Shardbearers, engineering and Hobbit holes

[DoctaDajman]

I have long thought about the ability to carve out the perfect hobbit hole if I had shards. Not just dug out but carved beautifully and the shardplate could be used to hoist all of that material up and out of the hill I am carving into. 

As a long time reader of Redwall books I imagine Salamandastron, a city carved entirely into a mountain. 

With the new state of affairs on Roshar and all of the new flood risks, could shardbearers be put to use in engineering? My initial thought is that they are all too full of themselves to go out and use their shards on things so mundane as carving out cities into cliffsides or mountain ranges. 

I imagine they could channel spillways through there and send the endless rain through them to keep the insides of homes dry. A little testing and they may quickly be able to discover plumbing as well. 

Not sure what direction they will go to adapt to the equivalent to the ashmounts on scadrial. This never ending rain will change Roshar as much as we saw each time a mortal held those powers on Scadrial.  

I just think shards could make rebuilding so much quicker if those who hold shards use them. 

[Treamayne]

15 hours ago, DoctaDajman said:

With the new state of affairs on Roshar and all of the new flood risks, could shardbearers be put to use in engineering? My initial thought is that they are all too full of themselves to go out and use their shards on things so mundane as carving out cities into cliffsides or mountain ranges.

This already happens - Edgedancer Ch 2:

Spoiler

No, this was impressive. A majestic city cut out of the starvin’ ground.

She’d heard some of the fancy scribes in Azir talk about it—they said it was a new city, created only a hunnerd years back by hiring the Imperial Shardblades out of Azir. Those didn’t spend much time at war, but were instead used for making mines or cutting up rocks and stuff. Very practical. Like using the royal throne as a stool to reach something on the high shelf.

She really shouldn’t have gotten yelled at for that.

Anyway, they’d used those Shardblades here. This had once been a large, flat plain. Her vantage on a hilltop, though, let her make out hundreds of trenches cut in the stone. They interconnected, like a huge maze. Some of the trenches were wider than others, and they made a vague spiral toward the center, where a large moundlike building was the only part of the city that peeked up over the surface of the plain.

Yeddaw

Hope that helps

[DoctaDajman]

1 minute ago, Treamayne said:

This already happens - Edgedancer Ch 2:

  Hide contents

No, this was impressive. A majestic city cut out of the starvin’ ground.

She’d heard some of the fancy scribes in Azir talk about it—they said it was a new city, created only a hunnerd years back by hiring the Imperial Shardblades out of Azir. Those didn’t spend much time at war, but were instead used for making mines or cutting up rocks and stuff. Very practical. Like using the royal throne as a stool to reach something on the high shelf.

She really shouldn’t have gotten yelled at for that.

Anyway, they’d used those Shardblades here. This had once been a large, flat plain. Her vantage on a hilltop, though, let her make out hundreds of trenches cut in the stone. They interconnected, like a huge maze. Some of the trenches were wider than others, and they made a vague spiral toward the center, where a large moundlike building was the only part of the city that peeked up over the surface of the plain.

Yeddaw

Hope that helps

Brilliant. I never finished that one. Thank you. 

[Returned he/him]

I think that we'll see a lot more of this in future books. Kaladin flirts with the edge of that in RoW (I think), wondering with Syl if she could become medical tools. Her response is that she thinks the limitations on what they can do in those sorts of things are mostly the limits of their imaginations.

Not only will expanded understanding of what bonded spren can do when they manifest as metals in the physical realm and greater knowledge of mechanics and engineering help come up with lots of novel ways to make use of manifested spren, I think that the new scarcity of Stormlight will strongly favor these kinds of activities. They allow for magical shortcuts and other assistance while not requiring the fuel that Surgebinding does.

[Treamayne]

3 hours ago, DoctaDajman said:

Brilliant. I never finished that one. Thank you. 

May I ask why? It seems you are very interested in Roshar, so why not read the series?

No judgement, just curious

[DoctaDajman]

2 hours ago, Treamayne said:

May I ask why? It seems you are very interested in Roshar, so why not read the series?

No judgement, just curious

Mostly RL time constraints.  

Then it comes down to my dislike of stormlight and the healing factors of Radiants. I think infinite healing was done in a really fun way with Miles but I dont dig it on Roshar. I feel like the stakes are really low for all of the Radiants. For each being demigods in strength they are kind of awful at winning battles and stopping the end of the world. And I really don't enjoy reading the mental illness battles. The story doesnt do it for me. 

I like the cosmere for the magic. The books exist more like campaign settings in my mind and the mechanics are what excite me. 

So if I find a spare 120+ hours I may turn it on but life demands more of my time than I have to split with Roshar. 

 

I do own the books on audible however. And I am the scummiest of scum when it comes to spoilers. I will literally listen to a chapter or two, completely out of context, just to see a magic that I love. 

The only bit of RoW I have read was Kaladin facing off against Vasher because I dig awakening and really enjoy seeing non natives to a magic system describe and explain that system. My favorite moments in SA so far are the weird looks Vasher gets for cursing colors and hues and playing strange games. 

I will say though, Adolin is my favorite stormlight character (mostly because he isnt a radiant and doesnt use stormlight) and knowing he gets a level up makes me want to read more about it. 

[Treamayne]

On 12/23/2025 at 3:19 PM, DoctaDajman said:

And I am the scummiest of scum when it comes to spoilers.

It may just be one opinion, but I do not think that enjoying spoilers makes you scum. That, to me, is the whole point! Every person has their own threshold and we should respect those preferences (Avoid as default, unless otherwise indicated - then comply with the requested amount of detail). 

On 12/23/2025 at 3:19 PM, DoctaDajman said:

Then it comes down to my dislike of stormlight and the healing factors of Radiants. I think infinite healing was done in a really fun way with Miles but I dont dig it on Roshar. I feel like the stakes are really low for all of the Radiants. For each being demigods in strength they are kind of awful at winning battles and stopping the end of the world. And I really don't enjoy reading the mental illness battles. The story doesnt do it for me. 

Makes sense. Did you read any - like WoK? Or just a few scenes from some books?

On 12/23/2025 at 3:19 PM, DoctaDajman said:

The books exist more like campaign settings in my mind and the mechanics are what excite me. 

Have you considered making or requesting a "playlist" (of sorts) with the best chapters/scenes for the information you are interested in? Also, have you considered using the Coppermind? For example, most of what we know of Metals in Fabrial Mechanics are from Epigraphs, so you could just read the collected "notes" (Epigraphs to Part 1 of RoW). 

Also, have you considered getting the Stormlight RPG books - even if you expect to never play (like me) you would at least have the data and information that is all collected - exactly like a Campaign Setting. 

Hope that helps

Edited December 28, 2025 by Treamayne
SPAG

[DoctaDajman]

2 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

It may just be one opinion, but I do not think that enjoying spoilers makes you scum. That, to me, is the whole point! Ever person has their own threshold and we should respect those preferences (Avoid as default, unless otherwise indicated - then comply with the requested amount of detail). 

Makes sense. Did you read any - like WoK? Or just a few scenes from some books?

Have you considered making or requesting a "playlist" (of sorts) with the best chapters/scenes for the information you are interested in? Also, have you considered using the Coppermind? For example, most of what we know of Metals in Fabrial Mechanics are from Epigraphs, so you could just read the collected "notes" (Epigraphs to Part 1 of RoW). 

Also, have you considered getting the Stormlight RPG books - even if you expect to never play (like me) you would at least have the data and information that is all collected - exactly like a Campaign Setting. 

Hope that helps

I haven't thought of a play list. I will make one in time!  

Yes I read WoK WoR and OB. OB is really what killed the series for me. I thought the first 2 books were fantastic. Then I saw the power creep entering, and that, combined with the chapters of woe is me, ruined it for me. 

But I think a list of chapters would be great!  I know for sure I want to see Vasher face off against anyone (especially the feruchemist). I also know now that I want to see all of the Unoathed. Probably I should listen to descriptions of living plate as well. 

And the stoneward dude with the towershield. I want to see him fight. 

Thanks for the idea. I appreciate it!  

[Trusk'our he/him]

1 hour ago, DoctaDajman said:

I like the cosmere for the magic. The books exist more like campaign settings in my mind and the mechanics are what excite me. 

I quickly grew to love the story of the Cosmere as a whole, but the magic systems are where my head typically drifts to.

Basically, I'm less interested in what has happened and more in what could happen with the right tools.

[DoctaDajman]

4 minutes ago, Trusk'our said:

Basically, I'm less interested in what has happened and more in what could happen with the right tools.

I live in this space as well. I am always looking for interactions and I am so stoked to see all of the systems meet. 

[Treamayne]

5 hours ago, DoctaDajman said:

But I think a list of chapters would be great!  I know for sure I want to see Vasher face off against anyone (especially the feruchemist). I also know now that I want to see all of the Unoathed. Probably I should listen to descriptions of living plate as well. 

Vasher Chapters:

Spoiler

RoW: Ch 15

WaT: Interlude 9 (btwn days 5 and 6)

Unoathed: 

Spoiler

Adolin/Abidi Fight: Ch 132, 133

Unoathed: Ch 135, 136, 147

Hope that helps

[DoctaDajman]

1 minute ago, Treamayne said:

Vasher Chapters:

  Hide contents

RoW: Ch 15

WaT: Interlude 9 (btwn days 5 and 6)

Unoathed: 

  Hide contents

Adolin/Abidi Fight: Ch 132, 133

Unoathed: Ch 135, 136, 147

Hope that helps

Thanks tons. I will listen!