Four Questions

[Ammanas]

So I finished this really quickly and have some questions. I feel like most of them are probably obvious and just missed it. Please ignore any spelling mistakes because it was the audiobook I used.

1. What exactly was the wind? Was it the spirit of Roshar or something?

2. I know the Knights of Wind and Truth is a book but I’m guessing it’s some sort of order devoted to Kaladin? Do we know anything about them?

3. What is Core? The guy who held the Honor shard mentioned Core and am I to believe it’s the shard itself or something?

4. I feel like I’m not getting why Wit was so optimistic about the outcome of the confrontation. I get that the other shardholders now have to get involved in dealing with Retribution but Retribution has 90 percent of Roshar and time to plan with the time dilation. Most of the other shards are passive it seems and willing to deal with their own corner of the galaxy with the exception of Autonomy.

[Ewery1]

1. It was a great spren of Roshar created by Adonalsium to be the protector of Roshar along with Stone and Night. (Who served different roles)

2. This book was written by Szeth’s future wife, encouraged by Jasnah to make a record of what happened. We don’t know how they got in contact or how long post-novel it was written.

3. No idea.

4. I’m not sure that he was optimistic so much as he didn’t foresee this outcome and was impressed by Dalinar’s genius in forcing the other Shard’s hands. All through the series Hoid was asking for Shardic help over and over and nobody gave any. Now they’ll have to intervene.

[logicless.bt]

4 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

 

1. What exactly was the wind? Was it the spirit of Roshar or something?

 

There are three big spren that existed on Roshar before Honor and Cultivation showed up, created by Adonalsium: Wind, Night, and Stone. Stone talks to Venli, Wind talks to Kaladin. The Night left.

6 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

 

2. I know the Knights of Wind and Truth is a book but I’m guessing it’s some sort of order devoted to Kaladin? Do we know anything about them?

 

Knights of Wind and Truth is written by Szeth's wife, who is part of Jasnah's "order." This order could be Elsecallers or Veritstitalians, who are the truth seekers and scholars Jasnah communicated with in previous books.

The Knight of Wind was Kaladin, and the Knight of Truth was Szeth. There isn't an order called the knights of Wind and Truth.

3. I think the "core" was just the majority of Honor's power, since some of it was out being spren. If Tanavast was referring to the core, it was likely the Intent and power of Honor.

4. Ideally this will force the shards to not be passive. If they're passive, they'll get picked off one by one.

 

[a Faceless Immortal he/him]

12 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

1. What exactly was the wind? Was it the spirit of Roshar or something?

The Wind is one of the three Primordial Spren created by Adonalsium at Roshar's founding before he was shattered.

 

12 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

2. I know the Knights of Wind and Truth is a book but I’m guessing it’s some sort of order devoted to Kaladin? Do we know anything about them?

Knights of Wind and Truth is the name of a book written by Szeth's future wife detailing the events of Kaladin (the knight of Wind) and Szeth's (the knight of Truth) journey through Shinovar.

 

12 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

3. What is Core? The guy who held the Honor shard mentioned Core and am I to believe it’s the shard itself or something?

I believe you are referring to Kor, which is Tanavast's nickname for the holder of Cultivation, Koravellium Avast.

 

12 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

4. I feel like I’m not getting why Wit was so optimistic about the outcome of the confrontation. I get that the other shardholders now have to get involved in dealing with Retribution but Retribution has 90 percent of Roshar and time to plan with the time dilation. Most of the other shards are passive it seems and willing to deal with their own corner of the galaxy with the exception of Autonomy.

He's optimistic because it forces their hands. They may have seemed passive, but it would be a death sentence for them to remain so now. (Edit) Additionally, the now more self-aware power of Honor may act to restrict how Retribution is able to act, so while he may be more powerful he is also more limited. I don't know how much Hoid knows of this, but it's possible he has seen this.

Edited December 19, 2024 by a Faceless Immortal
Added more information

[Ammanas]

1 minute ago, a Faceless Immortal said:

I believe you are referring to Kor, which is Tanavast's nickname for the holder of Cultivation, Koravellium Avast.

I remember it said it could take the form of a Dragon. Is that the same one? Not sure if you remember that part or not.

[a Faceless Immortal he/him]

1 minute ago, Ammanas said:

I remember it said it could take the form of a Dragon. Is that the same one? Not sure if you remember that part or not.

Yep, that would be Koravellium. She was (and still is, I guess) a Dragon before she took up the power of Cultivation.

[logicless.bt]

2 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

I remember it said it could take the form of a Dragon. Is that the same one? Not sure if you remember that part or not.

Yep, that's definitely Kor the dragon.

[alder24]

1 hour ago, Ammanas said:

1. What exactly was the wind? Was it the spirit of Roshar or something?

A very old and powerful ancient spren made by Adonalsium.

1 hour ago, Ammanas said:

2. I know the Knights of Wind and Truth is a book but I’m guessing it’s some sort of order devoted to Kaladin? Do we know anything about them?

No, Szeth and Kaladin were the Knights of Wind and Truth. Kaladin was Wind's champion, Szeth was on a mission to serve the Truth that his people abandoned (the Shins Truth was knowledge that Voidbringers will return and Shins must be ready to fight them).

1 hour ago, Ammanas said:

3. What is Core? The guy who held the Honor shard mentioned Core and am I to believe it’s the shard itself or something?

Which core? The core (the center) of the planet Braize is made out of weird metal which had soul attracting properties. There is also the core of Honor's power, the main power of Honor, the very essence that makes Honor Honor, which started to develop sentience on its own. There is also Kor who is Koravellium Avast, a dragon and the Vessel of Cultivation, Tanavast's lover. WaT ch 16:

Quote

“Some say that Honor was Splintered by Odium when he killed Tanavast—as he did to others before—becoming the spren, as the power of a god left alone will begin to think.” She shook her head. “But they’re wrong. The spren existed before Tanavast’s death. They are of him, but are not the core of his power. It still exists.” She looked him in the eyes. “It is the power and substance of the visions you were shown, starting years ago. It seeks for men to see their heritage, as it searches for a new Vessel to hold it.”

WaT ch 100:

Quote

THERE WERE OTHER WORLDS HERE. ONE HELD HUMANS, AND I IGNORED IT FOR NOW. I WAS TOO INTRIGUED BY A THIRD WORLD, MORE DISTANT FROM THE SUN. A COLD, DARK ROCK—IT COULD SUPPORT LIFE, BARELY. IT HAD A CURIOUS PROPERTY: A CORE OF A STRANGE METAL THAT ATTRACTED INVESTITURE, CALLING TO MY SOUL. FASCINATING.
[...]
THE ONE I’D ALWAYS LOVED IN SECRET—OUR UNION FORBIDDEN AS MORTALS—EMERGED FROM THE DARKNESS OF THE VOID BETWEEN WORLDS. CULTIVATION, SHE WAS NOW CALLED, THOUGH I KNEW HER AS KORAVELLIUM AVAST—THE BEAUTIFUL DRAGON HERETIC OF YOLEN. SHE SWEPT UP FROM BEHIND, EMBRACED ME WITH ARMS LIKE THE SKY. I SIGHED, TOUCHED HER, AND ALL FELT RIGHT.
“YOU,” I WHISPERED, “SHOULD NOT HAVE COME.”
“WE AGREED THAT I WOULD,” KOR REPLIED.

 

1 hour ago, Ammanas said:

4. I feel like I’m not getting why Wit was so optimistic about the outcome of the confrontation. I get that the other shardholders now have to get involved in dealing with Retribution but Retribution has 90 percent of Roshar and time to plan with the time dilation. Most of the other shards are passive it seems and willing to deal with their own corner of the galaxy with the exception of Autonomy.

Retribution doesn't have time because of time dilation. On Roshar 1 month is several years outside. Time dilation makes his situation very complicated. Hoid is happy precisaly because other Shards now know that Retribution is the main danger in Cosmere and all are terrified of him - they have to unite to fight against him. They can't remain passive like they did till this moment because Retribution would just kill them alone. 

[Ammanas]

2 hours ago, alder24 said:

Which core?

Evident I meant “Kor” which the other site users were able to help me out with their answers in previous comments. A unfortunate side effect of listening to the audiobook with no text. Thanks for all the help!

[Nitpicking]

z

On 12/19/2024 at 9:02 AM, logicless.bt said:

There are three big spren that existed on Roshar before Honor and Cultivation showed up, created by Adonalsium: Wind, Night, and Stone. Stone talks to Venli, Wind talks to Kaladin. The Night left.

The Night left ... and later went to Threnody, where he became the patron spren of the Night Brigade.

That's my crack theory for the day.

[Isilel]

On 12/19/2024 at 2:58 PM, Ewery1 said:

We don’t know how they got in contact or how long post-novel it was written.

 

We do know that it was written 6 years after the Stormfall, epigraph for chapter 147 mentions it.

[Treamayne]

On 12/19/2024 at 9:02 AM, logicless.bt said:

There are three big spren that existed on Roshar before Honor and Cultivation showed up, created by Adonalsium: Wind, Night, and Stone. Stone talks to Venli, Wind talks to Kaladin. The Night left.

Night didn't leave, she became Nightwatcher. WaT Ch 4:

Spoiler

“When this world was created,” Wit said, “long before Honor, Cultivation, or Odium arrived, Adonalsium left something behind on it. Sometimes it’s called the Old Magic. That term is often applied to the Nightwatcher, who came—with Cultivation’s efforts—from one of those ancient spren.

 

[logicless.bt]

1 hour ago, Treamayne said:

Night didn't leave, she became Nightwatcher. WaT Ch 4:

  Hide contents

“When this world was created,” Wit said, “long before Honor, Cultivation, or Odium arrived, Adonalsium left something behind on it. Sometimes it’s called the Old Magic. That term is often applied to the Nightwatcher, who came—with Cultivation’s efforts—from one of those ancient spren.

 

That feels like more of a parent-child relationship. The Sibling says they came from Stone as "part of its legacy," but Stone still exists. I definitely think that Cultivation coopted some of Night's essence, hence the Old Magic, but not that she fully replaced her.

[alder24]

9 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Night didn't leave, she became Nightwatcher. WaT Ch 4:

  Reveal hidden contents

“When this world was created,” Wit said, “long before Honor, Cultivation, or Odium arrived, Adonalsium left something behind on it. Sometimes it’s called the Old Magic. That term is often applied to the Nightwatcher, who came—with Cultivation’s efforts—from one of those ancient spren.

 

She left and was replaced by Nightwatcher. Nightwatcher was made out of Night, just like the Stormfather was made out of Wind, but the Wind still exists and so does the Night. WaT ch 21:

Quote

Before Ivory could answer, a voice whispered back from a nearby air vent. “The Nightwatcher came from the Night, as the Stormfather came from the Wind. Though, when I was young, the Wind was different. So very different.”
[...]
"I, formed from the Stone, which was the sibling of Wind and Night. The Night left. Few loved her, or even spoke of her, and it seems Mother replaced her with a being of some of the same essence. A new creature, unconnected to anyone’s perception."