Boundaries of Shadesmar

[ValentineMichaelSmith]

Hello all, I had a couple of questions that I hope those more experienced than I could help me with.

1. When thinking of Shadesmar, of course Brandon had some difficulty in projecting a 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional plane, the same as mapmakers would find. However in a 2D plane that you can actually enter, this seems to present a larger problem. Where are the edges? For instance if you look at a 2D map of Earth, a point on the far left side would run into a point on the far right side if you were physically there. But in Shadesmar, does that mean there is a series of four lines (North/South/East/West) where you would have to traverse the entire length of, as an example, Roshar to reach a place a few feet away from where you started: to get from the far left to the far right on our 2D map? Because so far as I understand, if you walk in a straight line, that will take you from one planet to another as long as you know which direction to go, so there must be an "edge" or end to the planet. Then what about the "edge" on the opposite side of Shadesmar, it seems that you would be in almost the exact same geographic location in the Physical Realm, yet headed the opposite direction in Shadesmar. So I guess my question is: where does these "edges" correspond to in the Physical Realm?

2. Alright this one is similar to the first. Let's say you're in Shadesmar in the vicinity of Roshar, beads all over the place. Then you want to go to the nearest planet, for the sake of argument since I don't remember how close they are, Scadrial. Mists or whatever. Is there just a spot where the beads immediately change to the mists? Or a more gradual change where it's part beads/part mists? Or is there a natural essence, for lack of a better word, of Shadesmar when the beads end and before the mists begin?

Thanks again and sorry for the length of the first one, I wanted to fully explain my question

[Calderis he/him]

9 minutes ago, ValentineMichaelSmith said:

Then what about the "edge" on the opposite side of Shadesmar, it seems that you would be in almost the exact same geographic location in the Physical Realm, yet headed the opposite direction in Shadesmar. So I guess my question is: where does these "edges" correspond to in the Physical Realm?

This should be defined by perception of the way people see the world, and it is a very real issue. 

Quote

Questioner 1

You said that moving people like that [Cognitive Shadows] or spren off-world, from Roshar is difficult.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner 1

What about physically, say the Ones Above visit them, and they fly away?

Brandon Sanderson

So one of the things you'll have to be asking questions and theorizing on is what happens if you try to carry a spren around the planet. What happens to their Cognitive sense, right? So you're on Roshar, right? So on the Physical Realm what would happen-- Because on Shadesmar, you have a flattened version. So there are questions for you to be theorizing implicit in that.  And one of them is, what happens, you cross a threshold circling the globe, your spren, what happens to them? Because-- Okay? This relates to the question you’re asking.

Questioner 2

Wait wait, you have a three dimensional plain coexisting with a two dimensional plain?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, two dimensional is the wrong term, but basically...

Questioner 3

Can you specify the mathematically projection used to create this? *laughter*

Brandon Sanderson

We'll try to give it to you eventually, but this is the sort of stuff that I do that Peter's like "Oh man..." *laughter* "Alright give me the math Peter." "Ahhh what do you mean? I'm not a mathematician." "Eh, y'know. You're close." It is very convenient to have a physicist and a mathematician in my writing group.

source

 

12 minutes ago, ValentineMichaelSmith said:

2. Alright this one is similar to the first. Let's say you're in Shadesmar in the vicinity of Roshar, beads all over the place. Then you want to go to the nearest planet, for the sake of argument since I don't remember how close they are, Scadrial. Mists or whatever. Is there just a spot where the beads immediately change to the mists? Or a more gradual change where it's part beads/part mists? Or is there a natural essence, for lack of a better word, of Shadesmar when the beads end and before the mists begin?

We see this in Secret History. If you haven't read it, I won't spoil it, but there is a place at the edge that what seems to be water, the "obsidian" just seems to extend on forever. 

The individual world fades and the buffer zone of space appears like water does. 

[ValentineMichaelSmith]

Ah thanks so much, I had read Secret History but it has been a while so I definitely forgot about the boundary. And that 3D to 2D does seem to be a problem, thanks for the quote!

[Fezzik]

Cognitive perception should have something to do with it, like if you intend to circle the globe, you will, but if you intend to leave the planet, you have to travel to whatever your mental boundary is, and go past that.