Kobold King

All we can do now is worship. Worship Trell and wait...

That would be ideal, but the likelihood of us getting even one question about Iyatil into a signing isn't guaranteed. If everyone was able to ask all the questions they wanted, Brandon Sanderson wouldn't have time to actually write the books. Now, if we can just convince one of the privileged few of the importance of Iyatil-kandra questions...

When you wonder whether gingerbread men can be Awakened.

Better. That helps eliminate trolling on his part. I'm still fond of the idea of asking directly whether she's from Scadrial, though.

It would be awesome if people at the signing could answer questions for the 17th Shard. You would be my heroes. My Heroes of Ages. A good question would be "Is Iyatil from Scadrial". That could help with two major theories, namely, "Iyatil is Vin" and "Iyatil is a kandra". Also, what about asking whether highspren are connected to the concept of higher law? That could give us valuable insights into how Skybreakers interpret their Ideal.

Too unspecific. What if we're wrong and she's Roshar-native?

Could we maybe ask "Is Iyatil from Scadrial"? And by "we", I mean, "someone who might actually get a chance to ask this question and cares enough to spend such a valuable opportunity."

I believe that the possibility of Iyatil being a kandra is a strong one. I just think it's fair to examine all possible sides. And of course, we should still keep our eyes open for other suspects.What do we know about Iyatil's specific assassinations? Was she the one who killed the coach drivers? Was she involved somehow with the scheme to murder Jasnah? Some Ghostblood assassinations are group efforts, some are more personal in scope. Do we know how many Ghostblood activities Iyatil has been directly involved in? And speaking of asking Brandon Sanderson, when will the next Q&A be? Is there any chance of getting someone to ask about Iyatil? A direct "Is Iyatil the kandra" would probably get an RAFO, but a less specific question could get us useful information.

Iyatil as WalDo Pros: Known to be the babsk of a widely suspected worldhopper. Flesh has displayed an noticeably fluid quality. Has displayed skills in acting and deception. Specifically refers to her mask as making it easier to "adapt". Behavior resembles Vin, an individual known to be revered by the kandra. Cons: Is an assassin, which is both unlike Harmony and is possibly forbidden by contracts. It is unknown whether a non-Harmony kandra would revere Vin, possibly negating the final pro. All pros could be interpreted as mundane skills as opposed to racial qualities.

Well, the AoL Ars Arcanum does say that kandra "for the most part" serve Harmony. Maybe WalDo is a rogue kandra?

Do we know whether the kandra are still bound by the Contracts after the Final Ascension? That is an important thing which should be figured out.

No, Szeth is Gravitation Guy. What do you mean "Sanderfan" is not a valid word? Do not fill our hearts with lies!

Never forget that the Szeth/Nightblood union was concocted by the man who tried to execute Lift. Nale may not be worthy of our trust. It may be in his best interest to corrupt both Szeth and Nightblood.

"Hello," a cheerful voice says in your mind. "Would you like to listen to some Rick Astley today?"

When you fry and eat grasshoppers and conclude the Horneaters don't have such a bad diet after all. (True story)

People have assumed that genius!Taravangian was referring to the Radiants. But could he have been smart enough on that day to mean both?Could he have left his future self with hints that covered all possible circumstances. @Delightful: Very good point about Iyatil. I hadn't caught the line about adapting. I believe Iyatil is our best lead at the moment.

What about a bridgeman who's forced to sell his Breath and then finds out his father was a Scadrian nobleman and then goes on the run from Steel Inquisitors, who catch up with him just as the Shaod takes him so they beat him senseless with pewter, leaving him as a Hoed who constantly mumbles "no more bridge runs"? As for the best life, probably Hoid.

This was really, ridiculously awesome. Wasn't there another thing sort of like this... an alleged "preview" of Stones Unhallowed? I remember it was supposed to be "Brandon Sanderson got drunk and gave someone his plot notes", but I can't actually seem to find it now. But I remember Roshone was growing an evil goatee and the Recreance happened because the KR weren't getting a discount at the local fast food joint. Does anyone know where that topic is?

Brandon Sanderson is very good at leaving clues for us to follow. I really don't think the kandra is running around without any indicators of its true identity. I really doubt that. Who or whatever it is, I'd bet my Breath that there are clues that will look really obvious once the story line is complete. Can you read "the Hero of Ages will bear the fate of the world on his arms" without smiling in understanding? My point is, I don't think we should overlook Iyatil because she looks too obvious. The Zahel/Vasher connection also looks obvious from our perspective. In fact, the obviousness could be considered a mark in the theory's favor-- it's nigh impossible to predict without prerequisite information, but seems quite clear once the revelation has been made. Perfect Sanderson twist!

... Back on subject... I'd like to draw attention to this passage, describing Iyatil: Could Iyatil be WalDo? The skin around her mask has displayed the same fluid, amorphous quality we would expect from a kandra. She is Mraize's babsk, and Mraize has all the indications of being a worldhopper. She even displays great deception skills when she pretends to be a madwoman later in the book. Granted, these attributes could be explained by more mundane things. Maybe Iyatil just wears her mask a lot, and the skin grew naturally. Maybe she's just good at deceiving people because, you know, it's her job. But she should definitely be considered a suspect.

And he's mysteriously capable of procuring a copy of Words of Radiance... Gaz just became a suspect. I will re-read Shallan chapters from WoR. I will report back with any inconsistencies in Gaz's character.

I assure you, that was not my Intent. Oh Stormfather... you know you're a Sanderfan when that comeback comes to you naturally a second after reading Delightful's post. I must be going crazy... Nah, who am I kidding. I don't make Cosmere puns because I'm crazy. I do it because I'm awesome.

And he'll say, "What? Everyone knows that mistings can be Shardbearers. Highprince of War covered that." And Stormfather-in-law will say, "Well son, I know it's hard for you to believe, but back then we only had two Stormlight books." "Really? You at least had the second Mistborn trilogy..." "Nope. We didn't even have Shadows of Self." "Gosh. I knew you guys were part of the World War III generation, but I never thought your lives were so... awful." "That's all right son. Wanna go re-watch the Mistborn movie?" "Of course! That's a classic!" Ahem. Sorry, I may have gotten a little carried away in my fantasy.

What is this, Sadelin? Storm it, not another bizarre shipping thread...

Shardbarbers: the finest buzz cut you'll ever have.