rhythm of war Cultivation Possibilities

[albenraph]

Spoilers for part five of Rhythm of War.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So Cultivation intentionally placed Taravangian to take up Odium. She mentioned wanting him to be able to control the shard. My question is, can he? He seems to be just a more dangerous version of Rayse at this point. He has the same goals but he's smarter and a better planner. Is this what Cultivation wanted, and does that make her a villain?

The way I see it there are three possibilities:

1: Cultivation messed up big time. She thought Taravangian could control the shard, but actually he's totally in it's power. He's Rayse again only smarter, and she just screwed the cosmere unless the radiants can stop him. This is probably the most likely

2: This was Cultivation's plan all along. She didn't have a problem with Odium's intent to dominate the cosmere, just with Rayse's personal desire to kill her. She either wants or is indifferent to Odium taking over and getting rid of the other shards. This could make her the ultimate villain of the stormlight archive, and is what I'm personally rooting for.

3: We have only seen 5d of the 6d chess Cultivation is playing. Her plans don't stop with Taravangian taking up Odium. Her end goal is to trap him in som e way Rayse never could have been trapped, possibly by having Dalinar take up Honor and/or by sacrificing herself and having lift take up her shard. This also seems pretty likely, but it's my personal least favorite outcome.

What does everyone think? Did I miss any major possibilities?

[Prymalfire]

4. Cultivation grew to consider the situation on Roshar to be stagnant. Rayse was innefective as a Vessel. Cultivation aims to disrupt the status-quo (perhaps part of her intent) by cultivating both Taravangian and Odium into something stronger (definitely part of her intent). I think it unwise to consider Cultivation to be 'good'.

This might be a subset of 2, now that I think of it.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Prymalfire

[Dawnshard]

So I think it is interesting she chose 3 people to talk to and all of them have connections to one of the major shards on Roshar. Lift uses Lifelight which is interesting. Dalinar looks like he might reforge Honor and Taravangian took up Odium. I think she is doing what Odium tried to do which is create a bulwark on Roshar against the other Shards. I'm interested in how Autonomy will take the switch with Odium. 

[Kacman]

We still haven’t seen Lift be a major player. Whatever she does may temper Todium somehow. Dalinar stopped Rayse’s plan, Taravangian replaced him, now Lift could be a check on him or keep the balance as a whole. She’s done some small quirk things with her powers, but nothing Cultivation absolutely needed. Her book should be pretty interesting at this point now that we’ve seen how big of a game Cultivation is playing.

[StanLemon]

Cultivation almost certainly has more to her plan as exampled by Lift's existence. However, I still lean into that she made a wrong gamble on Taravangian and it will end worse than she's hoping for.

[+Oltux72]

22 hours ago, albenraph said:

Spoilers for part five of Rhythm of War.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2: This was Cultivation's plan all along. She didn't have a problem with Odium's intent to dominate the cosmere, just with Rayse's personal desire to kill her. She either wants or is indifferent to Odium taking over and getting rid of the other shards. This could make her the ultimate villain of the stormlight archive, and is what I'm personally rooting for.

 

2b - She needs a Shard that is at least for now controlled enough to make a few negotiations and oaths possible. Then the new Odium leaves. He and the Shards allied to him fight it out against the other Shards. They either kill each other or Cultivation finishes off the wounded survivors.
Ultimate growth strategy and pure Macchiavelli.

[seriodor]

5. We know that Vessels have more freedom to act right after ascending, and Taravangian became Odium right after Odium locked himself into a pretty restrictive set of oaths. Right before he died, Odium told Dalinar that he pretty much can't break his word. He assured Dalinar that it was backed up by his own destruction, but by this point Odium was more Odium than he was Rayse, which means he probably couldn't even act in a way that would break his contract. I think Cultivation timed things so that Taravangian would come into his power looking to squirm his way around his Oath, and then at just the right time she'll position things so that the only way to get exactly what he wants is stepping just too far out of line, and opening himself up to attack. Then she'll kill him and splinter his shard into pieces so small nobody can take it up, saving the Cosmere in a more long-term fashion then pushing him back for another thousand years.

[Glorb]

I'm not sure that further Splintering is the best way to save the cosmos.

[teknopathetic]

We keep hearing "Shards cant see the hearts of men", so I lean towards Cultivation making a mistake here. However, I would prefer if Cultivation is just as worried about the Galaxy War, and she decided she needed a new partner to help her. Maybe she hoped Tod would protect Karbrandth and therefor the world. 

But honestly I think she just made a whoopsie poopsie and in the future Roshar will be evil. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by teknopathetic

[Sprendiferous]

I think that Cultivation attempted to do with Tarivangian what she did with Dalinar, but this time it isn't going quite as planned. I believe that she misjudged Tarivangian, yes he can control the power of Odium, but he is also not one to temper it. He will be more effective at carrying out the role of Odium and therefore be more dangerous.

[JCHancey]

What if Cultivation's intent has taken control? We've seen it with all of the other Shards. She's seen the same thing over and over again, and now has the chance to improve. It's neither good nor bad, just cultivating.

[Halyo_Alex]

4 hours ago, Glorb said:

I'm not sure that further Splintering is the best way to save the cosmos.

Splinter him so storming finely and scatter it equally across all of space/matter/whatever, so that everything is just ever so slightly, teeny-tinily Odious, but theoretically not enough to matter a ton in the long run.

...then it turns out it becomes the cause of an interplanetary space war.

[Shuffel]

Let's not forget cultivation has also been training the night watcher for all these years. I'm convinced the night watcher is going to be more involved then just a bondsmith's spren

[LiftIRL]

8 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

Splinter him so storming finely and scatter it equally across all of space/matter/whatever, so that everything is just ever so slightly, teeny-tinily Odious, but theoretically not enough to matter a ton in the long run.

...then it turns out it becomes the cause of an interplanetary space war.

this isn't useful but this wording reminded me of the beginning of The Snow Queen and i think it's funny adsjfdad

[EvilIndian]

While we have been extremely impressed by Cultivation’s planning in Oathbringer, I don’t think we can forget that she is a shard and is bound by her intent. Let’s not forget that while she may have a grand plan, and tried to help Roshar by preparing big T for Odium, her intent for growth may have manipulated her without knowing. Rayse-Odium has stagnated for so long in the cyclic nature of the conflict on Roshar, and her intent for growth may have driven her to replacing the Vessel, and might have made her overlook some of the dangerous  aspects of BigT-Odium. 
 

It seems to me that a growing theme in the Cosmere is the warping of the mind of immortal beings by their intents (see Vasher/Kaladin chapter in part 1, the heralds sickness and the Thaidakar reference by Mraize). I really hope Cultivation has a big brain plan for the greater good of Roshar, but I don’t think we can overlook her Intents interference in her machinations. Would love to hear you guys thoughts on this. 

[Saradas]

2 minutes ago, EvilIndian said:

While we have been extremely impressed by Cultivation’s planning in Oathbringer, I don’t think we can forget that she is a shard and is bound by her intent. Let’s not forget that while she may have a grand plan, and tried to help Roshar by preparing big T for Odium, her intent for growth may have manipulated her without knowing. Rayse-Odium has stagnated for so long in the cyclic nature of the conflict on Roshar, and her intent for growth may have driven her to replacing the Vessel, and might have made her overlook some of the dangerous  aspects of BigT-Odium. 
 

It seems to me that a growing theme in the Cosmere is the warping of the mind of immortal beings by their intents (see Vasher/Kaladin chapter in part 1, the heralds sickness and the Thaidakar reference by Mraize). I really hope Cultivation has a big brain plan for the greater good of Roshar, but I don’t think we can overlook her Intents interference in her machinations. Would love to hear you guys thoughts on this. 

I think this is what seems most likely. Rayse says about her to Dalinar that she cares only for growth - good or bad are of no interest to her. She was obviously opposed to Rayse, working to bring him down, but I think that's lead to the assumption that she's a 'good guy' when she's shown really very little indication of that.

[TheTuninator]

I personally am of the camp that Cultivation is likely playing a much subtler game here and is still in control. All we have to go on for her possibly making a bad bet on Taravangian is that she told him she wants him to use his shard "with honor", but not only is that very vague, that scene is from Taravangian's perspective. It's entirely possible that she might be deceiving or otherwise manipulating him even in that instant. This lady just fed into a woodchipper the guy who tore through four other Shards after some very intricate planning, and while we might all be scared of Taravangian, much of what made him scary came from Cultivation in the first place. It's possible that she let her own power get away from her in taking down Rayse, but on the other hand - maybe not!

[EvilIndian]

Quote

I personally am of the camp that Cultivation is likely playing a much subtler game here and is still in control. All we have to go on for her possibly making a bad bet on Taravangian is that she told him she wants him to use his shard "with honor", but not only is that very vague, that scene is from Taravangian's perspective. It's entirely possible that she might be deceiving or otherwise manipulating him even in that instant. This lady just fed into a woodchipper the guy who tore through four other Shards after some very intricate planning, and while we might all be scared of Taravangian, much of what made him scary came from Cultivation in the first place. It's possible that she let her own power get away from her in taking down Rayse, but on the other hand - maybe not!

 

 

 

Yeah i think we are all just throwing ideas atm, but I personally am in your camp as well. Just thought it was worth bringing up the “unstable” mind of highly invested entities. 
 

While reading your response, it reminded me of a passage by Harmony from the epigraphs in part 2 where he said, and I’m paraphrasing here “the thing that should be feared is a combination of a cunning vessel and a powers intent”. We have mostly only seen shard Vessels being warped or “trapped” by their intent, and Harmony clearly aludes to the fact that this isn’t the only outcomes, Cultivation could be the outlier here the crafty vessel combined with an Intent that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Imo she should be feared. 
 

if you look at it neutrally without seeing Odiums actions as evil, but merely just actions as a shard. Rayse-Odiums actions doesn’t show the fearful combinations of vessel and shard Harmony warns about, pretty much the opposite in RoW. So maybe Odium isn’t the big bad of the cosmere that Brando wants us to think he is, perhaps because of an unstable Intent that is hard to control. In theory you could categorize most of Rayse-Odiums actions as following the intent rather than the vessel.  It is yet to be seen what big T-Odium will be able to accomplish. Cultivation however has never been shown on screen having problems controlling her intent, she to me seems scary, and I truly wonder about what her grand plans entail. Her like Autonomy and maybe T-Odium seems right now to be the shards to look out for. 
 

note: The whole Cultivation influencing lift, dalinar, Big T. And that they will be the new vessels for cultivation, honor and odium theory, may be her long con. Setting up vessels she thinks can control their respective intent and then knowing how these people think might be her plan. Because she thinks she can foresee what they will do when they become shards, she might be influencing them to further her own plans. Just some thoughts, and sorry for the rambling

 

 

[Ramona Tehradin]

A wild theory:

Hear me out, I might be either colossally wrong or terribly right and we have been lead to believe the biggest lie Roshar is based on. And sensing the new 'testaments' coming forth in RoW, I would not be surprised if majority of the books have shrouded us in ways we couldn't contemplate. I don't think Honor is dead. 

RoW Spoilers, letters from Part 2. 

Spoiler

• The deaths of both Devotion and Dominion trouble me greatly, as I had not realized this immense power we held was something that could be broken in such a way. On my world, the power always gathered and sought a new Vessel.
• That said, the most worrying thing I discovered in this was the wound upon the Spiritual Realm where Ambition, Mercy, and Odium clashed—­and Ambition was destroyed. The effects on the planet Threnody have been … disturbing.

- 'Death' 'Broken' and 'Destroyed'. Three terms used for Shards that we believe to be splintered. 

 

• But this does not get to the core of your letter. I have encouraged those who would speak to me to heed your warnings, but all seem content to ignore Odium for the time being. In their opinion, he is no threat as long as he remains confined in the Rosharan system.

- Odium's power must remain confined, bound in a way that it can be accessible but not influencing to the system. 

 

• Unfortunately, as proven by my own situation, the combination of Shards is not always a path to greater power.

 

- Combination of Shards leads to clash of Intents which brings all new level of spiritual chaos but at the same time, it might provide a temporary solution. Harmony is still functioning after all, no matter how wary he grows. 

 

• We must assume that Odium has realized this, and is seeking a singular, terrible goal: the destruction—­and somehow Splintering or otherwise making impotent—­of all Shards other than him.

- Destruction and Splintering are clearly different here. Impotency doesn't mean a Shard is Splintered but merely left incapacitated. 

 

• To combine powers would change and distort who Odium is. So instead of absorbing others, he destroys them. Since we are all essentially infinite, he needs no more power. Destroying and Splintering the other Shards would leave Odium as the sole god, unchanged and uncorrupted by other influences.

 

- Ambition was destroyed but not 'broken' or 'splintered' but left  impotent. Devotion and Dominion were 'dead' i.e they are 'broken' but that is clearly not same as being Splintered because there is a chance they were absorbed into a different entity which we don't know about. Honor was Splintered but there is more to it that we are lead to believe.

For example...how did Honor was able to say to Dalinar his last word- Odium has killed me when clearly he was freaking alive to record the vision!

WoBs

 

Spoiler

 

LITTLE WILSON

You mentioned that "half-ish" of the existing Shards are whole at the time of Shadows of Self. Is that counting splinters?

BRANDON SANDERSON

No. Splintered is one of the ways they are not considered whole. (He's thinking about Dominion and Devotion and says that's the opposite of whole)

(- AKA Absorbed into something else?)

LITTLE WILSON

I was thinking about shattered versus splintered, and going with shattered with Devotion and Dominion. And then splintered would be Honor separating a piece of himself to create the spren (pre-Shattering).

BRANDON SANDERSON

On Scadrial, Ruin and Preservation did the same thing. Their bodies are part of the world. Things on the spiritual realm don't matter where they are in relation to each other. All those spren are still Honor, when he was alive. Does that make sense? Yes, they're splinters of Honor, but they're still Honor. It's not like he's diminished, because his whole essence is the world. There's no diminishing that. So we're talking about the fracturing of the mind and killing of the Shard. That's the distinction between whole and not whole.

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

MASON WHEELER

You've said that Splintering a shard is essentially the same thing as the shattering of Adonalsium, repeated on a smaller scale.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yeah.

MASON WHEELER

And a while ago, someone asked you if Splintering was permanent or reversible, and you said that it can be reversed.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yeah.

MASON WHEELER

And shard holders tend to take the name of the shard they hold. So you've got Sazed, who goes by "Harmony" now, after taking up Ruin and Preservation. That makes me wonder, does he hold two shards... or one?

BRANDON SANDERSON

You could really answer that either way. The distinction is a really subjective one, and you could say that he's holding both shards, or that he holds one single Harmony.

 

 

We know you can kill a Vessel and the Shard would escape from it. To my knowledge, I think Tanavast was killed and Honor was somehow broken/shattered which is referred to as splintering. Harmony clearly mentions that 'we are all essentially infinite' which means powers of creation can never be destroyed even by a Shard. From what Brandon said before, Honor's essence i.e his Shardic presence is still influential in Roshar but everyone lives in a lie that he is dead. Honor has been left incapacitated for active role but that doesn't mean he is dead which is why the theories which speak Honor would be reforged is actually possible because the power had never left in first place. Killing of a Shard does not mean killing of its Intent because broken/shatter/destroy/splinter is clearly reversible. 

I think Cultivation is aware of this, and she's somehow propelling Todium for Contest so that Dalinar can defeat him and Todium would be broken/shattered i.e left incapacitated for active influence. Also, on side note she could be setting goals to have both these Shards combined and form War as was mentioned before but Harmony states combination of Shards is not an easy solution because of opposing nature. But Honor and Odium are not opposing in nature. Both of them are bound by Oaths and both Intents can be intermingled like Ruin and Preservation had. Which means, Cultivation has set Dalianr  (Or person X) to Ascend bearing this mingled Intent while Todium could possibly be overpowered by the Shard's influence on Vessel and make a mistake which will cost the contest. 

I also grow wary of Stormfather's words because either he is good at lying stuff or he isn't completely aware of real things going around him. For example: The whole Recreance thing was subjected to human tyranny but in end, we realized humans and sprens came together to that decision. So thereby, make sure you check our Stormfather's explanation twice before driving conclusion. 

Also, I know Taravangian is smarter than Rayse was but he's fairly new and how much can Cultivation guide him within 9 days and 23 hours? It's simply not enough. Todium himself is at disadvantage but it remains if he managed to sneak out by finding a champion for himself. My bet is on El or Nale. Then again, that was not Cultivation's whole plan here. She wanted someone who can control Odium's power because she needs to have him impotent for time being. Her visions fare more to other systems where other Shards have been constantly in war and soon, it wouldn't be long before they directed their attention to Rosharan system and she needs to prepared for long term scale and have both these Intents combined and subdued in her hands. 

In book 5, we may see that Honor is reforged and combined to Odium to form the dishard somehow left in control of Cultivation, a weapon that can be used whenever she wants. She knows Honor is still out there, but incapable. Now she needs Dalinar to somehow make Todium incapable as well so that these two can be forged together and be under her leash. And considering Cultivation, I think she wouldn't be big bad to our heroes. I think she's pretty good and clever, a great way to have these powers safely tucked. 

[seriodor]

Another thought I had on this topic. I've seen a lot of people theorizing that Cultivations actions are either calculated to help Roshar in the long run, or to Cultivate Odium as a weapon somehow. I think people are overlooking the vessel a bit too much here. Odium killed her husband. Whatever part of her is still her probably hated Rayse a whole bunch, and she probably even hates the shard of Odium itself. Maybe she wants to shatter Odium because it's personal, and not for any big reason.

[Ramona Tehradin]

27 minutes ago, seriodor said:

Another thought I had on this topic. I've seen a lot of people theorizing that Cultivations actions are either calculated to help Roshar in the long run, or to Cultivate Odium as a weapon somehow. I think people are overlooking the vessel a bit too much here. Odium killed her husband. Whatever part of her is still her probably hated Rayse a whole bunch, and she probably even hates the shard of Odium itself. Maybe she wants to shatter Odium because it's personal, and not for any big reason.

Sure, why didn't she go kill him and all waay before? Because she clearly has the power which Odium fears. 

[Golstar]

2 hours ago, Ramona Tehradin said:

A wild theory:

Hear me out, I might be either colossally wrong or terribly right and we have been lead to believe the biggest lie Roshar is based on. And sensing the new 'testaments' coming forth in RoW, I would not be surprised if majority of the books have shrouded us in ways we couldn't contemplate. I don't think Honor is dead. 

I agree. One thing we don't have an answer for yet, is who Odium was referring to at the Battle of Thaylen when Honor's Perpendicularity was opened.
 

Spoiler

"No!" Odium screamed.  He stepped forward. "No, we killed you. We killed you!"

Did Cultivation have a hand in Honor's splintering? Did she see the slow decline of Tanavast into madness, and then conspire with Odium to kill Tanavast and splinter Honor - but at the condition of leaving the Stormfather alive as memento? That would explain why Odium seems mostly uninterested in fighting Cultivation - he wants to get off world rather than splinter Cultivation, which is highly suspect. It also explains why he cant destroy Stormfather - it would be involve breaking his word and create an opening for Cultivation, quite similar to how breaking the terms of the Contest of Champions would leave him vulnerable. 

Perhaps Cultivation played the long game here as well - letting Odium splinter Honor and 'kill' Tanavast. I suspect Tanavast may still be roaming the Cognitive Realm in the guise of Nohadon. The may even indicate Cultivation has a hand in the weird body-creation shenanigans at the end of the book. I'm not sure of that, but it's a possibility. Tanavast and Nohadon

Honor as a shard was splintered, and "lives in the hearts of men". That's why radiant spren cross over seeking humans to bond - they're instinctively seeking out investiture. I think Kaladin is special, as he constantly inspires those around him and seems to have an almost supernatural charisma. He is a true child of honor and Syl sought him out for that reason. He is Stormblessed after all. Could Syl be key in reforming the shard? If Honor lives in the hearts of men, it explains why Odium wants to twist them and keep them locked in a state of war. War is Odium+Honor - it's his way to co-opt the splinters and keep them from reforming.

I think humans acting in accordance with Honor strengthens the Shard and brings it close to reforming. The spren are the cognitive realm imprint of human Honor. That doesn't exist on other shardic worlds, because other realms don't have Honor investiture in the hearts of men. When the radiant oaths are spoken a ton of investiture is released in the vicinity - I see this as 'overflow' investiture from the human heart gaining an increased amount of investiture. Stormlight is volatile - it drives individuals to act, to release it. When spren bond humans, god metal is involved - god metals are the bodies of shards.

So Honor is splintered, Tanavast is dead - but has two Cognitive Shadows - the Stormfather which the shadow of Honor and something else which is the shadow of Tanavast..The spren are key to reforming honor - if all radiant spren bond humans that's essentially the body of Honor reforming. Syl is special because she wasn't splintered by Odium, but by Honor himself prior to the death of Tanavast. She is the Ancient Daughter. Hence her radiant and her bond is special.

I think the Recreance is tied to this somehow - that the speaking of words is part of the Cultivation of Honor. For some reason the Knights didn't want the process to continue - perhaps they realized they were perpetuating an eternal cycle of War and that Odium was never trying to 'win'. Every cycle was weakening Honor by splintering his investiture into the bonds. After the Recreance his vessel was killed by Odium - and he was left as Cognitive Shadow. The Stormfather was the cover story / splinter created by Cultivation.  In Scadrial 'power' is gained by the consumption of god metal. I think on Roshar 'power' is gained by bonding with a spren, the regrown body of Honor. That is effectively providing Odium with weapons - as he can unmake Spren and co-opt them

Splintering has to be more than just breaking a shard into chunks. I think the very process of splintering Honor involves more than we know - and I suspect it involves the Knights Radiant and broken oaths. Perhaps Odium tricked the Knights Radiant and spren into the Recreance to buy himself time to break Taln. Once the Recreance occurred - Cultivation agreed to the mercy killing of Tanavast and began plotting this long game. Meanwhile Odium began plotting to have someone speaking for Honor release him from his bond to Braize. These two plots have now clashed - and I suspect Cultivation isn't done yet. I don't think Dalinar is being groomed as the vessel for Honor. I think she wants a non-crazy Tanavast back, but without Odium around to  mess with him. She wants Odium out of the system, and can then ressurect Honor. (and kill all Spren in the process as she needs them for Honor's body).

Edited November 23, 2020 by Golstar

[seriodor]

21 minutes ago, Golstar said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

"No!" Odium screamed.  He stepped forward. "No, we killed you. We killed you!"

Did Cultivation have a hand in Honor's splintering? Did she see the slow decline of Tanavast into madness, and then conspire with Odium to kill Tanavast and splinter Honor - but at the condition of leaving the Stormfather alive as memento? That would explain why Odium seems mostly uninterested in fighting Cultivation - he wants to get off world rather than splinter Cultivation, which is highly suspect. It also explains why he cant destroy Stormfather - it would be involve breaking his word and create an opening for Cultivation, quite similar to how breaking the terms of the Contest of Champions would leave him vulnerable. 

Perhaps Cultivation played the long game here as well - letting Odium splinter Honor and 'kill' Tanavast. I suspect Tanavast may still be roaming the Cognitive Realm in the guise of Nohadon. The may even indicate Cultivation has a hand in the weird body-creation shenanigans at the end of the book. I'm not sure of that, but it's a possibility. Tanavast and Nohadon.

There's a WoB that says that Cultivation fought on Honors side against Odium.

 

Quote

Seonid

If Cultivation and Honor were romantically involved, why did Cultivation not help Honor against Odium?

Brandon Sanderson

She did.

Idaho Falls Signing (Nov. 28, 2015)

 

[seriodor]

1 hour ago, Ramona Tehradin said:

Sure, why didn't she go kill him and all waay before? Because she clearly has the power which Odium fears. 

Odium gave us the answer to this. He hasn't made himself vulnerable in that way yet. He specifically tells Dalinar that the moment he breaks the contract, it will open a hole in his soul and Cultivation will immediately kill him.

[Golstar]

My theory doesn't preclude Honor and Cultivation fighting Odium for millenia. Then as the Oathpact, and later the Knights Radiant, are draining Honor of power (which may have been Odium's plan for splintering Honor - turning the shardic intent into a weakness), she eventually makes a plan to fake Honor's death. On Ashyn human surgebinding destroyed the world. What if surgebinding on Roshar involves 'binding' investiture, and hence slightly splintering the shard every time it is done?

This interpretation could explain the Recreance as an attempt to save Honor. Cultivation then helps kill Tanavast - but makes sure the Cognitive Shadow is intact (Stormfather) through a contract with Odium. Odium wants to speed up getting off Roshar, so he's all "YUP, SIGN ME UP NOW!" - then goes about finding a way to have a human 'champion' of Honor release him from Braize. Meanwhile Cultivation goes about preparing for the return of Honor, but she's biding her time wanting Odium to get off Roshar.

Rayse fails miserably and she gets revenge for Tanavast - and now wants to teach Odium how to win the duel so he can bugger off. Then she can return to her business of bringing back Honor/Tanavast. Dalinar is a sacrificial pawn in this, and she intends him to lose (on behalf of Honor). Stormfather is a sham and not the actual Cognitive Shadow of Tanavast - just a (weak) sliver of Honor.

The benevolent plan: Bring back Honor in a new vessel (Kaladin?) and give up Cultivation to Lift
The grim plan: Kill all spren+radiants to create a body for Honor and use Lift to fuel this somehow. I mean she feeds off lifelight.

Edited November 23, 2020 by Golstar