Massive Revelation (Theory)

[Firesong she/her]

I have a massive theory about Roshar that I feel is likely true

I have to first show a few WoBs to add a foundation to my theory.

Spoiler

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LewsTherinTelescope

In The Lost Metal, we find that Sho Del have four arms, making six appendages. In the [sample] chapters for The Liar of Partinel, we find that a fain deer has six legs. Is this pattern important?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah.

LewsTherinTelescope

Further, how relevant to this is [it] that if you count four legs plus two wings, dragons have six limbs?

Brandon Sanderson

Yep, that is the exact correlation that I would like you to draw! Dragons are fain, if you're wondering. If that's what the question is, yes, dragons are fain.

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WeiryWriter

At Emerald City Comic Con earlier this year, you stated that Singer gemhearts are a "milky white" color, and looked like bone/bone marrow. You also said they were related to something in Dragonsteel. Having read the sample chapters of The Liar of Partinel a while back, I couldn't help but be reminded of the skullmoss, which is a bone-white color. Are the singer gemhearts related to the fainlife in any meaningful or important way?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah they are very similar to Tamu Keks.

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Brandon Sanderson (Paraphrased)

Fainlife has expanded beyond Yolen in meaningful ways (can't find the WoB for some reason)

 

Okay, so we know Adonalsium created Roshar before the Shattering, and it has its own ecosystem. But I noticed a pattern in the wildlife:

Whitespines, Axehounds, Lurgs, Chulls, Anticipationspren, one of the cremlings in Shallan's Sketchbook (it also has 2 claws, but 6 legs still stand out), all have 6 legs. Not legs, but Santhids have 6 fins. Pretty sure Larkin have 4 legs and 2 wings. Pretty sure Songlings also have 6 legs. Chasmfiends can be considered to have 6 main limbs, the 4 main supports and the 2 claws near the mouth. Plus, one of the Shards to arrive on the planet had a Fain vessel. 

So we know that it was from before the Shattering, that Fainlife has expanded outward in significant ways, that Tamu Keks (a fainlife object) and Gemhearts are very similar, and that a lot of Rosharan life has a lot of similarities to the distinguishing characteristics of fainlife. From a mere meta level, Dragonsteel and Stormlight Archive were essentially fused together, with the Shattered Plains being moved to Roshar, so what if fain got moved along with it? (not saying they aren't from Yolen anymore, just that they might also be from Roshar) Furthermore, we got a lot of talk about Uli Da (A fain Vessel) in the epigraphs for Stormlight. Furthermore, the Shard that is connected to all plant and animal life, is Fain (Koravellium Avast of Cultivation). 

I feel this would also in part describe why the ecology is so alien, when the other planets in the cosmere seem to only be slight variations on Trune Life. Roshar using fain as the basis for their evolution would make a lot of sense. As even with the weird conditions of Roshar, you feel they would keep a lot of the basic traits of Trune Animals, and not be completely and utterly different from them. 

So my theory is, that the first animals made on the planet by Adonalsium, were either fain, or modeled after fain. Brandon may have said we didn't see fainlife expanding off yet, but I feel he was being tricky by being like "well, they aren't completely fain", as in, they evolved enough on Roshar to be classified as something different. 

What do you think?

[alder24]

9 minutes ago, Firesong said:

I have a massive theory about Roshar that I feel is likely true

I have to first show a few WoBs to add a foundation to my theory.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Okay, so we know Adonalsium created Roshar before the Shattering, and it has its own ecosystem. But I noticed a pattern in the wildlife:

Whitespines, Axehounds, Lurgs, Chulls, Anticipationspren, one of the cremlings in Shallan's Sketchbook (it also has 2 claws, but 6 legs still stand out), all have 6 legs. Not legs, but Santhids have 6 fins. Pretty sure Larkin have 4 legs and 2 wings. Pretty sure Songlings also have 6 legs. Chasmfiends can be considered to have 6 main limbs, the 4 main supports and the 2 claws near the mouth. Plus, one of the Shards to arrive on the planet had a Fain vessel. 

So we know that it was from before the Shattering, that Fainlife has expanded outward in significant ways, that Tamu Keks (a fainlife object) and Gemhearts are very similar, and that a lot of Rosharan life has a lot of similarities to the distinguishing characteristics of fainlife. From a mere meta level, Dragonsteel and Stormlight Archive were essentially fused together, with the Shattered Plains being moved to Roshar, so what if fain got moved along with it? (not saying they aren't from Yolen anymore, just that they might also be from Roshar) Furthermore, we got a lot of talk about Uli Da (A fain Vessel) in the epigraphs for Stormlight. Furthermore, the Shard that is connected to all plant and animal life, is Fain (Koravellium Avast of Cultivation). 

I feel this would also in part describe why the ecology is so alien, when the other planets in the cosmere seem to only be slight variations on Trune Life. Roshar using fain as the basis for their evolution would make a lot of sense. As even with the weird conditions of Roshar, you feel they would keep a lot of the basic traits of Trune Animals, and not be completely and utterly different from them. 

So my theory is, that the first animals made on the planet by Adonalsium, were either fain, or modeled after fain. Brandon may have said we didn't see fainlife expanding off yet, but I feel he was being tricky by being like "well, they aren't completely fain", as in, they evolved enough on Roshar to be classified as something different. 

What do you think?

Yup. I think that's the case too. Good reasoning with Dragonsteel, that makes even more sense now. You aren't the first one to notice those connections:

 

[therunner he/him]

Good theory!

Broadly I would agree, leaning into the direction that Rosharan life was modeled after Fain, and not directly descended from Fain.
If I am not entirely wrong, I think Fain life is hinted to not be of Adonalsium, so it would make sense he would model then in 'laboratory' and see what happens.
After all, Adonalsium made Rosharan system for particular purpose according to WoBs.

[Frustration]

Larkin have six legs and two wings.

Broadly speaking Roaharan life is patterned after crustaceans, so I think you are looking a bit too hard at the number.