Question and Answer

[ReaderAt2046]

I actually put some thought into that and came to the same conclusion: Gold remained the basic currency because it already was a precious metal. Same for copper clips. Note that apart from atium (which is used as a currency), all the major Allomantic metals are extremely common.

[scm288]

Concerning Scadrial:

Just how close to the true north pole was the Well of Ascension? I remember reading in Sanderson's interviews that the mists covered everything except for right around Luthadel and right around the opposite pole. Would that mean that Kredik Shaw was located on true north, and the opposite pole (where unnamed inhabitants live) is true south? Does the fact that these are magnetic poles play any significant role in how the mists acted?

If Kredik Shaw was located on a magnetic pole, then its magnetism would affect the mists somehow, wouldn't it? Or am I just speculating here?

[Thor]

Concerning Scadrial:

Just how close to the true north pole was the Well of Ascension? I remember reading in Sanderson's interviews that the mists covered everything except for right around Luthadel and right around the opposite pole. Would that mean that Kredik Shaw was located on true north, and the opposite pole (where unnamed inhabitants live) is true south? Does the fact that these are magnetic poles play any significant role in how the mists acted?

If Kredik Shaw was located on a magnetic pole, then its magnetism would affect the mists somehow, wouldn't it? Or am I just speculating here?

Kredik Shaw is located at the magnetic north pole of Scadrial (specifically, the Well of Ascension). Depending on one's view, the Well is either the source of Scadrial's magnetic field or is coupled with the field, since Rashek dragging the Well to where Luthadel now is changed the magnetic field of the planet.

The true north pole of Scadrial is rather far away, in my opinion, "north" of the Terris Dominance. Based on the climate, I would say that Kredik Shaw is probably located at a similar latitude to Pheonix, AZ, but at a higher elevation: the high temperatures in the summer, combined with snow in the winter, suggests fairly high altitude (as does the presence of Aspen trees, which don't survive at low elevation.) Additionally, the fact that the sun does not disappear for months at a time (or have ridiculously short days) suggests that Luthadel is far south of Scadrial's arctic circle, assuming a fairly low rotational tilt (the Earth's is around 23 degrees, iirc.) By adjusting for Scadrial's proximity to its star, the latitude moves northward and the altitude decreases, but not enough, I think, to move Luthadel much farther north than Boise, ID.

As for the Mists being influence by the field, dunno. There have been a few other threads on here speculating on what would happen if an Allomancer tried to Push/Pull on a piece of wire that had electricity running through it, but I don't think they came to any conclusions.

Edit: Subject-verb agreement is my bane!

Edited July 16, 2012 by Thor

[Meandering Monotreme]

Where is The Emperor's Soul in the cosmere? ie, is it a new world or one of the already introduced ones? When does it take place, compared to other books?

Speaking of which, do we know when any of the books take place in the Grand Cosmere Timeline?

[Kurkistan]

Where is The Emperor's Soul in the cosmere? ie, is it a new world or one of the already introduced ones? When does it take place, compared to other books?

Speaking of which, do we know when any of the books take place in the Grand Cosmere Timeline?

It's on Sel, the Elantris world, although the book is set in a different part of it.

There have been a few stabs at a timeline. It's mostly just the publishing order, actually.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Kurkistan

[CrazyRioter]

it also takes place after the events of Elantris.

[Meandering Monotreme]

Is it confirmed that Hoid's letter (epigraphs of WoK) was actually sent by Hoid?

[Zas678]

No.

But there hasn't been any evidence to show that it isn't. I mean the writer has Seventeenth Shard people thinking he's hiding elsewhere, and a bunch of worldhoppers are off looking for Hoid in the wrong place. Plus the fact that the writer knew the Shardholders before they took the shards, and Hoid was at the Shattering, and so presumably knew the Shardholders. Plus the mention of the writer having knowledge of what's happening on other planets as Hoid would certainly have, I can think of a good reason that Hoid wouldn't be the letter writer.

[Morsk]

Concerning Scadrial:

Just how close to the true north pole was the Well of Ascension? I remember reading in Sanderson's interviews that the mists covered everything except for right around Luthadel and right around the opposite pole.

I thought it was oceans that covered everything except the poles? Or is it a mixture of both?

[Knight]

I was reading through The Alloy of Law, and when I came to the Ars Arcanum at the end, I found something a little confusing. A Feruchemist with Nicrosil stores his Investiture. Does this imply that there are instances where they normally wouldn't be able to use it, for example if someone from Scadrial traveled to Sel, or is it saying if, for example, you were a Twinborn, you could burn your metal while storing and draw on it later if you didn't have any metal?

Also, on Hemalurgy. I was looking at the most common chart on what type of metals steal what, and I'm not so sure I agree on some of it, mostly with the Gold and Atium spikes. I understand that it is mostly just guess work, but I think I have it partly worked out. So far, the spikes that steal allomantic and feruchemical powers are spikes made of the alloy metals, the push metals. So bendalloy and electrum would be the metals to steal allomantic and feruchemical temporal powers, and nicrosil and duralumin should steal the enhancement powers. But Aluminum is supposed to steal allomantic enhancement, so I don't know what happens there. Where is the canon that says aluminum spikes steal enhancement powers?

[RenegadeShroom]

Well, according to the Treatise Metallurgic in the Mistborn Adventure Game, (See here.) it says that hemalurgic aluminium enhances a power of allomancy, rather than granting an allomantic enhancement power. The rest of the feruchemy/allomancy stealing spikes all state "grant such-and-such power". So, I personally think that perhaps you're right, nicrosil/duralumin should be stealing the enhancement powers, but as far as I know, there's nothing to contradict that in canon, if I remember correctly. . . ? I don't know that this answers your question,'cause I don't have anything to back me up here, but yeah. :3

[makromag]

Hey guys, I'm new here and I am a little confused. I have read the mistborn books twice now, but i have not picked on when Kelsier held Preservations power. when was that? could someone point me to a stage in the books? Thanks

[Chaos]

I thought it was oceans that covered everything except the poles? Or is it a mixture of both?

It isn't clear. All we know is that in Imperial Scadrial life could only survive near the poles, due to the proximity to the sun. I'd assume that Scadrial has a bunch of continents, as would any other planet--it's just that the sun roasts them.

It's not all oceans after all; further east on the Final Empire map, there's continent, and that region is called the Burnlands. Presumably, there are more than two continents as well.

I was reading through The Alloy of Law, and when I came to the Ars Arcanum at the end, I found something a little confusing. A Feruchemist with Nicrosil stores his Investiture. Does this imply that there are instances where they normally wouldn't be able to use it, for example if someone from Scadrial traveled to Sel, or is it saying if, for example, you were a Twinborn, you could burn your metal while storing and draw on it later if you didn't have any metal?

Also, on Hemalurgy. I was looking at the most common chart on what type of metals steal what, and I'm not so sure I agree on some of it, mostly with the Gold and Atium spikes. I understand that it is mostly just guess work, but I think I have it partly worked out. So far, the spikes that steal allomantic and feruchemical powers are spikes made of the alloy metals, the push metals. So bendalloy and electrum would be the metals to steal allomantic and feruchemical temporal powers, and nicrosil and duralumin should steal the enhancement powers. But Aluminum is supposed to steal allomantic enhancement, so I don't know what happens there. Where is the canon that says aluminum spikes steal enhancement powers?

I've noticed that as well, and it's bothering me that aluminum is different and steals an Allomantic attribute. However, it states aluminum's Hemalurgic ability in the Hero of Ages Ars Arcanum. So I guess that symmetry isn't always right in Hemalurgy.

Atium, though, is a "mistake" in that it was a mistake the Steel Ministry made in-world. An atium spike, given proper placement, can steal any Hemalurgic property. It's a wildcard. The Ministry made very expensive experiments with atium and determined that it steals Temporal Allomantic effects. They aren't completely right.

Well, according to the Treatise Metallurgic in the Mistborn Adventure Game, (See here.) it says that hemalurgic aluminium enhances a power of allomancy, rather than granting an allomantic enhancement power. The rest of the feruchemy/allomancy stealing spikes all state "grant such-and-such power". So, I personally think that perhaps you're right, nicrosil/duralumin should be stealing the enhancement powers, but as far as I know, there's nothing to contradict that in canon, if I remember correctly. . . ? I don't know that this answers your question,'cause I don't have anything to back me up here, but yeah. :3

You had me excited about the "enhance Allomancy" thing in the Treatise Metallurgic cover (which I had forgotten about). However, I'm sure that is just a phrasing thing. None of the "human attribute" spikes ever mention Allomancy or Feruchemy, and given when this was written with them still saying atium steals Temporal Allomancy, this must mirror the Hero of Ages Ars Arcanum. Same info. I think it just would sound weird to say "Grant a power of enhancement Allomancy."

EDIT: I just checked the pdf of the Mistborn Adventure Game, and it explicitly says aluminum steals Enhancement Allomantic abilities. It is indeed just a phrasing issue. Nothing special.

Hey guys, I'm new here and I am a little confused. I have read the mistborn books twice now, but i have not picked on when Kelsier held Preservations power. when was that? could someone point me to a stage in the books? Thanks

It's really subtle; I don't blame you at all for missing it. It's in between the time after Elend spoke with Preservation and Preservation died, but before Vin took up the mists. In that time, you have some Kelsier quotes to Spook, and it's not Ruin--it's actually Kelsier. It's pretty easy to see the difference, since the quotes are decidedly non-Ruin.

I can't find a Spook viewpoint as a quote (I know they are there), but there's this Vin one. It's right after Marsh pulls out Vin's earring (hence it not being Ruin, and Kelsier--holding Preservation's power temporarily--can get through to Vin):

Vin's eyes snapped open.

Ash and water fell on her. Her body burned with pain, and the echoing screams of Ruin's demands still reverberated in her head.

But the voice spoke no further. It had been stifled midsentence.

What?

The mists returned to her with a snap. They flowed around her, sensing the Allomancy of her tin, which she still burned faintly. They spun around her as they once had, playful, friendly.

She was dying. She knew it. Marsh was done with her bones, and was obviously growing impatient. He screamed, holding his head. Then, he reached down, grabbing his axe from the puddle beside him. Vin couldn't have run if she'd wanted to.

Fortunately, the pain was fading. Everything was fading. It was black.

Please, she thought, reaching out to the mists with one final plea. They felt so familiar all of a sudden. Where had she felt that feeling before? Where did she know them?

From the Well of Ascension, of course, a voice whispered in her head. It's the same power, after all. Solid in the metal you fed to Elend. Liquid in the pool you burned. And vapor in the air, confined to night. Hiding you. Protecting you.

Giving you power!

Vin gasped, drawing in breath—a breath that sucked in the mists. She felt suddenly warm, the mists surging within her, lending her their strength. Her entire body burned like metal, and the pain disappeared in a flash.

Bolded part is my emphasis. And once you know it's Kelsier (which Brandon confirmed), you can so see Kelsier repeating the same advice that he does to Vin in the first book.

Aha! There the Spook quote is. It's at the start of Chapter 64. It's Kelsier urging Spook to get the message sent, about Hemalurgy. He says "I'm proud" to Spook once.

Now, I don't know if you know the reason why Kelsier took up the power. It's because a Shard's power needs a mind to control it, and once Leras died after talking to Elend, Kelsier stepped in temporarily before Vin could take the power up more fully.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Chaos

[Windrunner]

-what "Liar of Parthenil" is and where to read the teaser thing

- Who Adonalsium is?

- How did everyone figure out this stuff?

-what is lightweaving?

-also, i have heard you need to read all of his books to understand as they are all in the same universe.. cosmere... does this include the wheel of time series?

Liar of Partinel is Hoid the Worldhopper's origin story, set on the world of Yolen. It is as of yet unpublished but here is the longer version of the sample, since this link is broken on the other topic that JamesW linked you to. One thing to remember when reading it, is that the Hoid who dies in the beginning is not the Hoid we know of, that is almost certainly Midius that we see in all the other books.

We really don't know what Andonalsium is, or even if it was conscious. All we know is that it Shattered into the Shards we see today.

We figure out this stuff through subtle clues in the books, as well as from interviews which are all archived here (Along with Robert Jordan's WoT stuff).

Lightweaving is a magic from Yolen. It uses dust and some unknown trick to create illusions.

As it was said in the other topic, you don't need to read Wheel of Time to understand the Cosmere, the two are unrelated. (although it is a great series). You don't have to read all of the Cosmere books to understand but it is extremely helpful. At the very least, Mistborn and The Way of Kings are a must.

Hope that helps and feel free to post any other questions you might have.

[Zas678]

Another (more concise) version of where we get our stuff is the Bradonothology. It's a lot easier coming in than a database with 800 interviews in it. This one has about 10. Some of them (the Hero of Ages Q&A) are really long, but at least you can get a handle on them.

[rags]

I read somewhere in the forum that each of the order of Knight Radiants had two magical abilities and that each of those powers was shared with one other order. That makes 10 powers total. That means that the powers can combine only in specific ways in an individual. Do we know why this is? Why only two? Is it possible to have all the possible combinations in a non-radiant individual? In other words is this magical "class restriction" applicable only to KRs or is it a universal rule?

A related question, are Shallan and Jasnah of the same order of knight radiants? (I am assuming their abilities are related to knight radiants)If yes then why does Jasnah not have her abilities to capture memories?

Edited August 3, 2012 by rags

[Voidus]

I read somewhere in the forum that each of the order of Knight Radiants had two magical abilities and that each of those powers was shared with one other order. That makes 10 powers total. That means that the powers can combine only in specific ways in an individual. Do we know why this is? Why only two? Is it possible to have all the possible combinations in a non-radiant individual? In other words is this magical "class restriction" applicable only to KRs or is it a universal rule?

A related question, are Shallan and Jasnah of the same order of knight radiants? (I am assuming their abilities are related to knight radiants)If yes then why does Jasnah not have her abilities to capture memories?

I doubt that non-KRs can have more than two abilities as Szeth still only has the two abilities of the Windrunner orders, and actually there are no KRs alive in the present so if it were possible then Kaladin, Shallan, Szeth and Jasnah would all be able to use multiple abilities. As for why, presumably a similar reason that on Scadrial you can only get 1 or all of the allomantic abilities. On Shallan and Jasnah, the general consensus is that they are in different orders and also it is not confirmed that Shallans Memories are the result of a Surge.

[Lightflame]

Does Jasnah know Shallan's step-mother personally, or has she only heard of her? (I will most likely get a RAFO. Unless Brandon says something like, "Oh yes, because the step-mother was Dalinar's wife." Which won't happen.)

[Trizee]

Do we know at what point in his writing career Brandon came up with the idea of the Cosmere?

[Voidus]

Do we know at what point in his writing career Brandon came up with the idea of the Cosmere?

There are a few quotes on this, but yes we do it was before any of his books were published.

While he was selling his initial works to publishers, Brandon was encouraged to write books set in different worlds as opposed to huge epic fantasy series. That way if a publisher didn't like one book he could pitch them a different one, which you can't do with a huge fantasy series. But as a way of still having a huge fantasy series, Brandon made all of these independent stories a "hidden epic." That is, he seeded continuing characters and elements into all of these different worlds, now dubbed the "cosmere".

[happyman]

Do we know at what point in his writing career Brandon came up with the idea of the Cosmere?

Adding to Voidus response, I saw/heard somewhere that he though it was really cool how Issac Asimov and others managed to tie all their stories in to one overarching plot, but was always disappointed that it was so obviously tacked on after the fact. Hence, he decided that there was no reason not to invent the back-story first, knowing it would largely be a setting in which other stories would be placed.

[Trizee]

What would be the name of the Elantris trilogy? Would it simply be "Elantris", or possibly something else? I would ask the same thing about Warbreaker, but I'm not sure a two book series (Warbreaker and its sequel "Nightblood") warrants a name.

[Aminar]

I would guess that eventually Elantris and Warbreaker will get an extra name. Like Mistborn: The Final EMpire was originally Mistborn and Star Wars got A New Hope tacked on later.

[Brendan]

Elantris trilogy? when did we get info on the, I thought it was only going to have a sequel?

[Voidus]

Elantris trilogy? when did we get info on the, I thought it was only going to have a sequel?

From the interview DB

QUESTION

Will there be any sequels to Elantris?

BRANDON SANDERSON

In 2015, the 10th anniversary of the series, he intends to release Dragonriders, three books based on side characters. They will take place 10 years after events, in the city of Dacor.

But it's usually just been called a sequel