Wind and Stone

[Stark he/him]

Just musing here.  We are seeing the existence of a pre-shattering force in the revelation of the Wind.  Something created, either with intent or by accident due to proximity when Andonalsium built the planet.  We do not know the Wind's purpose, it's intent or goals.  I don't think it is something malicious like Ruin was, whispering to Kal to free it.

 

That said, why would it be the only pre-shattering force still on Roshar.  The Wind moves and changes pretty fast, so I could see it be the first to wake, or the one most adapted to communication with humans and singers.  But on the other side, we have the Shin.  Who are very serious about staying in their valley with earth and grass, protected from the highstorms.  Who refer to outsiders as stonewalkers.  We have Szeth, in the very first prologue talking about the horror of walking on bare stone.

 

If I remember correctly, one of the original working titles for the Szeth book was Stones Unhallowed.  We have Windrunners, who maybe can interact with the Wind.  And on the Knight Radiant chart, they bracket the Bondsmiths, the most powerful and smallest group.  The other bracket is Stonewards.

 

Wind and Stone bracketing Bondsmiths.  Wind is talking.

 

So again, just musing some garbled thoughts, but if Wind is a thing, why on rocky Roshar would Stone not be a thing too?

[FireCat1718]

In Venli's chapters in Rhythm of War, she talked with the stone using her Stoneshaping powers. 

[Stark he/him]

On 8/24/2024 at 2:38 PM, FireCat1718 said:

In Venli's chapters in Rhythm of War, she talked with the stone using her Stoneshaping powers. 

I had totally forgotten that.  Thanks!

[Master Silver]

That makes me think. The original title was going to be Stones unhallowed. So, perhaps there is way more going on with the old gods then we think. Did the Oath Gate guardians ever say who created them? 

Side note, I saw a book on audible called The Winds of Truth. I would be annoyed about that were I Brandon. 

[LewsTherinTelescope]

3 hours ago, Master Silver said:

Did the Oath Gate guardians ever say who created them? 

They refer to the Sibling as "the parent".

[Ashbringer he/him]

Just tossing in something that's come up in similar discussions - the old Singer gods from before the First Desolation were said to be "of spren, stone, and wind".

I think a Stone (and Spren) are relatively likely. They may end up being not in its original form (either Unmade or the Nightwatcher), but they seem to have existed. Maybe even multiple.

I had always thought the Shin's stone worship was more an attempt by the singers at getting those pesky humans to stay off the rest of Roshar, but that obviously didn't go well.

 

Another piece of food for thought - Cultivation and the highstorms seem to have spent the last few thousand years slowly burying most of the true Stone of Roshar in crem. Whether crem counts as stone could be debatable, but... it's interesting.

[Alcatur]

Eila stele seems to confirm it: 

 

 For their betrayal extended even to our gods: to spren, stone, and wind. 

 

Spren we have seen, wind we hear of. So stone is left and its rather clear that it is equal to wind. 

[Stark he/him]

On 9/17/2024 at 9:32 AM, Alcatur said:

Eila stele seems to confirm it: 

 

 For their betrayal extended even to our gods: to spren, stone, and wind. 

 

Spren we have seen, wind we hear of. So stone is left and its rather clear that it is equal to wind. 

Excellent find, thanks.  That all but confirms it.  I'd be willing to bet there is a water as well, but that the continental nature of most of the people leaves them as not having access to water.

 

I am re-reading the whole series in advance of the release.  In Words of Radiance, when Rock is telling the story of the Horneater Oceans, he mentions how they had gone to the forests, then the oceans before going to the mountains, where they received help from the water, forest and mountains.

 

So Spren, Stone, Wind and Water?  Possibly something with Life?