Neither Outcome Can Happen

[+Child of Hodor]

I don't think either contest of champions outcome, as outlined by the agreement, can happen the way it's laid out because it wouldn't make for a good back 5.  

Dalinar loses, he becomes a Fused and leads Mr. T's armies to conquer the Cosmere. They ain't going to Sel in book 6 of this series. Renarin's book isn't going to take place on Nalthis. By the end of this 10 book series we'll have gotten closer to that point, but I expect the back 5 conflict to mostly take place in the Rosharan system. 

Dalinar wins and Odium has to stay on Braize and not influence Roshar for 1,000 years. That's boring. Maybe there will be a new villainous Shard or other antagonist getting involved in the back 5, but even with that I would not think "Odium gets locked away and does not influence events in the back 5" is a thing that will happen. 

[RazeU]

It does, sadly, seem like Dalinar winning isn’t an option. Gah book 5 may be packed with tragedy 

[AlejandroTeodoro]

9 minutes ago, Child of Hodor said:

I don't think either contest of champions outcome, as outlined by the agreement, can happen the way it's laid out because it wouldn't make for a good back 5.  

Dalinar loses, he becomes a Fused and leads Mr. T's armies to conquer the Cosmere. They ain't going to Sel in book 6 of this series. Renarin's book isn't going to take place on Nalthis. By the end of this 10 book series we'll have gotten closer to that point, but I expect the back 5 conflict to mostly take place in the Rosharan system. 

Dalinar wins and Odium has to stay on Braize and not influence Roshar for 1,000 years. That's boring. Maybe there will be a new villainous Shard or other antagonist getting involved in the back 5, but even with that I would not think "Odium gets locked away and does not influence events in the back 5" is a thing that will happen. 

If I don’t remember bad, if Dalinar wins Odium don’t come back to Braize, his forces will remain in Karbrantah Jah Keveh and the other lands he posses now.

Then he could find a way of break the agreement or a casus belli.

Dalinar losing is kind of the easy solution (although sad), I hope Brandon has something better prepared

Edited November 24, 2020 by AlejandroTeodoro

[Necessary Eagle]

If Todium ends up mirroring Taravangian's relationship to the Coalition-- if he ends up as their untrustworthy, morally dark-grey ally against a greater foe (Culti?)-- then I'm afraid I can see a narrative future for Dalinar the Fused. This is what has me biting my nails.

If Todd goes the mustache-twirling route of his predecessor, then, yeah, a Fused Dalinar would be a do-over of his plot in OB, and hopefully pointless.

[Ailvara]

I think it's a pretty safe bet, that if we've got 2 possible scenarios given on a silver plate, then we're getting any but these two.  Especially that there's already talk about the loopholes.

It ties nicely to what Wit was saying about winning vs not losing (can't remember the exact situation/wording). It looks like we may have some sort of a tie, though it's hard to imagine how this could play out. Maybe neither of the Champions dying, hence "to the death" would be the loophole?

[Greywatch]

I think the Bondsmith powers might be the way out of it, personally. What we saw Ishar do as an unbound Bondsmith was huge, way out there, and frightening. I think Dalinar's Bondsmith development in SA5 will be able to alter the agreement after the fact.

[+Oltux72]

1 hour ago, Child of Hodor said:

I don't think either contest of champions outcome, as outlined by the agreement, can happen the way it's laid out because it wouldn't make for a good back 5. 

Yes

1 hour ago, Child of Hodor said:

 Dalinar loses, he becomes a Fused and leads Mr. T's armies to conquer the Cosmere. They ain't going to Sel in book 6 of this series. Renarin's book isn't going to take place on Nalthis. By the end of this 10 book series we'll have gotten closer to that point, but I expect the back 5 conflict to mostly take place in the Rosharan system. 

Dalinar wins and Odium has to stay on Braize and not influence Roshar for 1,000 years. That's boring. Maybe there will be a new villainous Shard or other antagonist getting involved in the back 5, but even with that I would not think "Odium gets locked away and does not influence events in the back 5" is a thing that will happen. 

Even if Dalinar becomes Fused-in-Chief they are not going to march into the Cosmere right away. Odium does have some deep strategic problems.

1. Ending the war on Roshar ends the immortality of his Fused. He is not going to get a steady supply of willing Singers.
2. He is really short on skilled people. He has experts in the Fused. But the rest of his people are ex-slaves. No NCOs, master artisans or middle management.
3. He'll hold a small part of Roshar. The economy is shot. His population is small. Not a good base to conquer alien worlds from.
4. Logistics. Soulcasters make travelling through Shadesmar easy. How many of those are among the Fused?
5. He is technologically behind major enemies.

[Karger]

1 hour ago, Child of Hodor said:

Dalinar wins and Odium has to stay on Braize and not influence Roshar for 1,000 years. That's boring. Maybe there will be a new villainous Shard or other antagonist getting involved in the back 5, but even with that I would not think "Odium gets locked away and does not influence events in the back 5" is a thing that will happen. 

Except that is not the agreement.  All Odium has to do is make his forces withdraw from Alethkar(and Herdaz) and enforce a peace.  I am not sure that peace would be maintained if team Honor is the aggressors in a new conflict.  There is plenty a shard can do that is not warfare. 

1 hour ago, Child of Hodor said:

Dalinar loses, he becomes a Fused and leads Mr. T's armies to conquer the Cosmere. They ain't going to Sel in book 6 of this series. Renarin's book isn't going to take place on Nalthis. By the end of this 10 book series we'll have gotten closer to that point, but I expect the back 5 conflict to mostly take place in the Rosharan system. 

Back five will be post publication of era three mistborn.  By then average readers will be cosmere aware.

To clarify I agree the contest will probably not go a way any of the participants expect but I don't think we know what Taravangian's goals really are anymore.