GreatShells, Gemhearts and Polestones (Word of Peter)

[Yata he/him]

In this post I tried to aswer to a doubt of mine. I thought it was a well known fact that I only missed.

The unsure answers pushed me to ask both to Brandon and Peter on Twitter and the second gave me a much more vague answer

Also if I don't recive a sure answer, now I know that it isn't something explored in the books and maybe may hide some worldbuilding information about Roshar and the GreatShell's Spren-bond. It's even possible I was right about the idea exposed in my tweet (but I am not too sure about)

[Pathfinder]

37 minutes ago, Yata said:

In this post I tried to aswer to a doubt of mine. I thought it was a well known fact that I only missed.

The unsure answers pushed me to ask both to Brandon and Peter on Twitter and the second gave me a much more vague answer

Also if I don't recive a sure answer, now I know that it isn't something explored in the books and maybe may hide some worldbuilding information about Roshar and the GreatShell's Spren-bond. It's even possible I was right about the idea exposed in my tweet (but I am not too sure about)

If the theory is true, it could also mean there are at least 10 types of great shell species on roshar. One for each polestone

[Yata he/him]

If is true, yes there are at least 10 species, but I understood that when the Chasmfields was discovered, the Alethi was happy to find a replacement for the Lanceryn's Gemhearts.

This would mean that both Chasmfiend and  Lanceryn have Emerald's GemHeart (because we know the Alethi uses Chasmfiend's Gemheart to soulcast food).

Maybe it's not clear from the twitter post. But I actually don't know how this may work. I simply tried to exploit the characters' limit of twitter to propose a possible explaination because I knowed that Peter would be simiilar bonded in the answer.

[Stormgate he/him]

Correct me, those who are fortunate enough to have the book, but wasn't the Gemheart that Kaladin got from that chasmfiend in WoR yellow? As in, heliodor?

[Yata he/him]

4 hours ago, Stormgate said:

Correct me, those who are fortunate enough to have the book, but wasn't the Gemheart that Kaladin got from that chasmfiend in WoR yellow? As in, heliodor?

Ok I checked. That gemheart is an Emerald.

I began to think that all the Gemhearts are always Emeralds in every kind of GreatShell.

[Stormgate he/him]

Then where do other gemstones come from? Chulls?

[Yata he/him]

33 minutes ago, Stormgate said:

Then where do other gemstones come from? Chulls?

Probably yes but in the books we have only a couple of confirms other than Chasmfield's Ones.

Lanceryn (the marine Greatshell who saved Shallan) and Yu-nerig (the one of "you have eyes of red and blue").

As far as we know everykind of GreatShell may have gemheart but probably the smallen one aren't worthy to be killed for the gem.

[DeTess she/her]

Rememeber, gemstones could also quite easily be acquired the normal way, being mined from the ground.

[WeiryWriter he/him]

1 hour ago, Yata said:

Lanceryn (the marine Greatshell who saved Shallan)

I think you mean Rysn here, but regardless Lanceryn were native to Aimia, the Tai-na are a different species.

[Yata he/him]

22 minutes ago, WeiryWriter said:

I think you mean Rysn here, but regardless Lanceryn were native to Aimia, the Tai-na are a different species.

No I meant Shallan, the Lanceryn is the marine beast who follow her boat while she travels with Jashah and she decided to discover how the Greatshell is under the water.

Like you said the Reishi beast who (quite) surelly have also a gemheart is a Tai-na

[WeiryWriter he/him]

Just now, Yata said:

No I meant Shallan, the Lanceryn is the marine beast who follow her boat while she travels with Jashah and she decided to discover how the Greatshell is under the water.

Like you said the Reishi beast who (quite) surelly have also a gemheart is a Tai-na

The beast you are thinking of is a santhid (plural: santhidyn) which as far as we know is not a greatshell.

[Yata he/him]

You have right, I swithced the two species in my mind.

[Yata he/him]

I recive a real WoB on this problem on Reddit:

Quote

YataVS 1 punto 3 ore fa 

Thanks for the update! In Oathbringer will we discover how the type of a Gemheart is decided ?(what Polestone you will find once the Gemheart is gathered) I have this doubt for months and probably is a relly not relevant think but I have the constant feel of "I am missing something

 

 

[–]mistborn[F,S] 2 punti un'ora fa 

You're asking why certain species have emerald gemhearts, while others have a different type of gemstone

 

 

[–]YataVS 1 punto 35 minuti fa 

In the end yes. Actually, I was even unsure if a specific species had a Specific Polestone as Gemheart. In the books is never esplicity stated but (in-world) nobody ever asked what kind of Polestone is retrived after the death of a Chasmfield (as if it was obvious fact) but I had not actually confirmations until now

 

[–]mistborn[F,S] 2 punti 17 minuti fa 

Note that there are some species that vary. But many do not, which is what made Chasmfiends so valuable

 

 

[–]YataVS 1 punto un minuto fa 

Thank you very much for the answer :-)

This mean that every Chasmfield have a Emerald as GemHeart and that having a specific and costant Polestone as Gemheart is a features of many Greatshell's species.

[thejopen27 he/him]

Well, Natanatan has the Chasmfiends with Emerald Hearts

Sela Tales has teh Yu-nerig

Rishir has the Tai-na

Aimia has the Lanceryn

Are Santhids only found around Thalath or are they more wide-spread?

So we need a great shell for Iri, Vhalav, Alethela, and Makabakam. I doubt Shin kak Nish would have a greatshell. 

[thejopen27 he/him]

On 8/6/2016 at 10:32 AM, Ookla the Indefinite said:

The beast you are thinking of is a santhid (plural: santhidyn) which as far as we know is not a greatshell.

The Santhid is a giant Rosharan creature that has Spren connected to it, it likely has a gem heart. Therefore it is probably considered a greatshell.

Edited December 7, 2016 by thejopen27