm, lightning shrieking around them. One bolt nearly killed both, but it arced around the creature entirely, flashing blindingly in a ring around Vespyr and Janice before shooting down to the ocean below. Vespyr danced with lightning, rain, and darkness, a masterful flight.

I have another meme.

Here we go again . . .

Hi all, I was just thinking about ROW for the 1,000,000,000 time since I finished it-maybe that is a bit of an overreaction-and couldn't help but be invested in the relationship between Kaladin and Leshwi. Granted, they don't spend much time together in this book, but from their limited interactions, even though they are trying to kill each other for some of them, there is a respect hanging between the two, and a strange chemistry. Plus, throughout most of the book Leshwi attempts to protect Kaladin-her enemy-and at the end I think Kaladin offers refuge for her and her singers. Also, I think BrandoSando has mentioned that in the past on Roshar there were Human-Singer couples and children. Aren't the Horneaters distant ancestors of Human-Singer cross breeding? Anyway, I just want to see the relationship between these two grow, because I think it has a lot of potential and the chemistry and basic foundations are already there. What do you all think about this potential Kaladin-Leshwi romance? Love you all!

“Half-Wit” Thanks a LOT Taravangian!

Nah. Dis is The Diagram. Notice the "largest chocolate bar EVER" and the "number four". Both very important to the fate of mankind. Imagine if Taravangian's one day of brilliance was just a particular memory of taking a marker to the wall in his childhood... Or if it was sometime in his early twenties when he tripping on some Rosharan drug...

Aw man, the dream I was having about Rysn and I protecting Hoid from Odium so he could read RoW memes wasn't real life...

Even though I am nowhere close to achieving it, the reputation title I want the most is Voidbringer (3000 Rep). I don't want to get any more than that, so that my title will stay the same. Is there a way to implement this so that people can keep the title they want once they've earned it? Also, help to become a Voidbringer is much obliged.

I had an awful day, but recovered it, so I'll live. Would like hugs, though.

Kaladin dying would be disappointing, when such a large part of his character has been learning to live despite his problems. Feels to me like a terrible way to end an arc about overcoming depression and suicide. "Life will get better one day, but then you'll die before you can finally enjoy it!"

Still good though When in doubt, make memes about Kaladin's depression:

Janice shook and shivered on the table. Her sobs were like of a child's; there were no more painful screams to be heard. Great, pulsing sobs. "Please no..." she cried. "Please. Stop it... please stop it... Siren... help..." Siren. Screams became a song for Vespyr. It had always been a way to survive the slaughter, survive the way it could break someone. Drown the screams out with music. Let them hear a lullaby as they made their peace with the eternal sleep. Vespyr had killed children before. There were usually children acting as servants or apprentices to various crewmembers. Janice’s death shouldn’t bother them this much. If... If only the girl wasn’t quite so much like Rain. If only the Queen would just run her through and be done with it. Something quick and sensible, like before. Vespyr could survive that much more easily. Vespyr took a deep breath and stepped outside, gathering the winds in an undulating ring around them. Foolishness. To protest was to invite torture. To act was to die. It had survived Rain’s loss, it would survive Janice’s. Vespyr prepared to leap into the sky, but felt something change within its ring of perception. It heard Janice break. A whimpering, simpering sob of hopelessness. Helplessness. Pain. It could feel the despair that made her breathe more shallowly, frantically. It was... just like Rain. Rain, bloody on the floor, alive and dead at the same time, heaving in despair and betrayal and agony, trying not to die. Futile. Damnation. Vespyr whipped around and sent the wind lashing through the Queen’s chamber. A desk ripped from the bolts holding it to the floor, contents scattering, and slammed into the Queen, pinning her to the wall. It stayed there under the force of a whirlwind. Hopefully, that would be enough to hold her. It was too much to hope that it would knock her out. Vespyr shot into the room and touched each of the locks in turn. The metal began to vibrate wildly. The locks clicked open, and Vespyr scooped the child onto its back. She could die somewhere else, on its own terms. Vespyr just wouldn’t let the stupid little thing die now, not on the monster’s fragment of a conscience.((If you want to save the rock that is Trace, grab it in your next post. Vespyr knows nothing of it.)) Vespyr’s winds spoke, and Vespyr didn’t even think about what they were whispering on repeat, a mantra of the soul. “I am a voice, not a tool.” Vespyr shot out of the room through the balcony doors on a gale of wind, not touching the doors, ground, or railing. Thunder struck in a sea of clouds. It began to rain.

Here we go week # 3 and Poem # 3! Lost to Iniquity Unknown? Raging waters gallop forth sweeping away all of the world as the fists of a deity angered beyond reconciliation. Nymphs and Dryads vanish with their terrified cries sinking into the depths. Pan’s music is buried and the throne of Demeter is tossed aside while these waters seek vengeance for crimes even the primordial ones know not. The power of Ares and Athena pale and break before armies that need no rest. Mountains tremble and Olympus itself falls in petrified submission. Zeus on high gazes down awestruck, silent, and humbled in a way that forms shackles of barbed twisted metal that clings to flesh. All of the fires of Hephaestus are burning oceans of steam that accompany a trembling Typhon into oblivion. Sighing forests ancient and proud bend in futility for a few moments before all that remain are jagged splinters fly outward with true violence. Rivers and lakes attack wantonly that which they had once shared with the other elements. The Earthshaker is bound hand and foot. Nothing remains of the kingdoms of mortals on land or at sea, but the last cries of those who cling to faint hope. Aeolus seeks to hold back the stallions that have lowered the sovereigns of all, but his breath fades into nothing as soon as it is loosed. Clear skies reveal the twins tears that fall and mingle in the deluge with an insatiable hunger. Nowhere is safe from spirits that rise armored in full and drag into the grave mortals and immortals alike. A horrific song reaching a crescendo digs down tearing Hades and his realm up from the roots and treading it underfoot. One by one all are seemingly brought to heel until there is nothing left of beauty, subtlety, or complexity of any kind in the whole of the cosmos. Shrouds wrap tightly for a moment and take hold of that which is now theirs. Joy which is anathema builds cities most high and establishes empires that are hollow things. Memory and time lose meaning. Then two brothers step forward bearing with them might which sends all which has happened into flight. Angry waters fall to slumber as they rush back to whence they came from leaving little sign that they had ever existed. Those who were lost rise from the abyss. Slumber returns strength to the whole of what once was. Forests heal and true laughter returns. Order is reborn and crowns replaced upon the heads of tyrants and fools. Grim smiles appear on the faces of Thanatos and Hypnos before they rush away and all is seemingly forgiven.

This one is dumb

Full book spoilers (Some of these seem pretty obvious, but I made them myself and I don't remember seeing them in this thread)

I may or may not have stolen the core of this idea from Brilliant

If Marsh had kids Daughter: Hey, Dad? Marsh: Yes? Daughter: Can I get my ears pierced? Marsh: NO!! Daughter: C'mon Dad, they wouldn't even have any charge! Marsh: No child of mind will be pierced by metal. EVER. Daughter: Mom, Dad won't let me get my ears pierced. Mother: *sigh* That's just because he regrets his own piercings.

Depends on when you're running it. If it's during a summer, and I'm not running a game at the same time, I could probably manage it. Though if you're looking for someone able to co-GM no matter the time, someone else is probably your best bet. EDIT: Well, this isn't a bad 3,000th post, but hey! I hit 3,000!

Radiants when the Fused attack Urithiru:

I'm not so sure about the dark triad stuff too? Like, people with narcissistic personality disorder, an actual condition, are fine too, those are also just other people with different struggles. Like, yeah, someone with narcissism can be a jerk in ways that are encouraged by that neurodivergency and they might need to work extra hard to avoid certain harmful patterns of behavior, but they're not any less capable of good. I think trying to blame bad behaviors on inherent traits is kinda flawed by it's nature. Like, everyone makes choices and it seems to undermine the harm those actions cause by blaming it on something like that-- like, it takes away from accountability. But we know less about that than plural stuff, so, shrug. - Nix

“Tweezers” Because it removes splinters.

When you don’t remember eating corn last night and your mind immediately jumps to...SOULCAST! When you are in the midst of an argument with your wife and you suddenly wonder, “Did she just hum to derision!?!?” When you purchase her engagement ring based mostly on how much stormlight it could hold. When you imagine your asthma inhaler recharges your Radiant powers...the surge of breathing. When you get dressed to go out on the town, take one final look at yourself in the mirror and think...MATE FORM!!! When you refer to your girlfriend’s lower back tattoo as her ‘Smash Brand’ When you realize a cross-over 007/Mr. and Mrs. Smith spy film would not only be super exciting, but could be titled “Bond-Smith” When you open the door to public toilets using your stretched out shirt sleeve....and refer to the practice as ‘Using your Safe hand.’ When you, as a guy, only ‘read’ Sanderson audiobooks and justify it as Vorinism. When your girl wants fast food, asks you if McDonald’s is ok, and you imperiously respond, “No! The Way of Kings!” When you constantly refer to your 401K plan as your ‘Investiture.’ When your wife asks why you left the bed UNMADE and you blame Odium.

While I don't agree with the first paragraph (I think Jasnah only follows social norms for its advantages it gives her to be the epitome of perfection, not because she personally feels Vorins set the best boundaries), nor does the age gap bother me (once someone is effectively immortal, imo, it doesn't mean the other mortal adult can't meaningfully consent, but sometimes things just bother us, and I get that). However, I definitely am completely with you on how bad it feels that this relationship means Jasnah ended up with literally the only man around more powerful and smart than she is. It puts a really bad taste in my mouth. No matter how powerful and intelligent she is, and how little screentime the relationship took up, it feels like no matter how incredible woman is, she can't be the most powerful/smart/accomplished person in the relationship. Also genuinely thought she was either aromantic or sapphic as well as ace, so I'm extremely bitter and honestly, may never let this go. In addition, chapter 99 really didn't... track with my experience of being ace, I thought it was honestly kind of ... it just wasn't very good. I'm hoping this is just because it was Brandon's first go at it and further explorations will be better, but yeesh. Like Wit has never met an ace person? He's ten thousand years old. Like Jasnah wouldn't have discussed this already with Wit despite being well into having sex? Checked in with other ace friends to confirm - this is a conversation had early in romantic relationships to make sure we're all on the same page before things get to being sexual. Also Jasnah didn't feel very romantically into Wit, despite being canonically heteroromantic - ace people can have romantic feelings, and despite her public persona, Jasnah isn't actually an automaton. I wanted more for her than being so into his brain and cosmere secrets. I know part of THAT is that Brandon just can't do romance very well, but that doesn't change the fact that I had higher hopes for Jasnah. In every way, I'm just so sour on this.

Harmony keeping everyone up at night with these letters...

I don't trust any history of the Recreance. Every Radiant had to have made the decision to abandon Oaths. There's no evidence that half of them decided, with a protracted war killing the other half, etc. This was a community-wide decision and a universal act to dispand the Knights Radiant and remove surgebinding from Roshar. As such, the Skybreakers didn't quietly betray the other Orders. Nor would the others allow an entire order to decide to not take part. I believe the Skybreakers were left behind to make sure all Radiants broke Oaths, as a police force, to prosecute any that refused. Once assured that all others broke Oaths, they would do so themselves. When the Skybreakers saw that spren were killed by the act of breaking Oaths, they couldn't very well kill their own spren. They didn't grow their order, however, and eventually it mostly died off to old age. Except for Nale. He couldn't die, nor could he break Oaths. As an aside, it's possible that the Recreance itself was a reason why Nale bonded with a highspren in the first place. To be part of the monitoring team. He eventually regrew the Skybreakers to watch for the return of Radiants, essentially continuing the reason they didn't abandon Oaths with everyone else in the first place. Only, by this time, he was insane and decided that Radiants must die to stop the return of the Desolations.

So there’s all this talk about how dangerous mistborn are, and how dangerous radiants are, but not many people have considered Awakeners. For one, awakeners use invested weapons, so it’ll be tough to soulcast or push/pull. The cloth or other items will be tough to cut through with coins, especially when you can fortify it. Shardblades are tough to stop, but invested vs invested are very good at resisting each other. Awakened stuff is also pretty darn strong, so pewter won’t make a huge difference here. And the strength of awakened objects might even be able to break some Shardplate. so that cancels iron, steel, pewter, shardblades, soulcasting, and maybe even Shardplate right there. now, the radiant’s trump card, regeneration, is tough. BUT awakeners also have resilient tools. The lifeless. One breath lifeless allows you to make an army pretty darn easy. If we are talking one v. one, awakeners will have superiority in numbers. If we are talking about many vs many, every death can be used as another soldier. That would cause a lot of emotional turmoil. If we’re talking about mistborn, lifeless koloss would be annoying to deal with. so that combats large numbers and the regenerative properties of radiants (sort of). now the trump card of mistborn is their atium. But to an awakener with enough breath, that’s no problem. Just do Vasher’s hundred breath trick, catching them off guard and killing them without problem. 100 breaths to kill a mistborn is likely worth it. Heck, that truck might even kill a radiant! So there goes a mistborn’s trump card. Now for the awakener’s trump card. Anti-investiture. Heightenings don’t usually grant much to awakeners in battle. But with the knowledge of anti-investiture, it means everything. Third hiieghtening grants perfect pitch. That allows you to know how to play the opposite tone of any type of investiture. That allows you to be an anti-investiture generator. One blast of that stuff can kill a radiant spren and, since scadrians are of preservation, that means that they too are susceptible to non-existence. so that DEFINITELY defeats Shardplate and regeneration. Now Nicrosil and chromium is hard. It can’t affect the awakener because the breaths are not really kinetic investiture, since they are attatched to the spiderweb, not the person. But it can affect the awakened material (not lifeless though). That renders awakened cloth a tad useless, so long as there is nicrosil or chromium. Though, while that is being done, an anti-investiture blast can finish things off. Abrasion is hard to use against invested stuff, so that’s out. Gravitation is annoying to put up with, but holding anti-investure stops them from air drop kicking you. soothing and rioting can really hurt, especially with duralumin. But an aluminum hat can cancel that easily. Bondsmiths can by tough to deal with if you are dealing with multiple people, but every awakener is an anti-investiture, perpendicularity closing machine. I think, overall, that covered everything that could be thrown at an awakener. Conclusion, awakeners are OP.

I write these words in steel for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted Sooooo-o, hello! I just finished Warbreaker after reading all of Mistborn era 1 in a month and wanted to find a place to share my love for the one true Returned Lightsong ( I was very visibly excited when I was reading one of his viewpoint chapters) and my other interests regarding Brandon's books. I hope to take part in some interesting conversations while continuing my journey through the Cosmere.

*Hugs.* and a hot off the presses haiku Gentle hands soothe sad Branches. Bright beams enlighten. Willow's soft aura.

Yep, what those two said. Just a new trend, not something that's needed to make friends on the Shard or anything like that, some people just started doing it

This just in: Breaker is some kind of land vehicle. More at 11.

I read him as a power-hungry emotional abuser who severely damaged his wife and kids, and possibly even his brother, then precipitated the apocalypse for what appears to be a desire for personal power and/or a lasting legacy. He definitely had contact with numerous worldhoppers, and treated Dalinar like an attack dog who he used and abused for his own ends. He emotionally abused his wife to an almost cartoonish degree, ruined his son (Ehlokar is very clearly a kind and decent person beneath the chip on his shoulder and paranoia and emotional issues) by providing a bad example and teaching him the wrong lessons (note that Dalinar, who is probably the least justice-focused Kholin protagonist (in that he's not willing to break things to fix them as much as Jasnah is or as "storm the rules, this is evil and I gotta stop it" as Adolin is), thought that Gavilar's judgement of Roshone was much too merciful), abused his daughter and tried to force her into marriage with a self-centered sociopath who I'm about 80% sure tried to rape her, then probably committed Jasnah in retaliation (not 100% sure since we know little of Jasnah's backstory, but her reaction to Amaram reeks of instinctive terror covered by personal insults, and I wouldn't put anything past Gavilar at this point), used Dalinar like a Rottweiler on a chain to the point that Dalinar is still clearly screwed up by it and gaslighting himself DECADES later... Basically, what I'm saying is that Gavilar was clearly a vile person with good PR. The difference between him and Amaram seems to primarily have been age and ambition.

Here goes nothing, part 2: That was harder than the last one, I must say.

Cycle - 6: Burnt to Brown Burnt was heart-broken. She’d never expected that her closest friend, the closest person in the world to her, would turn out to be a Darkfriend. They’d come for her next, there’s no way they’d believe that she didn’t know about it. But she didn’t care. She’d go with them without a protest. She didn’t care about anything anymore. She.. she wasn’t mad that Ilyanna had betrayed her. She just wished she had told her about it. There was genuine kindness in her heart, and I could feel like she was a really good person deep within. If I had known, maybe we could have crossed her over to the light together. Ilyanna! Why didn’t you just tell me? She collapsed on the floor and barely heard the footsteps approaching, coming for her. By the time a couple of arms grabbed her from the floor, she was already dead. *** The Black Ajah met for one of their final meetings. They needed to stop these if they were to escape out of this mess unscathed. “Who’s next?” asked one of the members. “The Contact says Illwei.” answered another. “Illwei? Are you serious? Have you seen her Weaves? They have yielded nothing for her in quite a while. She’s very weak in the use of saidar. You were there the other day when she tried to combine the flows of Fire, Air and Spirit which she let loose and accidentally released a lightning bolt which killed poor Faleast. I’d say she’s more useful to us alive!” “That may be true, but the Contact argues that it is not her Channeling that we need to be worried about. It’s the part of her that makes her a White Ajah. They are deeply passionate in their search for truth, and this clearly shows in her. She’s been helpful, even instrumental in finding and rooting out the rest of us. For us to even have a chance of getting out of this, she needs to go.” The questioner seemed troubled by this answer. There was no arguing against the Contact’s choices, of course. But the fact that he didn’t know about this was troubling indeed. “It’ll be done.” he grunted, as they dispersed away from one of their last meetings. Burnt Spaghetti was eliminated. She was a Rebel Aes Sedai of the order Brown Ajah. Illwei was killed. She was a Rebel Aes Sedai of the order White Ajah. Vote Count: Burnt Spaghetti (6) : Matrim's Dice, James Brafin, Dannex, Devotary of Spontaneity Devotary of Spontaneity (4) : Gears, Breaker, Archer, Illwei The Unknown Order (1) : Burnt Spaghetti James Brafin (1) : The Unknown Order Cycle 6 has begun and will end on January 20, at 23:30 IST [GMT + 05:30]. Please try to bold your votes, and give retractions in green. Don’t forget to put your actions in! Player List :

I believe the tallest building on our version of Earth is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is 828 meters (2,717 feet). Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings

ORDER OF HIGH SCHOOLERS Life before death etc. I will realize what is important I will focus on what is important I accept that not every important thing can be focused on I am important ORDER OF MUSICIANS life before... I will listen to music I will learn from the music of others Sometimes music isn't the answer I realize music only good based on opinion life before death is a bit much though...

Well, this is reminding me of when I found out all the possible twinborn combinations on a whole new level.

Many things: I hung up a Hammock in my room! In fact, I’m in it right now! Here it is: I got this Hockey poster of me! Sorry, had to color over the name. Do any of y’all remember my Windrunner Lamp that I made? Well, I used different color lights and took pictures of them on the wall.

Ya, sorry, I am trying to fix it

@Wittless If you're curious about the experiences of plural readers and how they read Shallan and her role as representation, there's a few good threads discussing this already. The Winter System started one here that had some good responses on this topic: I am singlet (not-plural) myself, but will say I think you are getting some more brusque responses because some of the things you've said regarding the story and plurality are close to some of the more harmful ideas about it, even though I assume that was not your intent. Things like saying that you find this weird or uncomfortable, or that it's "an issue that needs to be dealt with" or that plurality is "dangerous" are harmful stereotypes, and the people who are affected by these things are understandably upset. One of the criticisms in that thread of Shallan's arc was that it ended in integration, and while some systems see integration as a goal, others prefer to find stability amongst themselves, and having Shallan persist as a stable system in a loving relationship would have been very good positive representation for plurality. I found that very interesting, as it wasn't something I'd thought about, as a singlet, but I could see the point that was made in that, it made sense. There's plenty of cheap horror portrayals of plurality where "gasp, a 'normal' person some of the time, and a crazy murderer others! how frightening and terrible!" but there's plenty of actual plural systems out there living their lives as normal people and when their only representation is as a horror monster, well... obviously that's a pretty bad thing. Anyway, I'd encourage you to read that thread, and some of the others that are around on this topic, and also just read online about the experiences of real plural systems if you want to know more. I'd encourage you to be careful about the way you phrase things and remember that there are real people out there with similar experiences to Shallan's when you talk and ask about her storyline. That's good advice anywhere, but it's especially important for things like this. I hope that helps!

As far as I know, we have no way to tell how much Breath Hoid was holding at the time, other than it must have been at least enough for the 2nd Heightening. It may have been much more. The above WoBs show memories were removed and destroyed, not "stolen" or "read". This scene horrified me on first read... but Leuthie's comments give me a slim hope. Todium didn't learn anything, except that Hoid was, in fact, on the Shattered Plains, and that he's still a wise ass. I would LOVE to think Hoid had anticipated this possibility, planning ahead by holding JUST enough Breath to leave evidence if any - any at all - were removed. Perhaps Hoid is crafty enough to use himself as bait in order to learn something about his "old friend's" state of mind. The sooner Dalinar learns about Odium being under new management, the better... and this event just might be the first step towards that. Even better: the whole build-up to the meeting was Hoid musing on the need for concealment, misdirection, and misrepresentation in telling stories. Now I have hope that this very intentional meeting was designed purposely to hold Odium's attention in one place, while someone else did something important somewhere else - something that Hoid really doesn't want Odium to know about.

Thank you for making this post! Kaladin is my favorite character in whole freaking cosmere, and his arc in Rhythm of War was phenomenal from beginning to end. I commend Brandon for writing depression and battle shock so accurately. I'm an author and most of my books deal with dark moments within characters, hence I understand. While I haven't ever faced PTSD, four years ago when I was 14, an incident left me in a black space for years and it still shrouds my mind. It sometimes also manifests in form of sparse episodic depression, and I also have mild SAD. But that's not how I fell in love with Kaladin. His character journey has been best described than any other character for me, a perfect journey which still surges towards its destination. This is a man whom you can relate, not matter how powerful he is, and during his darknest times, you find yourself with him- feeling, reeling and crying but accepting that you DO understand what is going on. Healing is difficult but it is possible. For every night that hides our tears, there's a morning which bathes us in fresh light to breathe better. Kaladin is that light for Stormlight Archive. What I don't understand is people labelling him with words like weak, pathetic, sniveling and galling in many threads I've come across. It's wondrous to know that they find themselves 'acceptant' over a character burning his wife to death or mercilessly killing his own soldiers, or even poisoning while given excuse of personality disorder or people being commended for prejudicing for whole life only to be giggled over because he'd become friend to a hero- I am astounded that people find it difficult to not understand how conflicted Kaladin is because he can't protect anyone. Almost everyone, no matter how atrocious their deeds are, are being given redemption arcs and hailed mighty great by whole world but a character who is presenting you an after-effect of discrimination, abuse, slavery and depression is being called as an impossible read? Yes, I like other characters but that doesn't mean I like what they have done. There are many things which are far irredeemable by any means and the only salvation is to take a journey in right direction. But a character whose journey has almost always been in right is being assaulted substandard verbatim? You cannot expect a hero to be always swooping in and taking charge. You cannot expect a hero to dress well and flash a charming smile. You cannot expect a hero to be hypocrite past his own deeds. You can but expect a hero who will be real to you. Nevertheless, I always know we fans have our preferences and their dislike for characters is alright but at least provide valid imputation for your commentary-- don't label as something which is not 'right' by a character. We all have our heroes, and for me, that is Kaladin Stormblessed. And yes, he breaks many times more, he shatters, his soul fractures but he joins himself, picks himself up and rises again. That is the Life, the Strength and Journey.

You know you're a sanderfan when you write in your history notes on how Medieval Knights didn't follow their code of chivalry "No wonder there aren't any spren anymore" Edit: That is actually really dark now that I think about it...