The Scrap Merchant in the Breakaway. Something I’ve not really seen people discussing

[Xerun Gyorn]

I feel like there is something big here. Is it the Sakaar of Roshar? How is this merchant getting so many items? Hoid’s Flute was something Kaladin left behind in the Shattered Plains as were Sigzil’s brushes. But Tien’s horse was back in Sadeas’ homeland. And Rock loves his Razor why would he just get rid of it? 
 

I feel there is something big here. And by something big, I mean something minor. 

[LiftIRL Babsk]

Right? even some of the items that were actually from the shattered plains seem unlikely to be found- I mean, rock's specific razor? what are the odds he has so many items Connected directly to Kaladin? and the horse from the vision popping up in less than a day where it simply should not be... I think there is definitely something here that has to do with Connection and someone pulling those strings. honestly, if hoid wasnt Accounted For in this planet and context, I would say it's his kind of vibe, except it obviously isn't.

Maybe someone is summoning objects based on their Connections, like a weird reverse version of what you do with beads in shadesmar? like soulcasting except more about locating things and drawing them to you from the cog than changing existing things.

I wonder if he's offering The Other Sock tm of all the pairings I lost.

Edited November 24, 2020 by LiftIRL

[Spren of Kindness Kalad's Phantom]

My implausible theory is that it has something to do with the vision Dalinar sent Kaladin right before the Fourth Ideal.  If I'm being serious, I have no idea.  But it's definitely coming back.

[Ruin's Scariest Koloss Awakened Object]

Yeah, I think it's definitely something to do with what Dalinar did. We keep hearing that the Bondsmiths are crazy powerful, and I think we're going to see more weird Connectiony stuff like that happen as Dalinar and Navani figure out their powers.

[Procrastination Shard Silent Gatherer]

I think it's purposely kept vague and will never be answered. Brandon before has mentioned he wants to keep larger philsophical questions about the world of the Cosmere ambiguous. I think this is just one such example, it's kept unclear to us whether there is some mundane explaination for what happened or if something beyond was helping Kaladin.

[Bliev Full Feruchemist]

Perhaps our friends the Sleepless have some who watch and collect such things that are connected to proto Radiants? We know they’ve been watching our core characters per the back of book blurbs...

[Ansalem Oldblood]

I agree we'll probably just never know, but here's my theory anyway. I don't think the merchant has items specifically Connected to Kaladin. I think it's similar to the way that Wit always knows where he's supposed to be.

Which is to say, this merchant just happens to have whatever it is you need to find in that moment. Or more accurately, he has whatever it is he needs to be selling to that person in that moment, which is why Lift found Wit's flute to lead Kaladin to Tien's horse at that moment in his life. It may not even be something he's aware of himself. Not everyone who is Invested knows they're using magic.

Hopefully that makes any kind of sense.

[Seloun Scadrian Waffle Cook]

Quote

“Spren live in everything,” Hesina replied.

“They can’t live in everything,” Kal said, dropping a peel into the pail at his feet. He glanced out the window, watching the road that led from the town to the citylord’s mansion.

“They do,” Hesina said. “Spren appear when something changes—when fear appears, or when it begins to rain. They are the heart of change, and therefore the heart of all things.”

Sanderson, Brandon. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) (pp. 539-540). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. 

So, Hesina's belief here is probably more religious than literal, but - what if there's some bit of truth to it? Perhaps there are spren associated with objects that people are attached to (a term which may be literal in this case). If so, this sort of 'coincidental' appearance might be associated with spren travelling through Shademar to get closer to the person they are bonded to. Sort of like how Radiants call spren to form Shardblades and Shardplate, maybe people are able to call other objects they are strongly attached to.

[Procrastination Shard Silent Gatherer]

Okay well in the case of people still making theories then my own personal one would be that it is the god beyond or some other entity beyond that did it.

[lonola Darkeyes]

There is one still basically-unknown race of people with weird abilities related to Fortune unaccounted for, though.

Though we've only heard about their bad luck so far, it wouldn't surprise me if there was some flipside of that at times. It's just Kaladin never actually sees the shopkeeper to tell us if he has blue skin or other things we'd associate with Siah Aimians.

[KSub Oldblood]

  The dark haired merchant fished through his pockets, retrieving his pipe. He watched as the soldier walked out of his shop, one of the strange creatures zipping around him. 'So, that's the one they call Stormblessed,' he thought, 'a hard name to live up to.' And he knew the burden of a name better than most. He hadn't met the man before this but he felt a strange kinship. 

  He absently searched his pockets again, looking for his flint then frowned at the unlit pipe.He looked around the shop and, finding himself alone, raised the pipe to his lips. A wisp of smoke curled up from the bowl.

Edited November 30, 2020 by KSub

[the_archduke Misting]

Obviously not going to be true, but it reminded me nothing more than Rand at the end of Wheel of Time.  Lighting the pipe, dark hair (after the body switch), and knowing how hard it is to live up to a name.

[KSub Oldblood]

5 hours ago, the_archduke said:

Obviously not going to be true, but it reminded me nothing more than Rand at the end of Wheel of Time.  Lighting the pipe, dark hair (after the body switch), and knowing how hard it is to live up to a name.

Glad you caught it.

My out there prediction: the merchant is one of the sleepless.

[Aminar Full Shardbearer]

On 11/26/2020 at 9:26 PM, Bliev said:

Perhaps our friends the Sleepless have some who watch and collect such things that are connected to proto Radiants? We know they’ve been watching our core characters per the back of book blurbs...

This was my assumption. A sleepless letting their cover drop to make contact. We know they've been watching. 

[Leuthie Full Shardbearer]

My Occam's Razor view: During Kaladin's fall, Dalinar Connected Kaladin to as many things as he could find and throw at him and most of them just fell to the base of the tower. He was basically trying everything his Bondsmith powers could do. He finally stumbled upon Connections to the dead and got Tien to appear...

This merchant happened by and picked up all of the items that dropped, trinkets for his shop.

[Awesomness Arbiter]

Maybe it's the other way around. Tien gave him the horse in the vision because he knew the horse was close, and Kal would find it.

Don´t think we'll ever know...

[Frustration Lord Ruler]

On 11/26/2020 at 8:12 PM, Debarra said:

I think it's purposely kept vague and will never be answered. Brandon before has mentioned he wants to keep larger philsophical questions about the world of the Cosmere ambiguous. I think this is just one such example, it's kept unclear to us whether there is some mundane explaination for what happened or if something beyond was helping Kaladin.

 

On 11/27/2020 at 5:31 AM, Debarra said:

Okay well in the case of people still making theories then my own personal one would be that it is the god beyond or some other entity beyond that did it.

My belief as well also The God Beyond is capitalized.

[IllNsickly Misting]

On 11/26/2020 at 9:29 PM, Ansalem said:

I agree we'll probably just never know, but here's my theory anyway. I don't think the merchant has items specifically Connected to Kaladin. I think it's similar to the way that Wit always knows where he's supposed to be.

Which is to say, this merchant just happens to have whatever it is you need to find in that moment. Or more accurately, he has whatever it is he needs to be selling to that person in that moment, which is why Lift found Wit's flute to lead Kaladin to Tien's horse at that moment in his life. It may not even be something he's aware of himself. Not everyone who is Invested knows they're using magic.

Hopefully that makes any kind of sense.

This reminds me eerily of the Shopkeeper in Needful Things.

 

**SHUDDER**