Dec 2024 "State of the Sanderson" teaser info for Era 3

[+robardin he/him]

So in his most recent year-ending SotS missive, Brandon dropped this info:

Quote

Brandon Sanderson

Part Two: Updates on Primary Projects

...

Mistborn

Ghostbloods (Mistborn Era Three) is up next, and will be my mainline project for the next five years or so. My goal is to write the three books straight through, with only the break for the Rock novella in the middle—then hand them off to production to do continuity and the like, giving us plenty of time to do what I did for the first trilogy so many years ago. (Back when I wasn’t as important an author to the publisher, and so they’d take two or more years to publish a book after I handed it in. That gave me a lot of time to make sure the three books had a lot of tight continuity, which I appreciated.)

This series will mark the return of some familiar (somewhat spike-filled) characters from Era One, along with some new characters. It will follow, as the title indicates, the Ghostbloods and their activities on Scadrial, some fifty years or so after the end of Era Two. 

I’ve been planning this trilogy since 2006, and I’m very excited to finally write it.

...

State of the Sanderson 2024 (Dec. 19, 2024)

Is not saying that the Era 3 trilogy "will mark the return of some familiar (somewhat spike-filled) characters from Era One" implying that they did NOT make a return appearance in Era 2?

Like, he's not talking about TenSoon, MeLaan, or Marsh. But what other "characters" from "Era One" were "somewhat spike-filled" by the end of it?

Kandra as a class (rather than specific characters) were already in Era 2, as well...

Koloss???

Or, what I'd find intriguing, ... do we finally find out what happened to the First and Second Generations of kandra? We only had oblique mention by MeLaan that TenSoon and other Thirds were the oldest kandra in their society in Era 2, with no further explanation. And several of them were named characters (e.g., Haddek and KanPaar).

Edited February 10, 2025 by robardin

[NoDiscoBallz He/he (:]

Oh my god!

WAXILLIUM LADRIAN HAD A SPIKE AT THE END OF ERA 2!

Could this be referencing Wax, possibly?

[AleStaar he/him]

2 hours ago, robardin said:

Or, what I'd find intriguing, ... do we finally find out what happened to the First and Second Generations of kandra? We only had oblique mention by MeLaan that TenSoon and other Thirds were the oldest kandra in their society in Era 2, with no further explanation. And several of them were named characters (e.g., Haddek and KanPaar).

If I remember correctly, many members of the First and Second Generations permanently killed themselves. The kandra discovered a method to willingly kill themselves without turning back into mistwraiths. Paalm did this in the end of SoS. I assume all of the Firsts and many Seconds did this. 

[Treamayne]

49 minutes ago, Ale the Metallic Conjurer said:

If I remember correctly, many members of the First and Second Generations permanently killed themselves. The kandra discovered a method to willingly kill themselves without turning back into mistwraiths. Paalm did this in the end of SoS. I assume all of the Firsts and many Seconds did this. 

TenSoon mentions it in SoS Ch 20:

Spoiler

“Freedom,” Wax said, tapping the page. “She talked about that with me. What does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” TenSoon said, voice even more a growl than before. “She has betrayed everything we are. But then, so did I. So perhaps we are a pair, she and I. Two of the oldest monsters remaining on this planet, now that many of the Seconds have taken the escape of ending their own lives.”

“Freedom…” Wax whispered. 

But, he does not mention the First Generation; and (in Sanderson style) he says "many" not "all."
May be connected to Worldhopping Kandra (pre-MeLaan). 

I also wonder if the Firsts could have retained some memories after the Resolution - they were not born as Kandra - they were made that way by Rashek, so the Reolution may have done more damage to them (or they simply did not survive the event). 

[+robardin he/him]

On 2/10/2025 at 11:51 AM, NoDiscoBallz said:

Oh my god!

WAXILLIUM LADRIAN HAD A SPIKE AT THE END OF ERA 2!

Could this be referencing Wax, possibly?

Well no, not when he mentions the "return" of "somewhat spike-filled characters" from Era 1 (the Final Empire).

If by "characters" he means named characters, there aren't a lot of hemalurgically spiked characters from Era 1 that are unaccounted for: only a handful of kandra of the First or Second Generation that may not have ended themselves. Marsh is fairly unequivocally called the Last Inquisitor, right?

If by "characters" he means a class of hemalurgically spiked beings who didn't really get any page time in Era 2, well I guess that's the koloss? Not counting "sidebar stories" from Allomancer Jak as "Era 2", we only see a few "koloss-blooded" guys like Tarson working for the Vanishers, or in a flashback of Wax meeting "Lessie" in the Roughs.

I mean, we only had the one "named" koloss character in Era 1, "Human", and I don't see how he could survive to Era 3 without worldhopping or something, as koloss keep growing until they die of heart failure due to being too large, which wouldn't take all that long (certainly not 300 years).

[RedBlue]

On 2/10/2025 at 3:42 PM, robardin said:

Is not saying that the Era 3 trilogy "will mark the return of some familiar (somewhat spike-filled) characters from Era One" implying that they did NOT make a return appearance in Era 2?

I assume he means that main Era 1 characters will return as main characters. Kelsier, Marsh and TenSoon all appeared in Era 2, but they were very much relegated to the sidelines.

[Treamayne]

On 2/10/2025 at 10:42 AM, robardin said:

Is not saying that the Era 3 trilogy "will mark the return of some familiar (somewhat spike-filled) characters from Era One" implying that they did NOT make a return appearance in Era 2?

49 minutes ago, RedBlue said:

I assume he means that main Era 1 characters will return as main characters. Kelsier, Marsh and TenSoon all appeared in Era 2, but they were very much relegated to the sidelines.

Keep in mind that in Sanderson-Lingo "Spike filled" may only mean they have Spikes in Era 3 - not that they necessarily had spikes in Era 1 or 2.
That's possibly why it is a parathetical

 

[+robardin he/him]

1 hour ago, Treamayne said:

Keep in mind that in Sanderson-Lingo "Spike filled" may only mean they have Spikes in Era 3 - not that they necessarily had spikes in Era 1 or 2.
That's possibly why it is a parathetical

Well that would narrow it down to basically Kelsier, as someone who was alive and a character in Era 1, who is expected to Survive through to Era 3, who didn't have a spike until after Era 1 ended with the Catacendre...

But, he already "returned" as a character in Era 2, not just obliquely as The Sovereign in a big reveal at the end of BoM, but a full-on in-person, face-to-face, in dialog meeting with Marasi and co. in TLM. (I'm still interpreting his mention of "marking the return" of an Era 1 character in Era 3 as strongly implying they did not make an appearance in Era 2)

Unless Demoux has gained a spike, I guess? We've seen him worldhopping on Roshar for the 17th Shard in a timeline setting not too far ahead of Era 2 with Baon and Galladon, however it is that such worldhoppers extend their lives, so it's very probable he's gonna make it to Era 3, if not on Scadrial.

[Treamayne]

13 minutes ago, robardin said:

Unless Demoux has gained a spike, I guess? We've seen him worldhopping on Roshar for the 17th Shard in a timeline setting not too far ahead of Era 2 with Baon and Galladon, however it is that such worldhoppers extend their lives, so it's very probable he's gonna make it to Era 3, if not on Scadrial.

Not to mention Felt, Axindweth (who knows when she left Scadrial - or her real name if she was in Era 1), Demoux's wife, and any other random characters-turned worldhoppers and returning in Era 3. Who else may have disappeared before or after the Catacendre and be making a come back.

Though, really my point is there is not enough information to imply their were either a major character, or Spiked during Era 1.

Spoiler

Though it being a Kelsier Reference for those that had not finished Era 2 is still most likely

 

Edited February 11, 2025 by Treamayne
SPAG

[+robardin he/him]

13 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Though, really my point is there is not enough information to imply their were either a major character, or Spiked during Era 1.

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Though it being a Kelsier Reference for those that had not finished Era 2 is still most likely

Hey don't harsh my buzz. I'm holding out for The Return of Haddek!

[Treamayne]

29 minutes ago, robardin said:

The Return of Haddek!

That would be cool. Especially if the cosmere-aware pre-Rashek Worldbringers had insight into the metals Era 1 Keppers didn't know.