Lumen

Question: Isn't identity related to your sDNA? If so, spiking, which rips out a piece of your sDNA would change your identity. So in the above case, if Miles was spiked, he would be unable to draw on his Feruchemical gold. In this case, you would need a reserve that is not connected to identity.

Just inserting a comment. (no quotes though). The Listeners form bonds with Spren. Then Humans came, and some of the Spren abandoned them, as they preferred to bond with Humans. (from one of their songs). I think this created the original surge binders. (Mentioned in the Nohodon vision). And this is the natural magic system of the world (bonding with Spren to achieve something. Changes in abilities, growth, etc.). Later, the Human bonds were modified (through Honor?) to be linked more strongly to ideals. (the ideals probably already existed. Just as Listeners have to attune themselves prior to a bonding, humans would have to be of a certain mindset as well) Now, with that said, for most orders, the "words" that are said need to match certain concepts/ideals (enforced), I think it consistent that the truths admitted by Lightweavers should have something behind them as well, otherwise how would you tie them to the Order (enforcement)? It couldn't be any-old truth. It would have to be something that could be accepted, and be subject to some idea/ideal & progression. Also, we know that the Stormfather accepts the ideals for the Windrunners. Are there other entities that do this for other orders? ("that Truth is acceptable"). After Shallon breaks her bond with Pattern, she needs to restate her truths to reform. The truths may be different, but likely follow some pattern set forth for the order.

Does one need to be touching an Honorblade to make it unsummon? We know the following: When a Herald dies, his/her blade vanishes. When an Honorblade is dropped, it does not vanish. Are there any instances that Szeth drops the blade, then dismisses it? Of course, if that were the case, it could still be a proximity thing. Also, the blades were thrust into stone. Not sure if that would affect unsummoning.

Thanks for that. I have listened to the audio book a couple times, and was remembering Szeth's eyes as a darker shade of blue when they were not lightened. But they are green! That pretty much says something is up with the "Taln" that is banging on the gates with his blade in hand, as he is described as "dark-eyed" while holding the blade. This implies he was holding an un-bonded blade (of either kind). Unless it was a mistake in the writing... or... it is Hoid/Wit's POV. He may consider darkeyed having a different meaning than people of this world.

What if Shalash is a "stand-in", because Brandon does not want us to know what is going on with Eshonai. In other words, Shalash = RAFO at this stage. It could up being Adolin, or a different Herald, or someone else we have seen.

In the Way of Kings epilogue It is mentioned he has dark eyes while holding his blade. When do the eyes change? Is it when having an Honorblade summoned, or having the Honorblade summoned, and using stormlight? Szeth's eyes are blue, but get lightened when he is in the fighting sequences, but he is always holding stormlight then. Are there instances of Szeth having light blue eyes, with blade out and not holding stormlight?

Nightblood does bond with people (more than one person).

Can Lift obtain stormlight from outside of herself? Or can she only manufacture it? Maybe her curse is that she can only use stormlight that she metabolizes herself (however that works).

I am not sure that makes sense. sDNA is inherited (which implies it is there at conception). Identical twins start from a single fertilized egg, and separate later in development. Therefore, I would assume they have both the same DNA and sDNA. Unless sDNA can mutate during development. I suppose that is possible. Or maybe there are other factors that could affect sDNA as one goes through life. (spiritual cosmic rays or something).

Did Ferring's exist before Harmony? I don't recall any mention of this in the first trilogy.

Don't the "dead spren" Shardblades only disappear if they have had a gem attached? That is, the gem is somehow replacing the bond, and the imperfect bond is the cause of 10 heartbeats required. Do gems on the shards need to be recharged? Do they provide power for summoning/dismissal/bond? So what you mean is, dead spren with partial bond from gem attachment "revert to this behavior".

The Spikes used by Kandra and Koloss. Could these be used by the Inquisitors? The Spikes used by Koloss (potency) are created from normal humans (not mistings). If these can be used by Inquisitors, they could have a stronger base strength, before alomantic pewter is used. Not sure if the other "blessings" were also created from normal humans.

It doesn't really say the Heralds created them though. That quote implies that the Heralds did not create them. The oath gates were "based on" the Herald's declaration. Or at least, the Vorin Right of Travel was.

Besides the golden keys swear, why do folks believe the Heralds have something to do with the Oathgates? Heralds are not around that much, only during desolations, and I am not sure they are much involved in Fabrial "science". I am more inclined to think that the oathgates were created by Fabrial designers, probably within the Knights Radiant. And this was, after all, their seat of power. Not the Heralds. What have I missed?

In the Ym interlude, the spren is said to have a woman's voice. Renarin (I think) refers to his spren as male?

I think it is pretty clear, Lift cannot use external stormlight. She can only create her own. I think that may be the curse.

The one that was in her hand, when she was in storm form, addressing the parshendi leaders. While she held it, she heard herself screaming, or something like that. It seemed like it was pushing the void-spren back, so she could hear herself.

Eshonai had a comet-like spren focusing on her. Sanderson has said that there have been no Parshendi Knights Radiant in the past, but that it is not impossible. There has never been an everstorm before either, but this has happened know. I think it is possible the comet-like spren will replace the void-spren, and give her a new Knights Radiant form. Not sure what order this would be though. With her love of exploration... what order would make sense? Also, isn't here a quote from Sanderson regarding the comet spren (in general) being important?

I have the audiobook, so it is hard to search for things. Gavilar was part of the Sons of Honor, along with Amaram. We also know from the Taravangian interlude that Gavilar was having the same visions that Dalanar is having (so knows the desolation is coming, Honor is dead, humanity needs to be united, etc.). Gavilar was a proponent of the Way of Kings, due to his visions. How does this fit with the Sons of Honor? If the desolation is coming (visions), then the Heralds would be there soon. Why try to get the desolation to come sooner (which is what he and Amaram appear to have been planning, by attempting to bring back the Listener's gods). Why did Gavilar involve Taravangian? He operates completely opposite to the first ideal. Or is that a change caused by his visit with the old magic? And lastly, are the Envisagers an offshoot of the Sons of Honor? From Teft, the goals are very similar (they want to bring back the Radiants, the SoH want to bring back the Heralds, though the wiki does not state that clearly, so I may be misremembering), they just have the added craziness of trying to "snap" themselves into becoming radiants themselves.

Well. Nets do hold something. My guess is this swear has to do with lacking the ability to, ah, perform. But I could be wrong. Seems an odd thing to turn into a swear.

When Taln first arrives, was he speaking perfect Alethi? It was Wit's point of view. So maybe not? When he is first brought to Dalinar in WoR, they could not understand him. Later, he is understandable.

Parshendi: When a parshman binds with a spren, his/her form changes, determined by the type of spren they bind to (becoming Parshendi). Also, if the system on Roshar is consistent for native life (assuming Parshendi are native), pupation of native animals during highstorms could be similar to Parshendi form changes. The pupating animal may attract different or additional spren during highstorms, the chrysalis being the protection from the storm itself. Returned: A newly deceased person receives a small portion of Endowment (ie a large "breath"), and their forms change to an "ideal" form (becoming Returned). These are different magic systems, but they appear to behave similarly. Maybe if Endowment were splintered, there would be an entity (like spren, seons, etc) that would attach to newly deceased folks who attracted them, to become Returned... Taking this further, one could consider awakened objects as being "spren-like". If spren are ideas given investiture, commands given form (breath into object) could be looked at similarly. (Idea stems from thinking of how Nightblood and Spren-blade could be similar). This may have been discussed before. My search skills may be poor.