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Hello! I am here to discuss a theory that has been in my mind for a long time. It is: Who will write the fourth Stormlight Archive booK? I know this sounds stupid, because it’s Brandon Sanderson, duh. But the first two books, the Way of Kings, and Words of Radiance, were written by Nohadon in the book, and the third, was signed Dalinar Kholin. I am wondering if Brandon will continue with this trend and have another character ‘write’ Rhythm of War, or if he will just not have a character write the book. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

First of all I want to apologize for any grammer\spelling mistake I did in that post. english is not my mother tongue and even tho i'm learning english for a lot of time, it's not perfect and there's a good chance I'll use phrases you won't understand and\or grammer mistakes. After I cleard that out of the way, we can move on to the topic. the basic of my theory is that Nohadon was a bondsmith. I know that this is a realy common theory, so i'll try to make the reasons for why I think so short: 1. It make sense that the guy who wrote the book that changed Dalinar to the person he needed to be to become a bondsmith whould be a bondsmith himself. 2.the stormfather thinks that Nohadon was a good man, and I don't think he'll think that about Nohadon if he was not a bondsmith. I mean, the stormfather dosen't like kaladin, and kaladin is bound to a honorspren. 3. Nohadon's personality sounds like he'll fit in as a bondsmith. I also belive that Nohadon's spren was the nightwatcher, because the stormfather was also confused when dalinar talked about Nohadon, and the sibling was asleep et the time. And now for the final steps of my theory. We know that Nohadon was a king during a desolotion, and I think that Nohadon is the tipe of guy that will do whatever it takes to save his people, so he went to the valley and asked the nightwatcher for a way to save his people, and got from the nightwatcher (or from cultivasion) the smae boon and curse Taravangian got, or something similar to it. I have only one reason to think that, but I think that its a preaty good reason: in dalinar's last vision of nohadon, dalinar sais that Nohadon remines him Taravangian, and I don't think brandon'll put this without a good reason. Plus, even before dalinar notices that, It's not very hard to see that Nohadon is a little wierd. Nohadon is also having a godlike day, but instead of creating his own diagram because he understands that It probably won't last to the day it will be needed in the war in our days, he askes the nightwatcher-which is according to my theory Nohadon's spren- to insert a vision of his inside dalinar's minde when he comes to visit her. If that's true, it'll explein why the stormfather didn't knew about dalinar's last vision of nohadon and why it seemed like nohadon actually talket to dalinar in that vision. It also means that theoreticaly ther are more visions we did'nt see yet,and that it's harder to see dalinar's future because of it, which explains why odium, the diagram and even hoid mistake all the time when dalinr involved.

About 3/4 of the way through an OB re-read, and reached the part where Dalinar has a dream where he has a conversation with Nohadon that he previously had never had in a vision. Nohadon talks to him about the way of kings and hints at its true meaning. A thunder last is walking about the city, and Nohadon says that it represents Dalinar’s fears or something like that. Given that we have seen shardic intervention in SA most predominantly through dreams and visions, is this dream coming from Cultivation? At this point, Dalinar has gotten most of his memory back, and so perhaps Cultivation sent him this to nudge him in the direction she wanted him to go with these memories now intact? The Stormfather says he did nothing to cause the vision in Dalinar, and it clearly wasn’t Odium’s handiwork.

Something I can't not think about is one line from the eight parable of The Way of Kings (in-world). Regardless, I made the trip and—as the astute reader has already concluded—survived it. "The astute reader," just think about that. We already know there's a relationship between the parables of the Way of Kings (in-world) and the Oaths of the Knights Radiant. Forty-one parables on kingship written by Nohadon; forty-one oaths, the Immortal Words and the four individual oaths of the ten orders. Whether the Radiants came before Nohadon and inspired the forty-one parables with their actions and beliefs, or the first Radiant spren were attracted to the general concepts of the parables and used themas the basis of their Nahel bonds is still murky to me. (We know from Oathbringer (novel) that Nohadon was a Surgebinder, so I lean towards the former.) Nevertheless, I think there is a hidden message or code in the Way of Kings (in-world). We know the Vanrial protected the Way of Kings (in-world) for centuries. Centuries. We know that civilization started over after each Desolation. At the end of Way of Kings (novel), Talenel, or the man presented to be Talenel, states "You will have forgotten much, following the destruction of the times past." Jasnah and others also mention that the abrupt loss of knowledge after each Desolation: medical science, engineering, metallurgy, etc. But the Vanrial chose to save Nohadon's treatise on government, over technical, medical, or scientific texts. The real question: What could so important that following an apocalyptic destruction and worldwide devastation you chose to retreat from civilization with some classical texts? A possible question: the texts are the key to preventing the next and final apocalyptic destruction and worldwide devastation. There is a very good reason that Brandon hasn't let Shallan read a copy of the Way of Kings (in-world). Why? Because she'll see something in it. Something that Dalinar can't see because he's just started to learn to read, something the Kholin female scribes can't see because the book is considered heretical Alethi society, something the ardents can't see because they're not Radiants. A pattern. Shallan already leads a merry band of misfits, eventually, she will get cocky and get some killed because of overconfidence, arrogance, neglect, etc. Dalinar, the changed man, will not reprimand her, he'll give her something to read to help her understand the right way to lead others. The most important words a man can read. Dalinar will give her a copy of the Way of Kings (in-world) as a sort of independent reading assignment and ask her to report on what she's learned every few days. Shallan will start reading and unconsciously use Lightweaving to bring the words to life. To see Nohadon walk to Urithiru, to watch the spindly man carry the boulder, etc. The Lightweaving, plus Shallan's Memory plus Stormlight plus a radiant spren will unlock something. The obvious answer is the true history of the Last Desolation, but I don't think it's that. I think it will be the true history of the Heralds. I believe that Nohadon based the parables of the Way of Kings (in-world) on the actions, beliefs, and ideals of the Heralds. The first protectors of Roshar. This makes more sense to me than anything. All of the Heralds are too damaged or reluctant to speak about themselves, so I think Nohadon's memories of them are encoded in the Way of Kings (in-world), essentially like a Cognitive Fabrial. This also solves the chicken and egg problem of the parables of Way of Kings and the oaths of the Knights Radiant. The parables are based on the Heralds, and the parables attracted the first Radiant spren who bonded individuals who acted in alignment with the parables. Plus, this would fill in the blanks of why the first Radiants begged the Heralds to be the Patrons of their respective orders. The Heralds were more than immortals with abilities like them, they were their idols, their idealized versions of themselves. To recap, or TLDR: there's a secret in Nohadon's Way of Kings, the secret is the history of the Heralds, and the parables of the Way of Kings are based on the Heralds, not Nohadon's musings on kingship.

While reading the ending of WoR, where Shalan is wondering about Nohadon walking to Urithiru, it struck me that there may be some inconsistencies in what he claims. Many thanks to Lightflame and this thread: http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/2551-theory-that-one-guy-isnt-nohadon/?hl=nohadon#entry44934 because it got me thinking that Nohadon from the vision and in world author ot TWoK Nohadon may be different people. Let's see why this may be: 1. In the in-world book TWoK, Nohadon claims that after the Desolation he lived a comfortable life. He also claims to have walked to Urithiru. Aside the fact that in WoR, Shallan thinks to herself that walking would not have been possible, since the city was high up in the mountains and they had not found any way down besides the Oathgates. So, either the way is magically sealed or, Nohadon walked to another city, or Nohadon did not walk to Urithiru. 2.Assuming the vision Dalinar had was of Nohadon, it occurs at the end of a Desolation. Meaning that the Heralds are going back to wherever it is they go after Desolations. The Knights Radiant still do not exist, but Surgebinders as a group do. The Nohadon of the vision bemoans the fact that there needs to be some kind of regulation on Surgebinding. But, according to the in-world WoR, Ishar is the one who imposed the oaths on the Surgebinders and made them into Knights Radiant. BUT, this would have to have happened during at least the next Desolation after Dalinar's vision, once Ishar returned and thus after Nohadon's lifetime (unless, you know Nohadon has a longer than usual lifespan). 3.In the in-world TWoK, Urithiru and oathgates exist. But you say, didn't the Radiants create those? Well, let us assume they did. After all, in the lore and books, it is they that use them. So, can this be explained if vision Nohadon is actual author Nohadon? Can a non-existant organization at the time of the vision, build such a majestic tower and the oathgates in the span of a king's regular lifetime? Let's assume he lived another 50 years. Could he have united the surgebinders, got them to work togther and rebuild Roshar, and afterwards build The enormous tower at Urithiru and the Oathgates? In 50 years? Sounds highly unlikely. 4.There is assumed to be an Oathgate in each of the capitals of the Silver Kingdoms. Yet vision Nohadon doesn't mention any known city or kingdom from that list. Is it because the Silver Kingdoms came about after the Radiants formed? 5.It follows that: a)if vision Nohadon is author Nohadon, then he found a way (through the Nahel bond maybe?) to extend his life through at least more than one Desolation so that he was able to witness/assist in the formation of the Knights Radiant and then write his memoirs down. There is a large time discrepancy that can only be explained through magical means. b)vision Nohadon is not author Nohadon because: The Knights Radiant organization does not exist in the vision, yet author Nohadon mentions them so casually in his book, as if they have been around for so long a time, that people of his time easily recognize them; if Ishar organized them, then the radiants would have been founded at the beginning of or during a Desolation, meaning vision Nohadon would not have been alive; Urithiru,could not have been in existence during the vision, but only after, but that would have taken at least one more Desolation for the Radiants to form and many years to build; Oathgates are being used and they are not some novel invention, because everyone chides Nohadon for walking instead of using the Oathgates. c)Urithiru is not in the same place as it used to be, or it is not the same city as that which Nohadon described. It may be a city built at a different location and date than in book Urithiru, and the original Oathgates were just surgebinders that personally elsecalled people to Uirthiru. Thank you for reading.

Hi all, this is my first post here, so please be nice. A couple of signing questions got me thinking about Nohadon. First, Nutiket Aiel asked: at this link: http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/7051-philadelphia-wor-signing-reports/ Also, Sanderson RAFO'd EHyde when asked whether Nohadon was a Bondsmith. I have a very blunt (and speculation-heavy) theory about the whereabouts of Nohadon. I believe that Nohadon has gained Heraldic powers from his part in the founding of the Knights radiant, and drew the attention of Odium. After this, he was taken to Braize to be tortured with the rest of the Heralds, and remained there with Taln after the breaking of the Oathpact. In addition, I believe that Nohadon is the Taln impostor in Words of Radiance (if "Taln" is in fact not Taln). I have very flimsy, mostly circumstantial evidence for this (and some of it is complete speculation), but I believe that it's completely possible. We know that: "Taln" was not startled by Shallan's lightweaving, and remembered Ishi founding the Knights. If Nohadon was the imposter, he would definitely remember the founding and powers of the Radiants and would likely be used to dealing with them. The blade Dalinar took from "Taln" was not an honorblade. If Nohadon is standing in for Taln, he would not have an honorblade. It is possible that Nohadon holding the shardblade would bring the spren back to life more than a human would. This could allow the blade to have a limited shape-shifting capability while Nohadon is holding it. Once he drops it, the blade reverts back into its original appearance. The blade was not cataloged because Nohadon still had it while in damnation. "Taln's" mantra is seemingly automated, and he's completely mad. While Nohadon might have the powers of a Herald, I highly doubt that he would be able to withstand the torture as effectively as one of them. It's possible that Odium recognized this and tortured Nohadon to think that he was and view himself as Taln, and sent him to Roshar as a mad Taln in order to cause humanity to weaken itself. After all, the Sons of Honor think that creating a desolation will bring back the Heralds. What better way to encourage them to send an impostor that looks like, talks like, and has the powers of the real Herald? This desolation is different. In the chapter 68 epigraph/death rattle from the Way of Kings: “They named it the Final Desolation, but they lied. Our gods lied. Oh, how they lied. The Everstorm comes. I hear its whispers, see its stormwall, know its heart.” It is possible that since the Listeners and Sons of Honor are creating their own desolation, Odium is not bound by the Oathpack to send the real Taln to Roshar and prepare humanity. Also, we know that Hoid wants Jasnah to find God in the "hearts of men." The heart of the Everstorm could be mankind, as the Sons of Honor goaded the listeners in seeking Odium. This could be a coincidence, but I think that it lends a shred of credence to my theory. I think that the largest hole in the theory is the cleaver-like shardblade. I know that Nohadon would have lived before the Recreance, and likely would not have had an opportunity to obtain the blade. Maybe Odium gave it to him? I'll have to think about this part. Based on the evidence, it's fairly conclusive that Nohadon is not dead and that he had/has some type of Surgebinding or other magical powers. The rest of the theory is mostly speculation backed by a few coincidences. What do you guys think? Is there a more realistic or viable theory for where Nohadon is? Am I missing something?

The Ideals of the Knights Radiants (written up in the in-book Way of Kings): one shared ideal and four unique ideals for each order unlock enhanced capabilities and even trigger access to stormlight (or at least the second ideal does for Kaladin). I have been assuming that the surges were a shared Honor-Cultivation system with the Oaths as an Honor system built on top of them. Could the spren have created the oaths? (tWoK chapter 67) Jasnah says (chapter 6) that the spren are returning the oaths. Does that strengthen the thought that they empowered them in the first place? The spren created the Radiants in imitation of what was done with the Heralds. It was a surprise to Honor. (WoR chapter 3) Nohadon complains that some of the Nahel-Bond spren are not discriminating enough. (tWoK chapter 60) So the spren created Surgebinding and it was kinda good, but it had a bug in that the empowered people wouldn't necessarily work together. Could the spren be the ones who changed their own system? The spren could have created the Ideals to restrain the behavior of the surgebinders. A Surgebinder either adopts the progressive ideals or doesn't become a strong surgebinder. The knights thought they had to disband (or whatever they did) because continuing as knights would lead to Something Bad. In doing so, they violated their Oaths to their bonded spren, not least of which is the first: journey before destination. Spren may have died or become mindless as a result. Syl comments on gravity working consistently as a working agreement (between the spren?) to keep people's minds from being blown (this is a whole topic of it's own) (Chapter 9 WoR). The oaths could be a similar agreement between the spren (and maybe Nohadon) to limit the strength of the Surgebinders who have not adopted all the ideals. Of course, Honor and the spren could have worked together on this also. What do people think?