Tiberius Gracchus

All right, I will weigh in with perhaps a different perspective. I thing lots of Brandon's character arcs can be summarized as a character who has a dominant type and a stong wing moving from one of those wings to the other. (I also subscribe to the theory that wings are always one of the adjacent numbers) Dalinar type 8 (he is always described as a domineering man who runs over everyone to get what he wants)with a strong 7(constantly chasing the Thrill and alcohol) wing in his youth that moves to a 9 (focused on unity and much more reserved) wing Kaladin 1 (he holds everyone especially himself to an incredibly high moral standard and lashes out in his low moments at those he feels don't meet it) he has a strong 2 wing (shown by his focus on everyone elses needs, at the detriment of himself) he is moving, very slowly, to a 9 wing where he can accept failure and allow himself to do less. Shallan, the 7est 7 who ever 7ed (all she does is run away form painful things, distracting herself by trying to do everything all at once. everything except deal with her issues) She starts with a 6 wing in her Father's house (terrified of everything and focused on keeping her family together) but quickly moves to an 8 (through Jasnah, Tyn and Mraize's influence) Jasnah 5, I can imagine her starting as a 6w and moving to an 4w as she overcomes her paranoia and starts expressing herself more Taravangian and extremally dysfunctional 2w3 (his martyr complex mixed with his ambition is terrifying) but I don't think he will grow to another wing he will just keep degenerating Adolin 3 starts with a 4 wing and moves to a 2 I struggle to place Navani, maybe 3 or 6 Venli 4 with 3 wing (shown by her ambition) and moving to a 5w but not there yet Tib

In a recent interview for the Kickstarer on Youtuber Daniel Greene's channel, Brandon talked about how he wishes in every future visual adaptations of his works to be unceremoniously killed on screen as an extra. I am trying to think of specific scenes in each cosmere book that Brandon could be killed in. It seems to me that the best options would be ones where multiple people, particularly bystanders are killed quickly. Final Empire- one of the skaa rebels killed by Luthadel garrison just as Vin and Kelsier arrive, one of the random citizens executed by inquisitors in Luthadel square Well of A- Killed by Vin and Zayne during attack on house Cett (mentioned by Brandon), or torn apart by Koloss during seige Hero of A- executed by Quelllion, torn apart by Koloss at pits Alloy- shot by thieves at the ball Shadows- killed by bleeder with F steel in the beginning, killed by rioting workers Bands- killed in train shootout Warbreaker- killed in chaos of uprising by Pahn Kal, killed by guardsman possessed by nightblood WoK- Killed by Szeth at Hanavanar's feast or for one of his crimelord owners, killed by chasamfeind on disastrous hunt WoR- One of the deserters who dies to the bandits, one of Dalinar's entourage killed by bridge assassin Ob- one of the villagers fighting with Fen in Starfall vision, one of the illusions killed by sadeas soldiers, thaylen banker killed by fused near Rysn RoW- killed by Raboniel's soldiers during fighting in catacombs, human resistor killed by Lezian's soldiers while trying to save radiants anyone else have ideas? TIb

Interesting, I hadn't thought of this but he speaks of feeling like something is always there in his blindspot. It could be about Syl but it also reminds me of Elokhar's awareness of Cryptics watching him. (also Shallan's possessed drawing scene in Karbranth.) So perhaps his spren was watching him before he met Shallan, and possibly helped lead him to her, like how Jasnah credits the spren for leading Shallan to her.

Hello, I have been rereading ROW and trying to focus on some of the Radiants with less screen time. We see that Gaz, like all of the other members of Shallan's Deserters has joined the Unseen Court and presumably bonded a Cryptic. I remembered that Brandon said that if Elokhar had been allowed to progress with his oaths he would have had to eventually admit to being a bad king. We know more about Gaz than any of the other new Lightweavers, so I tried to guess some of his Truths. I imagine his first truth (besides the oath) would be about his gambling. Admitting that an addiction is real and out of control is the first step after all. Gaz reads as a pessimist because he is always complaining and expects the worst from people, but he is one of several people to become inspired after seeing Shallan's drawing of them. I imagine another early oath might be admitting that he actually can become a better person, like in the drawing. However I think that a later oath (4th or 5th) would have to be him admitting his culpability in the deaths and mistreatment of the bridgemen. We see in WOK that he is bothered by what he is doing and in WOR when he explains it he is quick to pass the blame onto Sadeas and his superiors. This oath is the one I would be most interested in seeing on screen, either the actual swearing or a scene where he apologizes to the bridgemen and its made clear that this is part of him admitting truth. He may also have to admit to his cowardice Tib

All of the Crystals are recorded a short time before the CG there is discussion of Melishi setting off on a mission to capture Ba Ado Mishram, but none about the results of his mission, also the soldiers at Feverstone Keep obviously have not received word that the war is won. My understanding of the timeline is 1: Radiant's losing faith in themselves. (Honor, Ashyn reveal, infighting) 2: False Desolation begins (proves Herald's promise false) 3: Problems in Urithiru (Re Shephir, Climate, Sibling) 4: Abandoning of Urithiru 5: Cognative Genocide 6: Recrence (those last three take place over like a week) I hope Brandon gets into some more detail about this in RoW, I think many people are confused about this (I was when I first read OB) because the main narrative is really only concerned with the Colonialism angle and the rest is relegated to visions, epigraphs and Stormfather ramblings.

The Radiants didn't continue after the Cognitive Genocide (good term btw) it is suggested that the Recreance took place immediately after that. (The Radiants are seen abandoning Roshar during wartime) it is my view that the factional fighting between Radiant orders, Honor's madness, the fear of destroying Roshar and the instability of Urithiru (Re-Shephir and The Sibling) first convinced the Knights to slowly dissolve the orders and downscale surgebinding but then the unexpected disaster of the Cognitive Genocide was the factor that forced the Radiants to abandon their shards immediately en masse. (and imho the Skybreakers would have fully disbanded with the others without Nale's personal intervention)

I am pretty sure that the more complicated explanation of the Recreance is canon, it is just rather poorly communicated in OB, (a lot of the details around the additional factors are hidden in epigraphs and the reveal of the Elia Stele is given more narrative weight)

I would point out that the secret that was the primary cause of the Recreance was the knowledge that the humans destroyed Ashyn through "surgebinding." (or at least some form of magic, Dawnshards probably involved) This combined with Honor's descent into madness, raving at the Radiants saying that they would destroy Roshar as well, and the disastrous end of The False Desolation (the mind-breaking of almost all of the Singers) forced the drastic action of abandoning the shards and disbanding the order. (worth pointing out that the Knights tried more moderate steps like abandoning Urithiru first) Your theory seems like a plausible explanation for the still not understood mechanism that means that surgebinding=planetary destruction, However the only examples we have of similar events are the destruction of Ashyn and the shattering of Nattanattan, both of which are implied to have been fast, explosive events of mass destruction leaving few survivors, not gradual ecological degradation.

I imagine them doing a lot of both, and way less ruling and general-ing than Dalinar does. (I do see the guidance counselor duties as their primary peacetime role)

There is also the question of the Rshyadium. There is a moment (I think in WoR chapter Monsters) where someone remarks that there was no cavalry in the desolations with the sole exception of Radiants mounted on Rshyadium. It is unclear to me who this would be as steeds would be irrelevant to Windrunners, Skybreakers, Edgedancers and perhaps Willshapers and Dustbringers whose surges already provide either comparable or superior mobility. Most of the other orders I do not see having a frontline role, (Elsecallers, Truthwatchers, Lightweavers and Bondsmiths don't seem the type to lead charges) and the Stonewards are too suited to the role of heavy infantry and would seem a poor fit for the aggressive glory-seeking attitude of cavalry. Tib

A few more thoughts I agree that the Dustbringers were probably quite terrifying combatants, but I have no idea how they would be used. Would Knights and squires form into elite, explosive demolitions squads like a slower, more destructive version of the Windrunner sledgehammer, or maybe would they be interspersed like the Stonewards and serve as the point of every advancing regiment like many modern shardbearers do (Dalinar and Adolin at the Tower and Narak), or perhaps (if Division can be used from any distance) they would be behind the lines raining fire as a form of magical artillery. We just don't know enough about their abilities and worldview to ascribe them any specific role yet. I think you read an implication into my words that I did not intend. as this (powering up other orders) is exactly what I imagine the Bondsmiths doing. Tib

I have spent quite a bit of time recently trying to imagine how the various orders of Radiants would function on the battlefield. Of course we are frequently told that most of the Radiants were not warriors, however the Desolations were desperate narrowly fought global wars that would have seen many situations where everyone was required to focus on military affairs. If a people are in a situation where (as I am confident they often were) where spears are put into the hands of 12 year olds, then I can be quite confident that every single knight with power armor, deific swords and magical powers would have long since been called to fight. Windrunners- I see this order as the closest thing that the armies of honor had to cavalry. On ancient battlefields cavalry was often used as a shock force. The mobility provided by horses and chariots allowed a division of (often the most skilled and equipped) troops to slam into an enemy where they were weakest. Of course we have seen that the powers of the Windrunners can easily transport both themselves and others around a battlefield, and we know that the Windrunners were the closest to “professional” soldiers of the Radiants. 2 or 3 Windrunners with 60-100 Windrunner squires carrying 100 or so of the other best “normal” troops in the army would have made quite the mobile sledgehammer. Skybreakers- I see the order of the Skybreakers doing many of the same things as the Windrunners, simply on a smaller scale. The fact that the Skybreakers spend most of their time as law enforcement, rather than soldiers and their relative lack of squires would make them more inclined to fight in smaller bands than the Windrunners. I see a small band of Skybreakers and squires flying around the battlefield raining down Division and bringing “Honor’s Justice” to high priority targets like a particularly problematic Fused or squadron of Regals. I also see the Skybreakers as the order most practiced at slaying Thunderclasts. Dustbringers- Well I don’t think I know enough about the Dustbringers to really form an opinion about them yet. Edgedancers- I see the Edgedancers as the Radiant’s medics, using Abrasion to zip around the battlefield distributing Regrowth and other supplies. I also see Edgedancers as useful in a siege situation; using progression to help grow edible crops as a supplemental food source to soulcasting. Truthwatchers- I find it difficult to place the Truthwatchers as we don't know that much about them but I imagine them filling a role somewhere between the Edgedancers and Elsecallers. Lightweavers- I think it is uncontroversial to suggest that the Lightweavers often served as spies, assassins, and saboteurs. Unlike the Skybreakers who I see swooping down to cut the enemy commander in two in the middle of the battle, I see the Lightweavers as the reason that the enemy army arrives to the battlefield with poisoned supplies, inoperable siege machines, their troops receiving incorrect orders and their reinforcements delayed. Elsecallers- I see the Elsecallers as the primary tacticians and weapons designers of the Radiants. I imagine they would spend the most time at the planning table drawing maps, accounting supplies (and refilling the stocks through soulcasting) and perhaps preparing countermeasures against the enemy’s less conventional threats. The exact line between their roles and those of the Truthwatchers are unclear to me. Willshapers- As with the Dustbringers, I do not feel like I have enough information to speculate. Stonewards- This order are the followers of the Herald of War. I see their role as being interspersed amongst the common infantry of the Radiant’s armies. Unlike the Windrunners who I see as directly leading the most elite regiments, the Stonewards would be standing with the weakest regiments creating stone earthworks, inspiring cohesion, and generally bearing the agonies of the soldiery. Bondsmiths- I think that Dalinar is a poor example of the traditional role of the Bondsmiths. While they might often serve as diplomats and emissaries. I think that they spent much of their time as personal advisors to the rest of the Radiants, helping them grow in their oaths and surges. I imagine that on the battlefield that the Bondsmiths would float around a provide support and perhaps powerups to the other Radiants in their times of most need. Thoughts? Tib

Yeah the exact mechanics of the beginning of this new desolation is quite confusing. What exactly changed the moment that Taln broke? How much of the process was sidestepped by the Everstorm? What would have happened if Gavilar and the Son's of Honor's plans(whatever the hell they may have been) were enacted?

So am I correct is believing that we still do not have a conclusive answer on what ends a particular desolation. Obviously the Heralds returning to Braize is the true end but when do they decide that a desolation is won. The only thing I can think of is when they have "killed" all of the fused, but that doesn't make sense as it it implied by Kalak's prelude that desolations would end with a (often closely fought) final battle that the heralds could predict would be the final battle before hand. (shown by the heralds having a pre-set meeting place for after the battle to start the return to Braize) Given the powers of the fused it seems that even if they lost a battle they would be very easy for some of them to just fly off and hide preventing the end of the desolation. But if it is not the fused, then what is it? Tib

I agree that these kind of stories should be written and I would advise Brandon or anyone else to consider making dead-lover-revenge plots centered around women, but I don't think it would be appropriate to make that major a change to Mistborn, it would have enormous effects on almost every character to make Kelsier a woman. At that point I think you need to write a whole new story.