Frostlander

Thinking about the very specific 7:46 time and the fact that there seem to be illusions/lightweaving activity associated with Cusicesh, I wondered if there was any significance between the Knights Radiant, the nature of megaspren and that number. The numbers 7, 4, 6 correspond to Battar/Elsecallers, Vedel/Edgedancers, and Shalash/Lightweavers. The illusions may suggest a connection to the Lightweavers, Cusicesh's ties to the cognitive realm a nod to the Elsecallers' proficiency there, and the faces to Edgedancers' oath to remember those who have been forgotten. It is also possible that the Heralds and/or Knights Radiant might have a large spren, given that we know Stormfather is a spren manifestation of people's belief in Honor. Not sure how all this might fit together or exactly how Cusicesh came to be fixed in the bay, but there may be something there.

Agree with those who think it was a kind of test, especially due to the Shadesmar component of the Elsecaller order. Ivory seems secretive and protective, but likely because of the painful consequences of the Day of Recreance. Battar, the Herald for that order, is also known for being wise and careful, so it's possible those qualities are somehow reflected in Ivory and Co.'s testing and subsequent cautiousness.

I know that the idea that the Stone Shamanate might be related to the Stonewards has been discussed and discarded, but I am still not convinced that they are not related. In addition to Taln's and his order's obvious connection to stone, we don't have evidence that every Stoneward gave up their blades and plate on the Day of Recreance. WoK is actually deliberately vague about this: The ... before "the Order of the Stonewards" could be "a lot of," "most of," "some of." It seems unnecessarily sneaky. We know that a large number of Windrunners showed up, and a quote from the "real" WoR suggests that the Windrunners were the most insistent on giving up, even though they weren't perhaps all initially present in Dalinar's vision: Is it possible that some of the Stonewards, even though they were not the 1 order that didn't disband, kept going? Especially if the reason the Radiants disbanded (the Windrunners most passionately) is because they learned that the Heralds betrayed the Oathpact (and Taln). Finally: Clearly some of them can be very stubborn. Taln is exiled and the Shamanate is exiled from their native stone? This exile and connection to Taln/Stonesinew has resulted in the holiness of stone. I think we will learn why the Shin have their stone-related issues, given the title of the next book.

WoB is that some of the chapter titles contain foreshadowing. I’m thinking particularly of Chatper 54 “Gibletish” of tWoK, which has Hoid and Taln as the chapter images. The death rattle appears to be Taln himself: The most interesting part of the chapter is a conversation Hoid has with Dalinar, where he asks Dalinar if he has ever heard the word Adonalsium. Dalinar notes that Hoid seems preoccupied and dismisses that word as He then goes on to say: Is that why Sanderson keeps hinting that Taln is not actually Taln? Is he Gibletish? Has he been assembled as best as possible and it comes out as gibberish? In Taln’s interlude in WoR, it’s been noticed that Wit and Chana have the chapter images. Still not sure why that is… At any rate, is Hoid foreshadowing that Dalinar would be in possession of Taln (or Gibletish?) at some point? Feels like this all must mean something.

These are probably not the ideal final thoughts for a Windrunner with an honorspren, especially when other people were dying and he was thinking about himself. There may have been some oathbreakage there, too. Then when he lands: Suggests that it was his thoughts and actions that gave him access to stormlight and forced the bond, like Elena said:

Looking at these two (and possibly three) quotes, I definitely think there is something there. The first two certainly, and possibly the third, each show this extra, mysterious ability. May be related to "the very nature of the Heralds and their divine duties?" I also see a parallel to what Melishi is doing and what Dalinar did when he read the battlefield and persuaded Aladar to change his strategy. Dalinar also became more of a general that day, noting that Adolin would lead the battles from then on. We may not have enough pieces yet to put all of this together, but I think Argent is onto something.

There's a part of this exchange that keeps striking me as strange. It's followed by the question of whether Hoid switched the blades, and that seems to have the effect of combining the two sets of questions. There are clues that something has "happened." Is that bigger than blade-switching? The next sentence stating that there are other clues that suggest we've been fed false information seems big. The only thing that I can think of right now is that as the Everstorm approaches, Kaladin, Eshonai, and Dalinar all think it is strange that Stormfather speaks to them. Kaladin and Dalinar note that they had only heard him in visions and dreams. Eshonai says that hearing him speak is something from songs. This new, more available, more talkative Stormfather bonds Dalinar. Syl says that Stormfather is broken in chapter 86 of WoR, and we know that the “Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns.” I know tWoK also says Odium reigns, but I'm starting to wonder if it was such a good idea to bond Stormfather. Not sure where this might go, but I think at least the first set of Q&A is important.

It makes sense that having millions(?) of people believing in a concept would create a megaspren for that idea. I do wonder what Stormfather gets out of the bond, though. Do the different branches of Vorinism--for example the worship of Jezrien in Sesemalex Dar in Emul that Sigzil talks about--have megaspren? Perhaps not as large as Stormfather, but still substantial?