Eshonai Alive?

[Elenion]

Just now, Pathfinder said:

Problem is we have no information or evidence to show it isn't investiture based. 

I guess you could see the binding process of Stormform as the necessary shattering of the spirit web, but I don't think it's investiture-based because it doesn't appear to have an external energy source, like Stormlight or (very minor Mistborn: TFE spoilers)

Spoiler

Pure metals and alloys

 

[Pathfinder]

Just now, Elenion said:

I guess you could see the binding process of Stormform as the necessary shattering of the spirit web, but I don't think it's investiture-based because it doesn't appear to have an external energy source, like Stormlight or (very minor Mistborn: TFE spoilers)

  Hide contents

Pure metals and alloys

 

Well that leads to another problem then. If changing form is not investiture based due to lack of outside energy source, then why is stormform a voidbringer but not warform, mateform, or etc? They do not need an external energy source to maintain the form and they have unique abilities to the form. In the books it comments how some forms call the gods, or bring their attention. I posit that stormform is the form that calls them/ their attention, which results in the transformation into the voidbringers. Again I see stormform as the catalyst, and the voidbringers the result. 

[Elenion]

1 minute ago, Pathfinder said:

Well that leads to another problem then. If changing form is not investiture based due to lack of outside energy source, then why is stormform a voidbringer but not warform, mateform, or etc? They do not need an external energy source to maintain the form and they have unique abilities to the form. In the books it comments how some forms call the gods, or bring their attention. I posit that stormform is the form that calls them/ their attention, which results in the transformation into the voidbringers. Again I see stormform as the catalyst, and the voidbringers the result. 

And I think that stormform is a voidform because it's a bond with a voidspren, but yet simply being a voidbringer doesn't mean that you have to voidbind, sort of like how you can be Snapped but yet not know how to burn metals. The other forms are not bonds with voidspren, so Parshendi in the forms aren't considered voidbringers, because although they have spren power they don't have the option to voidbind.

[Pathfinder]

Just now, Elenion said:

And I think that stormform is a voidform because it's a bond with a voidspren, but yet simply being a voidbringer doesn't mean that you have to voidbind, sort of like how you can be Snapped but yet not know how to burn metals. The other forms are not bonds with voidspren, so Parshendi in the forms aren't considered voidbringers, because although they have spren power they don't have the option to voidbind.

And as I said this is where we agree to disagree and RAFO. I respect that that is how you interpret it. I see it differently.

[WeiryWriter]

Okay at this point, in order for this thread to remain on topic, any further discussion on the nature of Void binding and whether stormform is a Void bringer form should take place in its own thread.

[Pathfinder]

27 minutes ago, WeiryWriter said:

Okay at this point, in order for this thread to remain on topic, any further discussion on the nature of Void binding and whether stormform is a Void bringer form should take place in its own thread.

ooooooor is that what you want us to believe........ (sorry I couldn't resist as your rep level literally is voidbringer right now lolol. ok now I will shut up, promise! )

Edited August 2, 2016 by Pathfinder

[Argel]

Wait, so Evil Librarians are Voidbringers?!?

[CalaCrisp88]

On August 1, 2016 at 2:28 PM, Pathfinder said:

There is a WoB that state that just because a character has a PoV chapter, does not mean that character is either still alive, or will remain alive. So a character could die earlier in the series, but later on receive a PoV chapter. 

Thanks for clarifying. At first I thought you meant that a dead person would get a whole pov book lol

[RYANHOME]

I believe Eshonai is alive and she has a RADIANT future ahead .

Need more info on voidbinding abilities. A sprinkling of clarification from Brandon or Peter would help.

[Storm]

1 hour ago, RYANHOME said:

I believe Eshonai is alive and she has a RADIANT future ahead .

Need more info on voidbinding abilities. A sprinkling of clarification from Brandon or Peter would help.

I hope she is more main in the next book! And I can't wait to learn more about the others and meet them! 

[Radiant Returned]

18 hours ago, 8giraffe8 said:

Thanks for clarifying. At first I thought you meant that a dead person would get a whole pov book lol

Brandon has said this is possible. So just because we know Szeth, Eshonai, Jasnah, Lift, Taln, Renarin, and I forget who else have future books planned for them as "their" POV book, does NOT mean they will stay alive until then. 

[WindCaller]

From what I understood ( and please correct me if I'm wrong ), but it is a somewhat accepted theory that Eshonai will eventually become one of the radiants? There's a WOB somewhere saying that, while people in the world would say that a parshendi can't, it was possible. 

The implication of the view point book implies she at least has a further spot light shined on her if nothing else. The second book shows her internal struggle to be free from the voidspren during the times she attunes peace and then again later on. It would be a very odd choice to show us of her passion and then leave us with a cold dead void bringer.

EDIT: found a WOB

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/6439-audio-from-the-san-diego-signing/

Quote

That, you will have to wait for his flashback sequences in a future book.  Each character gets a set of flashback sequences.  I'm not going to promise that the characters live to the book where their flashback sequences are.  You might have a character die and then get their flashbacks the next book to get more information on them.  This will be Shallan's flashback, then the next book will be Szeth's flashback, then Eshonai, then Dalinar.

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by WindCaller
spelling

[Radiant Returned]

It IS commonly accepted that Eshonai will be a Radiant or have a major role going forward in future books. But...in the right circumstances I could see Sanderson killing her off for plot reasons AND to mess with the people making those assumptions. If all the things we assume will happen actually happen then the books wouldn't be nearly as good.

It's also important to note that the WoB about if Parshendi could be Radiants was purely theoretical (presumably by someone who wanted confirmation for Eshonai being a radiant) and just because something is theoretically possible in Sanderson's world does not at all mean that it will actually be utilized. 

[Stormgate]

Here's what we know:

1. Eshonai is probably  alive 

2. She is important to the series 

3. She may become a Knight Radiant 

4. Eshonai may die

5. If Eshonai dies, it will be more dramatic than falling in a chasm.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Stormgate
Eshonai being alive not confirmed

[Jondesu]

2 hours ago, Stormgate said:

Here's what we know:

1. Eshonai is alive 

Wait, do we know that? I was pretty sure it'd never been confirmed. I'm not accepting that as fact until it's in a book or Brandon states it directly.

jW

[Stormgate]

19 minutes ago, Jondesu said:

Wait, do we know that? I was pretty sure it'd never been confirmed. I'm not accepting that as fact until it's in a book or Brandon states it directly.

jW

Fixed it.

[maxal]

Is Eshonai alive?

I would say quite certainly. Now while the author has told us he would do the flashback of a dead character and while he also told us being dead didn't prevent someone from participating into the main narrative, I doubt he meant Eshonai.

Why?

To answer this question, I think we should look into the purpose of having Eshonai as a main POV character, even if it is only for one book. This mere fact seems to indicate the Parshendis are going to be important for the last climax. I cannot say in which way, but it seems obvious they have a role to play and since this role exists, the author needed one character to show us the inside perspective. As a result, "dead Eshonai" is useless. She can't be the voice of a species if she is dead. She won't serve her purpose if she is dead, therefore she cannot be dead. She simply cannot be this "dead flashback character". The same reasoning can be applied to Szeth, he won't serve his purpose which is to voice out what is happening with the Shin, the Honorblades and this whole Truthless business: it appears as if it will be important, hence he needs to live to carry it on, up until the end of book 5 this is. I do not think Szeth survives the first half.

When it comes to those "dead characters", we should ask ourselves who may not be needed, alive, for the main narrative to exists and/or who may be interesting to read as a "dead character". My money therefore is on one of the Herald, most probably Taln who always dies during Desolation. I suspect he will.... die at the end of book 5 and we'll see his perspective from whatever happens to Herald after they are dead. Another candidate would be Renarin as a "seer from the aftermath" character which I guess could work. The author specifically said Renarin did not have plot armor.

All this to say while we cannot be 100% sure Eshonai is not dead, she most certainly isn't. She also most certainly is transforming into a Radiant: all flashback characters will be Radiants. It seems impossible they wouldn't based on the book structure but I am still waiting for someone to completely break this assumption apart.

[Oversleep]

From a storytelling point of view, there is this whole build-up of the real!Eshonai screaming in the head of Stormform!Eshonai. If she died right now, all of that would've been wasted.

I think we're in for some mental struggle (TVTropes warning!).

[Erklitt]

37 minutes ago, Oversleep said:

From a storytelling point of view, there is this whole build-up of the real!Eshonai screaming in the head of Stormform!Eshonai. If she died right now, all of that would've been wasted.

I think we're in for some mental struggle (TVTropes warning!).

In other words: there's a Chekhov's gun ready and loaded. It has to go off:  if not in this world, then from the grave. If Eshomai is truly dead, then we'll just have to hear her ghost screaming...

Edited August 5, 2016 by Erklitt

[goody153]

Yeah no way she's dead not only would she have her flashback book focus(though Sanderson already stated that a character who has flashbacks can possibly be dead) but she can't be dead i suspect her struggle is gonna be fighting Odium's influence from inside with what is right as the before stormform parshendi was treated by Dalinar/Kaladin as if they were very honorable even though they are enemies (so that counts as something since they are Knight Radiant or at least at that time prime example of those honorable ones).

And formerly parshendi was not of Odium or made by Odium so possibly maybe Eshohai's part of the stormlight is the development of a Parshendi turning into a Knight Radiant or something of Honor. Also i feel like the screaming in the head while wielding the dead shardblade tips that.