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So we know scandrial is the more earth like inventions. And roshar is more magic based. we also know scandrial has 3 maybe 4 magic systems that they use. we also know that roshar, wait how many magic systems? ok so there is two ways to count magic systems. the KR are 1 system or 10 different systems. Each with their own side abilities too. then there’s the old magic, and voidbinding,(does it have 9 or 10 I forgot) so that brings us to 20 give or take 1. then there’s those magic fish, and the Larkin, and great shells, idk if that’s three or 1 or something else. And then there’s fabrials both slavery and voluntary fabrials. and possibly dancing magic in shinovar. the unmade. And possibly a cultivation magic system that we have yet to see. Each bondsmith honestly. Then singers transforming is that a magic system? so what’s yalls thoughts? I think I give up on exact count because honestly roshar is truly a special place, it’s no wonder that they came up with anti light first.

I was unsure if this belongs here or in Cosmere, but the topic really is more related to the Stormlight Archive though this post will include speculation based off of Warbreaker, which I believe I've heard said is a type of prologue to the Stormlight Archive. In my re-read of the Stormlight Archive, I got back to the scene in Oathbringer where Gavilar is being soulcast to stone and, with the knowledge of there being a hall of stone Radiants in Urithiru from Rhythm of War, it made me wonder if there was a purpose to the practice - a reason passed down beyond mere legacy. We know from Warbreaker that soldiers in stone can be caused to fight again, made Lifeless through the course of a single breath. This is similarly set-up in the Stormlight Archive under a different name - Thunderclasts. The first part of my speculation is that before the end of the Stormlight Archive, though not necessarily by the next book, we'll see phantom armies play a role again - the equivalent of one breath is relatively easy to find on Roshar thanks to the Highstorm and so with the right information and intent it wouldn't be hard to see a stone Teft (and others) in action again. I wonder if, perhaps, trying to set this up could be where Zahel went during the invasion of Urithiru (we know he was somewhere and that Brandon almost wrote him in, but just couldn't make it work). The 2nd part of my speculation involves Gavilar specifically, though I am by no means asserting this will happen. In Warbreaker, Clod/Arsteel as a lifeless mostly acts only as he is instructed. EXCEPT there is a moment when he protects Vivenna in the slum riot where it seems that a little more of Arsteel pokes through and I've read that Jewels offscreen goes to Yesteel to try to awaken more of Arsteel in Clod. We've seen with characters such as Thaidakar (to use the Stormlight name) that a cognitive shadow can staple itself to the physical realm; it would seem in the example of Clod/Arsteel there is a way to staple or bring back the cognitive to an otherwise Lifeless physical entity. All that to say, during Gavilar's funeral there was a lot of talk about the three realms and eternal wars and it made me wonder if Gavilar might one day come back (or have planned for himself to come back) as a Lifeless and if he (or others) would also have their cognitive self brought back somehow (even easier I'm sure if it's still lingering around like the fused with the thunderclasts). This seems more likely to happen in the back 5 books, but there's some set-up for it already so I thought I would speculate. My apologies if this was a bit rambling - please let me know if I've forgotten anything that could support (or counter) this line of thinking. One issue I already know of it the lack of ichor alcohol, but perhaps there is a workaround here since we (I) know very little about the nature of ichor alcohol. tl;dr - I think the stone radiants and others will later play a role as Lifeless soldiers or equivalent like Thunderclasts, but for good. If Gavilar's cognitive self is still around, perhaps it could come back to his stone statue and reappear that way.

So it's speculated Lift's resonance is the ability to communicate. There's no primary theory for Wayne, but I believe that it's probably his abilities of imitation. So, Lift (And, I guess, any edgedancer) has the surges of progression and abrasion. Wayne can store health and burn cadmium. Progression- F-Gold Abrasion- A-Bendalloy (I mean, they're called 'Sliders'. I realize that's not a HUGE connection, but then, their resonances aren't quite the same.) So maybe (If Wayne's resonance IS his ability to imitate people) that's why they have similar resonances. I just wondered the implications of this, with being able to guess at resonances between similar abilities. (Sorry this posted twice, could someone remove one?)

So, this is a fragile half of a theory, but I've noticed a few interesting correspondences revolving around the dead blade Oathbringer. I'm currently listening through tWoK again, and at one point (I think it may have been during the chasm-fiend hunt) Dalinar summons oathbringer and when it drops into his hand he remarks upon something like 'the blade felt alive with energy, excited for the fight'. This is definitely paraphrased because I only have tWoK on audio so it's tough to pull quotes when I want them. Maybe someone else could back me up on this? What if Oathbringer once belonged to a dustbringer? From the little we know about the DBs, their spren likes to destroy things. Seems like it would follow that even a dead blade could get excited by a fight. By destruction. Also from what we know of Dalinar in his younger days, I would say he could have somewhat fit the bill for a dustbringer. This might explain why the blade doesn't scream as much for Dalinar as other blades do when he touches it in OB. Is it possible that; by carrying the blade for years and exhibiting the attributes of the order to which the blade once belonged, he has just barely begun to awaken Oathbringer similar to how Adolin is awakening Maya? Mini-point: We know that Oathbringer was once carried by the Sunmaker, who was on more or less the same path as Dalinar takes while carrying the same blade. This doesn't give me very good evidence for my theory but it's another point of interest. To be clear I don't think he will continue to awaken Oathbringer since he no longer carries the blade and has subsequently bonded the stormfather. I do think something weird is going on with that blade though, potentially beyond the stormfather's explanation that it simply 'remembers his oaths'. Even that is somewhat vague, considering that Dalinar has most likely only said an oath, singular; which the blade would remember. This being the initial oath of the KR, which all orders speak. Unless the blade once belonged to a bondsmith, which I doubt considering the relative few bondsmiths which have ever existed; I think it unlikely that Oathbringer would remember the ideals of a bondsmith beyond the first. Now that I think about it there might be only a single bondsmith dead blade. I seem to recall something saying there was only one bondsmith in the last generation of KR, therefore at the time of the recreance. There is also the obvious similarity between Dustbringer and Oathbringer. I know we don't know anything about the DB's oaths yet but it could follow what we do know if they swear something to do with righteous destruction, perhaps? For a dustbringer, bringing destruction could be the same as bringing oaths. I submit that Dalinar, in his youth, could have been accidentally living according to the ideals of the dustbringers, and that is in fact the 'oaths' that the blade remembers. It's possible that he even swore certain oaths to himself aligning with those of the dustbringers. (Promising to himself to never again covet Gavilar's throne comes to mind) Could this point to the first step of awakening a dead blade? It certainly fits with what we know about Adolin reviving Mayalaran; as he also has been bonded to her for a matter of years and has also been exhibiting traits of an Edgedancer. Alternately: though I find this less likely. What if the traits of the spren/order start to influence the one who is bonded to the blade? Maybe by carrying the blade long enough and following its subconscious promptings, one could intuit the path to awakening the dead blade. The spren could have an understanding of what it requires to awaken them and so give the carrier little pushes in the right direction. So, that's as far as I've gotten with this. Lots of supposition here but I'd love to see what you all think. Even if I'm wrong it may be an interesting discussion. I'll plug this thread too as it's along similar lines and helped me out with inspiration to start my own thread. [OB spoilers] Is Maya alive?