Lots of Questions and Theories (I will get the exact chapters in an update)

[Govika he/him]

Okay, so I have a few theories that I want to propose. Some of them may be RAFO, and some are speculation (not necessarily theories) but I find them interesting and hope someone else does too.

 

First. Are Elhokar and Sadeas in cahoots? Think about it, when Dalinar is talking to Sadeas and the king (Chapter 50) Elhokar is very insistent on Dalinar accepting Sadeas's bridges. It sounded like they were maneuvering him. Sadeas is always by the king, whispering in his ear, who is to say they had a way to get rid of Dalinar? I know in the early chapters (chapter 18) Elhokar is very foreboding about Dalinar, comparing him to his father who went insane during his last years alive. Is Elhokar in cahoots with Taravangian in killing Dalinar? Dalinar may not notice because he is too naive. 

 

Speaking of Elhokar, who were the men at the beginning of the prelude Szeth sees talking to him? The fact that Elhokar hates it when people compare him is understood, but the fact he becomes severely irate is strange. Did he have something to do with Gavilar's death?

 

And speaking of foreboding, what about in chapter 27, when Rock is praising Kaladin for his kata, he calls him  "Master Brightlord." Did Syl tell him about it and Rock know that Kaladin was a true lighteyes? 

 

Second, at the beginning of chapter 4 a Reshi chul trainer who is being bled speaks of Shadesmar. He describes it the sun he sees as "dark and cold shining in a black sky." When Shallan enteres Shadesmar, the same dark sky and distant sun are described. So, one can extrapolate, that some, not all, people when they die see Shadesmar. Sanderson explains in an q & a on Barnes & Noble[1] that there are three main realms: the physical. the cognitive, and the spiritual. Shadesmar appears to be the cognitive, but it may be the spiritual.

 

I firmly believe the Heralds are either reincarnate in the forms of Kaladin and Szeth; Shallan and Jasnah; and Dalinar and someone else. Kaladin is the first to find his spren (spren are accompaniment to Heralds). It may also be that these characters are the Radiants alive whom need shardblades (that turn into honorblades) because the Almighty tells Dalinar "the Radiants must stand again." 

 

About Syl, notice how Syl starts following Kaladin after he kills the shardbearer. It was the fact Kaladin did not take the shardblade that made him personify honor, which is why and when Syl followed him. 

 

Syl hates shardblades. Do all spren hate shardblades? It seems that is why the Horneaters can see them, because Horneaters don't have any shardblades. If they were honorblades, would that change anything? I think the "shards men once bore" were honorshards, as evidence by their glowing. Once the honor left the Radiants (aka, the Day of Recreance) the shards became "mundane." Without honor, the blades and plate could not act as they should. It is interesting to note that Szeth says in the prologue how you cannot surgebind while wearing plate, but in Dalinar's first vision we see (chapter 19) the Radiants could surgebind (hence, why they "fell" from the sky). Maybe if Kaladin could get into plate, he could surgebind? Also note that, as I speculated above, Szeth may be a Herald, or Radiant, reincarnate. If this is so, the reason he hasn't found his spren, unlike Kaladin, is because he acts without a key ingredient. I do not know what this is; it may be honor or something else.

 

Speaking of Szeth's honor, in the prologue we assume Szeth became Truthless because of his belief in the voidbringers. Whether that belief manifested itself into a resistance, or was merely heretical to Shin religion is up to debate.  

 

When Gavilar said "find the most important words a man can say," did he mean the Radiants codes? (May be why the next book is "Words of Radiance" because Dalinar finds them).

 

When the Almighty tells Dalinar to "unite them" who is he talking about? Is he telling whoever (it just so happens to be Dalinar) to unite Alethkar or is it something more than that. Does he mean unite the people of Roshar? Maybe. I think he means Dalinar, or whoever because he doesn't know who's listening, to unite the Lost Radiants into a new Knights Radiant. This would bring back honor to them, especially if they follow the Codes and the Radiants Codes, and allow them to surgebind with shardplate 'n' stuff. Essential, have the shards become honorplates and blades.

 

So, stormlight infuses itself into the spheres at a definite point during a highstorm. This is evident when Kaladin is in the highstorm. If the stormlight infused spheres throughout the storm, in duration, the sphere Kaladin held would still be lit (because the highstorm was not finished when he blacked out). That being said, is it possible to surgebind during a highstorm? I understand the human body may not hold it or even it may become overloaded. If it is overloaded that raises the question can you control how much stormlight you breathe in? I know you can control how much breath you inhale, but do you also control the amount of the stormlight itself that enters? Even so, I wonder if Kaladin and Szeth have the ability to surgebind unlimitedly during a highstorm, as long as they stay safe.

 

Now here is a tricky one. It is based on speculation from a reading Sanderson did from a draft of "Words of Radiance" before it was called that. The taping took place before Christmas of 2012. After you hear it, come back and I'll say something I've been thinking. [2]

So Sanderson states that Parshendi are that way because they bond to a spren. He may change that later or he may not, but it is interesting to note that the Parshendi need the gemhearts. Why is that? Alethi assume for soulcasting, but what if it is for some kind of religious ceremony? Isn't it interesting to note that yes the Shattered Plains are expansive, but the Alethi and Parshendi have been battling for 6 years and still there are more and more chasmfiends. Adolin notes after the chasmfiend is dead in chapter 15 that there are spren coming from it. There is also moldy smell of blood of the chasmfiend, also of the Parshendi. Could the chasmfiends be Parshendi that have evolved into a hulking monster? Eshonai talks of different forms that form different bodies. Perhaps the most revered place in Parshendi is to become a chasmfiend? The chasmfiends may become uncontrollable and turn hostile, which is why the Parshendi don't have any in reserve.

 

That's all I got! But stay tuned for more!

 

 

References

[1] http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Fantasy-Science-Fiction/Post-Questions-For-Brandon-Sanderson-Here/td-p/354645/page/3 

About halfway through (try ctrl + f and type "three;" it should be on there after a couple)

 

[2] https://soundcloud.com/stringbean1982/brandons-reading

Sanderson begins Stormlight talking about 8:53 and reading at 12:10

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Hiho and welcome to the forums. 

 

 

A lot of your theories are ones that people have already thought of.  That's good.  On the other hand, that also means that people have asked Brandon questions about them, which often ends up killing them off.

Q: Have any Chasmfiends managed to mature? Or have they all been caught before they could finish?
Brandon: You've already seen one. The enormous Chasmfiend that Dalinar fought was one that had successfully matured. You haven't seen what they start out as..."

 

Q: Between the Parshendi and the Alethi harvesting gem-hearts, how long has it been since a Chasmfiend got to finish pupating?

A: Aha. I wondered if someone would ask that. Much like whaling in our own world, there is a big ecological price building for what is going on here. You are right to worry about this.

 

Parshendi don't come from chasmfiends, or vice versa.  My personal theory is that the chasmfiendspren probably unlock some sort of awesome parshendi form, but there's no direct support for that.

 

 

We're actually pretty sure the Heralds are still alive - there are several of them that we think we've identified in various portions of the book.

 

 

 

As for seeing shadesmar.  Who knows?  Death quotes are a mystery, though some of them seem to be from the POV of characters we know

 

Chapter 59:
“Above the final void I hang, friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces, and the words I must speak spark in my mind. The old oaths will be spoken anew.”

That's PROBABLY Kaladin jumping over the chasm, with the gembearded parshendi in front of him, about to say the Oaths.

 

So it could just be someone talking from the POV of a guy entering shadesmar?

Edited May 29, 2013 by Phantom Monstrosity

[Binnut he/him]

And speaking of foreboding, what about in chapter 27, when Rock is praising Kaladin for his kata, he calls him  "Master Brightlord." Did Syl tell him about it and Rock know that Kaladin was a true lighteyes?

 

Kaladin is no true lighteyes, he is darkeyes as apparent by his dark eyes, and his darkeyed parents. He was of second Nahn (second highest darkeyed rank) before he was made a slave.

He may become a lighteyes if he obtains a shardblade in the future but nothing is sure at that point.

My intepretation is that Rock is mocking him. The situation is below.

 

... That you don't dare to take it of the dead?

Don't dare? Rock said. Kaladin, Master Brightlord, brilliant bridgeleader, spinner of spear, perhaps you will get it off them.

 

 

So, stormlight infuses itself into the spheres at a definite point during a highstorm. This is evident when Kaladin is in the highstorm. If the stormlight infused spheres throughout the storm, in duration, the sphere Kaladin held would still be lit (because the highstorm was not finished when he blacked out). That being said, is it possible to surgebind during a highstorm? I understand the human body may not hold it or even it may become overloaded. If it is overloaded that raises the question can you control how much stormlight you breathe in? I know you can control how much breath you inhale, but do you also control the amount of the stormlight itself that enters? Even so, I wonder if Kaladin and Szeth have the ability to surgebind unlimitedly during a highstorm, as long as they stay safe.

 

I think that it is most likely that it is possible. Kaladins order is called the windrunners and that suggests to me that they have that ability. In one (fever?)dream he also reams of moving just ahead of the storm and that makes me think it even more likely.

[Senor Feesh]

So, stormlight infuses itself into the spheres at a definite point during a highstorm. This is evident when Kaladin is in the highstorm. If the stormlight infused spheres throughout the storm, in duration, the sphere Kaladin held would still be lit (because the highstorm was not finished when he blacked out).

 

Don't forget that Kaladin can absorb and use Stormlight whilst unconscious. He could (and probably is) grabbing all the available Stormlight right through that experience, so whenever the Stormlight comes, it's gonna get sucked straight out of the gem (if it even ever gets into it). Even if it did make it into the gem, by the time the rest of Bridge Four come out and find him chained to the rock he'll have drained it.

[Govika he/him]

Don't forget that Kaladin can absorb and use Stormlight whilst unconscious. He could (and probably is) grabbing all the available Stormlight right through that experience, so whenever the Stormlight comes, it's gonna get sucked straight out of the gem (if it even ever gets into it). Even if it did make it into the gem, by the time the rest of Bridge Four come out and find him chained to the rock he'll have drained it.

Does that mean he and Szeth can surgebind relentlessly during highstorms?

[Senor Feesh]

Does that mean he and Szeth can surgebind relentlessly during highstorms?

I so want this to be yes

Truth is though, we don't know. Stormlight might actually be deposited at a specific point in the storm, the above argument was that given what we know it doesn't have to be true.

I would imagine that stormlight is present for at least the duration of the height of the storm though.

[Nepene he/him]

Does that mean he and Szeth can surgebind relentlessly during highstorms?

 

You may well need a gem of some sort to surgebind. So they'd need enough gems to support whatever relentless actions they took out in the open where they could receive power.

[Shardbearer he/him]

I'm currently on a reread, and in one of Kaladin's flashback chapters it is the Weeping, and Kaladin is going through one of his dark moods. I noticed that he describes feeling like the lack of highstorms during the Weeping causes him to feel lethargic. Here's  the quote:

 

He actually  missed the highstorms, with their rage and vitality. These days were dreary, and he found it difficult to get anything productive done. As if the lack of storms left him without strength.

From chapter 44, emphasis mine.

 

I know that in the Seattle area depression is high, which is often attributed to the rain and grey skies. Is that what's going on with Kaladin, or is there seomething more going on? If this is magical in nature, than that would be a point in favor of him being able to surgebind during storms without gems.

[Govika he/him]

Hiho and welcome to the forums. 

 

 

A lot of your theories are ones that people have already thought of.  That's good.  On the other hand, that also means that people have asked Brandon questions about them, which often ends up killing them off.

 

 

Parshendi don't come from chasmfiends, or vice versa.  My personal theory is that the chasmfiendspren probably unlock some sort of awesome parshendi form, but there's no direct support for that.

 

 

We're actually pretty sure the Heralds are still alive - there are several of them that we think we've identified in various portions of the book.

 

 

 

As for seeing shadesmar.  Who knows?  Death quotes are a mystery, though some of them seem to be from the POV of characters we know

 

That's PROBABLY Kaladin jumping over the chasm, with the gembearded parshendi in front of him, about to say the Oaths.

 

So it could just be someone talking from the POV of a guy entering shadesmar?

 

I didn't put this in there, but another reason I assumed was their blood smelled the same smell: moldy.

[happyman he/him]

Don't forget that Kaladin can absorb and use Stormlight whilst unconscious. He could (and probably is) grabbing all the available Stormlight right through that experience, so whenever the Stormlight comes, it's gonna get sucked straight out of the gem (if it even ever gets into it). Even if it did make it into the gem, by the time the rest of Bridge Four come out and find him chained to the rock he'll have drained it.

 

I actually think this is more likely.  You would take an enormous beating during a high-storm.  I'm not sure that one gem would be up to the task of keeping you alive during it.

[Govika he/him]

About the gems, is it the glass or gem or both that retain stormlight? If it's soley the gem, one could have gems implanted into the skin. What makes the spheres retain stormlight?

[Phantom Monstrosity]

It's just the gem.

Implanting things into the skin probably could have some issues with soul interference, similar to how stuff that touches blood in mistborn is harder to push/pull.

[hoser he/him]

I so want this to be yes

Truth is though, we don't know. Stormlight might actually be deposited at a specific point in the storm, the above argument was that given what we know it doesn't have to be true.

I would imagine that stormlight is present for at least the duration of the height of the storm though.

No.  The stormlight is available at only one specific instant which is described.  The gem gets charged, but Kaladin doesn't get infused or healed directly.  If he could draw from the storm directly over a duration of time or the gem repeatedly charge, he would have been more healed at the end of the storm. 

 

From Chapter 35:

Kaladin felt a deep chill - a rolling prickle of ice - scurry down his spine and through his entire body.  The sphere suddenly burst to life in his hand, flaring with a sapphire glow. 

This is the heart of the storm: I believe a partial rift to the spiritual realm. 

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Here's the whole quote

Kaladin blinked. All was still. The storm was quiet, and everything was purely dark. I’m dead, he thought immediately. But why could he feel the wet stone roof beneath him? He shook his head, dripping rainwater down his face. There was no lightning, no wind, no rain. The silence was unnatural.

He stumbled to his feet, managing to stand on the gently sloped roof. The stone was slick beneath his toes. He couldn’t feel his wounds. The pain just wasn’t there.

He opened his mouth to call out into the darkness, but hesitated. That silence was not to be broken. The air itself seemed to weigh less, as did he. He almost felt as if he could float away.

In that darkness, an enormous face appeared just in front of his. A face of blackness, yet faintly traced in the dark. It was wide, the breadth of a massive thunderhead, and extended far to either side, yet it was somehow still visible to Kaladin. Inhuman. Smiling.

Kaladin felt a deep chill—a rolling prickle of ice—scurry down his spine and through his entire body. The sphere suddenly burst to life in his hand, flaring with a sapphire glow. It illuminated the stone roof beneath him, making his fist blaze with blue fire. His shirt was in tatters, his skin lacerated. He looked down at himself, shocked, then looked up at the face.

It was gone. There was only the darkness.

Lightning flashed, and Kaladin’s pains returned. He gasped, falling to his knees before the rain and the wind. He slipped down, face hitting the rooftop.

What had that been? A vision? A delusion? His strength was fleeing him, his thoughts growing muddled again. The winds weren’t as strong now, but the rain was still so cold. Lethargic, confused, nearly overwhelmed by his pain, he brought his hand up to the side and looked at the sphere. It was glowing. Smeared with his blood and glowing.

He hurt so much, and his strength had faded. Closing his eyes, he felt himself enveloped by a second blackness. The blackness of unconsciousness.

Thing is, Kaladin's pain vanished well before the sphere was infused, and he felt some sort of power going through him before the sphere lit up. It's entirely possible that you can get stormlight raw from the highstorm, but Kaladin just lacks the training or failed to try. When he picks up stormlight it's a very similar sensation to the one described here. Edited June 2, 2013 by Phantom Monstrosity

[Govika he/him]

Could Kaladin be transported to the spiritual realm during the highstorm much like Shallan was transported to Shadesmar? In the Interlude of Geranid, Ashir says Shadesmar is the cognitive realm. There are three realms, and we for sure know 2 of the 3. Could Kaladin's "vision" be of the spiritual realm?

[Meg]

Kaladin felt "as if he could float away." (That's from PM's quote.) A few weeks after his recovery he "dreamed he was the storm" (TWoK Ch. 46). I feel those are similar levels of consciousness. I don't have an idea what the Spiritual Realm is or how it is arranged, so I wouldn't deny that both events where "visits to the Spiritual Realm." 

 

About the Spiritual Realm: 

 

“I don’t have passion for it as I once did,” he continued. “Besides, what good will a cook be in the Spiritual Realm?”
“Heralds need food,” she said absently, scratching out a line on her writing board, then scribbling another line of numbers beneath it.
“Do they?” Ashir asked. “I’ve never been convinced. Oh, I’ve read the speculations, but it just doesn’t seem rational to me. The body must be fed in the Physical Realm, but the spirit exists in a completely different state.”
“A state of ideals,” she replied. “So, you could create ideal foods, perhaps.”

TWoK I-8 

 

That makes me wonder if Dalinar's visions were such visits to the Spiritual Realm, too. Not that I'm the first to ask this: 

 

FireArcadia
When Dalinar and Honour are having a "chat" at the end, Honour says "I don't know who you are, or how you found your way here." Does Dalinar visit the Spiritual realm in his dreams then?

Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. (Sorry.)

 

source

 

So, only a RAFO unfortunately. 

 

 

[Shardlet he/him]

And speaking of foreboding, what about in chapter 27, when Rock is praising Kaladin for his kata, he calls him  "Master Brightlord." Did Syl tell him about it and Rock know that Kaladin was a true lighteyes? 

 

I think it is interesting that Kaladin can't get away from "lordling".  First from Jost, then from Gaz, now from Rock.  Then, at the end of WoK, he essentially becomes a lordling when Dalinar gives him command over all the bridgement (a number of troops commanded by a brightlord of no less than 4th Dahn). 

 

 

It's just the gem.

Implanting things into the skin probably could have some issues with soul interference, similar to how stuff that touches blood in mistborn is harder to push/pull.

 

While I agree that implanting beneath the skin would inhibit stormlight charging, I am not as sure about if the gem gem is partially exposed.  I'm not sure how much blood contact has to do with it.  Remember, TLR pulled on the metals in Vin's stomach and don't forget that a coin in Zane's mouth was undetectable to Vin.  It doesn't change your point in this context, but they may be important clarifications.  In support of PM's point, Vin had to really concentrate hard and flare her iron really crazy high in order to even be able to sense TLR's armbracers which penetrated his skin (mostly exposed but partly not).

 

Edit: added second part of post

Edited June 10, 2013 by Shardlet