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Stormlight Book 4 - Readings


Wander89

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Am I the only one that had a slight meltdown when Navani described Gavilar's two uncommon visitors as "ambassadors from the West"? That's exactly the same phrase that Jasnah used to describe Nale and Kalak in her prologue chapter. I assumed the two men to be from the Sons of Honor, but whether the Heralds would be members of that group or not, the fact that they were talking about trying to travel beyond Braize has got my brain exploding with implications...

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2 hours ago, Stormlightning said:

Am I the only one that had a slight meltdown when Navani described Gavilar's two uncommon visitors as "ambassadors from the West"? That's exactly the same phrase that Jasnah used to describe Nale and Kalak in her prologue chapter. I assumed the two men to be from the Sons of Honor, but whether the Heralds would be members of that group or not, the fact that they were talking about trying to travel beyond Braize has got my brain exploding with implications...

This leads to some interesting questions.  If he knows that they are Heralds then he clearly does not share goals with the sons of honor.  If he does know then he is being manipulated by them.  I also wonder how Navani does not recognize braize(Kaladin does) and what she is going to do when she gets spotted.

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Play/Pause
 

Brandon Sanderson

Of course the Parshendi wanted to play their drums. Of course Gavilar had told them they could. And of course he hadn't thought to warn Navani.

"Have you seen the size of those instruments?" [Hratham] said, running her hands through her black hair. "Where will we put them? We can't...".

"We move to the upper feast hall," Navani said, trying to project a calm demeanour. Everyone else in the kitchen was close to panicking, cooks running one direction or another, pots banging. Gavilar had invited not just the Highprinces but their relatives, and every Highlord in town, and he wanted a <inaudible>, and now drums?

"We've already set up in the lower hall," [Hratham] said, "I don't have the staff to..."

"There are twice as many soldiers as usual loitering around the palace tonight," Navani said, "we'll have them move the tables". Gavilar never forgot about things like posting extra guards. Projecting strength, making a show of force? He could always be counted on for that. For everything else, he had Navani. 

"Could work, yes" [Hratham] said. "Good to put those [lads] to work rather than having them underfoot. Alright, deep breaths". 

A short palace organiser [stumbled] away, narrowly avoiding an apprentice cook carrying a large bowl of steaming shellfish. Navani stepped to the side and let them go past. The man nodded in thanks. The staff had long since stopped being nervous when she entered their kitchens. She made it clear to them that doing their job sufficiently was superior praise to her than a bow. Fortunately, this staff was the type of middle ranked lighteyes who understood the need for a little practicality.

They seemed to have things well in hand now. There had been a scare earlier when three barrels of [grain] had been discovered with worms in them. A little creative thinking had reminded them that Brightlord Amaram had stores for his men and Navani had been able to pry them out of his grip. For now it seemed that with the extra cooks borrowed from the monastery they may actually be able to feed all the extra people Gavilar had invited.

"I should leave some of the tables set up in the lower hall", she thought, slipping out of the kitchens and into the palace gardens. "Who knows who might show up with an invitation". At the very least she might need to feed some military officers who couldn't be seated in the main feast hall. 

She turned <inaudible> through the gardens and entered the palace through the side doors. She'd be less...out of the way, and wouldn't have to dodge servants if she went this way. Maybe she could...

Navani slowed. The Kholinar palace was brightly lit tonight, with spheres adorning every hallway and all the garden walkways. By that light Navani could easily make out Aesudan, her daughter-in-law, Elhokar's wife, standing just near the fountains. The slender woman wore her long hair in a bun, which was lit with gemstones of each shade. All those colors were gaudy together. Navani preferred a few simple stones themed to a color, but it did make Aesudan stand out as she chatted with two elderly ardents. 

Storms, bright and brash. Was that [Rushar Kris?], the artist and master artifabrian? When had he gotten into town? Who'd invited him? He was holding a small [boss?] with a flower painted on it. Could that be one of his new fabrials? Navani felt herself drawn to the [boss], all her thoughts fleeing her mind. How had he gotten the heating fabrial to work? How had he captured the flamespren? How did he make the temperature variant? She'd seen drawings, but to talk to the master artist herself?

Aesudan saw Navani and then smiled brightly. The joy seemed genuine which was unusual, at least when she directed it at Navani. Navani tried not to take Aesudan's general sourness to her as a personal affront. It was the prerogative of every woman to feel threatened by her mother-in-law, particularly when the girl was so obviously lacking in talents. Fortunately, Elhokar liked her and she was of a good family. Navani smiled at her and turned, trying to enter the conversation and get a better look at that [boss]. Aesudan however took Navani by the arm.

"Mother! I had forgotten completely about our appointment. I'm so fickle sometimes. Terribly sorry Ardent [Kris], but I must make a hasty exit", Aesudan tugging Navani forcefully back through the gardens toward the kitchens. 

"Thank Kalak you showed up Mother. That man is the most dreadful bore."\

"Bore?", Navani said, twisting to look over her shoulder.

"He was talking about a gemstone, and another gemstone, and spren, and boxes of spren, and...storms, what a night! You'd think he would understand we have important people to meet. The wives of Highprinces, the best generals of the land come to gawk at the wild Parshmen. Then I get stuck in the garden talking to ardents! You son ditched me there, I'll have you know. When I find that boy...".

Navani extricated herself from Aesudan's grip. "Someone should go entertain those ardents. Why are they here?". 

"Don't ask me", Aesudan said. "Gavilar wanted them for something, but he made Elhokar entertain them. Poor manners that is, really".

Gavilar had invited one of the world's most prominent artifabrians to visit the palace and hadn't even bothered to tell Navani? An anger stirred deep inside her, a fury she kept carefully penned and locked away. 

"That man. That storming man. How could he...". 

Calm, Navani, the rationalist inside her mind said. Maybe he intends to introduce you to the ardent as a gift. He knows how interested you are in fabrials. Perhaps that was it.

"Brightness!", a voice called from the kitchens, "Oh, Brightness Navani, please, we have a problem!".

"Aesudan", Navani said, eyes on the ardent who was slowly walking away toward the path to the monastery. She could catch him. She could spare a few minutes. "Could you help the kitchens with whatever they need. I'd like to...".

But Aesudan was already hurrying off towards another group in the gardens, one attended by several powerful Highlord Generals. Navani took a deep breath, shoving down another stab of annoyance. Aesudan claimed to care about propriety and manners but she'd butt into a conversation between men without even her husband as an excuse.

"Brightness!", the cooked called, waving to her. Navani took one last look at the ardents then set her jaw and hurried back to the kitchen, careful not to catch her skirt on the ornamental shalebark. "What now?".

"Wine ", the cook said. "We're out of both the [clear?] and the ruby <inaudible>".

"How?", Navani said. "We ordered...". She shared a look with the cook and the answer was evident. Dalinar had been at the wine again, it appeared. "I have a private store", Navani said, pulling a notebook from her pocket. She gripped it in her safehand through her sleeves, scribbling a note. "I keep it in the monastery, with Sister [Nama?]. Show her this and she'll give you access."

"Thank you Brightness", the cook said, taking the note. Before the man was even out the door, however, Navani spotted the house steward, a white bearded man who had too many rings on his fingers, standing in the stairwell up to the palace proper. He was fidgeting with the rings on his hand.

"What is it?", she asked, striding over.

"Guests have started to arrive Brightness, including Highlord Vamah, who was promised an audience with the King regarding the border disputes. You know the one about...".

"The misdrawn maps, yes", Navani said, sighing. "And my husband?".

"Vanished Brightness", the steward said. "He was seen with Brightlord Amaram and some of those...uncommon figures". That was the term that palace staff used for Gavilar's new friends, the ones who seemed to arrive without warning or announcement, and rarely gave their names.

Navani ground her teeth, thinking through the places Gavilar might have gotten himself to. There were a few rooms he tended to use. He would probably be angry if she interrupted him. Well, good. He should see to his duties rather than just assuming she'd handle it all. Unfortunately, at the moment, she...well, she would have to handle it. Brightlord Vamah couldn't be left waiting. 

She let the anxious steward lead her up to the grand entryway where guards were being entertained with music, drinks and poetry while the feast was being prepared. Others were going with master-servants to view the Parshendi, the night's true novelty. It wasn't every day that the King of Alethkar signed a treaty with a group of mysterious Parshmen who could talk. 

She dealt with Vamah, offering apologetic words, even going so far as to review the maps herself and write them a judgement. From there she was stopped from locating Gavilar by a line of needy men and women who had come specifically to get the King's attention, a privilege that was growing more and more difficult these days, unless you were one of the uncommon figures. Navani assured Brightlords their petitions were being heard. She promised to look into injustices. She soothed the crumbled feelings of those who thought a personal invitation from the King would mean they'd actually get to see him. It was emotionally taxing work but nothing new to her and fully within the Queen's expected duties.

Navani didn't resent her station. Perhaps some day she'd be able to spend her days tinkering with fabrials and pretending she was a scholar. For now she had duties. The only thing that truly bothered her was the fact that she shouldn't have to do it alone. She was unsurprised at asking that  unexpected guests were indeed still showing up, ones that weren't even on the list an annoyed Gavilar provided for earlier that day. Vedeledev's Golden Keys! \

Navani kept her increasing fury under control, painting an amicable face for the arriving guests. She smiled, she laughed, she waved. Using the cheatsheet she kept in her notebook she asked after families, new births and axehounds. She enquired about trade situations, took notes on which lighteyes seemed to be avoiding others. In short, she acted like a queen.

She always felt like an imposter, and with good reason. She hadn't been born to the station. Gavilar, Navani, Sadeas, Ialai, they'd taken these mantles upon themselves. And however prestigious her ancient lineage, Navani had to work hard to suppress her anxiety that whispered she was really just a girl wearing someone else's clothing. Those insecurities had been stronger lately. Calm calm, no room for that sort of thinking.

She rounded the room and was happy to know that Aesudan had found Elhokar and was chatting with him for once, rather than other men. Elhokar did look happy presiding over the pre-feast gathering in his father's absence. Adolin and Renarin were there in their stiff uniforms, the former delighting a small group of young women, the latter looking ungainly and awkward as he stood by his brother. 

And there was Dalinar, standing tall. <inaudible> but with those haunted eyes, simmering with passion. He wasn't drunk yet, but people orbited him, like they might a fire on a cold night, getting close, but not daring to step up and face the true heat of his presence. Storms. She complained to her current conversation partners that she was feeling a little faint and, after assuring them that she would be fine, made a brief exit up the steps where she wouldn't feel so warm.

It was probably a bad idea to leave, they were lacking a king, so if the Queen vanished too, questions were bound to arise. But surely everyone could get on without her for a short time. Besides, up here she could check on one of Gavilar's hiding places. He probably had come this direction, away from both guests and the location of the new feast hall.

Parshendi with their drums passed nearby speaking a language she did not understand, though one of the young interpreters was with them, so Navani could have asked if she'd wanted. Instead she twisted her way through the dungeon-like hallways. Why didn't this place have a little more light, a few more windows? She'd brought the matter up with Gavilar but he liked it this way, gave him more places to hide. 

"There," she thought, stopping at an intersection, "voices".

"Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn't mean anything, Gavilar", one of them said. "It's too close to be a relevant distance".

"It was impossible just a few short years ago", said a deep, powerful voice, his. "This is proof. The connection is not severed but can be warped to allow for travel. Not yet, as far as you like, but we must start the journey somewhere". 

Navani inched forward, looking around the corner. Yes, there he was, right where she'd expect him to be, in her study, a place she rarely had time to visit but also a place where people weren't likely to search for the King. It was a cozy little room with a nice window, tucked away in a corner of the second floor. He'd left the door cracked and she inched to peer in.

Gavilar Kholin had a big enough presence to fill the room all by himself. He wore a beard, but instead of being unfashionable on him it looked classic, like he was a painting come to life, a representation of old Alethkar. By wearing the beard someone thought he might start a fashion trend, but nobody else had been able to pull off the look. Others didn't have Gavilar's strong features. Beyond that, there was an area of distortion around Gavilar. Nothing supernatural or non-sensical. It was that, well, you accepted that Gavilar could do whatever he wanted, in defiance of tradition or logic. For him it would work out. That was just the way of things.

The King was speaking with two men that Navani vaguely recognized, 'ambassadors from the west' were what they'd been called but no kingdom had been given for their home. They were simply among Gavilar's uncommon visitors 

 
Footnote: This reading is from a draft of the prelude and may change before publication

 

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4 hours ago, Karger said:

This leads to some interesting questions.  If he knows that they are Heralds then he clearly does not share goals with the sons of honor.  If he does know then he is being manipulated by them.  I also wonder how Navani does not recognize braize(Kaladin does) and what she is going to do when she gets spotted.

When did Kal hear/talk about Braize? I can't remember 

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7 hours ago, Karger said:

This leads to some interesting questions.  If he knows that they are Heralds then he clearly does not share goals with the sons of honor.  If he does know then he is being manipulated by them.  I also wonder how Navani does not recognize braize(Kaladin does) and what she is going to do when she gets spotted.

I can think of two explanations here. 1) Braize as damnation may not be common knowledge. Maybe it is a darkeyed superstition thing. 2) In the moment of her eavesdropping she did not process the information and did not have the time to do so later either.

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11 hours ago, ChickenLiberty said:

I like how the steward had too many rings.

Mistborn:

  Hide contents

Probably not a feruchemist but worth mentioning

 

I like this idea.

 

12 hours ago, Stormlightning said:

Am I the only one that had a slight meltdown when Navani described Gavilar's two uncommon visitors as "ambassadors from the West"? That's exactly the same phrase that Jasnah used to describe Nale and Kalak in her prologue chapter. I assumed the two men to be from the Sons of Honor, but whether the Heralds would be members of that group or not, the fact that they were talking about trying to travel beyond Braize has got my brain exploding with implications...

What if Nale and Kalak were attempting to play Gavilar? After all, there is a pretty developed theory that they helped orchestrate the assassination, and Nale most certainly knows of the Sons of Honor. Nale and Kalak might just be there talking to Gavilar in order to spy on him. 

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46 minutes ago, Toaster Retribution said:

What if Nale and Kalak were attempting to play Gavilar? After all, there is a pretty developed theory that they helped orchestrate the assassination, and Nale most certainly knows of the Sons of Honor. Nale and Kalak might just be there talking to Gavilar in order to spy on him. 

This is the question is it not.  What does Gavilar know about his two "friends"?

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Gavilar seems to know so much - I mean he literally went to Braize - so I have a hard time believing that he doesn't know who he's talking to (assuming it really is the Heralds). Not that it's impossible,  though. I'm more inclined to think he knows who they are, but is still being played.  Man,  I wish we'd gotten a little more! I'm stumped as to what this could mean

Edited by Stormlightning
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1 hour ago, Stormlightning said:

Gavilar seems to know so much - I mean he literally went to Braize -

What?

1 hour ago, Stormlightning said:

I'm more inclined to think he knows who they are, but is still being played.

Possible but less likely.  Gavilar might be arrogant but I seriously doubt he was ever stupid.

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20 minutes ago, Karger said:

What?

This sounds to me like he went, got something, and brought it back:

Quote

"Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn't mean anything, Gavilar", one of them said. "It's too close to be a relevant distance".

Although it could be something like"bring" as in "summon".

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On 9/1/2019 at 1:46 PM, Stormlightning said:

This sounds to me like he went, got something, and brought it back:

 

On 8/31/2019 at 9:12 PM, Wander89 said:

"Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn't mean anything, Gavilar", one of them said. "It's too close to be a relevant distance".

This sounds much more like he summoned a spren from Braize not that he physically went there.

 

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Was that [Rushar Kris?], the artist and master artifabrian...

When had he gotten into town? Who'd invited him? He was holding a small [boss?] with a flower painted on it. Could that be one of his new fabrials?

 

Quote

Navani extricated herself from Aesudan's grip. "Someone should go entertain those ardents. Why are they here?". 

"Don't ask me", Aesudan said. "Gavilar wanted them for something, but he made Elhokar entertain them. Poor manners that is, really".

Does this mean what I think it means?  Have we IDed the person responsible for making the black sphere?

Edited by Karger
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I need to do a thorough review of the previous prologues. Something's not adding up to me about the Sons of Honor. If they were trying to bring the Heralds out of hiding by restarting the Desolations... then what was Gavilar talking with two of them about? Without the rest of the Sons of Honor; this isn't the same secret meeting that Eshonai stumbled into last book. (Come on, Gavilar, step it up a little. How can you have had all these secrets when you can't get any privacy?) Was Gavilar merely using the Sons of Honor to further his own secret ends?

But until I can put in the time for that, I'll just note a few peculiar lines that started gears turning in my head:

Quote

And however prestigious her ancient lineage, Navani had to work hard to suppress her anxiety that whispered she was really just a girl wearing someone else's clothing. Those insecurities had been stronger lately.

Could be a throwaway line. Could be an Unmade influence.

Quote

"Guests have started to arrive, Brightness, including Highlord Vamah, who was promised an audience with the King regarding the border disputes. You know the one..."

"...about the misdrawn maps, yes," Navani said, sighing.

Again, could be a meaningless detail to give specificity to Navani's PoV. Or, is someone actively screwing with maps? I'm reminded of how Lin Davar and Amaram had extensive personal map collections. Could be a whiff of a conspiracy here, something big being hidden in plain sight by Stalin-ing it out of all the maps.

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3 hours ago, Pagerunner said:

Again, could be a meaningless detail to give specificity to Navani's PoV. Or, is someone actively screwing with maps? I'm reminded of how Lin Davar and Amaram had extensive personal map collections. Could be a whiff of a conspiracy here, something big being hidden in plain sight by Stalin-ing it out of all the maps.

I really like this idea. It does seem that there's been an undue amount of attention on maps among suspicious types. 

 

Yeah,  something here is really throwing off what I thought I knew about Gavilar. I really wish Brandon had read just slightly farther-- if it WAS the Heralds, I'm sure he's going to mention Nale's birthmark/scar to lock it in. And if it's not,  the Sons of Honor are really starting to alarm me (not that they weren't already...). If Braize is "too close", what in the world are they shooting for? Ashyn isn't that much farther away...perhaps this where Vasher becomes important?

There's art in WoK of Nale holding aloft the Sword of Retribution, which I've always wondered about. If that's somehow Nightblood... Nale could be switcharooing the Five Scholars, trying to get access to Awakening for some reason. He's crazy, so who knows what he thinks it'll accomplish. /tinfoil

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3 hours ago, Pagerunner said:

I need to do a thorough review of the previous prologues. Something's not adding up to me about the Sons of Honor. If they were trying to bring the Heralds out of hiding by restarting the Desolations... then what was Gavilar talking with two of them about? Without the rest of the Sons of Honor; this isn't the same secret meeting that Eshonai stumbled into last book. (Come on, Gavilar, step it up a little. How can you have had all these secrets when you can't get any privacy?) Was Gavilar merely using the Sons of Honor to further his own secret ends?

It sounds like Gavilar might interested in leaving Roshar.  It's a reasonable conclusion to reach, if you've been having visions about how horrific the Desolations were even with the Heralds and the Radiants and talking to the "You're All Gonna Die" Stormfather. They're talking about going somewhere, and Braize clearly isn't far enough.  Or perhaps they're hoping to get reinforcements from somewhere.

Quote

Again, could be a meaningless detail to give specificity to Navani's PoV. Or, is someone actively screwing with maps? I'm reminded of how Lin Davar and Amaram had extensive personal map collections. Could be a whiff of a conspiracy here, something big being hidden in plain sight by Stalin-ing it out of all the maps.

Also, what was the first thing the Parshendi asked about?  Maps.

Though in all honesty, I suspect it's just an unimportant detail.  A dispute over who owns what land sounds like exactly the sort of thing that the Alethi and Vedan use to fuel their conflicts.

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This is all very intriguing. It sure sounds like Gavilar is talking about taking bonded spren off-world, but he never managed to really bond with the Stormfather himself, nor to find any other budding Radiants? Ironically, given that Jasnah was becoming one under his ery nose. IIRC, Braize is also described as dangerous in Arcanum Unbounded, so it is rather odd that humans managed to travel there and back through Shadesmar without getting murdered by the Odium spren. Might he have been talking about dead shardblades, maybe? There is a WoB that they hadn't been ever taken to another major shardworld, and maybe Gavilar wanted to do so, for some reason? To trade them for something, maybe?*

*Scratch that. Re-reading the passage it does seem that he is talking about taking the voidspren from Braize. But if the black spheres are the result of such spren-napping, why is it not "enough"? They are on Roshar, aren't they? Did Gavilar want to take them to the worlds outside of his star system?

And this: "The connection is not severed but can be warped to allow for travel." does suggest the mechanism for taking the Radiant spren off-world. Which, I am sure, we will eventually see.

And was the king talking to Nale and Kalak, who were also called "ambassadors from the west" in the WoR prologue from Jasnah's PoV? Which would be quite strange, because there they were at the very least aware of  and complicit in the impending/on-going assassination, if not actively involved. Did Gavilar know who he was speaking to, but was misled as to their motives? Did they infiltrate his organization without him being the wiser, in order to better hinder him? Or were the Heralds  trailing and spying on some genuine associates of Gavilar from the west with whom he was talking in this scene? 

Or, maybe Kalak started to work with Gavilar and then got cold feet and informed Nale? Or Nale found out, inserted himself into proceedings and did what he could to stop Gavilar? I mean, from this dialog it is very clear that he would have wanted to squash this endeavour ASAP.

Are all those celebrated scholars and artifabrians now trapped in the occupied Alethkar? Our Heroes really need to get hold of them!

All in all, it seems that Gavilar's real goals were more complex than what Amaram thought they were.  I somehow don't think that supremacy of Vorinism was really on the king's agenda. I am also very curious why he chose to involve Amaram and Aesudan - though, again, apparently not as deeply as they believed, but not Navani and Jasnah?

 

Edited by Isilel
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2 minutes ago, Q10fanatic said:

So, I see this as Gavilar learning how to get Spren off of Roshar. Could these ambassadors from the west be the people that Hoid needs to speak with to learn how to go off world with a Nahel bonded radiant spren?

Jasnah's prologue from Book 2 identifies the "ambassadors from the west" as Nale and his associate. And it seems like they're the ones coming to him for help, rather than the other way around:

Quote

"Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn't mean anything, Gavilar," one of them said. "It's too close to be a relevant distance."

"It was impossible just a few short years ago," said a deep, powerful voice, his. "This is proof. The Connection is not severed, but can be warped to allow for travel. Not yet as far as you'd like, but we must start the journey somewhere."

Let's work backwards. The Heralds are the ones who want to travel. (Gavilar is addressing them, at this point.) And they want to travel farther away than Braize.

What's Gavilar's evidence? There is Connection binding something "from Braize," but doesn't anymore limit travel between Braize and Roshar. Voidspren or Fused are the options I see. With the Oathpact still in effect, and Taln not going to return for another five years, that's got me leaning towards Voidspren. Ulim, in particular.

All that being said, I don't think anyone has figured out how to get all the way off Roshar, since Nale is still there, and he appears to be the one asking in this scene.

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So the Heralds wants to leave the Rosharan system? I get why Kalak would want that, but why Nale? He has his own private army and seems to be content with ”protecting” Roshar by hunting proto-KR. The only reason I see for Nale to go to Gavilar for this is because Ishar asked him. And so, it isnt necessarily Nale who wants to get off-world, but Ishar, who thinks that he is a god. Anyone else who thinks that Ishar might be planning a Cosmere crusade?

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