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New user here, don't really know anybody IRL who also reads these books, and late night musing got something in my head that I was so itching to discuss I just had to register to post this. This is part question, part personal wild theorizing. So I was thinking about how exactly Taravangian was able to stab Rayse, and this got me to contemplating what happens to a person's physical body while they are holding a Shard. We know that when a Vessel dies their body appears at the location where their attention was currently focused (we've seen this with Leras, Ati, and Rayse), so my wild speculation is: When one Ascends, one's physical body is stored in what is basically a pocket dimension within the Physical realm, and while Vessels can communicate with mortals in a variety of ways (like Sazed speaking to those with spikes, or Odium speaking into the minds of those he has Connection to) actually being face-to-face with a mortal involves pulling them into this pocket dimension and interacting with them using the Vessel's physical body. This would explain how Rayse was able to actually be stabbed, because otherwise it doesn't make a lot of sense - since we know Shards can make avatars, and Odium is rather paranoid and defensive and while it could be argued he's just so arrogant he's never consider a mortal a threat that seems a bit of a write-off to explain why he'd make himself vulnerable in that way, unless it's basically the only way he can be in direct contact with someone. But, a sort of pocket dimension containing their physical body would explain the Visions that Odium uses to show off to people, it also explains the Visions that Dalinar sees (if Honor created a little play inside his pocket dimension and it's kept open by the Stormfather), and it would also explain how Odium had a body for Taravangian to stab.

So if a Scandrian Engineer got their hands on some Anti-stormlight and assuming they had the knowledge of what it did, do you think it would be possible for them to make a gun utilizing its power? If so how would you think this would affect the battle between Scandria and Roshar?

Does anyone else have trouble believing Pattern when he says he used the Seon to talk to Wit? 1. Of course it's not entirely impossible that Wit has a Seon. But for anyone to reach Wit without prearranging a time, Wit would have to keep it close at all times, yet there's never been a hint of that. Also, in Elantris... 2. Wit is sequestered away with Jasnah a lot of the time. Who is supposed to have spied on him? Again: every time Pattern called him, at unexpected times? 3. Mraize told Shallan he has someone close to her, and I don't think he lied. So who is it? What I'm saying is: I think Pattern was talking to Mraize. I'm not clear about his motives, but I'm worried. Shallan saw several Cryptics in Kharbranth, Pattern might have been one of them. But he made 'first personal contact' on the ship where someone tried to kill Jasnah as a job for the Ghostbloods. Was Pattern sent along once the Ghostbloods realized Shallan would be on that ship? After all there is that Ghostblood - Davar family connection. Has he been a Ghostblood agent from the beginning, sent to Shallan? Just as the next one would be sent should Shallan kill Pattern? Are the Cryptics, or at least a group within them, allied to the Ghostbloods? Edit: Also, this:

From several threads here I got the impression that now, after Maya's statements, it is accepted Recreance history (among readers, not in-world!) that the spren and Radiants together decided to sever the bonds. But how does that fit with the shrieking Blades? It's not just pain, Relis' blade at the duel in WoR clearly makes an accusation, as he answers: 'What is it? What is it? No, I didn't kill you!' That doesn't sound like Relis' blade chose like Maya did. So I would guess it wasn't such an unanimous decision, releasing the old Radiants from all guilt. There'll have been more nuance than that. What do you think?