Lightwing8888

Well, this topic was a blast to read through. I agree with @Frustration; it would make sense for BAM to be in Ral-Elorim. Brandon really likes narrative symmetry (shadows literal and physical). Also, having the characters be like "citY OF SHADOWS" and Lift saying it's cool- but then it's not- would be a Sandersoneque twist. I also think that the climax of KOWt is going to happen in Shinovar (For one, it's Szeth's book) and I think the Unmade(s?) we will be focusing on will be Sja-Anat and whichever Unmade is in Shinovar. We know from Brandon that the back half of Stormlight will be focusing more on the Heralds, and as 9/10 of them likely freaked out during the whole BAM false desolation, I think it's plausible for her to wait until the back half*. I wouldn't be surprised at either outcome, but I think that everyone is expecting BAM to show up in KOWt, and Brandon has consistently done things a lot faster than we thought in the SLA, so he could definitely justify waiting longer than we think on this. Plus then Jasnah and Renarin have time to research for the back half. *Also Brandon likes to make Chaos suffer.

I like this!!! Especially the correlation between Deadeyes and Shin warriors. The Shin are fascinating and I cannot WAIT to go there with Szeth in KoW. Symmetry in narration, too, Brandon? You never cease to amaze. As to the barrier you mentioned, I think that makes a lot of sense. I had thought that it was just kind of thematic, but with everything weird with Roshar I think that could be so much better.

I think the same- or at least similar- process goes into both the Fused and the Unmade, but if my theory is accurate, then yes, it would mean BAM was more than either of them; a hybrid of some kind kinda like a Bondsmith-singer-Unmade combination thingy- it would be weird. But considering how much Odium wanted Dalinar on his side, it wouldn't surprise me to know that he had tried something similar with a past Bondsmith.

I don’t think we know enough to be sure, that would be a good WOB question. However, I don’t think we know of anything that could possibly be an example of that- if Brandon was planning on it, he would probably have foreshadowed it. That being said, he’s likely saving a lot of stuff for the back half.

Yeah... I still think the Shin have a stash somewhere. We don't know the number there are, but I would estimate close to the number of Shardplate, spread through the kingdoms. I think it's likely that people dismissed them as useless since they needed so much expertise to work. They wouldn't have been valued until someone discovered what they could do. We see at least five on the Shattered Plains alone. It makes sense, especially if it was just the orders who used Transformation. That similarity was what started my theory in the first place- but I wonder if other Radiants would hear the spren screaming? I don't think we've had any cases of Radiants holding Soulcasters onscreen. Food for thought...

One of the things that has perplexed many of us for some time is the so-called "missing Shardblades:" the absence of the many Shardblades we see in Dalinar's flashbacks of the Recreance. In Rhythm of War, we learn that the "ancient fabrials" such as Soulcasters are actually the physical representation of spren- specifically Radiant spren. Kind of like Shardblades. I think it's possible that after seeing the destruction wrought by their weapons at Feverstone Keep, many of the other Radiants decided not to drop their spren as Blades, but as something else- this could explain both the lack of Shardblades and the strange observation Navani makes that the Soulcaster spren appear like a Radiant spren. The physical appearance and function of these devices would vary, but we do know that some Soulcasters only deal with certain materials- and we don't know what other devices could have been ignored in the post-Recreance destruction. This is a very hot take that I got while listening to the newest Shardcast episode. Let me know your thoughts!

Is there a new ep this weekend? I keep checking YouTube but I can’t find it.

I've heard this theory before, but the way you lay it out here it makes a lot more sense. My only question is; surely, the Shin couldn't hide that much investiture from Odium- why wasn't his first strike to grab the Shardblades? Even if the Fused don't like them, leaving that much power in the hands of men seems unlike Rayse. Actually, maybe he did strike there- we haven't had a lot of contact with Shinovar. But if the Blades were kept by the lowest caste, I feel like we would have heard it by now with Brandon's impeccable foreshadowing. I find it a lot more likely that they are kept by some priests or something, and Szeth and Kaladin are going to find the place absolutely destroyed, either by Rayse at the beginning of the war, or by Taravangian more recently. It could be a clue that helps them find out what happened to Rayse.

I think Syl at one point (maybe in her interlude, though I’m pretty sure it’s in a conversation with Kaladin) says that the Shardplate spren are more content than the Blade spren, so my interpretation is that they’re less intelligent and therefore less uncomfortable.

I think that we are definitely going to get multiple perspectives on anything Brandon writes, he does this in everything; Elantris (Hrathen), Mistborn (Rashek), SLA (Szeth [albeit arguably] and Taravangian), Warbreaker (Denth). All of these characters are trying to to what they think is right, and I think that is going to be a big theme in all of the main Cosmere works.

Oh I would agree with you except that we *think* Autonomy is the red mist on Scadrial, which Harmony is having problems with. I think most of us can agree that Harmony, in Sazed's hands (or on his arms lol) is a force for good- at least for now. I would hesitate to trust anything that he is in opposition to. Also, Autonomy was at some point allied with Odium who is DEFINITELY NOT a force for good. I think that it's possible- even likely- we will get an avatar (or some splinter or sliver I don't know what we're calling it right now) of Autonomy being on the protagonist's side, but for the most part, I think Autonomy is going to be solidly in the "morally dark grey" category. That's such an interesting take! I totally agree that there will be bad humans, but I don't think that it would be all of them. perhaps the Seventeeth Shard- they are certainly interested in knowledge. Or it could be the Ire, or the Ghostbloods. Or all of the above. But I personally don't think that that's what Brandon has in mind for the future of the Cosmere. Some people have mentioned the redness that is in the constellation known on Roshar as "Taln's Scar" could be a sign of spreading disease from Yolen, one that can consume entire planets. I am so down for this theory and I think that it will fit into the end game of the Cosmere. I agree with this! It's very Kelsier to have good intentions and go about it the wrong way. I am fifty-fifty on the redemption arc, I think that is going to be heavily dependent on March's influence, as well as how much power goes to his head. Kelsier is not a good person, but I do think that can change. He's certainly a big deal, that's for sure. Totally agree about the survival, I was very sure he was going to die in Era 3, until I found out that he was storming Thaidakar. Now, I don't know. It would be so great if he was a bad guy in charge of the Ghostbloods, and then a new leader arose and the protagonists realized how much Kelsier could have done worse. I would not be surprised if he had a posthumous arc like Alendi or Rashek.

Or Autonomy, they're everywhere! I think we're getting too many hints in too many series for it to be a small-scale fight. And somehow, I think the Seventeenth Shard are involved in this. They are collecting too much information not to have a whole mess of motives and plans. If it's a Cosmere-wide battle, we should look for the people and organizations that are Cosmere-wide, and foreshadowed as ominous (now that I'm saying that I think the Ghostbloods are going to be a problem too). It will be a battle for the ages, and I look forward to the day.

Autonomy has their fingers in everything, I can't think of another reason why, as for the most part they are presented as quite sinister. I think in Mistborn Era 3, Kelsier is going to be kind of an evil version of what Hoid is doing in SLA, knowing a lot and interacting a lot, but having separate motives from the rest of the characters and having to be de-powered or killed at some point.

OOOOOHHHH I had forgotten the Ba (from when I read the Kane Chronicles)!!! I think that totally supports my theory, and we know that several of the other Unmade names bear resemblance to mythology. This is so cool!!!

I think that's certainly possible, but she doesn't have to have existed for all of the Desolations- with how much confusion happened, it wouldn't surprise me if it was some kind of title. I'm so excited for SLA 5!!!

There are certainly a lot of directions Brandon could take B-A-M, so this is just one that I thought was fun and fit to a certain extent. Isn't that all theories are?

So I am listening to the newest Shardcast, and as usual I came up with a new theory. The latest Shardcast is discussing Ba-Ado-Mishram, and as they were spitballing some things I have come up with a hot take on the origins of this most mysterious Unmade. So there is some mention in Oathbringer/WoR epigraphs (I believe the Hessi's Mythica sequence) that Ba-Ado-Mishram was "A Highprincess of the enemy forces" and this seems to imply that she was some kind of mortal. Of course, this is in-book research so there can be all kinds of Recreance shenanigans. Later, in RoW, Kalak references a character called Mishram, with a certain amount of familiarity. Also, there is one point in RoW part 2 (maybe, don't have the book on me right now but it's the scene where the Fused and Venli are invading Urithiru) where Rabonial swears by "Ado," which as one Shardcaster pointed out is the first part of the Alethi glyph for light- and also similar to Adonalsium. In addition, and I'm not sure this is relevant, Chaos keeps pointing out that there are not one, but two hyphens in Ba-Ado-Mishram's name, which is unique among the Unmade. Ba-Ado-Mishram has some kind of Connection to the Parsh, Spren, and Roshar as a whole, which is unusual since Adhesion (the Surge of Connection) is called "Honor's purest Surge." My theory: Ado, the entity that Rabonial refers to, is the Spren of Lights (as in the physical representation of Investiture on Roshar), a being on a level with the Stormfather and the Nightwatcher. Mishram, the person that Kalak refers to, was once a mortal Singer who eventually bonded (in a Bondsmith-like process) with Ado, and then was corrupted/Unmade somehow by Odium, leading to the entity that modern Rosharans refer to as Ba-Ado-Mishram. The "Ba" in this case would mean something along the lines of "both" or "together." Let me know what ya'll think! I'm pretty new to theory crafting and I'd love to hear any thoughts you guys have on my style.

And I doubt he’d be able to assert that much control from a planet away.

With what we know of the Ghostbloods, I doubt they would have a ban on hurting children. I think the ban would have to do more with her Radiance than her youth. They are formidable enemies, and the Ghostbloods are trying to work in the shadows for the most part.

Not exactly... we're fairly certain he's still stuck on Scarial (probably for the best), but there is mention that he uses an "avatar" to visit the Ghostbloods. We are fairly certain that the person Gavilar refers to as Thaidakar is, in fact, Kelsier. I believe Thaidakar is referred to as "The Lord of Scars" at one point (by Hoid?), and we know that he is from off-world. Also, there is a point where Hoid says that he may need to "go slap him around again" (or something like that, which clearly refers to Secret History). Also, there was a WoB from a few years back that said something along the lines of if Kelsier had to join a secret organization, it would be the Ghostbloods, and he'd be running it within a year. Also, their name... I think there was speculation along these lines for a while after OB, but RoW all but confirms it in my opinion, though I didn't realize what I was seeing until after my first read. Surprise!!!

Something that I've found to help is working on an entirely different project- with other people. I run a book club, and discussing that with others has helped me to feel more connected during quarantine. I am also in the early stages of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with some new friends. A while ago, I started a blog with a friend. That way, I can still do what I know in my heart I love (reading and writing) while both justifying the time I spend on it and spending time with others.

That does explain his uncanny Rubik's cube abilities. He's a Mistborn!!! This is good advice. I usually get anxious about not writing... and then don't write... and then get more anxious.

I don’t have time!!! And when I do have time I read Brandon and listen to DnD podcasts.

That’s really cool! More fantasy fantasy, though I’m really struggling with writer’s block at the moments. How do you deal with that?