Pathfinder

So its your theory, coolios. Thank you for also providing the references!

There are whole countries with their own cultures and languages that were the result of another country coming in and taking over the native population. Over generations this intermingling resulted in something entirely unique. Also Galladon is a prime example of this.

So I agree with you that it is not a shardblade but I do have a question. Do you have evidence or WoB to back up that the reason shardblades cut the way they do is precisely because they have so much investiture? Not saying you are wrong, and not debating you, just that is a new piece of info for me, so I wanted to confirm if it was an established fact I hadn't heard yet, or your own theory.

I dunno, personally I am leaning towards sometimes the butler really did do it. That instead of using some power or always carrying around chalk, Renarin just grabbed anything on hand at the time to make the marks.

Nicrosil compounding is two powers. Nicrosil Allomancy and Nicrosil Feruchemy. By the OP you wouldn't be able to forge then.

As per WoBs yes on both counts though seeking other forms of investiture takes a lot of practice and is hard to do.

My summary is a little vague. Basically I believe the surgebinders went out of control. The heralds showed up and gave them rules to abide by or threatened to destroy them, and then the heralds went to do their own thing. The humans/knights radiants to be then decided to form orders and asked the heralds to sponsor them. So the radiant orders were the people's idea. Just the orders popped up as a result of the herald's warning. So I believe we are both right in that regard at least

If I recall correctly, I believe the order of operations was thus: Oathpact with Heralds gives them their blades/powers Heralds fight off a bunch of desolations Spren mimicking the honor blades bond surgebinders surgebinders out of control are reigned in by heralds and told they have to abide by rules or be destroyed the surgebinders then become the knights radiant whose order each has a herald as a patron That was at least the impression I got.

How is that not relevant? What would be the purpose of the heralds prior to the desolations if by your theory they preceded it? Humanity would not need the leg up in technology, medicine, and etc as it hadn't been destroyed in the past. They wouldn't need protecting as there isn't anything coming to destroy them. So if the Heralds are not tied to the desolations, and it is only due to the surgebinder's betrayal, then what was their function prior to it all?

There are many instances that show he was in fact a proto-radiant. When he catches the chasmfiend claw he is glowing. He loses the Thrill (which is the result of an Unmade which is of Odium), and feels sickened at the whole sale slaughter. And finally holding a shardblade begins to feel wrong to him. All signs of a proto-radiant.

No worries. I needed to check myself in case I missed something. As with all Sanderson's books, there is always another secret

Where do you get that the green ones are windrunners though? Kaladin is a windrunner and his eyes glow blue. Green is never mentioned. please see below: Way of Kings page 729 "....the Order of the Stonewards, my lord" the still mounted scout was saying "And a large number of Windrunners. All on foot" Way of Kings page 730 As they drew closer, Dalinar could see that their Plate was unpainted, but glowed either blue or amber at the joints and across glyphs at the front, as with other Radiants he'd seen in his visions Way of Kings page 731 The Radiants slowed, falling into a trot, and then a walk. The soliders around Dalinar grew still. The leading Radiants stopped in line, immobile. Suddenly, others began to fall from the sky. They hit with the sound of rock cracking, puffs of stormlight blossoming from their figures. These all glowed blue. So the group flying are additional windrunners joining those that already walked there.

I thought the flying group was windrunners, and the walking group was stonewards?

Wasn't there a WoB somewhere that said that Ruin altering the words was something unique to him? Or that Odium couldn't do it?

Well there is also the part where when Kaladin pulled the stormlight from the shards in their beards it got back to the parshendi council and that is when they decided they had to access the old forms. That "they" were back, and the parshendi had to counter "them".

Regarding Koloss, you are literally stealing the strength of four other people, plus the person who is transformed into a koloss. It is commented repeatedly throughout the original trilogy how koloss move far faster than you would expect a creature of that size. Frequently commented how its sword swings are a blur. I referenced the shardhammer to show that as mentioned in the other thread this came up, that shardblades do not seem to have a special ability to damage shardplate more than any other weapon. A shardhammer does not have any magical boost. It is just a really really big hammer. So then the response was that since it was wielded by a shardplate wielder, then that is why. But then I quoted scenes where that vambrance cracks in three strikes from rocks and regular blows. I do concede as I mentioned in my original post it was a pitched battle, so a whole host of things could have happened in between but that vambrace in particular is mentioned three times. So although not conclusive, it does lend credence to the three strike. What is the stuff of legends is that a dark eyed would become a light eyed when wearing it. The stuff of legends is that a dark eyed would succeed in stopping a shardbearer. A dark eyed gets a spear and light armor. The only way someone so equipped is going to take out a shardbearer is with overwhelming numbers. Light eyes are better equipped and trained. Dalinar has stated how there are whole strategies about taking out a shardbearer, of which includes separating the shardbearer from his cohort. That foolish shardbearers in the past get carried away and ahead of their cohort, resulting in them becoming vulnerable and taken out. The fact that normal, fully equipped and trained troops can take out a shardbearer, means that fully equipped, trained troops with powers can do even better.

Then there is the fact of the re-write of the scene where Szeth was not "beheaded". He just fell a long long long way lol.

Well either way I do agree with you that something has to be going on. The beginning implies it is genetic due to Kenton's father and other maestrells being disappointed that none of his children having a strong talent for sand mastery. They even imply it is due to Kenton's mother being a darksider so that the mixed blood is the supposed cause. Yet Kenton does imply later they can be created/trained. You never assume just because the father is an amazing archer, that the son will have a natural talent for it having never picked up a bow before. So what is the cause then? So many mysteries! lol

LOL, thanks!

But that is where the confusion is. If you are being moved away from healthier, or reducing your immune system to store, then you would be lowering your bodies defenses. Allergies manifest because your body's natural defenses go into overdrive when it is not necessary. So by lowering or weakening your immune system, or by moving away from your healthier self, your body wouldn't be going all code red when you sniff some pollen. But again that seems counter intuitive, so I dunno. It probably doesn't work that way, but I haven't found a way in my brain for it to make sense.

I am 95 percent sure there was when Dalinar was surrounded at the end of Way of Kings, but I shall look and then edit this post to state whether I found it or recalled incorrectly. edit: found it! It isn't completely conclusive for reasons I will mention after, but three strikes to Dalinar's specifically mentioned forearm shattered it. Quotes below: Way of Kings page 898 (first hit to forearm) There, he thought, picking out a nearby rock formation where a group of Parshendi stood swinging enormous rock slings with two hands. The head-size stones crashed into Parshendi and Alethi alike, though Dalinar was obviously the target. He growled as another one hit, smashing against his forearm, sending a soft jolt through the Shardplate. The blow was strong enough to send a small array of cracks through his right vambrace. Way of Kings page 906 (second hit to forearm) He jumped down, and slew another pair of enemies, but earned another blow to his forearm in the process. The Parshendi swamed around him, and Dalinar's guard began to buckle. Way of Kings page 931 The Parshendi man made an aggressive thrust. Setting his jaw, Dalinar raised his forearm to block and stepped into the attack, praying to the Heralds that his forearm plate would deflect the blow. The Parshendi blade connected, shattering the Plate, sending a shock up Dalinar's arm. So there are a few things to say about this. First, the final blow does come from a shardbearer. Also we do not know of any other potential blows that hit that vambrace in particular that just weren't mentioned specifically. So it could be that it would have taken 5, 10, or 20 more normal blows, but the shardblade finished the job sooner. However in another thread I provided quotes where a shardblade breaks a piece of shardplate in three strikes, just like a shard hammer does. A hammer that is no more unique than any other hammer except for its size. That is the only reason for its name. So that lends to me that the shardblade doesn't do anything particularly special when involved with striking shardplate except for the fact that it can't just phase through it. But again, I admit due to the combat going on, what I show is not conclusive. I just feel it strongly leans in that direction. Also of note that I found was two quotes. I do not have much time before I need to leave today, so I can reference them later if you would like, but to paraphrase, the parshendi unloaded a volley of arrows at Adolin directly. Most skitted off his armor just chipping paint, but one hit a crack and widened it. So although there was not enough force to cause a crack, arrows have enough force to certainly make things worse. Dalinar also mentions how typical the strategy regarding Shardbearers is to focus on them to take them down first. That way they are taken out of the fight, and now you have their weapon to use against them. So those who have suggested Scadrial attaining shards and using it against Roshar, it shows it has been done before and has been effective. And as he was referencing past combats, that implies to me that it is against armies that are regular soldiers, be they be Alethi or another culture. In other words, prior to the parshendi.

So at least in my part of the world it is officially allergy season with all the joys that come with it. Due to this it got me wondering. Storing gold suppresses your immune system. Allergy sufferers are dealing with a hypersensitive immune system reaction to the specific item. So if a gold ferring stored health while suffering from allergies, would the allergic symptoms calm down/go away? It would leave you vulnerable to catching a cold so you would end up dealing with the problems regardless, but it could potentially allow allergy sufferers an edge over normal gold ferrings. They could store during allergy season with impunity and actually benefit from it. Assuming it actually works like that. Thoughts?

Thanks Chaos!

I still take issue with a lot of what you state. Parshendi are weaker than Koloss yet they can break shardplate. It takes on average three strikes to shatter a section of shardplate that depowers that portion. I can reference the book to back that up. You state that pewter can out do koloss, yet also state that pewter makes you 2 times as strong, while Koloss are actually 4 times as strong due to their spikes giving them the strength of five men (themselves included). Although shardplate does increase strength, saying 10 to 12 men is an exaggeration. Dalinar is able to hold a hammer in one hand, that two men can lift. True they struggle, but they can still manage it. So to say 10 to 12 is overboard. Much earlier in the thread population numbers of mistings and mistborn are commented on that responds to your inquiry. WoB confirm that gold healing can heal a shardblade wound. Rich said Also if Scadrial are using Koloss and Steel Inquisitors then Roshar should have the forces of Odium, you can't have all of one planet against the good side on another, it has to be either Preservation vs Honor/Cultivation or Preservation/Ruin vs Honour/Cultivation/Odium So pitting one shard against two, or two shards against three is balanced? It should be Preservation/Ruin against Honor/Cultivation then.