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Was at the regional championships for a speech and debate tournament this week... and uhhhhhhmmmmmmmm... WELLLLLLLLLL, I didn't really expect to advance because I thought everyone else was better than me. Well. I made it all the way to the finals round. and then I FREAKIN WON FIRST PLACE IN MY CATEGORY AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I GOT A FANCY PLAQUE TOO *glory spren appears* Just needed to share this somewhere cause I am low key in shambles

Well. It's that time of year again. Somehow. AP testing! :DDD Just kidding. As some of you may know, for the last four years I've posted a thread around May 1st for mental health awareness month. In this thread I discuss some of my reasons for this being important to me, and encourage people to change their profile picture green for the month. So... Yeah. Mental illness is really prevalent in my family, and honestly, in many of the communities I'm a part of, including this one. I know many many people to whom mental illness is a defining factor in their lives. This includes everything from depression to OCD to eating disorders. And it's affected my life in ways that I can't even really explain. For me, personally, I've dealt with some depression, anxiety (mostly social anxiety), and constant derealization. However, I've also learned that I'm aroace and on the autism spectrum (and I'm diagnosed now!!!) and finding these key parts of my identity has been so incredibly helpful for my mental health. I'm doing very well, and have been for a while now. However, so many people are really really struggling. For many people each new day is just a new battle. I know a lot of these people, and I love many of them very dearly. And there are even more who I don't know. You are not alone. I invite anyone who feels comfortable to share their experiences. If you don't feel comfortable doing so, just know that you aren't alone, and that there are people here who are willing to support you. And even if you aren't dealing with any mental illness, remember to take care of yourself and your needs. You are important too. I'd also like to invite anyone who wants to change their pfp to something green, as green is the color for mental health awareness. Each and every one of you is loved and appreciated, even if it doesn't feel like it. Happy mental health awareness month! Side note: although often during this month the focus is on mental illness, feel free to ask me any questions about autism. Autism is not a mental illness, it is a developmental disorder (although I don't particularly like that wording either), as is ADHD. People who have either or both of these are known as being neurodivergent. I've done extensive research on autism, especially on how it presents differently in AFAB than AMAB people, and I'd be more than willing to answer any questions. I know that there are some green versions of the old 17th Shard logo floating around from previous years, and we could probably make some for the new logo as well. I can also change the color of symbols and the things such as that if anyone would like. THIS IS THE LINK TO THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE'S WEBSITE. Please do not hesitate to reach out through a call or text. These people are trained to help people in crisis, and can point you towards more long-term resources. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Let Mental Health Awareness Month begin!!! If any of y’all are ever in need, please let me know, I am here for you! You are worth it! You are amazing! You are enough!

this was an exciting night long story short: gunshots, threatened by old man in wife-beater, cops everywhere, teleporting firetruck, someone yelling through a megaphone, concussion grenades, illegal pizza. that is all.

Day #18 Today I was suuuuper depressed But I was able to say (and type!!!!) the number f o u r I would give up the one ring for you

Day #19 Happy Mental Health Awareness month!!! Today I cleaned my room at my dad’s house. For some reason I have no motivation at his house and only a bit at mom’s. But I was able to motivate myself and my section of the room is a lot cleaner. You are better than waffles.

April is one of my favorite months. Don't get me wrong, I love March, but to me April strikes the perfect balance of warm spring days and windy, stormy ones. Ogden Nash has always been one of my favorite poets. His silly animal poems are some of the first I ever learned; I don't doubt they were an early contributor to my sense of whimsy. Put the two together, and what do you get? One of my favorite poems! I have a thing for tsunderes, sue me Pen is a Franklin-Christoph 31 inked with Kyo-no-Oto Moegiiro. Please forgive the show-through; the paper is pretty thin, so I try not to do things on the reverse side, but the notebook is getting full so that's harder to do.

I figured the best way to rep our community and it's history would be to do my bio in RP, so here's what I've got. If anyone has any feedback let me know, I've got to send it in by tomorrow: NATIONALITY: American STARTED PLAYING MAFIA (YEAR): 2014 HAVE PLAYED MAFIA ON THE FOLLOWING SITES: The 17th Shard Aralis took note of each item as he packed his bag. A tinfoil hat, slightly worn, perfect for blocking emotional allomancy. A vial of liquid, labeled “forgetting rollover but actually helping”, which Aralis hoped he would never need. There was a bright pink headband which he donned that contrasted rather starkly with his fading grey hair. A small box that Kel had given him said it contained “the wrath of 80 glorious suns upon your foes.” There were many other things, mementos, weapons, and notes of encouragement. Some of the items were from old friends like Kel, others from rather silly youngsters, but he took them all. This was the first time in nearly 8 years that Aralis had left Tyrian Falls, and despite his frequent grouching, it was hard to say goodbye, even for a while. An envoy had come, asking for a representative, and Aralis had been somewhat surprised when many of the townsfolk had thought of him. Perhaps the recent successful defense of the city against Ruin and the Spiked had worn everyone out, and they’d just turned to a familiar face. Or maybe everyone was tired of him yelling at them to get off his lawn. Whatever the reason, Aralis hoped to do them proud. This was the Year of the Broken Curse, a year when anything was possible. So with the willpower of Tyrian Falls in his staff, and the well-wishes of its members in his pack, Aralis set off for the unknown.

So as I understand it, the way awakening works is that you use breath to fill an object with investiture and give it extremely limited sentience (as investiture does), and then that object will act out whatever command you made it to do. But the investiture is the key here of course. The object is just the physical medium that gives Breath the ability to act on the world. So is that medium actually necessary? I don't think it is. We've seen that investiture can manifest in the physical realm as metals- shardblades and shardplates and ancient fabrials, atium, lerasium. So why not breath as well? I propose that you can command the breath directly to "manifest as metal", and it would do so in the form of Edglium, endowment's godmetal. Furthermore, I propose that this is how Azure's sword was made. "Manifest as metal and be as my blade". We know that originally, nightblood was an attempt to recreate a rosharan shardblade using Breath. This was done by taking a normal steel sword and loading it chock full of breath, and giving it a command. "Destroy Evil". But this isn't how shardblades are made. They're made by getting a spren to manifest in the physical realm as metal. And so, if you're trying to recreate one using Breath, then I would probably try getting breath to manifest as metal. If Azure's sword is a second attempt at this same experiment (which certainly isn't confirmed, but we at least know that the sword is "somewhat related" to nightblood). So what do you all think? Can you command breath directly, and manifest it as metal? What else interesting could you do with that? And what do you think of my theory on Azure's sword

Laurelai had many years of practice trying to recreate a scene from small details, but as she arrived in Lita's office once again she had to stifle her confusion. For one the room did not appear as it had earlier that day, there seemed a moderate amount of chaos to the otherwise orderly room. She noticed the scattered ashen material when Lita bent to examine it but couldn't place why it would have been spread in such a pattern. There was no blood, no bodies, no signs that anyone had been struggling in the room but why then did she get the impression that there had been a fight? “Rusting R&D interns,” Litamuttered, rearranging her seat before settling in again. “Never can keep them out of my things.” Laurelai gave a small smile, though she was unsure exactly what an R&D intern entailed. It seemed to be another department but she was still discovering the exact nature and hierarchy here, so she simply noted the comment mentally and vowed to perhaps steer clear of any R&D interns should she meet one. She was on the verge of replying when a shiver went down her spine and her attention snapped to the ceiling. She scanned the roof carefully, trying to identify the cause, but the sensation faded as quickly as it had arrived and with no further explanation. Perhaps she'd simply become too tired, she felt oddly exhausted still even after apparently sleeping during a discussion with her new boss. ”I don’t know about you but I am knackered.” Lita said, echoing Laurelai's feelings and prompting a somewhat more genuine smile. “You’re welcome to go home, or if you wish to try your Forgery method now you may use the laboratory over there.” Laurelai glanced at the door, curiosity briefly warring with her exhaustion before finally she shook her head. It was late in the day and she had supplies in her apartment, along with somewhere comfortable to sleep once she grew too tired to continue. Better to rest properly tonight to prevent any embarrassing repeats of what had happened earlier. As she crossed to the door back towards the Alleys she was about to wish Lita a goodnight when the other woman spoke. ”And Laurelai,” she looked up, giving a small, yet genuine, smile. “Well done today.” "Thank you." Laurelai said, matching the smile and suppressing a small blush of pride. "I'll get started on the Forgery at home and meet you in the morning then." They were such simple words. Laurelai reflected, closing the door gently behind her as she left the office and began to walk back along the quiet, eerie Alleys. But even those simple words had felt somehow very encouraging coming from Lita. Perhaps that was simply one of the many qualities that made her so suitable for leadership, an innate charisma that made one feel as though they had been friends even after just a brief acquaintance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Professor Esserthel winced as the small figure stepped into the water. Instinctively he started to move the rest of his body back even as he stretched one hand out to grab her but before she sidestepped his clumsy attempt to grab her effortlessly and moved beneath what was clearly some form of dangerous trap before standing still in the water. Her form shivered and melted away again, revealing what he assumed to be her true form of a young woman of short stature and somewhat ratty clothing. Cleaner than she had first appeared but somewhat gaunt and malnourished. Miraculously the water seemed to be neither poisonous nor acidic as the Professor had feared, at least he assumed not by the way she stood underneath it without further complaint. Was it simply some natural effect that it played on curiosity? He supposed not everything with such a luring effect was inherently dangerous, just more likely to be so. But he could not deny the evidence in front of him, that this appeared to simply be water. "Are you alright?" He asked. "Did it hurt you? Is it safe?" He stifled an urge to ask other clarifying questions about the nature of the water to try to identify it, but preserving her life and well-being should be the priority for now he thought, watching her expectantly. But no reply came, either from her own hoarse voice or the strange sourceless one. Instead she stood calmly in the water, staring ahead with unfocussed eyes that seemed to momentarily dart from place to place, never quite resting. "Can you hear me?" He asked again, waving a hand in front to see if she tracked the motion. "Are you alright?" Still no response, she didn't even follow the movement. He reached out to one of her arms that was outside of the downpour to try to see if tactile sensation might work but the instant he started to reach for it she had already retracted the hand. Even without paying any attention she seemed to have remarkably quick reactions. Perhaps this water was some kind of creature which now controlled her? Using senses other than her own to perceive his movement. "Well this is something of a problem." He mused, looking sternly at the woman in the rain. But he could not quite hide the small smile that rose to his lips at the puzzle.

Happy Mental Health Awareness month! I struggle with... a lot, as anyone who knows me well is aware of, depression and anxiety most prominently. I also have OCPD and non-verbal learning disorder. I'll start with anxiety. I've been an anxious wreck my whole life, but until I was about 14, I just thought I was simply weak and should toughen up, even if that hurt like all Mal. I remember three years ago, in fact, reading the mental health awareness thread and feeling unworthy to post here because I supposedly didn't have anything wrong with me. I was wrong. If you're reading this and feeling like me, please, please talk to someone. Your problems are worth getting help for. Getting diagnosed was life changing for me, and even though I still have a long ways to go, that first step was crucial for me to start the path to healing. Anxiety is not weakness; it is as real as any physical illness and you are not any lesser for it. In fact, I would venture to say that you're all the stronger for having to deal with it day by day. As for depression... It is very real, and very debilitating. Even on meds, I still have very low lows, and I would not say that I like my life enough to truly want to keep it. That said, I do believe that better days are coming. I have tasted happiness, and I will taste it again. For anyone else struggling with depression, my heart goes out to you. If I could only say one thing, it is that you are loved, your pain is real, and that better days are coming. That last one might be hard to hear, but look back, and you'll see; you've been through this before a million times. and you're still here. What's one more day? You never know what happiness might await. In the words of Raskolnikov from my beloved Crime and Punishment, "Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on this earth." Think about Kaladin and how much we all love him for what he's been through and how he continues to fight. You are as much a warrior as he is.

DID YOU SAY THIS AND I MISSED IT OR IS THIS NEW For anyone who wasn't around last year, hi, I'm Ene, I have diagnosed depression, social anxiety, and OCD, as well as ADHD. What I just want to say this year is that no matter what's going on, no matter what you may personally be dealing with, things CAN get better. With treatment they've gotten so much better for me. This stuff doesn't just go away, but if you work at it, it can stop impacting your life quite so severely and you can live happily. It's not out of reach. It is worth doing. And it won't be easy, but it is possible. You have the capability in you to win this. I believe that completely. <3

One of the brethren in my ward almost crashed into President Nelson in a high school parking lot. It was kind of a funny story.

I can count with the fingers of one hand the number of times I've slept alone in a house. And that's being generous, my memory is fuzzy, today might actually be the first time. My family had a party and I decided not to go because poor social skills and fear of leaving the cats alone are a powerful combination. So hi, it's 12:43 am and I'm afraid to turn off the lights. You'd think at 23 sleeping alone would be whatever but apparently it takes some getting used to. Felt like writing about it to pretend it makes me feel less alone. At least I have two cats and a dog to protect me from any stray ghosts wandering about.

*is totally not reading tWoK for the twelfth time in five years*

In a small room behind a pale blue door, Lita dreamed of a storm. Icy rain poured down in sheets, whipped into her eyes by a wind that turned the droplets into freezing lances. Lightning cracked in the sky, the bright white flare contrasting with the ruddy glow of firelight. All around Lita, the city screamed and burned. In her sleep, Lita turned, curling inward as though in pain. She winced, giving a soft cry, the phantom wound in her right side nearly waking her as another crack of lightning illuminated a wide, white smile. Lita hovered there on the edge of wakefulness, eyelids fluttering once, before her breathing steadied. She nestled into her pillow as sleep dragged her into another dream… … “Lord Montrell,” Forian called, his voice a charming baritone pitched just right to cut through the low buzz of conversation. Lita watched as a man in his middle years detached himself from a small knot of guests and made his way over to them. “Forian Tekiel, as I live and breathe,” Lord Montrell Hasting grinned and took a careless sip from his wine glass. A little wine leaked out into his beard, red staining the salt-and-pepper strands. Been drinking a bit too much already, my lord? Lita thought, making a note of it. That kind of information made all the difference in their line of work, and it was Lita’s job to find it. “I thought you’d left the city,” Montrell continued, still grinning as the three of them walked further into the ballroom. This was Hasting territory, and despite Montrell’s jovial tone, Houses Hasting and Tekiel had been waging a silent trade war for the better part of a year now. And Forian’s little smuggling gang was about to try and play both sides. “Monty,” Forian chided, snagging two glasses of wine from a passing server, “I thought you were above that sort of petty gossip.” He pushed one of the glasses into Lita’s hand, meeting her eyes for a fraction of a second. Lita had to resist a sigh. She already knew she wasn’t supposed to drink this evening. Too much depended on this event, and Lita needed all her wits about her. Lord Montrell gave a hearty chuckle. “Well then you don’t know me at all. Gossip is what I live for, my boy! Rumors are their own kind of currency.” His eyes flicked from Forian to Lita as she pretended to take a drink. Tin let her catch errant fragments of other conversations as they passed. “- the gall of the outer cities to propose tariffs on Elendel goods -“ “Have you heard Lady Ereinne was caught with the -“ “-won’t believe what they’re charging for a gown this season -“ “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced, my dear,” Lord Montrell said, stopping at a high top table and leaning against it with only slightly more weight than necessary. “Forian, who is this delightful creature?” Forian slid his hand around her waist, coming to rest far too close to her bust than was proper for a Lord of means. “Just a little something I picked up in the Sixth Octant. Amazing the jewels you can find just lying around in the gutter. All they need is a bit of polish, isn’t that right darling?” Lita pulled the first stirrings of heat in her cheeks back into one of the brass cuffs in her ears, then gave Lord Montrell a soft smile. “Forian is well-practiced at polishing his jewels, my lord,” she said, keeping her face carefully blank. Montrell, who had begun to take another sip of wine, sputtered half of it back into the glass as he gave a belly-shaking laugh. Not a few people glanced over, and Lita couldn’t help but give the tiniest smirk. “Harmony’s Bands, but I like her, Forian,” he said between coughs, mopping at his cravat with a handkerchief. “Everyone here’s so rusting stiff all the time, I haven’t heard a proper joke in ages.” Lita chanced a sidelong look at Forian, whose amiable grin had fractured slightly into something much more sharp. There were two spots of color high on his cheeks, and he clenched his wine glass with white knuckles. Rusts. Wrong move, Lita. “Bring her round after the dancing and we’ll talk business, eh?” “Of course, Lord Montrell,” Forian said, taking Lita’s arm in a vice-like grip. “Now, do excuse us.” Forian tugged her through the crowd, and Lita had to nearly run to keep him from dragging her, dodging around guests and murmuring apologies as they went. She could hear the light ‘clack clack’ of her heeled shoes against the fine wood floor, along with Forian’s angry, huffing breaths. They arrived at the dance floor just as the string quartet was beginning a new song, and Forian pulled her close, his mouth inches from her ear. “What the hell was that?” He hissed, as they began to dance. Lita moved through the waltz mechanically, trying to stave off a rising tide of fear. Tin let her smell the wine on his breath, and the brandy from earlier. A vein jumped at his temple, nearly concealed by his thick black hair. “Lord Montrell is infamous for being irreverent, and he’s already three quarters drunk,” Lita whispered, hoping that if she could just get the words out fast enough, she could stem the tide of Forian’s fury. “I thought a joke might soften him up, and I was right. He invited -“ “What,” Forian said through clenched teeth, “did I say about thinking, Lita?” “You said-“ Lita swallowed a growing panic. She could fix this. She just had to give him what he wanted. “You said to-“ “To leave it up to me,” Forian finished. The music swelled, and he spun her before pulling her back in, gripping her right wrist instead of her hand and beginning to squeeze. Lita winced, biting her tongue to keep from whimpering. He knew she’d be burning Tin. That was the only time he ever hurt her. “Forian, please,” she whispered, the lights of the ballroom blurring as her eyes filled with unshed tears. “You’ll leave a mark.” Forian growled softly, but let up a bit. That would draw the wrong kind of attention, and he knew it. He took a deep breath, seeming to calm slightly. “Lita, Lita, my little dove,” he said, voice smoother but no less dangerous. “One would think you’d be a little more grateful, after I plucked you out of that hovel your father called a Soothing parlour.” Lita clenched her jaw at his mention of her father. “My father is a good person,” she whispered. Better than you’ll ever be, Forian Tekiel. Better than me. Forian laughed, all derision. “Your father is a fool. How long have we been using his basement to hide our wares? A year now?” He scoffed. “Just goes to show that emotional Allomancy doesn’t account for brains.” “Forian,” Lita gave him a warning glare. “I’m surely not the only Tineye here. You don’t know who could be listening.” “It seems to me,” Forian moved his hand up her back to rest at the nape of her neck, sliding one finger beneath the beautiful emerald and pearl choker he’d given her as a gift, “that this Tineye needs to listen a little better.” He tugged at the necklace, pressing the center stone ever so slightly against Lita’s throat. Lita stared back into his grey-blue eyes, feeling a seething anger building within her chest. “I’m not your whore, Forian,” she whispered. “You’re whatever I want, you little gutter rat,” he spat, leaning close enough that she could hear his pulse. “You slum-trash are all the same, desperate for a lick at the scraps from our table. I know you’d do anything to be where you are, you hungry little wretch. And you have.” There was a smug smile in his voice; Lita hated him for it, even as she loved him. The music was swelling to a crescendo, and as Forian spun her one last time, she felt a single tear trace down her cheek. “Now,” Forian said, his hand back on her waist, every inch a gentleman. “Are you going to be my good little Tineye?” Lita nodded, forcing herself to smile. “Of course, Forian,” she said, her voice small. “Whatever you want.” Forian returned the smile, reaching up to brush the tear away. “There now,” he said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Lita shook her head as the music began to change keys. The conductor called out the next dance, which would mandate a switch in partners. “Be good,” he whispered, kissing her cheek as he squeezed her wrist just once more. She winced, and he was gone. The new song began, and Lita stood dumbly for a moment before someone lightly took her hand, resting the other at the small of her back. She began to dance, still staring at nothing, until she realized how out of place she would look. Pull it together, Lita. This is no time to come apart. “My apologies, my lord,” she said, sniffing once and putting a smile back on her face. “All the excitement of this evening has me—“ Lita looked up, and her words died in her throat. The man before her was tall, cutting a fine figure in his black suit, deep purple waistcoat and matching cravat. All those deep colors were offset by a gold watch-chain that disappeared into his suit pocket, and a row of bright golden buttons on the waistcoat that reminded Lita of coins. A flash of gold at his wrist hinted at similar cuff links. The dark colors were a bit out of season; most of the attendees had dressed in greens, like Lita herself, or blues. But the deep shades seemed right on him. They accentuated his rich brown skin and tight black curls, which he had pulled back into a short tail. Some of the curls had escaped, giving him a slightly wild appearance that was furthered by his smile. It was white and sharp, and Lita was immediately reminded of the stories of sharks out in Hammondar Bay. He moved with all the casual grace of a practiced dancer, but somehow every inch of the man radiated danger. And then Lita looked into his eyes. She felt every hair on her body stand on end, and a deep instinct screamed at her to run. But Lita did not run; something held her there, drawing her like metal to a Lurcher. There was something so terribly familiar about this stranger, an assurance that she knew him. But Lita would have remembered a man like this, a man with one eye so black that it seemed to be sliced through reality itself, and the other replaced with a single silvery spike driven point-first through his skull. His smile widened, and Lita half-remembered curling shadows and whispered secrets, a white smile behind a pale blue door, a golden Coin in her hand. A stranger in her doorway. She shuddered, fear mixing with something hotter and sweeter. “I know you,” she breathed, and as she spoke it she knew it was true. The music swelled, and the man’s grin stretched even wider. “Good evening, Little Lita.” @Fatebreaker

Doesn't soul casting require the use of spren? We all ready know honey isn't vegan because it utilizes bees, and there are certainly classes of veganism that consider mushrooms to not be vegan (which is to say: definition of life/animal is perhaps loose enough to include spren). Anyway, because soul casting uses spren, any food from it could plausibly be considered not vegan, even grain. An chouta is not vegan because it brings joy to people, and a tenant of veganism is to replace joy in this life with misery

Happy mental health awareness month!

Hello all! Happy mental health awareness month! As some of you know I'm Nathrangking or Nath as many of you have come to know me. I think that the most important thing for me as far as mental health is concerned is to admit that I'm not always fine. To this point I have not shared this with anyone, but I have in the past and even still struggled/struggle with episodes of depression. Thankfully, I have managed it, but at times they really do fill me with darkness. This was not helped in the past year by events that multiplied the darkness. I never acted on my pain, but I have suffered in silence. If not for the support of the shard and a few real world friends who likely suspect that my stoic attitude is a facade I would be so much worse than than I am now. There are too many of you to thank, but let me just say thank you to every friend I have made over the years thank you. You are all so awesome and helped me so much in simply dealing with my burdens. I could never repay you properly for all that you have done. As Hoid said I will be warm again. We all will be no matter what we go through. It is sometimes so hard to imagine and the isolation is so palpable, but it will happen. We must only take the next step at a time and look toward the horizon until the warmer day arrives.

I assume you're meaning anyONE. The flaw in this logic is the definition of anyone is "any person or persons" Unfortunately, this means Adolin could have had to fight an entire warcamp by the terms of this agreement.

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!!! I struggle with severe depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, OCD, misophonia, and body dysmorphia. I’m not in a position to really offer much help because I’m still in a terrible place with my… stuff. But I’m always free to talk.

knock knock Hellooo there... anybody home?

Anxiety attacks suck.

Happy birthday!

I know this has already been said, I kind of do want to reiterate that Cultivation does seem to be hoping to put the shards in the hands of whoever would grow most as a result of holding those shards. At the time of asking for a boon from the Nightwatcher, each of the three shard candidates were antithetical to the intents of the shards they were presumably being prepped to bear. Dalinar was a poor leader who acted without restraint in the name of the greater good - in short, he was dishonorable. Lift asked not to change - not to cultivate herself into whatever she had the potential to be. Taravingian strove for the ability to make logically perfect choices apart from emotion, opposite the Passion that Odium espouses himself to be. Evidently, they were all unhappy with their lives, seeking the Nightwatcher as a result. Cultivation then gave them boons that would help them realize a life acting in a way the shards intended. Dalinar, able to temporarily lose some of his guilt, is able to pick up the Codes and live honorably. Lift, having been given powers, is put in a position of power that forces some degree of responsibility on her; the fact that she is starting to physically age despite always being full of Light that shapes your body into your own self perception being symbolic of the fact that she is at least somewhat accepting that she is growing up. Taravingian, having his dumb days, learns (or at least was supposed to learn) that having empathy is something that is useful for the greater good. ... That being said, I also don't think that is evidence enough that Cultivation has no endgame. There were surely non-shardic ways that could have cultivated Dalinar, Lift, and Taravingian just as well. And if taking up shards were really such a good way of cultivating people, I would think that Cultivation would have raised people to hold them in the past (at the very least for Honor, who has no bearer at the moment). I think what we need to recognize is that even if they have been together for a very long time, there still is Cultivation the shard and Korellium Avast, its holder. Picture this. Korellium Avast has recognized that Roshar - which she very much cares for, it basically being something that she raised with Tanavast - is extremely screwed. But having her shard for so long, she isn't able to take any drastic actions not in the Intent of Cultivation. There isn't anything she can do that saves Roshar in a direct manner, so the least that she can do is cause some chaos by meddling with the affairs of the most powerful things on the planet. So, in short, I think Korellium Avast does have Roshar's best interests in mind. It's just that by virtue of being beholden to her shardic Intent, giving the shards new bearers that would be cultivated from holding them is the best that she can do. Edit: Yes, villain Cultivation would be cool. But seeing as Odium kinda murdered her lover and Unmade many of her creations, effectively reverse-cultivating them, I don't really see a team up happening.

I totally just realized that the shape of two heads kissing is a heart. No, I'm not drawing a kiss, why do you ask?

There have been enough hints dropped by Pattern to make me think he knew all along.

That sounds like a good potential solution!

There is no true confirmation of that that I can find. Personally, I'm pretty sure it's just because she's in the middle of maturing emotionally, but it's also possible for it to stick.

For sure. It's just some thoughts I have had. Admittedly my bias pokes it's head out when it comes to the Kandra. I don't think Sazed went all bad and I actually really feel for him too. That dude stepped up to the plate for sure. I honestly don't think anyone in their right mind would willingly choose to become a shard... let alone be willing to take on two conflicting shards. Harmony definately is not the same Sazed we saw in era 1. He certainly isn't all bad... in fact I am sure the homie is doing the best that he can with what he was handed. I have also theorized that TLR was most likely near his breaking point and really welcomed his demise to Vins hands. Being immortal and surrounded by people who hate you (or simply don't believe in you in the case of a shard) must take its toll. I like the idea that the Kandra are willingly working with Harmony and that they are not being controlled in everything. But we can't forget that half of what Sazed is carrying literally took control over everything with a spike and tried to end the world with zero regard to what they were. As far as preservation goes... preservation is not necessarily a great thing. People try to preserve things at some ridiculous costs all the time... let's sacrifice all of our agriculture and double the price of food and leave shelves empty in the name of "preservation". The fact that all shards are so far to their sides is what makes the cosmere so dang good though. It isn't one God who has a good balance of everything. Instead its planets full of mortals trying to exist with gods over their planets that are totally radical (to the point of destruction) in whatever emotion or notion that shard is of. Just imagine when a shard dies it really has a huge effect on the mortals. I am a huge fan of cultivation from a progression point of view. I love how much better life can be with change but not all change is good for humanity and looking at the way shards work cultivation likely wouldn't care what the outcomes are just as long as change is happening.

Well, sexual selection is a thing in evolution. Doesn't have to be practical. The Thaylens might just find long, white eyebrows attractive ... Who knows, maybe Cultivation sped the process up?

Day #17 Today is @Channelknight Fadran’s birthday!!!! I enjoyed giving him a heart attack I love all of you so much <3

Sanderson fans, especially Skyward fans! I just submitted a Lego Ideas set featuring the DDF Poco from Skyward, based on the artwork by Ben McSweeney. If we can get 10,000 votes of support, Lego will consider making it into an official set. Supporting is free, you just have to make an account with Lego. (This prevents people from bot-farming votes for themselves.) Please consider supporting and/or passing this info to friends/groups who might be interested. How you can support this potential set: 1. Go to https://ideas.lego.com 2. Click “log in” link in top right and create an account. 3. Go to the Skyward submission at https://ideas.lego.com/projects/36f34d66-8aa5-4e82-a09b-af966300d379 (or search for poco or skyward) and/or have a look around and find additional projects that you like. You can vote to support as many submissions as you like. 4. On the Skyward submission, click on the yellow “support” button in the top right. That's it! You should have gotten a pop-up saying thank you and suggesting other projects with similar keywords.

This is not the sort of thing that I normally do, but I was inspired by @Silva to step outside my comfort zone this year. I owe him thanks for inspiring me and providing much food for thought. Today is Yom Hashoah or as it is called in English Israel's day of remembrance for the Holocaust. The Nazis YS"Z did many horrific things. One of these was stripping people of their names and attempting to reduce them to something so base as to be unrecognizable. They wanted them to lose something, but what was it that they wanted to achieve? What are names? Some might view names as identity. This is who I am boiled down to a couple of syllables or words. Some might say a name is power. You can classify the world by way of this power. Yet others may claim a name is a burden as there tends to be a lot of baggage that comes with names. They can tell the history of a person and reveal so many hidden aspects. Perhaps then we should view names as a testament of history both personal and familial. However, I would like to propose something else entirely. I preface by saying this is no place to be judging or analyzing the truth behind religious customs. In Judaism there are many fascinating customs surrounding names. I would like to highlight two. Among the Jews who descend from many parts of Europe there is a custom that one of the ways that babies are named is to choose a name or a part of one that comes from a family member who had passed away. This is a form of memory that preserves the memory of those who are no longer with us and keeps their legacies alive long after they have gone. Is a name then tied to memory as well? A second is a wider custom among most religious Jews. When people fall ill or suffer some other terrible tragedy a name is added to them such as Chaim meaning life for a male or Chaya which is a derivative of Chaim for a female. There is the belief that a name impacts your reality. It defines who you are in a very real way. It might be said that your name could represent a certain reality or even life itself. It might be safe to say that names are complex and not to be taken lightly. If it is any of these things then the Nazis sought to take identity, power, history, memory, and life itself from millions of helpless victims. We too often lose sight of the significance and power of having a name. Maybe every now and then we can take a moment and reflect on how lucky we are and remember those who will not be. At this moment I must again give credit to @Silva for informing me of that which I did not know. I now take from his post and defer to his powerful words. "Some time ago, a teacher introduced me a website called Illuminate (https://www.illuminatethepast.org/). Essentially, each Yom Hashoah, they have people around the world light virtual candles in honor of someone who died in the Holocaust. The website provides a name and a little about the person when possible. It doesn't capture all the nuances of a name, all the slight implications and meanings so innate to the person and those who lived around them. How can it? But it's something, a start, and that's worth something. If you feel comfortable doing so, take a minute, light a candle, remember a name for those who cannot. As the days go by and you hear of recent events, please pause for a moment and recognize the fortune of your own world and immediate surroundings; they might not be ideal, but they could be much, much worse. Recognize the power of the names in your life and never think it your right to deprive another person of their own. As many a fictional character has said, names have power; don't take it for granted." To bear a name is to bear something so powerfully precious. Let us never take that for granted and forget.

So force all humans to move despite the fact that with the possible exception of the Heralds none of the living humans did anything wrong? Or force them to subject themselves to a different government because the new government is run by the decendents of the people who owned the land seven thousand years ago? And what about the human settlements in places the Dawnsingers were never able to reach like Urithiru? And what about Horneaters and Herdazians who have mixed heritage? And how do you even begin to factor in the Aiamians? And Honor in many ways ruled over all of the Dawnsingers, and he chose humans, so does that mean that the humans had the authority to move into the rest of Roshar and the Dawnsingers were in rebelllion? I don't think any answer will solve all of the problems on Roshar. Now that's not to say that a Singer state cannot or should not exist, for example RoW But evicting all humans from Roshar creates more problems than it solves.

I hope we one day learn more about the Potter who also was receiving visions from someone. The poor guy got death-rattled, but I wonder if there is more to his story,

I always thought that it was Hoid just messing with people in 10 different disguises.

Art only attracted the spirits. It took a clear command to make them change. That is not different from Awakening or Soulcasting. While Painter simply depicted the form to be reached. You could argue that it just was a visual Command, but other than the medium not different from Awakening.

I'd imagine it has to be both. We know for a fact that geographical features matter at least to some degree, because of the chasm. We also know that one can be taken by the Shaod without actually being in Arelon since Galladon's father lived in Duladel proper, so the territories must not be strictly geopolitical. However, as you said, the shape of the cognitive realm is shaped by people's perceptions. But geopolitical borders aren't the only things that people perceive as groupings. I personally think that if Fjordell annexed Arelon, the two magic systems would remain distinct so long as the Aonic people thought of themselves as Aonic people.

that is the most accurate LDS meme I've ever seen, my gosh. the sacrament prayers really do be radiant oaths tho

It's always a good time to talk about image descriptions, and I recently learned that memes should always have alt text that will show up when they don't work! The jumbled letters that we see when an image doesn't load is what a visually impaired person would hear from a screen reader, so it's better to have a brief description instead. You can add alt text by double-clicking on an inserted image, and here's one of many helpful guides to writing alt text... and an expanding brain meme described: "[image]trjgLJKHiLIdgfhDT" across from a typical brain scan "Expanding brain meme about alt text" across from a brighter brain "a meme with three brains. The first has no alt text and a dim brain, the second has alt text and a brighter brain, and the third has a full image description" across from a brilliant brain radiating light.

"He felt something from Phendorana. A harmony between them. Teft was forgiven. He was forgiven and he was close." The result: he pseudo-summons Phendorana as a spear shaft to defend himself. I can't help but wonder if the implication is that his 4th Ideal was basically "I'll forgive myself for not being able to protect someone," and in the moment he was close enough that he could summon her. Anyone think the same thing I do, or do you think I'm absolutely bonkers?

I agree that it's extremely likely the elders of the Shin have fallen under the influence of an Unmade. Also, I agree with @ScadrianTank on this point: Szeth is very clearly speaking about the fact that Taravangian somehow knew Neturo was dead. He's OBSESSING about it, as demonstrated by all the other quotes. Dalinar, who has no knowledge of that conversation, misinterprets Szeth's mutterings to be about Ishar.

I have been thinking about this whole thing a lot since I first finished RoW, and when I did my full series re-read, I took a lot of notes on pretty much every little thing Shallan did or said (and especially in light of this thread). This mystery is intriguing enough to me that I wanted to contribute to the discussion; I think there is a sixth option! My personal conclusion right now is that Shallan's truths to Pattern are basically all lies and her "real truths" are different from what is generally assumed. This is a part of a larger argument that I've been working on that goes over everything that I think even remotely resembles an Ideal. This notion started when I noted down this quote: I essentially think that none of the Truths spoken as traditionally interpreted (except for maybe "I'm terrified,") are really Shallan's perception of the events, just the basic facts. "I killed my father" is not the Ideal--the truth that brings power is "I am a murderer," in my opinion. I also think the traditional timeline for Ideals is merely Shallan's false timeline for Ideals. As a part of convincing herself, she has to convince the reader that it is real and viable. I think the lack of obvious truths is a part of that grand deception. From other portions of the book, it's clear that she can literally force herself to just black out entire memories in real time. I think she uses that to sneakily swear Ideals under the radar. I specifically think that this scene is Shallan swearing Ideal 3 (aka Truth 2) to Pattern. I think that this is the the real Truth: "I can be what I am because I cut [the memories] off." That ellipsis is present in the text. I think the ellipsis is necessary for Shallan because Ideal 3 seems to come with a non-negotiable first manifestation of a Shardblade. (Kaladin doesn't appear to do it consciously the first time; neither does Lopen, who is completely shocked. Lift almost does, but it's timed in the most dramatic way possible.) Shallan can't allow herself to acknowledge that this is the first manifestation of the Patternblade, because obviously she should already have that Shardblade! She already killed Tyn with it. She has to lie to herself so the timeline works. I think that this may be the deep lie that Pattern refers to here. Immediately after this, she makes significant progress on Veil, and Pattern learns how to use sarcasm, which to me is evidence of their deepening bond. When their bond weakens in OB, it makes a lot more sense to me in this context. Shallan isn't using her lies and creations to be herself, she's using them to run away and become someone else entirely. She's going back on this specific oath. When Shallan pulls Veil and Radiant in on the mission, when they become her helpers and companions so that she can be who she is, that's when she solidifies the Truth she spoke to Pattern. There are some other little bits--when I did my re-read, I noted every time Shallan instinctively used her powers, and it seems that it typically happens for her at crucial moments like these. Also, check out that early reference to multiple Patterns! As for Ideal 2, it could be "I killed my father, I'm a murderer", but I think it's actually in this scene here: To me, this seems like the type of Truth that would be universal for the Lightweavers as an order. If Pattern really did bond her recently, I think this is a likely candidate for Ideal 2. It's reflective of his interests as a spren and the kinds of truths he is intrigued by. He always wants to know why. Compare to the questions asked by the mysterious voice who I am increasingly certain is actually Testament: Testament, if that is who is speaking, clearly has a different approach! Her interests must be different. She wants to know what Shallan truly is, whereas Pattern concerns himself with why she is. It makes sense to me that the first Truth Shallan speaks to him has to do with why. It also loops back to that quote I started with, referring to the truth that she spoke to him. Shallan perceives herself as seeking truth--that's why she's doing what she's doing--and Pattern accepts this as truth, realizing that at this time there are truths that Shallan can't handle. This interpretation particularly improves my enjoyment of OB, since I felt I had a better understanding of what Shallan might mean when she talks about an Ideal sworn but not realized (though this could also be speaking about Testament.) At the very least, it squares the timeline for me, allowing for a living Shardblade in both the chasms and at the Oathgate. I also have an interest in puzzling through the actual Ideals Shallan may/may not have sworn and what they mean to her on a thematic level. I thought it might be fun to add to the discussion in that way, too!

The point was that it could be a double-fakeout. At first you think she needs ten heartbeats because that's how Shardblades work. Then you come to the end of WoR and realize living Blades are a thing, and they don't require ten heartbeats. So Shallan was just lying to herself. THEN you read RoW and realize she wasn't using a living Blade there, so she did need ten heartbeats after all. (maybe) That's not to say I've taken back my original thrust that Testament isn't subject to the ten heartbeat rule. Like you said, Adolin/Maya is evidence enough that Testament maybe doesn't require ten heartbeats. It's just an interesting, twisty idea that maybe she does after all. (or at least did at that point, perceptions aside) Oh, I think you're right. Thanks. That goes against my intuition, but I do seem to think evidence was in favor of the idea that they return to a relative location. But then I would fall back on the argument that, if Testament were summoned at some point after being found by the business partner, the partner would be aware of that fact. (having seen her disappear and come back at one point or another) And it feels a significant detail that would have come up. Certainly possible the inkspren just failed to mention it... but it's at least one more nail in the coffin of the idea that Shallan summoned Testament post-WoR in my opinion.

Hoid: Complete asshole who inadvertently causes major character development via storytelling.

I’ll devil’s advocate the color difference. The blade is silver in both passages, and the glowing lines are just that, a glow. Dalinar notes something quite similar with Shardplate in his visions, no? It’s why we figured the woman in the Thunderclast vision was a Dustbringer, from the red glows. the reason it’s not mentioned in the first scene is because Tyn’s body is blocking it, whereas Kaladin has an unimpeded view later. By making it Pattern both times, there’d be no screams. That’d work, right?