Stormlight 5 Theory

[DJ_AJW]

Ok so I've looked through A LOT of Stormlight 5 predictions and theories and there's one things that I have yet to see discussed. Everybody seems to be hyper-focusing on the Contest of Champions and how that might play out. But the one thing I haven't seen is people discussing if it will even happen at all. 

So here's my theory: Todium will back out of the Contest

We all know that this contest has been hinted at/foreshadowed since like the first or second book (I can't remember off the top of my head) and in my opinion I think Brandon has WAY too heavily leaned into it and put up a very good smokescreen so he can have Todium pull a Houdini and back out. 

During the negotiations for the Contest Dalinar asked Odium about him breaking his word and pulling out of the contest and he responded with something along the lines of "I cannot because it will leave me weakened and open to a strike from Cultivation". But now that Cultivation seems to trust Todium, I don't think that she would attack him if he were to pull out. She obviously cares about humans (as far as I could tell) and she doesn't want to see them destroyed, so I think that she'd maybe even encourage Todium to back out and he'd exploit that trust she has in him. This in turn would maybe get rid of Todium's attachment to Roshar and therefore set him up as the big big bad of the second arc of Stormlight and possibly the next arc of Mistborn. 

 

So what do you guys think? I think it's pretty plausible but what about you guys?

[alder24]

37 minutes ago, DJ_AJW said:

Ok so I've looked through A LOT of Stormlight 5 predictions and theories and there's one things that I have yet to see discussed. Everybody seems to be hyper-focusing on the Contest of Champions and how that might play out. But the one thing I haven't seen is people discussing if it will even happen at all. 

So here's my theory: Todium will back out of the Contest

We all know that this contest has been hinted at/foreshadowed since like the first or second book (I can't remember off the top of my head) and in my opinion I think Brandon has WAY too heavily leaned into it and put up a very good smokescreen so he can have Todium pull a Houdini and back out. 

During the negotiations for the Contest Dalinar asked Odium about him breaking his word and pulling out of the contest and he responded with something along the lines of "I cannot because it will leave me weakened and open to a strike from Cultivation". But now that Cultivation seems to trust Todium, I don't think that she would attack him if he were to pull out. She obviously cares about humans (as far as I could tell) and she doesn't want to see them destroyed, so I think that she'd maybe even encourage Todium to back out and he'd exploit that trust she has in him. This in turn would maybe get rid of Todium's attachment to Roshar and therefore set him up as the big big bad of the second arc of Stormlight and possibly the next arc of Mistborn. 

 

So what do you guys think? I think it's pretty plausible but what about you guys?

The wound after breaking a contract isn't temporary, it lasts for a long time or is even permanent. Just look at what has happened with Preservations. He was dying for thousands of years. Not only that, breaking his oath would put him in Dalinar's hands, and Dalinar could force him to make more concessions which Todium isn't willing to risk. That's not gonna happen. He won't break the deal. He simply can't.

Even if Cultivation didn't finish him, even if Dalinar didn't use that to secure Roshar forever, even if Odium didn't die in a long term, with a hole in his soul Odium would be permanently incapable of fighting with another Shard, as he would be always weakened and all could exploited his broken word to kill him for good.

RoW ch 112:

Quote

“I cannot break my word,” Odium said, the heat increasing. “I basically am incapable of it.”

“Basically?” Dalinar pressed. “What happens, Odium, if you break your word.”

“Then the contract is void, and I am in your power. Same, but reversed, if you break the contract. You would be in my power, and the restrictions Honor placed upon me—chaining me to the Rosharan system and preventing me from using my powers on most individuals—would be void. But that is not going to happen, and I am not going to break my word. Because if I did, it would create a hole in my soul—which would let Cultivation kill me."

 

[Quantus]

Also Todium seems to consider either outcome of the contest a Win, or at least believes he can get there, so I dont think he'll abandons the opportunity. 

If he backs out, I think he'd work hard to be let out of the deal by Dalinar, so there'd be no wound for another Shard-killing Shard to exploit.  Frankly he could pull that off easily by just revealing that Odium is under new management, in a way that made them Believe it was their own victory instead of a new threat (just like Cultivation)

[DJ_AJW]

That was my alternate theory, the one that's a little more tame in terms of a story but it's probably much more likely

[alder24]

1 hour ago, Quantus said:

If he backs out, I think he'd work hard to be let out of the deal by Dalinar, so there'd be no wound for another Shard-killing Shard to exploit.  Frankly he could pull that off easily by just revealing that Odium is under new management, in a way that made them Believe it was their own victory instead of a new threat (just like Cultivation)

I don't think it's possible anymore, because of the epilogue. If he would plan to reveal then they would ask questions like why didn't he tell that sooner, or tell Hoid, or why did he destroy his Breaths (Hoid will realize that early on in SA5) so there will be a solid ground for mistrust if Taravangian just told them now. If he were to do that he would play his meeting with Hoid differently and he wouldn't wonder after Ascension if they will realize what happened there with Szeth and Nightblood.

Quote

He was aware of what he’d left behind in the mortal realm. Szeth had long since climbed to his feet and sheathed Nightblood. Beside him, the assassin had found a burned-out corpse, mostly eaten by the sword’s attack. That was Rayse, Taravangian’s predecessor, but Szeth wasn’t able to tell. The sword had consumed clothing and most of the flesh, leaving bits of stone-grey bone.

They think that’s me, Taravangian thought, reading the possible futures. Szeth didn’t see what happened to me spiritually. He doesn’t know Odium was here.

Almost all possible futures agreed. Szeth would confess that he’d gone to kill Taravangian, but somehow Taravangian had drawn Nightblood—and the weapon had consumed him.

They thought him dead. He was free....

Free to destroy! To burn! To wreak havoc and terror upon those who had doubted him!

No. No, free to plan. To devise a way to save the world from itself. He could see so far! See so much! He needed to think.

 

 

Spoiler

Questioner

My friends and I have been endlessly debating whether Wit knew what happened to him at the end of Rhythm, when he said "that went exactly as I planned," if he knew he was gonna get duped? Or if he got hornswoggled?

Brandon Sanderson

He legitimately got hornswoggled. One of the opening chapters of the next book is going to be him realizing that. There's a little teaser for you.

FanX 2021 (Sept. 16, 2021)

 

 

[JohnnyKaizen]

Spoiler

 

22 hours ago, alder24 said:

My friends and I have been endlessly debating whether Wit knew what happened to him at the end of Rhythm, when he said "that went exactly as I planned," if he knew he was gonna get duped? Or if he got hornswoggled?

Brandon Sanderson

He legitimately got hornswoggled. One of the opening chapters of the next book is going to be him realizing that. There's a little teaser for you.

Ok, I am overjoyed that he answered that, because he wrote it confusing on purpose. That's exciting news.