Shallan & Cryptics - Details revealed at a signing

[Havoc]

When Brandon was in London for his Shadows of Self tour, I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions. The questions are listed in the signing thread, but I'd like to dig a bit deeper into one of his answers:
 

Q: In WoK, Shallan is being chased by Cryptics. She begins to summon her Shardblade, stops and then Soulcasts for the first time. We know from WoR that it's her bond to Pattern, her Shardblade that allows her to Soulcast. So my question is, if Shallan had not begun to summon her Blade, would she have been able to Soulcast?

A: She... would not have been able to. Good question! Wow. No one has ever asked me that before.

 
And for good order, here's the passage in question:
 

The creature at the front was reaching too-smooth fingers toward Shallan. Just inches from the right side of the sketchpad.
Oh, Stormfather… Shallan thought, charcoal pencil falling still. The room was empty, yet depicted right in front of her was an image of it crowded full of sleek figures. They were close enough that she should be able to feel them breathing, if they breathed.
Was there a chill in the room? Hesitantly—terrified but unable to stop herself—Shallan dropped her pencil and raised her freehand to the right.
And felt something.
She screamed then, jumping to her feet on her bed, dropping the pad, backing against the wall. Before she could consciously think of what she was doing, she was struggling with her sleeve, trying to get the Soulcaster out. It was the only thing she had resembling a weapon. No, that was stupid. She didn’t know how to use it. She was helpless.
Except…
Storms! she thought, frantic. I can’t use that. I promised myself.
She began the process anyway. Ten heartbeats, to bring forth the fruit of her sin, the proceeds of her most horrific act. She was interrupted midway through by a voice, uncanny yet distinct:
What are you?
She clutched her hand to her chest, losing her balance on the soft bed, falling to her knees on the rumpled blanket. She put one hand to the side, steadying herself on the nightstand, fingers brushing the large glass goblet that sat there.
“What am I?” she whispered. “I’m terrified.”
This is true.

 

With all that out of the way, on to the theorycrafting...

 

With Brandon's answer, it's now quite clear that in summoning her Shardblade, Shallan re-established her link to Pattern, which gave her the ability to soulcast.

 

If it's Pattern that let her soulcast, then what were the other Cryptics doing here? I posit that they are complete red herrings and had nothing to do with Shallan's soulcasting at all, other than inadvertently scaring her into summoning Pattern. The voice she hears is Pattern prompting her into saying Words, the same way Sly prompted Kal to say the Words when defending Elhokar from Moash. Of course, for a Lightweaver, Words are about self-actualization, not oaths. Shallan's Words might be new or might be a repetition of ones she has said before, but that is a debate for another place.

 

The Cryptics that Shallan 'saw' were actually chasing after her only out of curiosity at coming across a human who could sense them. But, what were they doing there in the first place? I think that as 'the lighteyes of the Spiritual Realm', Cryptics like to keep an eye on what the lighteyes of the Physical realm are up to. Specifically, they like to keep an eye on the rulers.

 

The very first time Shallan drew Cryptics, they were hanging around Taravangian. I expect that's what they normally do, when not drawn away by something more curious. The only other place we've seen hints of Cryptics is around Elhokar. (this is well documented elsewhere on the forum so I'm not going to go into details here.) Surely it can't be a coincidence that we have spent time with exactly two kings over the course of the books and we've got Cryptics next to both of them. I expect that the next time Lift hangs out with Gawx, she's going to see a few Cryptics around him too.

 

TL;DR: Liespren are lies

Edited January 18, 2016 by Havoc

[DreamEternal]

Great WoB! I agree with your conclusion that cryptics like to stay close to human rulers.

I'd also suggest that those cryptics may actualy have been trying to reignite Shallan's bond, after stumbling upon her and finding Pattern almost dying.

This is also supported by how they keep watch of her from a longer distance after the incident: they want to know if they managed to save their sibling, but don't want to scare her to the point she supresses the bond again.

[natc]

So presumably they were keeping tabs on Taravangian, but then suddenly noticed Shallan had drawn them in the sketch, and immediately realized that they had a surgebinder in their presence aligned with Shadesmar. After following her a bit they realized that, against all odds they had happened across Pattern (whatever his real numerical name is) in a spren-death state and tried to do something?

Seems plausible.

[Stormgate he/him]

My ADD is bringing me back to the point where Shallan apparently looks into Shadesmar in order to see the Cryptics. How did she do that with a severed bond?

[maxal she/her]

My ADD is bringing me back to the point where Shallan apparently looks into Shadesmar in order to see the Cryptics. How did she do that with a severed bond?

 

Her bond has never been severed, just stretched to the breaking point, but it didn't shattered. I may be recalling wrong, but doesn't she also say her first truth shortly before glimpsing Shadesmar? In other words, she was in the process her strengthening her bond again at that point in time.

[DreamEternal]

So presumably they were keeping tabs on Taravangian, but then suddenly noticed Shallan had drawn them in the sketch, and immediately realized that they had a surgebinder in their presence aligned with Shadesmar. After following her a bit they realized that, against all odds they had happened across Pattern (whatever his real numerical name is) in a spren-death state and tried to do something?

It is not my fault.

I mean, Shallan was rescued by Tvlak(sp?) and rode on the same wagon Kaladin was in months ago. Them they find a group of deserters that includes Gaz. And Roshone killed Moash's family.

And many other things that alone are coincidence, but together are conspiracy.

[Fiddler]

Maybe the cryptics were there to scare Shallan, so she would reestablish her link to Pattern.

 

edit:

 

She hasn't seen any sign of them since she has started communcating with Pattern again.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Fiddler

[Havoc]

She hasn't seen any sign of them since she has started communcating with Pattern again.

Then again, she hasn't been in Kharbranth or around Mr T since she reestablished her bond with Pattern.

[thegatorgirl00 she/her]

My question is, does this give us any more information as to how one might form a bond with a dead Shardblade? This is the closest we've seen to that happening so far.

[Fiddler]

Then again, she hasn't been in Kharbranth or around Mr T since she reestablished her bond with Pattern.

 

But she has been near Elhokar, still no mention of Cryptics.

[Seerow]

But she has been near Elhokar, still no mention of Cryptics.

 

Elhokar stated that he stopped seeing them when Kaladin showed up, which was before Shallan came around. 

[Havoc]

But she has been near Elhokar, still no mention of Cryptics.

 

She only 'sees' them when she draws. Unless I'm forgetting something, she's never drawn a picture of Elhokar or done one near him.

[Slaybalj]

It might be worth noting that when Ivory tests Jasnah the night of Galivar's assassination there are other spren on hand observing as well.

[Weltall]

My question is, does this give us any more information as to how one might form a bond with a dead Shardblade? This is the closest we've seen to that happening so far.

 

Don't think so. Her bond was never dead (she thinks she could summon what we assumed to be an ordinary Shardblade before she started seeing Cryptics) so it's probably not helpful in that regard. We know that if you're the original Radiant, you just reswear the Ideals and mean it (or say more truths if you're a Lightweaver) so I don't think Shallan can help us figure out the 'something more'.

 

Though that brings up a related thing and I don't know if we have any Words of Brandon on it. He's said that Shallan is one step further on the way to Radianthood than Kaladin, so presumably she's spoken three truths at this point plus the shared Ideal, maybe more since she's supposed to have regressed and thus dropped a step or two down. But assuming that "I killed my father" and "I killed my mother" are her equivalent to the Third and Fourth Ideals of any other Radiant, what was her second, aka her first 'truth'?

[Pathfinder]

Don't think so. Her bond was never dead (she thinks she could summon what we assumed to be an ordinary Shardblade before she started seeing Cryptics) so it's probably not helpful in that regard. We know that if you're the original Radiant, you just reswear the Ideals and mean it (or say more truths if you're a Lightweaver) so I don't think Shallan can help us figure out the 'something more'.

 

Though that brings up a related thing and I don't know if we have any Words of Brandon on it. He's said that Shallan is one step further on the way to Radianthood than Kaladin, so presumably she's spoken three truths at this point plus the shared Ideal, maybe more since she's supposed to have regressed and thus dropped a step or two down. But assuming that "I killed my father" and "I killed my mother" are her equivalent to the Third and Fourth Ideals of any other Radiant, what was her second, aka her first 'truth'?

Wasn't it that she was terrified and that allowed her to soulcast/pulled her into shadesmar? 

[Fiddler]

But assuming that "I killed my father" and "I killed my mother" are her equivalent to the Third and Fourth Ideals of any other Radiant, what was her second, aka her first 'truth'?

 

Good question! But will be able to find out, since there will be no more Shallan flashbacks, I presume.

Seems like Brandon is holding out on us!

 

Also: What will be her next truth, because I doubt she is a full-on KR at this point. I was under the impression, the lies she has to uncover would be getting bigger. I doubt there is something worse in her past, than killing both her parents.

 

edit: typos

Edited January 21, 2016 by Fiddler

[Pathfinder]

Good question! But will be able to find out, since there will be no more Shallan flashbacks, I presume.

Seems like Brandon is holding out on us!

 

Also: What will be her next truth, because I doubt she is a full-on KR at this point. I was under the impression, the lies she has to uncover would be getting bigger. I doubt there is something worse in her past, than killing both her parents.

 

edit: typos

But it was answered. When Pattern and the other crytics followed her in her drawings, she got back to her room. She tried to get her shardblade, and Pattern asked what is she and she said "I am terrified", to which he replied "That is true" and then she was pulled into shadesmar. So that is her first truth. I could pull up the quote if you need a more exact rendition. 

[natc]

That certainly brought Pattern back, but even in Shallan's childhood Pattern possessed shardblade functions. What truths did she admit to to even get that far as a kid?

[Pathfinder]

That certainly brought Pattern back, but even in Shallan's childhood Pattern possessed shardblade functions. What truths did she admit to to even get that far as a kid?

Maybe "I stole a cookie when my Mom wasn't looking and spoiled my dinner" lol jk

[Seerow]

That certainly brought Pattern back, but even in Shallan's childhood Pattern possessed shardblade functions. What truths did she admit to to even get that far as a kid?

 

This right here is what I was really looking for in Shallan's flashbacks, and what left me most disappointed when reading WoR for the first time.

 

On rereads I've grown to appreciate what we did get far more, but I really hope that even if we never get another Shallan Flashback chapter, Brandon can at least fill us in a bit more on how Shallan actually developed as a child radiant via WoBs or something. Though something like a spinoff novella would be ideal assuming it is a story worth reading and not something best summed up in a few sentences.

[Havoc]

This right here is what I was really looking for in Shallan's flashbacks, and what left me most disappointed when reading WoR for the first time.

 

On rereads I've grown to appreciate what we did get far more, but I really hope that even if we never get another Shallan Flashback chapter, Brandon can at least fill us in a bit more on how Shallan actually developed as a child radiant via WoBs or something. Though something like a spinoff novella would be ideal assuming it is a story worth reading and not something best summed up in a few sentences.

 

I suspect that there's a good reason why Brandon hasn't revealed that piece of information. If was something he could tell us, it would have already been included in the book.

 

I cannot, however, imagine what that reason might be. I too found it incredibly frustrating not to be shown how Shallan and Pattern first met. Kaladin's backstory also had some holes (Tarah!) but nothing so critical.

 

If we get to the end of Oathbringer without knowing Dalinar's boon and curse from the Nightwatcher, I'm going to really wonder what's going on.

[maxal she/her]

If we get to the end of Oathbringer without knowing Dalinar's boon and curse from the Nightwatcher, I'm going to really wonder what's going on.

 

We aren't. Brandon confirmed somewhere there was a chapter dedicated to Dalinar's trip to the Nightwatcher.

[The Ninja Yodeler he/him]

We aren't. Brandon confirmed somewhere there was a chapter dedicated to Dalinar's trip to the Nightwatcher.

That. Is. Awesome. I've been wanting to see someone's Nightwatcher POV. I would even have even been fine with Tooks visit(if there truly was such a visit). Who knows, maybe he was telling the truth about "stealing" the Black Sphere from her/it. That would be awesome too see, especially since basically everyone assumes he lied about it. Me included. Ya know, or Dals, too. Either or.

[Weltall]

Just you watch, we'll get to that point in the book and read about Dalinar approaching a figure concealed in shadows. Then he'll open his mouth but before he can ask for his boon, the light will shift and he'll see the Nightwatcher and the chapter will end with four words:

 

I am a stick

[Highline he/him]

Could Shallans answer to what true beauty was (family all alive and together) be a truth she spoke allowing her along the path earlier in her life?