iamstick

My (current) bet is Shallan's maid

I sort of want to continue the bunched chapter readings even after OB is released because the wild speculation about the limited content has been amazing. I love these conversations. (However, I know myself well enough though that I'll be reading the whole thing release night.)

I'm still holding out hope that all the Kholins have to opt out of ruling by virtue of Radiance, and they let Sebarial and Paloma run everything domestically.

Completely unsupportable theory: Adolin performed his own healing. Between the empathy with the Ryshadium and his bond with his sword, maybe there's already Something Different about Adolin.

I vote Lirin "most likely to bond a gloomspren"

I'd be amused if the Nightwatcher turns out to be an unmade but "Old Magic" probably predates that. Playing with black spheres and launching Taravangian aren't exactly the hallmarks of a "good guy" super spren. On the other hand, StormDaddy regularly destroys as well as infuses, so who am I to judge? Going by the Parshendi, who were very happy to get rid of their old gods, the Nightwatcher was probably one and can be reasonably considered a force for chaos as personified by Taravangian as well as the nasty curses she inflicts. (I'm waiting for someone to start "milking" Lift's stormlight by feeding her unlimited amounts of food.)

Humanity has travelled several worlds from the Tranquiline Halls, bringing their chickens and their minks and their hogs and their horses, and they ended up on a planet where Cultivation is a goddess, and they hybridized: the Horneaters (and some Vedens), the Herdazians, the Ryshadium, and probably a number of other variations if you look closely enough. And while Odium is setting up a war between the Parshendi and the Humans, he's overlooked that they're now cousins. Time for them to unite -- not nations but peoples -- and fight Odium with the bits and pieces of Honor that remains.

“[T]he corpse had been a lighteyed officer named Vedekar Perel. He was from Sebarial's army, but Shallan didn't know him” He participated in the fight against the Parshendi (“Perel," he said to one of his field commanders, "tell the men to get ready for the mark. We're going to charge across those bridges onto the southern plateau...Storms, I wish we had archers. Go!”) at the end of WoR He probably came from a coastal or lake region ("Swimming term, sir") Further: Ialai was in the vicinity at the time Sadeas died, along with a few of her scribes and several of his soldiers. Sanderson does not mention the make-up of Adolin's scouting party, which could reasonably have consisted of Kholin, Sebarial, Roion, and Aladar members. After, Adolin shard-cut away his chalk marks, rejoined a scouting party and pretended he'd been there all along.

I'll leave out all the Renarin discussion quoting but summary to date: "He's a void binder!!" "No, he's a precious precious cinnamon tallew roll too good for this Roshar!!!". We've seen two Truthwatchers to date: Ym and in addition to Renarin. Both seemed to inadvertently heal as their primary surge ability. Renarin's greatest gift seems to be to annoy people (except those who see through this artifice to his precious precious cinnamon tallew roll too good for this Roshar nature, of course) while being too eager to please. I don't see any evidence of him doing anything healingish or illuminationish in-text. Could he simply be lying about his order just like Shallan is? My crazy theory with zero basis in reality about Renarin has to do with this from WoK: Emphasis mine. So maybe she's not leaving him alone. I'm not saying that her real name is Glysphrenia and she suffers from bit of gender dysphoria but maybe Renarin gets direct-dial consults with her about the future and she doesn't leave him alone. (I doubt he's a Bond Smith though. Two in one family? Awkward.) p.s. I totally ship Renarin and Lift as a friendship. Can't wait until they get that portal to Azir open.

I can't help but think that the Heralds have been up to something. That so many would show up to that night? Clearly, Gavilar isn't aware of that though. He wants to summon them and they're all wandering up and down his hallways. Were they behind him getting the danger-orbs? Are they playing some kind of long game? Betraying mankind and Roshar again but in a new way? There's got to be more going on than just "we're going nutters". So what have the Heralds done that was wrong? It sounds different to breaking the oathpact. Have they manipulated Gavilar to find and use the black spheres? There seems to be a story here that culminates in the prologues and kicks off the new desolation. The idea of crafting a weapon from a Truthless with an Oathstone doesn't conceptualize until the diagram is in place, long after Szeth became truthless and was already used to assassinate Gavilar (by the Parshendi in general and Klade and Venli specifically). We know for sure that any Herald conspiracy predates the diagram as Taravangian hasn't yet been to the Night Watcher on that night.

I love this plan as it let's us have a focused weekly conversation. Tomorrow's prologue has been out for a while but not in final form.

Nevermind, nothing to see here -- already included in list

My favorite is "Nobody passing on the street noticed. They’d cuff an urchin for scratching her butt in a suspicious manner, but couldn’t be bothered with a miracle." (Runner up is "Anytime you can make someone else feel something, you’ve got power over them.")

As much as I love "Fishymancing", it would not be the Internet if I didn't point out that the proper term is Ichthyomancy. You're welcome. I'll be here all week. Try the prime rib. p.s. Isn't there a Dawn-magic thing too? Dawnshards?

I'm totally shipping Rysn's and Nale's larkins. Someone has to think of the crustaceans. (I also hope that Shallan sets up chasmfiend farming)