+Extesian Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 (edited) I've been a largely absent Sharder but I will always keep up with my WoBs. So for my 2000th post here are my favorite WoBs since my 1000th post, around one year ago. Loosely categorized, for your reading pleasure. Spoilered for ridiculous length. FULL Cosmere spoilers, obviously. Shards, the Realms and Investiture Spoiler Quote Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Is all Investiture in the cosmere associated with a Shard? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, well, okay. So this is a complicated one. *pauses* So, Investiture predates the Shattering of Adonalsium, all Investiture was from Adonalsium, all Investiture got assigned to one of the 16 Shards when Adonalsium was Shattered. Some of the Investiture was not on Yolen but location is irrelevant. So Investiture is related to Shards even on planets where none of the Shards are inhabiting. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Are they aware of that Investiture? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That's part of the whole seeing into the infinite, being beyond even the power of a Shard. So, technically you could make the argument that Harmony could feel the sense of Preservation on every world in the cosmere, right? Because the building blocks of all life and creation are these things. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] So the Shard of Preservation embodies all preservation in the cosmere? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes but he just can't do that, right? Like, he's not infinite. The Vessels are not, even if their minds are enormously expanded by holding a Shard, they are not infinite. The Connection is all there in the Spiritual Realm Source Quote Yurisses [PENDING REVIEW] Investiture on First of the Sun is associated with a Shard? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, it is. That one is even closer associated with a Shard, the actual Investiture of the magic. Remember when I say Investiture, I mean matter, energy and magic. Sometimes the word Investiture just to the magic such as the Aviar and in that it is associated directly with one of the Shards... Yurisses [PENDING REVIEW] Which one? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Patji is a Shard of Adonalsium. *silence* Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Sorry, can you say that again? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Patji is a Shard of Adonalsium Aurimus [PENDING REVIEW] Is that one of the Aviar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No that is the island. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Island or islands? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] The island but Patji is one of the islands. Yurisses [PENDING REVIEW] It's a Shard?! Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, big asterisk! But yes. Aurimus [PENDING REVIEW] Shard as in equal or Shard as in a mass of Investiture? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] As in one of the 16 Shards of Adonalsium is represented and involved in First of the Sun. In fact, one of the letters references First of the Sun in this *Indicates Oathbringer* Sorry, I probably killed some theories on that one. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Yup, but by doing that you've confirmed some as well so it's fine! Source Quote ReadAndFindOut In 2014, Brandon said First of the Sun - the planet in Sixth of the Dusk - is a minor Shardworld, in that it does not have a Shard present (https://wob.coppermind.net/events/103-salt-lake-city-comic-con-2014/#e1010). However, we've now gotten a WoB saying that Patji - the Father island - IS a Shard (https://wob.coppermind.net/events/256-oathbringer-london-signing/#e8606). Patji was a Shard, but isn't during SotD? Or did we finally get confirmation on that elusive "Survival Shard"? What do you guys think? Brandon Sanderson I stand by them. Though, as always, quotes and WoBs at signings aren't always as deliberately thought out as I'd like them to be. Answering questions on the fly can be challenging, and my phrasing can be bad in retrospect. But no shard was in residence on First of the Sun during the events of that story. The investiture on that planet is residue, normal investiture from Adonalsium. Everything happening there could happen with or without a shard present. Indeed, I would say that no shard was ever "in residence" on First of the Sun. The being called Patji still exists, and is a shard of Adonalsium. Shards in the past have been interested in First of the Sun, and have meddled in small ways there. (Like they have on a lot of shardworlds.) Note that I might have been a little misleading in the first quote by bringing up Threnody, which is a real corner case in the cosmere because of uncommon events there. That said, I'm sure that every story I write about a planet will bring up the quirks and unusual interactions of the magic there, because that's kind of what I do. (First of the Sun has its own oddities, as mentioned in Arcanum Unbounded.) Every planet is likely to end up as a corner case in some way, just like every person is distinctive in their own way, and never fully fits expectations. I still consider one of the major dividing lines between "major" and "minor" shardworlds (other than Shard residence) to be in strength of access to the magic, and control over it. I intend the minor shard worlds to involve interactions with the magic as setting--coming back to spren, you could have a minor shardworld with people who use, befriend, even bond spren. (Or the local equivalent--Seon, Aviar, etc.) But you'd never see power on the level of the city of Elantris, the actions of a Bondsmith, or even the broad power suite of a mistborn. But, as ever, the cosmere is a work in progress. The needs of telling a great story trump things I've said about what I'm planning. (I do try as much as I can to avoid having two texts contradict one another. And when they do, that's often a lapse on my part.) Oversleep Wait. I'm confused. So the Investiture on First of the Sun is associated with a Shard or is it residue, normal investiture from Adonalsium? Cause the question was a follow up (on this) where you revealed that all Investiture in Cosmere got assigned to a Shard even if it wasn't part of a Shard. And then you said that the one on First of the Sun is directly associated with one of the Shards (and since later you revealed Patji to be an avatar of Autonomy (also, what are avatars and how do they work?)) we took it to mean that at one point Autonomy Invested in First of the Sun. But now you're saying it didn't? If there was no Shard ever on First of the Sun but Patji is a Shard/avatar of a Shard then where is Patji, actually? Could you please clarify all that? Brandon Sanderson So the Investiture on First of the Sun is associated with a Shard or is it residue, normal investiture from Adonalsium?" The reason I have so much trouble answering these questions (and you'll see me struggling to get an answer in the 10-15 seconds I have when someone asks me in a signing line) is because this isn't an either or. Is this computer I'm using matter associated with Earth, the Big Bang, or such-and-such star that went supernova long ago? Well, it's probably all three. When people ask, "What shard is this investiture associated with" it gets very complicated. Shards influence and tweak certain investiture, giving it a kind of spin or magnetism, but all investiture ever predates the shattering--and in the cosmere matter, energy, and investiture are one thing. I always imagine investiture having certain states, certain magnetisms if you will, associated with certain aspects of Adonalsium. So it's all "assigned" to a shard--because it's always been associated with that Shard. To investiture, Adonalsium's shattering meant everything and nothing at the same time. We generally mean the term "Invested" to mean a Shard has taken permanent residence in a location, a kind of base of operations--but at the same time, this is meaningless, since distance has no meaning on the Spiritual Realm, where most Shards are. So imprisonment of a Shard like Ruin or Odium is a crude expression--but the best we have. Autonomy never "invested" on First of the Sun. But even answering (as someone else asked) if they created an avatar without visiting is a difficult thing to explain--because even explaining how a shard travels (when motion is irrelevant) is difficult to manage. It's a subject that I intend to be up for debate, discussion, and argument by in-world philosophers and arcanists. You can see why I have such troubles explaining these things at signings--and why I fail when I try to, considering the time limitations and (often) fatigue limitations placed upon me. These are concepts I intend to spend entire, lengthy epic volumes explaining and exploring. Let's say you were Autonomy, and you have--through expanding and exploring your understanding--found a gathering of investiture that has always been there, you always knew about, but still didn't actually recognize until the moment you considered and explored it. (Because even though your power is infinite, accessing and using that infinity is beyond your reach.) Were you "invested" there? No, no more than you're invested on Roshar, where parts of what were Adonalsium still exist that are associated with you (in the very fabric of mater and existence.) But suddenly, you have a chance to tweak, influence, and do things that were always possible, but which you never could do because you knew, but didn't know, at the same time. And...I'm already into WAY more than I want to be typing this out right now. If it's confusing, it's because it's practically impossible for me to explain these things in a short span of time. I'm going to leave it here, understanding that no, I haven't fully explained your question. (I didn't even get into what avatars are, what Patji was, and what happened to Patji the being--and how that relates to Patji the island.) But hopefully this kind of starts to point the right direction, though I probably should have just left this question alone because I bet this post is going to raise more questions than it answers... Overlord Jebus You've confused things so much now. We thought we had a pretty good grasp of this whole Patji situation (Autonomy visited the planet at some point, got themselves all Invested and created an avatar which is called Patji by the locals). Now you're saying no Shard has ever visited there? And that the pool would have existed if no Shard had ever interfered? But that Patji still exists and is a Shard? Does that mean Autonomy edited First of the Sun from afar without actually going there? And that the pool would have already existed without any intervention? Does this mean it was associated with Autonomy from the beginning? I'm really confused now. Brandon Sanderson I don't believe I said no Shard had visited. I said no Shard was there during the events of the story. Investiture on First of the Sun predates any shards fiddling with it. Shards have fiddled with it by the time of the story. I think fandom might be going down too far a rabbit hole on this one. Chaos Are you saying here that Patji is an avatar of Autonomy, or is it a separate Shard and not an avatar of Autonomy? Brandon Sanderson When I said Patji was a Shard, I was meaning automony--but it is not quite that simple. Take this post to mean "no, you should not be looking toward another Shard for Patji's origins. Autonomy is the one relevant." But Autonomy's relationships with entities like this (not sure entity is the right word, even) is complex. I'm not trying to confuse the issue, though. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is looking into the Spiritual Realm the only way to look into the future? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Any looking into the future involves looking at spiritwebs, probability, and stuff like that. So, yes. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8147 Quote FirstSelector [PENDING REVIEW] Is Uli Da Ambition? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes... That one's pretty obvious, though, right? https://wob.coppermind.net/events/173/#e8623 Quote FirstSelector [PENDING REVIEW] Does red in cosmere signify one Shard co-opting or corrupting another Shard's magic? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/173/#e8340 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Does any of the Sixteen actually like Hoid anymore? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/174/#e8519 Quote Paladin Brewer [PENDING REVIEW] Out of all the Shards, why does Odium go for Devotion and Dominion? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] He targets people with two kinds of ideas. Number one, he can argue they're breaking the rules they set out. And two, people he thinks are a good match for him, or a challenge, or a danger. Quote Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] The letters in [Oathbringer]. Are they all three from Shards? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] ...Yes. Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] Is the first one, is that one we know? Is that one we've seen yet? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] They are all ones you have seen. Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] They are all ones we have seen. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. Or at least you know. Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] Have seen or know of. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/175/#e8401 Quote phoenix2563 [PENDING REVIEW] Can you drop a hint about which Shard authored the first of the letters to Hoid shown in the part 2 epigraphs [of Oathbringer]? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] You have seen their world. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/175/#e8437 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] A word for the intent/mandate? The canon word for it, do you have a term for it? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No, we don't. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/256/#e8715 Quote Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] Is atium Invested? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Is atium Invested? Atium is Investiture distilled into the Physical Realm, right? So is electricity electric? Or is it- Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] Well I think the question Sharders had was if it's Invested, how can people Push and Pull on it. That was the struggle. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Atium breaks a lot of rules, in the same way that you will see other things break rules. Atium plays weirdly. When you get distilled Investiture, you're starting like-- My kind of rule for myself is it's kind of like when you start going on the quantum level, the rules just start playing weirdly. Because it's like, what Realm does atium exist in-- is another thing. Because-- Pure Investiture like that is like a mini black hole, right? It's like existing in three Realms at once. Kind of, and things like that... There's lots of weirdness. The writerly answer is there is lots of weirdness because when I built atium, I didn't have the rest of the cosmere built, right? And so it breaks a lot of rules that I later set up that everything else has to follow, right? So the writerly answer is we just have to accept that atium and lerasium and some of these other distilled Investiture things are going to play very weirdly with the magic systems. But that's okay. Nightblood will too, and some of these things that were built even after the cosmere was https://wob.coppermind.net/events/314/#e8929 Quote Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] So, at the Forbidden Planet signing you said that when Adonalsium was Shattered, all Investiture in the cosmere was associated to one of the Shards... So, what happened with Adonalsium's spren on Roshar? Were those associated to Honor and Cultivation? What happened with them? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So they were very-- They were already associated to certain parts of Adonalsium and they went with those associations. There's a lot of Cultivation in all of the spren, particularly the natural spren. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/314/#e8903 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] I was wondering if Sleepless-- the Dysian Aimians-- if they could hold a Shard? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Could the Sleepless hold a Shard? Could they be a Vessel? Is what you're asking? *hems and haws* There is nothing innate about the Shards that prevents any one with a-- I have to phrase this very carefully... Non-humans can be Vessels. Non-humans have been vessels. Certain sapient creatures in the cosmere, could not be. But that's an asterisk, not the rule. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/314/#e8932 H Quote Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) Did you mean to imply that Autonomy wrote the second letter in Oathbringer back there, with the aspects thing? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW](paraphrased) Yeah, I did. (He did imply that it was supposed to be fairly obvious.) https://wob.coppermind.net/events/314/#e9081 Quote Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW](paraphrased) Any Shard can make aspects. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/314/#e9082 Quote AllomancerSam [PENDING REVIEW] Does physical proximity of two planets have an effect on how easy it is to worldhop? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/312/#e8941 Quote Alvaro Lopez Why Odium is stronger and worst evil than Ruin? Brandon Sanderson One reason is that Ruin had a person in control of it who, for many years, fought against the impulse to destroy--and in the end, channeled it toward entropy and decay, necessary elements of the universe. Odium represents something else entirely. source Quote DCD328 [Personalization Request] To Hoid, with a message that hints at his quest. Brandon Sanderson To make that which once was. DCD328 I ordered this from Brandon's store maybe 5 or 6 years ago. source Quote Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] During part 4 of Oathbringer when they are in Shadesmar. At no point did you depict an Everstorm whilst they are in there, and they were in there several weeks. Is there a specific reason you didn't depict that, or does it just not have a presence in the Cognitive Realm? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] There is a specific reason I didn't depict that. It will be involved in a later book, and I was dodging it for "I'm not sure how I'm going to canonize this yet." source Quote Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Was just the continent of Roshar created by Adonalsium or was the whole system created? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Whole system was created. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Shards. We started with fairly obvious ones, magic wise. Trying to keep this spoiler free, so: Ruin, Preservation, this kind of thing. Then we get the weird ones. Why do we have Shards that can only exist in the mind of a sentient creature? Like the concept of Honor can only be done when it's carried out, essentially, by a sentient creature. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So when I split Adonalsium I said, "I'm going to take aspects of Adonalsium's nature." And this involves personality to me. So the Shattering of Adonalsium was primal forces attached to certain aspects of personality. And so I view every one of them this way. And when I wrote Mistborn we had Ruin and Preservation. They are the primal forces of entropy and whatever you call the opposite, staying-the-same-ism-y. Like, you've got these two contrasts, between things changing and things not changing. And then humans do have a part, there's a personality. Ruin is a charged term for something that actually is the way that life exists. And Preservation is a charged term for stasis, for staying the same. And those are the personality aspects, and the way they are viewed by people and by the entity that was Adonalsium. So I view this for all of them. Like, Honor is the sense of being bound by rules, even when those rules, you wouldn't have to be bound by. And there's this sense that that is noble, that's the honor aspect to it, but there's also something not honorable about Honor if taken from the other direction. So a lot of them do kind of have this both... cultural component, I would say, that trying to represent something that is also natural. And not all of them are gonna have a 100% balance between those two things, I would say, because there's only so many fundamental laws of the universe that I can ascribe personalities to in that way. So I find Honor very interesting, but I find Autonomy a very interesting one for the exact same reason. What does autonomy mean? We attach a lot to it, but what is the actual, if you get rid of the charged terms, what does it mean? And this is where you end up with things like Odium claiming "I am all emotion." But then there's a charged term for it that is associated with this Shard. I'm not going to tell you whether he's right or not, but he has an argument. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] I think there's a flaw in my understanding of Cognitive Shadows. I assume that they would have more visibility into the Cognitive Realm, like a Herald would be able to see spren more easily, that kind of thing. Is that incorrect? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That is incorrect. A Cognitive Shadow simply means a copy of the Cognitive side made by a deep amount of investiture. And everybody has a Cognitive side. Basically it's a fake soul. Or, fake is the wrong term. Even in-world they don't know if it's really them or not. It is investiture has replaced the investiture that is fleeing from them as they die, or enhancing it in some way to keep it around. So some Cognitive Shadows trapped on the Cognitive Realm are going to be...have a lot of Cognitive... I mean, they're there, right? But some Cognitive Shadows inhabiting a body in the same way that your mind inhabits your body, the way the cosmere works. So a Herald is going to feel like they are alive just like... but their soul has been somehow transformed. It's not really transformed, it's been reproduced or copied by an injection of investiture. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] And I'll say for the purpose of the recordings, I haven't canonized any of that terminology that I just used about Cognitive Shadows. I'm just talking about it, I'm not necessarily saying that this is how you are supposed to refer to it. You can refer to it however you want. I've often used the metaphor of how fossils get made. When a fossil is made there is a pattern and it is slowly replaced with another substance that is stronger and more endurant, and has the shape of it, but is it still the bone? When you have a fossil bone is it the dinosaur bone? In most cases no, but yes. It's the ship of Theseus sort of thing again. Is this the bone or is it not? Is this the soul? Is this the person or is it not? That's the same sort of thing is happening with Cognitive Shadows. And it's happening on all three Realms to an extent, though of course the body is not. The body stays. It's happening on two Realms. It's happening Spiritually, mostly Cognitively. source Quote Trae [PENDING REVIEW] Previously, you've revealed that the mechanism that determines the Returned on Nalthis is a decision of a sapient entity. Is the determination by which the entity that selects the recipient of a Divine Breath to come back as a Returned predicated on that recipient fulfilling some purpose in the Physical Realm? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So, the question is, "Why does the entity that picks who Returns, why did they pick who they did?" And, your question kind of implies there's, like, specific tasks to fulfill. I'm gonna say, there aren't specifics, but there are certain things the entity is looking for... Trae [PENDING REVIEW] In the Physical Realm? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. There are certain things that they are looking for. Now, let's just say this entity is not necessarily the most consistent of entities in the cosmere when it comes to making decisions like this. But there are certain things they are looking for. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Are the Ghostbloods affiliated with Autonomy? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] "Affiliated with" is very wiggle-room-ish. I'll go ahead and give you a RAFO on that one, even though I can totally wiggle on this one. I'm just gonna say "RAFO"; I'm gonna do the ultimate wiggle. There have been dealings. Billy Todd [PENDING REVIEW] Interactions? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, there's been interactions. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] We started out in the earlier books knowing that there's this Hoid guy, he's a worldhopper and worldhoppers exist. And then we've kind of been given more and more. In Secret History it said you'd be surprised about the economy you've ended by destroying the Perpedicularity - what amount of people are travelling between worlds? Hundreds? Thousands? Billions? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Thousands. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is it like vacation? Or is it like - Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Well, I wouldn't call it [vacationing] Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is it the frontier? Or is it from where you could go? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It depends on the roadway. Let's say you look at frontier era America. How hard was it to get to England? It was really far away, but it was actually relatively safe and common to do this. How difficult was it to get to Boise, Idaho? That's harder, but you know how to do it. How easy was it to get to, let's say, the Hawaiian Islands? You're starting to get into like, the question comes here, certain pathways are more traveled. There're going to be caravans, there're going to be guides. There're going to be safe travels between certain places that are done commonly enough that if you are in the know and are in the right place you can be like "I wanna buy passage here." And you go there, and you can have a reasonable expectation that you're going to make it to where you're going. Other places, you say, "I wanna go here", and they're like, "Yeah, I've known someone who tried that and they never came back. Not taking you." So, where you're going, where you're trafficking, Khriss gives you some indications of which ones are easy to get to and which ones are commonly visited. I would recommend that if you want to go on vacation in the Cosmere, like, "I want to go somewhere different," go to Nalthis. Nalthis is great to go to, right? They even have customs that you can go through. You can like, arrive, and things like this. Don't go to Sel. Sel is not good to go to. Sel is really dangerous to go to. There's a dead Shard--two of them--in the Cognitive Realm that will destroy you. Other places, Scadrial, used to be a lot easier to get to. Roshar, depends which era you're talking about. Sometimes it's pretty easy to go to. Those nice Horneaters will treat you like a god and feed you food. However, right now, it might not be a good time to try to visit Roshar. source Quote Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Back in ['14] you referred to Honor's Purposes to me at one point. Is that still a thing in the cosmere? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Honor's purpose? Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Honor's purposes. You referred to ten of them. Using the concept of Shardic numbers. But I don't have that on record, I don't know anything about it, it's been a confusing topic ever since. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So that's still a deal. It just plays into the ten names of the Almighty and the ten attributes of the Fools and the ten attributes of the Almighty. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Are Purposes something every shard has? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I wouldn't say...No. It's playing more into the nature of Honor itself. source I Quote Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] A focused southern breeze made the trees sound like they were chattering. Tiny crisp leaves spreading the news of the Traveler’s return. Pure white leaves, clustered along branches like skeletal limbs. Even the bark clinging to the trees was white. In some lands, white meant purity; in others, it meant death. Here, it didn’t mean a thing. It was simply, normal. The Traveler sat on the mossy white ground, back to the tree, legs crossed idly as he picked at a pomegranate, eating the seeds one by one then spitting out the pits. They fell on the stark moss-covered ground, leaving red juice like blood running across a sterile white floor. To say he wore rags would have be an insult to many a goodwife who kept her washing rags in much better shape than the Traveler's costume. Ragged brown and black canvas, tattered cloak, and scruffy beard, rubbed dark with a black material that might have been soot — or ash. The leaves suddenly fluttered excitedly behind him, and a strange puff of wind blew across the trunks. A moment later, a figure in simple gray robes walked into the clearing. Clean-shaven and silver-haired, he had the look of an aged scribe, not haughty, but tired. “So, you’re back,” the elderly visitor said. “Did I leave? I am the lingering odor you can never quite locate, my friend. Just when you think I've faded you open your cupboard and find, in an overpowering reveal, that I've merely been… ripening.” “Hmph, that’s a new look for you.” The Traveler looked down at his ragged clothing. “I’ve been learning to blend in. Hard to do that in one of my normal costumes.” “I doubt you’ll ever be the type to blend in.” “You’d be surprised!” “Is that soot in your hair?” “Maybe.” The elderly man sighed, walking across the short clearing and settling himself down on a large protruding tree root. “You can’t keep doing this.” The Traveler continued to eat his seeds, though he had started to chew them up rather than spitting out the pits. “You will just make things worse.” “Ati and Leras are dead,” the Traveler said, picking a piece of seed out from between his teeth. The elderly visitor said nothing, and the Traveler eyed him, leaning in closely, studying the man's eyes. The pupils were rimmed with a silver far too metallic to be natural, at least for a human. “You sly old lizard!” the Traveler said, pointing. “You already knew! You were watching! And here you were chastising me.” “I did NOT interfere,” the elderly man said. ”You meddle in things we promised to leave alone. Things that we—” Traveler held up a finger, interrupting him, then slowly he pointed at the older man. ”I. Made. No. Promise.” “You made your choice. Why now seek for things you so eagerly denied? My friend, it’s the dangerous desire, the lust for power best untouched, that created the situation in the first place.” The Traveler did not reply. The two sat for a time, listening to the winds through the garrulous trees. “Did you… find what you were seeking?” the elder man finally asked. The Traveler shrugged, picking at another seed and nibbling on it. “You will not find a way to restore what you have lost, old friend,” the aged man said softly. ”It is impossible.” “You don’t know that. The old rules no longer hold.” The Traveler turned the pomegranate over in his fingers. ”Besides, I’ve heard of a place… It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. This isn’t about the dead… or it’s not JUST about the dead, at least.” He dropped the fruit to the ground, wiping his fingers on his riding coat. “So it’s a simple vendetta, then,” the aged man said, sighing. “How many years have you lived, and you still can’t learn the wisdom of just letting go?” “A simple vendetta?” the Traveler said. He rose, stalking up to the older man, holding out a finger and touching the man's chest. “You saw what Ati nearly did.” The Traveler leaned down, face even with that of his older companion. “I would not think it MY vendetta that should worry you, old friend.” Footnote: Intro to the reading.source Quote Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Khriss believes that the reason Preservation is experiencing a slow death is because Ruin is not strong enough to splinter Preservation. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, that is a theory. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, that's what she thinks. Does she think that this is because of Ruin's trapped power, or because of an inherent difference in the strength levels of Shards? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] She thinks it is more along the lines of a matter of leveraging power as the power is... The things that happen made it harder for him to leverage his power. Trapped is a good enough term. source Quote Argent [PENDING REVIEW] How do visions in the cosmere work? And I'm thinking Realmatically. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So almost always [it's] glimpsing into the Spiritual Realm. But you are often seeing it through the Cognitive, and so like a vision that... *interrupted for a picture request* So like the vision that Dalinar sees. What's going on is...being pulled, and kind of stretched a little bit through the Realms, into the Spiritual Realm. Where a Cognitive construct is adding a framework to seeds that are set in place. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] So that you can kind of comprehend the Spiritual? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] You can comprehend...and also there's a little bit of a life to it. Meaning it can respond to you to an extent. So imagine, it kind of works like an AI. Imagine there's some..you've got that power in the Spiritual Realm and you're adding a framework to it, that it is shining through, and that is giving you the vision. Complicated, I know. Spiritual Realm is supposed to be weird, and we aren't supposed to quite comprehend it, and that's why we've got the Cognitive framework there. source Quote Argent [PENDING REVIEW] I thought, like, at one of the signings you told me that when Odium was on Sel and Splintered the Shards there, the reason he did the Cognitive Realm hack was because he was not yet experienced in Splintering stuff. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Right. He did not want what happened to happen, but he didn't know that he didn't want what happened to happen. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] What I was getting at is, I could never find a recording of you saying "He was not experienced. He didn't want the power to be taken by anyone, and that's the only solution he could figure out." Does that sound like something you would say? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That is something I would say, yes. There are better ways to do what he wanted to do, which he later did a better job with. But there's not a lot of experimenting he could do. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Limited number of subjects, right? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Mmhmm. source Quote Brainless [PENDING REVIEW] Is the Cognitive Realm on other planets called Shadesmar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] For simplicity's sake in translation, for the most part, we are going to use the word Shadesmar, acknowledging that in some of the languages it may be a different word. But the Cosmere standard used in Silverlight and things is Shadesmar. That's just for ease of talking about it but the scholars in Silverlight they use the actual word Shadesmar. I'm going to force Eric to do some heavy lifting on some other things like this. Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] <Expresses that not everyone will be pleased about this WoB> Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah I suspect that as we move into Era 4, Cognitive Realm might start replacing it, the more scientific term, but Shadesmar is the colloquial term. source Quote WindRunner88 [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) At the present who is Odium more afraid of? Harmony, Dalinar or Hoid? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) Harmony. Odium is extremely confident that he can out-smart Hoid source Quote Valhalla [PENDING REVIEW] So, you talked about a weapon made by the enemies of Adonalsium, and you said it doesn't exist in it's original form. Do any remnants of it still exist in the Physical Realm? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. Valhalla [PENDING REVIEW] Have we seen any of those remnants on-screen? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *pause* RAFO. In current continuity (and people would know this), Hoid's immortality comes from this. People who have read Dragonsteel know that. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] I would like to know more about Wit. What is he? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Wit was born on the planet where all of this started. Long ago, in the early history of the Cosmere. Certain things that happened there made him immortal. A bunch of the people who were involved in this became what we call Shards of Adonalsium. They took up deific power. He did not, but he is one of the only other people who was around during that time who's still around. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] So does he get a flashback book? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] He gets an entire series which is where all of this happens, in the beginning. That should be a trilogy right now. We'll see. I'm going to write it after Stormlight is done. source Magic systems Spoiler Quote Questioner (paraphrased) If I wanted to Hemalurgically acquire a power from First of the Sun, which metal would the spike need to be? Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased) This is going to be pretty complicated, but several metals would work. Questioner (paraphrased) Would it involve Connection between the person being spiked and the bird? Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased) Well it would be even harder than on Roshar, where you need to somehow spike the spren and also the Radiant. You would need to spike the bird and steal the power, but also spike the person and steal Connection. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/135/#e3347 Quote Landis963 (paraphrased) Imagine a hypothetical Shard of Tenacity. What happens when the Vessel of that Shard dies? Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased) The magic will change drastically. Among other things, it would be very easy for practitioners of that magic to become Cognitive Shadows. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/135/#e4251 Quote Ace0003 [PENDING REVIEW] [Can you write] something interesting about the Seventeeth Shard? ...Or how about this, a character that's in the Seventeenth Shard that we don't know about? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *spoken* ...I can do that-- *written* So... Iyatil was once in the 17th Shard https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8134 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] What metal is Nightblood's sheath made out of? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Nightblood's sheath is aluminum. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8162 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Similar to how Lightweavers have, kind of really good memories. Do the Skybreakers have any special abilities for telling guilty and innocent people apart? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. Good question. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8208 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] What's with Kaladin being special with his oaths that he explodes with power every time he says it? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That is a function of Windrunners being very close to Bondsmiths, which has certain effects. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Would other Windrunners also do that, as well? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yep. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8220 Quote Comatose [PENDING REVIEW] Was Nightblood black before being awakened by Shashara? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8245 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Would a Soother be able to affect a Listener attuning a Rhythm? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, I think they would be able to. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] ...Would it dampen Odium's effect on them? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Potentially, yes. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/175/#e8424 Quote Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Are there Aviar who grant Physical abilities? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Technically, yes. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] 'Cause we’ve seen Spiritual, we've seen Cognitive... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, there are. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/176/#e8449 Quote Zmann966 [PENDING REVIEW] There is an expensive steel chain in the shops in Celebrant. Is there anything significant about that. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *Hands over a RAFO card* That is such a big RAFO. Super-big RAFO. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/176/#e8501 N Quote Joe ST [PENDING REVIEW] Is Urithiru a spaceship? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It is not, no, good question. I've never been asked that before. It's very Sim City, though. Joe ST [PENDING REVIEW] It's a new theory, they're thinking, is it one of the floating cities from-- Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] From Ashyn, yeah. Boy, that would be hard, it is so big. But, I suppose, magic, you know. But no, it is not... https://wob.coppermind.net/events/260/#e8762 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Longevity of Radiants. So, I, before [Oathbringer], though that they were immortal. So, they're not? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Do they have longer lifespans? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Slightly. They're very healthy, but it's not an unusually expanded lifespan. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/260/#e8766 Quote BlackYeti [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) If an Awakener were born deaf, could they Command using sign language? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW](paraphrased) RAFO. He initially said yes, but then couldn't remember if he changed it or not, so changed it to RAFO. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/260/#e8771 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] If a Shardblade was put through Wayne's eye, would he able to use his ability to *inaudible* Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, he should be able to heal that. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/259/#e8737 Quote Megasif [PENDING REVIEW] In London I wanted to ask about Nightblood. The way he is Invested, is that a one-off-case kind of thing, or is it possible to do another of that level? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It was really bizarre, and I will explain it eventually and that will let you know why. It's theoretically possible to do almost anything so it's theoretically possible to do what he did but it'd be very hard. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/259/#e8765 Quote Brandon Sanderson Potential Cosmere Stories List Here are things that at one point I've had in the works, and probably someday plan to do, in the 'osmere: Dragonsteel/Liar of Partinel. (Hoid's origin story, to be written sometime after Stormlight is done.) Sixth of the Dusk sequel. (I had a pretty cool idea for this last year. Nothing more than that.) Untitled Silverlight novella. (What it says on the tin.) Threnody novel. (An expedition back to confront the Evil that destroyed the old world.) Aether of Night. (Still in the cosmere, and you can see the odd remnant of an Aether popping up here and there. Bound to be drastically different from the unpublished novel, which I allow the 17th Shard to give out to people who request it on their forums. Basically, the only thing from it that is canon is the magic system.) Silence Divine. (Disease magic novella set on Ashyn. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/313/#e8869 Quote Jack Eaton Can hemalurgy steal a nahel bond? And if so, would that bond be unbreakable for as long as the spike was implanted. Brandon Sanderson This is a very dangerous and frightening thing in the cosmere, but it is possible--and the implications of it are something I intend to cover eventually in the books. source Quote The_Carpathian Can aluminum be used to take liquid from a Shard pool, and will it stay Invested? Brandon Sanderson That would work. source Quote Hoiditthroughthegrapevine If a person held enough breath to attain the 5th heightening, lived for a thousand years, and then sold all but their initial breath, would their spiritual age force them to rapidly age as we saw with Rashek, or would they resume natural aging from the point at which they ceased? Brandon Sanderson (written) I think they would rapidly age. But I'm not ready to say 100%. source Quote greaterbookwyrm [PENDING REVIEW] What happens when you cut a kandra with a Shardblade? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So a kandra is going to react basically the same way, in that the Shardblade's going to be hitting at the soul and severing it and things like that. They are not immune to Shardblades. But because they have mutable shapes, there will be a little bit of weirdness involved in that. You'll get to see that happen eventually. source Quote Zantis [PENDING REVIEW] Let's say Lift received two Hemalurgic spikes: one for Allomantic bendalloy and one for Feruchemical bendalloy. Then she eats a bunch of pancakes, stores the nutrition in a piece of bendalloy, burns it to compound nutrition... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Okay. *several times as Zantis speaks* Zantis [PENDING REVIEW] Can that nutrition be turned into Stormlight? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] ...Yeah. *Zantis laughs* Yeah, but remember she didn't have to be-- so basically what that-- is just a really complicated way for her to turn Allomantic Investiture <so that it can allocate Allomantic Investiture> into Stormlight. That would be a complex method of doing that. Just transferring one type of Investiture into another. It's just basically drawing from Ruin and she is then turning it into Stormlight *inaudible* -ish? It's a complicated thing, but that's basically what happens, just really crazy. Zantis [PENDING REVIEW] Okay, so-- but it is the same sort of thing, right? *hesitant nod from Brandon* And... *Brandon interrupts* Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I hope that eventually in the cosmere they will find easier ways than that... Footnote: Brandon may have misspoken: "drawing from Ruin" should perhaps be "drawing from Preservation" according toother sources.source Quote Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Can a spren willingly break their bond anytime between the First and Fifth Oath, with their Radiant? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *Very hesitant* Well...yes...this is possible... Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Essentially committing suicide isn't it though... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I just ascribe to that question...A spren could at any point break it. Can they break it safely? That's a different question. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Can they break it safely? *laughs* Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] There are methods in place where it can be stopped. So yes it can be done. But once you've started into this, once you've chosen on both sides, it's a dangerous process. But yes it can be done, and it can be done safely. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Mraize's Basement Emporium. Is that more like a trophy room or a "In case of emergencies" room? Multiple people [PENDING REVIEW] Or a bank vault? Or a weapon's vault? Or both? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So, yes. *multiple people talking* I mean, he can't use the Aether, right? He can't use the Aether, he doesn't have an Aether. But the sand, the sand does stuff. So a handful of sand is a really useful amount of sand to have if you're not a sandmaster. Because sand reacts to investiture. So if you let it fade and you take it somewhere, as soon as investiture goes kinetic, it'll turn white again. So you'll be able to use it to tell who's using inve..it works just like a Seeker, like bronze pulses. So having white sand, having sand around is really good. If you can keep the little beasties that are growing on the sand around, they will react to basically the investiture equivalent of radiation. So that's handy. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] The sharders have asked if I can find out if the Ars Arcanum for Elantris written at any specific time. Like, was it during the events of Elantris? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] The Ars Arcanum is around the context of then, yes. It should be around the events of the first book. I would have to look at it and double check that. But you can take that as canon unless I look at it and find, yeah. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] So, Miles Hundredlives. If you were to spike his Allomantic gold out of him, would that change his Identity such that he could no longer access his metalminds? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That would not necessarily change his Identity, but it would change his investiture. So if you took off the piece of his soul that could do Allomancy, and then gave him his metalminds. Well, no. I see. No, this is more complicated than I was assuming. So you're saying if someone took away his ability to do Allomancy, could he still access his Feruchemy metalminds. Yes he could. He could still do that. That should work just fine. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Do the metalminds kind of have a pointer to his Identity, they don't have a copy of his Identity that they're keyed to? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, he is still him unless you spike him and do something with the Identity specifically. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] So you could potentially steal his Identity. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That strays into RAFO territory, so we'll go ahead and give you a RAFO card. But simply taking it away would not change his Identity to the point that it would prevent... Good question. Very detailed. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] I was wondering if the Nightwatcher can offer a boon or curse to other sentient species or non-native to Roshar. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, the Nightwatcher could offer boons and curses to non-natives of Roshar. I mean, humans are not native. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] They were born there, but... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, yeah, someone who's not born there, yeah. Billy Todd, Moderator [PENDING REVIEW] I have a follow-up question, would those boons and curses still apply when they left Roshar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, the boons and curses should still apply when they leave Roshar. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] We saw that, in one case that she felt it was very important, Cultivation intervened when Dalinar was asking for his boon from the Nightwatcher. You said that for the most part she just sort of lets her work, but has she intervened in other cases that she feels are important, specifically with Taravangian? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] She has intervened before. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] In universe, all the intents and charts and names, who names them? Do they name themselves? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I have kind of imagined this is one of those things that they certainly have influence over. But obviously Odium thinks that he's named something other than what he is, and I feel like these are intrinsic things that the sixteen all knew. Like, "I am missing this part of me, it is this." And it was less we went around the names more like this is just what it is. And various shards are resisting that, but the others are all like this is what you represent. Billy Todd, Moderator [PENDING REVIEW] Follow-up question there. Would the entity that we call Odium refer to itself as Odium when it's honest with itself? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Ehhh, I don't think Odium is capable of being honest with himself. [laughter] There are times where Odium has called himself Odium. That is more out of convenience and the fact that everyone calls you by a name. But Odium is determined to change that perception. Billy Todd, Moderator [PENDING REVIEW] So, does he genuinely believe in characterizing himself as Passion? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. Part of him does. Billy Todd, Moderator [PENDING REVIEW] Has he always ever been Odium since the Shattering? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. source Quote yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] So if you were in the cosmere, and you know how it works, or how it all should work. Would you hack it like all ridiculously and like what would you Do you have a plan of action. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Oh yeah I would. I would have two choices. I would go hide on the planet I know is safe, and ride it all out. I have those two options. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] What was the second option? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Well the second option is try to take over, right? 'Cause I know all the secrets. I don't know which one I would do. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] Would you be able to hack it all? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Well, would I be able to? It depends on where I am in the cosmere, and how easy it is to get a hold of some Investiture. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] But once you get some initial Investiture then you go out. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Then things start rolling. As soon as you can get one of the easy ones, it's easy to use, transfer. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Like Breath. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah like Breath, or uh... yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] Mistborn? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, well Mistborn's harder, but you know Breath is the easiest I've approached so far. Unless you kind distill it, then you've got the... Anyway. We won't go there. You saw that in Secret History. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Oh, oh that. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah. When you strip off all kinds of identity and stuff. Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Connection Juice...not Connection Juice. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Connection Juice? Argent [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, that's what we're calling it. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Okay, okay I suppose. Footnote: Seems to refer to the Ire and the connection device. source Quote yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] Are Inquisitor spikes and kandra Blessings and koloss spikes interchangeable? Like if you it spiked in a different way... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *Hesitant* You could make that work and it wouldn't be that hard. But just as they are, no. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] Would nothing happen or would weird stuff happen? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Weird stuff would happen *pause* But that one's not very hard to make work. source Quote Mac [PENDING REVIEW] If [Vin] burns mist-assisted gold, would she have experienced something that felt like one of Dalinar's visions? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Plausibly, yes. source Quote Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] Lightspren, the ones who like to travel, are they the Willshaper spren? I thought it was pretty obvious. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah. source Quote Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] At JordanCon, you said that Gavilar's black sphere was something that..."It's what you expect it to be." Does that mean it's holding an Unmade? Brandon [PENDING REVIEW] Not necessarily. Voidlight can be trapped like Stormlight can. Unmade can be trapped like spren can. Does not mean that the sphere has an Unmade. source Quote Chaos [PENDING REVIEW] Do you need a perfect gemstone to imprison an Unmade or a powerful spren? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah. Well...the stronger the spren, the better the gemstone needs to be. Those flaws in the crystal structure are going to lead to leaking if it's not. But an Unmade requires an extra-special level of perfection. source Quote WindRunner88 [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) So far during the Stormlight Archive we've seen that the spren bond appears to have some distinct advantages (i.e. armor, more efficient Stormlight consumption, access to a variety of weapons) over what Tanavast via the Oathpact provided the Heralds. With the exception of Nale, and the fact that the Heralds had no need for Stormlight, can you please tell me one way in which a Herald had a distinct advantage over a level 5 Radiant of their corresponding order? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) Rebirth. (After seeing what must have been a crestfallen look on my face he added) The Heralds had access to raw levels of power that no Radiant could obtain. source Quote WeiryWriter [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) If there are fabrials that can attract substances, are there ones that repel? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) Yeah, there are. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Would a Mistborn be able to push and pull on a Shardblade? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That's an excellent question. The answer is, it would be very hard. In Mistborn, anything that's pushing on certain metals, particularly infused metals, gets progressively harder the more Investiture they've got in them. And Shardblades tend to be very highly Invested; they'd be very difficult to push on. If you got the right Allomancer, they could push on it. But I would say, in most cases, no. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Why does Lift need stormlight? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Lift went to see the Nightwatcher, and got a Blessing and a Curse in that she can metabolize food to turn into stormlight, but she can't use regular stormlight. And there is something else, as well. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] So they have the same surges or different surges for Cultivation? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] She uses the same surges, but they are powered differently. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] My question is not really a question, it's more of a theory. How Odium keeps the Fused around is more if he has them tied to his essence, so it's like he's essentially fishing them out of the Spiritual Realm and since their minds are left behind in the Cognitive Realm and their minds are *inaudible* damaged, because their spirits are separated and it just pulls them back. I'm 100% convinced Nightblood did kill the thunderclast, because Nightblood consumes all investiture, that's something I asked you back at Barnes and Noble a couple years ago, during Christmas and you said your soul is investiture. So my thought is, that thunderclast isn't coming back any time soon. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] You are correct on that one. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] When I saw that, my thought was, "Yep, It's dead." Other people were like, "I don't know, will it come back?" Nope. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I'll tell you this. They have not run into something like this before, and there will be ramifications of what happened there. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] That is fun to know. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] If you are used to death having no consequence, and suddenly your friend vanishes forever... Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah I, know I already thought of that. They're going to fight over Nightblood. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Mmm. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Using Hemalurgy, could you steal the boon from the Old Magic? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Oh, from the Nightwatcher? This is theoretically possible. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Would that take the defect with it as well? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *Hesitantly* Yes. Though it's also theoretically possible to split them apart, that would be a lot harder. Getting the boon, if you knew what you were doing, would not be that difficult. Now, what Cultivation would do to you when she found out that had happened is another thing entirely. Because those are willful grants of investiture. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Similar to Endowment's with the Returned? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, things like that. When you get a Shard involved and the Shard has.. power to... Same thing like...it's on a much grander scale what's happening with the spren bond, right? Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] When Hemalurgy does spread, most Shards will not be happy about this, right? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, that is correct. source Quote coltonx9 [PENDING REVIEW] *Written down* Cracks in the Spiritweb can be filled with investiture, granting powers. Are the Drab on Nalthis considered damaged enough for this process? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] They are something else entirely. So that, in world, they would say no, something else has happened. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Are there any other Investiture-sucking creatures? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] There are creatures that feed on Investiture other than the larkin, yes. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Are they on the other worlds? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] There are some on other planets, not every planet has one. source Quote coltonx9 [PENDING REVIEW] Can the Nightwatcher turn you into a different species, or like a spren or a seon? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It is possible for the Nightwatcher to change your species, yes. source In-world history, peoples and events Spoiler Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] A friend of mine wanted me to ask: Was the cataclysm that rocked Ashyn and forced its inhabitants into the flying cities Investiture-based, and if it was was it Shardic in nature? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] The same cataclysm that the-- did you finish [Oathbringer]? Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] The same cataclysm that they were fleeing, that they caused, is the one that forced people into the skies... https://wob.coppermind.net/events/174/#e8243 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is the Iri religion based on knowledge of the [Shattering], anything like that? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Kind of, yes. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] But they don't know it? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] They don't know it, yeah. I would say yes, there are echoes of it. There are more recent events that they don't even quite remember that are more influential. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/256/#e8695 Quote Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Cosmere postal service. Can you tell us anything about this? How many people are involved? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It is more UPS than USPS, if that makes sense. Meaning it is enterprising individuals who are traveling and trading between planets. Some places are easier to deliver to than others. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/256/#e8611 Quote Argent Hey Karen, I have a question I hope you can confirm for the Stormlight fans. What are the exact gemstone types Rosharans use in their currency? In The Way of Kings Shallan suggests that only nine out of the ten Polestones are actually used in spheres (or is this wrong?), and while eight of those are accounted for in the books, we don't know whether the last one is a smokestone or a heliodor. Is this something you can and are willing to confirm for us? Karen Ahlstrom Here's what I have on my wiki page. I'm pretty sure it was written by Brandon before I started to work on things. Gemstones ◆ Sapphire: blue (deep) ◆ Zircon: blue (light) ◆ Ruby: red (deep) ◆ Amethyst & Garnet: red (light) ◆ Topaz: yellow (deep) ◆ Heliodor: yellow (light) ◆ Emerald: green (deep) ◆ Smokestone: grayscale (deep) ◆ Diamond: grayscale (light) Karen Ahlstrom Elsewhere I found this list that shows the spheres from highest to lowest value. It says that smokestone coins are very rare. Values: Highest - 50 (250, 1000) ◆ Stone: Emerald ◆ Color: Deep green ◆ Essence: Pulp Values: Prime Pair - 25 (125, 500) ◆ Stone: Amethyst ◆ Color: Pale violet ◆ Essence: Mineral (Metals/claws) ◆ Stone: Sapphire (skymark) ◆ Color: Deep Blue ◆ Essence: Vapor Values: Middle Weight - 10 (50, 200) ◆ Stone: Zircon ◆ Color: Pale blue ◆ Essence: Blood (Water-based liquids) ◆ Stone: Ruby (firemark) ◆ Color: Deep red ◆ Essence: Spark (Fire/Soul) ◆ Stone: Smokestone (Uncommon as a coin) ◆ Color: Translucent ◆ Essence: Smoke Values: Less Weight - 5 (25, 100) ◆ Stone: Topaz ◆ Color: Pale orange ◆ Essence: Talus (Stone/Bone) ◆ Stone: Garnet ◆ Color: Deep violet (Bloodmarks) ◆ Essence: Flesh ◆ Stone: Heliodor ◆ Color: Light yellow ◆ Essence: (Sinew) Cheapest 1 (5, 20) ◆ Stone: Diamond (Clear chip/mark/broam) ◆ Color: Transparent ◆ Essence: Glass (Crystal/Eyes) Argent One thing I am noticing is that the essences don't entirely match what's in the Ars Arcanum of the books. Karen Ahlstrom Yeah, AA is correct and what we base things on. Like I said, these are probably written by Brandon a long time ago when he was just world building. Footnote: These are from an email exchange between Argent and Karen Ahlstrom. Parts of the emails were slightly reformatted or erased in the interest of clarity, brevity, and privacy.source Quote Hoiditthroughthegrapevine Are the Dysian Aimians agents of Cultivation? If not, are they in league with another group (excluding the Knights Radiant) that we have seen? Brandon Sanderson (written) Kind of yes to both – kind of source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is there any effect on a Shardblade if the deadeye is really far away from where the Blade is? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Define really. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] The one that's trapped on the ship. Let's say they're taking him to the far side of Shadesmar, but the dude that owns that Blade lives in <inaudible>. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] We will deal with that in the books. There is an effect, but that's not enough of an effect. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Considering no one says that their Shardblade is acting weird in two and a half thousand years. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That happens all the time in Shadesmar. If you were able to get it off the planet, it would have an effect. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] If you as the owner of the Shardblade were offworld and you tried to summon it, that would be the effect? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Either way. But you can't take spren off-world. I mean, you can, but you can't really. Really all that I have in the notes for it to do right now, is to add slightly more time. So you're like, "That's weird that felt like not ten heartbeats, it felt like twelve." But it's like, you're on another planet, then it's suddenly speed of light type stuff. So suddenly it's like, "This is taking three years instead. That's a pretty big deal!" So I've got a few weird speed of light things mixed into the cosmere, and that's one of them. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] I was wondering, in Stormlight, what kind of gem the Parshendi gemhearts were, or do they just, do they hold Stormlight well? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So, this is a good question. This is one that people have been asking me since the first book, if they had one, and I've finally kind of confirmed it in book three. So the reason people don't think Parshendi have a gemheart is it is milky white, and looks like bone. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] But aren't their bones red? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Their bones, well... their bones are red... not completely. If you're going to pull out the bone, what you're going to see.... I'll explain it in the next book. So what you're going to do is, if you break open the bone, you're going to find this white... it's not marrow but it is, yeah I guess it's marrow. Anyway at the center kind of in their sternum there is a gemheart there, but it is fused to the bone and it is grown into the bone, and you have to kind of snap it open and find it inside, and it kind of just looks like marrow, but there's a gemheart in there. And it kind of relates to some stuff in Dragonsteel that I'm not gonna get into. But you'll see in the next books. But there's a good reason people just don't think that Parshendi have a gemheart. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] So they must not glow much then, I'm assuming. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, well, it's surrounded by bone. So it's a different special thing. We'll bring it out in the following books. It might not be the next one. source Quote Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] The Drominad name. Where does that come from, for the system? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Where did we come up with that? I came up with that. Isaac Stewart [PENDING REVIEW] I think you just named it. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I think I just named it. It's a name. Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] Because it doesn't fit with the First of the Sun culture. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I know. That's intentional, because... Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] Is it Latin? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No, it's not named after... It's not named after... The name comes form somewhere else. It's not meant, Latin, don't read too much into Latin. Pagerunner [PENDING REVIEW] It's not a Yolish name? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No, it's not a Yolish name. Once in a while, I'll make them very, very Roman if I want you to make that connection. source Quote Karen Ahlstrom [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) 1. Just as highstorms come less frequently around the Weeping, they are more frequent around Midpeace. 2. Following the advent of the Everstorm, the normal highstorm calculations/schedule was found to be thrown off by about four (Rosharan) months. 3. Highstorms move at about 370 miles per hour. The Everstorm moves at about 120 miles per hour. Those are variable of course, and shouldn't be taken as official, definitive numbers. 4. For approximate Everstorm timing calculations we used a cycle of 9.1 (Rosharan) days. 5. Roshar's circumference is about 22110 miles. Again, this shouldn't be taken as an official, definitive number. source Quote Peter Ahlstrom [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) The Sunmaker was about 500 years ago, pretty much right after the Heirocracy. The Recreance was about 2,000 years ago. Footnote: Peter mentioned all of these pretty offhandedly, so they probably shouldn't be taken as hard canon.source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Did the Aimians want Aimia to be scoured? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. But, doesn't mean that they--some of them may have seen what happened as necessary. But certainly that was not a prevailing thing. source Quote WeiryWriter [PENDING REVIEW] At Emerald City Comic Con earlier this year, you stated that Singer gemhearts are a "milky white" color, and looked like bone/bone marrow. You also said they were related to something in Dragonsteel. Having read the sample chapters of The Liar of Partinel a while back, I couldn't help but be reminded of the skullmoss, which is a bone-white color. Are the Singer gemhearts related to the fainlife in any meaningful or important way? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah they are very similar to Tamu Keks. source Characters Spoiler Quote A Budgie (paraphrased) So, Hoid can't physically hurt someone, but does this ban extend to mental harm and harm through inaction? Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased) No. Hoid can mentally hurt someone, or allow them to be hurt, but when considering physical trauma he gets nauseous, to the point he can be incapacitated Source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] What's the deal with Hoid and instant noodles? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] ...He likes his ramen, right? Like any sane person, he likes his instant noodles. Nothing more than that. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] ...Has he ever had instant noodles? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yeah, he's had instant noodles before. They have them on Taldain, yeah. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8164 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Tien's interest in rocks. Is that just because he likes rocks, or is there something to it? Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Not really. There'll be some metaphorical relationships that I'm underpinning it with, but really the answer is, no, he just really likes rocks. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/172/#e8562 Quote ShadowSgt [PENDING REVIEW] Taravangian. When he made the Diagram he said it was "his brightest day". Would you say that he was more towards the Cognitive realm or more towards the Spiritual realm? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Spiritual. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/174/#e8447 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Did humans come to Roshar through Shadesmar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It is technology or magic closer to how the Oathgates work. But it was like that. It's not canon but right now that's what I have. It's not canon because there are certain things I have to work out before that can work. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] By the way I'll just say to the tape recording that I haven't canonized, like for instance if they traveled to Shadesmar to get to Shinovar from Ashyn. Right now I have that not being via Shadesmar, but the mechanics of that might not work out, and I might have to default to Shadesmar. So there's certain things, you'll see, where I say, "This isn't the canon answer, it's where I have things right now." Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] So Urithiru might end up being a spaceship after all. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] It's not that. Right now I have them using something closer to Oathgating, but it opens up a huge can of worms, when I'm not requiring direct... When I'm sending through Spiritual Realm it opens up cans of worms, and I have to just make sure the mechanics on that are tight before I do it. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] How the crap did Zahel end up on Roshar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Partially walked there, partially took a vehicle. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171/#e8168 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Will you ever make a book based in Shadesmar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, I will, actually. There's one that I've plotted in Silverlight. Whether I'll be able to write it as a whole book, or whether I'll be able to do it just as a novella I'm not sure yet. But I do actually have a plotted-out story with Khriss as the protagonist in Shadesmar. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/256/#e8673 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] For a hardcore fan, one clue you'd give out... [About] Hoid, or Dragonsteel, or Restares. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] ...The problem is, so little of Dragonsteel is still canon. I've pulled so much out of it. The Sho Del are still canon, and Hoid has an interesting relationship with several of them. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/262/#e8793 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Has Hoid tried to get to First of the Sun? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Hoid has tried before. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/312/#e8937 Quote AllomancerSam [PENDING REVIEW] If given the opportunity, which Shard would Kelsier want to punch next? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] He would find it really fun to punch Honor. Reallyfun. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/312/#e8943 Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Are both of Kaladin's maternal grandparents darkeyes? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. Good question. I think you're the first one to pull that out of me. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] There's one question, or two questions in [the signing line], that I know are driving your brains crazy, that are not as clear-cut in my answers as you might assume they are. One is about Kaladin's mother. source Quote Rainier [PENDING REVIEW] First, just please tell me anything about Nightblood--the book or the Type IV Awakened object. Or Warbreaker--the book or the Type II. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] All right. My current plot for the book Nightblood. It's really minor, but it involves Darro entering the cosmere officially. He is a character from Aether of Night. He's a side character in that that I've always wanted to work into this main continuity, the real continuity, so he's coming. source Quote Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] Has Eshonai left for the Beyond? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes. I'll canonize this. I'm sorry. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] *sounds of horror and shock* Noooo, nooooo, RAFO it! Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] You wanted..that was a RAFO-bait but, so I never intended that..if you want to leave this one out there...But I never intended Timbre to be Eshonai's soul. When people said that in the beta, I'm like, "Oh, I guess you could see that, but I mean that's not how spren work, right?" Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] I was going to say, so you're saying Timbre is not Eshonai's soul. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. I never even thought they would make that connection. Because we saw Timbre in the previous book. I mean, I don't want to kill people's fan theories. But that one kind of blindsided me in the beta. I'm like, "Well I guess we'll go ahead and let people think that but...no." No. You can leave that one off if you want to tease people and things. Some people really want to believe that. Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] I made a bet that Eshonai was not only still be alive after Words of Radiance, but would also become Radiant. And then the bet was if not I had to eat a shoe. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Oh no! Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW] So I've been trying to get out of it for like... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Well you could eat a gummy shoe or something like that. But no, I didn't intend this. No. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] You know Felt? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Felt, I know Felt. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is Felt originally Scadrian? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yep. Yes. You guys know about that, right? I don't think that's a big secret. But, he is, and that should be raising other questions. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] About his name? Or how he's showing up on Roshar? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] About that and the fact that... He should stand out more. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Exactly how turbulent is the Cognitive Realm around Sel? Khriss seems to think it's rather difficult [to travel] but how difficult would it be for Hoid to get through? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] How difficult would it be to get through to Sel, how difficult would it be for Hoid - I would say straining his resources and capacity. It is difficult for him. So take that as you will. But it is worth his effort and he has done it numerous times. source . Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Have we seen the worldhopping kandra on-screen in Oathbringer? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, I believe you have. Ahhhh, yes, she gets around. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Was Syl starting to bond with Tien before he died? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No, good question. But Tien was starting to bond a different spren. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] I was suspecting that he was bonding a spren, but then Syl says, at one point, just as she was coming over *inaudible* so I was like, maybe! Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Good question, but no, he was going in a different direction. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Can you tell me...? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Lightweaver. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] How would a Cryptic deal with computers? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Cryptics would love computers. Loooovvvveeecomputers. They would have a blast. They might be offended that the computer isn't talking back to them, because they would think the computer's a pattern and should just be talking to them. But otherwise they would find them really cool. I'm sad, there was a really good sequence in Oathbringer that had to get cut out for timing reasons where Pattern talked about how famous he was, that hopefully I will be able to release as a deleted scene or something. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Question about Elantris real quick. In your [Arcanum] Unbound[ed], they show up. Is this post or pre Elantris. Because they're so well organized in that one. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So, that is post Elantris. But, the Ire weathered the [Reod]. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Oh they come back. And they remember everything. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] They were not on Sel when the [Reod] happened. source Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Those short stories on Threnody and First of the Sun, will we have full books for those? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Unlikely. Threnody yes. It's likely that you'll see a Threnody book. That's not a one hundred percent promise though. A Threnody book would not be about Silence or anything. Threnody's been a place I've wanted to do a book about for many years. And there's a group that's important later in the Cosmere that it'd be nice to have had a book about. But this comes down to where does my time end up getting spent? Sixth of the Dusk it's unlikely. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Will we at least get more short fiction about it then? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] That is possible, but no promises. source Quote Matrim [PENDING REVIEW] Hoid gets his tooth knocked out while in Kholinar. He prompts somebody else to help him with that. Is that because he has issues hurting not only other people but himself? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yep. Matrim [PENDING REVIEW] And then he considers healing that at a later point in time. Which magic system does he consider using to heal that? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] A magic system that predates-- predates any of the others. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/176/#e8498 Edited August 8, 2018 by Extesian Formatting problems 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oversleep Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 Man, you are seven posts short of 2000th now But this is a good collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Extesian Posted August 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 18 minutes ago, Oversleep said: Man, you are seven posts short of 2000th now But this is a good collection I accidentally posted it Imma roll with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RShara Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 You just need to post six times to make it accurate. Then never post again, obviously. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmnsquirtle Posted August 9, 2018 Report Share Posted August 9, 2018 Great collection, thanks for compiling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Extesian Posted August 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2018 On 09/08/2018 at 1:44 AM, RShara said: You just need to post six times to make it accurate. Then never post again, obviously. I did it. #retrospectivetruth Though now I've abandoned my non-Sharding discipline I find myself unable to crawl back in my hole. Boy I've missed it. Guess I'll be active again until my personal life suffers sufficiently 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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