Pathfinder

To clarify, there is not an example of aonic healing where it shows an "ah ha!" moment that proves either there is a time limit, or perception matters. It proves nothing, so that is why I said it was not pertinent. Raoden broke his leg. It got infected. They brought it to an Elantrian and it got healed. If his leg was amputated for instance, and he went later as an adult, then we could glean something from it. Same thing with Dilaf's wife. Every instance we have seen of an incompleted Aon is it is not strong enough to complete the effect. As Raoden said, the healing was unable to complete. We have two annotations from Brandon confirming this: Brandon Sanderson Dilaf's Backstory I hope that Dilaf's explanations about his past are suitably creepy. I also hope they give some explanation. He is a man who betrayed his religion when he thought it would save the woman he loved–only to find himself, in turn, betrayed by the Elantrians. His wife became Hoed, and he himself burned her. This would have something of an effect on a man's psyche, I think. Now, recall that Elantris was at the height of its power when Dilaf took his wife in to be healed. I mentioned her earlier in the book, in a Raoden chapter. He found a story in one of his textbooks about a woman who was improperly-healed, and it turned her into what the Elantrians now are. This is Dilaf's wife. (Go re-read Chapter Twenty-Five for the story.) I find this little item beautifully circular. Anyway, we now have an explanation for Dilaf's instability and his hatred. I really like how Dilaf, normatively, grows into being the prime villain for this book. He comes to it slowly, kind of stealthily, while the reader is focusing on Hrathen. Yet, Dilaf is there from the first Hrathen chapter, always dangerous, always trying to destroy Elantris, always making his own plans. I worked hard to bring about his rise to power in the book, and I hope that it worked. Puling off the Dilaf/Hrathen reversal was one of my main goals in the story. Elantris Annotations (April 10, 2006) Brandon Sanderson Hrathen So, Hrathen wasn't really dead. (Ironically, while many of you are probably saying "yeah, yeah. That was obvious," I actually didn't have him appear here in the first eight drafts of the book. I'll explain later.) I think this is my favorite scene of this chapter. Not only is it written a little better than the rest of the book (I added it quite late–just this last summer) but it gives final closure to the Hrathen-Dilaf relationship. It uses Hrathen's time in Dakhor as an ironic twist against Dilaf. In short, it is a pretty good scene. Fulfills character, plot, and theme at the same time–while giving us a nice image to boot. (Though I do hate to do the "Hey look, a guy we thought was dead is really alive" twist.) The story behind this scene is pretty recent. One of the original rewrites Moshe asked for was a fix of the ending, which he thought was too Deus Ex Machina. (Which, indeed, it was.) I don't think I'll go into the entire original version here–it was quite different. You can read the alternate ending in the deleted scenes section, when I throw it up next month. The short of it, however, is that Ien (Raoden's seon) showed up to save Raoden and Sarene from Dilaf. I used a mechanic of the magic system that I have since pretty much cut from the novel (since it was only in the book to facilitate this scene) that allowed Ien to complete his Aon, "healing" Dilaf. Except, since Ien's Aon was broken, it turned Dilaf into an Elantrian instead. (A non-glowing Elantrian. One like Raoden the group used to be–like Dilaf's own wife became after she was improperly healed in Elantris.) I know that's probably confusing to you. The scene, over all, was just kind of weak. It relied on a barely-explained mechanic mixed with a tangential character showing up at just the right moment. When Moshe asked for the change, I immediately saw that I needed to bring Hrathen back to life for a few more moments. Letting him die on the street just wasn't dignified enough (though originally I wanted him to die this way because it felt more realistic.) I wanted a final confrontation between Hrathen and Dilaf, since it would give most people's favorite character a heroic send-off, and would also let me tie in the aforementioned Dakhor irony. In the end, I was very pleased with the rewrite. It's good to have an editor. Elantris Annotations (May 15, 2006)

So I had a chance to do some digging. First off I do not believe the aons are pertinent to the discussion, because in every instance, the injury was healed shortly after it was sustained, so there would not have been time to either surpass the proposed time limit (as per Quantus) or incorporate in the self view (what others have been saying). As to what occured to Dilaf's wife, it is because the aon was not completed. Here is the scene: "It wasn't an error so much as an omission" Raoden said "He left out one of the three basic lines. A foolish error, but it shouldn't have had such a drastic effect" Raoden studied the page thoughtfully "It's almost like... Well, the Aon wasn't completed right? So maybe the healing began, but couldn't finish because its instructions weren't complete. What if the mistake still created a viable Aon - one that could access the Dor, but couldn't provide enough energy to finish what it started?" "Don't you see - our bodies are trapped in some kind of half transformation. The process began, but something blocked it - just like in that woman's healing. The Dor is still within us, waiting for the direction and the energy to finish what it started. That's why our bodies never heal - it's like they're trapped in the same moment in time. Forzen, like a fish in a block of ice. The pain doesn't go away because our bodies think time isn't passing. They're stuck, waiting for the end of their transformation. Our hair falls away and nothing new grows to replace it. Our skin turns black in spots where the Shaod began, then halted as it ran out of strength" So the ideal is not to be a zombie. Being a zombie is you being a number of steps shy of reaching the ideal when the power runs out. So I feel it still falls in line with what I was saying. Now below I am going to post some WoB. I post them fully knowing and acknowledging that they are probably not enough to convince Quantus and Stanlemon, and that is ok. I am just posting them because they are enough for myself, and for completeness sake. Here they are: Questioner Would [healing] something like a birth defect, would that require somebody to have Regrowth, or can they do it with just Stormlight? Brandon Sanderson It depends on how they envision themselves. Words of Radiance Seattle signing (March 8, 2014) R'Shara Would Stormlight healing, Progression, or Feruchemical gold healing count as some of the ways that a transgender person could change their body to match their identity? Brandon Sanderson Yes. Those would work. In fact, that's kind of the main way that you would make that happen. Injections of Investiture making the body match the Spiritual and Cognitive. Legion Release Party (Sept. 19, 2018) Questioner I notice that Stormlight seems to be a bit volatile in how well it heals or who it heals. Because it seems like Renarin's eyesight would have been a long term problem, kinda like Rysn's legs maybe and Lopen's arm. But Lopen's arm got healed, Rysn's legs didn't and Kaladin's scars didn't. So I didn't know if there was a reason for those things. Brandon Sanderson So Stormlight healing, there's a couple things that have to be considered. But in reference to what you're saying, the person's perception of themselves is a huge part of it. The way healing works in the cosmere is, you've got the three versions of yourself. You've got your Physical version, your Cognitive version, and your Spiritual version, And a lot of Stormlight is taking your Physical version and matching it to the Spiritual version which is your ideal self. But it has to be filtered through the lens of your mind, and things like this. I almost always--probably should say always--am using it to reinforce some sort of character attribute. The fact that Lopen never saw himself, even though he only had one arm, as being disabled, as a big influence, versus whether Kaladin feels deserves his brands or not. Does that makes sense? And those are two very different things that influence how the healing works. And you will see that as a metaphor and theme, if you watch what heals and what doesn't. Orem signing (March 10, 2018) Questioner Stormlight, I know it heals wounds and stuff like that but can it heal illnesses like colds? Brandon Sanderson Yes it can. Questioner So if Kaladin suddenly contracted brain cancer... Brandon Sanderson It's plausible-- it depends, see what it does is it takes your body and makes it align with your spirit, and partially through the filter of how you view yourself. So if you view yourself as sickly, then you won't. Salt Lake City Comic-Con 2014 (Sept. 4, 2014) Questioner Lopen's arm. In Stormlight, you cannot regrow if your brain-- your soul has accepted the change? Brandon Sanderson Perception is very important to this, yes. Questioner So is he just crazy enough to believe that he still had an arm? Brandon Sanderson No, it's more like, he never saw himself as being-- he saw himself as the person *inaudible* and not being disabled by what happened to him. It's not craziness, it's just a matter of perception. What you're running into Kaladin with his brands in particular is that he thinks he deserves them. Skyward Houston signing (Nov. 19, 2018)

Raoden was healed by an elantrian drawing an Aon. His leg was damaged. Iadon (his father) avoided it as long as he could because he did not want to be seen going to an Elantrian, but Raoden's life was in danger, so Iadon's wife forced him to go. Dilaf's wife was hurt and brought to an Elantrian for healing. The Elantrian messed up the aon and therefore the healing was incomplete which is why she ended up resembling the shaod and killed herself. Raoden tried to heal with the aon on one of his friends, but the aons were still weak at that point, so it tried to heal the entire body, instead of targeting the wound. I also believe Raoden tried to heal someone injured in Teo, but due to his hand injuries from Dilaf, he was unable to draw the aon. I will need to go back later to pull up the exact scenes and WoB

Actually this is what dalinar said: Dalinar knew that feeling: the lingering effects of Stormlight. “I should have seen it earlier—I should have sent for him the moment I saw those wounded. I’m a fool.” Dalinar shook his head. “Renarin has the ability to heal. He is new to his powers, as I am to mine, and can best heal those who were recently wounded. I wonder if it’s similar to what I’m doing. Once the soul grows accustomed to the wound, it’s much harder to fix.” So renarin is new to the powers (not an expert on how it works) and states about the soul growing accustomed to the wound, like what the WoBs we have posted show. But like I said before, we amicably agreed to disagree last time

And I think the reason for the disconnect is from what I gather from you, you are saying that for regrowth, and regrowth only there is a ticking clock. What everyone else is saying, is there isn't a ticking clock. It is the person's perception of themselves. The longer they see themselves as something, and accept that, then healing is not possible. The time can in some circumstances contribute and exacerbate, but it is not the primary cause. We see that carry over across cosmere healing, not just stormlight. So it is from my perspective the equivalency of you saying it rains every tuesday because on two weeks we have seen, it rained on tuesday, while I am saying it rained on tuesday because both days happen to be humid, and a cold front moved in, cooling and resulting in rain. Yes it rained on both tuesdays, but you believe it is connected with the day of the week while I believe the day of the weak is tangential to the process. So for regrowth you feel there is a specific time clock ticking, while others believe it is connected to perception that can at times be influenced by duration though that is not the primary actor. That help?

We have discussed this before and amicably decided to agree to disagree. I still believe we are at that point, but I did just want to add one thing. Renarin when healing Adolin, Adolin feels like he sees or feels an idealized version of himself. I think that shows a regrowth user uses the person's ideal self, filtered through their perception, like personal healing does. The reason they can, is apparently they do actually see it, or tap into it because Adolin actually saw/experienced it. So that would account for the trouble of an external healing you are positing. Personally I think regrowth works just like stormlight healing, just it can be done on others. Renarin's eyes healed to me because he wore glasses his whole life, so that became the "normal" state for him. How many times do people wear glasses and forget they are on their face? Clear vision from the glasses becomes the "normal" state, so when Renarin had stormlight, it healed him to that normal state. Susebron was already explained by Calderis and Prolific. Lopen got used to his arm missing for a long time, but as per WoB, he never saw himself as a cripple. He never let the lack of an arm define and limit him. Not to get corny but he never saw himself as handicapped, he saw himself as handicapable. Rysn only sees her handicap. She only sees what she is not anymore. She cannot be an explorer because she cannot use her legs. She feels her worth in what she loved ended with the loss of her legs. That is why I believe it cannot be healed yet. So too with Kaladin. His worth is attached in his mind with the slave brands. He still sees himself as a slave and dangerous. He still sees himself as separate. He does not even fully feel he belongs among the bridgemen. So for myself, it all works. But as I said, we have talked about this before and came to different conclusions, so I wish you luck with your theory.

I wouldn't mind the ranking so much if it wasn't for the fact that it is more based on speed than actual tactics. You get a better rank from running a scout to the end, than actually trying to plan an effective strategy using all your various units. I hope they make a Valkyria Chronicles 5 that gets rid of this, and brings back unit customization.

I guess that is one way of putting it. My point was more had those points had more time to organically develop over more books, then it would not bother me. For instance have mbot use his holographics in battle. Have Spensa make him look like an asteroid. Then a plot line of why they would try to miniaturize the technology to be for a person. Then it wouldn't come off as such a blatant solution for a problem that suddenly manifested itself. Or how all the solutions were simultaneously presented at once. I get it was done as kind of a joke regarding Mbot's processing power, but for myself it would have come across better if the alien race that used to work with the humans had some more hints and development first. Maybe finding old videos with purple people in their speaking english. Maybe references in their lore. So an alien race suddenly popping up, and turning out to be friendly would have been more steeped in the narrative, than a tool to solve a problem. The alien is practically fridged. She shows up, gives Spensa all the tools Spensa needs to accomplish her goal, and then promptly falls unconscious and remains so during the entire novel. And her native alien race is just cool with that. All these things taken separately and over the course of multiple books would work for me, but all together and in the span of a few pages felt to be too much. Just made me feel like Sanderson was rushed, so put it all together to get the character where he needs her to be for the main plot of the story.

I realize that is part of the theory that is stretching, but I think it could still work in so far as the eyes focus on the scream and nothing else right? So maybe they are reaching out to their offspring, trying to figure out what is happening to it but cannot due to the nature of the process or the black box.

Nope. Check my prior posts And once again, (and this will be the last time as I am tired of repeating myself), river travel happens. And yet Shallan mentions canals. The next flood that is predictable. Start from the shore and work your way out. So what you are saying is there are natural dams evident everywhere that can be replicated by people? Like what happened in real life? That is one that is not permanent. There are those that are, as I have shown. Travel can be still done on permanent rivers as well as the not permanent ones, and the highstorms are predictable to know when they would flow to plan such travel. So another example of a river that persists Thank you for the example again proving there is river travel. Does not dispute anything I have said. Thank you for finally providing references from the book! And yet it occurs often enough, is predictable enough, and useful enough that river travel is a fact of the novel. Of which you yourself have quoted. As I said to stanlemon, at this point I am just going to agree to disagree. I do not see any benefit to continuing this.

So I am an outlier in that although it was not a bad book, it was the first Sanderson book I did not enjoy. The reason for that is I feel I saw a lot of the fore shadowing that Brandon normally does, but because of lack of space or rushing, it was mooshed together and came across as Deus Ex Machinas. For example 1. oh no! we are being laid siege by the evil aliens, and we need hyperdrives to get away! 2. M-bot has holographic systems, and the best hacking ever, we can try to infiltrate them! 3. Oh no! but we don't know anything about the alien species to properly mimic them, cannot speak the language and mbot is shaped wrong! 4. wahoo! an alien decides to show up that: A. happens to be from a species that interacted with humans so is similar to them. check B. has a ship similarly shaped as mbot. check C. mbot hacks the ship, and thankfully the database lets him know the species's entire world history. check D. the alien is not hostile and happens to have a language similar to english to speak to before alien conveniently passes out. check E. the alien has a translator pin that takes no skill or know how to use, just pin it to your shirt, language acquired, check! F. the alien also happens to be cytonic, and although cytonics are extremely dangerous, it is ok to show up as one so Spensa can transport there instantly no problem. check G. the alien happens to place the exact coordinates needed for Spensa to go in her head. check All that in one scene. I pretty much spent the rest of the book knowing any time something was mentioned without seemingly a purpose, it would shortly get used. The longest I had to wait was with the additional holographic disguise that mbot just happened to mention near the end of the book. Thought it was going to help her get through the soldiers searching her bag, but instead it was for cuna. I dunno, just a lot of things felt too convenient.

So the long and short of it, I think the slugs are the delvers in larval form. When the slugs reach a certain stage, they transfer to the nowhere and remain. I think the "corpses" of the delvers left are actually their hatcheries. The reason for the distortions and such is to protect them from depredation. I think the reason the delvers do not know people are people is because in their larval forms they are usually isolated from general life forms due to hiding in caverns, and they lack the sapience to retain such information during their transition. I think the reason why using them for a hyperdrive does not draw the delvers is because the scream causes to delvers to seek one of their own in pain, rather than lash out at the annoyances that are the insects of the galaxy. That last part is the only loose moving part I feel in my theory. But otherwise, that is what I think is the case.

Did you check the page reference I made that there is a permanent water way patrolled by troops mentioned by Dalinar at a military meeting? Never once commented on sea transport. I commented on river and coastal transport both of which we have seen in the novels. I disagree Did you miss the part of erosion both water and wind? The entire continent is not only being added via crem, but worn away via erosion. That happens to rivers all the time on our planet, and that does not prevent water travel. Which it does not matter. Water travel via rivers are specifically mentioned, so it exists. They are able to build storm cisterns and maintain them for water. Apparently it is not as great an issue as you put forward I was using the windbreak to demonstrate how with minimal resources, once could be constructed. As also prolific pointed out, it works for dams. You place some rocks heavy rocks into a river. Over time sediment gathers. You place more rocks in the river. The flow begins to slow. Once the rocks peak out of the water, you can add crem to it, that also builds from the sediments in the river. Minimal resources and effort resulting in a dam. So you are saying dams do not exist on roshar but the humans and parsh know what they are? The Rosharans call everything chicken, but they do in fact have birds. They mention soil, because soil is in fact a thing on Roshar. So they are inventing words that describe exactly what a dam is and how it functions? Nope. I also gave an example of a main river water way that troops patrolled regularly. Hearth stone is also by a brook. The unusualness that Hoid commented on is that it was permanently as in all the time travel able on. That does not mean there is no travel at all else where. edit: way of kings page 592, mention of traders searching for river passage to new natanan. Way of kings page 628 description of meeting the parshendi. mentioning setting up camp in a heavily wooded area that was ideal for long term camp as the dense wood trees protected from winds, and the river's gorge eliminated the risk of flooding. Since it is so obvious can you reference where in the book it states that?

His pen name is Jochi. Just because I love that scene lol.

Ahhhhhh my bad. Then in that case, if you are going for spyness, why not add in lightweaver for illusions as well? That way you hear them coming long before they get there, set up your illusion, mask your investiture, and record what you spy.

Dams are mentioned by the parsh and the humans in Words of Radiance at pages 716, 935, and 954. Hoid mentions permanent water ways on page 1076. Pulleys are mentioned in way of kings pages 116 and 634, words of radiance pages 414 and 490, and oathbringer on page 785. Words of Radiance page 459 mentions manufactories including textiles, shoes, ceramics, several mills and glassblowers. page 1037 describes a spoke on a mill. Way of Kings page 601 mentions millstone. oathbringer page 997 mentions men on rotation on ships patroling the grand waterway. Way of Kings page 647 when kaladin rides the storm in a vision, mentions waterways, and armies sheltering from storms with tents with stakes driven into the rock to hold them taunt. Light eyes in wooden wagons. At this point like I said, I guess agree to disagree. The book for myself has shown ample evidence. For you I guess not. To each their own.

It was shown in the books farmers building wind breaks. The only thing required was a rough base for the crem to accumulate on. Then shape it, and let it build some more. The only resources was the general starting frame, shaping and time. Farm land is passed down from family to family. They do it. It is literally spelled out in the book.

I think the cover will have to do with the big moment he was always looking forward to writing since the beginning. Brandon has said the covers do not have to do with the flash back characters in so far as that being a way to predict it. The covers reflect a big scene in the book. So the first cover was to reflect Kaladin saving Dalinar at the tower. The second cover was Kaladin coming to land after speaking his third oath, and saving Dalinar floating in the air to fight Szeth after Szeth had just carved through alethi soldiers to get to Dalinar. The third cover was the scene at the battle of Thaylenah when Jasnah restores the wall, with the thunderclast in the background. So I would imagine book four's cover would be the big scene Brandon is so excited about. At least that is where I am putting my betting money.

Yep which is why when I presented my findings, I said based on the evidence I have gathered I think it is reasonable to conclude. Never said my way was the only way. For instance I disagree with @Ookla the Chicken 's rationale for a multitude of my own reasons. Doesn't change their theory is just as valid.

So tsvakv teleported with kaladin to the shattered plains? We did not read pages and pages of them traveling, and then sheltering in the caravan wagons during highstorms? We did not read about Moash being a caravan runner and staying away from main cities? We did not read pages and pages about Shallan traveling during highstorms? We did not read pages of Eshonai explaining her explorations and how she would be practically out in the open with just a shield and some small rocks to jam her shield again to handle the brunt of the storm front which is the main dangerous part? We did not read about the Alethi scouts with poles and a mini shield scouting the shattered plains and then sheltering out there? We did not read pages and pages of Kaladin as he traveled with the newly awakened parsh? I mean seriously how much further must I go on to show travel during highstorms not only possible, but regularly done? There is an article about highstorms also on the copper mind, but instead of posting the link and asking you to read it, I guess I have to post the quotes: A highstorm has three general stages. The leading edge, or stormwall, is the most dangerous part of the storm. Immensely powerful winds generate a wall of dust, water, and larger debris.[3] It is shown that it is powerful enough to carry large trees long distances into the Shattered Plains.[4] The main body of the highstorm carries less debris, although the winds are still strong enough to hurl boulders. The trailing edge of the storm, known as the riddens, consists of light rains mixed with relatively mild gusts of wind. [5] The Purelake experiences less intense highstorms Highstorms are the single most important force in Roshar's ecology, and life on the planet has adapted to them. Some plants, like lavis polyps, enclose themselves against the highstorm's fury; others retract or fold their relatively fragile leaves, vines, or roots away. Many plants have outer coverings infused with highstorm crem, forming protective shells.[13] Stormwardens have discovered that Stormwater is better for plants on Roshar than regular water, with crem providing nutrients that would otherwise be provided by soil swept away by the highstorms.[14] Stormlight from gemstones infused during highstorms also helps plant grow Rosharan fauna has adapted as well; many species like axehounds, whitespines, and greatshells are covered in protective carapace. They also have gemhearts that glow with Stormlight, enabling their symbiotic relationship with spren. For Roshar's native sentient species, the singers, highstorms are crucial part of their life cycle. Entering a highstorm allows them to bond a spren, changing their body into one of the dozens of specialized forms. In the past, this was done simply by entering the storm with a specific mindset; in the current day, the singers trap a spren in a gemstone beforehand and await the storm with it at the ready People on Roshar live in cities and settlements that are protected from highstorms by natural or manmade structures. Kholinar has its windblades[18]—large stone formations that divert the highstorm's force— and Sesemalex Dar has troughs that prevent the city from flooding.[19] These structures are often city-wide and become an integral part of the city's culture. Humans depend on highstorms not just for water, but also for the Stormlight that they use in their fabrials, the crem that they use as building material, and the regular weather patterns from which they base their calendars. Other aspects of civilization are also affected by the highstorms. For example, sanitation regulations have been developed to prevent the trash of one town from being blown by the strong winds towards the next town. These regulations, however, do not apply on the Shattered Plains due to its isolated location, and so the refuse and litter of the Alethi warcamps there are piled high to be carried away during each highstorm I guess no one has actually read the article I posted, so I might as well copy paste what it says here just for it to still be ignored. Fun fun. Crem is a light brown, sediment-like substance. It falls along with the heavy rains during highstorms, while the lighter rainfall during the Weepings does not carry it.[2] It gives stormwater a metallic taste.[3] Consuming it can cause sickness, making highstorm water unsafe to drink; however, after about a day, it will settle on the bottom of the container, leaving clean water above.[4] When dried, it can turn into dust.[5][6] "Cremslime" - the mud formed of water mixed with crem - has an unpleasant stench.[7] Densely-packed, accumulated crem forms cremstone, which is tannish brown in color Highstorms cause crem buildup on all structures, whether unnatural or natural, such as buildings, plateaus, and even corpses.[9][10] Unless cleaned regularly, everything on Roshar eventually becomes covered with crem, and any overhangs will grow crem stalagmites.[11][9] In fact, the entire continent is slowly "migrating" leeward, thanks to the highstorms depositing crem as they travel Crem is utilized by native Rosharan flora as source of nutrients, as well as structural reinforcement. Jella trees absorb crem to strengthen their wood against highstorms.[14] Shalebark feeds on crem, and lavis polyps grow from seed-crem (which can be presumed to be crem mixed with lavis seeds) Crem is one of Roshar's most versatile materials. Historically, humans have used it in construction, in the form of bricks.[17] Crem-brick buildings can be found even in the present day, and some cities, such as Kharbranth, have walls plastered with crem for insulation.[18] Singers, too, utilize crem and stone as building materials. To filter crem out of rainwater, the people of Roshar use storm cisterns, which can do so automatically.[20][21] The crem filtered out of water is often used as clay.[4] Among others, the people of Sesemalex Dar are renowned for their expert crem pottery Crem is also utilized in farming. When growing lavis, crem is added as fertilizer.[23] It's also used when deworming fields to close the holes after removing worms, so that no new pests can infest the field again So storm cisterns are a thing, and are not impossible from crem build up or highstorms, but water wheels with locking mechanisms are? Guess agree to disagree. So you are saying Roshar lacks any kind of pully system, gears, or any moving parts because the highstorms prevent it from existing? Because I got a whole list of them from the book for you other than water wheels if you want me to post them. I have shown numerous examples above of how Roshar works regarding crem and its build up. At this point I guess I will just have to agree to disagree. Building on this, it is also mentioned in the books that they do so to build windbreaks. They build a fence and layer it with crem. Each highstorm they shape and add more crem, building on it and making a larger and larger windbreak.

Exactly. So why would the application of other characters necessarily apply?

Highstorms have been predicted relatively accurately. The prediction, and preparations are enough that travel out in the open during a highstorm though may not be preferable, is possible (paneled wagons, ships along the coast, etc). Eshonai has commented how people can even individually weather highstorms outside. You just need to be prepared. We have seen numerous examples through all three books of people capable of that. Again the article I posted states numerous activities people and the ecology do in view of the highstorm and crem. It requires different skills than we have, and different timing, but it is very much real. Otherwise farms, villages, towns, and cities could not exist on Roshar.

And I will still disagree for the reasons below Cenn is a character that was introduced to die. Lirin has an established history and build with Kaladin. Was not included in the first chapter of any book. Is an established character that is intended to grow in the back series and also was not in the first chapter of any book First scene of Mistborn falls within what I said regarding Cenn. Lirin is an established character. Two of the view points in group one are lesser. One doesn't get any viewpoints at all. Those speak of minor characters to add to the narrative at specific points. Lirin is one such character to me.

I think part of the acceleration in technological advancement will come from the fact that they now know what shardblades, soulcasters and plate really are. I think everyone working so hard to replicate blade, soulcaster, and plate preventing them from trying new things. Now that Navani knows it is from a radiant bond, their research can progress in the right direction. It is like trying to get a plane to fly by flapping its wings. The wing span needed to be able to lift the weight of a single person alone is huge. But once development started in finding a way to produce propulsion and the wings are used to glide along it, aviation technology accelerated. I think the same will occur with fabrial technology. Now they know where to put their effort.

Did you take the time to read the article I linked? They use dams during the monsoon season to direct the waters, and power their country. At the risk of repeating myself, it is said constantly over the course of all three books that everyone lives in view of the highstorm. Ships sail from coastal dock to coastal dock accounting for highstorms. Storm cisterns provide drinkable water. Buildings are even built tilted with it in mind. You really do need to read that link I posted. it covers all of this. Again covered in the article at the link I included.