My theory on where Mishram will be located (from a narrative standpoint)

[i’m in the details]

This is pretty basic and doesn’t have much behind it but, I believe that Mishram will be located in Shinovar. 
 

My reasoning for this is that for most of RoW our main characters were split up and not interacting with one another. SA 5 is the final book of the series and it doesn’t make much sense for Kaladin Adolin and Shallan to be apart for any significant portion of the book. Given the wob that the recreance will be covered in the front 5 and the heralds in the back I propose that other than the challenge, freeing Mishram/discovering the secrets of the recreance will be the main plot of the book. And if we are going to see those three interacting I think they must have to be going to the same location. And we know Kaladin and Szeth are going to shinovar. 
 

Granted Dalinar won’t be, but he never really interacting with the Shallan and Kaladin like they did with one another. I also think it will be beneficial to developing Szeths character in the present to be around those three instead of just Kaladin, who likely would treat Szeth with wariness and never really tease out character development. 
 

a big hole in this theory is that maybe Kaladin and Szeth’s mission to Shinovar will be a small portion of the book, or Adolin and Shallans journey will be the short bit, regardless I believe our main characters aside from Dalinar will spend the majority of the final book of their arcs together. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by i’m in the details

[Theoryspren]

I think Ishar has Ba-Ado-Mishram and that Shallan and Adolin will take it from him in shadesmar.

One Ba-Ado-Mishram seems to be Adolin and Shallans next plotline not Kaladin's.

Two, all those spren were gathering in Shadesmar near Lasting Integrity, not because of Adolin's trial but because of something else, we know that BAM made a connection that made deadeyes possible so what if they were gathering near BAM the thing that caused them to become deadeyes.

Three, we know at least one Herald was at BAM's capture possibly more according to Kalek, Ishar could have taken it after the radiants trapped BAM or some other herald could have taken it and then given it to Ishar because it seems as if many other heralds have some allegiance to him with Nale going to Ishar for advice, and Ash saying something about going and asking Ishar something recently.

I think the most logical place for BAM to be is with Ishar right outside of Lasting Integrity waiting to be stolen by Shallan and Adolin in an attempt to heal Maya and Testament.

[RedBlue]

18 hours ago, i’m in the details said:

I also think it will be beneficial to developing Szeths character in the present to be around those three instead of just Kaladin, who likely would treat Szeth with wariness and never really tease out character development. 

It would be great to see Szeth interact with the other main characters in a more meaningful way in book 5, so I hope the squad is going to meet up. But I think the dynamics there would be a bit different. Any reasonable person would be wary around Szeth, and I don’t see why Shallan and Adolin would be exceptions. Kaladin, on the other hand, has a history of warming up to people despite having compelling reasons not to. And he also has an interest in mental health issues, which Szeth very obviously has. If any of the main characters start to sympathise with Szeth and try to figure out what’s up with him, Kaladin is my number one suspect. 

As for BAM - yeah, I don’t see why she shouldn’t be in Shinovar. That would be a good way to make plotlines merge, from a narrative perspective. 

[Zapata]

38 minutes ago, RedBlue said:

It would be great to see Szeth interact with the other main characters in a more meaningful way in book 5, so I hope the squad is going to meet up. But I think the dynamics there would be a bit different. Any reasonable person would be wary around Szeth, and I don’t see why Shallan and Adolin would be exceptions. Kaladin, on the other hand, has a history of warming up to people despite having compelling reasons not to. And he also has an interest in mental health issues, which Szeth very obviously has. If any of the main characters start to sympathise with Szeth and try to figure out what’s up with him, Kaladin is my number one suspect. 

as strange as it is to say, Szeth might have the most positive interaction in Book 5 with the person who killed him

[apepi]

I do think it is the Skybreakers are the ones who hid Mishram away, they are the ones most likely to know where she is. It fits as part as one of their duties.

[hskeeter]

4 hours ago, Bearer of Agonies said:

as strange as it is to say, Szeth might have the most positive interaction in Book 5 with the person who killed him

Szeth is going to be the flashback focus character, so it seems unlikely he will die early in the book.  Unless of course he is the one who is Odiums champion and looses!

[+Harrycrapper]

Couple of things to note here. This is supposed to be Szeth's book unless Brandon decides to change it up on us again, so I'd say the Shinovar plotline will be the main one, though that doesn't necessarily mean most of the characters will end up there. Recall that Urithiru is going to be the place where the contest of champions will take place, so in the end everyone will likely converge there. I'm not saying it isn't possible for Shallan and Adolin's party to converge with Kaladin and Szeth, but it isn't guaranteed. Also, I don't recall getting the impression that Dalinar wasn't joining Kaladin and Szeth as well, he seemed pretty intent on having access to Ishar's knowledge asap. Though if Dalinar doesn't join them, it's possible after Szeth resolves his issues with his people and they find Ishar, they just take the Oathgate back to Urithiru before the contest of champions.

[Zapata]

1 minute ago, hskeeter said:

Szeth is going to be the flashback focus character, so it seems unlikely he will die early in the book.  Unless of course he is the one who is Odiums champion and looses!

im referring to the end of WoR, with the fight in the Highstorm between Szeth and Kaladin. they're gonna have a lot of mutual interaction on their journey, which is funny because Szeth died in the fight against Kaladin last time.