Fifth of Daybreak

These are some compelling points that you make, but I don't think that it is conclusive by any means. First off, I agree, when it's not a regular lantern, Brandon has specified: (Ninja'd AND refuted by Kasimir, well done!) That does however, create a precedent for Adolin having infused spheres, although, I will also admit that it is very unlikely that he kept infused spheres with him that weren't being used for some purpose or another on him. However, there were two in that tango. Sadeas. Sadeas who works to undermine Dalinar and Adolin at every turn. Sadeas who only obeys orders when it will serve his purposes. Sadea who made a ruckus about not being able to perform his duties as highprince of information, then resigns when they relent. Given his track record, I find it more than likely that he had some infused spheres on him. Sadeas most definitely would not be handing over any of his infused gemstones to help the Kholin cause. I actually would be more surprised to learn that Sadeas wasn't carrying any infused spheres on him, just because of his personality and actions up to this point. He has done everything he can to undermine them, and he is definitely petty enough to withold spheres simply for the sake of being difficult. As for surgebinding being hereditary, I think it makes more sense. After all, where did Lighteyes come from? And the tradition that they were meant to lead? As stated earlier, there's plenty of hints that Heleran could have been a surgebinder. Tien also seems very similar to Renarin to me, and would seem like he could be surgebinder material. Edit: Giving Kasimir credit.

I really wonder too! We know that Gemhearts can capture spren, and from the Rysn chapter we know that the spren are powerful enough to affect the physical realm. I'm wondering if there's anything special about the stormlight that's infused in the sphere right out of the chasmfiend. Is it possible that the gemhearts are capturing a greatshell spren?

It is known.

Well, I don't have anything to add about the humoral theories you posed, other than it's very fascinating and very well elaborated and thought out. As for the rest of it, I think you hit the nail on the head. I've been throwing around the same kind of idea in my head for a while and I have a few things I can add to substantiate what you're saying. First is a quote from the Lahn interlude: The name of the surge is transformation, but the person and the fabrial are both called Soulcasters. Granted this could be referencing the "soul or the object." Also, if you've read The Emperor's Soul, then you can notice similarities between Forging and Soulcasting. Both are related to transformation, and if this theory is correct, then both magics also can have a profound effect on the person themselves. I want to go through it again to note more similarities, but the final one I can think of off the top of my head is when actually changing the objects, in both systems, whatever is affecting the object sinks into it, like Jasnah's hand on the boulder in Karbranth, or the stamps.

I had noticed that in the Shallan chapter, and then forgot about it when I made that post. Good catch! I definitely think that Shallan had to breathe in the Stormlight in order to pull him up. Stormlight seems to enhance strength as well as healing, balance, endurance, and most other physical traits. This makes me even more convinced that it was the manifestation of Adolin's bond in the Sadeas scene.

"He watches! As the water becomes sullied, the one whose constant is change watches! Oh Stormfather, our secrets are his to discover."

Gavilar seems to be a hot topic of discussion, and what I see most often is people placing him into an organization, and the quick retort that we don't know who he supports, so it is high time we have a thread on the matter. Personally, I do think he is part of the Sons of Honor, despite their proclivity to do nasty things to achieve their goal. First, there are the statements that Amaram makes about Gavilar being proud and blah blah blah is Amaram done talking yet? I don't trust much of what that guy has to say, but it's probably the most direct lines we have on the subject. I think that it's important to note on this line of thought, that Gavilar did seem to have a huge respect for Amaram. They're caught in conference in Jasnah's prologue, and it's even mentioned that Gavilar favored Amaram to be wed to Jasnah. That seems like a large step to take if you're only pretending to be someone's ally. I also want to point out that Gavilar is friends with Sadeas. This might not seem like it relates, but I think it does. Amaram says that he and Sadeas are similar in that the ends justify the means (paraphrased.) While Gavilar could be fooled by Amaram's reputation, it doesn't seem likely, considering he's also such good friends with Sadeas, (I will also concede that it's hinted Sadeas and Gavilar are good friends as well before.) There's also the speculation from the Parshendi that Gavilar was trying to bring back their Gods. (I will admit we don't know what he specifically said to get this reaction from them, but it does seem to weigh in more on the Sons of Honor side.) All that being said, there's still the nagging suspicion in the back of my head that keeps whispering there's too much damning evidence against him for him to be bad. I suspect we'll have to wait for Book 10 and his epilogue to finally close the book on Gavilar Kholin. (Maybe that's why Jasnah was so concerned with having Shallan look through his histories, did she want to figure out his allegiances as well?)

Originally, I had not been using them, but I kept seeing them around the forum that I started including them thinking I had misread the spoiler policy. I had assumed the spoiler tag was needed in the title for after the WoR page gets merged into the SA forum after continuing to see it pop up. I know that will be delayed for a good while to give people a chance to read it, so that isn't an issue?

I think a big point to note is the difference in situations as well. In modern terms, Moash (had he succeeded) would be guilty of 1st Degree Murder, whereas Adolin would be guilty of 2nd degree murder. Moash attempted murder in cold blood, it was premeditated, and not provoked (at the time, Elhokar wasn't taunting him about his grandparents when the time came.) That speaks a lot, not just about intent, but about character. Adolin committed a crime of passion. He got caught up in the heat of the argument with Sadeas, which has been happening for two books now, and for once there was no one there to hold him back. Adolin didn't plan to kill Sadea, he didn't wait until his emotions were cool, he just acted. I think that difference between the two would be why Adolin could become a KR, whereas Moash won't.

Oh. my. Andonalsium. There aren't enough upvotes in existence to properly explain how much I love this post. Well done. You win the internet.

We have WoB he has no honorblades.

Considering Zahel's history, I very much doubt he would refuse to teach a woman. He has done it before after all.

I think I know what happened. Sadeas was exploring Urithiru, and he found the shardpool that is bound to be there. Travelling through the cognitive realm, he found a way to soulcast himself, and became young again. He also changed his appearance, so he could start a new life. Then he found a place called Earth. And that kids, is where Kanye West comes from.

I also want to reiterate this. Brandon has done a superb job of ending a 1080 book with 37 pages of revelations that will have ramifications for books to come, and this is one of the biggest spoilers in those pages. Please change this as soon as possible so other people can enjoy those revelations as they come. (I just the other day had huge Captain America and Agents of Shield revelations spoiled to me by a careless facebook post by Magic the Gathering. It doesn't feel good to miss out on huge plot twists.) I'm personally of the opinion that Ialai already knew weeks before his death. I think she's going to become a surgebinder, one that at least shares a foresight surge with the Truthwatchers. As always, my crackpot theories are based off only a few lines of text. I'm pretty sure every time Brandon writes a small detail like this, he giggles like a madman.

So again, I'm reading into the tiniest of details, but I believe that Eshonai's mother can see the future, and that is part of the reasoning behind her dementia-like condition. Moving out? Where could she have gotten that idea. From the story she tells immediately before, I infer that the listeners have been living in Narak for quite some time. They also revere their dead, so I can't imagine Listeners moving into nice home's because the owners have died. It seemed very strange to me that she would think something like this, and then have it happen. Here's a people who have been stagnant for years and years, and she thinks that she is going to move out? So to make this theory work, I think her condition is being caused by seeing the world through different time periods. Take this quote: This makes us assume she's suffering from some Listener form of dementia, all the classic symptoms are there, but what if instead, she actually is seeing Eshonai from that time? We know there are magic systems that do something simlar (e.g. Gold in Allomancy) so maybe she's become adept at that sort of magic. Then, soon after, she sees into the future, and see's the house ruined, or abandoned, and realizes she's going to have to move soon to survive. I'm also assuming that the maps she gives Eshonai are an important part of snapping her out of Stormform, and that Eshonai's mother gave them to her for that reason, but that's a whole different speculative can of worms.

Unless I'm misunderstanding your original question, here is the WoB on the subject. We assume it was a mistake, but then again, Kaladin is running on magically fueled insinct, and this is one of the very few attacks to actually hit, and it was followed up by and immediate strike to the abdomen with a knife. I wouldn't say this is a mistake, it could be that the range was bad for a sword. There's a lot of variable here that we can't account for, and any successful hit in a fight like this isn't a mistake, especially since this will consume a portion of his stormlight to heal, and that works to Kaladin's advantage. We can't assume that he would've hit with a sword in the same way, it might even have been the shoulder that he had already damaged. As far as other weapons, I can't wait to see Kaladin using a shard throwing knife. He already took out a shardbearer with a regular knife, think of the destruction he can cause with an unlimited amount of nigh-unstoppable magical throwing knifes. Edit: I was being mind controlled by Observer, (Is that better ?)

Zahel, he's a weapons master, who better to teach people who can literally have any weapon at any time?

3:30 Brandon acknowledges us! Kinda... and 26:00...kinda

First of all, I'm posting off topic, and I'm very sorry. I tried searching through the forums but I couldn't find anything. I've been through both books 3 times now, and I completely missed this. Can you point me towards a thread where I can find sweet sweet answers? Edit: Thanks WitSpren! I'll reread that interlude now.

I found a tiny shred that we all can read way too much into and get excited over. That's an interesting choice of word to use...

Szeth seems to have been trained formally, and may have cognitive restrictions because of his perception.

A couple more possibilities; Along with differences to the Honorblade and Shardblades, there is a difference between a 'live' Shardblade and a 'dead' one, which could mean Radiants couldn't heal a cut from a 'dead' Shardblade Something about Kaladin's experience as a surgeon allows him to heal the cut. I interpreted this as the Spren building the Radiants and Surgebinding around the Honorblades rules, and so I suspect that the Honorblades take ten heartbeats, which might be the only check built into their system (more time to consider what to do with it once summoned? Off topic either way.) And so along with the WoB saying they all became swords after 'dying,' they would also revert to taking 10 heartbeats in order to be summoned, as was the original model. They would revert to what is most comfortable, or natural. Old habits dye hard sort of thing.

I was all set to counter the Skybreaker points, and then I saw Moogle's posts, and all the wind left my sails. He's made a good portions of the points that I was going to make, but I do want t expand just a tiny bit on what the points he's been making. I don't agree with this, I think that Nalan holds morality and law seperate. Law is more a function of black and white, and law is everything in between. That's why he's so adamant on not having emotion. If he lets his own morality into judgement, he won't be able to act effectively to enforce the law. At the same time, I don't see Nalan as having the characteristics being presented in this snippet from the OP. It seems like Nalan is being painted as an Inspector Javert from Les Mis, on a personal journey to enforce the law, even when it is obviously lacking. Nalan isn't obsessively enforcing every law, but instead, he is wielding the law as effectively as any weapon. He understands morality, and knows that it damns his actions, and that's why he had to kill his emotions, in order to do what needed to be done. No, it was a blanket statement. He's seeing a larger picture, and is using the law to do what he believes must be done, regardless of morality.

Another small point of contention, Elokhar invited Nalan, not Gavilar.

I also had to vote for two, (and by that I mean I deleted my vote and revoted, because it was an agonizing decision and I didn't realize there was a loophole.) Mistborn is incredible. The subtly that was put into the book still astounds me. Not only that, but Vin is an incredible character, and without equal throughout all of the cosmere. I've also got a strong emotional attachment to Mistborn. I found it during one of the most stressful times of my life, and it acted as a sort of life preserver for me. I was working about 65-70 hours a week unpaid for school, and being able to read Mistborn during my downtime at clinicals really kept me afloat. On the other hand, Words of Radiance. Enough said.