Wind and Truth: Chapters 5 and 6

[Smye]

9 minutes ago, Diomedes said:

Well it speaks of the Heralds and the Winds having been the only witnesses still alive for the cleansing. And they have vanished. Therefore it must be an event in the distant past for which their are no other Sources, apart from the two other ones. (Stormfather and Cultivation?) 

Also the cleansing of the Shin leadership would hardly be decribed as the cleansing of Shinovar as a country. There is more to this (though my spitballing above probably is not it).

Gotcha - so you're positing that this cleansing, and the disappearance of both the heralds and the Wind, is one from the past. My understanding of these epigraphs is of a text as-yet-to-be-written as of chapter 6 (much like Oathbringer and Rhythm of War when they were first cited) and the cleansing and disappearance are both still-to-come - Szeth does intend to cleanse his homeland, not just the leaders - though that may well prove adequate.

[Ashbringer he/him]

I assume Szeth's cleansing involves a lot less cleaning and a lot more Destroy Evil-ing.

[Kesamijr]

5 hours ago, duladen said:

That death rattle realllly seems to be about Kaladin eh? Worried about Dalinar and the fate of the Cosmere…

Tbf…there is one other major character with a spear as a symbol who’s floating around in Roshar’s business…

That said I don’t think it’s about him lmao but would be funny, and we do know Ghostbloods are important for Mistborn Era 3, which will all happen before Stormlight Era 2

Love your list of potential KoWaT authors, others:

Hesina/Lirin

Nohadon

Dalinar

Lift

Venli

Rlain

Renarin

Less Likely: 

Gavilar

One of Jasnah’s NPC Historian Friends

Offworlder (Khriss, Mraize, Iyatil, etc.) 

Taravangian

Navani

Lyn

 

I do realize I’ve listed about half the still relevant named characters but c’est la vie. Can’t wait for it to be Adolin. 

[Smye]

6 minutes ago, Kesamijr said:

Tbf…there is one other major character with a spear as a symbol who’s floating around in Roshar’s business…

That said I don’t think it’s about him lmao but would be funny, and we do know Ghostbloods are important for Mistborn Era 3, which will all happen before Stormlight Era 2

Love your list of potential KoWaT authors, others:

Hesina/Lirin

Nohadon

Dalinar

Lift

Venli

Rlain

Renarin

Less Likely: 

Gavilar

One of Jasnah’s NPC Historian Friends

Offworlder (Khriss, Mraize, Iyatil, etc.) 

Taravangian

Navani

Lyn

 

I do realize I’ve listed about half the still relevant named characters but c’est la vie. Can’t wait for it to be Adolin. 

Honestly... I'm also wondering about Gavinor. It's a long shot, but hear me out - if the Wind was only able to speak again after the ascension of TOdium, and the Wind has been speaking to the author since childhood, could he be a contender, authoring the book during the second arc? Or Oroden, or (dare I even utter his name?) Adin.

Edited August 19, 2024 by Smye
Expansion

[Kesamijr]

Just now, Smye said:

Honestly... I'm also wondering about Gavinor. It's a long shot, but hear me out - if the Wind was only able to speak again after the ascension of TOdium, and the Wind has been speaking to the author since childhood, could he be a contender, authoring the book during the second arc?

100%. I also feel like we’ve yet to have epigraphs from a “future” book, only past and being written books and can absolutely see this being someone from the second half, which is why I suggest Lift as well. But that said I think Gavin’s is a little young considering the time jump Is only supposed to be 10 years

[Subvisual Haze]

Kaladin checking out Syl's breathing motions.

[TheOtherDave]

1 hour ago, Kesamijr said:

That said I don’t think it’s about him lmao but would be funny, and we do know Ghostbloods are important for Mistborn Era 3, which will all happen before Stormlight Era 2

Wait, what? Lost Metal happens between Stormlight 1-5 and 6-10. Unless something’s changed there’s only supposed to be a 10-15 year gap between the two SA halves… how do you figure there’s time Mistborn Era 3 in there, too?

[Kesamijr]

4 hours ago, TheOtherDave said:

Wait, what? Lost Metal happens between Stormlight 1-5 and 6-10. Unless something’s changed there’s only supposed to be a 10-15 year gap between the two SA halves… how do you figure there’s time Mistborn Era 3 in there, too?

You’re so right I got my timelines wrong! And I meant to say idk if in-world that is the case or if that is only the case out of world!

[teknopathetic he/him]

19 hours ago, Smye said:

Honestly... I'm also wondering about Gavinor. It's a long shot, but hear me out - if the Wind was only able to speak again after the ascension of TOdium, and the Wind has been speaking to the author since childhood, could he be a contender, authoring the book during the second arc? Or Oroden, or (dare I even utter his name?) Adin.

Gavinor crossed my mind too. He’s young enough that he likely will be taught to read and write. He also was a kid during the events so needs to go interview the old people to find out what happened. 
 

He is also shown playing with gravity blocks and Syl on screen. 

Edited August 20, 2024 by teknopathetic

[Isilel]

11 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

I assume Szeth's cleansing involves a lot less cleaning and a lot more Destroy Evil-ing.

 

I think that it will involve dealing with the Unmade parked in Shinovar in a definitive manner. Whether by Nightblood or by changing it somehow.

As to the Heralds, they better not be irrevocably dead! While Herald flashbacks in the second half could work even so,  female Heralds so far have been so pitifully inconsequential, that I would be seriously annoyed if WaT proves to be the end of them. They should get similar amount of limelight in the second half as  men did in the first!

Which would work thematically with the first 5 books being more Honor-focussed (the upper half of Heraldic circle depiction), with the latter part of the series being more Cultivation-y - lower half ditto.

[Crucible of Shards he/him]

My best guess is that the epigraphs are by Jasnah and the first few are her quoting Kaladin and/or Szeth.

[Erklitt]

I've tried to think through the question of the timing of the book.

1. Historic?

Wind's 'history' seems to be: talking god, then silent god, then after change in Odium's vessel again talking god, then 'vanished'. I'm pretty sure Odium's vessel changed only once, Wit and Frost knew Rayse personally from the shattering of Adonalsium. And that vessel change is very recent, no historic author could have known about it.

So I think historic is definitely out. 

2. Written much later by someone who is now a child?

This might be suggested by 'I first knew the Wind as a child' and the fact that the Wind has only recently started speaking again. 'Knowing' the Wind does not necessarily mean actually hearing her voice, but it would definitely help. 

Yet, as @Kesamijr has noted, the timeline is a bit precarious: having been a child at the time of the vessel change, and being a historian and philosopher by the end of SA10? Fast learner!

Besides, so far we have always found out during the book who wrote the in-world book. In this case that could only be done by heavy foreshadowing, it couldn't be shown on screen.

Ergo: not entirely impossible, but very unlikely.

Which leaves us with a contemporary writer, I'm pretty sure.
 

[Fullmetalyoyo]

So I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet (sorry if I missed it in my skimming!), but why is Kaladin so certain that "listen to the bondsmith" means Dalinar? He ain't the only game in town anymore.

[Eluvianii he/him]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:32 PM, Smye said:

We don't really know that the book will take place only over 10 days. While that's everyone's expectation and certainly what Brandon has led us to believe, it's entirely possible that the Contest of Champions takes place in Part 2 or 3, leaving us with roughly have of WaT for post-CoC.

Late to say this but at the beginning of the first chapter it doesn't say Part One. It says Day One. Not to mention these 6 chapters have been short play by plays with barely any time passing at all. He's describing the day in too much detail (not a complaint).

[Smye]

15 hours ago, Eluvianii said:

Late to say this but at the beginning of the first chapter it doesn't say Part One. It says Day One. Not to mention these 6 chapters have been short play by plays with barely any time passing at all. He's describing the day in too much detail (not a complaint).

Absolutely, and a big part of why I, too, believe the book will span the 10 days... however, Brandon is also absolutely one for the fake-out and subversion of expectation (to say he revels in it seems an understatement.) Thus, it seems entirely possible we might see a day or two timeskip, or there might be several days within one or more of the five parts. We all remember the prelude then the prologue, then chapter one in WoK... I wouldn't put it past him to break the 5 sections down into several days each as subsections.

[+Bzhydack he/him]

On 8/21/2024 at 1:48 AM, Fullmetalyoyo said:

So I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet (sorry if I missed it in my skimming!), but why is Kaladin so certain that "listen to the bondsmith" means Dalinar? He ain't the only game in town anymore.

Actually doesnt matter wich Bondsmith he will listen. Navani will probably agree with Dalinar, and third Bondsmith is Ishar, and he wants (when he was sane) for someone come to him in Shinovar.