The Ultimate List of Questions for Brandon

[Yata]

3 hours ago, ccstat said:

Inspired by @Yata in a discord conversation:

1. A person has their arm cut by a shardblade, making it a dead limb. Eventually they die and an awakener tries to make a Lifeless from their body. Will the Lifeless have a functional arm, or will it remain cognitively/spiritually separate?
2. If the awakener met the person while they were still alive, would they be able to awaken the limb, making a partial Lifeless? Would the arm be able to obey instructions (from someone with the command phrase) like a regular lifeless would?

 

By the way, yesterday I misunderstood you. I believed you talk of a limb spiritual and physical cutted from the owner (two Shardblade's cuts)...I don't believe this change the result but sadly no Adams' Hand

[ccstat]

I wasn't the one proposing it on discord, i just saw the conversation after it happened and was intrigued.

My reasoning on the still-alive scenario is that if the blade cuts on all three realms, then the am becomes a distinct cognitive/spiritual entity. That makes it a valid, unique target for Awakening, such that (I think) the breath would only affect the arm and would remain partitioned from the rest of the body. But physically everything is in place and functional. Blood is still circulating and it's not decaying or becoming necrotic. It ought to be fully functional if it could be awakened.

One additional difficulty, though, is that the shard-severed limb drains of color, so it may not have any left to fuel the Awakening.

[ParadoxicalZen]

Seeing as the Alethkar Oathgate has been incorporated into Kholinar's palace; if it were to be used would it transport the palace as well, or only biological entities?

[Lord Bookwyrm]

Theoretically, would a feruchemist be able to use any magic system by tapping nicrosil and duralumin at the same time? Coz both the investiture and the connection would be blank, so it would connect with the planet the feruchemist was on, say Roshar. So you are now connected to Roshar. The feruchemist then taps nicrosil. Due to the duralumin, the investiture is connected to Roshar, so you could use the main magic focus there. Could this, theoretically, happen?

[Calderis]

11 hours ago, Lord Bookworm said:

Theoretically, would a feruchemist be able to use any magic system by tapping nicrosil and duralumin at the same time? Coz both the investiture and the connection would be blank, so it would connect with the planet the feruchemist was on, say Roshar. So you are now connected to Roshar. The feruchemist then taps nicrosil. Due to the duralumin, the investiture is connected to Roshar, so you could use the main magic focus there. Could this, theoretically, happen?

I don't believe so. The only ones I could see this possibly working for is Sel's magics, and even then to tap connection to that specific area, you'd have to have had a connection to that area to store. 

[Dunkum]

12 hours ago, Lord Bookworm said:

Theoretically, would a feruchemist be able to use any magic system by tapping nicrosil and duralumin at the same time? Coz both the investiture and the connection would be blank, so it would connect with the planet the feruchemist was on, say Roshar. So you are now connected to Roshar. The feruchemist then taps nicrosil. Due to the duralumin, the investiture is connected to Roshar, so you could use the main magic focus there. Could this, theoretically, happen?

I think the connection part would more or less work, but for the investiture part, they would probably have to have a metalmind that was already filled by someone who already had that form of investiture (at a minimum, it may be even more complex than that).  what we have seen of nicrosilminds they provide specific abilities, like ferruchemical iron.  so if you took a f-iron nicrosilmind to sel, for example, and did what you suggest above, you would possibly have sufficient connection to use selish investiture, but the investiture you tap from the metalmind would still be f-iron, not one of the selish varieties.  If someone somehow was able to provide you with an unkeyed nicrosilmind filled with the ability to use Aons then, what you are talking about may work.

[The One Who Connects]

On 9/24/2017 at 10:00 PM, ccstat said:

A person has their arm cut by a shardblade, making it a dead limb. Eventually they die and an awakener tries to make a Lifeless from their body. Will the Lifeless have a functional arm, or will it remain cognitively/spiritually separate?

A Shardblade killed body can be made into a Lifeless, so I don't particularly think the blade killed arm will be a big deal.

Quote

[00:56:06]

little wilson: Can a Shardblade-killed body be turned into a Lifeless?

Brandon: Can a Shardblade-killed body be turned into a Lifeless…  Yeees, it can be re-Invested.

little wilson:  Are there any side-effects to doing so?

Brandon: Uhhh, there would be side-effects.  I won’t tell you what they are.  They would be minor, minor, mostly inconsequential side-effects.

Orem Signing Document, Page 3.

[Stark]

Would Adonalsium always have split into 16 equal shards, or were some pieces uneven?  Do some shards have a fraction more power than others, or are they all equal?

 

Also, we know a different group of sixteen would possibly have gotten a different 16 intents.  But what if it had been a group of 10, or 17 that shattered Adonalsium?  Would they have gotten 10, more powerful, but less diverse shards?  Or 17 slightly lesser shards than the existing sixteen.

 

If it had been a group of 8, would they have gotten 8 shards of Harmony's power level with a singular intent each (but without Harmony's divide between Ruin and Preservation), or would their 8 have been dual intent?

[Mulk]

As to one - I rather doubt it. The reason the arm is dead is the spirit is cut there.  When the person dies, the rest of their spirit leaves the body, so you have a whole body ready for being a lifeless.

As to two - I don't think so but I can't provide a reasoning at this point.

[Brightlord M. Alhstrom]

3 hours ago, Stark said:

Would Adonalsium always have split into 16 equal shards, or were some pieces uneven?  Do some shards have a fraction more power than others, or are they all equal?

I feel like whatever means they used to Kill Uncle Andy split him equally. It just makes more sense on so many levels. Also, since I think this might be the kind of question we'd get answered in Dragonsteel, I highly suspect you'd get RAFO'd on these.

3 hours ago, Stark said:

If it had been a group of 8, would they have gotten 8 shards of Harmony's power level with a singular intent each (but without Harmony's divide between Ruin and Preservation), or would their 8 have been dual intent?

From what I understand, if you were to take all of the traits and bring them together, you'd have Uncle Andy's personality, so it would make sense that that would be the case regardless of how many shards there were. So, I suspect that if there were only 8 shards, their traits/intents would be broader, encompassing more of his personality. However, that is assuming it was possible to split him in a number other than 16. I partially suspect that the weapon used had 16 as part of how it works, that there didn't just happen to be 16 people trying to kill Adonalsium, but that some of the 16 were chosen to fill in gaps, to bring them up to 16.

[Metalrift]

If a soulcaster were to make urea, what gemstone would be used? What gemstone would be needed for acetic acid and what for stearic acid? How does the definition of an organic compound relate to soulcasting?

[Ethan_sedai]

are Roshar's weather systems based on the weather like here in Utah? If you don't know, we don't have hurricanes, but we  have windstorms that will throw trees, they're not always that strong, but they are frequent, especially in spring and fall, and the weather is unpredictable, sometimes it will seem like we have all four seasons in one week, especially in spring and fall, when our axis tilt is relatively neutral in relation to the sun (I don't know the terminology! I hope you get what I'm saying.), just like Roshar's. 

(just for reference, I actually live in the same town as Brandon, so I know what the weather is like here in Utah.)

Edited September 29, 2017 by ethan_sedai

[Andy92]

@ethan_sedai You've also got those slot canyons in your area that remind me of the chasms in the Shattered Plains. I hiked through one in northern Arizona a couple years ago. 

I always did get that western U.S., rocky land, low vegetation vibe from a lot of places on Roshar. 

[Bromo_Sapien]

So I haven't read any of Oathbreaker yet so it may have been answered there (though I would be shocked) but are Shin originally native to Roshar? I'm waiting for a flight to board so I don't have much research ability to see if there's a WoB on this already but they are so foreign to anyone else on Roshar. They look different, they act different, they have completely different animals and plants. It's like their entire land was picked up from a more "Western" world and dropped onto Roshar. 

[Calderis]

8 hours ago, Bromo_Sapien said:

So I haven't read any of Oathbreaker yet so it may have been answered there (though I would be shocked) but are Shin originally native to Roshar? I'm waiting for a flight to board so I don't have much research ability to see if there's a WoB on this already but they are so foreign to anyone else on Roshar. They look different, they act different, they have completely different animals and plants. It's like their entire land was picked up from a more "Western" world and dropped onto Roshar. 

We have no confirmation either way, as far as I know, and all WoBs on it directly have been RAFO'd to my knowledge. 

The prevailing theory though is that all humans are immigrants to Roshar originally. 

[FiveLate]

11 hours ago, Bromo_Sapien said:

So I haven't read any of Oathbreaker yet so it may have been answered there (though I would be shocked) but are Shin originally native to Roshar? I'm waiting for a flight to board so I don't have much research ability to see if there's a WoB on this already but they are so foreign to anyone else on Roshar. They look different, they act different, they have completely different animals and plants. It's like their entire land was picked up from a more "Western" world and dropped onto Roshar. 

I personally theorize on three "waves" of human settlement based on language groups.

[Emerald101]

In the cosmere, would Einstein's relativity equations have to account for investiture as part of energy density?

 

[Farnsworth]

I don’t think so. Einstein’s equations in our universe always work, but in the Cosmere they only apply to the physical realm, I would think. Since investiture only exists in the Spiritual realm with the shards, I don’t think that applies.

[dashardie]

Did the Recreance occur at the same time as when the Final Legion of the Listeners chose Dull Form? I can't remember if there is any WoB about this, and I am curious whether these two events are related...

[Dahak]

On 26/09/2017 at 1:19 PM, ParadoxicalZen said:

Seeing as the Alethkar Oathgate has been incorporated into Kholinar's palace; if it were to be used would it transport the palace as well, or only biological entities?

It took everything on the platform: tents, supplies, people's clothes, and the crem encasement around the central tower when we saw it used. Szeth recognised the platform that had been in Urithru after Shallan transported the army.

There's no reason to assume it wouldn't take the palace, if the palace still exists. It might increase the stormlight requirements to an extortionate level though.

[ParadoxicalZen]

7 hours ago, Dahak said:

It took everything on the platform: tents, supplies, people's clothes, and the crem encasement around the central tower when we saw it used. Szeth recognised the platform that had been in Urithru after Shallan transported the army.

There's no reason to assume it wouldn't take the palace, if the palace still exists. It might increase the stormlight requirements to an extortionate level though.

Lets hope if anyone gets transported whilst on the Oathgate plateau itself, there isn't a wall in the corresponding place on the other side

[Dahak]

3 hours ago, ParadoxicalZen said:

Lets hope if anyone gets transported whilst on the Oathgate plateau itself, there isn't a wall in the corresponding place on the other side

The plateau in Uirithru swaps places with the one in the Dawn City so that shouldn't be a problem since the wall will have moved with the other plateau. Barring something hanging into the transfer zone from above perhaps.

[The One Who Connects]

Alright class, get ready for Today's Fabrial Questionnaire:

1. Given that we learned of the existence of Attractor Fabrials in WoR, it stands to reason that a Repellor Fabrial should be possible. Is this an accurate assumption? (Not asking if we will see one, only if one is possible to create. Gotta dodge them RAFO's)
2. Where does the smoke go?

   Quote

   Dalinar sighed as she stalked up to him, passing the tent's Fabrial - which glowed on a little pedestal, collecting water around it in a shimmering globe. That water streamed off along two metal rods at the sides of the Fabrial, spilling onto the ground the running out of the tent and over the plateau's edge.

   Quote

   Shallan stepped, hesitantly, closer to the back of the room. Smoke from the fire rose, then curled and twisted around something hanging at the top of the hearth. A gemstone? . . . No, a Fabrial. It gathered the smoke as a spool gathered thread. She'd never seen anything like it.

   Navani's Attractor Fabrial has to divert the water off the chasm, but Mraize's doesn't appear to divert the smoke anywhere. Is this simply a matter of scale(as there is much less smoke than there is rain), was this just glossed over by Shallan, or is this distinction highlighting something important?  (For the "something important" bit, Navani calls them a "new invention" and she's worried that it might "suck the blood out of the people around it," while Mraize's seems to be just fine half a book earlier)
3. Do all Fabrial types have opposites?     Augmenter/Diminisher    Conjoiner/Reverser    Attractor/Repellor(maybe)    Alerter/??
4. Can a singular Fabrial manipulate multiple different things? (I doubt it, but it's always worth asking for completeness)
5. Can a Dual-Purpose Fabrial be created? Ex: A Heating Fabrial that doubles as a Cooling Fabrial if you alter something on it(rotate something, tap a gemstone, pull a lever, etc..)
6. We have a Fabrial in a Dalinar Flashback with two different gemstones on it(Topaz and Heliodor^[12]). Is there a set pattern for what each gem/gem combinations allow a Fabrial to manipulate?
7. Augmenter and Diminisher Fabrials work best with "forces, emotions, or sensations." Would it be possible to make Rioter/Soother Fabrials for specific emotions?
   • Is it possible for an Augmenter/Diminisher Fabrial to affect the body's senses? (We know they can affect pain, and Nociception(pain-sense) is technically a sense..)
   • Can Augmenter/Diminisher Fabrials affect sound-waves? (If so, there's potential for Fabrial-Tech Megaphones, Hearing Aids, Silencers, Earplugs, etc...)
8. What are the limits to what an Attractor(or Repellor) Fabrial can push/pull on? I imagine the size of the object is one, but is that the only limitation? Are some objects/materials unable to be affected?
9. Are Alerter Fabrials capable of detecting active usage of Investiture?
   • Would an Aluminum object being thrown into the area set off an Alerter Fabrial?
     • In the same vein, would nearby aluminum cause Fabrials to malfunction in any way?
   • On the flip-side, is it possible to calibrate an Alerter Fabrial to detect the... Investiture Dead Zone that Aluminum creates around it?
10. Can an Alerter Fabrial be set to detect both people and objects at the same time? If not, why not? (Trying to get an idea of what distinguishes a people-detector from an object-detector without directly asking that because it sounds dumb to say out loud)
11. More perfectly cut gems leak Stormlight slower. Would a better cut gem also fill slower and/or get emptied slower when used in a Fabrial?
    • If so, would a perfectly cut gem(or a gem that contains Stormlight perfectly, if they aren't mutually exclusive) be unable to be emptied via the Fabrial?
12. Would wrapping an Infused Gemstone with aluminum prevent it from leaking Stormlight?
    • If so, is there a functional difference between wrapping the gem in aluminum foil as opposed to putting it in a large aluminum box? (basically asking if simply being surrounded by aluminum is enough or if the gem has to be tightly wrapped)

---

And a Slight Excursion into Soulcasting:

1. Is it possible for a scientifically-advanced Soulcaster to soulcast objects into CO2/Oxygen/etc.. specifically, rather than just smoke or air?
   • We've seen Soulcasters turn air into stone in WoR. Can they single out specific gases in the air or are they limited to just "air?"
     • Is there potential for an atmospheric balancing issue in the future since Rosharans don't understand that "air" is a complex mixture of different gases? (I recall Soulcast grain being bland because they don't understand it on a more detailed level to understand how flavor works, so I'm extrapolating)
   • The essence Zephyr is considered as "translucent gas, air," and Vapor includes opaque gas. Does this mean that any gas is valid for Soulcasting purposes?
2. If you filled a mold with water, could you soulcast that water into something else and have it keep it's shape? (Mostly asking because I'm curious why nobody seems to do that on Roshar, when it'd be more efficient than whittling down wood to cast into a metal railing)
   • For the purposes of "perception," would a mold/box have to be either transparent or open in order for one to soulcast the contents inside it?
     • If you want to ask it more bluntly: Is line of sight necessary for Soulcasting?
   • Would a stone pillar soulcast from open air be rougher than a stone pillar soulcast from air in a mold?
3. Are metal and stone more difficult to soulcast into other essences? (Checking for a connection between Soulcasting and Awakening)
4. If you have the right gemstones, can you soulcast something into an object of multiple essences at once? Ex: a stone carved into the shape of a campfire being soulcast into both the logs(wood) and the fire all at once. (You can soulcast things made of multiple essences(humans) into a single one, so I figured the reverse might be possible with practice)
5. Outside of aluminum(probably), are there any materials you cannot soulcast into something else?
   • For clarity's sake, can you soulcast aluminum into something else or is it immune to that too?
   • How far removed from the Ten Essences is too far for something to be soulcast into it? For example: Plastic isn't really one of the Ten Essences at all. Can it be made via Soulcasting? (If others can come up with more examples, maybe we can expand this into its own line of questioning)

---

32 Questions in today's haul. Remember kids, there's no harm in being thorough.

[Stark]

If Lift was given a full, unkeyed Bendalloy metalmind (stores calories), would she be able to tap it for awesomeness?

[Oversleep]

21 hours ago, Stark said:

If Lift was given a full, unkeyed Bendalloy metalmind (stores calories), would she be able to tap it for awesomeness?

No. I mean yes.

Assuming she also got unsealed medallion granting bendalloy Feruchemy, she would be able to tap the bendalloymind for calories which she would then be able to convert into Stormlight.