That1GuySpencer Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 In WoK, before we know that Jasnah is a radiant, whenever Jasnah uses her Soulcaster, one of the gems had a chance to break (I think the smoakstone broke twice). Knowing that the Soulcaster was only a replication of a fabrial, why did the gemstones crack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantus Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Just now, TheBlueTaco said: In WoK, before we know that Jasnah is a radiant, whenever Jasnah uses her Soulcaster, one of the gems had a chance to break (I think the smoakstone broke twice). Knowing that the Soulcaster was only a replication of a fabrial, why did the gemstones crack? Easiest answer is that she is still using those gems for Stormlight fuel. They break when stressed by sudden extraction of their stormlight (there are physical stresses, they mention it on the Gem Archive functions), and Shallan has also caused it to happen with Soulcasting (in WoR ch7). Beyond that Jasnah was specifically trying to fool people, show she might have taken extra steps for deception (palming pre-cracked gems or something). Quote Coltonx9 Why do the gems in Jasnah's Soulcaster break when she is using her own ability in the first book? Brandon Sanderson Jasnah is very good at fooling people. Footnote: This may be a mistake. Shallan has also caused gems to crack when Soulcasting in Words of Radiance chapter 7.Skyward Pre-Release AMA (Oct. 22, 2018) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honorless Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 So are the gems only a requirement when using the Surge of Transformation using a Soulcaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weltall Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Honorless said: So are the gems only a requirement when using the Surge of Transformation using a Soulcaster? No, it's something that applies to Soulcasting when done by a Surgebinder whether they're faking the use of a fabrial or not. Brandon elsewhere mentioned that gems potentially breaking is a quirk of that Surge, which has restrictions the others don't. We don't know the Watsonian reason for it but the Doylist one is probably that Soulcasting (whether via fabrial or a Surgebinder) is so potentially story-breaking that it needs some extra limitations to stay within the bounds of Sanderson's Second Law. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantus Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 16 hours ago, Honorless said: So are the gems only a requirement when using the Surge of Transformation using a Soulcaster? @Weltall is correct, though if your question was whether the Type of gem only matters with a Fabrial Soulcaster, that is correct. The Gem Type doesnt matter to any Radiant uses of Surges including Soulcasting, it seems to be a quirk of Fabrials, specifically. Narratively, it was going to matter more. Brandon has said the original draft had every Order able to use Soulcasting, but restricted to just their associated Essence (kind of like how every order can heal, but self-only). This was eventually scrapped when he felt it made the Orders to similar in power set, and wanted their individual power to be more significant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pathfinder Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 (edited) I may be misunderstanding @Weltall and @Quantus but we have a WoB that when a radiant is in a highstorm they can soulcast whatever essence they want without gemstones. I will add it in a moment, but that coupled with the other WoBs say to me that a Radiant soulcasting does not need specific gemstones to soulcast. They are using the stormlight to fuel the surge and thereby can use any essence. Just some are better at/more practiced at some essences than others. Jasnah confesses she isn't very good with organics. For using fabrials alone, since they are limited, they need specific gemstones to soulcast specific essences. If that was what you both were saying, then I apologize in advance. If you both were saying something different, then I realize and acknowledge what I wrote has not been explicitly confirmed yet, and it is my own understanding/interpretation of the WoB at hand. The Forumlurker (paraphrased) If a Radiant tried to Soulcast directly with the Stormlight from the highstorm, what essences could they create? Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased) They could basically do whatever they want. There wouldn't be any limitations, but only for Radiant Soulcasters. Stuttgart signing (May 17, 2019) Edited January 30, 2020 by Pathfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantus Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Pathfinder said: I may be misunderstanding @Weltall and @Quantus but we have a WoB that when a radiant is in a highstorm they can soulcast whatever essence they want without gemstones. I will add it in a moment, but that coupled with the other WoBs say to me that a Radiant soulcasting does not need specific gemstones to soulcast. They are using the stormlight to fuel the surge and thereby can use any essence. Just some are better at/more practiced at some essences than others. Jasnah confesses she isn't very good with organics. For using fabrials alone, since they are limited, they need specific gemstones to soulcast specific essences. If that was what you both were saying, then I apologize in advance. If you both were saying something different, then I realize and acknowledge what I wrote has not been explicitly confirmed yet, and it is my own understanding/interpretation of the WoB at hand. The Forumlurker (paraphrased) If a Radiant tried to Soulcast directly with the Stormlight from the highstorm, what essences could they create? Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased) They could basically do whatever they want. There wouldn't be any limitations, but only for Radiant Soulcasters. Stuttgart signing (May 17, 2019) No, I think we are agreed. The only case Im aware of where the Gem Type makes a difference is with making and using Fabrials, including but not limited to Soulcaster Fabrials. The actual Essences are still important to the Soulcasting process at least regarding relative difficulty and the "default" functionality, though I think it could be debated whether that is innate to the system or the result of Cultural (mis)understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Harrycrapper Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 Also, what might add to the confusion is where Jasnah specifically asks for a garnet when Soulcasting Shallan's blood to cure her of the poison. I chalk that up to Jasnah still trying to keep up the act of having a Soulcaster instead of being one. Which really speaks to Jasnah's character, not many people in such a frenetic moment would be able to wait for the right type of gemstone when they knew they didn't need it. Jasnah really knows how to commit to a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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