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Theory: After Ambition was wounded in the Threnodite System by Odium and Mercy, she fled to another point in space. This point either was, or became, the Rosharan system. Here, Ambition was killed. Her death created the Barrier Storm in the Cognitive Realm around the planet Braize. This storm was later Invested by Odium to create the proto-Everstorm that was pulled through into the Physical on Roshar at the Battle of Narak. Ambition's death also created a wound in the Spiritual Realm in the Rosharan System similar to that which exists on Threnody. This is the reason there are spren on Roshar. Datapoints: I group this into two categories, Spren and Storms. SPREN: From Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell, we know that the wounding of Ambition in the Threnodite System created Shades: cognitive beings which manifest in the Physical Realm. We do not see similar manifestations in the Mistborn novels or the White Sand graphic novels. We know there are no Splintered Shards in the Scadrian or Taldain systems at the time these stories are set. We see similar manifestations in Elantris and Emperor's Soul (Seons and Skaze). We know there are Splintered Shards in the Selish system at this time. We see similar manifestations in The Stormlight Archive (spren on Roshar) (and voidspren on Braize). STORMS: From Khriss's statements in Arcanum Unbounded, we know that the Dor around Sel is a whorl of free Investiture created when Odium Splintered Dominion and Devotion there. From statements from Nazh and Hoid, we know that travel to/from Sel through the Cognitive Realm is very difficult and dangerous due to the presence there of the Dor. From statements by Nazh, we know that that travel to/from Braize through the Cognitive Realm was difficult due to the presence of this Barrier Storm. A possible chronology: 1) The Shattering of Adonalsium. 2) Odium and Mercy clash with Ambition in the Threnodite System. Ambition is wounded. 3) Odium (and possibly others) clash with Ambition in the Rosharan system. Ambition is killed, creating the Barrier Storm, and spren. 4) Odium goes to the Selish system. He clashes with Dominion and Devotion. They are both killed, creating the Dor. 5) Odium returns to the Rosharan system, and begins whispering in the ears of the Ashynites. 6) The Ashynites devastate their planet using Dawnshards. They are taken in as refugees by Honor and Cultivation on Roshar. Their God, Odium, comes with them. 7) Honor, Cultivation, and Odium make a deal that they think will allow them to live in harmony on Roshar. This is the Oathpact. 8) Odium intentionally goes against the Oathpact, triggering its punishment prohibitions. He is exiled to Braize, on the far side of the Barrier Storm. The cycle of Desolations begins. 9) Honor is Splintered. 10) Honor's Cognitive Shadow is bound to the spren of the Highstorm. 11) Several millennia pass. 12) Odium invests a not-insignificant amount of Investiture into the Barrier Storm, creating the proto-Everstorm in the Cognitive Realm. This process takes several centuries. 13) Finally, the Everstorm is pulled through into the Physical Realm on Roshar, creating a direct passage between Braize and Roshar. Questions: A] Why is this wrong? B] Were other Shards involved in the death of Ambition? Did Mercy join Odium for the final clash? Did Ambition? Did Endowment (who we know is relatively new to the Nalthian system)? Indeed... were Honor and/or Cultivation in on the kill? C] Did the death of Aona and Skai occur before the initial conflict with Uli Da in the Threnodite system; after this initial conflict but before the final conflict in the Rosharan system; or after the Rosharan conflict? D] When on this timeline did Honor and/or Cultivation arrive on Roshar? E] When was Odium's first contact with the humans on Ashyn?

In a cosmere version of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off, I present Khriss singing Nazrilof (I've spoilered one stanza that deals with Secret History) Nazrilof You say you’re not that tough Complain you’ve got it rough But we don’t have enough, mmm-mmm We still don’t have enough, mmm-mmm No need to act so gruff Just one more list of stuff We still don’t have enough, mmm-mmm No we don’t have enough, mmm-mmm You just keep collecting, searching and detecting. I’m sure you can do it! I’ll be here, There’s so much left for me to write! ‘Cause mistings gonna burn (burn, burn, burn, burn) And god-kings will Return (-turn, -turn, -turn, -turn) There’s so much still to learn (learn, learn, learn, learn) Nazrilof! Nazrilof! Ferrings have metalminds (minds, minds, minds, minds) While Radiants surgebind (bind, bind, bind, bind) I feel so far behind (-hind, -hind, -hind, -hind) Nazrilof! Nazrilof! Your map of Luthadel Was annotated well! Do one of Fjordell, mmm-mmm And then these other twelve, mmm-mmm Just keep collecting, searching and detecting. I’m sure you can do it! I’ll be here, There’s so much still I have to write! Awakening takes Breath (breath, breath, breath, breath) Shades linger after death (death, death, death, death) So many facts still left (left, left, left, left) Nazrilof! Narilof! On Sel they draw Aons (-ons, -ons, -ons, -ons) The dead pass to Beyond (-ond, -ond, -ond, -ond) Can’t get anything wrong (wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong) Nazrilof! Nazrilof! Nazrilof! Nazrilof! {repeats} Hey, hey, hey Just think! While you’ve been getting maps and charts about the manifestations of investiture across worlds, You might have been a shade back on Thren-o-dy Bavadin says I can’t come home She’s like, “Not a chance!” but I’ll just work with Nazh. And that fella over there with the shocking white hair Couldn’t tell you near as much about Arcana. A spike worn in the ear (ear, ear, ear, ear) Taln’s Scar and Reya’s Tear (tear, tear, tear, tear) Describe the whole cosmere (-mere, -mere, -mere, -mere) Nazrilof! Narilof! Draw spren, seons, and skaze (skaze, skaze, skaze, skaze) Chart Ashyn, Nalthis, Braize (Braize, Braize, Braize, Braize) So much that will amaze (-maze, -maze, -maze, -maze) Nazrilof! Nazrilof! Nazrilof! Nazrilof! [repeats]

This is my first time posting, though I am a long time lurker. I'm on my first reread of Words of Radiance, and I'm just starting to realize the little details that Brandon throws in there. Minor WoR spoilers below, continue at your own risk! When Shallan is traveling with Tyn and company in the caravan she took over, they stop to rest by a rock lait with vibrant plant life. Shallan starts to sketch idle things, like the plants and people around herself. She then lets herself go and draws what comes to mind. I quote: This is page 358 in the hard-cover WoR. This WoB heavily implies that Nazh (with help?) used Shadesmar to move the beads representing Jasnah's stuff (and presumably the sailor's corpses) to land so he could recover them more easily. I think that Shallan drew him in the process of recovering the stuff. Thoughts?

In the list of Alethi wines, Nazh leaves some annotations. One is, when pointing to the horneater lagar, “this is responsible for that embarrassing tattoo of mine. My guess is a shade, since he’s from Threnody.

Hi there. This is my first post. Does anyone out there also think that William from Shadows of Silence is Nazh? It is confirmed that he is from Threnody. His daughter William Ann is described by Silence as being lanky and Rock described Nazh as lanky in WoR. I've always been suspicious of William's 'death' and this makes me even more so.

This is 3 or 4 questions in one, so bear with me here. I'm sure someone else has noticed this, but I just started rereading WoR, and on the page that has sketches of Bridge Four's tattoos, there's a note that reads, "I had to spend hours watching bridgemen to sketch their stupid forehead glyphs so you could have them, my friend. I'm pretty sure this is how they were designed. -Nazh" So, Nazh is on Roshar during WoR. Do we know which character he is posing as/does he appear on screen? Also, why does Khriss(I'm assuming he's writing to Khriss, but correct me if I'm wrong) want to see the glyphs of Bridge Four? By these sketches, Nazh also seems to be fairly talented at art, is there any other Cosmere art we know of that's drawn by him?

I'm rereading WOR and I came upon a short passage where Rock shoos away an ardent that is trying to sketch bridge four members... This is right after Kaladin comes back from patrol outside the war camps. Could this be Nazh? Do we have a WOB on this?

What do you think Nazh's real name is? Personally, I think it is Sagacious.

The opening of the Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, though describing the White Fox, who we know didn't have such powers, do sound like someone we know. The Fallen World is definitely the Cognitive Realm, and there are people who can kindle fire at will there: Kelsier and Nazh. However, things may be deeper than that. We know, from the Secret History, that Hoid has white hair. And it would not surprise at all if he had shaken hands with the Evil, no matter who he is, given his power beyond mere mortals. And he had ways to shock away Cognitive Shadows touching him, as experienced by Kelsier. I think that the White Fox is a mythical creature based on Hoid, and Silence Mondane just used his name. And I do wonder who the Evil is, who killed so many people in Silence's Homeland when Silence's grandfather was old enough to be a forestscout. We know that Silence's story happened after HoAA but before AoL, within the 300 years in between. My theory is that the Evil came after Kelsier's visit to the Ire's base, which is, I presume, on Threnody. I think the Evil came to destroy Ire's base, and destroyed Silence's Homeland, occupying the same location in the Physical Realm as a side effect. The Threnodite shades must have been so heavily invested to be able to linger in Cosmere after death, that they cannot leave the planet just like the shards or splinters. They're basically human minds riding investiture now, just like Ruin but on a much smaller scale, and that;s why they act so shade-like. Ire's warding off the shades means they're on the planet, which, I presume, is in the same system as Scadrial, since it was so easy for Kelsier to reach. Now, the Evil can the piece of Ruin shed by Harmony to balance his powers within. It makes sense given Ruin's grudge with Ire. But I don't buy it. Rather, the destruction of Ire looks so much like the outpost to the invasion of Scadrial. Ire set up their base there when they had plans for Scadrial, making it a very strategic location. The Scadrian shards have minimal power there, but it's still close enough to strike regularly. The Threnodites are allowed to survive in the Forests of Hell because they were never the targets of the Evil, and the Evil doesn't like wasting his powers on minor things.

I will begin with a quote found in the postscript of shadows for silence in arcanum unbound, Challenge Accepted! We know that Isaac Stewart named Nazh and Threnody (and presumably named the rest of the planets in the system.) All of the planet's mean a song for a deceased person, a Threnody is a wailing ode composed as a memorial to a dead person. A Monody is a pome in which one person laments the death of another, an elegy is a poam of serious reflection usually a lament for a loved one. And a Coronach is the third round of a a keening (a scottish gaelic lament for the dead.) All of the planets are named after a death lament and for good reason (the shard of Ambitions death at the hands of Odium.) The whole system of planets has a serious death theme and the story that takes place in that system (Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell) also has a serious death vibe, thus we can postulate that Nahz’s name has something to do with death. The rules on how to deal with ghosts are based of of Jewish laws and the name Silence comes from the Puritans, I believe it's safe to assume that Nazh's true name has a religious motif as well as a death motif. According to Wikipedia the Jewish name for the angel of death is Azriel. A nickname often stems from part of the real name, such as Steven being shortened to Steve. Therefore I believe that Nash's real name is Nazriel, it has a religious motif and can be shortened into Nazh. My guess as to Nazh’s real name is highly based on guesswork and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it.

This is a song from the viewpoint of Nazh, and also a tribute to Back to the Future. Tell me, Khrissy Where are we going this time? Is this Weathering Or Marabethia? All I wanted to do Was draw a map and sleep So take me away I don’t mind But you better promise me I’ll be back in time. Gotta get back in time! Don’t bet your future On one path in the map! Better remember Scadrians always Snap! Please don’t send me to Roshar! Don’t wanna be wet again! So take me away I don’t mind But you better promise me I’ll be back in time! Gotta get back in time! Gotta get back in time! Get me back in time! Gotta get back in time! Gotta get back in time! Get back, get back. (Get back, Khrissy.) Gotta get back in time! Gotta get back in time! Get back, get back.

Not sure if this should be here or in Cosmere since it was Nazh who salvaged them. Jasnah instructed Shallan to take notes on her spren. "It will likely be your first writing of significance". So then, by that logic, Jasnah took meticulous notes and observations of her spren, Ivory. Maybe that can be a WoB qustion - Did Nazh save Jasnahs writings in a way they can be read by her ward? I suspect this is currently intended to be the Jasnah flashbacks in her book (# IV or V). I'm betting BS will work the answer in another way though. Probably through Jasnah explanations, though there may be a Roshar equivalent of Secret Histories. So my question is: where do you think the notes will surface?

From Coppermind... but without any source: Anybody got any info? Screens, maybe?

I was reading BoM late last night, and I saw that broadsheet article that's about talking metal tools. 1 random, unsupported idea flashed through my head, which created a crazy theory. Here we go: This is based on the fact that Warbreaker and Alloy of Law occurred at the same time (roughly) What Khriss and Nazh are doing on Scadrial is looking for the new worldhopping Vasher, but they somehow lost him and don't know which planet he went to, which is why they are on Scadrial. And now for the crazy assumption: Type IV BioChromatic Entities share another characteristic with Type I: That they can modify their appearance. My reasoning is this: Other crazy idea: All BioChromatic entities can modify their appearance Only the sentient one (Types I and IV) have the willpower to do so We see Type IIIs changing to look like they're alive, fabrics looking like muscle and the like So. Khriss and Nazh lost Vasher somehow, and are searching Scadrial by looking for a disguised Nightblood. There's no evidence for this so far, but I'm interested in what you all think say as you're tearing this apart. So, thought?

Hi everyone, This is still a very raw theory that only emerged yesterday, so feel free to poke holes into it as you choose... I was speaking to Peter Ahlstrom yesterday, and at one point, the conversation led to this: Me:... an odd one maybe...but apart from White Sand (and the proposed argument that she is the author of the Ars Arcanum), has Khrissalla been in any other published books? PA: Someone should ask Brandon that at a signing Me: Hmm interesting - like my Baon=Blunt theory (something we discussed in May 2013) Me: Holy Christ...the Terriswoman world hopper...the nursemaid on Nalthis...would that be her? PA: Hmm... Now hear me out on this: It has been said that she is the most realmatically aware, although Hoid and Nazh come close. Nazh has been confirmed to be in Khriss' employ (and get's the worst of the bargain!) been to Threnody, Roshar and Scadrial Khriss is a scientist, and has been proposed as the author of the Ars Arcana This author is a member of the 17th Shard Khriss would be described as Makabaki if she were on Roshar. Makabaki are dark skinned, which both Khriss and Baon/Blunt/Vao are, as are the Terris (i believe - has been a while since i read the Mistborn series) It seems and sounds as if Khriss has appearances in 'published' books (so not including White Sand), and if she is indeed the author of the Ars Arcana, she has visited Scadrial, Sel, Nalthis, Roshar, Taldain (as an inhabitant), and we can possibly assume Threnody (as she has Nazh in her employ) It could also be suggested that she is Vathi in 'Sixth of the Dusk' - Vathi is also dark skinned, and has "the accent of one who is educated". She has curls, something that Khriss is described as having as well. Vathi is also described as "babbling out words as she worked", something that Khriss often did, usually to Kenton's amusement. She has a weapon that is almost like a musket with an explosive harpoon of sorts - the only cultures to have developed gunpowder to this extent are from Taldain and Scadrial. However, Scadrial has got ballistic technology down, while Vathi seems almost surprised at this working. It has also been written in one of the book signings (can't remember which post on here it was) that Sixth of the Dusk is the farthest into the future of the Cosmere we have seen, suggesting that the 'Ones Above' maybe possibly be future Allomancy fueled starships from Scadrial circa Mistborn Trilogy 3. So- I propose that she is not only Vathi, but the 'Terriswoman' in Nalthis as well. Please pick holes, disprove, or add as you see fit!

The new Elantris maps are here, guys, as revealed in Brandon's blog post today. Oh, Nazh. Also: Rose Barbarians. This map also explains why the Syclans don't go further south; there's a giant desert! Well this one is just a bit on the nose. It's awesome, though. Maybe this is the Coppermind editor in me coming out, but ahhhh the plantations are all on the map. Don't judge me. Also, jeez, Elantris is way near the mountains. Obviously it needs to be, but it's still strange to see on the map. What do you think? I am a little rushed, as I need to pick up Joe and Kalyna from the airport about now. Let me know!

I was rereading Words of Radiance recently, and I noticed something interesting: early in the book, Bridge Four was hanging around and doing Bridge Four stuff, but an ardent had started drawing them. This seemed odd to Kaladin. The sketch of Bridge Four tattoos, signed Nazh, said that he spent all day following Bridgemen around. In that timeline, Nazh had to have sketched it roughly between when they get the tattoos, and when they march off to fight the Parshendi. My theory is that the ardent was secretly Nazh. My evidence is a bit sparse, but it just seems to fit, to me at least. First of all, that one ardent was the only person to draw Bridge Four, save Shallan, and we know she isn't Nazh. Adding to that, drawing Bridge Four, in general, instead of just individually just seems like an odd thing to do, but what better way to find their tattoos? Secondly, an ardent is a good disguise for gathering information and such, and Nazh wouldn't be the first worldhopper to do this, as evidenced by Zahel/Vasher. Finally, having to "spend hours watching bridgemen", as the sketch says, instead of just pretending to be an ardent and drawing them, I would imagine is just Nazh complaining, since Nazh seems fairly smart, and the ardent thing works far better for drawing a precise tattoo pattern. Thoughts? Have I missed anything? Sincerely, Evil Reptile

So I just finished reading Words of Radiance and started thinking about Nazh and all the work he has put into the books with his maps as well as other things. As I looked over information on his wiki page it said his powers are unknown and I figure it will all be revealed one day when we actually meet him. But I started thinking and am leaning towards him being a Windrunner. This is in part for him creating such detailed and articulate maps of towns and areas. With a windrunner ability you could lash upward so high till you could sketch the location. I know maps arnt created like that but it would be a little neat quirk of his to get a perfect view of an area. My other thought to this was when he recovered the document from the sunken ship Shallan survived. He stated you have no idea what I had to go through to get it from the bottom of the ocean. What if he lashed himself down into the depth of the water to scavange the boat like a diver would with weights. Then using his storlight invested body to see in the darkness of the ocean floor. This may already be debunked but it was something I walked away with last night thinking about the character.

I grabbed the hires version of Shallan's sketches of Pattern (after it'd been underwater), and messed with the brightness and contrast until it's pretty much decipherable. It appears to be made up of lines? They're not exactly tendrils or tentacles, they don't grasp or reach, they just keep circling and multiplying and combining into different patterns. The lines always seem to be connected, either at the centeral root of the Pattern or by dividing off from a root line. The delicate shapes mix and overlap and reduce by multple dimensions. It almost seems to phase in and out between two and three-dimensional space. I think it prefers a surface to connect with, but I have seen it swim through the air on rare occasions. It certainly presents some sense of depth, but the Pattern doesn't appear to possess any consistent dimensions in terms of size. I am almost certain that I have seen this Pattern somewhere before. It shares some resemblance with the creatures I observed in Kharbranth but without the body and those strange robes. Is it possibly a child or variant/servant of theirs? Words in bold I'm not sure of.