Possible oblique reference to the making of Adonalsium?

[CabbageHead he/him]

Was re-reading the end of The Way of Kings, and was struck by this passage:

The figure still stared into the sky. “I leave this, because there must be something. A hope to discover. A chance that someone will find what to do. Do you wish to fight him?”

“Yes,” Dalinar found himself saying, despite knowing that it didn’t matter. “I don’t know who he is, but if he wants to do this, then I will fight him.”

“Someone must lead them.”

“I will do it,” Dalinar said. The words just came out.

“Someone must unite them.”

“I will do it.”

“Someone must protect them.”

“I will do it!”

The figure was silent for a moment. Then he spoke in a clear, crisp voice. “Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. Speak again the ancient oaths and return to men the Shards they once bore.” He turned to Dalinar, meeting his eyes. “The Knights Radiant must stand again.”

Note the capitalisation of Shards. Was the origin of Adonalsium a group effort of the human race in the distant past that went horribly wrong, and which concentrated power in dubious hands when it shattered?

[Windrunner he/him]

It could be, but it could also refer to Shardplate and Shardblades, which are also called Shards. Or it could be a double reference too, implying both of those things.

[CabbageHead he/him]

It could be, but it could also refer to Shardplate and Shardblades, which are also called Shards.

I considered that, yes. But I'm not sure how humans taking control of their destiny can be equated with ancient artifacts. Reproduction of past achievements, maybe.

[Windrunner he/him]

Well the Blade and the Plate were intrinsic parts of the Knights Radiant. If you look at the context, the rest of the paragraph is about the Radiants. I think it's a pretty weird and abrupt change of topic if they go from talking about the Radiants standing again to the Shards and then back to the Radiants. The paragraph just being about Radiants make far more sense to me.

[CabbageHead he/him]

I know, makes sense. Just commenting on the capitalisation of Shards. And the context is a cosmic battle, which quite specifically is not localised to Roshar:

“This isn’t just about you either,” the figure said, raising his hand into the air. A light winked out in the sky, one that Dalinar hadn’t realized was there. Then another winked out as well. The sun seemed to be growing dimmer.

“It’s about all of them,” the figure said. “I should have realized he’d come for me.”

Edit: I was thinking along the lines that since Odium has his base on Roshar, that there is the place where the fight has to be made. That would be where the Cosmic struggle/Knights Radiant thing would converge.

Edited August 15, 2012 by CabbageHead