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Has anyone ever asked Brandon what would happen if someone were to enter the cognitive realm whilst partly or fully under water? Is it even possible, since large bodies of water tend to be solid ground in the cognitive realm? If it is possible, what would happen to the person who attempted it? Just for clarity, I'm talking about trying to enter shadesmar in an ocean or lake, not just something like taking a bath.

What if Urithiru's cognitive aspect has been moved and kept somewhere else? Secret History spoilers 1. This could be why Shallan has problems drawing it. 2. This could also explain why it's so easy to get lost in there (I'm not sure if changing stuff in the Cognitive Realm actually affects how people think about it though). And maybe the lines that Shallan follows (remember how she didn't have a problem taking a memory of these to draw later?) are the only parts that are actually "there". 3. It also explains why Szeth said he didn't mind standing on it since it's "unhallowed". They worship the "souls of stones" right? If the souls were moved they would be fine standing on it. 4. Maybe it's why nobody's found Urithiru in a long time. 5. I'm not convinced about this one, but maybe it's how the Oathgates work. Maybe the Oathgates have parts of Urithiru's "Spren" and that lets them bring things to it's actually physical location (like what it's "Spren" wants to do).

Before reading this theory, I recommend you read this one, as my theory is strongly based off it. The gist that theory it is that there is something wrong with Roshar's afterlife, and souls are unable to go to the Beyond, and instead stay in the Cognitive Realm. Anyways, here's my idea. What we know 1) Stone is important in the Shin religion. Shin will not break it, step on it, or mar it in any way. 2) When Parshmen die, other Parshmen "wrap them in linin and carry them out into the wilderness and leave them on slabs of stone". This is one of the only sapient actions they are seen doing. 3) Talenel is the Herald of war, and his essence is stone. 4) Living things are represented by flames when alive, and become like ordinary objects when dead. What I think When a sapient being dies on Roshar, their physical aspect becomes their corpse, and their cognitive and spiritual aspects go into stone. The Shin feel that breaking stone would harm the dead people, and the Parshmen want their dead to be near stone so they can move easily to it. Talanel probably isn't leading the current fight to reclaim the Tranquline Halls or their equivalent at the moment, but if he had been in the past, stone is his element and he would probably have an easy time accessing souls who are in stone. When Shallan went into Shadesmar, she was unable to tell the difference between something that had never been alive and something dead. If stone contained the cognitive and spiritual aspects of the dead, it wouldn't be bright or anything like that. Ideas?

Shallan is a Lightweaver, whose abilities are Transformation (soulcasting) and Illumination (lightweacing). However, I was confused because it seems that Shallan can also visit Shadesmar (The Cognitive Realm), and has done so on a few occasions. This is the ability of Transformation, which belongs to the Order of Elsecallers, which is what Jasnah Kholin is. Does Shallan really have all three abilities? And would that make her both a Lightweaver AND an Elsecaller?

The Cognitive Realm is one of the best-kept secrets of the Cosmere. Sometimes it almost feels crowded considering how little people know about it. Between the Physical and Spiritual Realms, the thoughts and ideas of intelligent beings take shape in this dimension. Worldhoppers use Perpindicularities to enter this realm physically and take shortcuts to other worlds. It is also the home of the spren of Roshar. In this Letters from the Cosmere Elsric takes a solid look at the Realmatic Theory about the Cognitive Realm and how its rules work for a Worldhopper. Here is this episode's transcript: I wonder if writing two letters back to back for the same person makes me conceded, or desperate. It seems haughty that I would already have something apparently so important to inform you about. Yet I waste your time with frivolous sentences about what I happen to be thinking at any given moment. The fact that I am enjoying the thought of you forcing yourself to read this right now seems to establish the point quite nicely. Well now that we have that out of the way, you must understand that the scholar in me cannot simply let my first letter be whisked away with only a generalized version of “The Cosmere.” I mean the fact that you found me in my little Manor on Nalthis proves that you understand that much about the Cosmere already. But I needed to start somewhere and I cannot help but think that someday someone will be reading these words who has never learned Realmatic Theory before. So, to you my future reader, turn back now before the insatiable curiosity grabs you by the throat and drags you away screaming. It will be easier for you to just move on, living your life. Now that I have your attention, dear reader, and your annoyance dear recipient, I wish to better define the Cognitive Realm and its import on my life. I first discovered a perpendicularity by accident. I had been delving into the secrets my rivals were trying very hard to keep. Let me remind you that a perpendicularity is a location or event where concentrated investiture creates a hole between dimentions. I like to think of them as Shard Pools. Call me simple minded, but they are places where investiture pools together all at once. I have thought long and hard about this. We exist in three (known) levels of existance simultaneously. We are very familure with the physical nature of our existance for it is the one we we are born interacting with directly. We are also existant in the spiritual realm where our essence is at it’s most pure. Somewhere between these two realms exists the Cognitive realm. This realm exists as a smoky mirror of it’s more substantial counterparts. The Cognitive realm reflects the physical realm in general shape, but is maluble and easily changed with investiture, which essentially is energy from the Spiritual Realm. The three realms exist in states that are fundamentally different from each other, despit the fact that they are intertwined. The physical worlds upon which we live are large planets suspended in around suns. We live on globes where if we travel in a strait line for long enough, we will end up right where we started. These spheres are the separated from others like them by vast distances in space. The Cognitive realm follows a different set of ruls. Everything there essentially exists on a 2 dimentional plane. Now it’s not literally two dimentional, for when you visit it will feel similar to the surface of your homeland. If you think of a planet as a globe, then the cognitive realm is like a map of the globe. Essentially they are same in shape, but the Cognitive Version of the world has edges that extend into the beyond. When you move off the cognitive world, you step into a dark zone where little to nothing exists. This essentially is leaving the planet. In fact, all cognitive realms are connected to every other world populated with intelligent beings. Because the landscape is created and maintained by intelligent, cognitive thought, it means that the gaps between worlds is relatively small. This two-dimensional existence and connection between the various worlds is what allows worldhoppers like myself to travel across the void and into other nations and cultures. One of the great secrets of the Cosmere is not just the fact that there are other worlds with people on them, but that there are more than can currently be visited. In my travels, I have passed over worlds with populations that are isolated from the rest of the Cosmere. Worlds where there are no natural perpendicularities. Someday I hope to visit these worlds somehow, perhaps discover how humans came to live there without the intervention of a Shard. I’d even assume that they have no access to investiture, but that would be presumptuous of me. I also need to note something that I forgot last time. Each world looks different in the Cognitive Realm. Now there are consistencies, like how bodies of water tend to be represented as stable landmasses in the Cognitive Realm while typical landmasses are large churning oceans of thought that can be quite deadly to a worldhopper who is not careful. However, each world’s cognitive realm has it’s own flavor. For instance, much of Scadrial’s Cognitive Realm is made up of massive seas of mist, whereas on Roshar the ocean seems to be made up of tiny glass beads. Naturally I will be able to tell you more about the Rosharian landscape and Cognitive Realm once I get there. Now you need to remember that these oceans are not a natural phenomenon like a lake or river. These swirling depths are manifestations of the millions of minds that live in the Physical Realm. All things that have a name, a concept, or dream are manifested as tiny intelligences in the Cognitive Realm. The more personification or sentimental value that people give their objects in their world create larger, and more powerful cognitive minds. It is the use of these cognitive minds that, make living in this Realm possible for these cognitions can often be enlisted to help you, especially when you have investiture to offer. Lastly, I wish to comment on the freaky pale sun that hangs ever present over the Cognitive realm. Here there is no night or day, it’s just constantly a dull grey. The ball of light that you can see is the Spiritual realm. Honestly I’m not sure how that works but the other worldhoppers I have run into have mentioned that fact. Somehow that is what connects us all together. It’s strange, and I am sure I will have more to say on that eventually. I know I come off bitter in these letters, but you must understand my reluctance to getting involved. I don’t think I am any better at sharing information that you and your kind must be. Yet, your master’s proposal was intriguing to say the least. Besides, I owe him for saving my life. Don’t get too comfortable back there, you’ve reawakened the scholar in me. Once I get to Roshar I will locate and use a perpendicularity to return to the Physical realm. I hear it is quite a place to visit, although the rumors coming from that direction do not bode well. Until the next letter, Elsric

Hello. In this thread I posted my proposition of cosmere CR map along with speculation where Silverlight might be, but the thread is a bit old and not a busy one, so I decided to post a new topic, to induce a brainstorm. So. Just quickly: The map was created by rotating the star map by 90 degrees. Rosharan shadesmar expanses theories seemed to be fitting with it. The idea of Ashyn and Braize access via nexuses comes from the fact that in cognitive they would be very close to Roshar, much closer than planets dozen systems away, like Scadrial, that can be reached by the Expanse of the Vapors. The distances are of course irrelevant, as they get condensed in the cognitive. I just drawn over the star map. The star map is an artistic vision, so the directions are not perfect either. Cardinal Directions Because they exist in minds of sentient life forms, I believe they exist in the Cognitive realm. Also, Nazh tells Kelsier to go west to find IRE. Another thing is the order of planets in the planetary system. I don't think they would move around much, so I organized them the way the planet closest to the sun would be closer to north in cognitive. I am not too attached to this idea though. Btw, I think the Southern Scadrial is also south on this map. Pathways I've drawn potential pathways. Note that there is no direct pathway from Roshar to First of the Sun - I think it goes through Braize, just like a path from Sel to First of the Sun goes through Nalthis. I was also thinking if Expanse of the Broken Sky might in fact lead to Threnody, while Taldain could be accessed via Ashyn, but I concluded that there is no reason to complicate the matter, because we lack information anyway. I guess the only way to not get a RAFO on that would be to show this to Brandon and hope he is impressed enough to clarify Dor pipeline So IRE has a pipeline through the cognitive realm that transports Dor. And their fortress was to the west from Scadrial. I just drawn the straight line from it to Sel. I know the fortress isn't exactly to the west, with Sel being north-west from Scadrial, but neither my nor the original star map are super accurate, so we should probably not fixate on this too much. Silverlight Now this is just a wild speculation. > The star map is a visualization as imagined from Silverlight, not an effect of space exploration > Silverlight is solely in the cognitive realm > Cognitive realm is entirely flat > Therefore there is no way Silverlight is in a plane that allows this view. I think the star map was made by someone who simply traveled the Sardworlds and mapped them in the Cognitive realm. Silverlight is supposed to be a meeting point. Therefore I think it should be somewhere between the major Shardworlds. I've drawn a few ideas: a: Between Sel, Taldain and Roshar - that would be between the three most cosmere-aware/realmatically-aware planets (excluding Yolen). b: All roads lead to Rome Scadrial, so I thought Silverlight would have a convenient path to Scadrial as well. And Taldain, except for Yolen, is the first Shardworld with cosmere-aware people. I find this one to least likely though. c: My favourite. Not only would that put Silverlight in the most densely populated area, but also on the way of IRE's Dor pipeline, which, I believe, would be quite convenient for Sel-descendant people. d: Silverlight would be in proximity of Yolen. Many people believe The Scar is the location of Yolen. If it is, Silverlight would be between The Scar and the rest of the Shardworlds. I'm interested to hear what do you think and what ideas about Silverlight you have may contradict my map

I remembered somewhere in WoK that Hoid made an offhand comment to Dalinar about the world spinning, and Dalinar being "flabbergasted." What if this wasn't just some offhand metaphor that Hoid was saying Okay, so it was just a metaphor, but it reveals the fact that Rosharans might think the world is flat. This bears a lot of importance to the fact that worldhoppers use the Cognitive Realm to worldhop. If the worlds of anywhere are not percieved as flat, would it become round in Cognitive space, and is that the reason for era 4 mistborn needing FTL machines rather than Oathgate thingys?

Hello everyone. I hope you're all doing well. So i was recently thinking about the proprieties of allomantic gold and its interactions with the cognitive realm. It seems likely that it lets someone see himself in the cognitive realm: it lets you see how you view yourself. Here's where I begin speculating: I'm thinking that if you burn gold and Duralumin at the same time you can fully access the cognitive realm and so travel to other places. This might be how a certain character went to a certain place after Secret History to help a certain people (I'm being vague because i don't know how to do spoiler posts). This might be a bit like opening a mini perpenducalitary (don't know how to write it) between the physical and cognitive realm like Brandon Sanderson said an Elsecaller did. Please post your thoughts on the subject.

UPDATE: Also, tl;dr: "Investiture is sticky" - Shards are prone to getting tied to places, Cognitive Shadows and entities are hard to move offworld etc. So, first off: You probably remember that Mistborn are not Invested when not burning metals. That's no longer true. They're as Invested as Knights Radiant (WoB): My theory is that it's not specifically Investiture keeping you in Cognitive Realm, but Connections that come out of that Investiture keep you like a chain to the anchor. In that case, the Connections probably go to Shards (like Allomancers)... or other things? Gonna discuss it below. Anyway, we know some Connections break the moment you die - vide Shardblades dropping - but some are kept (like Kelsier's Connection to Preservation as he was a Mistborn). And that are the anchors that take longer to break and result in longer transition time to Beyond. Now I'm gonna discuss various types of Investment and how would those act upon death: Allomancers: Connection to Preservation, pretty straightforward. Feruchemists: No idea as we don't know how Feruchemy works Realmatically. Maybe Connection to both Preservation and Ruin? But wouldn't it mean longer transtion time as you are anchored to two Shards? Hemalurgists: It doesn't include Ruin's Investiture, so probably Connections to the Shards that the stolen abilities are of. Surgebinders are weird: Connection to the spren is broken at the time of death - vide dropping Shardblades - but we don't know how it works with living spren Awakeners: having a lot of Breath would tie you to Endowment but on the other hand there is (I'm not sure) a WoB stating that Breaths are not part of the soul? Selish people: Elantrians do have Connection to the Dor (as it flows through them all the time) but there's that thing with stronger Connections to the land... And now, for really weird - Cognitive Realm on Sel is packed full of Investiture they're Connected to. What if... what if Invested people on Sel don't go to the Beyond at all?! And just hang on in the Dor?

I don't know if anyone has talked about this yet but I've noticed this and I thought I might as well share. So, in Warbreaker, we see that when the Returned come back from the cognitive realm (moving from the cognitive realm to the physical realm), their memories of their previous lives are lost, or at least damaged. Also, in The Stormlight Archive, when spren come from the cognitive realm to the physical realm, their memories are also damaged. So we see a trend that when a person (or entity? I don't know what a spren would be labeled under) goes from the cognitive realm to the physical realm, their memories are damaged. And this is an effect across the entire cosmere, not just on a particular planet, because it happens on two separate worlds. In Mistborn: Secret History, Kelsier is in the cognitive realm. But, it is implied at the end of Secret History that Kelsier has found a way to come back to the physical realm. Also, in Bands of Mourning, we see someone (almost definitely kelsier) in the coppermind given to Waxillium by Hoid. So, Kelsier has traveled from the cognitive realm to the physical realm. Does this mean that, like in Warbreaker and The Stormlight Archive, Kelsier has lost his memory? This would mean Kelsier's activities in the second mistborn series are performed with little to no memory of his previous life, unless he has found some way to counteract this effect. This raises some interesting questions. How do others, such as Hoid, who travel using the cognitive realm, retain their memories? What about Soulcasters such as Shallan and Jasnah, who briefly visit the cognitive realm? The only link I can make is that the person must actually die and become separated from their body for them to lose their memory. However, this doesn't explain why spren follow this pattern as well. Also, something I just thought of while writing this, how did Kelsier get his old body back? Unrelated, but still interesting. If you have anything to add, or if you have a theory or know the answers to any of my questions, please reply. Thanks!

*After reflecting on this, I've changed the name of this theory from "Why the Dor Exists in the Cognitive Realm" to "The Origin of the Dor." I think this better captures the Intent of my post! In a conversation over on Yata's Theory about the splintering and death of Aona (Devotion) and Skai (Dominion), I've realized that I would like to propose a theory about the Dor and why it exists in the Cognitive Realm. I believe that the Dor has always existed, intentionally (not the result of splintering). Aona and Skai were lovers, whose relationship was a perfect example of "unity." When they took up the power of the shards Devotion and Dominion, this relationship remained, and they went to Sel together. While we see Preservation and Ruin working in direct opposition to one another on Scadrial, Devotion and Dominion were fused together in perfect unity, guided by the relationship of their Vessels. Aona and Skai created all things together on Sel, placing Innate Investiture in all things in the form of the Dor (similar to Preservation). Jesker is the most ancient religion we know about on Sel, and per Galladon it teaches that the Dor exists in everything. To me, this predates any information we otherwise have about Shu-Korath or Shu-Dereth, which only appeared within the last few centuries or so on Sel (by the influence of Keshu, a possible worldhopper). By why would the Dor, this divine force of power, exist in the Cognitive Realm? Because, like so many things in life, it's all about RELATIONSHIPS! When two people come together, entering a state of intimacy with one another, they remain two separate individuals, yet create a third, new thing called a relationship. The relationship is a separate entity from both parties, and yet they are both actively participating in it. This new "thing" is the cognitive creation of both people involved, the fusion of shared hopes, dreams, goals, plans, etc. While you can't touch a relationship, it is absolutely a real thing, with power and influence that exists even after someone dies or the relationship ends. This is what I propose occurred with Aona and Skai. They fused the divine power of Devotion and Dominion (which exists in the Spiritual Realm separately) into one new power/shard we understand as the Dor/Unity. This Unity shard never existed in the Spiritual or Physical Realms, yet just like a relationship, it was completely real. It makes sense to me that something like this would have to exist in the Cognitive Realm, as it was made reality by Aona and Skai - the example of perfect, unified love. Brandon, writing from the Christian influence of his own life, would be very familiar with the Biblical concepts of the origin of relationships when God spoke to Adam and Eve: Aona and Skai, bound together as one, created the "one flesh" that we know as the Dor. This was all well and good until Rayse (Odium) stepped in and killed them. *Pause for moment of sadness :*( While the participants in the relationship died (Aona and Skai), the relationship itself (Unity) lived on, albiet very messily because now, that power resting in the Cognitive Realm, originally unified and guided by two divine Identities, has no divine Identity other than the original Intents of Devotion and Dominion to guide it. Plus, whatever effect splintering a shard has on said Intents is also affecting it. There it is! =) I know much of this is speculation, but until we learn more from an Elantris sequel/prequel, this is how I understand it!

The title is in reference to @RShara's Physics of the Taldain System thread. This is a sort of counterpart of that thread that we can use to speculate on Taldain's Cognitive Realm. Just as in the Physical Realm, the binary star system around Taldain leads to interesting questions in the Cognitive Realm. First, there is the general question of whether the Cognitive Realm's sun corresponds to the sun in the Physical Realm. Like, are Worldhoppers seeing the soul of the sun? If so, then Darkside Worldhoppers will see a different sun from Dayside Worldhoppers. The Darkside Cognitive Realm sky would probably be free of the "particulate ring" that Khriss mentioned, so they'd see their "sun" unhindered. I really like @Glamdring's theory that the "white dwarf" is actually a black hole and that the particulate ring is the accretion disk. If that's true, I wonder what a black hole looks like in the Cognitive Realm.

This has probably been discussed before, but since we have nothing to do but twiddle our thumbs in expectation of November 2017, here we go. My understanding of the Cognitive Realm, based on most recent WoBs is that essentially, objects in it are reflections of the thoughts (conscious or unconscious) of various inhabitants of Cosmere. So, let's play a game with our friend, The Stick. So, imagine The Stick lying on the beach of the Ocean of Origins, in a some remote place where people don't show up too often. Shallan passes by, sees the stick. Her thoughts mean that there is now a bead representing the Stick in Shadesmar, Roshar's Cognitive Realm. Shallan proceeds with her quest to discover ancient abandoned cities, eclipse Jasnah in scholarship, and marry a nice Kholin boy (not necessarily in that order). The Stick stays. No more people come by the beach, and no more wildlife attend to it. The stick is buried in the sand, fish and various sea creatures do not see it, and the various lizard-crab things have retreated to their Sleepless owners in search of better targets to spy on. No one thinks about The Stick anymore, no one notices The Stick. Question: does this mean that at some point The Stick will fade away from Shadesmar? Or is it more of a "once in Shadesmar, always in Shadesmar" kind of rule? Similar question: if I think that there is a monster under my bed, does this mean that there is a bead for that monster in Shadesmar regardless of whether an actual monster is under my bed? Finally. Let's say I am a farmer in Shonovar and there is a nice cherry tree in my orchard (I am assuming Shinovar has cherries, because if it does not, that's a total waste of a perfectly good planet). I like that tree. The orchard is fairly remote, no one goes there under normal circumstances, and all the chickens and bees are asleep when an unusually strong gust of a highstorm (or what passes for one in Shadesmar) tears the tree. Now, I am still thinking of the tree as standing there, alive and kicking, when in fact, it just toppled. What is the state of the tree in Shadesmar? Alternatively, let's go full mode "consistency in distributed systems". The kitchens on Azir just prepared a cake. About two hundred cooks and bureaucrats are aware of the cake, saw it prepared, decorated and left in the kitchen annex until the time to presented to the State Banquet. Lift passes by the annex, sees the cake, eats it, because... well, why wouldn't she. Probabily calls Wyndle a Voidbringer a few times in the process. Now, one person in the entire world knows that there is no cake, and it's been replaced by pure Investiture that is about to be used to slide frictionessly into the Banquet Hall and startle all the dignitaries. But 200 other people still think there is a cake and it is getting served. What's is the state of the cake's bead in Shadesmar? (PS. There is a cop-out here in that there are spren everywhere, and spren being everywhere may cause the state of objects in Shadesmar revert to the true state of the object in the physical realm... The spren basically resolving inconsistencies.)

As everyone knows, the passage of time and space within the physical realm is rigid, as in it cannot be altered. 5 seconds is 5 seconds is 5 seconds (at least within a certain shardworld), and 10 feet is 10 feet is 10 feet (with the same stipulation). This is a fact within the Cosmere, just like it is in real life. However, space is fluid withing the Cognitive Realm. With people having the ability to Elsecall and Worldhop, space must be fluid within the cognitive realm. After all, if what is the benefit of Worldhopping if it takes you the same amount of time to get between worlds in the Cognitive Realm as in the Physical Realm. As to time, it must be fluid in the Spiritual Realm. This is so because Forging works by changing the past of an object or person, and is known to affect the Spiritual Realm. This next bit is entirely theory as I don't know exactly how Hemalurgy works outside of the process within the Physical Realm, but Hemalurgy involves taking the powers of an individual and giving them to someone else. These abilities were given at a certain time, Allomancy specifically is given when snapped. So Hemalurgy could potentially involve changing the past of the individual so that they snapped, thus giving them the powers. This would of course only work while the spike is affecting a person. That's my idea of how time and space are fluid in the different realms, please don't judge me too much on my Hemalurgy statement, Hemalurgy is one of the magic systems I understand the least.

Recently in a thread involving the the Lopen a theory came to mind. It's stated that their number never went beyond three and that their spren was specific: "But as for the Bondsmiths, they had members only three, which number was not uncommon for them; nor did they seek to increase this by great bounds, for during the times of Madasa, only one of their order was in continual accompaniment of Urithiru and its thrones. Their spren was understood to be specific, and to persuade them to grow to the magnitude of the other orders was seen as seditious."—Words of Radiance, chapter 16, page 14 What is more specific than bonding a cognitive shadow? We know that there were three Shards present on Roshar; Odium, Cultivation, and Honor. It's theorized that the Stormfather is Tanavast's Cognitive Shadow, which Dalinar had just recently bonded. If one man (admittedly with a strong connection to Honor) could bond with a shade, its possible that the other members were capable of doing just that.

What is a Worldhopper? They are select individuals who have learned how to travel between the different Shard worlds in the Cosmere. The most likely way that these individuals do is is by sinking into shard pools and emerging in the cognitive realm, where the minds of men connect across the vastness of space. This allows for people to walk from world to world, assuming they can do so in safety. Hoid is a perfect example of a worldhopper, although there are others. There are also other, less known ways of entering the Cognitive realm. Who know what will become of worldhoppers. Transcript: This letter is more of a journal entry than a field report. I had started to wonder if I would ever see another messenger. I know that travel across the Cosmere is difficult and dangerous, but it’s been years. Your call back is… troubling at best. However, I will not disguise the fact that your abrupt silence was causing me to consider returning anyway. Needless to say, the Cognitive Realm may be a home to dreams and ideas of men, but some of those dreams are nightmares come with some serious teeth. The philosophers of the various worlds often discuss the dangers and natures of ideas among a population. Naturally they were making references to the fickle hearts of men in times of transition and stress. Individuals such as you and me know that the dangers of ideas are real in the Cognitive Realm. There is nothing more terrifying than the realization that one slip, one misstep or encounter with a powerful cognitive being and your life can be snuffed out like a candle in the wind. I once practically lived among the shadows of the cognitive realm, and now that I have returned once again, I find myself fearing that abyss. Although you may understand the traversing of the Cognitive realm in an academic sense, I doubt you truly understand the strange and fascinating perils that reside here. Roshar is of itself particularly dangerous, for the Spren here are far more powerful than their diminished counterparts in the physical realm. Here they are a horde, most are more like forces of nature rather than beings of intellect. They move and act, bound by their nature and intent. I have been warned by the whispers of the cryptics of the dangers their fellows present. One should not travel the Cognitive realm lightly here. On the other hand, the spren are fascinating to converse with. The cryptics in particular seemed to enjoy my company, something about the lies I tell. I found that they themselves were hard to ply for information, but if you listen carefully you can decipher meaning in their circling words. They remind me of politicians if I am honest, perhaps that is why I felt I could follow their logic better. It was almost like being with family again. I have seen the powers of Investiture here on Roshar that create holes or perpandicularies in the cognitive realm. This is most fascinating because until now, I had assumed that the only points where someone could pass from the physical world into the Cognitive real was through locations of condensed Investiture. Shard Pools, as they are called, are points on the various worlds where the raw power and investiture of a Shard collects and condenses. So far I have found such pools on each of the worlds I have visited, for I could not have traversed there without them. Yet there are old stories and new whispers that claim that some of the Knights Radiant can send themselves physically into the Cognitive Realm without using a shard pool. I also believe that the Oath Gates that I’ve used to travel great distances in an instant also operate by traversing the Cognitive Realm but how this works is still a mystery to me. I wonder if someday everyone will have access to the Cognitive Realm. I have a…unique background and with concentration, I can pass through a perpendiculary with relatively safely. The issue is, I don’t know if just anyone can survive this process. I have never tested it, fearing what would happen if the concentrated power would harm or kill others. The concentration of pure Investiture is so great that it effectively dissolves the boundaries between the physical and cognitive realms. Perhaps like so many things in the Cosmere, using the Shard pools in this way is more about Intent, rather than physical limitation. Sadly, the ways of these pools are far exciding my understanding. One of the many reasons why I am hesitant to use them is rooted in the knowledge that I understand almost nothing about the mysteries of shard pools, except that they can carry me between realms. Even so, I know there are others who use these pools for the very purpose I do. As I have written to you before, Hoid is a master of traversing the various worlds via shard pools. In fact, I think that the only way he can be reasonably tracked is watching the points where he can travel. However, he is far too crafty to make it that easy to catch him. Independent of our little organization, the 17th Shard is the only operating group of Worldhoppers that I know of for sure. They seem to see themselves as a policing force, attempting to keep some kind of balance and observing the actions that are happening across the Cosmere. Like I have said before, they are no longer fond of me since I set foot and integrated myself among the people of Roshar. They seem to feel that these peoples are far too easy for an outsider to manipulate. Although they have sought me out, I have hidden myself well and make sure not to draw attention or meddle in things other than behind the scenes. Besides, subtlety is often a more powerful tool in making things happen. Let the heroes take the spotlight. Instead I move people into places they need to be, funds where they are most advantageous, and building structure and wealth where there is chaos. Where some wield knives or armies, I wield politics, information, and influence. I sometimes feel ashamed of the distinct advantages my skills and knowledge allow me. Yet doing nothing, as my pursuers would wish of me, would go against all that I have become. Never again will I sit back and watch the world burn beneath me. I have been given too many gifts and understanding to just let myself wander away. I will watch, and I will nudge when I feel it will be of greatest benefit. I am not a man to make history, just a man who wants things to run as smoothly as possible. Regardless, I have kept an eye out for these 17th shard peace keepers, they will not get in my way for long. There must be others out there that traverse the worlds beyond their home. The only possible exception would be travelers from Sel. Sel is nearly impossible to visit, and very dangerous at that. Well, all the Cognitive Realm is dangerous for the physical bodies that walk the dark paths. But Sel is far more so even than Roshar. Yet I have a feeling that if travelers haven’t been able to leave as of yet, they someday will find a way. At the moment, only a small number of people know that Worldhopping is possible. But as the peoples of these worlds grow, it becomes more and more likely that others will eventually learn of the secrets of the shard pools. Will we one day see networks of interdimensional highways connecting the peoples of the Cosmere? Will worlds ever push to expand their borders, seeing opportunity in the lands of beyond? With there ever become a time where I become so well know, that I can no longer blend in with alien societies? The future of worldhopping is as unpredictable as the people who practice the art. It is amusing how often we cross paths, seeing how large the Cosmere is. But I feel that many of us are drawn to large and pivotal points in the narratives of the Shard worlds. In fact, as I make my way back to my homeland, I wonder if Hoid or the Scholar have already traveled there. I never thought I would return, but what is more surprising is the fact that I think I am ready to return. After failing my family, knowing they died because I was not strong enough to protect them, I thought I could never face the world that let them die. Yet, dare I say, my travails on Roshar has shown me that through despair and failure, we often learn and gain the strength that we lacked when we were younger. Your report was cryptic at best. Your long silence had me believing that our communications were being intercepted or lost somehow. Disturbing thoughts, that remind me of darker days. In fact, I wonder what forces could be out there, continuing to conspire against us. Perhaps this is why I was called in the first place, to stand and recognize the signs of corruption as they manifest. If the danger you implied is caused by a fallen Shard… well, I just hope I am not too late. I look forward to meeting in person once again, if anything I can’t wait to see the look on your face to see the backlog of reports you now need to sift through, you could make a book out of them I’m sure. I also bring a gift from Roshar, something that might make these reports easier to manage in the coming years, assuming we can keep the gemstones charged. Until we meet again, Elsric Please remember, anyone can submit art for this series, so if you want to share anything, please message me and we can get it in there!

Hello fellow Shardlings! (Is that the word? Oh well, your my Shardlings anyway) So I am proud to announce that "Letters From the Cosmere" is officially out of production and live on YouTube! This is a YouTube series that I thought would be helpful as a resource for new community members who wished to learn about Brandon's Cosmere in manageable packets of information. I also wanted this to be entertaining for members of the community who were already well established. In this series the World Hopper Aarik writes letters to his acquaintances about the things he has observed as he has traversed the Cosmere. If you want to see it for yourself, follow the link here: Hello! If you want more info about why this exists, I have an explanation. So a couple years back I was first introduced to the Cosmere by a dear friend who handed me a copy of Mistborn. I devoured that book and proceeded to perchance every Brandon Sanderson Book I could. I remember my shock when I first suspected that there were characters and a particular Black Sword that I had seen in other books appearing in the newer stories. I had assumed that these were all just different stories. That was when my friend informed me about the idea of the Cosmere. I was so excited I jumped online and did a quick search for the Forms. Holy Cow The amount of information was staggering. It was amazing, but staggering. I remember not knowing where to start or even what questions to ask. I think everyone starts off a little star struck. Hoping to find a good foundation I turned to YouTube. In the past I had researched the Star Wars EU by watching informational videos fans had made for YouTube so I thought there would be Cosmere videos as well. There were none. A few months latter when I staggered from 17th Shard a much wiser man, I started thinking about that first YouTube search. I had an active YouTube account where had started making serious weekly content. I decided that I wanted to make the videos that I had hoped to find when I had first joined. But I didn't want this to just be a boring list of facts, or a review of each book. I wanted to do something with more life and flavor. I wanted these letters to feel like they were a part of the Cosmere. I worked on the premise for months, crafting and re crafting the idea in my mind and in my notes. I was prepared when Brandon came to town on his recent 2016 Book Signing Tour. Our convention was small, and I was able not only to pitch my idea to Brandon, but we were able to talk about it in length for several hours. At first he was concerned, and who wouldn't be? I was wanting to create something using his intellectual property. However as the discussion continued, I could see the gears turning in his mind. Eventually I must have sold him on the idea because he tanked me for asking him in person and said, "I give you personal permission to make this YouTube series." We spent the next several hours having a stop and start conversation about this project. Naturally I was trying not to hog him from the other fans, but playing him in a game of magic helped. He also seemed excited to give me tips. He made several suggestions about paths I could take with the character, but left a lot up to me. I will be sending him a personal detailed report so as to make sure everything checks out, but I got the clear impression that he wanted me to own this project. Also, I need to say that this project would be far weaker without the fantastic artists who offered their support for the work. I contacted the artist of each painting that I used and asked their permission to use their work. I will NEVER steal a piece of art, even if it's easy to download. I want to work with the artists and I hope that more artists will be inspired by this project and share their talent with all of us in these Letters. Please make sure you send some love and thankful messages to the amazing artists. They deserve every bit of praise they get. And that now leads us here. I am so happy that this first episode is available. I have already received encouragement and support from the community members who have found it. I cannot wait to make more of these episodes. I honestly think this will be a series I will be making for years and years to come. I hope that you enjoyed this taste, and that you come back for more. If you are an artist and want to share your work with the world, I would love to work with you.I hope you all enjoy this series. If you have any thoughts I hope you will share them, just remember to be courteous with each other. Obviously I am not Brandon and will get things wrong from time to time. However I will do my best to only say what I know, or try to make it clear that the character is speculating. Hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you around the Cosmere! -TheBlueShifting PS I have had a couple requests to see the text version of the episode. I have decided to post that here on my Forms in 17th Shard. There may be slight deviations, but overall the text is the same. I also reserve the right to edit the content in the future if Brandon points out any changes that need to be made, though I doubt that will happen with this episode. Here you go! I don’t quite know how to start this letter. Lines like dear friends or colleagues seem inconsistent with our perceived “relationship”. Needless to say, I have not decided to abandon our friend’s request that I chronical my travels. My father would be proud to see that after all this time I became a scholar after a fashion. But I suppose I should start with the fundamentals of what I have learned and work my way to the finer aspects. Although my knowledge is limited, I share what I know, and what I suspect to be true. But first, a foundation: Look around you. Everything you see, the walls of your house, the air you are breathing, even the light entering your eyes are all a part of the Cosmere. It is all that is, all that was, and all that will be. Everything is connected by the forces that shape the universe. Light and Gravity. Investiture and Cognition. Even the souls of men are manifestations of the cosmere itself. In my travels I have gained a unique perspective of what the cosmere is and what it contains. Our inheritance, our birthright, is to explore this vast Cosmere, our home. And in it, to see the divine attributes that shape it. When I was first educated by my father, I often contemplated my place in the world. I would look North to the dark peeks that stood just at the edge of sight and wonder what lay beyond them. I look back now and almost laugh at the wide eyed youth who couldn’t imagine a world larger than the town I grew up in. I who have set foot in the shadows of other worlds and cultures across space and time. Although my introduction to the greater cosmere was a feat of happenstance, I find great pleasure in diving the nature of the universe in my own way. Before I write anything else I need to clarify what the comere is by the simplest definition. There are three major aspects of the Cosmere, these three realms or dimensions shape and in turn are shaped by each other. They are effectively inseparable, Each one with its own rules and capacities. Despair their alien nature, the fundamentals of these realms are fairly straightforward. First we have the tangible or Physical realm. This is the home of all the peoples of the Cosmere. Three dimensions ruled by gravity and light, physics is the language upon which we understand this dimension. Luckily I was educated in mathematics and physics, a far more useful education than I appreciated at the time. Although the worlds of men and sentient races are separated by vast oceans of distances, these worlds each share the common elements of mathematical proofs and similar ecosystems. Although the tree realms are intertwined, it is unclear if the physical realm is dependent on the other realms to exist. However, it is apparent that the physical world has a dramatic effect on the other two realms, especially in the cognitive realm. When you step outside, you will find that you are followed by a shadow. Although you are the source of the shadow and it’s movements, the shadow is not a part of you, but a type of warped reflection. The cognitive realm is a shadow of the physical realm. Everything that has a conception, a form, or a name, has a spark of cognition. By naming and defining the objects and forces of our physical world, we give them a life and mind of their own. Most of the time, calling these entities “intelligent” is a stretch of the truth. Each idea starts as a small, simple spark, so fleeting that it is lost in the sea of drifting minds that form the substance of the cognitive realm. Sometimes these ideas can grow, and take a form and intelligence all their own. I have heard tales of creations like the Ceons of Sel which are created as helpers for the Elantrians. I’ve even encountered some advanced cognitive minds that call themselves spren on the Shard world of Roshar. If you were to physically visit the cognitive realm, you would find that what we see as a physical land mass is instead a sea of cognitive thoughts. Traveling through this sea can be tricky, even dangerous to some. In contrast, large bodies of water in the physical world manifest as a solid mass obscuring the minds that dwell below. Distance and time mean little in the cognitive realm, and the thoughts of men are connected across the cosmere. The men and women who world hop use the cognitive realm which bind the various shard worlds together. Those who have learned the secrets of travel by investiture can traverse the cosmere by simply walking. The Spiritual Realm is the most mysterious of the three realms. In fact, I doubt that there is any being that still interacts with the cognitive and physical realms who truly knows what lies beyond its borders. All that is know is that there is a part of man, an essence of some kind that exists in this realm. What is very strange is that most of the powers and investitures that are used throughout the cosmere are manifestations of the spiritual realm in the physical world. Perhaps the soul forms a conduit for the power between the spiritual realm and the physical and cognitive. I feel that there is no limit to the breath and depth of the spiritual realm, and that mankind has only tapped into a miniscule sliver of the power that resides there. These three form the trinity of all life in the cosmere. However to separate these into different categories is almost counter intuitive. In order to examine the different aspects of the Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual, we have to label and categorize them as individual places or planes of existence. However it is important to remember that these three occupy the same “space” or area. For instance, if you were to pass from the physical world into the Cognitive world, you would seem to appear in an alien and unstable land of darkness and mist. However in regards to traveling, you would remain in the same location and may find common recognizable landmarks on the other side. This connection is important, however the different realms do not seem to share the laws of physics and time as we understand it. Having been one of the few to set foot beyond the Physical realm, I have developed a deep appreciation of the complexity, depth, and scope of the universe. With all our study and expansive thought, with the literal power of the Gods in our fingertips, we still know so little about the ways and wisdoms of the cosmere. I am not a scholar, not truly, which you dear reader must find incredibly frustrating. Yet as I look upon the surface of another world, I am compelled to learn all I can. This shall be the first of many letters I’m sure. Despite my hesitation to agree to this arrangement, I understand the value of the things I have observed and continue to observe. Should I fall prey to the dangers of the cosmere I would hope that I could leave some kind of legacy. Be wary with these letters for there are forces and organizations who seek to stop meddlers like. I find that the more I learn and explore the closer I get to catastrophe. Currently I am returning to the shard world Roshar. Something is happening there that is sending ripples throughout the cognitive realm. There is a darkness coming and that is something I cannot ignore. Until the next time, Aarik

I woke up this morning with a weird theory floating in my head, which coalesced into thoughts about the purpose of the Dakhor Monk sacrifices and how that connects to the Dor. I have three main bases for my theory. 1. In the Cognitive Realm on Sel, the Dor acts like a storm of extreme Investiture, tearing apart anything that goes there. 2. The Dakhor Monk sacrifices vanish completely when they are used. It's described as the man simply vanishing with the monks, but not reappearing. 3. Investiture can be used to physically pull someone into the Cognitive Realm, i.e. Elsecallers. So the theory is thus: When the Dakhor Monks disappear, they send the one man physically into the Cognitive Realm, and as he is torn apart by the Dor, the monks use him as a conduit, channeling the Dor in greater strength to gain the nessecary power to teleport to wherever they are going. I know that there's not much evidence for this so far, but it seems like it could work. Thoughts?

What is Investiture? For such a foundational aspect of the Cosmere, it is not always clarified what exactly the word means. In this episode we talk about the meaning of the word and stare some specific examples of Investiture on several major Shard Worlds. Elsric also shares some of his personal terminology about the different types of Investiture and the ways that people can access the power. To read the story about how I worked with Brandon Sanderson to make this series, look at my post here: Please remember to check out the amazing art that was shared with this episode and let the artists know how much we appreciate what they have done! Subscribe for more updates and videos every week about great stories and funny moments. I hope you enjoy what I can do! Here is the transcript for this episode: As I have said before, my father was a scholar at heart. He was taken with locking himself away with his books and a chalkboard in the family library. As I grew he took it upon himself to teach me what he could. However, I never had any formal lessons because he was often so scattered in his research projects that he would shut himself in his study and turn us away having completely forgotten that he was the one to invite us to join him an hour earlier. Eventually my siblings and I would catch him and we would dive into the lessons as best we could. He was a soft-spoken man, but he was truly brilliant. On rare occasions, noble scholars from far away would stop by and converse with my Father. I’m not entirely sure what his specialty was, but based on his contraptions I think it had something to do with Engineering. I will never forget the phrase he often repeated during our studies. He said, “In all things there is balance if you look closely enough. Cause and Effect, Push and Pull, Action and reaction.” He said that there was no better laboratory than nature, for all things followed the fundamental laws that ran all of creation. I wish I could share with him what I know now. After all these years, I finally see what he was trying to teach me. The miraculous things that I witnessed on other worlds are bound by natural rules and there is an accounting for all the incredible abilities that people can wield. Investiture is just one word to describe the fundamental power by which men bend the forces of the Cosmere with intent to their will. Words like Sand Shaping, Burning Metals, Drawing Aons, and Surgebinding are all in effect the manipulation of Investiture. When something or someone is considered Invested, they hold a portion of Divine power or potential. Stormlight is possibly the best example because the body literally thrums with unbridaled power that is then translated into a Focus by the user via a bond to a spren. When I say Focus, I mean the nature and shape that the power takes. On Sel, the Elantrians use the complex shapes and markings of Aon Dor to dictate the shape and power of the Investiture. While this is a complex system to master, it holds the most fluidity. In application it is near limitless in what it can do with the right knowledge. However, their power is, for the most part, limited to the geographical location of Sel, even to specific continents. I would call this an Open Concept Manifestation, because it really has no set shape or application, although the time and learning necessary to access the power of the dor is a distinct downside to such an adaptable system. On the other hand, the best example of a Closed Concept Manifestation of Investiture can be found in Alloymancy. By its nature, Allowmancy is limited by very harsh rules. The metals that can be burned to access Investiture need to be pure and properly mixed as alloys in order to work. In fact, an allomancer who burns metals that are impure or improperly crafted can get sick or die from the mistake. The benefit is that the powers granted by Aloymancy are dependable and simple. However, there is little to nothing more to be learned. All Alloymancers are limited to the powers of the metals, no matter the skill or experience of the user. This means quick and adaptable powers, but sever limitations in shaping the Investiture that gives them power. The application of each type of Investing can range to fit a variety of settings, but each one must take a unique coarse to the eventual goal. The paths to Investiture vary in form and execution just as how languages differ between different nations. All Language seeks to bring together understanding, but the execution can be very different between different peoples and are usually not compatible with each other. I would assume that Investiture would be the same, although I am not sure if there are limitations to using said powers. I know for instance that the proper metals and alloy mixes are useful to Alloymancers no matter where they physically are. I’ve seen that Elantrians can employ Investiture outside of Sel, although I am unsure how they overcome the natural geographical limits to their powers. In fact, I think that travel in the Cosmere would be impossible if the beings who traverse it ultimately did not have access to the powers of their homelands. It is clear to me that the power of the Spiritual Realm is accessable in all places in the Cosmere. Unlike the Physical and Cognitive realms, it seems there is no apparent change in the ability to access the Spiritual realm no matter the location of the individual. So the limitation is found in the abilities to access the power itself Each world is governed by a different set of natural laws that determine who can access the power and how that investiture can be used. On Nalthis, each person is born with an endowment of Investiture called breath. It is a small connection to the Cosmere itself and has little effect. But it can be given to others, and with enough Breath one can command once living objects into servitude. Words and symbols hold the key on Sel, where elantrians draw patterns in the air to give shape to the Dor, and Dakor etch their will onto the bones. There are whispers of other arts with ink and blood that shape the fabric of reality itself, but I have not seen this personally. But what all these forms share is the dependence of a physical drawing that shapes the Investiture into what they need. There is a world called Taldain that I only just heard about. I hope to visit it sometime soon, but there is very little known about it yet. However, there are hints of shapers of the sand, who manipulate and mold the sand found on that world. I imagine it would be a beautiful art to observe. On Scadrial, the people use the metallic arts. The use of metals manifests physical, mental, enhancement, and temporal power through three known forms. Aloymancers draw Investiture directly from the source and use the power in a limited fashion. Ferochemists storm their natural attributes by saving them up into the metals, using them like the gemstones on Roshar to store the abilities for later use, and can use them in an accelerated rate. And then there is Hemalergy, darkest of the arts that I know, which destroys life to steal power from the sacrifice, to then spike it into another’s soul. On Roshar, as I said, the spren form a bridge between the Investiture of Stormlight for use by the Radiant to whom they are bonded. The Parshendi seem to be able to bond spren as well, but it is not the same as the nahel bond, and I don’t know by what method they do this. The unknown bond is actually a focus of my study, for I feel that this is critical to understanding the struggles we are facing in this war. It might even be the key to our salvation. I am positive that there are other worlds that I have not even heard of. If there is one thing that I hope for, it’s that I can continue to learn more about the incredible abilities and peoples of the Cosmere. Despite the danger I am currently in, I am living life again. I never thought that the struggles and danger here would awaken my soul. Elsric

My new book came in.

So I was thinking about this last night, when I was trying to go to bed and had just finished listening to Words of Radiance, what if the Cognitive Realm's appearance is based on your perception? For example for someone like Hoid, he'd probably see it as something completely different than say Jasnah or Shallan. Rosharans (is this a canon term yet?) associate spheres with holding power in the form of Stormlight so when they travel to Shadesmar they see a world made out of spheres; where as someone from the White Sands world might see it as sand of some sort. Revision: Instead of having everyone see it differently based on their beliefs, it would be shaped differently for each world, with spheres for Roshar and sand for the White Sands world. Metal for Scadrial. I'd assume something to do with light for Sel, or I've just been playing too much Infamous Second Son and enjoying the Neon Power way too much. This may also explain why it's so hard to travel in Shadesmar (or whatever it's called on Sel) around Shadesmar as well. Edit: I'm leaving the original theory there just for reference purposes, but I'm adding parts that have been suggested in the posts below. Would appreciate any feedback on this, as I found the concept really fascinating and in line with what little we know of the Cognitive Realm.

I always tag stuff of interest as I do my first read-through of a Cosmere work (part of why I love my kindle is how easy it is to pull everything up in one place and do instant cross-referencing, something that has definitely helped me tease out some hints I would've missed otherwise.) Here's two paragraphs I tagged on my first read-through, before I read Secret History (before I even read the end of BoM): This jumped out at me on the first readthrough, and now it seems even more glaring considering what we now know about Kel's state as a voluntary cognitive shadow. Until now I've assumed that the Church of the Survivor was just a sort of Cosmeric joke on Kelsier, worshipping someone who would totes hate being worshiped. But now we see that the church actually got some facts about Kelsier shockingly correct. It makes me think (especially since we now have a WoB that he has a whole sequence of Secret Histories planned) that Kel is actually using his church as a tool. He is selecting his most dedicated followers, and having them survive the same way he did. He greets them as they enter Scadesmar (sorry, couldn't help it, but you know what I mean, Scadrial Cognitive Realm) and before they have a chance to move on, he gives them a chance to Survive - survive the same way he did. It seems likely he even has a way (or at least a plan) to reinhabit the physical realm someday. ​This also makes it suddenly make more sense - to me, at least - why Demoux, of all people, is (Way of Kings Spoilers) He was the ORIGINAL Survivorist. He was espousing Kelsier's ideals waaaay before it was cool. He makes perfect sense to be the first of Kelsier's followers to follow his example, even in death. So, my question is - why is the Survivor building an army of cognitive shadows? ​I don't know the answer, (I suspect we won't find out the answer until the sci-fi Mistborn series) but I do know that when the Ire thought there might be an army of cognitive shadows coming their way from Threnody, they kind of freaked out. And those cognitive shadows we're (as far as we know) united in purpose and following an incredibly charismatic and psychopathic leader. Just sayin'.

Ok, so we know that Lift exists more in the cognitive realm than other people, which gives her unique abilities. She can turn food into stormlight, she can see spren differently, and even touch them. The one I want to focus on is the fact that she sees Wyndle as a vine, not as crystals and dust, or whatever normal people see. That got me thinking about Rock. He can see spren, even when they don't want to be seen. Now, Wyndle doesn't choose to not be seen, he is just very hard to see. But it still begs the question, what would Rock see if he looked at Wyndle? I personally think he'd see the vines. What I'm driving at is that I think that what Rock does is the same thing that Lift does, just less so. I think bathing in the Horneater shardpool dragged him just a tiny bit into the cognitive realm, just like Lift was. But, again, less so. I got pretty excited when I thought of this, but I'm not so sure if its actually all that exciting. I apologize if this is common knowledge and I'm just over reacting. But on the flip side, if it is a new idea, then hey, I thought of it first. Although I'm sure I didn't.

Between the general worry of those extremely old (or perhaps extremely new?) Elantrians and the second (as far as I know) on-screen appearance of Nazh, I feel like Threnody HAS gone ahead and officially joined the Main Stage of the Cosmere, despite the opinion of Alonoe (BTW, could you HAVE a more Aonic name, sule?). This is interesting for a lot of reasons to me, but the timeline is of particular interest, as we see that Nazh is certainly alive at the same time as the Shades. This would seem to me to indicate that Nazh is quite old at, probably from the Homeland days of Threnody. We know that Shadows for Silence only took place a couple of generations removed from the settling of the Forests, but it seems that there are enough Threnodite cognitive shadows that the Ire keeps forces patrolling the border, and carry a specific anti-Threnodite device with them on their trip. We also know that Nazh was around during the Shaod period of Elantris, which was set a long time before the events of The Final Empire. Does this seem correct to everyone else? And is everyone else as excited to see more Threnodites as I?

In Secret History, Preservation calls the Spiritual Realm, or "What Happens Next" as "Beyond". On several worlds, we've seen references to "The God Beyond." It makes me wonder if there is a unifying "God" or force that is controlling or manipulating evens from the Spiritual Realm, where Shards and their derivatives can't really see. It could even be the soul of Adonalsium, since presumably, he went Beyond after he died? What do you guys think? Coincidence or significance? On a different note, I'm really surprised that Spook didn't decide to hang around like Kelsier after he died.