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Often online, we're completely different. And since most of us will never meet in real life, I ask this. What are you like in real life? I have two mood sets that vary randomly. The first one is usually when I'm tired or I have stuff to do. I'll be more methodical, quieter, and thoughtful. I'm much more introverted and don't interact much. The second occurs less often. I'll just be happier. I'll have a swing in my step, I laugh and smile more, and just generally feel good. I'm much brasher and much more extroverted. I guess you could say my mood Waxes and Waynes So, what are you like? Response appreciated.

I think I am not the only one that still has questions open after the end of Calamity. Some of them are obvious ones created by the ending like "what kind of didgerido was Calamity actually" "How did obliteration get rid of his darkness, when his mentality is a perfect example for Calamity's twisted view on humanity" or "How exactly have things worked out in parallel universes" and some worldbuilding that's following the tip of the iceberg principle ala "What's the deal with the other Coven members and Night's Sorrow." However, I also am left with some questions that are more subtle and maybe anyone of you can help me find answers. Who actually killed Prof's class? Coming to the old theory that the Epic that killed his class was he himself. Apart from it just being something I'm curious about the answer to this question also would have worked wonderfully into Prof's struggle with failure. What happened in the first year after Calamity showed up? Not only have the effects of Dawnslight powers appeared effectively around the same time as Calamity in Steelheart Prof also claimed he has been an Epic "since Calamity" not since the beginning or anything like that but since Calamity, which would have been a year before Epics are supposed to show up. The first got ignored and the second arguably retocned. Why did Calamity interact with Regalia? Not only is it a break of his no involvement rule, for which he already has the Larcener persona, but he also effectively came at her beg and call to upgrade and create Epics for her, which goes entirely against his motives as displaed in Calamity. I also have a hard time buying him not knowing about Regalia's plan, so the question becomes what his endgame was for that. How are the Epics powers actually determined? We know that Calamity can alter them after he gave the Epics powers, so they can't be set in stone, so did Calamity just sit down for every Epic and decide to give them some random package of powers or is there some kind of guideline he has to follow? How inert are weaknesses actually to the powers? The way they are explained and Conflux reporting of them growing weaker seems like they come purely from Calamity, yet Tavi and Megan post claiming her powers still have weaknesses. Are they internal to the powers but Calamity just ramped them up somehow? Are they connected to fear by nature or are they random and it's Calamity's fault that all of them ended up being connecting to fears?

I guess I have been on here long enough to start of of these now. So ask me anything.

I have been somewhat tentative about starting an AMA because it seems rather self-centered and I wanted to ask you all questions as well. However, I came up with an idea that seems to mitigate this effect. If you ask me a question, I will answer it and, in return, make sure that I ask you a question. If you have an AMA, I'll probably do it there, if not, this thread should work. I'll still try to ask questions of my own volition, but this can be a dialogue thread. Disclaimer:

I was wondering if you could play Alloy of Law and Terris: Wrought of Copper without buying the Final Empire version.

I'm still in the process of reading the series, so no spoilers, please! I was just going through the metals, thinking about the best/worst metal to be a misting with. Naturally, I eventually made it to gold, but I can't recall anyone saying if or if not someone could be a misting of a high metal. Sorry if this is answered later on in the book, but I don't have as much time to read as I'd like, making progress slow.

I may be a little late, but I still decided to make one of these. I guess you can ask me about anything. But first a question for you, why are there so many AMA's?

If you want to ask me a question, do it here. I have eaten a quesadilla, i do not have a favorite Doctor I don't watch Doctor Who btw. Ask away!

Common conversation started/ forum game: If you could go back to anytime in the past and ask one person one question what would it be. For an example I would probably go back and ask Nikola Tesla about supposed unlimited energy. or maybe I would go and ask Da vinci where he hid some of his journals, that's a good get rich quick scheme.

Hello, Sharders. Kobold King here for a special awareness message. In the spirit of keeping things brief, I'll get straight to the point. The experience of meeting an author as cherished as Brandon Sanderson must be a phenomenal one--I can only suppose so, as I, like so many other devoted Sanderfans, have never managed to attend a convention. Let me assure you that this post is ultimately one of envy; we envy those of you who attend conventions, and even more those who make a regular habit of attending conventions and asking multitudes of questions about their favorite novels. A source of mild frustration for many of us, however, is that a great many of the questions these most dedicated of Sanderfans ask are of interest only to the most Realmatics-knowledgeable esotericists of the fanbase. These questions, while brilliantly devised and always elliciting fascinating responses, are not exactly equally intriguing to all members of the fanbase. Some of them seem to the laymen the equivalent of "How many Seons can dance on the head of a pin?" Nowadays we have Cosmere WoBs stacked upon Cosmere WoBs. We know more about the three Realms, forms of Investiture, Splinters of Shards, and Cognitive Shadows than any of the Five Scholars could dream of. And we're constantly assured by our beloved author that there's still more information where that came from! Yes, the scholarly inclined Sanderfan has a wealth of knowledge to draw upon for theories and speculation comparable to the treasure of the God King of Hallandren. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, let's look at another of Brandon's marvelous worlds: that of his Reckoners books. Less popular than the Cosmere novels and written for young adults, Steelheart and its sequel Firefight introduce a post-apocalyptic world in which supervillains have taken over the planet. Unlike the Cosmere, which is an epic-length saga that we've barely gotten halfway through so far, the Reckoners trilogy is two-thirds complete, yet is still infinitely more mysterious as a setting than Roshar and Scadrial have ever been. As a member of the semi-official Reckoners RPG down the forum from here, I can personally attest to the gaps in our knowledge of this extraordinary setting. We know so little of the rules of magic that many of us are morbidly certain that every character we've made thus far is doomed to be deemed impossible by the final novel; we know so little of the setting's politics that we dare not stray three steps from our setting state for fear of the great unknown regions that dominate the world. I would never dream of asking a devoted Cosmere fan not to delve into the secrets that fill his heart with joy. I would never dream of asking any of you to sacrifice something so precious for the sake of our curiosity or for our RP. But I wish to humbly beseech everyone who may attend a signing to keep us in mind. Even as single answer to a Reckonerverse question could shine a brilliant light through the obscurity that still dominates much of the setting, and the smallest setting detail that's revealed will be cherished and appreciated more than you can know. So if you're attending a signing with a list of Cosmere questions a mile long, would you be so kind as to remember the less-fortunate fans who beg at your feet for boons? If you're at your fifth signing and armed with a multitude of questions about Cognitive Shadows or Allomantic time bubbles, would you be so generous as to put one of them aside long enough to ask how much of California the Epic Snowfall governs, or what the ratio between Epics and normal humans looks like in the Fractured States of America? On behalf of Reckoners fans everywhere, I thank you for taking the time to read this message. As a final piece of incentive, let me assure you that I'll make it my personal mission to incite abundant upvotes for anyone who returns victorious from a signing with a Reckonerverse setting question answered.

What follows is a list of things I have scratched my head at innumerable times as I read the Mistborn Trilogy... innumerable times. 1. How could Kelsier possibly have known that he had Snapped after Mare's death? Even is he did, where did he get the metals he used to escape? 2. How exactly do iron or steel lines interpret different metal objects? Supposedly a single line points to a single object, and a Push or Pull will affect the entire object. But close to the end of FE, Kelsier Pushes and Pulls the opposite ends of solid metal bars from a prison cart to deflect arrows. How? 3. I'm sure this one is a widely known answer, so if someone could fill me in, that would be great: How does Lerasium make someone an Allomancer? If you're supposed to burn a metal to activate it, how do non-Allomancers still get the effects? On a similar note, what happens if someone who is already an Allomancer, even already a Mistborn, burns Lerasium? 4. How, exactly, is flaring tin a good idea? Brandon has characters do it all the time to 'clear their head,' if they're waking up from unconsciousness or recovering from a hit. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but that seems to be a terrible idea. The whole reason the person is out of it in the first place is because of the pain, yet increasing it by flaring tin somehow 'shocks' them back to wakefulness? One would think that it would simply muddle their mind even further because of the wide range of increased sensory input. 5. How was Ruin able to change text while he was blocked by Leras? Supposedly, any time that Ruin tried to affect the world, the power of Preservation would push back, rendering him useless. I understand how he was still able to manipulate Spiked people, because they were attuned to his power, but he still shouldn't be able to move things around just 'cause. It makes even less sense that he was able to change the memories stored in Copperminds. One, they're metal, which makes it shine incredibly bright the Ruin, and two, there doesn't seem to be a way or explanation for a Shard to peek inside of a piece of metal and change things around. I hope someone on here who's an even bigger nerd than I am will help me figure this out.

Nothing major here. No vast Cosmere guesses or unifying theories of Investiture. Just a couple of book observations and the questions that come with them. There are some pretty big spoilers for the book coming up, so be warned. Firstly, what becomes of Llarimar after the conclusion of the book? Has anyone ever asked? Personally, I believe he went on to become the high priest for several other Returned through his life, and probably helped each of them achieve their purposes. But that's only my guess--I'd be interested in hearing a canon ending if available, or hearing what other readers have guessed. Second: Denth was Shashara's brother and one of the Five Scholars. As such, he was also one of the Returned, who lose the memories of their previous lives. How did he know Shashara was his sister and vice versa? I can only assume that the ghost of Obi-Won Kenobi informed him just as they were beginning a fledgling romance, but I'm sure there's a more reasonable explanation. So there. Those are two things that leave me wondering. Thoughts, anyone?

Shouldn't we start a question list to help people decide what to ask BS when they get their signed copy? (never been to a signing, I don't live in the USA if I make wrong assumption correct me, thanks)

I would love to go to this one, but my Utah vacation starts a week from now. When I first saw the date, Saturday, I got so excited because I thought it might mean next Saturday, when I would be there. Alas, twas not to be, and now I must beg thee of the 17th Shard to go in my stead. Some questions, if anyone goes: Scadrial: Allomancers have Allomancy because of their extra Preservation. How does Feruchemy have this relationship? Is it more Ruin and Preservation together, or is it something else? Will there be any full Terrismen in future Wax and Wayne books? SoSiFoH Would shades respond to someone allomanticly burning a metal, or Surgebinding? Roshar Could a cognitive entity, like a spren or a seon, pull some of their Cognitive-ness into the physical realm permenantly? For example, when Wyndle's vine leavings turn to dust, does that does stay there? If Wyndle moved more fully into the physical realm, would he have a physical make up? Is Gaz a surgebinder like Elhokar? If so, then did Darkness kill him? If Darkness met Kaladin, would he try and kill him?

Okay, so I have a few theories that I want to propose. Some of them may be RAFO, and some are speculation (not necessarily theories) but I find them interesting and hope someone else does too. First. Are Elhokar and Sadeas in cahoots? Think about it, when Dalinar is talking to Sadeas and the king (Chapter 50) Elhokar is very insistent on Dalinar accepting Sadeas's bridges. It sounded like they were maneuvering him. Sadeas is always by the king, whispering in his ear, who is to say they had a way to get rid of Dalinar? I know in the early chapters (chapter 18) Elhokar is very foreboding about Dalinar, comparing him to his father who went insane during his last years alive. Is Elhokar in cahoots with Taravangian in killing Dalinar? Dalinar may not notice because he is too naive. Speaking of Elhokar, who were the men at the beginning of the prelude Szeth sees talking to him? The fact that Elhokar hates it when people compare him is understood, but the fact he becomes severely irate is strange. Did he have something to do with Gavilar's death? And speaking of foreboding, what about in chapter 27, when Rock is praising Kaladin for his kata, he calls him "Master Brightlord." Did Syl tell him about it and Rock know that Kaladin was a true lighteyes? Second, at the beginning of chapter 4 a Reshi chul trainer who is being bled speaks of Shadesmar. He describes it the sun he sees as "dark and cold shining in a black sky." When Shallan enteres Shadesmar, the same dark sky and distant sun are described. So, one can extrapolate, that some, not all, people when they die see Shadesmar. Sanderson explains in an q & a on Barnes & Noble[1] that there are three main realms: the physical. the cognitive, and the spiritual. Shadesmar appears to be the cognitive, but it may be the spiritual. I firmly believe the Heralds are either reincarnate in the forms of Kaladin and Szeth; Shallan and Jasnah; and Dalinar and someone else. Kaladin is the first to find his spren (spren are accompaniment to Heralds). It may also be that these characters are the Radiants alive whom need shardblades (that turn into honorblades) because the Almighty tells Dalinar "the Radiants must stand again." About Syl, notice how Syl starts following Kaladin after he kills the shardbearer. It was the fact Kaladin did not take the shardblade that made him personify honor, which is why and when Syl followed him. Syl hates shardblades. Do all spren hate shardblades? It seems that is why the Horneaters can see them, because Horneaters don't have any shardblades. If they were honorblades, would that change anything? I think the "shards men once bore" were honorshards, as evidence by their glowing. Once the honor left the Radiants (aka, the Day of Recreance) the shards became "mundane." Without honor, the blades and plate could not act as they should. It is interesting to note that Szeth says in the prologue how you cannot surgebind while wearing plate, but in Dalinar's first vision we see (chapter 19) the Radiants could surgebind (hence, why they "fell" from the sky). Maybe if Kaladin could get into plate, he could surgebind? Also note that, as I speculated above, Szeth may be a Herald, or Radiant, reincarnate. If this is so, the reason he hasn't found his spren, unlike Kaladin, is because he acts without a key ingredient. I do not know what this is; it may be honor or something else. Speaking of Szeth's honor, in the prologue we assume Szeth became Truthless because of his belief in the voidbringers. Whether that belief manifested itself into a resistance, or was merely heretical to Shin religion is up to debate. When Gavilar said "find the most important words a man can say," did he mean the Radiants codes? (May be why the next book is "Words of Radiance" because Dalinar finds them). When the Almighty tells Dalinar to "unite them" who is he talking about? Is he telling whoever (it just so happens to be Dalinar) to unite Alethkar or is it something more than that. Does he mean unite the people of Roshar? Maybe. I think he means Dalinar, or whoever because he doesn't know who's listening, to unite the Lost Radiants into a new Knights Radiant. This would bring back honor to them, especially if they follow the Codes and the Radiants Codes, and allow them to surgebind with shardplate 'n' stuff. Essential, have the shards become honorplates and blades. So, stormlight infuses itself into the spheres at a definite point during a highstorm. This is evident when Kaladin is in the highstorm. If the stormlight infused spheres throughout the storm, in duration, the sphere Kaladin held would still be lit (because the highstorm was not finished when he blacked out). That being said, is it possible to surgebind during a highstorm? I understand the human body may not hold it or even it may become overloaded. If it is overloaded that raises the question can you control how much stormlight you breathe in? I know you can control how much breath you inhale, but do you also control the amount of the stormlight itself that enters? Even so, I wonder if Kaladin and Szeth have the ability to surgebind unlimitedly during a highstorm, as long as they stay safe. Now here is a tricky one. It is based on speculation from a reading Sanderson did from a draft of "Words of Radiance" before it was called that. The taping took place before Christmas of 2012. After you hear it, come back and I'll say something I've been thinking. [2] So Sanderson states that Parshendi are that way because they bond to a spren. He may change that later or he may not, but it is interesting to note that the Parshendi need the gemhearts. Why is that? Alethi assume for soulcasting, but what if it is for some kind of religious ceremony? Isn't it interesting to note that yes the Shattered Plains are expansive, but the Alethi and Parshendi have been battling for 6 years and still there are more and more chasmfiends. Adolin notes after the chasmfiend is dead in chapter 15 that there are spren coming from it. There is also moldy smell of blood of the chasmfiend, also of the Parshendi. Could the chasmfiends be Parshendi that have evolved into a hulking monster? Eshonai talks of different forms that form different bodies. Perhaps the most revered place in Parshendi is to become a chasmfiend? The chasmfiends may become uncontrollable and turn hostile, which is why the Parshendi don't have any in reserve. That's all I got! But stay tuned for more! References [1] http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Fantasy-Science-Fiction/Post-Questions-For-Brandon-Sanderson-Here/td-p/354645/page/3 About halfway through (try ctrl + f and type "three;" it should be on there after a couple) [2] https://soundcloud.com/stringbean1982/brandons-reading Sanderson begins Stormlight talking about 8:53 and reading at 12:10

I orginally posted this on my tumblr but I wanted to see you guys had any ideas about it. I hope this is the right spot for it rather than the stormlight archive forums. I also apologize for all the costumer jargon in this. I was also sort of hoping that this could be a spot for other artist to posit questions. So here goes nothing: Alethi noble women’s fashion confuses me. I’m really not sure what Sanderson is trying to describe with, “it buttoned up the sides of the torso from waist to neck where it was topped with a small, gold embroidered collar.” Doesn’t really mesh with it being a solid swath of silk in my head. I’d call a sari or a chiton a swath of silk because it is all one large piece. Where the kind of dress that he is describing definitely has seams. Speaking of seams, what does he mean by the side of the torso? Does he mean side seams? That’s what I see when I first imagined it, but then I get to the part about them going up to the neck I get confused again. I suppose that he could be talking about princess seams of some sort. Am I the only one that is confused by this? P.S. The piece I'm working on is of Syl.