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Closing up the bar on my phone and this thought occurred to me: Hoid, in the epigraphs of Stormlight, asks Frost how he’s enjoying his new found immortality. This is odd because we know from wobs that dragons, by nature, are functionally immortal. I propose that Frost was in possession of the Dawnshard opposite from Hoid’s. Perhaps even the Change Dawnshard, which was somehow counteracting his natural immortality. So he gives up said Dawnshard which causes Hoid to congratulate him on no longer aging. This is also kinda backed up by the fact that the only people who were involved with the shattering that we are aware of became Dawnshards or Shards and we know Frost was involved. And we know that whatever Dawnshard Hoid had made him immortal amongst other things. And if it was Change it fits the timeline relatively well because we know it came to Roshar within Horneater memory.

I don’t think I’m allowed to post this in the fan creations section yet (if I’m wrong, let me know) so I’m posting it here. And yes, I would like feedback. (I forgot you need to say that now.) The Queen’s Wit lounges at the the far end of the table, his dark hair framing his sharp, pale features and unnaturally blue eyes. On his lap is a lute, which he plucks with a languid hand. The other rests on the arm of his chair, beside his Spren, Design. He has many names, this Wit, acquired over his long years. Midius, Hoid, Cephandrius, Topaz, Dust, Wit, among many others, including the one coined by the man at the table’s other end: Drifter. The Survivor’s chair is tilted back, his feet resting on the table, the edges of his mist cloak just brushing the floor. He holds a pastry in one scarred hand and the other bent behind his head. Blond hair falls about his face, half obscuring the spike impaling his right eye. The other is focused on his opponent, it’s sharpness belying his relaxed demeanor. The Survivor counts barely above three centuries to his life, yet he has begun to acquire as many titles as the Wit has names. Survivor, Sovereign, Lord of the Mists, Lord of Scars, Thaidakar. The last being the source of the present dispute. The third member of the party, there to mediate, clears his throat. Frost’s appearance is that of a wizened old man. Appearances, of course, are entirely deceptive, for Frost is not a man. “We may begin,” he says now. “Who will speak first?” The Survivor takes a bite from his pastry, chewing loudly. He smirks as he lightly inclines his head to his opponent. The Wit refuses to be baited, plucking out a discordant, yet somehow harmonious, rhythm as he begins to speak. “Lord of Scars,” he says, his tone wry, “unless you want me coming over to slap you around - again - I‘d advise you to do the Cosmere a favor and stick to meddling on your own world. I’m certain they’ll be happy to worship you for it.” The Survivor swallows, and smirks, a dangerous gleam in his hazel eye. “Tell me Drifter: ever considered taking your own advice? Because from where I’m sitting, it’s just the ash-pot calling the kettle black.” ”If I may,” Frost interrupts, knowing too well where this will likely lead, “perhaps neither of you should be interfering at all.” For the first - and last - time in the history of the Cosmere, Hoid and Kelsier found themselves in complete agreement. The Dragon was obviously insane. Hoid has no moral ground to tell ANYONE in the Cosmere not to interfere, even if other people (cough...Kell...cough) shouldn’t be.

So I was reading the coppermind and I noticed that it says shard vessels don't have to be human. And we know that there is a shard that "just wants to hide and survive." I know it's probably not Frost, but I don't want to totally rule that out. Does this mean, though, that one of the vessels could be another dragon?

So I finally got my copy of Skyward from the US today, and as per, I will always ask Brandon for some information about a shard we haven't seen yet, and he gave me the following info this year... I have two possible ideas with this, feel free to pick at them though! 1) Brandon is referencing Bavadin, and possibly suggesting that there are six separate entities or aspects to Autonomy 2) It's the eyes, nostrils and front fangs of a Dragon SPECULATE!

Pre - Shattering there was a being or power source Adonalsium that controlled or encompassed all of the investiture in the Cosmere. Presumably this investiture was imbued throughout the existing stars, planets and beings that existed in the Cosmere which included almost all of the current systems and types of intelligent life forms that currently exist (Scadrial and its line of humans being notable exceptions.) Also presumably all of the original ways of using investiture (proto-lightweaving, proto-sensory enhancement, proto-future sight, etc.) were either inherently granted by or naturally derived from Adolnasium. At some point in the past, either 1) Adonalsium either was under some threat that would affect the way of life in the cosmere or at least on Yolen. 2) Adonalsium itself was becoming a threat or a perceived threat to the way of life in the cosmere/Yolen. 3) The leaders of the various groups on Yolen convinced others/themselves of point 1 or 2 above. I believe that at this point, the leaders split into several factions. Faction 1 - disagreed entirely with any plan to interfere with or 'kill' Adonalsium - I feel fairly confident adding Frost to this group. Faction 2 - Agreed with plan to separate and distribute Adonalsium power but thought that this would be sufficient to end the threat or could be used safely - Leras, Tanavast, Uli Da, Aona Faction 3 - Agreed with plan to separate and distribute Adonalsium power but thought that the power should be kept separate or should be further splintered - Rayse, Bavadin, Edgli Not sure about: Ati, Skai, Cultivation's vessel Huge Question mark - probably doesn't fit into any of these categories - Hoid. A lot of this comes from information and impressions of the various Letters as well as some semi-canon sources (The Traveler, DragonSteel sample chapters, Liar of Partinel sample) and my own impressions and thoughts while reading the books, exploring the Shard and listening to Shardcast podcasts. Let me know your thoughts.

I just finished transcribing Brandon's short story, "The Traveler". It's basically a conversation between Hoid and Frost upon his return home (Yolen, probably?) after the events of the first Mistborn Trilogy. There's not really anything really revelatory, Cosmere-wise, but it's still a fun read. It's also a first draft, so Hoid is constantly pointing his finger, but it's nice having something completely new to read. Have a read! One section that stood out to me was Hoid's passing thought. Which do you think Hoid lost? Is it a person, place, or thing? Where is this place that he's thinking of going to, and why does he want to go? It has something to do with dead people, perhaps? Nalthis, where people can Return? Threnody, with shades?

That's right, friends. Letters. As in more than one. Three in fact. Part Two's epigraphs contain three response letters to Hoid. I will document them here for posterity. Enjoy, and join in the discussion! Please keep this spoiler free except for discussion on the Part 2 epigraphs. Letter #1: Unknown Shard? Likely Endowment. Dearest Cephandrius, I received your communication, of course. (Ch 33) I noticed its arrival immediately, just as I noticed your many intrusions into my lands. (Ch 34) You think yourself so clever, but my eyes are not those of some petty noble, to be clouded by a false nose and some dirt on the cheeks. (Ch 35) You mustn't worry yourself about Rayse. It is a pity about Aona and Skai, but they were foolish--violating our pact from the very beginning. (Ch 37) Your skills are admirable, but you are merely a man. You had your chance to be more, and refused it. (Ch 38) No good can come of two Shards settling in one location. It was agreed that we would not interfere with one another, and it disappoints me that so few of the Shards have kept to this original agreement. (Ch 39) As for Uli Da, it was obvious from the outset that she was going to be a problem. Good riddance. (Ch 40) Regardless, this is not your concern. You turned your back on divinity. If Rayse becomes an issue, he will be dealt with. And so will you. (Ch 41) Letter #2: Ire? 17th Shard? Autonomy, probably. Cephandrius, bearer of the First Gem. You must know better than to approach us by relying upon presumption of past relationship. (Ch 42) You have spoken to one who cannot respond. We, instead, will take your communication to us--though we know not how you located us upon this world. (Ch 43) We are indeed intrigued, for we thought it well hidden. Insignificant among our many realms. (Ch 44) As the waves of the sea must continue to surge, so must our will continue resolute. Alone. (Ch 45) Did you expect anything else from us? We need not suffer the interference of another. Rayse is contained, and we care not for his prison. (Ch 46) Indeed, we admire his initiative. Perhaps if you had approached the correct one of us with your plea, it would have found favourable audience. (Ch 47) But we stand in the sea, pleased with our domains. Leave us alone. (Ch 48) We also instruct that you should not return to Obrodai. We have claimed that world, and a new avatar of our being is beginning to manifest there. She is young, yet, and--as a precaution--she has been instilled with an intense dislike of you. (Ch 50) This is all we will say at this time. If you wish more, seek these waters in person and overcome the tests we have created. Only in this will you earn our respect. (Ch 51) Letter #3: Harmony Friend. Your letter to me is most intriguing, even revelatory. (Ch 53) I would have thought, before attaining my current station, that a deity could not be surprised. Obviously, this is not true. I can be surprised. I can perhaps even be naive, I think. (Ch 54) I am the least equipped, of all, to aid you in this endeavor. I am finding that the powers I hold are in such conflict that the most simple of actions can be difficult. (Ch 55) I am also made uncertain by your subterfuge. Why have you not made yourself known before this? How is it you can hide? Who are you, truly, and how do you know so much about Adonalsium? (Ch 56) If you would speak to me further, I request open honesty. Return to my lands, approach my servants, and I will see what I can do for your quest. Okay guys, I've been waiting for you to be able to talk about these, and I'm sure the other readers who've managed to snag an early copy are dying to as well. Some thoughts: The first letter is probably from a Shard. Maybe one that we don't know yet. They noticed Hoid immediately, and speak of the Shards as kin. They also look down on Hoid for not taking the opportunity to grab a Shard. These make it evident that it is probably a Shard speaking. Given that Hoid probably mentioned Aona and Skai as Shards murdered by Odium, it may be that Uli Da is the name of another Shard Odium killed. Ambition perhaps? Or one we don't yet know? The Shards originally agreed to stay separate. That's hilarious. Maybe lends some credence to the 17th Shards mandate of keeping them separate. Whoever is speaking seems sure that they can take on Odium and Hoid. Noted. Second Letter could be from people who snagged it before it reached Frost, maybe 17th Sharders, though they don't seem to have the same neutrality mindest that they do. My money is on the Ire. Hoid may have meant his letter to someone in particular and got this as a response. Bearer of the First Gem is probably a reference to Topaz. I wonder about its significance. Whoever this is seems to think they control many worlds. This is huge. Still sounds like Ire to me. Curious as to how one would hide a planet. Obrodai is doubtless a new planet, where these people have a base of operations. This makes it sound like Hoid delivered the letter in person. The new avatar scares me. This has implications. Very interesting. What are the tests??? HARMOYYYY MY SWEET MAN. It's obviously him guys, don't even bother arguing. How are you? Not too much of significance here that we don't already know, but storms it's nice to hear from him here. This made my day guys. He's intrigued by Hoid, and wants to learn more. Enjoy! And again please keep this spoiler free of Oathbringer plot details.

Okay, here's what I'm basing this theory on. First, from what I understand, we know that Hoid was present, at the Shattering of Adonalsium. Next, we know that Hoid was offered a Shard, and refused to take it. (please note that this is my personal understanding, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) Now, here's my evidence. This all comes from the chapter heading of Part 4 of WoR. These chapter headings are a letter from Frost to Hoid, in reply to Hoid's letter to Frost, through the chapter headings of one of the parts of TWoK. Here are my quotes: "Is not the destruction we have wrought enough? The worlds you now tread bear the touch and design of Adonalsium. Our interference so far has brought nothing but pain." (Chapter 66, "Stormblessings") This seems to me to be Frost expressing grief over causing the Shattering of Adonalsium. Because what else would happen if your God was killed, than chaos? "However, it seems to me that all things have been set up for a purpose, and if we--as infants-- stumble through the workshop, we risk exacerbating, not preventing, a problem." (Chapter 68, "Bridges") This, to me, seems to imply that they countered Adonalsium's diving design, in shattering him. "He bears the weight of God's own diving hatred, separated from the virtues that gave it context. He is what we made him to be, old friend. And that is what he, unfortunately, wished to become. (Chapter 71, "Vigil") This I think, is the most telling of the quotes. "He is what we made him to be..." How else would they have made Rayse full of hatred, than Shattering Adonalsium, and giving him the Shard of Odium? You, however, have never been a force for equilibrium. You tow chaos behind you like a corpse dragged by one leg through the snow. Please, hearken to my plea. Leave that place and join me in my oath of nonintervention. (Chapter 74, "Striding the Storm") Let me refer back to the first quote, "Our interference has brought nothing but pain." Although this could be referring in general, to Hoid's interference in important events, but based on the context and the other quotes, I'm going to go with he sowed chaos by Shattering Adonalsium. More Implications: If Hoid directly shattered Adonalsium, with the help of Frost, and neither of them received a Shard (I'm assuming Frost isn't a Shard), then it was in order to prevent some terrible thing from happening, not to grow in power. (Although I'm sure that those who helped him had that as at least a secondary motive.) Conclusion: Hoid shattered Adonalsium, with the help of Frost.

About half a year ago, I posted up a thread in Cosmere Theories called Narrowing Down the Last Shards (below) in which we as a forum posited many excellent ideas. It's long but worth the read as much of what I say in this post I derived from there. I have since changed my opinion with some ideas I'm sure you all will appreciate and tear up as you please. Having said that, in this thread I will go a step further. Not only will we try to discern the remaining six Shards, but we will ask what we can do with that information, and theorize what kind of magic, worlds, and people those Shards may have created. Thus, I present to you The Rest of the Shards and Where to Find Them. So as before, here are some things we think we know, and some suppositions, before I get to the List: Shards are all godly attributes, possibly based on the Judeo/Christian god, Adonai (for which Adonalsium was named). Shards do not have perfect pairs or opposites Shards may also be considered to have many opposites There is a Shard (besides Ambition) that has not Invested in a planet. Aforementioned Shard wants to hide and survive because it is a wise decision. Survival is not the capitalized intent, and is only tangentially related to the capitalized Intent. Shards' Intents, by the definition of the word, are active. They have a goal. Odium is the most dangerous of the Shards. Ambition was #1 on Odium's hit list, which means that there are no other Shards which he would find more dangerous than Ambition. Hoid and Frost know what they're talking about. I know I missed a few things that I wanted to say. Feel free (as before) to correct me, or add to the things we know. Most of that is from WoB, and some supposition, and was derived from previous responses. Part 1: The Rest of the Shards: Disclaimer #1: Not all of the ideas for Shard names were mine, and I am not claiming that they are original. I appreciate all the thought you wonderful people have put into this, and thank you for broadening my mind on this subject. I will ping some of the contributors of the original thread in the references in Part 3. Disclaimer #2: As I mentioned above, Adonalsium is likely based off of the Judeo/Christian God. I am a believer, and some of the Intents are based on my views of God. They may not match your own, and that's okay. Please do not take my posited Intents or arguments thereof as me trying to convert you. The Intents are speculation based on my beliefs, Brandon's beliefs, and are just as valid in this discussion as your own. I hope that we can discuss this subjectively. Disclaimer #3: This will be a lengthy post, and I don't think I will hide anything in spoilers to shorten it. If it looks too long too read, fret not. I won't be insulted if you just want to skim through the list at first, and simply read the parts that interest you. If you do wish to respond to something, however, please take the time to read my opinion on it, otherwise, I may just quote stuff I already said back at you. I don't mean to be insulting if I do so, so don't take it as snark. Disclaimer #4: I recognize the possibility that Brandon may not have finalized all of the Shards Intents as of yet, which would render all of this rather useless. But of course, this is the Shard where we can discuss any theories no matter how baseless they are! Brandon, if you're reading this and I'm right about everything, I promise I didn't break into your personal wiki, and if I correctly guess future magic systems or worlds, I promise not to say that they're my ideas. I'll just be glad that I called it. As before, Shards we know are in Green, and Shards we don't know are in Red. This does not mean that they are in the correct groupings, however. This is all speculation. The four quadrants that I believe make up the being Adonalsium are as follows: Creation, Personality/Authority, Action, and Divinity. I believe we can put all sixteen Shards into groups of four, as opposed to pairs as I originally thought. Group 1: Creation Many have spoken (in-universe and out) that Preservation and Ruin are the forces of creation. This is not wrong, but I don't think that's the be-all and end-all of the Creation force that is Adonalsium. Some of these Intents refer not only to the physical creation of nature, but actions and mindsets about people. (Cultivation or Sanctification of followers for example) Cultivation: Growth, Creation, Sanctification Cultivation embodies positive change with the intent of creating something better. It can destroy things if necessary in order to make something better out of it, or in its place. Preservation: Guarding, Stasis, Immutability Preservation cannot create anything new on its own; it can only act to preserve what is already in place. Preservation also points to the god attribute of immutability, the unchanging nature of God. Ruin: Destruction, Decay, Entropy Ruin's end goal is to break everything down to its most basic parts. Historically, Ruin was able to help create things, only if it let him destroy more things afterward. Brandon has remarked that this would make Ruin compatible with Cultivation, which supports this theory. Chaos: Neutrality, Quiescence, Abeyance, "Letting the chips fall where they may" As I mentioned in the "Things we think we know" section, Shards need to have an active goal in order to fulfill the logical requirements of the word "Intent". For this reason, I am not totally sold on any of the above-selected words, but more the overarching goal of them collectively. The obvious hole in the quadrant is the art of negative neutrality, in the same way as Preservation is a positive neutrality. However, as Intent denotes activity, it cannot truly be neutral. Thus, I settled on the word "Chaos". Group 2: Personality/Authority Adonalsium was seen as God in the cosmere (source: Hoid & Frost). We need the personality of God (based on the Judeo/Christian God as above) as well as his right to rule if we want to fulfill all of the necessary components that make up who they are. Dominion: Controlling, Ruling, Conquering This is the type of power Adonalsium would have by divine right, similar to a king or a god. Charisma: Leadership, Magnetism This is the type of power that would make Adonalsium worthy of being served. What good is the authority of a god if they are not worthy? It is a hole that needs filling, and it contrasts the other names in this quadrant. I know many people aren't sold on the name; neither am I. But it is the best word I've found to communicate the broadness of the overarching Intent of the hole in this quadrant. Devotion: Servitude, Care, Love, Mercy I feel the need to point out that Devotion is a fairly broad definition, which includes many other Intents many people have posited for names of Shards (including Love). Brandon himself called it Love before he changed it to Devotion. This is the reason why I do not have "Love" in any of the quadrants, as it is included in Devotion. I used to have this Shard paired with Odium as I had asked Brandon if they were opposites. His reply was that they "could be considered as such", however, Odium does not fit with this quadrant, so I abandoned that line of thought. I may have just left too much wiggle room in what we consider as opposites, as people have pointed out before. Autonomy: Independence, Freedom This Shard point's to the godly attribute of independence, god's self-sufficiency in that they do not require anything. Autonomy is a weird Shard with a highly...debatable Intent, which has led to some confusion in the past on how we can define a Shard's Intent. The consensus is that the Vessel is able to act on their interpretation of the Intent, and that the Intent may change slightly as a result, depending on the Vessel. This may be what Brandon meant when he said that Adonalsium could have been split in different ways. Group 3: Action Going again back to the nature of Shardic Intent, Adonalsium is a god of action. He was a creation-force that had a goal in mind, and this should be true for the Shards as well. The four below Intents cover most, if not all, of the main actions the Judeo/Christian god. Endowment: Giving, Mercy With love and care, god would be one who gives to his followers in order that they use their gifts for his glory (see: Spiritual gifts). Separated from the context of other Shards and their respective Intents, Endowment becomes what we see in Warbreaker. In conjunction with the other Shards in this grouping and the others, I believe that Endowment includes mercy and forgiveness, though there is an argument that they may be a Shard on their own. Retribution: Punishment, Justice, Vengeance A favourite of many on this thread, and one I used to oppose, I have come to see that this Shard would contrast Endowment (including mercy), and Honor, rather than being part of Honor (though that argument is still intact), Retribution is an action the Judeo/Christian god does quite a lot of, separated by his promises (Honor). Ambition: Taking, Improving, Acting If there is a Shard that is tenuously...off...in this grouping, Ambition would be the one (In which case I would replace it with Mercy). The only reason I say that is because Ambition (though involving action) is more of a mindset, like Odium (which would put it in the "Divinity" section below). However, it does make a good contrast with Endowment as well, and somewhat fills in the hole of a god demanding something from his followers. This works if we say Ambition involves sanctification of followers more than an improvement on God's behalf (which wouldn't be a godly attribute). Honor: Promising, Covenant We see both Honor and the Judeo/Christian god bind themselves to their promises, as well as expect it of their subjects. Group 4: Divinity The final grouping is the overarching theme of what makes god or Adonalsium divine (see: Hoid & Frost). It is, in fact, the most undisputed necessity of godhood. I will explain my choices below. Bear in mind that this is the one with the most unknowns, as there are still three Shards unaccounted for in my pattern. Therefore, this includes my suppositions on there needing to be a Shard of Wisdom/Enlightenment, and a Shard including Mystery, which are both heavily needed in a god figure like the Judeo/Christian god. Enlightenment: Wisdom, Knowledge, Omnipotence, Ingenuity Though all Shards have some measure of Omnipotence, we would be amiss to not include a Shard of Wisdom. It is my belief that this Shard is the Survival Shard that wants to hide, not Investing in a planet for fear of Odium, acknowledging that it is the wisest action for self-preservation. I included the possibility above of Ingenuity, as Brandon may have slipped and confirmed it accidentally, though that is a measure of semantics and debatable. Odium: "Divine Hatred", Wrath, Envy And we come to the villain of the Cosmere... I put Odium in this grouping because of Hoid's words: "He bears God's own divine hatred, separated from the virtues which gave it context". Notice his use of the word "divine". In this grouping, if he was still part of Adonalsium, Divine Hatred is undoubtedly a big part of God's divinity and holiness. Enigma: Mystery, Paradox As I mentioned above, Mystery is a big part of what separates God from mortals. I chose Enigma because it sounds cooler it's more encompassing than Mystery. It definitely plays a role in Divinity and makes a good pairing with Enlightenment. I say "Paradox" because I know people will bring it up based on the obscure "Alcatraz Shard WoB" and it somewhat fits. Purity: Holiness, Chastity Admittedly, this is the Shard I am less sure on. I include it because Holiness is perhaps the largest part of divinity, and it gives Odium the context Hoid talks about. Also, there is a mysterious planet called Purity in the Threnodite system that doesn't follow the pattern of funeral songs. As I mentioned in the write-up for Ambition, it's possible that it belongs in this slot in Divinity, leaving Mercy in its place in Action. However, doing so would leave Odium without those virtues to give it context in the subject of Divinity, and would leave both groupings somewhat unbalanced. Edit 1: Added Part 2 in spoiler below (hopefully):

The two “Letters” between Hoid and Frost raise questions about the nature of Frost’s participation in the conspiracy that Shattered Adonalsium. Frost clearly had some role in the Shattering: “Is not the destruction we have wrought enough?” “Our interference so far has brought nothing but pain.” “[Rayse] is what we made him to be, old friend.” Brandon has strongly suggested but never confirmed that Frost is not a Vessel for a Shard. Unless there’s something peculiar about dragons, becoming a Shard’s Vessel should have vaporized his body. Yet he’s still an “old reptile.” WoB (# 124) also says that Frost is “functionally” immortal “meaning he doesn’t age but can be killed.” This phrasing suggests that Frost lacks the degree of self-healing capacity that Hoid himself has: Hoid can grow a new head if he were beheaded and is very difficult to kill (WoB). But the First Letter states “as you are now essentially immortal, I would guess that wellness on your part is something of a given.” This suggests that Frost “now” has sufficient self-healing capacity to be illness-free if not violence free. This new capacity seems to have arisen in connection with the Shattering. My speculation: 1. Because Frost and Hoid are the two oldest Cosmere characters – and presumably had the greatest knowledge of Adonalsium – they knew things the sixteen Vessels didn’t know. I speculate that they advised the sixteen HOW to Shatter Adonalsium. Maybe they designed the “weapon” that killed him. Neither wanted to become a Vessel himself. 2. Rayse and Bavadin may have persuaded Hoid to help, who then sought out Frost. That would explain why Hoid is so angry at them, “perpetuating [his] grudge” against them. Hoid may feel they betrayed him, especially after Rayse killed Skai and Aona. (And Tanavast “bought drinks” for Hoid once…one of my favorite lines in SLA.) 3. Frost OTOH seems to feel guilt over his participation more than anything else. Now he languishes on Yolen, bound by his nonintervention oath. 4. It’s possible the “price” the Vessels paid Frost for his help was his “functional” immortality. Perhaps that’s also how Hoid acquired his spectacular Feruchemical ability, as his price. These would have been "paid" after the conspirators ascended. 5. I suspect Frost’s involvement with the Seventeenth Shard is simply as a provider of information. Once Khriss discovered him (and maybe Yolen), he filled in her historical knowledge. I doubt he’s an active member, though he appears in ongoing communication with them (or at least Hoid thinks so). Rank speculation is so much fun! Thoughts?

Frost in the Second Letter suggests that Adonalsium may have planned for what would happen after his Shattering to prevent any of the Shards from causing too much damage to the Cosmere: t seems to me that all things have been set up for a purpose, and if we—as infants—stumble through the workshop, we risk exacerbating, not preventing, a problem…[J]oin me in my oath of nonintervention. The cosmere itself may depend upon our restraint. This statement suggests that someone (or thing) – presumably Adonalsium – set things up in ways that Hoid cannot understand (in Frost’s mind, anyway). This statement reminds me of what happened on Scadrial, when Preservation established his plan to defeat Ruin long before his death, knowing he wouldn’t be around to see the results. Wouldn’t that be interesting! No wonder Frost believes so strongly in “nonintervention,” criticizing Hoid for “tow[ing] chaos behind [him] like a corpse dragged by one leg through the snow.” This is the conflict between Order and Change, conservatism and liberalism – a parent “perpetually disappointed” in a wandering child. Thoughts?

Words of Radiance, Chapters 59, 60 and 61 Epigraphs, pages 725, 733, and 746 (emphasis mine). We know this to be Frost, the Dragon from Yolen, replying to Hoid's letter. Over the last few years, people have teased some answers out of Brandon here and there, and we now know that Hoid was actually the name of Hoid's master many years ago. And, obviously, the current alias is Wit, but what about that first part? Another quote somewhere (I couldn't find it, though) states that one of Hoid's old names was Topaz (correct me if I'm wrong), so it could be that Frost is asking after his aliases, after all, he opens without knowing to whom he should address his letter. I could be that "the gemstone" is simply a reference to his old name, and that that alias died, and Hoid did whatever regeneration thing he does, moved on, and picked a new name. I do not think that that is the case. The Way of Kings, Chapter 57, page 801 (emphasis mine) I hereby theorize that it is the gemstone itself that died, not the alias itself. Perhaps something Hoid did "killed" it, or him using it lead to its "death." More on this later. Now, I was reading through some WoBs, and I found this: Which relates to the section in WoR chapter 54 when Hoid name-drops Adonalsium, blows it off, talks about taking people apart and stitching them back together, and says his goodbyes to Dalinar. I would say that this subject was very important to Hoid, as Dalinar notes that he seems preoccupied, which is quite unusual. This WoB tells us a few things. 1. The secret society that Gavilar was part of knew, at the very least, the name "Adonalsium." 2. The secret society also knows more about the History of the Knights Radiant, Honor, and the Desolations, than the average Rosharan. 3. Hoid needs to know about them for some reason. What else do we know about Gavilar? Not much, except that he handed Szeth a black glowing sphere upon his death, saying "they must not get it." Another WoB I found: I theorize that this sphere is the gemstone after which Hoid was named, and it has since died, which is why it has gone black and weird. Hoid is looking for it, which is why he wanted to know if Dalinar knew anything about Gavilar's secret society. Frost asked if he has given up on it, now that it is dead. Perhaps he meant "given up on looking for it," rather than "given up on the alias." Source. Since Brandon didn't correct the questioner, this could confirm that the black sphere was at least a gemstone. So? Thoughts? Feel free to poke holes, theorize, and add to this as you will. Thank you for reading.

What two different glyphs/symbols are displayed behind/under Kaladin after he says the words of the Third Ideal? The first looks like a pair of wings (while he is in the hallway), and the second (after he drops down) looks like a sword . I am guessing one is the Knights Radiant.... the wings? And the sword is the Windrunners from the 10 orders illustration on Brandon's site. I am mostly curious about the winged sigil/glyph/symbol. I have the audiobooks, so if there is a Web link to an image, I would really appreciate it.