So how did people figure out that Zahel was Vasher?

[kiapet]

I read WoR before Warbreaker, actually reading the latter because of the Vasher/Nightblood connection, so I can't give initial things that would clue me in. However, when rereading WoR, I was struck by this passage:

Quote

Kaladin had trouble placing [Zahel's] age. Those eyes seemed old somehow, but the man's skin didn't seem wrinkled enough to match them. He could have been thirty-five. Or he could have been seventy.

Too young, Kaladin thought, though he couldn't say why.

That description just screams immortal. Granted there are immortal people on Roshar too, but combined with the other worldhopper indications/the presence of Nightblood it's a pretty strong clue.

[+Wax he/him]

I didn't know at all.  I read warbreaker only last year... so never had the sense.

I actually read that book because I wanted to figure out who that Zahel fellow originally was! 

[Nathrangking he/him]

The night blood reference as well as his use of colors in his comments.

Edited July 30, 2017 by Nathrangking

[Teichert]

My only issue with the hints that Zahel is Vasher are the color idioms. I read Warbreaker not too long ago and don't recall Vasher (or anyone else) ever saying anything about being green from the ground, having red on the ears, or eating the wrong flower.

It seems like these clues would have been more satisfying if those phrases had actually been used by characters in Warbreaker.

Or maybe they were used and I'm just remembering incorrectly?

Edited May 10, 2018 by Teichert

[MountainKing]

5 hours ago, Teichert said:

My only issue with the hints that Zahel is Vasher are the color idioms. I read Warbreaker not too long ago and don't recall Vasher (or anyone else) ever saying anything about being green from the ground, have red on the ears, or eating the wrong flower.

It seems like these clues would have been more satisfying if those phrases had actually been used by characters in Warbreaker.

Or maybe they were used and I'm just remembering incorrectly?

Sanderson mentioned that he wanted to add more color metaphors

[IllNsickly he/him]

I, um... Ahem... Yeah.

 

I was halfway through WoK and found this forum and a link to Warbreaker with discussion about Vasher. 

I read it sitting on a location one night when I was on Standby for my crane operator.

I am also one of the strange people that happily hops straight into a *Spoiler* thread. 

*shrug*

[ScarletSabre he/him]

I keep wondering how Zahel is supposed to be pronounced... I listen to the audiobooks a lot, and they've had "Zyle", "Zah-El", and "Zah-l"... but my brain looks at it and wants to pronounce it "Zah-heel" for some reason...

[LadyLameness]

On 28/04/2018 at 5:18 AM, Teichert said:

My only issue with the hints that Zahel is Vasher are the color idioms. I read Warbreaker not too long ago and don't recall Vasher (or anyone else) ever saying anything about being green from the ground, have red on the ears, or eating the wrong flower.

It seems like these clues would have been more satisfying if those phrases had actually been used by characters in Warbreaker.

Or maybe they were used and I'm just remembering incorrectly?

It may also be a translational issue if Zahel's using magic to translate to Alethi. If that's the case, I wonder what Zahel's colour references would be in Nalthis? 

Quote

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

I'm wondering how worldhoppers are able to understand languages on different worlds.

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

So, because I knew I was doing this whole thing, I made it fairly easy to use Connection to start speaking other languages, like you see in the Mistborn books happening. That's a pretty common thing with the various magic systems, one of the easiest things to get going. Some just learn the language. It does happen. But, for instance, Hoid isn't learning the language, which is why you see him making goofs, like when he says "coin" instead of "sphere." Because, like, that doesn't happen really, if you learn the other language. There's not really the word for coin. But the magic is trying to interpret the thing that he says, and it just comes out as a word that's not in their language, really. And you'll see worldhoppers making that mistake. You'll see them using words like "dirt" and stuff like that, and that's just a clue they're using magical means.

source

 

Edit: @ScarletSabre my brain's also always gone to Zah-heel! I somehow always seem to come up with some bizarre, nowhere near correct, pronunciation of names so I'm glad someone else heard something similar

Edited May 1, 2018 by LadyLameness

[Xtafa]

I always read it as "Zael" with a near silent H in there. 

I didnt notice til after, i started the cosmere with Stormlight and consumed the rest of it afterwards,  only obviously connecting it in Warbreaker

[Darkwalker]

On 7/6/2017 at 11:42 PM, Kered said:

I'm terrible at spotting Hoid. 

easy remedy, every character unidentified by the end of the story who insults anyone (or gives vital info or tips) and vanishes quickly is hoid  

Edited May 3, 2018 by NoBrandonBookIsTooLong

[Kered he/him]

On 02/05/2018 at 9:11 PM, Darkwalker said:

easy remedy, every character unidentified by the end of the story who insults anyone (or gives vital info or tips) and vanishes quickly is hoid  

I should have gone back and edited that to "I was terrible at spotting Hoid. Then I discovered 17th Shard and Coppermind".

[Zelly]

On 5/2/2018 at 9:11 PM, Darkwalker said:

easy remedy, every character unidentified by the end of the story who insults anyone (or gives vital info or tips) and vanishes quickly is hoid  

Double points if the character is a beggar, vagrant, likes stories, or is musical inclined.  Also occasionally bald.

[Oversleep]

On 27.04.2018 at 9:18 PM, Teichert said:

My only issue with the hints that Zahel is Vasher are the color idioms. I read Warbreaker not too long ago and don't recall Vasher (or anyone else) ever saying anything about being green from the ground, having red on the ears, or eating the wrong flower.

It seems like these clues would have been more satisfying if those phrases had actually been used by characters in Warbreaker.

Or maybe they were used and I'm just remembering incorrectly?

This is basically because Warbreaker had their language (of Hallandren) translated to English.

While in Stormlight Archive we have (mostly) Alethi translated to English. And the thing is, Vasher is not speaking his own language, he's using Connection (like the WoB above explained) to speak Alethi and sometimes it just doesn't work right. Therefore Alethi around him don't quite grasp what he's saying because it does not necessarily make sense in Alethi.

It's like I translated a saying from my own language to English - like "to make two roasts on one fire". And then someone translated our conversation to their language, what I said will stand out. However, if I said the correct English saying "to kill two birds with one stone" it would get translated properly to the respective phrase.

Does that make sense?

Edited May 13, 2018 by Oversleep

[Teichert]

Oversleep, that makes perfect sense. Thanks for your thoughts

[Marasi Colms]

I didn't imagine it, but now that I read this, it's clear that they are the same person. How could I not see it before?

 

[Slimy_Slider]

I read SA first, so it wasn't a mid-book connection. But when I did read the WB sample in the back of HoA I finished it, didn't think about it too hard and went to bed (it was fairly late at night). In the space of about 5 minutes, I must have jumped out of bed at least three times with eureka moments as I figured out the major character links.