theory Shallan's Progression 1.1 Steps Forward [Discussion]

[+Child of Hodor]

https://www.17thshard.com/news/shardcast/shardcast-shallans-past-r737/

1.1 Steps Forward 1Step Back

 

After the Shallan's Past Shardcast I've been thinking about Brandon's comment regarding how Shallan is progressing and the things she's able to do before she should be able to in WoK and WoR (Soulcasting, and seemingly summoning Pattern in the Chasm). https://wob.coppermind.net/events/452/#e14526

The only thing that makes sense to me is if she progressed to at least the third level as a child, broke her oaths, but Testament is still around and connected to her a bit which allows Shallan to temporarily get back to those same levels to do things she used to. To put it another way her bond is spiking back up to where it used to be but only briefly, it's doing this:

Because she broke her Oaths she went back to near zero for a long time, but she's progressing again and once in a while her Bond will spike up to where it used to be and she can say summon what seems to be Pattern in the chasm before she's said enough Truths on the page unless we really contort to find Truths. 

She already reached those levels, her spiritweb was altered, Testament still exists and is bonded to her in some way, the bond is more deflated than broken. Think of how Dalinar sees the Oathpact as 9 thin golden lines and one robust line for Taln who did not break his Oath.  Or think of it as a "groove" that a Cryptics investiture can still fill. 

I think both Testament and Pattern are filling up that deflated original bond / "groove" that makes it easier for her to spike back, I think Pattern is mostly filling it now, but Testament is also filling it a bit. I don't have much to go on beyond my gut, but to me it is the simplest answer that fits with what we've seen. 

[teknopathetic he/him]

I think there is one truth that Shallan spoke as a child that she has repeated to Testament as an adult: "I am terrified". Shallan repeating this restored the connection to Testament in a way that was stronger than before, thereby allowing her to Soulcast in that instant. 

[+mdross81 he/him]

37 minutes ago, teknopathetic said:

I think there is one truth that Shallan spoke as a child that she has repeated to Testament as an adult: "I am terrified". Shallan repeating this restored the connection to Testament in a way that was stronger than before, thereby allowing her to Soulcast in that instant. 

I had this exact same thought while listening to the Shardcast episode. This sounds exactly like something young Shallan would have spoken to her spren while seeking refuge from the turmoil in her family.

Also, we see Kaladin do something similar in WoR, mentally reviewing and maybe reswearing, his prior oaths just before he swears the third.

[AquaRegia he/him]

I don't think there is any question that some of what Shallan can do (has done) is a result of her bond to Testament, while other abilities are tied to Pattern.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how the whole "two bonded Radiant spren" situation plays out in KoW.

Here's an earlier broad discussion around the topic:

 

[A Traveler]

I think an interesting way that Brandon could obliquely address the weirdness here is if we see a bonded spren get permakilled by the anti light knives, and the bonded radiant bonds another spren. Is their spirit web already changed so their new bond is at the same level as the old one, or do they progress very quickly back to that point? Are their new oaths different than their original oaths?