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CW: It gets a bit dark at the end, but it gets better. Think Kaladin and blackbane in WoK. Please read with caution. Edited to add: Also, as much as I'm apparently externalising my internal angst and psychological conflict in this game by appealing to what the Wyrm in my head would say (Duncan, is that you bleeding through here?), I have been duly informed by my superior in the Inquisition to clarify for everyone's benefit: "I take no responsibility and am not advising Kas on the game. This is his own stupid idea, and really, even if he was listening to me, he knows better than to do that by now." THE EDGE OF NIGHT Duncan badly wanted a drink. Wyatt smiled. Black bled into the whites of his eyes. In the gathering of dusk, he was more charcoal shadow than man. "Good soldiers follow orders," he hissed. Duncan tossed a pebble at him half-heartedly and it passed through Wyatt as if he wasn't there. Maybe he wasn't. Duncan rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. He was having difficulty telling, as the days wore on and he just wanted a drink, something to numb the pain, to forget everything. To forget what Nebrask had made of him. To forget what he had done. Oh, Frederick, he thought, and he'd drunk, just a little, he supposed, but it wasn't nearly enough to cleanse the tar-black guilt from his soul and heart. He'd defended his little brother, but only half-heartedly, and now Frederick had followed him to Nebrask and to death. Another stone to lay against his soul, another charcoal smudge, and Duncan considered this the blackest and darkest. Frederick had never seemed touched by Nebrask. Duncan had never wanted this for him. And when Shimamura Sakura bore away his brother's body to offer him a decent burial, all Duncan could do was to drink from the last of the Respected Madman's stash, but it wasn't enough, and the guilt was there, and clinging to his soul, daubed in charcoal. How many more? Duncan wondered. How many more would there be? He couldn't meet Shimamura's eyes at all as she returned, even though he wanted to thank her. Someone had done right by Frederick at least, even if she, too, had called for his court-martial. Frederick, cold and still. Was this justice? Duncan, still living, still surviving, still drawing breath although he suspected he had died a very long time ago on Nebrask with the rest of his platoon. It was a shadow that had come home, someone who didn't know how to laugh, or smile. He'd left too much of himself on Nebrask, where Dig lay beneath the silent earth. Where Matt had fallen. Where Rlint had been betrayed and murdered. Where Tavi had in turn been killed as they turned upon each other as brotherhood and comradeship failed, at the end. Wyatt tsk-ed. "Did you really think you could get rid of me so easily, soldier?" he asked. "Worth a shot," Duncan grunted. He wanted to stop feeling. He wanted to die. It should have been him, and not TJ. Not Frederick. At what cost? "Rude," said Wyatt. "I'm just trying to help you." "You said that," Duncan snapped. "You always said that. Orders from the CO, you said. Good soldiers follow orders. We'd..." his vision blurred, and he realised his voice was trembling, too. "You said we'd hold the line, until the replacements came. I believed you, and I helped you murder my own squadmates!" And there it was. The first sin, the blood on the earth of the garden, the first murder, the one that stretched back all the way in a carmine chain of blood and betrayal to the first life when brother slew brother (a Ghostblood snaps off an arrow from his Shardplate, wisps of Stormlight leaking from the shattered gems; afraid and ready to die at the same time, a dying darkeyes collapses on wartorn streets from five stabs to his back, still reaching out to his assailant with the last of his strength, still trusting, still—) "Humans," Wyatt said. "Predictable. You never wanted to kill, so all I needed to do to tirelessly root out loyal soldiers was to tell you what you wanted to hear. Orders from the CO. Duty. Do it." He knelt down. "You know the truth? You were afraid. You wanted meaning, structure, order. A tidy story, in which you were the hero. I gave you everything you wanted, Duncan. And now you cry about how that's what you never wanted?" "Go 'way," Duncan whispered. "Go away, go away, GO AWAY!" The last words came out in a strangled shriek, as he hefted the empty spirits bottle. "I have a glass bottle and I'm not afraid to use it!" "Will you?" Wyatt asked. "I don't think you know what to do without me, Duncan. I think you need me. I think you're still afraid. And that's why you hesitated. Two Forgotten, dead, but the last you let live." Kessen and Tory. He did what he had to, but then Wyatt had woken up and—had he hesitated? Was this his fault? (It was, because Wyatt had been kind, Wyatt had given him direction, and Wyatt had been the mentor that a fresh young Rithmatist on his first tour on Nebrask needed, and Wyatt had been the perfect combination of duty and good humour that young Duncan, old Duncan had needed, and Duncan had trusted him and believed him and it was his hands that held the chalk and he would never, ever be free of that sin.) "Go away," Duncan whispered, hoarsely. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, the camp was empty. Talking to himself again. He rubbed at his eyes, until the blurriness went away, but he was shaking and he couldn't seem to stop. He stared at the bottle in his hands. He'd killed before, he thought. He knew how to kill. He could make it fast, or— They would come for him, the Forgotten here. They would kill him. Of course they would. He had taken down two of their own, which made him harder to set up, the way they'd set Frederick up. He didn't have to fight it. He could wait, and welcome death. And maybe... Duncan's throat choked up. Maybe that would be a form of justice, too. If I die, let me die, he thought. Let him live, he'd prayed to the Master, for Frederick. But the Master had done nothing. The Master had heeded no cries, that first tour on Nebrask, and Duncan's faith had died inside him. "Stop it," someone said, and Duncan knew that voice, and it cut through him like a knife, and he was grieving and raw all over again. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut. No. He could not—would not—did not deserve to—look. "I came to Nebrask for you, you know." "Shouldn't have," Duncan managed, with a strangled sob. "Well, I did," said Frederick. "And I don't hold this against you. I wish you could've saved me—" "I don't think I could have." "I wish you tried," Frederick said, and Duncan's heart broke all over again. "But it's done, and I think they would've distrusted me anyway, if I'd lived." But he hadn't. And now Duncan was all alone again. "Don't go," he whispered, when there was silence. He opened his eyes, cautiously. Just a crack. Frederick was smiling at him, and Duncan's vision blurred with renewed tears. "Make me wait, alright?" Frederick said. "I'm not in a hurry, so you shouldn't be, either. I always looked up to you, you know. All the stories you'd tell me in your letters, about Nebrask." "I'm no hero," Duncan croaked. "Just...broken." Just a coward. He couldn't save his platoon, and he couldn't save Frederick, either. I wish you'd tried. "You don't have to be," Frederick said. "We've got enough heroes, I think. We could do with fewer of them. And this whole camp is full of soldiers." "Then what do you want from me?" Duncan begged. "Live," said Frederick, and it was both a cruelty and kindness. "Forgive yourself. Remember us. And Ward the camp. Be their watcher, since I could not." "Okay," Duncan said, and he ignored the prickle of tears in his eyes. "I'll try." And then he was alone again, with only the ghosts in his head and the scars on his soul, and an empty bottle in his hands and two more on the floor, still stinking of alcohol. He wanted nothing more than to lie here and give up, but he'd given Frederick his word. How long can I keep doing this, Frederick? Duncan pleaded. He thought he could see Frederick again, shaking his head. Make me wait, Frederick had said. Duncan supposed he could do that. He took the next step.

Here's the next one! Are you a stick? Because nothing about you needs changing. 2 days until Valentine's Day!!!

I just thought of this. If you know me well, this will make sense.

Sakura was awoken by the sound of a wooden bowl being knocked over, the water inside of it splashing into the walls of her tent. Three years ago, such a thing would have never woken her up, she would have felt safe in the arms of her wife. Now, however, she’d grown more cautious and had learned to sleep with ears open. She stepped barefoot on to the floor of her room, quietly, so she wouldn’t alert whoever was there she’d woken up. Sakura crept toward the flaps of her tent, steeling herself for anything. Instead of the hungry face of a Forgotten, however, she only saw a man. "Oh, it's only you." She paused for a second at the sound of him cocking a rifle. “Ah, so it’s time to pay for my sins.” The man nodded and pulled the trigger. Her vision started to go black and Sakura whispered to no one but herself, I am sorry, my love—my dear Hougetsu—that I will not come home to you. Then, Sakura died. Her last sight was not the face of her wife, but the flash of a gun. The man exited the room, his dirty work completed. It was already starting morning, and this would certainly wake people up. When the men of the camp finally arrived at her tent, they found a letter resting unsealed on the dead woman’s desk. Ventyl was shot and killed. She was a Rithmatist. Camp Supply: Player List: This Day will end on February 14th, at 8 PM CST.

Hey physics nerds. I've been toying with the equations of motion for paired gems (conjoiners and reversers). I'm happy with what I've got so far, but I'm interested in digging for thoughts on the decay factor that comes with distance.... But first let me back up and explain where I'm at. Using Pulleys I think the easiest way to think of paired fabrials is by comparing them to pulley systems. For a simple conjoiner, it's easiest to just think of them as rigidly connected, but the metaphor doesn't work for reversers. Pulleys are also a great way to account for the mechanical advantage discovery that Navani makes in RoW chapter 84. And I think friction is a good way to think of the decay they experience over greater distances. Two major caveats though. The metaphor only works for one dimension at a time, though that's not a big deal. And we have to pretend we can force our ropes in both directions. (can be pushed and pulled) Simple Equation Without the mechanical advantage discovery Navani makes and ignoring friction, we have the following equation: (m1 + m2) a = F1 + R F2 This is simply the equation of motion for a simple pulley, with one addition: that R factor. More on that in a second. The idea here is that F1 and F2 are the sum of all forces acting on the gems. (excluding the force being shared between the paired gems -- that is essentially the tension in our pulley system's rope) The masses m1 and m2 are the masses attached to each gem, plus the mass of the gem itself. If we've attached something fairly heavy to one and not the other, you can effectively say the mass of the lone gem is zero. So all this equation is saying is that the acceleration of the system is the sum of forces on the system divided by the total mass of the system. F=ma. We need to note that the accelerations of 1 and 2 aren't necessarily the same. I'm using a = a1 = R a2. In other words, the equation above is really for the acceleration of a1. If we want to know the acceleration of the other gem we need to substitute a = R a2. This R factor I've added is really just a convenience to account for the difference between conjoiners and reversers. Rather than deal with separate coordinate systems for each, I'm just using this one equation with R=1 for conjoiners and R=-1 for reversers. In other words, with a reverser the accelerations are in opposite diretions of one another and F2 acts opposite of F1 rather than with it. (F1 and F2 are in the same direction--whatever direction we want to label the positive direction.) Simple Examples Let's say we've got a pair of reversers with the same mass floating in the air. Their weights balance each other out just as if they were two masses hanging from a pulley. We have (m1 + m2) a = F1 - F2 where F1 and 2 are their equal weights, m1*g and m2*g. The net force of F1-F2=0 so we have a=0. Note that if we give one a push up or down (and ignore wind resistance) they will move at constant velocity in opposite directions. Point being, this isn't a scale that tries to balance back out. Just two weights balancing each other out. What if the second is twice the mass of the first? (m1 + 2*m1) a = m1*g - 2*m1*g using down as positive direction, which is 3*m1*a = -m1*g. Solving for a we get a = -g/3. So the first gem moves up into the air at 1/3 g. The second moves down at 1/3 g. What if the second is much heavier than the first, such that the mass/weight of the first is negligible? (m2) a = -m2*g so we are left with a = -g. The first gem, basically weightless, flies upward at 1g while the second gem falls at 1g as if it weren't paired. Makes sense, right? With a two equal masses conjoined, they just fall freely. (m1 + m2) a = m1*g + m2*g = (m1 + m2) g, which is just a=g and for conjoiners we have a=a1=a2. Mechanical Advantage In RoW chapter 84 Navani is able to use Raboniel's dagger to transfer the spren of a paired gem into a different, larger gem. When she moves the larger gem, the other moves three times as far. We see this same phenomenon with a pulley system that gives a mechanical advantage of 3. If Navani moves the smaller gem 30 centimeters, the larger gem will only move 10 centimeters, and vice versa. There's some force multiplication that happens here. Moving the smaller gem requires less force, though it doesn't move the other as far. Moving the larger gem is the opposite. It causes the smaller gem to move further, but it requires more force. When you work through the math, the equation above becomes this: (m1 + m2/G^2) a = F1 + R F2/G The G factor here is the mechnical advantage ratio. Usually we would use MA for this, but I felt that might be confusing alongside the m's and a's of mass and acceleration. I've been using gamma in my notes and don't have it on this keyboard, so you get G. Also note that this gives us a different acceleration relationship. Now we have a = a1 = R G a2. In other words, the smaller gem accelerates G times faster than the larger. Navani isn't clear on what ratio produces this observed ratio of 3, though I'm guessing the larger gem in her accidental experiment was 3 times larger by mass? Something like that. More Examples So let's say we have a reverser where m1 is basically negligible, a gem ratio of 2, and both only under the influence of their own weight. We have (m2/2^2) a = -m2*g/2. Which gives a = -2g. For the larger gem we have a2 = a/(RG) = g. In other words, the large gem/mass falls at a normal 1g, while the smaller, effectively weightless, gem moves upward at 2g. Note that if the small gem is half the weight of the larger gem they balance out in this situation. The force-half of the equation becomes (m2/2)*g - (m2*g)/2 = 0. You can use this discovery in two different ways. Let's talk about how they apply to the Fourth Bridge. Two options. One thing you can do with this discovery is reduce the number of chulls required. If you use the chulls to pull the small gems and attach the larger gems to the Fourth Bridge, they can get more force with their pulling. But the downside is they have to walk further to make the Fourth Bridge move the same distance. On the other hand, if you attach the large gems to the chulls and the small gems to the Fourth Bridge, your chulls don't have to walk as far... but they have to pull harder. I'm guessing the second will be what they do with the Fourth Bridge. Most of the time the ship should be moving at some constant cruising velocity. So they'll have a harder time getting the thing accelerated up to that speed... But once they're there, they just need to maintain that speed, which shouldn't take as much effort. And in the meantime, the Fourth Bridge will be moving 2 chull steps (or whatever the ratio is) for every chull step. It would be interesting to work out the math on all of this, but I haven't tried yet. Distance Decay So now we come to the distance decay. Navani notes that there's some amount of decay which occurs over greater distances. The further the paired gems are apart, the more resistance you experience. This is essentially like the friction you see in a pulley system. When you work out the math, this essentially just becomes an extra force on the system. In a real pulley system you have different friction amounts in each pulley, but I'm basically collapsing the sum of those into one value: Ff. (m1 + m2/G^2) a = F1 + R F2/G - Ff I'm... probably not handling the sign on this well. It's resisting movement so we're basically assuming here that a > 0. Otherwise, the sign on Ff flips. Now... we don't really have enough information from the books to figure a correct equation for this value... But I'm trying to think it through and figure some idea of what form it might take. We know that it's a function of the distance between the two gems, but it can't JUST be that because I think spanreeds wouldn't work that way. Think about it. If the Fourth Bridge experiences a notable amount of decay from Urithiru/Shattered Plains to Hearthstone and if we just have Ff as a function of distance, then a spanreed over the same distance would experience that same resisting force. That just doesn't really make sense. I don't think it makes sense for the masses to be involved. Thinking back to the pulley metaphor, the friction between a rope and pulley is going to depend on how much tension is in the rope. More force being transferred through the rope means it's pulling harder on the pulley, and that harder normal force leads to more friction. So perhaps it should be a function of F1 - R F2/G? Note the negative sign there. For a conjoiner, that gives us the difference between forces. So, for example, two reversers (G=1) floating in the air give m1*g + m2*g. If you're looking at a simple pulley that's the total forcing tugging on the pulley. The full weight of one is countering the other, so the full weight of each is carried by the rope. More friction. Change that to conjoiners and it's a little odd though. You get m1*g - m2*g = (m1 - m2)*g which... suggests the amount of friction depends on how comparable the masses are? I would think two falling conjoined gems just basically fall under their own weights, together, and so there's no transfer of force between them. No tension in the rope. So something doesn't seem right here. My brain is getting mushy. Feedback appreciated. If you have no ideas, hopefully you at least enjoyed the explanation of the rest!

Illwei was running around, delivering messages. Suddenly, her best friend Qwinn ran up to her and stabbed her. Third of the Dawn and Philico also suddenly attacked her. She managed to bring down Philico in the struggle, but she still died in the end. Illwei has died! She was a Saboteur Messenger. Matrim's Dice has died! He was a Crewmember. The Aviar Holding Area has been sabotaged! Vote Count: Illwei (3): Liranil, Matrim's Dice, Quintessential Random Bystander (2): Illwei, Condensation Kings_way (1): Random Bystander Condensation (1): Dannex GM Notes: The cycle will end on February 14th, at 5:00 PM EST. Don't forget to put your actions in! Remember that each player can only make one one-on-one PM per cycle, unless they are a Messenger. Remember to include me in all PMs you make! @Young Bard is receiving a warning for inactivity! If they do not post this cycle, they will be replaced. Ashbringer has been replaced by @Flyingbooks! Please welcome him to the game. Hospital Document Ship Status: Player List:

Not sure about anyone else, but I'm endlessly intrigued by Ulim. And not just his weasely, sycophantic ways. There's a lot of weirdness going on with him. So I wanted to put together a post laying out what we know, and what mysteries remain surrounding that Voidspren we all love to hate. What We Know 1. Appearance Ulim generally takes one of two forms. Either that of rolling, crackling red lightning/energy moving across surfaces; or that of a small human male with "odd eyes" and long hair that waves or ripples in an unseen wind. He can also vanish, making only certain people able to see him. And on one occasion, we also see him with spikes breaking through his skin and then retracting: RoW, Chapter 77. 2. Personality and Mannerisms To put it bluntly, Ulim is just ... the ... worst. He's dismissive, derogatory, and downright callous ("Oh, you thought she was alive?") to anyone he views as bring of a lower station than him. Which seems to include pretty much everyone except for the Fused and Odium himself. Although he's not beyond making snide remarks about even the Fused and the Unmade, provided they're not around to hear it: Row, Chapter 73. But when in the presence of a Fused, he's obsequious and frankly, more than a little cowardly. He's concerned about others making him look bad in front of them. He lies constantly, and is a master at manipulating people. While being dismissive is his go to move, he's plenty able to pour on the praise and promises of future glory if that's what the situation calls for. And while he seems firmly on the side of the Fused and Odium, he speaks and gestures in human ways. Here he is in RoW 59, somewhat reluctantly deciding to work with Venli, while using what seems a very un-singer like expression: Here he is in OB Interlude 3 after Venli grows angry at the way Ulim is speaking about Eshonai: Here's another point later in the same chapter, and this time a Fused calls him out for it: He's unforgiving toward those he views as traitors to Odium's cause (even when they do exactly what he wants them to do). Oh, and he thinks pretty highly of himself (perhaps not entirely undeservedly) for what he was able to accomplish in summoning the Everstorm. This is again from OB Interlude 3: 3. Abilities (Note: I'm proceeding in this section under the assumption that what we see Ulim do with Venli, he would also be able to with other singers) Ulim is able to move in and out of a singer's gemheart without needing a highstorm (though it may require some level of permission from the singer). He's able to crowd into the gemheart along with whatever lesser spren gives the singer their current form. While inside a singer's gemheart, Ulim is able to speak to the singer and even hear their thoughts. By taking up residence inside a singer's gemheart, he also grants them the ability to hear Odium's rhythms. Perhaps his most impactful ability is the ability to manipulate a singer's emotions. He makes Venli dance like a puppet on strings, and through her manages to manipulate a number of other listeners as well in pursuit of his goals. (If interested, you can read in the thread below about my theory that Ulim is actually using vibrations/rhythms to perform this emotional manipulation): As mentioned above, Ulim is able to scoot along surfaces in the form of cracking lightning. And although he doesn't appear to able to fly, he does seem able to sort of jump while in lightning form: This is also one of several instances where we see that Ulim can make physical contact with a singer. Other instances are when he hops onto Venli's shoulder, grabbing onto her hair, and shortly later in RoW 77 when he lands on Venli's arm and begins moving toward her gemheart. During that pivotal moment, Ulim also demonstrates that he can vibrate energy through a singer. After hitting on the idea of starting a war with the Alethi, he vibrates energy through Venli while trying to convince her, not just to go along with that plan, but also that it was in fact her idea. There is a limit to his ability to interact with the physical world, though. For example, he is not able to carry a bag of gemstones, and brings Venli along to do that. One ability that Ulim does not have is the ability to see in Shadesmar. I don't know how notable this is. I tried to look back through the first four books to see whether spren are generally able to do this or not and couldn't really find anything definitive one way or the other. 4. Ulim's Role in Odium's Plans Although it is never explained, the Fused (and even one stormform singer) refer to Ulim as the Envoy. He made his way to Roshar by passing through the barrier storm that blocks the way to Braize in Shadesmar. Through some unknown method, he was pulled into a gemstone in the Physical Realm of Roshar at a place in the southern ocean that, presumably, corresponds with the location of the barrier storm in Shadesmar. Axindweth, a Feruchemist agent of Odium delivered the gemstone into Venli's hands and tempted Venli with promises that it held the secret to granting forms that could heal her mother's illness. After Venli releases Ulim, he begins putting into motion Odium's plan to circumvent Taln, who after 4,500 years of torture has still not broken. By manipulating Venli, revealing information about new forms, and sharing human gem cutting techniques, he eventually succeeds in getting nearly all of the listeners to adopt stormform. This allowed the singers to pull a large portion of the roiling barrier storm - that Odium had broken off and moved through Shadesmar to the the Shattere Plains - through to the Physical Realm. The result: the Everstorm, which restores the Connection and Identity of the singers who were lobotomized by the imprisonment of Ba-Ado-Mishram, and allows for the Fused (and other Voidspren as well I believe) to return Roshar for a good old-fashioned Desolation. After that, Ulim shows up just a couple of times in OB (searching for Eshonai, and the scene where Venli and the other singers are lined up to accept Fused souls in the Everstorm). And then he pops up early on in the invasion of Urithiru (RoW 42), letting Raboniel know that they've found Navani, after which they have this intriguing exchange: And that's it. We don't get to see him again throughout the rest of RoW. 5. Miscellaneous This didn't really fit in above, but I wanted to mention that Ulim recognizes the Heralds (at least Shalash, Kalak, and Nale). And Nale, at least, knows Ulim by name. Relatedly, Ulim is terrified of Nale Remaining Questions about Ulim 1. Why is he called the Envoy? 2. Why does he both appear human and have human mannerisms? 3. What's with the unseen wind that's always rippling his hair when he's in his human form? What's so "odd" about his eyes? 4. How the heck did he make it through the barrier storm? 5. How does he communicate with Axindweth and other agents of Odium? In RoW 77 he says that "I haven’t heard from Axindweth in a few days. I’m certain it’s all right. We have a meeting point where she leaves things for me. The gemstones will be there.” How was he communicating with her? How often did he go to the meeting point? What else did she leave him there? How did he carry it? Also, who are these other agents? 6. Why can't he see into Shadesmar? And more broadly, if anyone can point me to any information about whether other sapient spren are able to do this or not, I'd appreciate it. 7. What's the deal with the creepy little poem that Venli seems to use in RoW 86 to locate/summon Ulim ("Say a name on the breeze and it will return, she thought") 8. What was up with those spikes poking through his skin when he was freaking out he night of Gavilar's assassination? (I've seen someone compare that to how Ati appears a couple of times in Secret History; also reminiscent of the several times when light seems to be poking through Rayse in RoW) 9. What did he mean when he referred to Navani as a new toy? Has he used humans as pawns in the past? Who? When?

So, many of us speculate, that BAM could become Bondsmith Spren. But this Theory goes further. Shortly, i think Ba-Ado-Mishram allready WAS Godspren and had a Bondsmith. During the False Desolation. FIrst, we know that BAM was earlier general of Odium's forces, but wasnt able to do what she did during False Desolation. Bonding with entire Race was new, not expected by anyone ability. And spren normaly dont have new abilities by themselves. Spren are gaining new abilities by Bond. Or no, they not have new abilities, more like they find new aplications for their abilities. In most cases this is ability to manifest in Physical Realm as Shardblades, and also ability to larger interaction with items, but for Powerfull Spren this can be something different. For Stormfather could be Visions, and also images, map and so on. We know also Bonding Unmade is possible, like with any other Spren. We also know killing Bondsmith Spren would have massive consequences for whole Roshar. Imprisonment could do the same. We can also assume that BAM was able to comand not only Singers, but also Voidspren. They are integral part of Odium's forces, essential for recon, as messengers, spies, or fight in the Cognitive. Maybe BAM could comand Voidspren to start bonding Singers and this was her main power as Unmade. But during False Desolation BAM had ability to provide Voidlight, exactly like Stormfather, Nightwatcher or Sibling. While Stormfather has this ability without Bondsmith, Sibling for example needet Bondsmith, at least now, with damaged Connection to Honor. BAM is even called little god. Like Godspren? So this theory goes on. There is two thousand years between Last Desolation and False Desolation. What Singers do during this time? They doesnt fight against Humans all the time. They live, eat, change forms. And research. And have songs about Forms of Power. Someone from them, some Singer Scientist came to conclusion than he can try mimic Human-Spren Bond and try to bond Unmade. And was able to do this. And I can gues who he was. It was EL. El, Fused with very, very specific behaviour. Is fascinating with Humans, so I can see why he could try mimic human-spren Bond. He also is scientist, good partner with Raboniel. He literaly experiments with his own body, by replacing carapace with metal. What metal is this? Could be Duralumin? But El is Fused. Shouldnt he be on Braise during False Desolation? I think not. Fused are locked on Braise, but probably like Heralds, they need to be killed first and be sent back. If he wasnt killed, if he hide among Singers, it is possiblity he would live on Roshar all the time between Last and False Desolation. So how all action with False Desolation goes? Radiants and Melishi are fighting against Singers and came to conclusion there is something wierd about Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram. Singers have Voidlight and Forms of Power, but Odium is still on Braize. Singers have Bondsmith now. So Melishi wants to go for BAM, even while he knows about Risk for all Roshar. Radiants strike Team assault Singers with El, and Melishi uses his Bondsmith Powers to ripp off Bond with BAM from El. He replaces his Bond with Sibling with Bond with BAM, then he summons BAM similary to what Dalinar did to Stormfather, and he puts her in perfect gemstone. El sees this, and he strikes Melishi and kills him, but is killed by Radiants companions of Melishi and is sent to Braize. Sibling is damaged but was temporarly unbonded, so damage wasnt lethal. Melishi probably wants to Bond Sibling again, but was killed. When Melishi ripps off El's Bond, El loses ability to hear Rythms (literaly the same happened to Sibling!). When El arrives on Braize suffers Odiums wrath and mistakes his lose with this. He also brings Raboniel knowledge about imprisonment spren in gemstones. This is why El is so important. Is first Odium Bondsmith, and he is the one who brings knowledge nesessery to kill Heralds. What do you think?

Guess who completely missed their 1000th post

I have decided. I'm going to start to ease back into coming back into activeness on the Shard. It's going to be slow going at first, but I plan to eventually get to what I used to be, because I find myself wasting time doing nothing so I might as well do this. I guess valentines day is coming soon. I'll probably make something for that. I don't know what to do for my shardiversery which is in like 2 weeks. Actually, I have this interesting idea for a short story that I might write. We'll see. Also, I'm annoyed at the name change thingy. I want to go back to Experience, and I feel like right when I can someone's going to join with that name.

Now that the Dawnshard spoiler period has ended... (0.) TL;DR I believe Dawnshards grant microkinesis. Whether this is the only requirement to access it, whether this is the only way to get microkinesis, and whether this is even still canon are all questions left unaddressed by this theory, though I have my own opinions on them. (I believe the answers are "no", "probably yes", and "probably yes", respectively. The first is due to Rysn, the second is due to a line from Hoid in Dragonsteel Ch. 14, the last is part of a whole other post that I need to write after this one.) (1.) [REDACTED] (2.) Topaz and Jerick (3.) The Actual Theory (I.) References

It's not surprising, given the geology of Roshar, but man do Rosharans like them a boulder metaphor. Here's a rundown, sorted by character. Dalinar: highprince of boulders; basically everyone, himself included, thinks of him as a boulder; though only Sadeas is foolish enough to think he can take the boulder on OB 3 (Dalinar flashback): He hit the spearman like a boulder rolling through a grove of saplings, his sword tossing blood into the air. A good fight was about momentum. Don't stop. Don't think. Drive forward and convince your enemies they're as good as dead already. RoW 57 (Eshonai flashback): He turned, moving with the momentum of a shifting boulder, and walked toward his stormwagon. TWoK 69 (Sadeas talking to Dalinar): If it means anything, I'm fond of you. I really am. But you are a boulder in my path, and a force working - without realizing it - to destroy Gavilar's kingdom. When the chance came along, I took it. WoR 38 (Shallan): Dalinar stood up. He moved like a rolling boulder. Inevitable, implacable WoR 50 (Adolin): Dalinar was a rock, a boulder too big for even storms to move. He seemed so sure. It was something to cling to Dalinar's burdens: the boulder carries boulders TWoK 15 (Nohadon parable about helping carry a large stone): If a king is seen to assume the burden of the poorest men, perhaps there will be those who will help him with his own load, so invisible, yet so daunting TWoK 18 (responding to Elhokar asking why the Parshendi offed Gavilar): That question has churned in my head, over and over, like a boulder tumbling down a hill. WoR 85 (Dalinar realizing Szeth would have wrecked him if he hadn't been too drunk the night Gavilar died): I couldn't have saved him. It brought peace, and Dalinar finally set down that boulder, the one he'd been carrying for over six years. OB 4 (Navani, after Dalinar claims he won't carry the failure to prevent the Everstorm as a burden): I don't believe you, Dalinar Kholin. I can read the tightness of your muscles, the set of your jaw. I know that you, while being crushed beneath a boulder, would insist that you've got it under control and ask to see field reports from your men. OB 65 (Cultivation's prunings have an expiration date): Storms. He remembered. It came crashing down on him, the weight of a thousand boulders. He remembered what had happened to Evi. Navani: a boulder love story OB 1 (Dalinar): Navani Kholin was not some timid, perfect idea - she was a sour storm of a woman, set in her ways, stubborn as a boulder rolling down a mountain and increasingly impatient with the things she considered foolish. He loved her the most for that. Jasnah: fights like a boulder; but Navani - ever the pragmatist - just walks around OB 104 (Navani): Navani would talk to Renarin and encourage him to go out more with the men. There was no arguing with Jasnah, any more than there was arguing with a boulder. You just stepped to the side and went around RoW 64 (Jasnah): Her vision was clear enough to see the horror of the nearby singers as they witnessed a burning Shardbearer explode from the fires, as if from the center of Damnation itself. That fear stunned them as she hit their line like a boulder, working death upon their collapsing ranks. Kaladin: waah! I have no choice but to be the hero everyone thinks I am TWoK 9: Kaladin charged the chasm, not even flinching as men were slaughtered around him. It wasn't bravery that drove him; it wasn't even a wish that those arrows would take him and end it all. He ran. That was what he did. Like a boulder rolled down a hill, or like rain fell from the sky. They didn't have a choice. Neither did he. He wasn't a man; he was a thing, and things just did what they did. RoW 43: They were going to take Teft. Kaladin pulled open the door and stepped into the hallway, feeling the inevitable shift of a boulder perched on the top of a slope. Just. Beginning. To tip. Venli: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ RoW 77 (Venli flashback): But what could she do? She'd started this boulder rolling down the cliff. If she tried to stop it now, she'd be crushed. So she continued doing as he said. Even if, without him in her gemheart, she felt old and dull. Taln: obviously TWoK Epilogue: All was chaos and confusion as the gate boomed yet a third time, powerful, shaking, vibrating as if hit with a boulder. And then a bright, silvery blade rammed between the massive doors, slicing upward, cutting the bar that held them closed. A Shardblade. WoR 63 (Shallan): The man did not move. He did not look up, did not shift. He was life a boulder that had rolled to a stop here. And finally ... Hoid: Did someone say boulder? Let me share this thematically-relevant metaphor about boulders (OB 68) There are those who, when the boulder of time rolls toward them, stand up in front of it and hold out their hands. All their lives they've been told how great they are. They assume the world will bend to their whims as their nurse did when fetching them a fresh cup of milk. Those men end up squished. Other men stand to the side when the boulder of time passes, but are quick to say, "See what I did! I made the boulder roll there. Don't make me do it again!" These men end up getting everyone else squished. (Shallan asks whether there is a third type): There is, but they are oh so rare. These knew they can't stop the boulder. So they walk beside it, study it, and bide their time. Then they shove it - ever so slightly - to create a deviation in its path. These are the man ... well, these are the men who actually change the world. And they terrify me. For men never see as far as they think they do. So, there you have it. Boulders for everyone. As a final note, searching my ebooks for the word boulder really made me appreciate the ferocity of highstorms a whole lot more. I think I had just started skimming past the descriptions of them. But holy freaking crap they are just CONSTANTLY throwing boulders around. How long until the Stormfather accidentally throws Dalinar at someone?

He is fairly similar to Syl but hateful.... apologies to the original artist

Done! It was a bit hard to decide which topics went in Stormlight vs. Cosmere, so report any threads you think might have been miscategorized in the move!

I’m okay-ish. This isn’t... new, exactly, so I know how to deal with it / treat it but I’m fairly certain staring at a phone/laptop for hours and hours a day makes it worse. And if it gets worse I won’t be able to post here to sign out for a few days anyway. Thanks everyone! (Searches for correct emoji for mixed feelings) (Fails utterly) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This may not be the best comparison but look at the oldest people you know. My grandmother says things like 'jeepers' and 'chum around with'. Language does change but for the most part we get stuck in speech patterns. It's more likely that this is how they spoke on Ashyn. Plus Ulim is a spren and not prone to change. And I wouldn't say that being intelligible is a requirement on the internet iykwim.

Here is week 6 Poem #6 Epoch of Metamorphosis Dawn breaks with an explosion of gold and peach woven by the skillful hands of Aurora which fly across her loom. The whole of existence stirs as a seemingly endless celestial contest begins to take shape. Jove upon his throne vies with his brothers for supremacy as Minerva crosses blades with the Avenger. Tremors wrack the earth and every deity gathers their armies to wage war. Faunus and Diana clash spilling nature’s blood and painting the ground with silver. On high the winds burn while Phoebus clashes with Boreas. Cities are trampled and all of civilization is reduced to tattered swathes of a once vibrant tapestry. Stark beauty glows in the skies as it is carried across the realm upon a most subtle yet mighty chariot. Rebirth of a new day becomes a nightmare birthed by the Bacchnalian curse cast upon Somnus and held firm by the winged deliverers of vengeance. Lightning boils the oceans and creates molten conflagrations in the depths which do nothing to disturb the fury of the wise one and the master of the fields of war. Minor deities quench the thirst of the parched earth with their meaningless sacrifices. Forests from the earliest times are laid bare. Storms of fire scar the very heavens. Prayers so desperate are unanswered by selfish competitors. Contrast of great beauty marks the very heights and separates it from the destruction consuming the material plane. Horrors driven by the invisible bearers of poisoned blades and whispered judgements exact even from those who rule terrible prices for their failures. Jupiter falls from his gilded seat into the fires and steam below where he rages and wrestles with the lords that were exiled below beside the carnage that two have wreaked on any who would stand between them. Libations laid out in the most desperate ways spill without even being noticed or considered. Yews by river banks weep and watch their siblings die. Humanity cowers. The completion of the artwork that stands majestically and yet smudged by the smoke that rises sends forth a new song. All of the battles instantly start to wither away and somewhere a balanced scale strikes down the nightmare that has broken out. Amidst the muck and mire of their spirits three kings and two bloodied and exhausted warriors are aflame with a shame which before this day they had never imagined that they could know. Spoiled gifts offered now begin to heal sundered places of refuge. The huntress and the wild lord huddle beneath spilled tears. From the rubble mortals build again as noon is born.

It took some convincing, but I am now 100% on Team “Gavilar is definitely coming back”. I’m not going so far as to predict he will be Odium’s Champion, (although I think it’s quite likely)... but I will be SHOCKED if Gavilar does not make some kind of present-day (non-flashback) appearance in the next SA novel. Consider the overwhelming preponderance of groundwork that has been laid: We see the day of his assassination in the prologue of every single novel. We’ve had POV accounts from Szeth, Jasnah, Eshonai, Navani, and also, in a RoW flashback chapter, Venli. We’re obviously supposed to infer that this event – and thus Gavilar himself – is very important. I fully expect that the prologue of Book 5 will be Gavilar’s own POV of that day, setting the stage for us to see how exactly he avoided permadeath, and his return to a physical body. He’s a huge part of Dalinar’s flashback arc. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Gavilar is the single most important reason Dalinar is the man he is today. A confrontation with his brother is the obvious pinnacle of Dalinar's journey. Gavilar has also had direct and important influences on Navani, Jasnah, Elhokar, Venli, and other critical viewpoint characters. We know that he was trading information and making deals with Heralds; that he was involved with the Sons of Honor, whose goal was presumably the return of the Desolations – which we still don’t fully understand; that he knew about Thaidakar and the Ghostbloods, another hot topic we have MUCH to learn about; that he had access to both Voidlight AND Antivoidlight years before anyone else knew about them. Finally, we know that he was Cosmere-aware, likely importing items and/or Investiture from offworld, and learning about the Cognitive Realm and Realmatic Theory. Mraize claims, in talking to Shallan, that Gavilar travelled to Braize himself and brought back Voidlight, and that he was "testing the movement of Light between worlds". He obviously knew Thaidakar wants this knowledge. What other reason would he have to assume it was Thaidakar who had him killed? There are multiple reasons to think he was Invested when his body was killed, and we all KNOW what THAT means. He is literally THE CENTRAL FIGURE of just about every mystery in this entire 5-book series, despite never (yet) having a single POV chapter. I don’t see how anyone can even doubt that he’ll turn up somehow.

SPOILERS AND ADDED INFORMATION: I had posted other bits of this else where in 2020 before the "Taln never broke" WOB, but consolidated all the ideas here in this post This theory and post came out before Rhythm of War, but updates have been made to include information from ROW SA5 Prologue: This is not discussed to avoid spoilers, but SA5 Prologue has some interesting information --- Weird Questions: 1) TALN BREAKING SEEMS ODD What broke Taln? He is crazy and insensate for 4000 years and then one day he says "No thank you". What could have broke Taln? And, in terms of timelines, Taln returned before the Everstorm crossed into the physical realm, so it can't be that the Everstorm freed Taln. Yes the Everstorm was in the Cognitive, but all the doom and gloom seemed to be about the Everstorm being pulled in the Physical Realm by Eshoni and her team. Since Taln returns at the end of The Way of Kings, then Taln must return in a way that is not related to Eshoni. And as I mentioned before, I don't think it makes sense that Odium suddenly found a way to break Taln after 4000 years of trying. Edit: we later got a WOB that Taln did not break 2) DAVAR FAMILY CONNECTIONS Why was the Davar family so connected to secret societies despite being a Vaden house of little note? They have connections to the Ghostbloods and the Ghostbloods have handed them a confirmed soulcaster AND possibly a Seon box. Why? And it seems Skybreakers may have been visiting as well for "reasons". As well, the Skybreakers are breaking paterns when it comes to the Davars. As far as we know, Shallan's older brother is the only Skybreaker to be using a dead blade. Is this special treatment for a member of the Davar family? And finally, Mraize seems to know the Davar family well enough to recognize the name immediately. The Davars would need to be pretty active for that name recognition to be so apparent. 3) CHILD SHALLAN AND HER IMPORTANCE Why did the cryptic go to Shallan as a child? Lift was chosen due to her strange connection to Cultivation, but why Shallan? And why twice? And what were Shallan's parents fighting about? Shallan remembers her parents having huge fights over Shallan's future starting from a very young age. What was that about? Connected to that, why is an dark influence attacking the Davar family? Why is Heleran given a shardblade and brought into the skybreakers? No other Skybreaker acolyte was given a dead-blade and sent to war (that we know of), so why is Helaran so non-standard? Shallan's parents also fight A LOT about Shallan's future. This seems to be a hint that Chanarach had a major plan for Shallan. 4) MAMA DAVAR IN THE KNOW Why was Shallan's mother so quick to try and kill "one of them". How does she know "them" so clearly? Why would she have such a quick and radical reaction? 5) MORE SECRETS What is Shallan's last secret. There is still something horrible in Shallan's past, and this has something to do with a Seon box and whatever Radiant was created to protect Shallan from. What is worse than killing testament? We also have strange internal thoughts from Shallan from WOR in Chapter 10: "The world ended; and Shallan was to blame". This thought has never been explained. What did Shallan do to end the world? "The world ended, and Shallan was to blame.- Words of Radiance, Chapter 10. Mentioned by @honorblades Another strange but overlooked instance occurs in TWoK when Shallan almost summons her Shardblade: If this is indeed Patters/Testement, then why would that Spren ask "What are you?" Testament should full-well know "what" Shallan is in terms of her being a human or a semi-radiant or anything like that. If this voice is Testament, then asking "What are you?" is very odd in my opinion. Shallan answers "I am terrified", but to me that always seemed ... not what the voice was asking Shallan. I always felt there was more to this that simply speaking truths. 6) THE FAMILY'S SAFE AND THE GLOWING LIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT (main data point for me creating this theory) People are very quick to discount Shallan's recollection of Lin Davar placing a glowing soul into a safe. I have always been very confused as to why Shallan is taken as "lying" to herself in this scene. Shallan has no reason to lie about the item being her mother's soul instead of a Shardblade. Lin Davar acted extremely quickly in that situation and made sure to place the item in that safe before dealing with any other issues. That to me is extremely telling. Why would Lin think the Shadblade wouldn't disappear eventually whenever Shallan dismissed it? Why would Lin think the Shardblade would stay in a safe if he managed to place it there quickly? Why would Lin so quickly run to place the item in the safe in the first place? Why is there an unused safe in that room? And then why do Shallan and Lin seem to continually see light coming from that safe for years and years? None of that vibes with "it is just a blade and Shallan is lying to herself" in any way. I just don't get it. Shallan having a Shardblade is not in anyway covered up by this lie, nor is the lie that Shallan killed her spren hidden by this lie either? There is no mental cover-up being done by Shallan making up a lie here. It seems everyone else dismisses Shallan, including Pattern, in favour of "Lynn put a sword in there". 7) EDIT FOR ROW: Then in ROW we get the timeline, and this does not hold up to scrutiny either. Shallan says her father put the item into the safe. WoR Shallan thinks that was a soul, but Pattern convinces her she is misremembering and that the item was a dead spren-blade. But that can't be a dead spren blade because Shallan has not unbonded Testament yet. Shallan does not think that a spren is trapped in that safe and we know this because Shallan then leaves to go speak with her spren in the garden AFTER the item is placed in the safe. Shallan acts immediately as a child in a way that doesn't even consider that her "blade" is in that safe. It just doesn't make sense to think a blade was placed into that safe based on the reactions of the two witnesses involved (which we learn Pattern is not one of) We take it from Pattern that Shallan is wrong here in her memory. However, In ROW we learn that Pattern is NOT an eyewitness to what went down in that room. Pattern sure has a lot of opinions about what Shallan saw, but Pattern was not actually there in the room and cannot actually know what Shallan saw go into the safe. Pattern assumed Shallan is lying to herself as Pattern sees many other lies around that event. But Pattern has no knowledge about who Mother-Davar was, what the safe was for, or why Skybreaker/Ghostbloods may have been in the home. Pattern is not a credible source of information on the events of that day. Shallan is the only living witness, and the actions of her father are consistent with the understanding Shallan had as a child. Shallan too noticed her father staring at the direction of the safe and the light. Only later in life is Shallan told again and again that her memory of those events are wrong by people who were not there. Both Lin and Shallan believe something is in the safe, and a sword does not match the other data points we have. There is "light" in that safe, and it is leaking out over time. And where di the blood come from? A Shardblade should not have done that. The blood has to be some other injury? The box is something. The light was something. Pattern is making assumptions and is wrong about this history with the safe. And why does Shallan see a glowing light coming from the box? Is it a soul like she believes? We learn in RoW that no herald soul can be trapped completely, and that the light of a herald will slowly leak out (is that what Shallan was seeing her whole childhood come out of the safe?). Is it her mother's soul escaping slowly to Braize? Or maybe could it be a perfect gem with Mishram inside? Who knows? But it is something. We have seen other glowing lights (Dawnshard and Dalinar hearing TwoK), so is she just mad, or did she really see something? Whatever it is, it does not make sense that Shallan thinks Testament is trapped in the safe if Shallan went and yelled at Testament after her mother was killed. Something was put into that safe, and to me the most likely answer is "her mother's soul". And firhermore, there is no reason to believe that Lin Davar would think a safe would ever prevent a Shardblade from reappearing in Shallan's hands. 8) HOID and MIDDLEFEST Hoid is downright shocked to see child-Shallan at the Middlefest celebration. Hoid sees something, but that something is unclear. When we originally read WOR, we assume HOpid is shocked to see a Radiant Child or perhaps a bonded spren. However, Shallan does not have a regular active sprenbond at the time of Middlefest, so Hoid did not see Testament or an active radiant bond There are a few things Hoid may have seen: a. Hoid saw Odium's touch on her family b. a dead-blade living-radiant connection line was still active c. the Cryptic team that watched Shallan. d. Shallan is so obviously a part of Chanarach that Hoid was gobsmacked by the resemblance. e. Shallan is noticeably different than other Rosharans due to her strange parentage. But whatever Hoid saw, it was not an active Spren Bond since we know Testament is a deadeye at that point in the story. ---- It All Put Together - A Timeline 1) JAH KAVED Chararach settled in the Davar estate in rural Jah Kaved. Chanarach is involved in several of the secret societies of Roshar just like most of the other heralds we have seen. Chanarach learns of the theory that a return of surgebinders will bring about a desolation. Chararach is completely terrified of returning to Braize and supports the culling of nascent surgebinding. Chanarach is involved in research and is a part of the search to create a method that prevents a herald from returning to Braize upon death. Kalak is also involved. 2) COMMUNICATION NETWORKS Chanarach commands a fair bit of influence and even has a Seon to communicate off world. It is unclear who knows who Chanarach is, but as she did settle in a rural area it is likely Chana's identity is not common knowledge even within secret societies (similar to Restares and Amaram). Chana exerts some form of influence and stays in-the-know with investiture theory and is able to contact others on Roshar or off-world. 3) CREATING THE SAFE Chana tries to devise a way to never return to Braize. She creates a special kind of safe that her soul could be placed in to. She thinks it will entirely prevent a return or will greatly delay her return to Braize. Chana has no way to test this as there are no herald-souls or returned-souls to experiment with. Possibly, the safe is akin to the Seon box in design or the safe may even actually be the Seon Box Shallan remembers playing with as a child? At some point, Chana tells Lin Davar what to do in case she is ever killed (place her soul into the box). In ROW we learn Kelek has some knowledge on this herald soul-leakage issue, so perhaps he was also involved in the Soul Box experiments in some way. 4) SHALLAN IS BORN Chanarach eventually has a daughter and names that daughter after her friend Shalash (Shallan says she was named after Shalash). Shallan may not be a "typical" offspring. She seems to be different from her brothers in some meaningful way. Perhaps Shallanis a cutting of Chararach or maybe Shallan conceived through some form or parthenogenetic process. Perhaps Shallan was created using breaths, as Tyn notes that Shallan seems to see colours better than most other people. EDIT: In a later WOB we learned that that non-returned Cognitive Shadows have had children Edit: In a later WOB we learned that Heralds can have children but it is complicated and effortful to do. Chana has special plans for Shallan. We know from WoR that Shallan's parents fought A LOT about Shallan's future. This implies to me that Shallan is somehow more intentionally convieved than her male siblings, and that Chana had something planned for Shallan that Lynn Davar had moral misgivings about. We are not sure what this is, but I think a lot of us will assume it has something to do with the Oathapact and/or returning to Braize. 5) SHALLAN IS DETECTED BY SPREN The Cryptics find out that one of the heralds has children or they discover a weird child who stands-out and is similar to the child of a Returned. The Cryptics send a delegation to investigate (WOB confirms heralds can have children though maybe it is difficult). At the same time, an unmade is drawn to the family. Testament begins to bond Shallan similar to what happened with Lift. Shallan eventually discovers what her mother is by playing with a Seon box at the Davar estate. The unmade's influence increases in an attempt to get the Herald to go insane and potentially get herself killed by Lin Devar or Shallan. 6) SHALLAN IS DETECTED BY SKYBREAKERS Shallan is discovered to be a surge binder by her mother. Her mother, fearing a return to Braize, refers to Shallan as "one of them". Note that Chanarach does not seem surprised that surgebinders are real. Chanarach has an absolute PTSD breakdown and attacks her daughter. Lin, who likely knew, steps in and Shallan is able to kill her mother in self defence. Lin Devar takes something and locks it away in the safe. We are told this is the Shardblade and Shallan's mother's soul. Shallan goes to the garden to scream at Testament and break her bond AFTER Testament is supposedly locked away in the safe. This timeline does not make sense even if we believe Testament could escape the safe. Why does Shallan believe her spren was trapped but also then in the garden? And how is Testament-blade = her mother's soul? There isn't a connection there logically. 7) SHALLAN KILLS A HERALD AND THEN TALKS TO TESTAMENT IN THE GARDEN After Shallan kills her mother, Shallan goes to Testament and breaks her bond. It is possible Testament told her more here as well. Shallan then begins to repress everything since Shallan has, in her mind, done the most evil act in history. "The world ended, and Shallan was to blame.- Words of Radiance, Chapter 10. Mentioned by @honorblades 8) CORRUPTION SETS IN Lin Devar begins to be corrupted even more. Lin also has mental guilt and wrestles with killing his herald-wife to save his daughter. He beings to protect Shallan at all costs for reasons that may be more than just guilt. Then Davar family hell ensues. The ghostbloods continue to cultivate the family. The Ghostbloods may not believe a herald could be killed by Lin or may not know she was a Herald. The Cryptics stay with Shallan as they don't blame her for what happened. They are still curious about what Shallan is and are researching what happens to a bonded-deadeye to its original radiant. The dark influence in the house may be more than an unmade as well. One of Chana's divine attributes is "obedient". I think this is significant. Lin is driven to rage every time one of his children will not obey him, and the word obey is emphasized many times. It may be possible the Lin's rage was a dark consequence of something Chana was doing, the safe's magical effects, or something else. It is also possible that Lin thought his children would inherit the divine attribute, and the fact they dont obey him drives him to rage. 9) BRAIZE AND SOUL LEAKAGE Chanarach returns to Braize. It may have taken some time for her to get to Braize. It seems the soul is leaking out of the safe over time (ROW: as we see with Jezrian in the gem). Or maybe it takes 5 years to find Chana on Braize since arrival was unexpected and because in earlier returns the heralds were able to "hide" for some time. Either way, the other heralds do not know that that has happened as they cannot detect the pain-bond while on Roshar. Edit: Ishar created the oathpact so he may be able to sense changes in it. 10) HOID SEES SHALLAN Shallan, with no bond, goes to Middlefest. Wit's magic or memory allow him to detect that there is something very strange about Shallan. Wit somehow knows what Shallan fights "is not truly natural" and encourages her to make a path for the light. It is unclear what Wit saw, but he knew more than the fact she was a surgebinder (even though she's actually a deadeye-binder at the time). 11) CHANA IS CAPTURED ON BRAIZE Chanarach is eventually found on Braize. For some reason, Chana either breaks to the pain or gives in to some deal Odium offers. It may have taken a while or been immediate. What is strange is that Chana has not been seen returning to Roshar, either Chana took some deal meaning she did not have to return or perhaps she intentionally landed somewhere remote. 12) TALN RETURNS WITHOUT BREAKING THE OATH Taln returns to Roshar completely insane and without breaking. What happens to Chanarach is unknown. All assume Taln broke. 13) SHALLAN BEGINS TO REMEMBER THAT HER MOTHER WAS A HERALD Radiant is created from memories of Shallan's mother. Or potentially, Radiant is somehow part of Chanarach. Radiant dresses in the same blue and red warrior outfit as the Herald Chanarach in artworks. Radiant is Shallan's repressed memories of who her mother was. It is also possible that Radiant is in someway Shallan's mother (connection mumbo jumbo and cognitive shadow stuff along with cultivation weirdness possibilities) Here is a description of Radiant: “She [Radiant] had chosen to wear her vakama; the traditional Vaden’s warrior clothing. It was similar to the Alethi takama but the skirt was pleeted instead of straight. She wore a loose matching coat with a tight vest and shirt beneath. The bright clothing features vibrant blues embroidered over reds with gold woven between and it had trim on the skirt” Here is Chanarach: 14) TESTEMENT MEMORIES Shallan is forced to confront what happened with Testament, and Radiant begins to see that she must help Shallan deal with her final truth. [Option 1] Shallan knows she killed a herald and that she sent her mother to damnation - possibly ending the world and starting the final desolation. [Option 2] Shallan does not know her mother was a herald, but will put that together in regards to the "hole" in her memory"

So, would anyone be interested in me writing a book like Fadran has? It wouldn't be frequent, but I'd definitely do it if there is interest.

I've gone through and attempted to transcribe the page from Dragonsteel Prime that Brandon held up during the New Years live stream. The first half-page has some really hard-to-make-out parts due to lighting, which are highlighted in various colors to indicate my confidence (or lack thereof) in my transcription, but the rest isn't too bad to figure out. Color key: TL;DR: Orange text should probably not be trusted as accurate, and blue text definitely shouldn't be trusted, because it's not even really properly visible in the video. Red and pink are probably fine, though. The attached DOCX file additionally tries to replicate the layout and formatting of the original in the image best I can, but I'm not going to even attempt that in the post itself (Man, Jerick's an idiot... he didn't feel this dumb in the Bridge Four samples, but I guess that's what character growth does for you.) Dragonsteel Pages, maybe?.docx

Valentine's day is almost here. For some of us this is a good thing. Getting to be with the person you love more then anyone else. Some of us this day is one of the single worst days in history. And for people like me it sucks to be lonely but you hate the fact that couples are being couples more then not having someone. Regardless of which "party," so to speak, you fall into I hope you all a happy Single Awareness Day. Spoilers for size. Have some Valentines day memes to cheer you up..... ish. Feel free to post more meme

Evan had a gun. People listened when you had a gun. Perhaps that was why no one had questioned his decision yet. They were all too afraid that they would be next. The boy was walking in circles now. His feet kept taking him back to the one place he didn't want to go - back to her tent. He pulled back the flap and looked inside. Nothing had changed. "Why is she still here? Hello? Guys? We have a person for this right? We don't, we don't just leave the bodies." He was shouting now. "Where's our grave digger? Anyone? Guys?" Eventually, someone gave him a shovel. He dug the pit inside of her tent, embarrassed to let anyone see what he was doing. When it was deep enough, he pushed the body in. He thought of finding flowers, but between the acid and the chalk, nothing beautiful grew here anymore. Instead, he added a few of Sakura's personal items. They had a nice watch he laid on their chest. And there was a letter on their desk... "Huh." Evan flipped it over, curious, despite himself. He looked at it for a while, not opening it, just turning it over and over in his hands. "You had someone worth writing to." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his photo of his father. After a moment's hesitation, he then slid it into the envelope and pocketed the whole package as he tiptoed out of the tent. Now he had two people to find. *** I was not passed the Shadowblaze last night. That is of course what evil me would say. I propose that no one trust me with anything important for now and we wait until tonight when I can prove my alignment by teaching someone a specialization. With three teammates and the occasional ‘woops, the person I taught was NKed! Oh noes,’ I’m fairly sure I could string the group along past exe-lo, so we need to devise a way of choosing my target that’s somewhat random or teaches who everyone agrees is for sure village. This seems like a good thing to discuss tomorrow night, so feel free to think on that so I can be genuinely cleared. Kas told me they were self-protecting tonight, so my guess is they were the target and the NK failed. Good work, Kas! Unfortunately, I chose a bad person to shoot. I am suspicious of Araris. However, I felt that we could successfully exe them today (which is unblockable), so the gun would be better used to target someone in that pool of 'kinda suspicious but they might be able to CW their way out of it' people. Ventyl fit the bill. Unfortunately, we now only have Flyingbooks to tell us what that conversation was about where they discussed stealing the Shadowblaze? And why’d you take it anyway in the first place? I’m giving village points to Burnt and Random for defending on what had to be a stressful night for the elims. Who else was in on that? I'll give you village points if you come forward. (We're getting to the point where we can tell who submitted NKs by process of elimination, so bear that in mind if you do something provable.) Time for whatever this is: (tunneling on Araris) TL;DR I think the elim team is Araris, Lotus, and Reading. Lotus and Reading being on the team is predicated on Araris being on it. I think Araris is an elim because they have consistently voted for villagers except for when they voted for TUO, which was late enough that it could have been a bus. If Araris isn't an elim, I suggest looking at Flyingbooks, Mist, Random, and as a last resort, Devo. Just so it's out there, I gave Araris Line of Making specialization on D2 or something. Edit: Yeah, it was D2

I'm half tempted to change my pfp to this. Thoughts? It's my pfp on Discord, and I love it.

Lol, that’s just an expression. It’s supposed to be the Singer-ized version of “speak of the devil and he appears”. Which is an expression used for whenever you’re talking about someone and they coincidentally walk into the room. As for Ulim, I’m most interested in his language patterns. He and some of the Heralds (specifically Ash) seem to speak more modern-y, more casual. What’s up with that? People have guessed it’s a Braize thing, since that’s the only thing they have in common, but nothing lives on Braize except for them. So where did that manner of speaking come from before it was on Braize? My guess is Ashyn. And considering how none of the other fused speak like Ulim, I think that instead of the Heralds being related to Ulim/Braize, I think that Ulim is related to the Heralds/Ashyn.

For me it's the season to post memes about being single so this is perfect. Sometimes watch a movie on the theme or something. But memes have priority. First one I've found this year. I'll be looking for more.

In the past couple days, I've gone up a good 150 posts. Thanks, FOTT! I may actually hit 2,000 before my Shardiversary at this rate. Also, I've been listening to Sabaton a lot, and it's great, until I try to sleep, and then I have history-based metal music stuck in my head.

Aha, this was the critical bit I missed! Thanks! The only time I'd seen 'avatar' used in the Cosmere before was for Autonomy, so I immediately started thinking Shards, so it didn't occur to me that 'Lord of Scars' would be Kelsier. I hadn't seen any of those recent WoB's either...

Hiiiiii, I'm alive! (That's a lie) Sorry for being so inactive recently. On Chinese new year holiday and having to study for six assessments...

This is true - though in some cases the broad patterns are very simple, it's the detailed feedbacks and stuff that are impossibly complex. (Kind of like climate vs weather - predicting weather even 2-3 weeks ahead is essentially impossible, but everybody knows July will be warmer than January in the north temperate zone...) Sure, but @Jofwu above posted the HOA epigraph that Ruin was messing with it... All I was saying is that the ash being dark wouldn't prevent the overall net effect from being cooling rather than warming. I think that was just to make it concentrate over the Final Empire area (where the magnetic pole was) ... but yeah that part possibly doesn't make the most sense, especially since the ash itself isn't that important climate-wise vs. the sulfate aerosols. Yeah... Given that these are volcanoes engineered by godlike magical power to cool the planet, I think they probably have whatever mix of gases to ash they need to have to get the desired effect... I am not really sure this would work in RL. It seems to me that the ocean away from the Final Empire area, more exposed to light, should evaporate at a horrendous rate and make the planet go runaway-greenhouse. OTOH, we only know that it worked for 1024 years - it is quite possible that the system actually wasn't stable (on geological timescales) and in the absence of Ruin/Vin/Sazed intervention it would have turned into a runaway greenhouse in a few tens of thousands or millions of years...

Harmony can't find Invention again after initial contact, implying they are not on a planet. Perhaps on a spaceship flotilla or one giant spaceship. A society with no planet would necessitate a lot of invention and creative use of resources, satisfying the Shard intent. Everyday living under Invention's influence is like this:

That line really hits different now, doesn't it...

I think it is fine if people want to hate on Lirin. Not every character will resonate with everyone. However, I do think people are being a bit too hard on Lirin. It seems that a lot of the arguments against Lirin boil down to two arguments: 1. Lirin is terrible because he harshly condemns the act of Kaladin killing the Regal I know people seem to be pro Kaladin in this case, but I think Lirin actually brings up a good point. Lirin had just spent the past couple years in a town that was peacefully occupied by the Fused. As long as the Lirin didn’t antagonize them, the Fused seemed to be far more fair than the light eyes. Then one day the heroic Kaladin comes to town and kills a Fused. Even though Kaladin didn’t intend any harm, his actions would realistically put the lives of the townsfolk at risk as the Fused could easily interpret this as a Radiant attack. It makes sense that Lirin would see cohabitation as a viable option. During the invasion of Urithiru, Lirin’s insistence on yielding to the Fused occupation is by no means foolish. If the honorable Leshwi was in charge of the invasion, killing a Regal would have made it much harder for Leshwi to peacefully occupy the tower. If the Pursuer was in charge of the invasion, the Radiants would be dead before their bodies hit the floor. We as readers know that Raboniel would have killed them eventually. But Kaladin and Lirin didn’t have that luxury. In that moment, Kaladin and Lirin both had no way of knowing what the best option was. Lirin knows that the Fused aren’t all sadistic monsters, so handing Teft over would not only save most lives, but it would also save his family from attack. I don’t think this decision is black and white enough for Lirin to be hated for his philosophy. 2. Lirin is terrible because he suggested that Kaladin should act like a “good slave”. Lirin wasn’t supporting slavery as a concept. He is simple of the opinion that working within the system will yield better results than actively opposing it. It would be nice if a poor dark-eye could challenge the status quo without repercussions, but honestly, that usually isn’t the case. Especially in a feudal society where eye color matters. I know people like to romanticize living in poverty, but in reality, if you are low on the totem pole, you simply don’t have the option to fight against the system. If someone doesn’t have the power to change their station, their first thought usually isn’t “we need to fight the system!”. Their first priority is survival. People have mouths to feed, whether that be their family or themselves. You can’t be productive when you're out of a job or in jail. Openly rebelling against slavery would never be the safest option in the short term. And a lot of the time, the short term is the only thing that matters. Lirin in particular understands the price that usually comes with fighting against a corrupt system. Lirin simply spoke out against greedy Roshone and the ensuing conflict ended with his two sons being killed. I am not blaming Lirin for Tien’s death, I am simply emphasizing that, realistically, a poor dark-eyes would not stand a chance against a rich light eye like Roshone. I personally think Lirin’s approach is far more relatable and honest than Kaladin’s. --------------- I just want to stress that I really like the Kaladin and Lirin relationship, even though these characters aren’t the nicest. Their disagreements make each other's beliefs more layered and interesting.

I have had this theory for a long time now that Cultivation cultivated Syl as a part of her gambit. But listen to me for once. This might sound crazy but might make sense in a minute. I guess we can all agree that Syl is different from most of the honorspren. She is just too jovial and lighthearted than most honorspren we have seen. Well... also Rua, but that's probably due to his bond with the Lopen. Then I reread the part in Oathbringer when Kaladin returns to Hearthstone. Another pure voice. Pure being the keyword here. I'm certain that spren can hear the Rhythms of Roshar. And the tones of the three Shards are described to be the pure tones of Roshar in RoW. Honor is dead. Why would Odium bother Syl? It is Cultivation's voice. Like tapped crystal. Dalinar described Cultivation's voice to be like 'tumbling stones'. Tapped crystal. Tumbling stone. Maybe I'm overthinking, but both of these voices are of Cultivation. What else did she do? Probably kept Syl sleeping for that millennium. I mean, we can't take the explanation to be Syl's mind being childish. That... doesn't sound Brando's style to me. 'Cause there is only her. Only her. A single spren slept for a thousand years after breaking her bond. Coincidence? I think not. Why? The bigger question is why. Ok now. Hear me. There is too much in my head that I can't remember now or can't explain. But here is my theory. Kaladin is the 'Son of Tanavast'. The successor of Tanavast (refer to this WoB). And Cultivaton wants him alive. Syl is mostly the reason Kal is alive. And that's why we love her. In Book 5, Dalinar loses the contest of champions. Yet, somehow, he will be able to reforge Honor. Instead of bearing the Shard himself, he gives it to Kaladin because now he is bound to serve Odium. And Kal ascends to Honor. I don't have much to support this other than: Kal's first chapter being 'Honor is Dead'. Kal saying 'Honor is Dead'. Cultivation only influences people who will somehow be related to godhood. And Dalinar being too obvious a choice for Honor.

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!! Syl definitely cosplays as Ulim when she’s pretending to be a Voidspren: Can’t you see my mustache blowing angrily in an unseen breeze?

Okay, I'll find a pinch hitter.

:/ Hope you're okay?

Current VC, because why not : P Quinn (1): Illwei Connie (1): Dannex Kings (1): Random Illwei (2): Matrim, Quinn Random (1): Connie So uh... can we condense a bit? @Dannex@Random Bystander@Condensation would any of you consider moving your votes to Illwei?

"Then... I can... leave you... knowing my children are in good hands." Phaedrus closed her eyes.

The key here is that there is a difference between your ‘Soul’ and your Spiritual Aspect. Soul- Existence is debatable. Not related to investiture in any way. If the Beyond exists, these are what go there. Will always remain un-canonized. Spiritual Aspect- Also called your Spiritweb. Composed of Investiture and Connection. Resides in the Spiritual Realm. Very important with regards to all Realmatics. Hemalurgy, Investiture Healing, Shardblade wounds, Nahel Bonds, and almost any other type of magic is related to the Spiritweb. The most confusing thing is that the Spiritual Aspect is often referred to as someone’s ‘soul’ in-world and by Brandon in WoBs.

I totally would! I've read RoW and everything, but I haven't reread misborn for a long while and I still have to read the last two books of era 2 so I think I'll be an observer for this round

Blood poured from Meens carotid staining the ground a vivid red. Kelsier watched until the light went out in the dead man’s eyes. Good. The Survivor pushed open the flap on the tent, smiling down at Ladashwi. “You doing okay, Sage?” @Random Bystander

Glory = divinity is how I read it, either specifically Connection to Preservation or Adonalsium/Investiture in general, or more broadly that Elend is so heavily Invested right then (and mostly in the Spiritual Realm due to Duralumin+Atium) that he's briefly perceiving the world as the Shards do.

I can only imagine the confusion of the people chasing him.

It’s a working theory, could make back 5 super awesome

Evi: (The hair is perfect too )

This one is dumb

In WoK and WoR breachtree is spelled with an a: while in chapter 15 of RoW it is spelled "breechtree" without the a: One of these is likely a typo

I have seen a reoccurring theme in these forums in regard to the relationship between steel pushing/iron puling and weight. I am hoping I can dispel some confusion on the matter. I am hoping you can forgive me if I quote the book incorrectly I am transcribing from the audiobooks(Don't judge me. I drive a lot.) and don't have the texts to reference. I believe this whole idea comes from when Kelsier was training Vin. After they get in a pushing match. Kelsier Tells her, This I think has been interpreted to mean than heavier people have a stronger push. If you look to their first training session Kelsier has already explained quite clearly that is has to do with action and reaction. After Kelsier tells Vin not to get in a push matches, Vin recalls this earlier lesson and reasons, The reason for not getting into a push match with someone heavier is NOT because they are stronger pushers but because their body is a better anchor. Summary: weight has nothing to do with steel pushing strength. edit: added quote boxes