Brandon's Book 2 reading

[11thorderknight]

So - Stormform??!! Is that what the Parshendi scholar said she discovered at the end of that reading? Obviously, there's much to be discussed regarding what it could be, but it can't be simply related to fighting, since they already know warriorform. My personal guess is that Stormform = ability to use Stormlight, i.e. to become Parshendi Surgebinders. That would make sense; the humans are in the process of discovering the human version of it, i.e. the Knights Radiant.

Also, regarding sending Szeth to kill Gavilar: now we know why. The decision was made that same day, after the peace treaty was already signed, apparently in good faith. Something Gavilar told the Parshendi at the feast made them decide he needed to be killed immediately, and it sounds like it had to do with that sphere of voidlight (for lack of another term) that he gave Szeth, and with "summoning the Parshendi gods" (I think that's what Brandon said in the reading). So...maybe at one point, the Parshendi were led by the voidbringers?

[Elwynn]

It was indeed a very cool reading. I'm far more curious about their old gods than stormform, since it could be/lead to so many different things, but...

Gavilar was going to do something that would bring back the parshendi gods? Big question is why you would hate or fear the return of your own gods. Probably is the unmade/voidbringers/something that puts them on the wrong side of the desolation, and I think you are probably spot on about the dark sphere (voidlight sphere) he gave to Szeth being the trigger. Only...he never even told his brother or the other Alethi about the sphere.

So what if Gavilar had started sharing his fascination with 'The Way of Kings' with the parshendi? Since his own people obviously didn't think much of him becoming so intrigued by it (even his own brother), perhaps he reached out to the parshendi and shared the book and his feelings about it with them.

Well that would lend some credence to the heralds or even radiants being their 'old gods', but only thing I can think of that they would fear from their return is the betrayal of the KR, or another desolation. I don't know...just listened, haven't thought about it much.

My prediction from the new info:

Eshonai and Dalinar do start talking about things, maybe making strides towards a peace effort...and then the assassin in white (Szeth) shows up to kill Dalinar and the Alethi naturally assume it was the Parshendi again.

Things would devolve quickly from there, but right now that is what I see happening. Definitely going to think about the old gods and gavilar quite a bit more though.

[Inkthinker]

is this the reading from a few weeks ago, or something new now?

As for why they might hate or fear the return of their gods, maybe their gods are scary.

[firstRainbowRose she/her]

My thought on the parshendi gods were the people from the prelude.

[Windrunner he/him]

Fun fact from TWoK, from a portion of Gavilar's biography, emphasis mine.

The parshmen promise that they will lead me on a hunt for a greatshelled beast they call an Ulo Mas Vara, which my scholars say translates roughly to “Monster of the Chasms.” If their descriptions are accurate, these creatures have large gemhearts, and one of their heads would make a truly impressive trophy. They also speak of their terrible gods, and we think they must be referring to several particularly large chasm greatshells.

As for stormform? If the Parshendi really are related to the Voidbringers, we know there are legends of Voidbringers walking the storms. Perhaps the Stormform somehow allows them to move about during highstorms? The concept is terrifying if you consider the potential of an attack on the warcamps during a storm. The Alethi would be cowering inside, unable to come out and fight. If the Parshendi were smart they could even try to get the interiors of the buildings burning, to drive the Alethi out into the storm.

[Yados]

My thought on the parshendi gods were the people from the prelude.

But the Heralds are already running around, aren't they?

Or did you mean the Thunderclasts?

[hoser he/him]

Crazy, totally unfounded speculation: We still don't know what the chasmfiends become after they pupate. As I understand it, Brandon has also said there will be an ecological price to pay for what is being done to the chasmfiends. I don't think they become thunderclasts. Could the chasmfiends pupate to become the Parshendi gods?

On another note: I have watched a reading on Youtube and read the Toronto transcript on this site. I don't remember any Gavilar information. Is there some more complete information somewhere else? Where? Please.

Edited December 4, 2012 by hoser

[Yados]

Crazy, totally unfounded speculation: We still don't know what the chasmfiends become after they pupate. As I understand it, Brandon has also said there will be an ecological price to pay for what is being done to the chasmfiends. I don't think they become thunderclasts. Could the chasmfiends pupate to become the Parshendi gods?

On another note: I have watched a reading on Youtube and read the Toronto transcript on this site. I don't remember any Gavilar information. Is there some more complete information somewhere else? Where? Please.

I think it was the comment about how they killed Gavilar in a desperate bid to keep their gods from returning, which had since failed.

[Windrunner he/him]

The second reading says that Gavilar told them about a plan that freaked out Eshonai and some other Parshendi so much that they had him assassinated. It doesn't explain how they got Szeth's Oathstone though. If you put two and two together, it seems that Gavilar's plan would return the Parshendi gods somehow.

[hoser he/him]

The second reading says that Gavilar told them about a plan that freaked out Eshonai and some other Parshendi so much that they had him assassinated. It doesn't explain how they got Szeth's Oathstone though. If you put two and two together, it seems that Gavilar's plan would return the Parshendi gods somehow.

Thanks! Is there a place wherein I can hear or read a transcription of this second reading? Pretty please with a blatantly sucking up upvote?

[Windrunner he/him]

Heh, no problem. It's right here. Pretty great stuff in there. This is the second one, with the stormform. You've heard the first one, right? If not, it's here. Enjoy, it's incredible!

[hoser he/him]

Heh, no problem. It's right here. Pretty great stuff in there. This is the second one, with the stormform. You've heard the first one, right? If not, it's here. Enjoy, it's incredible!

Yes, well then. Who could find it on the front page of the site? I guess that's what they call security through obscurity.

No one would ever guess that I just go straight to the forums.

Seriously though, thank you, that was fantastic.

[lDanielHolm he/him]

Hah! I've had the same problem finding it. Thanks, Windrunner. Incredible, indeed.

[Kurkistan he/him]

Yeah, I started going to the front page first every time I go to the forums because I ran into that issue in the past.

[name_here]

Huh, the Parshendi don't seem nearly as well-off or confident as I had assumed. Given how carefully they had set up the whole situation and intentionally limited the deployment of their forces, I had figured they must be doing fairly well. This leads to the question of why they so deliberately and intentionally provoked the war, beyond just the assassination. Also, they've apparently lost a large number of Shardbearers, but the Alethi have only recovered a few suits at most and Saedeas has been repeatedly forced to withdraw rather than face them. So very many tactical questions. Why have they thrown away so many soldiers in suicidal attacks on Shardbearers instead of deploying their own as a group if they're doing so badly? Why the whole force-matching business? Also, apparently they're short on Gemhearts even though their numbers have dwindled substantially and they've got free reign over all the plateaus past the Tower. Though Dalinar might have changed that before this chapter took place.

Heeyyyy... writing on paper is critical to the form research in some way. And specifically paper; they've got plentiful supplies of other writing surfaces they could use if it were just research notes.

Edited December 4, 2012 by name_here

[The Count he/him]

Agreed, the reading was awesome, some really great things here. My thoughts...

Stormform... sounds powerful, I think the obvious link to stormlight can't be coincidence, my money is on Parshendi surgebinders. Do they need to attract Honourspren for this I wonder...

Parshendi Gods... surely must be voidbringers or similar. Along with Jasnah's conclusions, this is almost a confirmation that the Parshendi and the voidbringers are tied together intimately.

Gavilar's death... Big revelation here and I find it inconcievable that the black sphere of doom is not at the very heart of what Gavilar planned. But why share his plans with the Pardhendi and not with his own advisors / brother?

Also did anyone else find it interesting how Eshonai's sister (forget name) is described as having very pale, almost purple eyes? Also that she acts in an odd, almost non Parshendi way? Can we say Herald maybe?

((I know she is the sister of a POV character which makes her being a Herald difficult, but sister maybe a different thing amoung the Parshendi, no necessarly blood relative))

Can't wait for the book. It's gonna be EPIC!

Edited December 6, 2012 by MadRand

[Cheese Ninja he/him]

Well, that reading upsets almost all theories I had about the Parshendi. No secret stashes of Shardblades/Plates, no Herald commanding them, Gavilar killed because they were trying to stop him, not because it would unite the Alethi. Also, we got confirmation that they are in fact using the gemhearts for food production.

I hadn't been sure with the first reading if this was happening before or after the events of Way of Kings, but now it's clearly after.

Stormform sounds interesting, and tougher... I'll guess that it lets them power up using Stormlight, like Kaladin or Szeth, but without the use of any Surges.

There had been chasmfiends around before Gavilar came, they took him with them on a hunting trip for a chasmfiend once. So what exactly was Gavilar doing that would have made things worse? Is it possible that they didn't pupate until after Gavilar did what it was he did? Whatever it was, the Parshendi either didn't tell or explain their opposition well, or he dismissed it. When Szeth told him that it was the Parshendi who sent him, Gavilar said "that makes no sense." It could be that the Parshendi wanted to keep the effects of his possible actions a secret from everyone.

Perhaps the revival of their 'old gods' would transform them to an evil Void form, beyond their control, in preparation to be the opposing forces in a Desolation?

[Elwynn]

Gavilar's death...But why share his plans with the Pardhendi and not with his own advisors / brother?

Ya, that's the one thing that makes me doubt it's the black sphere. He was always talking about being honorable and the Way of Kings, I can see how that could be something he let slip. Especially when taken with the 2nd quote below, what was he going to do with the sphere, try to soulcast it maybe (fabrial wise)? But how does something like that slip out when you haven't told your closest allies? On the other hand, he was noticeably different to everyone...always talking of honor and the book.

Just listened again,

killed him..."in a desperate gambit to stop the parshendi gods from returning. Well...that hadn't worked out."

"if he had lived to do what he told them that night, all would have been lost." are the quotes she says about him.

Listening to the first quote, it's BS that stresses that word, and it's hard not to draw the conclusion that the parshendi gods returned anyways. Which seems slightly contradicted by the second quote, but...

Something cool to consider with the quotes above? When Szeth murders Gavilar...

"I...expected you...to come," the King said between gasps.

...

"You can tell...Thaidakar...that he's too late..."

Too late for what? So maybe he was talking about the Ghostbloods or something he was going to do in regards to them that set the parshendi off. So Szeth is too late, Gavilar has already done something...which coincides with the assassination failing to fully prevent Gavilar from bringing back the parshendi gods, which would match up with the first quote from the new reading.

[Windrunner he/him]

That's an excellent point, it's possible that he didn't complete what he was planning but started it at least. He believed that the Parshendi had no reason to kill him, it wouldn't make any sense. So whatever he was planning, he thought it would benefit the Parshendi. Perhaps he thought that they wanted their gods back?

[Inkthinker]

Whatever Gavilar had planned, he probably didn't see it as bad or dangerous himself...? I find it more likely that Gavilar was about to stumble into something bad (releasing powers he didn't understand or know about) rather than Gavilar was secretly plotting something mhwa-ha-ha-ha.

It seems most likely to me that everyone showed up to the party thinking it was going to be awesome, then as he's giving them the grand tour he shows them his newest find, which he thinks is something awesome but they recognize as weaponized anthrax plutonium ricin in a box, and they decide that taking him out of the picture is the fastest and easiest way to stop it from getting loose.

The decision to assassinate him is clearly stated here as a spur-of-the-moment decision that the Parshendi regret now.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Inkthinker

[Windrunner he/him]

That's a truly excellent point, Inkthinker, I'm glad you brought it up. Here's one candidate who I was thinking for the Parshendi gods. Perhaps the Unmade? If they're the eqivalent of the Heralds, that's pretty freaking scary. And what happened to them? If they've become trapped, or imprisoned somewhere or how, perhaps Gavilar figured out how to access them, without understanding what he was doing. Maybe he's even mistaken them for the Heralds, he was devout. He could have told the Parshendi, "Hey, guess what I figured out how to do?" and the Parshendi, knowing the full import, promptly lost it. Although, where did you see that they regret their actions? I hadn't picked up on that.

[Kurkistan he/him]

^More likely, Gavilar found a way to bring back the Heralds, and knew that, but didn't realize that it would also free the Unmade and trigger the Final Desolation. Remember that our dear Herald friend came back in the epilogue, so either the Heralds are Parshendi gods or you can only get the full package: no ala carte.

[Windrunner he/him]

Eh, I don't think it would be that easy or likely that Gavilar found a way to trigger the True Desolation. Although, here's another question. Why would Gavilar even want the Heralds back? According to Vorin theology, they're busy fighting for the Tranquiline Halls. Calling them back to Roshar would hurt the fight there.

[Nepene he/him]

Eh, I don't think it would be that easy or likely that Gavilar found a way to trigger the True Desolation. Although, here's another question. Why would Gavilar even want the Heralds back? According to Vorin theology, they're busy fighting for the Tranquiline Halls. Calling them back to Roshar would hurt the fight there.

Most of the Heralds are still around. Brandon said we saw five, i believe. He may be aware of such, and so know that official Vorin theology is incorrect.

[Windrunner he/him]

I know Nepene. How would Gavilar know though? There's no evidence to point to it. The Heralds seem ashamed, it's not like one's going to introduce himself to a king. "Hey, about half of your religion is based on a lie, I betrayed both you and your god to death and destruction," isn't exactly a great conversation starter. This is like meeting a guy in the street who claims to be an angel. There's nothing to suggest that Gavilar, or anyone on modern Roshar aside from Hoid, has any idea what the Heralds did. The only "possible" scenario I could see there would be Gavilar screwing stuff up in a misguided attempt to free Taln. I strongly doubt this is the reason.