Vikachu

Just wanted to plug the theory that [SPOILERS for Shadows of Self] Mare is Bleeder. It makes the betrayal much more understandable (as she literally can't disobey TLR), explains why she was the only Allomancer sent to the Pits (as punishment for developing feelings for Kelsier and starting to genuinely conspire against TLR), and explains why her actions mirror Kelsier's so well as she tries to destabilize Elendel. The big blow against this theory is that Mare was a Tineye, but perhaps TLR was able to hack things for his personal kandra to give her that ability even before Trellium came into the picture.[/s] Of course, this goes against the idea that he would originally tell us about this in The Eleventh Metal, but seeing as the finished story omits Mare at all, maybe this was a later addition.

I think it's more cryogenic sleep than time travel. I asked Sanderson about Hoid's age a while back in a Reddit AMA and he said: >He's been alive since Dragonsteel. However, he may not have spent all of that time awake and alert.

I second the confirmation that Hoid is the strongest non-shard entity. Anyways, my question would be one of these: How aware of Hoid are the Shards? What is Sazed's stance towards him? I'm specifically asking about him because a while back Sanderson mentioned that Kelsier reaaally hates Hoid. Does having two diametrically opposed shards prevent Sazed's mind from being molded by their Intents are does holding Harmony force him into passivity because they make a null intent? If Hoid had to settle down, which planet would he choose? Which two characters from different worlds would go the quickest from meeting each other to murdering each other? Is there an in-universe reason for the similarity between the names "Kalad the Usurper" and "Kaladin"? How is Hoid able to converse with people on so many different worlds? Do they share a language, does he simply learn each one, or is he assisted by magic?

My two cents: The Shades were created by someone who briefly took and gave up a Shard's powers and intended as enforcers of his/her little section of utopia. Killing someone for running or setting fires sounds like something a twisted park ranger, while killing those who draw blood is a bit more understandable. However, like TLR, the Sliver screwed up: the Shades (much like Steel Inquisitors) become uncontrollable after indulging in a kill, which is why they threaten everyone around afterwards.

I think it's mostly just the fact that feruchemy can boost allomancy. Additionally, TLR's baseline allomancy would still be stronger than Elend's despite both having taken lerasium due to TLR having already been a Misting before ingesting it.

I had assumed this was Sanderson's subtle way of showing how much Ruin had gotten to TLR at that point; thousands of years of Ruin wheedling away at him probably ended up with Ruin convincing him to spike himself for TEH POWAH, despite leaving him open to the influence. Alternatively, it's not the strength of the spike that matters, but the number. In which case TLR was being cautious.

Gonna add that this would tie in to the Shin's reverence for stone: perhaps it's needed in forging a new Parshendi body, perhaps by mixing it with the corpse. And, of course, messing with a corpse stops the rebirth; Parshendi go crazy when they see people desecrate corpses because those people basically killed those in the "time-out" zone, which, in addition to being, well, murderous, is also dishonorable.

Me want very much.