Palantir Watcher

I really like your theory! I specially like how it manages to explain Kal being the "Child of Tanavast". Sadly I don't know enough to make any (potentially) useful comments. So I hope someone else sees this, cause I feel like it's a pretty good theory

You made a very interesting connection. Given this connection, I wonder if the Heralds might be permanently cured of their madness if/when BAM is released. We know that a Bondsmith swearing an ideal can momentarily cure their madness (maybe any KR would do, at least that's what Ishar seems to say in ROW), which seems to point towards a magical reason for it. Kalak also seems to believe that BAM's capture wounded Roshar and was likely the reason for the existence of deadeyes. I think some people here on the Shard theorize that deadeyes will be healed after she's released, similar to how Elantrians' seons were healed after the chasm line was drawn. Maybe the Heralds will also be healed, just like the Hoed? It'd be interesting to see if that's the case. Welcome to the Shard!

That makes sense. Thanks!

Is it confirmed that there is a perpendicularity in the Purelake? I mean, Cultivation's in the Horneater Peaks and isn't Honor's moveable? I guess it could be Odium's. I'm not sure the fact Taln lasted 4500 years means he couldn't have broken at long last. I'd love it if that were the case though.

There are a few possibilities regarding Venli’s statement, I think. She might have been lying or been lied to, like mathiau said. Or maybe she actually did think that stormform could do that, despite that not being true. Or it can in fact control and summon the Highstorm. Since there’s only one Highstorm, I’d guess that if enough stormforms could summon it, it would be by making the Highstorm faster rather than creating a new one. I also think the same would be true of the Everstorm for similar reasons. I’m open to other interpretations though.

Yeah, those are good points.

I think you're talking about the "Storm Striders" in your first message. The passage I think you're mentioning is: There's a WoB mentioning that they are some type of spren As for stormform granting the power to move through highstorms, it does seem likely. At the very least, Eshonai states that they would be immune to the highstorm's effects. And Venli states that enough stormforms could control or summon one.

Unkeyed metalminds can be used by any ferring of the corresponding metal, like Wayne could use that goldmind they found in BoM. However, a misting can’t use these. The type of metalmind anyone can use is an unsealed one, like the medallions. This WoB states that an Augur could compound health with a goldmind in the right circumstances: This makes me think that using an unsealed metalmind for compounding is possible. (There may be a more specific WoB for it but I’m not sure and haven’t found it if there is).

Thanks!

You're welcome! I'd forgotten about that, thanks for reminding me. And a Lifeless possibly retaining some of their Identity is in fact quite interesting.

I agree that it’s a question that can’t really be answered and will remain in the realm of philosophy. My idea simply was that as knowledge of the more cognitive and spiritual metals in Feruchemy spreads, the philosophers discussing cognitive shadows will be able to use Feruchemy to try to argue their opinions. I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear in my original post. [Edit] Just to try to make myself slightly more clear. In the real world, philosophers can pull from advances in the sciences to support their theories. In the question regarding souls, they could look at developments in the neurosciences or in psychology to argue "No, souls don't exist. Science shows that our brains (...) and therefore souls don't exist". While other philosophers might come to different conclusions looking at the same scientific advances. In this example, the matter of souls is still philosophical in nature, not technical or scientific, but science was used to argue or counterargue a point. I believe that Cosmere philosophers would use the aspects of Feruchemy I mentioned in a similar way.

I was thinking about the spiritual metals in Feruchemy and about cognitive shadows. I did a quick search and didn't find anyone else making this connection, so hopefully this has some merit. One of the reasons that some in-world philosophers consider the cognitive shadows as the same person as the recently deceased is probably the fact that at least some of them retain their memories or personality. This seems to be more evident with the Fused who, varying degrees of madness not withstanding, appear to have the same personality across their many "rebirths". In Feruchemy, aluminum allows a trueself to store their identity. Meanwhile, copper allows an archivist to store their memories. Some real-world philosophies believe our identities are nothing more than the sum of our perceptions, which include our memories. That is, that there is no underlying sense of self that will be the owner of our various ideas, memories and impressions. The existence of "Identity" suggests that this isn't the case in the Cosmere, and that there is a sense of self and "Me" that doesn't quite depend entirely on your experiences. If we consider that Identity is what makes you you, then a cognitive shadow will only be the original person if they keep their Identity. Depending on the differences between blanking your Identity and storing all of your memories on a coppermind, this could mean that you can keep your Identity and parts of your personality even if you lose all your memories or that you can keep some aspects of your personality even if you lose your Identity. While knowledge of the difference between storing Identity and storing all of your memories won't allow in-world philosophers to reach any conclusions regarding whether cognitive shadows are the original or a copy, it might give them further (and perhaps better) proof to support their own opinions. For example, if storing all your memories doesn't make your entire personality disappear and allows you to keep some skills, it could be used as another proof that the Returned are the original people. Or if blanking Identity doesn't affect memories or connections, it could be used as a proof that at least some cognitive shadows are simple copies and not the originals. I know that it doesn't really answer the question about them, but I hope this might add a little to the discussion surrounding cognitive shadows, both in-world and in the real one. What do you think? Could this be of some help to the professors at Silverlight? And how could connection work into this? That's all I can think of for now. I look forward to what ideas you may have.

You're right! And a lifeless cuckoo would probably cause twice as much chaos. Honestly, awakening might be the best magic for not too harmful pranks in the Cosmere.

If I had thousands of spare breaths I'd awaken the cuckoo bird in those old clocks to fly around and land on people's heads whenever the clock strikes the hours. Oooh, or maybe awaken an alarm so that it starts running up and down on people when they refuse to wake up!

Cool, thanks!

Hi everyone. I tried searching here on the Shard if this has been discussed before and I didn't find anything... Anyway, there's a WoB that states that compounded duralumin can "break into" a kandra (and presumably a koloss or even an inquisitor), similar to how a powerful enough soother or rioter could. Are there any theories on how that works? I guess the compounder would tap enough connection that they and the kandra "become one" (maybe in a similar way some theorize swearing the Fifth Ideal would make Radiant and their spren one?). But maybe there's some better explanation for it, which is why I'd like to here your thoughts. Another question I have, thanks to a post in the F-Duralumin Club, is whether a connector would be able to hear the rhythms on Roshar if they tapped connection. Do you think this would be possible? The WoB about a duralumin compounder "breaking into" a kandra is this one: The post in the F-Duralumin Club is this: https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/94492-feruchemical-duralumin-club/?do=findComment&comment=1214321

Those are great choices too!

I really want to learn more about Southern Scadrial. I also wouldn't mind a bit more info on the spiritual metals, especially duralumin and chromium (unlikely as it may be that we learn more about them).

Thanks! Among the Radiant spren it's probably the Cryptics. I love their relationship with truths and lies. Among the lesser spren I think it's a tie between windspren and flamespren

Thank you! I think my favorite moment in the Cosmere so far is the ending of HoA. I was crying for most of those last chapters. That may be the most emotional I've gotten over a book so far.

According to the Ars Arcanum in BoM: This sentence makes me think that your idea could theoretically work. I'm not sure if there are any WoB disproves it though. I think a connecter would connect to the languages people speak, though they may be able to kind of here the rhythms, maybe? IIRC the rhythms in Roshar that the singers hear have to do with their connection to the planet, so there might be a way to be able to "hear" them with f-duralumin, but I'm not sure. I have no idea if connection would be able to change you writing language too... Given that many worldhoppers use some type of connection to communicate with people, it might be able to help you with writing too. Or maybe they are just taking the time to learn the different scripts and alphabets.

Thanks! I'd say it's probably between Sazed and Susebron right now. Who is yours? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I started reading the Cosmere last year in October. I'm currently only missing RoW, I think. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Shard and getting to learn from all of you!