Personal saddest moments in the Cosmere? (open spoilers, all cosmere)

[Frustration he/him]

2 hours ago, Cocoa said:

Right, that bit in the palace before they're forced to try escaping through the Oathgate.

Luthadel is in Mistborn, and I was just making sure.

[Cocoa he/him]

23 minutes ago, Frustration said:

Luthadel is in Mistborn, and I was just making sure.

Ah, I see where the confusion is, I'm talking about two different events. The Battle of Luthadel and its aftermath, from Mistborn, was probably the saddest moment for me. The fall of Kholinar, from Stormlight Archive, is up there next to it.

[Treamayne]

For me (inpo):

• Eshonai riding the Storm
• Vin and Elend in the field of Marewill Flowers
• Gaotona and the book
• Sixth of the Dusk showing his "lesson" plume and stepping into the Merchant Company fortress
• Silence trying to save William Ann
• Sebruki's story
• etc.

On 9/2/2021 at 6:10 PM, Morningtide said:

Yes! Especially the fact that his son was there!

Double that when we realize that most of his "paranoia" problems are from seeing his cryptic the way Shallan did in the hallways of Kharbranth. If only Shallan had shared that story before or during the trip to Kholinar. . .

TWoK Ch 58

Spoiler

I see their faces in mirrors. Symbols, twisted, inhuman.

 

[Tamriel Wolfsbaine]

On 8/31/2021 at 8:17 AM, deepspace21 said:

Lightsongs whole character arc really hits me hard. realizing his past and giving his life to save someone else was absolutely tragic.

100% this character is what hits me in the feels.  

Every scene with Lightsong in the back half of warbreaker is a moving one.  The last scene with him and Blushweaver together was an absolute shocker of a scene.  I just sat there with my mouth dropped for a moment.  His brother yelling at him calling him out for being a fool and then his brother realizing at the end of it all how good he truly was... 

One of the best written arcs in the cosmere.  Light hearted for 75% of his chapters then completely tragic for the last 25%.   

[teknopathetic he/him]

Shallan/Veil in RoW Kolinar realizing that their scheme with the bread delivery for the poor was actually making everything 1000 times worse is the saddest scene in the Cosmere for me. The speech from the kid about having to wait around all day for Shallan was devastating (and then what came next of course was also horrid).

Also. it spoke to me on a metaphorical level concerning the harms some volunteer charity groups do when they bust into a region without knowing anything of what is going on in the local community. People can do a lot of harm when they try to give charity without taking the time to learn what the people on the ground actually want or need or have capacity for.

Edited May 26, 2022 by teknopathetic

[Duxredux he/him]

Leras's story to me is sad, made more so because we know so little of it. He is more or less a footnote in Scadrian history, completely overshadowed by Ruin, Kelsier, and Harmony. Of all the religions that Sazed held, I don't think any of them were about Preservation, as Ruin carefully excised all knowledge of his counterpart from history. Only the Kandra knew of him. Humanity had forgotten the being that gave them life and the spark of autonomy that let them choose for themselves. Leras witnessed every death, heard every thought that cursed deity made by people that never knew that their god had sacrificed his mind to protect them. Thousands of years later, he still felt immense pain at each passing, "Oh Senna... I'm losing this place. Losing them all..." The only people he could briefly talk to were the ones he couldn't preserve, comforting the dead as they passed into the Beyond.

Some of his last words was advice that I think came from Leras himself, not just the Intent of his power, and it speaks of the kind of god he tried to be. "Kelsier! Do better than you have before! They called you their god and you were casual with their faith! The hearts of men are not your toys. Do better Kelsier..." Those words were spoken as he revealed himself to Elend, encouraging the disheartened emperor of men as he exposed himself to Ruin's final attack. Leras gave, and gave, and gave, and he died, forgotten and alone in the ash.

When we talk of Leras, it is of the mythological backdrop of the conflict of Ruin and Preservation and the strategies employed, 17th Sharders scheming what they would do if they got their hands on a bead of Lerasium (nothing wrong with that), or as a close look at the death of a Vessel, but it's easy to forget that they were decisions made by a small unassuming man.

Edited May 27, 2022 by Duxredux

[Tamriel Wolfsbaine]

25 minutes ago, Duxredux said:

Leras's story to me is sad, made more so because we know so little of it. He is more or less a footnote in Scadrian history, completely overshadowed by Ruin, Kelsier, and Harmony. Of all the religions that Sazed held, I don't think any of them were about Preservation, as Ruin carefully excised all knowledge of his counterpart from history. Only the Kandra knew of him. Humanity had forgotten the being that gave them life and the spark of autonomy that let them choose for themselves. Leras witnessed every death, heard every thought that cursed deity made by people that never knew that their god had sacrificed his mind to protect them. Thousands of years later, he still felt immense pain at each passing, "Oh Senna... I'm losing this place. Losing them all..." The only people he could briefly talk to were the ones he couldn't preserve, comforting the dead as they passed into the Beyond.

Some of his last words was advice that I think came from Leras himself, not just the Intent of his power, and it speaks of the kind of god he tried to be. "Kelsier! Do better than you have before! They called you their god and you were casual with their faith! The hearts of men are not your toys. Do better Kelsier..." Those words were spoken as he revealed himself to Elend, encouraging the disheartened emperor of men as he exposed himself to Ruin's final attack. Leras gave, and gave, and gave, and he died, forgotten and alone in the ash.

When we talk of Leras, it is of the mythological backdrop of the conflict of Ruin and Preservation and the strategies employed, 17th Sharders scheming what they would do if they got their hands on a bead of Lerasium (nothing wrong with that), or as a close look at the death of a Vessel, but it's easy to forget that they were decisions made by a small unassuming man.

Dang... that is a lot to think about.  A story under the story.  Point well made.  

[Duxredux he/him]

I think about things. I'm kind of glad that Leras got more support than my shared comic on if pineapple belongs on pizza. 

On my last readthrough, with what we know now, the epilogue of The Way of Kings is stealthily a much, much sadder moment than we first knew. When we first see Taln stumble into Kholinar the ramification was of the impending Desolation that was signaled by the return of a Herald. However with what we know now from Oathbringer, and what has recently been revealed...

Four and a half thousand years ago, Taln sacrificed himself on the battlefield. There his friends left him, with no help or support, no ally or comrade to be by his side on a moon entirely populated by prisoners that hated him. He fought, he was captured and though he could sacrifice himself on Roshar, he could not die on Braise (at least I assume he would not stay dead). So he was tortured far beyond what would kill him, this becoming his new existence, pain to protect friends and a people who had abandoned him.

Spoiler

And then a surprise thousands of years later, another Herald died on Roshar. This new Herald lasted 5 years before they snapped. At the breaking of this second Herald,

Taln was released to announce a new Desolation. This he did at the gates of Kholinar, the man who was never supposed to be a Herald, whose protection had been broken not by his lapse in honor. We know he was not the one to break. The worst part? Taln thought that he had failed and that this coming Desolation was his fault. I think somewhere in his tormented mind he feared that he had finally broken and given up his world to his torturers, even though he had done nothing wrong.

To rub salt in the wound, he is met by people who thought him an insane imposter and Wit, who knew he was who he claimed to be, but let him be taken to be treated for insanity in the Alethi way while making pithy statements about novelty and timeliness. Oh, and at some point someone stole his Honorblade and gave him a screaming dead Shardblade instead. Ouch.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Duxredux
Request for spoiler tag

[Little_Dagger she/her]

"Now comes the storm, but you'll be warm, the wind will rock your basket. The crystals fine... will glow sublime... And with a song... you'll sleep... my baby dear" - Shallan singing the lullaby to her dying father as he is watching her kill him is just heart-wrenching.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Yuliya

[+Child of Hodor]

For me, the saddest things to read are all the instances of Dalinar being mean to Evi in the flashbacks during OB. Even the first time through I knew she died relatively young and to see her sad really got to me. In particular when she shows up to the warcamp with the children he barely knows and he snaps "what are you doing here?" at her it's extremely sad. 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Child of Hodor

[Rg2045]

On 5/30/2022 at 6:29 AM, Duxredux said:

I think about things. I'm kind of glad that Leras got more support than my shared comic on if pineapple belongs on pizza. 

On my last readthrough, with what we know now, the epilogue of The Way of Kings is stealthily a much, much sadder moment than we first knew. When we first see Taln stumble into Kholinar the ramification was of the impending Desolation that was signaled by the return of a Herald. However with what we know now from Oathbringer, and what has recently been revealed...

Four and a half thousand years ago, Taln sacrificed himself on the battlefield. There his friends left him, with no help or support, no ally or comrade to be by his side on a moon entirely populated by prisoners that hated him. He fought, he was captured and though he could sacrifice himself on Roshar, he could not die on Braise (at least I assume he would not stay dead). So he was tortured far beyond what would kill him, this becoming his new existence, pain to protect friends and a people who had abandoned him.

  Hide contents

And then a surprise thousands of years later, another Herald died on Roshar. This new Herald lasted 5 years before they snapped. At the breaking of this second Herald,

Taln was released to announce a new Desolation. This he did at the gates of Kholinar, the man who was never supposed to be a Herald, whose protection had been broken not by his lapse in honor. We know he was not the one to break. The worst part? Taln thought that he had failed and that this coming Desolation was his fault. I think somewhere in his tormented mind he feared that he had finally broken and given up his world to his torturers, even though he had done nothing wrong.

To rub salt in the wound, he is met by people who thought him an insane imposter and Wit, who knew he was who he claimed to be, but let him be taken to be treated for insanity in the Alethi way while making pithy statements about novelty and timeliness. Oh, and at some point someone stole his Honorblade and gave him a screaming dead Shardblade instead. Ouch.

Yeah this has to be the one for me. The pain the suffering and when he found out he was betrayed, left to eternity of torture, he thanked them. He thanked the people who left him. Honestly it makes sense that Brandon has this guy Chained away from the fight. Just him alone Could push back the voidbringers. He has for over 4,000 years

[ash's_eyes she/her]

A lot of the most emotional moments for me have already been mentioned, but one I don't thiknk was mentioned yet was a Dalinar flashback. The one when Renarin brings him a small bottle of alcohol after he drank everything else... that one is so sweet and sad and makes me want to cry every time. 

[Thirdofstars]

Marsh stumbling over the hill into the sunlight after the catecendre