WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENED. HELP.

[Vielence She/Her]

Ok. Ok. I might have to request help here bc I HAVE QUESTIONS. 

1. WHAT?? (Sorry had to get it out of the way)
2. What is gonna happen to Kaladin now?
3. Did anyone else cry at that epilogue?
4. What kind of time dialation? How large/fast is it?
5. Did the events in WaT happen in syncish with The Lost Metal? I think they did.
6. How is Shallan gonna get out of Shadesmar?
7. And also: there's gonna be a 10 YEAR BREAK between the two??? What in Ruins name is gonna happen is 10 YEARS????

Help.

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

1. Yeah that is the prevailing sentiment. This book was a wild ride with a doozy of an ending.

2. Kaladin is going to help the Heralds heal from millennia of trauma, while healing himself, and eventually return to help Roshar.

3. That epilogue does hit pretty hard.

4. The time dilation makes time pass more slowly on Roshar, with its early manifestation making Rosharan months equal to Cosmere years. The dilation seems to surround the entire Rosharan system, and is weakening with time. The Ghostbloods believe it will end in approximately 70-80 Cosmere years, roughly 10 on Roshar.

5. WaT happens before the Lost Metal. I believe it happens a solid bit before the Alloy of Law. The entire Wax and Wayne series takes place in the time skip between Arc 1 and 2 of SA.

6. There is a solid chance that Shallan will come across Retributions Perpendicularity at the Shattered Plains, letting her escape Shadesmar. From there, who knows how she’ll get anywhere. 

7. Lots of stuff is gonna happen in 10 years. Lots and lots. No idea what. 
 

I think I got it all. Hope that helps. I’m sure others can contribute more.

[Treamayne]

7 hours ago, VieB13 said:

Did the events in WaT happen in syncish with The Lost Metal? I think they did.

1 hour ago, TheSurvivorofDeath said:

WaT happens before the Lost Metal. I believe it happens a solid bit before the Alloy of Law. The entire Wax and Wayne series takes place in the time skip between Arc 1 and 2 of SA.

Keep in mind this is the Stormlight Forum, please note and spoiler tag anything referrenced off-Roshar. Spoilers for Mistborn Era 2:

Spoiler

The WaT Epilogue is during the events of Alloy of Law. It specifically mentions he is being hired for the position of carriage driver to replace the one that drove off the cliff (the event that drew Wax back from the roughs because his sister and uncle died*). 

Hoid first appears as the new Coachman in SoS Ch 7. 

Hope that helps

[Isilel]

19 hours ago, VieB13 said:

Did the events in WaT happen in syncish with The Lost Metal? I think they did.

So, keeping in mind the time dilation that happens after the formation of Retribution, Mistborn spoilers:

 

Spoiler

The entirety of Era 2 happens in the couple of months between the formation of Retribution and pulverisation of Hoid and Shallan reaching the former site of Cultivation's Perpendicularity. During her chat with Kelsier, he mentioned a crisis that they had just had, which must have been Autonomy's incursion.

Time dilation was at it's strongest at the start, "hours for them, months for us", according to Ulaam to freshly  regenerated Hoid. I.e. 6 or so years on Scadrial would have comfortably fit into 2 months on Roshar.

 

[Jult]

On 7/19/2025 at 1:21 PM, VieB13 said:

How is Shallan gonna get out of Shadesmar?

A sufficiently talented Elsecaller could probably help her too. Assuming a solution is found for the Stormlight dilemma.

[Nitpicking]

10 hours ago, Jult said:

A sufficiently talented Elsecaller could probably help her too. Assuming a solution is found for the Stormlight dilemma.

Jasnah has access to Towerlight. She just can't open a Perpendicularity for anyone but herself, it seems.

For what it's worth: either "her" Seon or Olo (the one she sent to Adolin) would suggest getting help from an Elantrian, since their magic can do almost anything. There's a member of the Ire living in the Rosharan subastral, or at least there used to be: the person who shows Kaladin Lightsong's painting.

[DSCrankshaw]

I've been saying that Shallan is not getting back off-screen. She probably won't get back until the back five, but if she appears in Ghostbloods, I could see there being some justification for her returning earlier.

[Treamayne]

 

8 hours ago, Nitpicking said:

Ire living in the Rosharan subastral, or at least there used to be: the person who shows Kaladin Lightsong's painting.

Riino didn't show Kaladin any painting, only the Connection orb from which Kaladin's vision is facilitated.

The Nathian Painting was in the market at Celebrant and is not confirmed to have come from Lightsong's court.

OB Ch 102:

Spoiler

Haunting, beautiful shapes. Mostly reds and whites, but with a figure at the center, throwing out nine shadows …

Dalinar, he thought. I failed Elhokar. After all we went through, after the rains and confronting Moash, I’ve failed. And I lost your city.

He reached up his fingers to touch the painting.

“Marvelous, isn’t it!” a spren said.

Kaladin jumped, sheepishly lowering his fingers. The proprietor of this stall was a Reacher woman, short, with a bronze ponytail.

“It’s a unique piece, human,” she said. “From the far-off Court of Gods, a painting intended only for a divinity to see. It is exceptionally rare that one escapes being burned at the court, and makes its way onto the market.”

“Nine shadows,” Kaladin said. “The Unmade?”

“This is a piece by Nenefra. It is said that each person who sees one of his masterworks sees something different. And to think, I charge such a minuscule price. Only three hundred broams’ worth of Stormlight! Truly, times are difficult in the art market.”

WoBs (Warbreaker Spoilers):

Spoiler

Annotations to Warbreaker Ch 26

Quote

Lightsong Sees the Painting of the Red Battle

This is our first major clue (though a subtle one at the same time) that there might be something to the religion of the Iridescent Tones. Lightsong does see something in this painting that a regular person wouldn’t be able to. A well crafted piece of art, made by a person channeling the Tones and connected to them via Breath, can speak to a Returned. Now, in this case, it doesn’t work quite like Llarimar says it does—Lightsong doesn’t actually prophesy about the black sword in the way the priest thinks. In other words, Lightsong isn’t prophesying that he’ll see the Black Sword (Nightblood) in the day’s activities.

Instead, Lightsong is seeing an image of a previous war, which is prophetic in that another Manywar is brewing—and in both cases, Nightblood will be important to the outcome of the battle.

To continue, I go into spoilers.

 

[Contains Spoilers]

 

Spoiler

The person Lightsong sees in the abstract painting is Shashara, Denth’s sister, one of the Five Scholars and a Returned also known as Glorysinger by the Cult of the Returned. She is seen here in Lightsong’s vision as she’s drawing Nightblood at the battle of Twilight Falls. It’s the only time the sword was drawn in battle, and Vasher was horrified by the result.

It’s because of her insistence on using the sword in battle, and in giving away the secret to creating more, that Vasher and she fought. He ended up killing her with Nightblood, which they’d created together during the days they were in love—he married her a short time before their falling out. That marriage ended with him slaying his own wife to keep her from creating more abominations like Nightblood and loosing them upon the world.

Nightblood is part of a much larger story in this world. He’s dropped casually into this particular book, more as a side note than a real focus of what’s going on, but his own role in the world is much, much larger than his supporting part here would indicate.

 

Quote

Gordon

The paintings (I think there were at least two, right?) that remind Lightsong of his dreams and the Manywar etc. Is the artist someone we know? If not, will we eventually meet him/her in a later book? Does the artist hope to affect Lightsong this way, or is it just some guy giving abstract art to his God?

Jared

Is the artist that painted those paintings Hoid?

Brandon Sanderson

Hoid did not make the paintings. The goal of those paintings—and this is spoilery, by the way—the paintings are actually what the text implies that they are. They are abstract paintings which Lightsong, having a touch of the divine, is able to see and read into things that aren't necessarily there.

Beyond that, art is a magical thing in the world of WARBREAKER. When an artist creates a work of art, part of the artist's soul ends up in the artwork. Someone who has many Breaths and who's Returned like Lightsong has the inherent ability to see into the art and perceive that. So Lightsong can interpret correctly an abstract piece, based on what the artist is trying to convey, in a way that a normal person couldn't.

I was not trying to make the artists anyone specifically important. In the case of those paintings, they are wonderful artists—I think they are two separate artists, if I'm thinking of the two paintings that you're indicating. As Lightsong has a splinter of divine nature inside him, he is able to interpret the paintings—to foresee, using them, and to see into the soul of the person who made them.

Goodreads Fantasy Book Discussion Warbreaker Q&A (Jan. 18, 2010)

Quote

BlackYeti (paraphrased)

In Oathbringer, Kaladin sees a painting from the Court of Gods which, it is claimed, shows something different to every person who sees it. However, as I understand it, the Returned only see things in the paintings because of their Divine Breath, there isn't anything intrinsically magical about the paintings themselves; what then is going on with this painting?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He was very evasive here, ultimately he only said that not everything that you see is in the painting.

Oathbringer Newcastle signing (Dec. 1, 2017)

Quote

R'Shara

The two paintings--The Battle of Twilight Falls, and the one that Kaladin sees in Shadesmar. Are they the same?

Brandon Sanderson

I believe that they are, but I could have...When I wrote the original scene, I intended them to be, but I might have changed something later on. They would be by the same artist. You can say yes, unless I changed something. There was something I was thinking of changing. I'd have to go back and look at them side by side.

R'Shara

But they sounded different. One has black in it, that the other one doesn't.

Brandon Sanderson

The thing is, that artist, and people seeing it, I intend them to each see something different in the paintings they see. But I don't know that I actually decided to make that the same painting. But the same artist.

Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)

The paintings were shown to be different works by the same artist, as their abstract descriptions are different (Shades of red, with one tiny piece of black in Warbreaker; shades of red and white with wedges of black in Oathbringer).

Hope that helps

[Jult]

10 hours ago, Nitpicking said:

Jasnah has access to Towerlight. She just can't open a Perpendicularity for anyone but herself, it seems.

That's why I said "sufficiently talented". Elsecallers can bring others in and out of the Cognitive Realm with them. Jasnah is just really bad at using the Surge of Transportation. She's failed at bringing anyone else in with her and at getting herself back out once she's in.

Towerlight would let an Elsecaller open an Elsegate at Urithiru, but towerlight dissipates if it gets too far from Urithiru. So, Shallan would have to come to the Elsegate. If our Elsecaller found an alternative that let them leave the tower, they could bring the Elsegate to Shallan.

[Nitpicking]

"Elsegate"?

 

Otherwise: yeah.

[Treamayne]

14 minutes ago, Nitpicking said:

"Elsegate"?

 

That's the term from WaT:

Spoiler

Interlude 3:

Quote

“Dai-Gonarthis is dangerous to unleash,” Odium said.

“Despite that,” El said, “if you require an Elsegate, she is the sole option—unless you have access to corrupted Elsecallers or a proper Honorblade.”

Ch 50:

Quote

“What happens if I step through?” she asked.

“Nothing,” fake-Wit replied. “Because you can’t. This vision is tied to Roshar. You can see what it saw—the light passing through the Elsegate—but if you try to step through, nothing will happen.”

Ch 53:

Quote

My sole way out, Szeth thought, is to capture Pozen and force him to Elsegate us home.

Szeth should have been able to seize the Blade, then make his own Elsegate to escape. However, in the months he’d spent training with Pozen as a younger man, he had never managed it. Elsegates were a difficult skill to master, and barely a small fraction of those who trained achieved them.

Add'l references in Chs 53, 67, 90, and 111

Elsegate is the term for using the Surge of Transportation to create a stable doorway between PR/CR locations others can use. 

Elantris Spoilers

Spoiler

Aon Tia - which is also a form of Elsecalling - should also be able to create an Elsegate.

Implied by the 200 Elantrians, led by Galladon arriving in Teod - since it is unlikely that 200 Elantrians new to even basic Aons were able to each draw their own Aon Tia for transport, and somehow all arrive at the same time. Elantris Ch 62:

Quote

The docks shook with a powerful force. Wood cracked and stone shattered, and an explosion of wind blasted across her. She had to cling to Raoden’s somehow more stable body to keep from being thrown to the ground. When she finally dared open her eyes, they were surrounded by hundreds of silver-skinned forms.

“Aon Daa!” Galladon ordered in a booming voice.

Two hundred hands lifted in the air, scribbling Aons. About half of them made mistakes, their Aons evaporating. Enough finished, however, to send a wave of destruction toward Dilaf’s men that was so powerful it tore completely through the first few monks.

 

Hope that helps

[Highprince645343]

I loved Wind and Truth, possibly my favorite stormlight book but honestly I'm iffy on the ending. With Stormlight gone, Shallan stuck in Shadesmar, and Odium triumphant over most of Roshar it felt like a brutal ending. Maybe it's just because we don't have the remainder of the series and thus can't see how the situation but I honestly thought it was a bit brutal compared to previous endings.

[Vielence She/Her]

On 7/19/2025 at 5:30 PM, TheSurvivorofDeath said:

1. Yeah that is the prevailing sentiment. This book was a wild ride with a doozy of an ending.

2. Kaladin is going to help the Heralds heal from millennia of trauma, while healing himself, and eventually return to help Roshar.

3. That epilogue does hit pretty hard.

4. The time dilation makes time pass more slowly on Roshar, with its early manifestation making Rosharan months equal to Cosmere years. The dilation seems to surround the entire Rosharan system, and is weakening with time. The Ghostbloods believe it will end in approximately 70-80 Cosmere years, roughly 10 on Roshar.

5. WaT happens before the Lost Metal. I believe it happens a solid bit before the Alloy of Law. The entire Wax and Wayne series takes place in the time skip between Arc 1 and 2 of SA.

6. There is a solid chance that Shallan will come across Retributions Perpendicularity at the Shattered Plains, letting her escape Shadesmar. From there, who knows how she’ll get anywhere. 

7. Lots of stuff is gonna happen in 10 years. Lots and lots. No idea what. 
 

I think I got it all. Hope that helps. I’m sure others can contribute more.

THANK YOU. 

On 7/19/2025 at 8:04 PM, Treamayne said:

Keep in mind this is the Stormlight Forum, please note and spoiler tag anything referrenced off-Roshar. Spoilers for Mistborn Era 2:

  Hide contents

The WaT Epilogue is during the events of Alloy of Law. It specifically mentions he is being hired for the position of carriage driver to replace the one that drove off the cliff (the event that drew Wax back from the roughs because his sister and uncle died*). 

Hoid first appears as the new Coachman in SoS Ch 7. 

Hope that helps

Ahhh ok. Juggling all the numbers hurt my brain. I see it now though. 

Also: When Moonlight brought Marasi to the Ghostbloods hideout, CodeNames said that travel to Roshar was down. If The Lost Metal happened toward the end of the time dialation, then that makes so much more RUSTING sense. Thx!

On 7/20/2025 at 8:38 AM, Isilel said:

So, keeping in mind the time dilation that happens after the formation of Retribution, Mistborn spoilers:

 

  Hide contents

The entirety of Era 2 happens in the couple of months between the formation of Retribution and pulverisation of Hoid and Shallan reaching the former site of Cultivation's Perpendicularity. During her chat with Kelsier, he mentioned a crisis that they had just had, which must have been Autonomy's incursion.

Time dilation was at it's strongest at the start, "hours for them, months for us", according to Ulaam to freshly  regenerated Hoid. I.e. 6 or so years on Scadrial would have comfortably fit into 2 months on Roshar.

 

Why is Brandon such an evil genuis?

On 7/22/2025 at 10:39 AM, Jult said:

A sufficiently talented Elsecaller could probably help her too. Assuming a solution is found for the Stormlight dilemma.

Yea thats where I went too.

On 7/22/2025 at 9:04 PM, Nitpicking said:

Jasnah has access to Towerlight. She just can't open a Perpendicularity for anyone but herself, it seems.

For what it's worth: either "her" Seon or Olo (the one she sent to Adolin) would suggest getting help from an Elantrian, since their magic can do almost anything. There's a member of the Ire living in the Rosharan subastral, or at least there used to be: the person who shows Kaladin Lightsong's painting.

Hmmmm

On 7/22/2025 at 11:53 PM, DSCrankshaw said:

I've been saying that Shallan is not getting back off-screen. She probably won't get back until the back five, but if she appears in Ghostbloods, I could see there being some justification for her returning earlier.

She and Marasi would get along.

On 7/23/2025 at 5:43 AM, Treamayne said:

 

Riino didn't show Kaladin any painting, only the Connection orb from which Kaladin's vision is facilitated.

The Nathian Painting was in the market at Celebrant and is not confirmed to have come from Lightsong's court.

OB Ch 102:

  Hide contents

Haunting, beautiful shapes. Mostly reds and whites, but with a figure at the center, throwing out nine shadows …

Dalinar, he thought. I failed Elhokar. After all we went through, after the rains and confronting Moash, I’ve failed. And I lost your city.

He reached up his fingers to touch the painting.

“Marvelous, isn’t it!” a spren said.

Kaladin jumped, sheepishly lowering his fingers. The proprietor of this stall was a Reacher woman, short, with a bronze ponytail.

“It’s a unique piece, human,” she said. “From the far-off Court of Gods, a painting intended only for a divinity to see. It is exceptionally rare that one escapes being burned at the court, and makes its way onto the market.”

“Nine shadows,” Kaladin said. “The Unmade?”

“This is a piece by Nenefra. It is said that each person who sees one of his masterworks sees something different. And to think, I charge such a minuscule price. Only three hundred broams’ worth of Stormlight! Truly, times are difficult in the art market.”

WoBs (Warbreaker Spoilers):

  Hide contents

Annotations to Warbreaker Ch 26

The paintings were shown to be different works by the same artist, as their abstract descriptions are different (Shades of red, with one tiny piece of black in Warbreaker; shades of red and white with wedges of black in Oathbringer).

Hope that helps

See this is why I joined the shard. 

On 7/23/2025 at 8:00 AM, Jult said:

That's why I said "sufficiently talented". Elsecallers can bring others in and out of the Cognitive Realm with them. Jasnah is just really bad at using the Surge of Transportation. She's failed at bringing anyone else in with her and at getting herself back out once she's in.

Towerlight would let an Elsecaller open an Elsegate at Urithiru, but towerlight dissipates if it gets too far from Urithiru. So, Shallan would have to come to the Elsegate. If our Elsecaller found an alternative that let them leave the tower, they could bring the Elsegate to Shallan.

WHY IS BRANDON SUCH AN EVIL GENUIS. 

On 7/23/2025 at 12:29 PM, Treamayne said:

That's the term from WaT:

  Reveal hidden contents

Interlude 3:

Ch 50:

Ch 53:

Add'l references in Chs 53, 67, 90, and 111

Elsegate is the term for using the Surge of Transportation to create a stable doorway between PR/CR locations others can use. 

Elantris Spoilers

  Reveal hidden contents

Aon Tia - which is also a form of Elsecalling - should also be able to create an Elsegate.

Implied by the 200 Elantrians, led by Galladon arriving in Teod - since it is unlikely that 200 Elantrians new to even basic Aons were able to each draw their own Aon Tia for transport, and somehow all arrive at the same time. Elantris Ch 62:

 

Hope that helps

Hmmmm (Apart from the "No mating!" thats my favorite thing Pattern ever said)

On 7/23/2025 at 7:35 PM, Highprince645343 said:

I loved Wind and Truth, possibly my favorite stormlight book but honestly I'm iffy on the ending. With Stormlight gone, Shallan stuck in Shadesmar, and Odium triumphant over most of Roshar it felt like a brutal ending. Maybe it's just because we don't have the remainder of the series and thus can't see how the situation but I honestly thought it was a bit brutal compared to previous endings.

YES. 100% (See above)

Thank you so much this was all really helpful!!

[Nitpicking]

The idea that WaT has a "brutal ending" ... it's the exact middle of a series.

In an adventure story, the exact middle really has to be a very bad time for the characters. They have to be in trouble so they can come up with a way out in the end, right?

[Highprince645343]

54 minutes ago, Nitpicking said:

The idea that WaT has a "brutal ending" ... it's the exact middle of a series.

In an adventure story, the exact middle really has to be a very bad time for the characters. They have to be in trouble so they can come up with a way out in the end, right?

I get that but it still hurts. There's barely any hope as our heros have been almost completely crushed and Retribution reigns. Not to mention seeing Fen, Emul, Tashiik, and Natanatan all betray the coalition was just brutal. Stormlight is gone meaning radiants lose most of their powers, Dalinar is dead, and Navani is unconscious. Going from the fairly upbeat ending of rhythm of war to this hurts, even if it will get resolved eventually.

[Nitpicking]

22 hours ago, Highprince645343 said:

I get that but it still hurts. There's barely any hope as our heros have been almost completely crushed and Retribution reigns. Not to mention seeing Fen, Emul, Tashiik, and Natanatan all betray the coalition was just brutal. Stormlight is gone meaning radiants lose most of their powers, Dalinar is dead, and Navani is unconscious. Going from the fairly upbeat ending of rhythm of war to this hurts, even if it will get resolved eventually.

Consider the middle of The Lord of the Rings, if you will. Mordor's armies conquering almost everything, only a few refuges holding out, Denethor self-immolates, Frodo captured by orcs ....

The great length of the Stormlight Archive does mean we'll have to wait, what?, 20 years to see our guys win (if they do).

[+Oltux72 he/him]

On 7/26/2025 at 4:37 AM, Nitpicking said:

The idea that WaT has a "brutal ending" ... it's the exact middle of a series.

In an adventure story, the exact middle really has to be a very bad time for the characters. They have to be in trouble so they can come up with a way out in the end, right?

I don't see exactly a way out. Wind and Truth destroyed too much to have a full restoration at the end. The Stormfather is dead after all. Honor has left Roshar. Cultivation has left. They are not going to return. The Blackthorn is ready to be unleashed. Ba-Ado-Mishram and Sja-Anat will be working in the background.

 

[ChillPenguin]

On 10/1/2025 at 3:09 AM, Oltux72 said:

I don't see exactly a way out. Wind and Truth destroyed too much to have a full restoration at the end. The Stormfather is dead after all. Honor has left Roshar. Cultivation has left. They are not going to return. The Blackthorn is ready to be unleashed. Ba-Ado-Mishram and Sja-Anat will be working in the background.

 

There are a few glimmers of hope around. For starters, Retribution is probably not as in control of both shards as it seems (and we really don’t see much). There were enough seeds planted in WaT that one or both shards could rebel against him. We already saw precedent for a shard abandoning its vessel with Tanavast.

Another bit of hope is that there are other planets out there that are strong. They’re going to be the other side to the Sunmaker’s Gambit. This pressure will only increase issues from my first paragraph.

The last piece is that our heroes are learning and getting stronger. Yes there have been losses along the way (Dalinar) but they weren’t fruitless losses.

Things really are grim, and I didn’t enjoy seeing our heroes lose, but Sanderson wrote in some openings. Once it looked like Odium (Rayse) was going to be a real pain and then all of a sudden he just gets stabbed with Nightblood. Just like that poof. Yes some things will get worse before they get better (like TOdium happening), but I’m not worried. I just hate the waiting part.

[QuantumAce]

On 10/1/2025 at 2:09 AM, Oltux72 said:

I don't see exactly a way out. Wind and Truth destroyed too much to have a full restoration at the end. The Stormfather is dead after all. Honor has left Roshar. Cultivation has left. They are not going to return. The Blackthorn is ready to be unleashed. Ba-Ado-Mishram and Sja-Anat will be working in the background.

 

Yeah its a bit of a rough patch, but Roshar hasn't even experienced a full blown apocalypses that destroyed the entire surface of the planet. They should be fine. 

[+Oltux72 he/him]

4 hours ago, ChillPenguin said:

There are a few glimmers of hope around. For starters, Retribution is probably not as in control of both shards as it seems (and we really don’t see much). There were enough seeds planted in WaT that one or both shards could rebel against him. We already saw precedent for a shard abandoning its vessel with Tanavast.

And then?

I am sorry, but somebody has to say it clearly: Defeating Retribution is no longer in the interest of the human population. What would that achieve?

[Jult]

17 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

And then?

I am sorry, but somebody has to say it clearly: Defeating Retribution is no longer in the interest of the human population. What would that achieve?

What would they achieve by overthrowing the tyrannical megalomaniac who plunged the entire continent (minus Azir) into an endless night?

Freedom? Happiness? Sunlight? Stormlight? A chance to not be fodder in a Cosmere-wide war with the other Shards? 

[+Oltux72 he/him]

3 hours ago, Jult said:

What would they achieve by overthrowing the tyrannical megalomaniac who plunged the entire continent (minus Azir) into an endless night?

Freedom? Happiness? Sunlight? Stormlight? A chance to not be fodder in a Cosmere-wide war with the other Shards? 

They would achieve mass suicide. Roshar needs a storm and a ready source of Investiture. You cannot risk losing the Everstorm. The humans have lost. It is now time to rebuild.

[Nitpicking]

8 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

They would achieve mass suicide. Roshar needs a storm and a ready source of Investiture. You cannot risk losing the Everstorm. The humans have lost. It is now time to rebuild.

Both Ba-Ado-Mishram and the Sibling still exist. Both can provide Investiture. I'd be amazed if the Nightwatcher can't.

Consider also: what Investiture is powering Ishar's magic that puts the Heralds and their guests in the Spiritual Realm while their bodies are on Braize? Presumably the Heralds can now draw on Honor's (that is, Retribution's) Investiture again, as they did before the breaking of the first Oathpact.

Also, there was incredibly clear foreshadowing at the end of WaT that Sylphrenia is the Stormfather's heir. Kaladin looks in her eyes and sees a literal storm.

Don't be shocked if the "corrupted" Radiants, like Renarin and Rlain, can draw Investiture from the Everstorm.

[+Oltux72 he/him]

On 10/4/2025 at 4:59 AM, Nitpicking said:

Both Ba-Ado-Mishram and the Sibling still exist. Both can provide Investiture. I'd be amazed if the Nightwatcher can't.

To people. That will not do. At least the greatshells will die without a source of Investiture. The whole ecology would collapse.

On 10/4/2025 at 4:59 AM, Nitpicking said:

Also, there was incredibly clear foreshadowing at the end of WaT that Sylphrenia is the Stormfather's heir. Kaladin looks in her eyes and sees a literal storm.

(Sunlit Man)

Spoiler

Kaladin's fate is unknown to Sigzil. That means that the Heralds are still hidden after decades.

 

[Jult]

On 10/5/2025 at 8:38 AM, Oltux72 said:

To people. That will not do. At least the greatshells will die without a source of Investiture. The whole ecology would collapse.

Defeating Taravangian wouldn't necessarily be the end of the Storms. Someone kinder could take up Honor and/or Odium instead. It's not like the Shards would completely disappear. They'd just change hands again.

On 10/5/2025 at 8:38 AM, Oltux72 said:

(Sunlit Man)

  Hide contents

Kaladin's fate is unknown to Sigzil. That means that the Heralds are still hidden after decades.

Sunlit Man spoilers:

Spoiler

This could be correct. But it's a pretty strong conclusion to draw from the little bits of info we're given in the Sunlit Man. There are other plausible explanations for Sigzil's reaction to seeing "Kaladin". Especially since we don't know just how far in the future Sunlit Man is. For all we know, Sigzil had a dozen more adventures with Kaladin after WaT and some entirely new thing made it surprising for "Kaladin" to be on Canticle. Or he was simply surprised because Heralds can't leave Roshar.