KiManiak

For clarification about the WOR leatherbound campaign: is Backerkit basically Kickstarter? Brandon’s announcement and post are specifically stating the Words of Radiance anniversary launch is “entirely on BackerKit”. For those of us who aren’t that Kickstarter/Backerkit savvy, is there a distinction we need to be aware of?

Great theorizing and attention to detail. I definitely didn't make anywhere near the amount of connections nor the quality of theorizing after my first read that the Overlady did. And the characterization of Dalinar's... phrasing of his activities after his encounter with Elhokar had me cracking up!

I'm starting to catch up on these now, and let me just say that this is really good. I hope that the Overlady will grace the Shardcast with her presence as well, once post-release Rhythm of War discussions happen. I understand if you decide not to release these on audio. As someone whose schedule only allows him to listen to any 17th Shard related podcast/video, I would just say that it is far easier to access and listen to podcasts that are released on audio files. Trying to navigate to the next "Overlady reads..." while commuting or cooking (or whenever free time occurs) via Chrome or Youtube is not so convenient. But I have no idea what's involved in placing this on iTunes/Soundcloud/etc, so I respect that there is likely inconvenience on the front end as well. I'd just like to let you know that there is definitely interest, for whatever its worth...

I challenge that there is actual evidence, and just speculation. What surges has Red demonstrated? Why couldn’t he just infiltrate the SoH as himself? He’s not noteworthy enough for the average Alethi to know who he is. If someone was sent to do long term infiltration, wouldn’t the wisest thing be to have them not need to use Illumination on a long term basis? I get the speculation and wouldn’t actually be surprised if he does end up being one. But I am reluctant to jump to conclusions right now based upon speculation alone. When Red shows us a Shardblade or mentions his spren or the like, then I’m 100% on board with his Radiance.

Has this been confirmed? I thought it was just speculation, with no displayed proof yet?

Lopen alone should contribute a couple of hundred just by recruiting some of his cousins...

Well, I have to admit: My "Skar could be a Stoneward" crazy theory took a serious hit in today's chapters. Oh well, at least we got the proper spelling for Godeke's name...

I like the discussion and theorizing about who could be in which order, and don’t want to give the impression that my (or anyone’s) theory about any particular character joining any specific KR Order is 100% right (or wrong, for that matter). Skar may end up being a Stoneward, or Windrunner or may just remain a squire for all I know. But Skar definitely did not swear the 2nd Windrunner Oath onscreen near the end of Oathbringer:

Solid point about the initial question, and I don’t think your being combative at all, for what it’s worth. I’m just trying to be as specific as possible about what exactly Brandon said, because he can be very crafty when he wants to be. His answer never reinforces proto-Windrunner; it just implies that and allows us to (potentially) form an erroneous conclusion. At the end of the day, I’ll be happy to see Skar be a Radiant of whatever order.

Thanks for the quote; I either didn’t remember/know that WOB. I guess it’s all in how you read it. To me, it just states Skar’s on his way to Radianthood, but it doesn’t confirm his Radiant order. Nothing to stop him from attracting a Stonewardspren during their exodus from Kholinar to where Kaladin found them. Skar had ample opportunity to continue demonstrating his dependability and placing the needs of others before his own. Also, Drehy spoke the Windrunners second oath, not Skar. Again, I admit this is all speculation, but Skar does fit Brandon’s description of Stonewards rather well. As for the Mink, he could also be an interesting candidate for Stoneward, but I see Dustbringer or even Edgedancer as possibilities as well. So many new Radiant possibilities!

I know a popular theory is that most of Bridge 4 will turn into Windrunners, but I have a (slightly) crazy theory that Skar and/or Drehy may actually become Stonewards. We know from the Order descriptions on Brandon’s website That the Stonewards motto is “I will be there when I’m needed”, and they both consistently had a knack for showing up just at the right time to save Adolin, Kaladin, Gavinor, etc. They are both very dependable. They are each athletic and good fighters. Skar was very much about team dynamics and felt a sense of satisfaction helping Lyn learn how to inhale Stormlight. The major counter to either of them not being selected by a Stoneward spren (peakspren?) is that they’re currently Windrunner squires (and that we don’t yet know if Stoneward spren want to bond with humans again). Anyway, just a slightly crazy theory...

Great chapter to tease us with! Thanks Brandon!

@Yeshaya: I think there's evidence to support that as it seems that Jasnah does just that in the battle of Thaylenah in OB: Since Jasnah (presumably) can manifest Shardplate, she's likely a 4th level Elsecaller (at least) and could be more sensitive to hearing the dead Shardblades then our other Radiants.

My major issue with this theory is that Axies appeared to know very little about the spren when we first meet him in Kasitor. If Dai- Gonarthis directly or indirectly led to the "destruction" of Aimia (“destruction,” in quotes because the Kaza Interlude in Oathbringer hints that Aimia might not be as destroyed as the reader was initially led to believe) and is now known as (ironically) Cusicesh, the Protector, then it seems our Aimian spren-expert's thoughts would have touched upon that, if even just briefly. Aimia wasn’t “destroyed” until after the Final Desolation, and we know from Axies and Arclo's comments that Aimians are very long-lived (I believe WoB is that they are “basically immortal”); Arclo even claims to be alive before the Last Desolation. Therefore, at least Arclo would have likely been around when Dai Gonarthis “destroyed” Aimia, and would likely be aware if the “destroyer” of Aimia had -devolved? diminished? - into what was now commonly known as “Cusicesh, The Protector.” And if at least some Aimians were aware that this large spren in Kasitor Bay was the current form of the “destroyer” of Aimia, wouldn’t it be likely that an Aimian who “made it his life’s work to observe, catalogue, and study every single type of spren in Roshar” like Axies would be aware of this? Instead, Axies thoughts reflect someone who is reviewing an academic curiosity: (Both quotes from WoK, I-5, Axies the Collector) In my opinion, Axies almost complete unfamiliarity with Cusicesh makes it unlikely that this spren is the current form of Dai Gonarthis, or any Unmade for that matter.

I wasn't a big fan of Forge of Darkness (it's the only Erikson Malazan book that I've read just once) and although I purchased Fall of Light, I haven't read it yet, nor have I even built up the desire to place it at the top of my "To read' list. I wasn't a big fan of the style and the story seemed... off, compared to what had come before. I get (at least, I think I do) what he was going for, but it just didn't work for me. I am sad to read that sales for the Kharkanas books were nowhere near what his publishing team were expecting; I bout the hardcover for both FoD and FoL within the first month of release. Having said all of that, I will definitely give the Karsa trilogy a chance, and am actually quite excited that those will be Erikson's next project!

I had a similar theory that I proposed in the "Patterns in the Walls" post here: Shallan notices them way too much for the strata to not serve some type of purpose. There are all kinds of mechanisms, devices and other discoveries just waiting to be found in Urithuru. Maybe all that is needed is for someone to flip a switch during the next Highstorm, and a significant amount of Stormlight can be stored...

I wouldn’t be surprised if the strata served some type of purpose in Urithuru. I like @Varion's possibility, but I propose a little more looney of a theory. What if they help channel/carry Stormlight all through the structure? Like thin lines of gem chips or ground crystals that hold stormlight? Dalinar already noticed that there are baskets/cages that can be dropped into a Highstorm to collect Stormlight. What if there is some type of link or connection from those cages to the strata, that then channel/conduct the Stormlight throughout the Tower via the strata patterns? Thus, providing substantial power to the Tower and its inhabitants.

Ha! Yeah, i've only made it to p16 of the comments so far so I guess I haven't seen that yet. Folks are super prolific this week...

So, do you think the first wedding guest who made it to the roof of Urithuru found Dalinar’s old cleaver like Shardblade and was all: “Yes! I am now a Shardbearer!” … (Seriously, I wonder what happened to that Blade...)

No, the fastest way to get word back to the war camps would be via spanreed. Having Kaladin teleport and then fly all the way back would be a great waste of resources and time.

Time could be a factor, maybe. 1 day or so away from the Radiant could be defensible as an excuse. I just don't accept Dalinar's off-handed comment as sufficient at this point in time. I do believe we need more.

The scene with the Lopen regrowing his limb starts with the king having just woken from his drunken stupor and after word had just gotten to Sebarial’s camp about the re-discovering of Urithuru. This is likely the day after the assassination attempt. I’m not saying it’s impossible that Kal was jumping back and forth from Urithuru to the Shattered Plains at that time, but I do find it highly unlikely. Finally, Dalinar notes that it wasn’t until a week later that the people of the warcamps started to arrive at the oathgate. I find this all rather questionable. Unless there is some continuity error, I think there has to be something more to Kal's squires' powers not working at that point in time.

Re: Squires only having powers in proximity to their Radiant Okay, so this seems off to me. We see at the end of WoR that the Lopen is able to grow back a limb while Kaladin is likely half way on the other side of Roshar in Urithuru (this is assuming that Kaladin’s conversation with Dalinar at Urithur is happening simultaneous to when the Lopen is growing back his arm in little Herdazia back at the Shattered Plains). Alethkar is closer to Urithuru than the Shattered Plains are. Why should the squires’ powers stop working at a lesser distance? I have to believe (barring a continuity error, which I am going to assume it is not) that there is something else going on. Maybe it’s not distance, but Kaladin completely running out of Stormlight (like we were shown in the preview Kaladin Chapter that Brandon did in some of his readings)? Or something else. (Or The Lopen just breaks all conventional rules of squiredom...)

Alice A/"Wetlander," who does the Stormlight Archive rereads on Tor.com, said she was informed by the folks there that the chapters won't be released until 9am EDT Tuesday morning. Looks like we're going to have to last a few hours more...

Looks like Tor.com is releasing these at 12:01am Eastern. Check it out: https://www.tor.com/2017/08/22/oathbringer-brandon-sanderson-prologue/