Possible ending to the Stormlight Archive - 1st 5 books

[Sasukerinnegan he/him]

Now my theory is based on three things. The death rattles, the fact that there is a gap between the two books and the Diagram. First, about the Everstorm. When Honor references it, he refers to two other events with it - The True Desolation and the Night of Sorrows. He uses the words, " the Everstorm will come. The True Desolation and the Night of Sorrows." He takes these events to be certain - he doesn't tell Dalinar to prevent them, but prepare for them. Then the Diagram mentions one of the Parshendi who will form a "bridge" and suggests killing him before he achieves his power. One of the Death Rattles mentions killing a "suckling child and with his death gain further breath to breathe". I think both of these refer to the same "child". I think someone, probably Kaladin, faces the choice of killing this child. What does he choose? Another rattle gives the answer - " So the night will reign, for the choice of honor is life". This suggests that person chooses not to kill the child and this results in the Night of Sorrows. What happens during the true desolation? This is suggested by the rattle - " We scatter them before us...... and they shall burn as we once burnt..." and the rattle where the person says.... "...we die. we die....". This could be 2 different events but I think it is the same event from 2 POV on opposite sides. The first is a Parshendi and the second is human. I think the ending of the first five books is negative, the Voidbringers win and the rest of the books are about reclaiming Roshar from Voidbringers. In my eyes, there are only 2 endings which justify a breakup of books into 5 and 5. 1- someone applies a temporary delay to desolation at book 5 or 2- lose in first 5, win in the next 5. Another rattle - " Once three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One rules" It is the singularity of broken one that makes me suspicious. Cultivation and Odium are still alive - why is only one ruling? Again if Odium is ruling, why the Desolation at all? Just kill off Cultivation if she cant challenge you. The Letter gives me an interesting suggestion - Here the author suggests Odium is God's ( presumably Adonalsium) hatred separated from the values that gave it context. So theoretically if you could fuse multiple shards, could you create an imperfect Adonalsium? The term Broken One would then be appropriate. I do not mean to suggest that this is done with Odium's consent. WoB is clear about Odium not wanting other shards. What do you guys think?

[gjustice99 she/her]

Jut throwing something out there, maybe the "Broken One" is Honor. He is Shattered, after all, that could be considered broken. This is just an idea, I think it is much more likely to refer to Odium, but it is still a possibility.

Edited December 6, 2014 by gjustice99

[Unhinged he/him]

What are the Wob like on Odium not wanting other shards? (I looked but I can't find them)

[Mimiddle04]

What are the Wob like on Odium not wanting other shards? (I looked but I can't find them)

 

If I can ask a question, I just read the Mistborn trilogy and, were Preservation and Ruin two different shards or a single one with their power split somehow? If they were two shards, does that mean a single person can hold more than one, since Harmony apparently holds both now?

BRANDON SANDERSON

They were two shards.

Yes, one entity can hold more than one. Remember that holding a shard changes you, over time. Rayse knows this, and prefers to leave behind destroyed rivals as opposed to taking their power and potentially being overwhelmed by it.

Source

 

Basically Rayse doesn't want to pick up other shards because they'd change who he is and he likes being the embodiment of hate.

[Secret Ardent Man]

Boy, I'd hate being the embodiment of hate myself. 

[dvoraen]

So long story short, I see the following happening for the finale of the first half, one of which I already mentioned in the thread I launched.

 

1) Cultivation will be Splintered and killed.

2) Dalinar's challenge to Odium is what will be the very last thing, where something like 'sounds of rumbling thunder' being the terminating line.  We won't see what happens explicitly there; the flashbacks of the second half will be of that day when the challenge goes out, rather than Gavilar's assassination.

Edited December 8, 2014 by dvoraen

[Kelsier Kenobi]

I can't imagine the ending of the the first 5 being very "Cliff hangery" if that makes sense.  We know there is going to be somewhat of a break in between.  Isn't this when Brandon plans on writing the Modern Day Mistborn trilogy?  I just don't see him leaving anything major un-resolved.

[the winter system]

Well of course it's going to be cliffhangerly. It is Brandon Sanderson, is it not?

[Sasukerinnegan he/him]

Brandon always leaves something unresolved. As an author, he doesnt believe in resolving every plotline. He leaves some to the imagination of the reader.

[Pathfinder]

I don't remember where but I could have sworn I read that there is a bit of a time jump between the first 5 and the second 5 which would imply to me at least not a huge cliffhanger because then theoretically we wouldn't find out what happened "years" in book later. And when I say cliff hanger, i mean:

 

Eshonai falling off a cliff, is she alive or dead is kind of a "big" cliffhanger kind of question

 

while i view this as a minor cliffhanger: they fought and succeeded overcoming Odium from returning, but only for now and must stay vigilant because they do not know what his next attempt might be. 

 

Kind of like an end of an episode of a kids show versus the season finale that ends the show completely. 

 

edit: 

it is my belief that Eshonai is alive and there are a bunch of clear reasons why, but I was using the example of a characters potential death as an illustration of a big cliffhanger in my mind

Edited December 10, 2014 by Pathfinder

[Sasukerinnegan he/him]

I don't remember where but I could have sworn I read that there is a bit of a time jump between the first 5 and the second 5 which would imply to me at least not a huge cliffhanger because then theoretically we wouldn't find out what happened "years" in book later. And when I say cliff hanger, i mean:

 

Eshonai falling off a cliff, is she alive or dead is kind of a "big" cliffhanger kind of question

 

while i view this as a minor cliffhanger: they fought and succeeded overcoming Odium from returning, but only for now and must stay vigilant because they do not know what his next attempt might be. 

 

Kind of like an end of an episode of a kids show versus the season finale that ends the show completely. 

 

edit: 

it is my belief that Eshonai is alive and there are a bunch of clear reasons why, but I was using the example of a characters potential death as an illustration of a big cliffhanger in my mind

This depends entirely on what you consider a big cliffhanger. If Odium wins, that seems like a really big cliffhanger to me.....

[Pathfinder]

This depends entirely on what you consider a big cliffhanger. If Odium wins, that seems like a really big cliffhanger to me.....

Sorry, that was what I was attempting to define in the two examples I gave. If for instance the last scene is of a character possibly dying, and we do not know the result, for that to be the end of the first five books, and we have to wait in book world terms years to find out, oh so and so actually didn't die and is fine doesn't sit well for me. Meanwhile if Odium "wins" but there are groups of main characters still alive to hole up and prepare to fight back, then I could totally see a multi year break beginning at that point.