Crimson_Russ

Specifically when speaking to the Scadrian's and the comment about giving aid and doing all that was required of them by intergalactic law. When they actively enable the oppression of an entire society at the hands of a tyrant, when they give him the ability to created the Charred, and when they withhold the knowledge of recharging Sun Hearts because they would lose an advantage that the people of Canticle couldn't exploit for economic/militaristic gain anyway seems the ultimate display of inhumanity that 'civilised' societies often justify or excuse. The Night Brigade may not be very nice but honestly, considering the fact that the Scadrians were complicit in enabling the Cinder King's tyranny and directly interfered to the detriment of the general populace, I'm glad that you know they're going to get their comeuppance. If you're not going to help a less advanced society, don't engage in activities that will actively make things worse. They were, in my opinion, the true villains of the story. The Cinder King may have taken advantage of the knowledge he received but the Scadrian's enabling of his tyranny made them worse, given how 'civilised' they are supposed to be. Screw those researchers and good riddance.

She mentioned that she could teleport there because of her familiarity with the location. Earlier in the book she talks about how different peoples met in the Nowhere before space travel and says that it makes sense because travelling large distances without actually having been to the place first would have been impossible, so they would have had to travel between worlds through the Nowhere first. The oddity she felt in teleporting to Platform Prime was due to the fact that Detritus wasn't where it should have been, the whole planet had been teleported somewhere else.

Personal theory, Tanavast tried to re-connect the Singer's minds and failed because Odium used the opportunity to attack him. I think that this will be a cause of great division among Odium's forces. Odium directly interfered with the Singers regaining their minds and leading to thousands of years of slavery once the how and why of Tanavast's death is revealed. I also suspect that Odium had agents who were instrumental in making them salves in the first place. I'm probably wrong but Tanavast dying while trying to protect the people that hated him (sound familiar?) would be in theme.

"What is one more try then?" This has always been one of my favourite lines in the entire series. First time I listened to it, this line gave me chills.

I don't have any 'evidence' supporting this theory but I don't think Kaladin is going to die, not for a long time at least. The Cosmere is about to enter into a period of pure chaos because the powers that operate behind the scenes wish to exercise their influence and stretch it as far as possible. The Ghostbloods are an organisation that spans planets and they are searching for a way to transport Stormlight off-world. This will begin a struggle for power between Cosmere aware entities and organisations who don't care much for anything except their goals, seeking to achieve them at all costs. This is likely where the situation is headed. Kaladin staying alive is necessary specifically because he will not stand for the 'ends justifying the means' and is the character most, as of right now, able to provide an alternative to those who seek the easier paths. Kaladin is, at least in my opinion, just as enigmatic as Kelsier and is, also my opinion, a far greater choice to have surviving through the ages specifically because he understands and can empathise with the abused without the necessity of a reward or a boon. The Cosmere NEEDS kindness, compassion, and an unyielding person like Kaladin to step forward and journey the worlds, because otherwise things will not end well. Kaladin is someone who can make an ACTUAL difference to the Cosmere and I suspect his potential, at the end of Book 5 at least, will only have just begun to be revealed in the greater scheme of the Cosmere. In short, Kaladin for Worldhopper needs to happen or bad times for everyone!

Damnation is too good for him. Which is why I am truly hoping for karmic justice in the best (worst for him) possible way. I don't think it will happen like that but I do have hope for something spectacular.

In Chapter 71 - Recorded in Blood - TWoK: It's the primary reason I despise Taravangian because he cannot tell who will speak and who will not, so he takes those who have no voice and then will act as though he is fighting for the voiceless. Maybe. I do think this is possible but I just don't see how unless the Spren truly have something to lose. But this could be a direction he could take. It will certainly feel like the end of the world if Spren start to willingly follow Todium. It would be a terrifying prospect.

Taravangian didn't know who would speak a death rattle and who wouldn't, he simply had to hope that killing them would manifest with at least some of them giving him what he wanted. Also he absolutely did not use terminally ill patients exclusively, he kidnapped people off the street, specifically those who would not be noticed regardless of their age or situation. He murdered them all in the hopes that at least some of them would produce a death rattle. Todium's first thought upon ascending was that he would save the entirety of the Cosmere. He may be a Vessel, but he still has control over himself enough to succumb to the same mistakes he made while mortal. He hasn't changed, he will be absolutely certain his way is right but cannot conceive of anyone else doing better than him because he is a 'God', which was also mortal Taravangian's greatest flaw, that believing in his own divinity was the greatest gift to Roshar. I say it because Taravangian is arrogant and will be a thousand times moreso now. This wasn't directed at you specifically, this was just in answer to the thread, I should have made that clearer. However using threats IS a form of manipulation, you'd need to actually commit a mass slaughter of Spren to: 1. Prove he could; and 2. Be as persuasive as possible when it came time to give the Spren the ultimatum. But Shadesmar WILL be a battlegound in Book 5, it's being set up to be an awful one considering recent developments and discoveries.

Just thought I'd state that Taravangian is the longest standing villain in Stormlight Archives. We don't meet Odium until book 3 and while he is the most dangerous villain, he wasn't replaced, he was subsumed. Taravangian's death in book 5 wouldn't be bad story telling because the man has only just ascended but he has been around since book 1. Considering all the horrible things he's done and justified under the umbrella of the 'greater good' it is remarkable that not a single person in-world has questioned the inconsistencies, save for Dalinar perhaps, of the greater good aligning with Taravangian's goals extending only as far as saving HIS family, HIS friends and HIS subjects and him being satisfied as that being the only outcome. Taravangian has been wrong about the Diagram in many fundamental ways and his arrogance was a problem for him as a mortal. Imagine his arrogance as a God because hubris seems to be Taravangian's greatest opponent. That doesn't mean I think this will happen but on principal alone, Taravangian's Death Rattle Farm ALONE earns him a prolonged death, in my opinion. If Taravangian dies in Book 5, it won't be because he made a mistake, it will be because he has absolutely no control over his own desires. That said. Todium will begin by seeking the complete domination of Shadesmar by murdering Radiant Spren and forcing them to choose complete annihilation or to serve him. Between Ishar's Nightmare Factory and this possibility, the Spren of Shadesmar will be in dire straits indeed and I think many will die before any sort of defence can be organised.

Given what we see of Kalak in this book, something tells me he said nothing of the sort. Amaram claimed he did what he did for the good of the army, then he claimed he did it for the good of Alethkar, then he claimed it for the good of Roshar. Amaram did everything he could to justify his actions so that he wouldn't have to admit that he was wrong. If Kalak did mention taking the shards for himself, I don't doubt that he stated it as an option given Kalak's penchant for indecision. Amaram's betrayal came because he wanted power and he refused to admit that he had no right to it. At the end of the day, it was Amaram who chose to, in defiance of all custom, law and tradition, murder men who tried to save his life by placing themselves in harms way and enslave the man who fought on alone because Amaram was 'trained in the sword'. Amaram's sense of honour was not about doing what was right because it was right, Amaram's sense of honour was simply a facade of convenience so that his outward image could remain spotless. Any one who can kill a shardbearer in a one on one contest without the advantage of any shards doesn't need to be 'trained in the sword', the man simply deserves the shards and anyone who tries to claim otherwise is an idiot. Amaram's skill compared to that of Kaladin was like a competent swordsman against a weapons master. The difference in ability between the two, as Elhokar would put it, could hold a kingdom. However, I think the main reason was that Amaram was a jealous coward who was embarrassed by the fact that it wasn't his honour guard who defended him but a group of lowly dark-eyed spearmen who proved themselves more capable and brave than any man in Amaram's army and he simply couldn't let them have the glory for their actions. He wanted what he wanted and, instead of claiming that they were sent off as a reward, he slandered the entire squad as traitors. Amaram deserved worse than he got in my opinion, far worse.

Moash wants the whole world to burn to make himself feel better, allowing everyone else to suffer just so he won't have to. What an absolute child. It's like people who were bullied as children and grow up to be placed in positions of authority (any form of it will do) and simply abuse it to their utmost ability because someone hurt them once. Moash is a child who was hurt so now wants everyone else to hurt because he can't accept anyone being happy. His grandparent's deaths were a convenient excuse, now with that excuse gone he shows the kind of person he really is, a person who doesn't want to make choices the right choices because the right choices will lead to people being happy. He can't accept that. He almost made Kal just like him once, why not try again, why not try to destroy the mind and sanity of someone he claimed to be a friend just so he won't have to be so lonely in his 'guiltless' world.

Mine is Taravangian. Someone so set in their ways, so sure of their path, despite the deviations in their supposedly set path, should be feared. Not feared because they're intimidating, or their insane, but because they won't accept any other possibilities. Taravangian terrifying because he believes he's infallible. Willing to murder, destroy, betray, and sow general chaos, the man needs to be reigned in or they're all going to damnation.

I think I could see them being reborn into a world that has moved beyond them and struggling to find their place in society. I could see them leaving Scadrial because their story HAS been told and going somewhere else where their talents will be far more necessary. Their story will be one of the struggle for identity, rather than the struggle for survival. It could work. I hope it works, because Vin is my favourite Cosmere character and I hate the fact that she gets used and then 'discarded' because her 'story has been told'. Their deaths have always left me feeling odd because the story has a happy ending but their end has always felt off to me for some reason. Sazed's words about bringing them back was most likely to hint at the possibility but I don't think Brandon would place something like that in his book to tease us, and then never deliver on it (or at least provide closure to it once and for all). I'm holding on for hope though, it will happen, no uncertainty here, not a bit...

Vin and Elend will return one day. Their bodies are just lying there, perfectly preserved, waiting for their souls to return to them. I know Brandon has said something like 'their stories having been told' or something, but that doesn't mean they can't be part of another story. It's like Chekhov's Gun, only I guess Sanderson's Corpse in this case. There is nothing anyone can say that will turn me away from this theory.