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(LAST POST, I PROMISE) Hello friends!! You're going to get sick of seeing these posts very soon, so bear with me. For a project in my Digital Print class, we have to make a deck of cards, and I'm creating Cosmere character cards! Each one will have a picture, name, title, and a small quote. The attachment below is a small glimpse at what at least one side will look like! Will you help me? I don't have my books here with me at school!! Warbreaker: Vivenna, Siri, Susebron ( I know I know he's mute almost the whole time but things he writes count too!), Vasher, Lightsong Stormlight: Navani, Renarin, Adolin, Sadeas, Szeth. Mistborn I: Vin, Kelsier, Sazed, Tindwyl, TenSoon, Elend, Marsh, Human Mistborn II: Wax, Wayne, Steris, Marasi, Ranette Elantris: Raoden, Sarene, Hrathen, Galladon Thank you all so much! If possible, I need the quotes by Friday the 10th!

We recently got confirmation that Returned are Cognitive Shadows, and that some people would call the Heralds Cognitive Shadows. This got me to thinking, where have we see Cognitive Shadows before? On Roshar, we have the Stormfather, the Cognitive Shadow of Tanavast/Honor. We have the Heralds*, and we have the throwaway line by Khriss in Arcanum Unbounded saying the Braize is inhabited by Splinters and possibly Cognitive Shadows. On Scadrial, we have Kelsier, who's a bit of an exception, since he tricked Leras into putting him in the Well of Ascension. We also met Spanky, who is presumably a Scadrial native because it is difficult to take Cognitive Entities between worlds. Preservation/Leras might fall into this category as well, since he seems to have died a long time ago in Secret History. In the later era of Scadrial, Wax probably counts now, since Harmony stuck him back into his body. On Nalthis, the Returned are like Wax, Cognitive Shadows who were stapled back into their bodies by Endowment. On Threnody, we have the Shades, obviously. On Sel, now, I theorize that we have the Elantians. When Raoden wakes up as an Elantrian, and gets locked in Elantris, he talks to Galladon and realizes he doesn't have a heartbeat. Galladon is always going "You're dead, Kolo?" This always bothered me, because, how would someone who's body is dead, still obviously retain sentience? This question is answered if we realize that they are Cognitive Shadows that are (like the Returned, and Wax) stapled back into their bodies. Relevant WoBs and quotes: -Arcanum Unbounded. The Rosharan System. Page 535, hardback. Source. Source.

Hey so I noticed in the postscript of Secret History that Brandon mentions that each of his series' has a major viewpoint character death, but I can only think of: has there been a TSA/Era 2 major character death that I've somehow missed? Any other thoughts as to whether he was speaking preemptively? Thanks in advance

While rereading Elantris, I took a look at the Aon dictionary and stumbled over the Aon IRE, meaning "Time, Age". Any thoughts about it being connected to the Ire in SH? (Somehow an obvious similarity, so I searched the forum for it and didn't find anything - if there is something I didn't find, just pull this over there.)

Friends, gather around. I have uncovered the greatest secret of all time. Perhaps this has been revealed before and, if it has, bless the Sharder who first found it. If it has not been revealed before, or if this post can reach just one more person and help them understand the depth to which Brandon has prepared the Cosmere for our enjoyment, then I think this post is not in vain. I quote from Elantris, page 466 and 467 of the Kindle version: This is where "Raoden" fixed Elantris by adding the chasm line to the city. Or, rather, this is where THE STICK fixed Elantris! Compare this to the following passage from Words of Radiance page 143 and 144 of the Kindle edition: Is it not suspicious that one of the beads that "surged" up to Shallan would happen to be a... nay, THE stick? It is, to me, quite obvious that the stick Raoden used to add the chasm line to Elantris is the exact same stick Shallan communicated with after the santhid rescued her. Note how the stick Shallan is speaking to "sound satisfied"... perhaps this stick was feeling so satisfied because it knew that it had been, literally and figuratively, instrumental in saving Elantris from the Dakhor monks! Perhaps this particular stick is now deeply embroiled in the fight against Odium in the Roshar system and, therefore, simply could not turn to fire for Shallan because the stick still had so much work to do. Perhaps Brandon Sanderson has given us a massive clue as to the fate of the Cosmere and we have been distracted by some doofus named Hoid (or whatever) and missed this obvious clue given in the very first published work! Also, lest we forget, there was an entire chapter of missing information about the stick that Sanderson gave us - I will quote the relevant portions of the chapter below! I propose a re-read of every Cosmere work with a distinct emphasis on finding out what the stick has been up to! I would wager that we can find the stick in each published work, quietly providing assistance to the characters of the book and not at all upset that Hoid (or whomever) has been soaking up all the glory! Truly, the stick is the worldhopper we need to focus on if we plan on teasing out more details on the Cosmere. edit: weird strike-through error corrected

*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!

Spoilers! (How do I add that tag?) I was bored recently and I was wondering- what would be the most broken mixture of investiture you could get? I mean, stuff like the Lord Ruler having Allomancy and Feruchemy together. I was thinking... Could you go more broken? So I'm proposing a contest- who can come up with the most broken pair of Investiture types? (The Knights Radiant are funky so let's say you can pick one order but you get a shardblade and shardplate in the package). So pick 2 magic systems (like a full Mistborn and full feruchemist) that are as stupidly powerful as you can imagine. I'd go with full Mistborn and willshaper because if I Pushed or Pulled hard enough, I could probably orbit my Shardblade around me and become an evil blender of death. Also worldhopping. Which would you pick?

Hi guys, I just recived some interesting WoB from Brandon in his Oathbringer's update, I wanted to post them under the already opened topic in Stormlight's subforum...But some of this are from books other than Stormlight, therefore I think it's better to put them here (some mod may change or delete it, if I am wrong). Maybe a better format is required: Scadrial: Q: Can a Misting hurt himself burning the wrong metals or a bad alloy ? A: Not really, but they can swallow something they can't burn and end up with metal poisoning. Kind of similar. Q: Thanks for the answers...So we may tell that a Misting's Allomancy is "safer" than a Mistborn's one. Maybe because it's the original/natural way how Allomancy manifest itself (without godlike interferences) A: Sure, you could potentially say that. You can still make yourself sick, though, so I'm not sure. I guess it comes down to your definition of "hurt." But I'd call it safer, yes. Q: When someone Ascended with the Well, if He don't use the power and neither release it...Would He keep his status for long time ? A: No, unfortunately. Realmatic mechanisms: Q: Once someone refuses the call of the Beyond, may it change idea later ? (and reach the Beyond) Or is a one shot possibility ? A: It may change later Cosmere Timeline: Q: What is the event showed in the books, that are earlier in the Cosmere's Timeline ? (just to understand if WoK's prologue is before or after Elantris's event) A: I believe WoK prologue is before everything else you've seen. Some of the Dalinar flashbacks show scenes pretty early as well.

Seriously. As I look through some of the Ars Arcanum for each book, I have trouble comprehending certain concepts, such as the use for Aluminum holding identity. What sort of uses to the more minuscule abilities in the Cosmere have?

There's a WoB somewhere about the Cognitive realm (which I refuse to call Shadesmar outside Roshar) being dangerous on Sel due to the nature of the magic there being different to magics on other worlds. My theory: Both Shards are splintered, so the Dor has no Vessel guiding it. This means that the Dor attacks anyone who goes into the Cognitive realm. Holes: What about Roshar? Cultivation seems largely apathetic, and I doubt Odium would do anything to help there. The Stormfather could be bleeding excess Investiture with the Highstorms, however.

Fallen Elantrians put into the Shardpool are described as "dissolving". Several times. However, when Hoid uses Pools to transit between Realms, he just dissappears. In Elantris, his scene with skaze, he is not described as dissolving. Secondly, why would Galladon's father choose the heart sickness to kill him if he could just go into the Pool to pass away? Furthermore, the famous mural is "depicting worldhopping" (source). Not funeral ceremony. It seems the pre-Reod Elantrians did not use it for suicide but for transit into Cognitive Realm. The question is: why are fallen Elantrians dissolving instead of transiting into Cognitive Realm?

This is a rough flow chart of what books Brandon has said he would like to create first. It's quite rough, and is subject to change as new information comes in. This is the order of series to be created according to Brandon during his last State of the Sanderson. Something tells me that some of the books like Nightblood won't be seeing the light of day for at least 7-8 years (mind you, that's compared to about 15 years for the average author, or 20 for Pat Rothfuss). Kind of downheartening. Please note, I WILL be editing this as new information comes in, so hopefully it won't be as bad as it can appear. A few quick notes: A = Alcatraz Series

I still get chills reading that back cover blurb! Hello fellow Elantrians! It's the day we've all (or at least some of us), have all be waiting for! Elantris, Brandon's first published novel, has officially been out for ten years. Our favourite author has come along way (and written a lot of books) in the last ten years, but now it's time to look back at the book that started it all. Some of you have already started on rereads, others are probably waiting for the new edition to be released this fall, but as a way of celebrating Elantris's 10 year anniversary, the staff thought it would be fun to test your knowledge with some trivia! As for instructions, they are simple. For the rest of today the next few days, you can PM me your answers to any/all of the questions, and I'll give you score based on how many correct answers you get. I'll keep a tally of the winning scores at the bottom of this post. After today the next few days, the thread will be unlocked, and people can feel free to start posting their answers below in spoiler tags. You won't get on the scoreboard that way, but you can still have a chance to show off your knowledge. I'll be running two score boards, one for people who answer the questions without looking back through their book, and another for those who have decided to research their answers. Both methods are great, since part of the point of these questions is to draw some attention to Elantris, but I want to be fair to those people who answered from their own memory, and give them a chance to score. I would definitely encourage those people who answer from memory to go back and check their answers in the book when they are done. Seriously guys, Elantris is awesome! There's a reason it got me hooked on Brandon Sanderson! If you do not want your score shown, just tell me in the PM, and I can just PM you your results. I'll be posting the answers in a spoiler tag later this week. Rules Cheat Sheet: For today the next few days (April 21, 2015 - April 23, 2015), PM me your answers. Specify in your PM whether you (i) answered from memory, or (ii) looked up your answers. After today the next few days (April 21, 2015 - April 23, 2015), feel free to answer in the thread to show off your knowledge, but use spoiler tags so you don't spoil the fun for others. The thread is locked for now, but it will be unlocked when we are done accepting PM'd answers. Note: These questions will contain some pretty big spoilers, which is why I've posted these questions in the Elantris sub-forum. Read them at your own risk. TRIVIA: Best of luck! May the best Elantrian win!

Sometimes I can't get the Cosmere out of my head. Well it makes sense, they are just about the best books ever written. But when you have such great books with no movies or television series (as of this moment) it can make you look at the actors and characters in other media. There are lots of potential actors who could play our favorite Cosmere characters. But there are also existing characters in movies, books, TV shows, and Anime who just seem like they would be perfect to play a character. What are your daydream character actors? What characters from existing media remind you of your favorite Cosmere characters? This week I was re-watching "Attack on Titan" and I realized that there is a character that looks and fights like Vin. Mikasa seriously could be a stand in for Vin, it's almost too perfect. They are both crazy awesome fighters who leap across buildings, wield a pair of blades, and fight by instinct like no one else does. They both are kinda broken but love their best friends and will do everything they can to protect them. "When she fights, she is the blade. When she loves, she is the kiss. In that way, she was more human than any others that I have known" TenSoon -Shadows of Self Here is a video of some of Mikasa's best moments. SPOILER ALERT! GRAPHIC IMAGERY! But Attack on Titan is crazy amazing. I recommend you watch it. Mikasa is the best, and she is the anime version of Vin, my favorite Mistborn!

The Lord Ruler called himself "The Sliver of Infinity" and this apparently wasn't an empty title. A Sliver is different from someone with a lot of Investiture, they are something greater, or at least they were. Now they are their mortal selves, but they have changed. What exactly makes someone a Sliver? And how would we know a Sliver if we saw one? Here is the transcript of the text: First I must make one thing clear, I have no idea if my interaction with Shard Pools has changed me. I am not so desperate for answers that I would resolve to testing. Understand that I respect your urgency, but just because I experienced something unique doesn’t mean that I have any understanding of what actually happened. As I recall, even our mutual friend was quite perplexed with my condition. However, I am nearly positive that I have nothing in common with a Sliver. Slivers are a topic that is frustratingly vague I wonder if I have the capacity to explain it. As I stated in my last letter, I had hoped that there was more detailed information available to you on this subject. The stories of men and women with insurmountable powers, or who held them at one point, are deceptively plentiful among the Cosmere, yet lack the details or verification that I would need to form meaningful conclusions. It seems that power alone does not make someone a Sliver. Investiture may be a part of it, but I don’t know if there is a point where a physical being can accumulate enough Investiture in order to become a Sliver. Yet in the few documented cases that we have accounted for in The Words of Founding, we still don’t get a clear picture of what exactly makes a Sliver. Let’s start with the Lord Ruler. We know that he wielded a great power when he reached the Well of Ascension. This power let him shape the world according to his will. The Lord Ruler created life, and altered people without them even knowing what had happened. He touched the power of a Shard and came out the other side a changed man. After this event he called himself the Sliver of Infinity. This might have been just an ego title fueled by his hubris, but his example sets a good precedent for what a Sliver is. So from this point, I will look to the life of the Lord Ruler as a reference point. Before we go any farther, I must point out that the Well of Ascension was not just a collection of Investiture. It is a shard pool, which is to say it was a part of a Shard’s body. Body is the traditional term, but it’s more like the Power and Essence of a Shard which is far more than just Investiture. When someone takes in Investiture, pure investiture, they receive power. From the accounts of the Ascended Warrior we learned that the Power of the Well wasn’t just Investiture, it was knowledge, mind expansion, and capacity to use that Investiture beyond the confines of human capabilities. Notice how the actions performed by The Lord Ruler had no resemblance to Allomancy, Feruchemy, or Hemalurgy. He learned of these arts intimately, but it was not by their power that he moved mountains. This power is far greater in scope and is not limited to the metallic arts. To help offer a frame of reference, I wish to point out an example of someone who seems to exemplify the distinction between a sliver and a highly invested individual. After the Many War, the God Kings of Halandrin carried and passed on an incredible collection of Bio-Chromatic Breath. Breath is a form of innate Investiture found in each individual on Nalthis. They can give this breath to another, and the collection of Breath in a person increases their capacity and physical abilities. Hold enough breath and you can extend your life, or awaken inanimate objects, giving them temporary life. The God King holds tens of thousands of Breaths, possibly making him the most invested person I have ever observed. However, I do not think that this makes him a Sliver. This breath is so immense; it is unclear what specific powers he has access to. This power derives from Investiture that is natural. From my reports, the breath does not grant knowledge or Creation powers. The powers of the God King are immense, but they still follow the order of Awakening, and do not allow him to alter the planet itself. The Breath does seem to impart powerful knowledge of Awakening instinctively at this level, but I feel that this is still not an expansion of the mind, but more a heightened awareness of things known to the subconscious. The God King is not a Sliver as far as I can tell. Yet there is something mysterious about the origins of the Returned. I think I will do more research into this topic, but the Returned of Nalthis, the Spren of Roshar, and the Seons on Elantris seem to share common elements. However, these things are not Slivers in the context of this conversation. As near as I can tell, a sliver is a person who held the power of a Shard, but gave up or lost the power, leaving them deflated. My guess is that this would cause a permanent change in the individual, but how this change would manifest in indeterminable. The incredible powers of the Lord Ruler are more or less explained by compounding. Without another who possesses the abilities of the Lord Ruler, I cannot say if there was any measured growth in his abilities. Without more data, I have nothing more than vague speculations to work off of. I know that this is not what you are hoping for, but I believe it is obvious that there is little that I can learn about Slivers at the moment. Even with my unique history, my interaction with coalesced investiture, I feel that I would not qualify to understand even the slightest part of what a Sliver is. Perhaps someday we will see and account for more Slivers. For now, we shall have to set aside this line of reasoning. As noted before, this research has led me to another classification that I feel I am more capable of reporting about. Splinters are quite fascinating, especially when we examine the similarities that exist between Splinters and Hemalergic Spikes. Until the next letter, Elsric

I looked through the forums to see if this was brought up anywhere else, and did no see anything. Apologies if I am re-treading old ground. I am currently re-reading Elantris, and I noticed that it has a very specific timeline. A number of Cosmere stories have timelines, and Deadlines, there would be far less urgency without them. WoR had the Count down on the walls. Kelsier'sand Denth's plans had nebulous timelines to accomplish their goals (about a year each). But as far as I can tell, only the books that take place on Sel, Elantris and The Emperor's Soul, have very specific timelines. Deadlines that are set, and Bad Things will happen if they are not met. (Yes, White Sand has a deadline to, but the consequence does not seem as dire as in these two) Hrathren has three months to prepare Arelon before it is destroyed. He interprets this as having three months to accomplish a full conversion of the nobility, or Wyrn will invade and destroy. (For you number counters out there, the Duladel republic fell six months after he arrived, 2x3 months) Shai was given the three months of the mourning period to craft a new soul for the Emperor, or she would be executed. Both had 90 day absolute deadlines. It could be coincidence. Or it could not. Assuming Brandon very carefully crafts his worlds, and little is left to chance in the Cosmere, what do you think the relevance of 90 is on Sel?

I have two different copies of Elantris (hard and soft) and with purchasing all the other Sanderson books in hardcover, I found it impossible to justify $100 more dollars to buy the anniversary addition for the small additions I have had described. Do you know of a short list of additional information we get from the anniversary addition that is not in the hardcover? I am aware of maps additions, and a short chapter with Hoid and a Skaze at the end where he does not turn to an Elantrian when lowering into the Pool near Elantris; but what I am looking for are any other details that are Cosmere-important, or Hoid-revelatory that people who have not got the new addition ought to know. Remember, we can't copy whole sections, and pictures are probably a copyright infringement, so please filter down to the information gleaned from them. I would hope that this becomes a good reference post, or that someone links me to one that may already exist. I spent 4 hours combing the forums and did not see one. Gratefully...

So here's the thing, I've been listening to the Graphic audio versions of the original mistborn books (They're great by the way, voices are spot on) and something that always interested me before was when Demoux brought up the peculiarity of 16. This has caught me out for two reasons. 1) We know that Demoux is a world hopper. His presence on Roshar is evidence enough, however when did he become a world hopper? Was he aware of his power before the events of Hero of Age's? If so that would explain, at least a bit, why he would focus on the number 16 when he was talking with Elend. Maybe he had knowledge prior to the events about what else was 16 (The number of shards) and may have been trying to drop some form of a hint. Thats my interpretation. 2) This got me wondering if there has been any other mention of sixteen outside of Scadrial, either in sub text or blatant in any other books. Perhaps each world has their significant numbers for instance, they're are ten heralds on roshar, ten silver kingdoms. I'll open this up to others. Who else has found significant numbers that keep cropping back up? Is there some significance to the numbers? I wouldn't go so far as to say that there is some sort of code, that seems to be going to far, but there maybe something to it. And like our good friend Kelsier always says "There's always another secret"

Hi, new member her. I was wondering if we ever got a definitive answer on what Teods local magic system was. Its been about 6 months since I read Elantris but I don't remember seeing what Teod's Magic system was (elantrians had Aons, fjorden had dahkor) While reading I thought that maybe they didn't have a Magic because it was on a different continent. But now I know that the emperors soul is on the same continent as Teod and they have forgery. So I have looked everywhere, even the copper mind, and haven't found an answer. Does Teod have a Magic system? If not why? thanks!

Hi! I started reading Brandon Sanderson's work several years ago after discovering Elantris. I think my favorite book is Warbreaker, and I wish it were in a series because I want more in that world.

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