Popular Post Havoc Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) During my re-re-read of WoK, I noticed the following bit in Szeth's first interlude: After a short explanation that left out incriminating details, Szeth had found himself riding in the back of the merchant’s cart. The merchant—a man named Avado—had been clever enough to realize that in the wake of the king’s death, foreigners might be treated poorly. He’d made his way to Jah Keved, never knowing that he harbored Gavilar’s murderer as his serving man.... That tale always discomforted Szeth, as it reminded him of the strange black sphere Gavilar had given him. He’d hidden that carefully in Jah Keved. He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t want to risk a master taking it from him. So Szeth hid the voidsphere in Jah Keved, very shortly after the assassination of Gavilar, which was 6 years before the 'present day' events. What else happened in Jah Keved 6 years ago? http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/01/excerpt-brandon-sanderson-words-of-radiance-chapter-ten-twelve-fourteen-and-interlude-1 Could Shallan's family have found it soon after, and could that have been what triggered the events of 'Red carpet, once white'? Maybe the Ghostbloods recognized the description of the sphere from Shallan's father, and they had a falling out over who gets it? I don't think the sphere is the 'monster' that was within the safe, since that seems to give out normal light. Edited February 17, 2014 by Havoc 20
Peng the Just he/him Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 Interesting idea havoc. Hopefully, we will soon know the truth. In the meantime, upvote for a thought provoking theory. 2
Delightful Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Very interesting! No solid proof but i think definitely possible and worth thinking about. Besides, if family Davar and Szeth have previous dealings, that also opens the way for some awesome possible meetings scenes. Szeth comes to kill Dalinar, Kaladin goes all KR on him, then Shallan runs out screaming "no! Don't kill him! He's a family friend!". Alternatively, she uses the truth of knowing Szeth to fuel some cryptic surgebinding awesomeness Edit: spelling Edited February 17, 2014 by Delightful
+eveorjoy she/her Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 It maybe a coincidence but the timing is right. Upvote for picking up on that. 1
Swimmingly he/him Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 A glowing monster in a safe? A mysterious sphere glowing with dark power? Perhaps it reacts with Stormlight to cause something to happen? 4
Gloom he/him Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 The sphere radiates a dark light. I don't think it would make a strongbox glow. This doesn't discount the OPs post, but it is pretty safe to suggest that the sphere isn't the object that caused the safe to glow.
Bloodfalcon he/him Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 If Shallan's father actually was Soulcasting large mineral deposits or whatever, perhaps that sphere was the cause of his failings. Something like Szeth buries the stone -> Shallan's dad tries to Soulcast the land -> he can't -> it freaks him out -> he investigates -> finds the stone -> something something something Shallan kills everyone. Maybe one possibility. 3
Havoc Posted February 18, 2014 Author Posted February 18, 2014 If Shallan's father actually was Soulcasting large mineral deposits or whatever, perhaps that sphere was the cause of his failings. Something like Szeth buries the stone -> Shallan's dad tries to Soulcast the land -> he can't -> it freaks him out -> he investigates -> finds the stone -> something something something Shallan kills everyone. Maybe one possibility. I really like this line of reasoning.
AerionBFII he/him Posted February 23, 2014 Posted February 23, 2014 When was that black ball named the Voidsphere? I must have missed it?
Morsk he/him Posted February 23, 2014 Posted February 23, 2014 When was that black ball named the Voidsphere? I must have missed it? We don't have an official name for it, so people tend to make up new names for it when it comes up.
AerionBFII he/him Posted February 24, 2014 Posted February 24, 2014 Hahaha i thought so! Thanks had to risk sounding stupid, i scoured The Way Of Kings and was like how much more have i missed!! 2
DefiantBurrito Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 I really like this theory actually! I'm surprised that everyone seems to be dismissing out-of-hand that the voidsphere could be the glowing thing in the safe. Sure, we haven't seen it glow *yet*, but it seems like nearly everything important on Roshar glows at one point or another, so why not the voidsphere? Maybe it became infused with Stormlight, or the evil Spren inside it woke up, or it "activated" in some other way and began to glow... (Equally likely though, there could just be lots of infused Spheres in the safe. So I'd say we have no evidence either way) My theory would be: - Shallan's father found Gavilar's voidsphere, hid it in the safe - Someone (possibly Jasnah, or the Ghostbloods, or someone else entirely) sent an assassin after it - Jasnah's mother (stepmother?) was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was killed by a Shardblade - Shallan stumbles along, somehow (unwittingly) uses the powers of the voidsphere to murder the assassins. - Shallan's father claims the Shardblade, it passes to Shallan later when she kills her father. That raises the question... where is the voidsphere now? Does Shallan's family still have it? Maybe that explains why the Ghostbloods are putting so much pressure on them?
Cayden Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 interesting, myself ive been wondering if they arent linked more with the Oathpact than anything else. Szeth's oathstone is my reasoning for this, they had to have gotten that idea from somewhere and the Shin seem to have a deeper understanding of the world and its past than many others. Who knows, if they are the Oathstones of the Heralds then perhaps they could have been used to control the Heralds, would explain why they wanted Szeth to kill Galivar rather than risking it themselves. Szeth cannot kill his master either. All it would take would be the holder of the stone to say "dont kill me." and bam the Herald would be the next best thing to useless. So they give an Honorblade to Szeth's masters and set him on the path to kill Galivar. My reasoning for why an Oathstone of a Herald would be black is because it would basically be a contract written by Odium, they are essentially doing what he wants by not helping humans so he wouldnt care what happens with the stones. I wonder if Galivar found the stone at the same time that the Highstorm and Death visions began though?
Aminar Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 Good spotting. I hope this turns out to be true, because it would be fascinating, but I can see some issues with it and Szeth's general attempts to avoid those in power between Assasination periods.
Humph Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 .... Sure, we haven't seen it glow *yet*, but it seems like nearly everything important on Roshar glows at one point or another, so why not the voidsphere? I thought it was described as glowing not with light but with darkness when Szeth picked it up. Hard to reconcile that with light shining forth from the safe.
Crisapx he/him Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 I thought it was described as glowing not with light but with darkness when Szeth picked it up. Hard to reconcile that with light shining forth from the safe. And how would anyone know, that he found it to send assassins. If I found a dark glowing orb, I surely wouldn't advertise it, for anyone to know...
Aminar Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 I thought it was described as glowing not with light but with darkness when Szeth picked it up. Hard to reconcile that with light shining forth from the safe. Shallan can see things others cannot.
Humph Posted February 25, 2014 Posted February 25, 2014 Shallan can see things others cannot. The more I ponder this comment the more interesting I find its implications to be. This would mean that what Szeth perceives as streaming blackness but with no consideration of its goodness/evil, Shallan perceives it as light but with a morally (or ontologically) negative connotation ("monster"). She also uses the same term in a way which probably applies to herself. Would her perception of this be as a result of an (as-yet not perceived) bonding with a spren, and if so, what does this say about the Cryptics? Interesting implications to ponder, but it still does not seem realistic or probable to suppose. 1
Havoc Posted February 25, 2014 Author Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) And how would anyone know, that he found it to send assassins. If I found a dark glowing orb, I surely wouldn't advertise it, for anyone to know... He's a member of the Ghostbloods. There's a decent chance they were trying to get hold of the sphere anyway (which is why Gavilar gave it to Szeth). He could have just told his bosses, "Hey, does this thing sound like that other thing we were hunting for?" After which, there was either an information leak (to Jasnah's spy?) or a rogue faction within the conspiracy. Edited February 25, 2014 by Havoc
Crisapx he/him Posted February 26, 2014 Posted February 26, 2014 He's a member of the Ghostbloods. There's a decent chance they were trying to get hold of the sphere anyway (which is why Gavilar gave it to Szeth). He could have just told his bosses, "Hey, does this thing sound like that other thing we were hunting for?" After which, there was either an information leak (to Jasnah's spy?) or a rogue faction within the conspiracy. It's not a bad theory, I just think that might be a simpler answer to both mysteries, than them being related...
AerionBFII he/him Posted March 2, 2014 Posted March 2, 2014 A Radiant could suck out the Storm/Void Light ??
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