Pathfinder

Loving the inclusion of personal skills again. I definitely enjoy tailoring builds around a character's personal skill to make them unique. Having to remain within a class to benefit from its skills I am less enthused about, but just means it is something to balance against. Weapon skills including regarding gambits for even more customization is always great. Really curious about how the crests will play out.

If you have the book on you, there is a scene when they are laying siege to Fadrex City with the koloss. Vin comments on passing a certain number of koloss over to elend's control and how he can hold more than her easier. But again as I do not have the book on me at the moment, I cannot pull up to see if they mentioned exact numbers.

I am going on recollection as I do not have my book in front of me at the moment, but from what I remember is it was more like hundreds, with the upper limit reached a thousand. Not hundreds of thousands. The lord ruler kept them low in number on purpose to keep them controllable. Any new koloss made after the Lord Ruler's death was from reusing spikes. edit: although I do not have hero of ages on me, I do have well of ascension, and at least as of the time of the siege of luthadel by the koloss, the number was at 20,000. I believe since the siege the number had been reduced further. the reference is page 295 of well of ascension. edit 2: then again there is this, so I will hold off commenting further till I have the book in hand: Brandon Sanderson Chapter Eighty-One - Part Two Charging Them Is Madness Vin probably should have figured out what Elend was doing, being kind of a god now and all. (Or at least she has a fraction of a god inside of her.) However, remember a few things. She doesn't know that many of Elend's troops have been turned into Allomancers. She's also been very distracted lately. On top of that, the man she loves is charging two hundred thousand koloss. Even if she'd connected that he'd be burning atium, her opinion would still have been that he couldn't fight that many and survive. In the end, she was right. So her concern was warranted.

Some pertinent WoB yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] So, we have Shard names; Ruin, Preservation, Harmony, Cultivation, Honor, Autonomy, Devotion, Dominion. Those are pretty much regular English words. And then we have Odium. That's a little more Latinic. It doesn't fit the pattern. Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I don't really look as something as Latinic or Germanic, when I'm picking the names usually. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] But this one is more. Even in Devotion or Dominion, there's more regular English. Why? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] I just look for the thing that feels right. Remember, all these words are in translation. When you read the book, they were a word in the original language of the book, that then we have translated to English. And so, don't look to much about what's Greek, what's Latin, what's Germanic. I will mix those a lot. And that's just because I'm looking for the word that has right resonance in English, that I'm writing in. You might even find Latin and Greek mixes in some of my stuff. And that's not done to be like, "Oh, you should be paying [attention]." Usually, I'm just looking for a flavor. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] *inaudible* Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Because Odium is cooler. It just sounds cooler. There is no answer other than "I like the word better." yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] Is there any connection with the thought that it's not Hatred? Because in Oathbringer, he says he's Passion? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] He would claim that he's Passion and not Odium. But that is part of why I chose it. Hatred felt too on-the-nose, because there is quite arguably that step toward just being all Passion, and that's what he claims that he is. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] His own perception of himself, can that influence? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, it can influence. yulerule [PENDING REVIEW] So the Shard's intent can... Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Can be influenced by their perception and the holder's, yes. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] About the Passions. Are they related to Odium, or is there something bigger cosmere-wide? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] They are related to traditions from the past that were Odium-influenced. I wouldn't sya-- So, they are technically related to Odium in that sort of method. More in a roundabout way, though.

Not sure why Wax would have less generations. Wax descended from Breeze and Allraine who were both nobles. Sazed fixed Spook but he didn't change anything (to my knowledge) regarding mistborn strength. He made snapping easier but that was the extent regarding allomancy. Had Wax descended from Vin and Elend or from Spook I would agree with you, but Wax has a "direct" line going back to the original mistborn nobles through Breeze and Allraine, just like Vin. Just there would be more generations separating Wax than Vin. edit: what may be the confusion, is allomancy was always a thing on Scadrial, just it was very weak. When the lord ruler gave out the beads of lerasium to the founding members of the noble houses, they were stronger than normal. That extra strength is what got diluted over the years. So when Sazed fixed everyone (to my knowledge), he didn't cause a new boost in strength, so the weakening progression should have continued as normal. The only change would have been any children from Elend, or Spook as they were enhanced.

As this thread is Cosmere Q&A, I do not believe spoilers are necessary. The knife I do not believe destroys all three realms, otherwise there would be no physical body left (nightblood vaporizes anything it cuts). There is a WoB that says the knife is similar to hemalurgy or at least an outside observer would view them the same but not exactly. I will pull up the WoB and post for clarity Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] (paraphrased) The knife used by Moash is "something similar to hemalurgy." kalamitous_emoashions [PENDING REVIEW] Have we seen any evidence of Hemalurgy on Roshar? And, as sort of an addendum, given the end of Oathbringer, was what happened to Jezrien Hemalurgy? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] There are certain cosmere philosophers that would count it. I would divide it as two separate things that are using similar fundamentals... I wouldn't call it myself, but there are people who would disagree with me in-world. Have we seen evidence? I would say no evidence that is easily-- easy to pick out. kalamitous_emoashions [PENDING REVIEW] But it's there? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, there are people with Hemalurgy who have been to Roshar. I'm pretty sure they've been on-screen.

Yep. Will update my post with the coinciding WoB in a moment. Fantasy Faction Could any type of spren bond with a person (even if the results wouldn't be a Knight Radiant)? Or only the ones associated with a branch of the Knights? Brandon Sanderson Ooh, that's an excellent question. This is something theoretically possible for a lesser spren to achieve.

I think @Mushroom Catalog might be referring to the difference between Vin and Kelsier, or Vin and Elend. If that is the case (if I am wrong, apologies in advance), then it is not that Vin is stronger, it is that it comes to her more naturally. Kelsier and Elend both have raw power, but Vin can do more with it because it is natural to her. I believe there is either a WoB or mention in the book that the reason for that is because she was Preservation's chosen.

I like this theory. Not sure if it could result in Moash resisting Odium, but it is certainly an angle I have not heard before, and very cleverly thought of.

I would imagine that Dalinar would tell Adolin and Renarin himself in person prior to the book's release. Since there will be a year time skip between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, I do not think we will see "on screen" Dalinar opening up to Adolin and Renarin about it. Not saying there will be no consequences from it, but from what I understand the information would have been "out" regarding Adolin and Renarin for about a year by the time we see the characters again.

I do believe there exists sapient spren outside of the knights radiant orders (such as the mist spren), and Brandon has confirmed via WoB that you can bond spren other than the 10 radiant spren we know of and potentially get different abilities from it, but otherwise Roshar (the planet not the system) looks to be 10 centric so it seems pretty defined that there are only 10 orders at this point in time.

Well in my original theory, Kaladin would eventually swear the 4th oath, but it would be because another knight who has already sworn it helps him come to terms and swear it. The other knight wouldn't become a main character in my opinion simply because they swore the oath first. Jasnah is farther along than any of the others in radiancy and she at this time is not a main character. Hers is not till the back five. Right, it is a major plot point. That is why I do not think it will be solved so quickly, nor within the same narrative plotting. I feel the 4th oath is going to progress differently. Otherwise Kaladin will always get a power up when it is most needed. In my opinion in this way, Kaladin would get more development, as well as his relationships with the other windrunners. And as Syl says, he would finally be letting someone save him for a change. Personally I do not think Kaladin needs to reject the 4th ideal in order for my theory to occur, but I respect your thoughts. Thank you for contributing!

I think you are right we are talking past each other. i took your earlier statements to mean that by Shallan joining the Ghostbloods, and working with them, they would in a response of good faith then seek to work with Jasnah, or not actively try to kill her. I feel based on the circumstances I: 1. Cannot see Jasnah coming to an accommodation with them based on her and their goals differing so dramatically 2. Cannot see the Ghostbloods changing their stance on Jasnah because of a new recruit. I see them more trying to get her to see things their way, than see things her way 3. Cannot see the goal being to have Shallan just hang out on the side lines, because by not acting she in my opinion is acting Hopefully that clarified things Exactly. She is complicit, hence her conflict. Every moment she knows of their existence and not telling Jasnah and Dalinar is a moment she complicit in their machinations. Never disputed that that is what they are doing. Only thing I disagreed on was concerning Jasnah.

Except the fused form is fundamentally better than the standard forms. That's why the singers sided with Odium. So they could have powers to fight off the humans. In my opinion you don't really need anything further to make it look special. Just there is the downside of you being killed so they can take up residence. I would think they would rather lie that the parshendi does not die, so they are more inclined to opening themselves up during the storm without realizing they are essentially committing suicide. Actually I think a big plot point of book 4 would be Venli convincing the existing parshendi not to bond the fused because it will kill them. Eh, I disagree but there isn't really anything there information wise that would allow either of us to prove one way or the other. So I guess RAFO?

Personally I think what Adolin has accomplished is strengthening the connection to Maya, not restoring the bond. We see the same thing happen with Dalinar (when fighting the chasmfiend he feels oathbringer urging him on, and when later bonded with the Stormfather, Oathbringer screams less, because it consciously remembers the oaths Dalinar has taken and kept, so hates him less). I think that Adolin has to bring Maya to a certain point in strength of connection for a Bondsmith (Dalinar) to heal the bond with an infusion of investiture coupled with the bondsmiths entire schtick being about bonds. That's my own pet theory. Guess RAFO

And my point that I will elaborate on further below is by stalling, Shallan is responsible for the consequences of their actions. Again, Jasnah's primary driving force throughout all three novels was the protection of her family whom she loves. The Desolation threatens that. When Gavilar was killed, her mind jumped to trying to understand and examine the parshendi, but she fought it away because of the pain she felt over losing her father. I do not see Jasnah risking the lives of her family over the potential of learning information regarding the greater Cosmere when I would think that she would think she could attain such information herself via other avenues. My point is Jasnah's entire existence for the past 6 years was finding out why her father was killed and once she realized the desolation was coming, she put everything in her research to prevent it and or stop it. I do not see her just changing that when her family's lives are still at stake. Maybe this will help. Shallan just needs to stand by? Lets say she does exactly that. lets say they do not give her any assignments, just her going about her business. Time passes. Adolin ends up dying during a battle. Jasnah is assassinated. Dalinar is corrupted by Odium. All seemingly unconnected. In the end she finds out that the ghostbloods made all that happen. The ghostbloods that was free from harassment from a radiant with knowledge of their institution and how it functions. The ghostbloods that could operate without worrying about invisible eyes tracking their movements, intercepting their people, and stopping the actions leading up. The sheer act of her opposing them, would cause them to take actions, or take precautions that they would not need to take normally, thereby limiting what they could accomplish had she not been acting against them. So her uninvolvement is indirectly responsible for the consequences that come of their actions. They could have not directly killed Adolin, and Jasnah. They could have done nothing directly to corrupt Dalinar. but in prolonging the war, things that would not have had the opportunity to pass, will, and Shallan would be responsible for it. If the ghostbloods want the water before a dam to fill up more before they drain it, then if through that excess filling, the dam is weakened whereas otherwise it would have not been, then that dam's failure at a later date is at the hands of the ghostbloods, and by extension connected to shallan by not stopping them. hopefully that made sense. My response to this is above That quote is prior to the big reveal, and if you please re-read the quote which I made the effort of typing it out, Mraize said with the advent of the voidbringers. Advent refers to arrival. if mraize was referring to humans, then he wouldn't be speaking of their arrival because they were always there, so he is clearly referring to the fused. The ghostbloods come across to me as a weapons merchant. The weapons merchant does what he can to prolong the war because he gets to sell weapons to both sides and remain in demand. In this case it is so they can position themselves to take control of power, but i see things playing out the same.

And we disagree on what is impossible.

So the reason nothing else can be plausible to you is because of the one sentence Ivory said? Ok, then like I said, guess we will read and find out.

And where in the books have we seen someone move their "astral projection" miles from their body? Where in WoB has it been mentioned to be possible? Other than one sentence from Ivory, is there anything else in any of the books or WoB that lead you to believe it works this way? I am totally open to theories. I have quite a few theories of my own with nothing concrete to back them up and I readily admit to it (my theory on Jasnah having schizophrenia, my theory that Sja-anat can corrupt spren that make up plate (which I readily acknowledge is not confirmed that spren make up plate, which is why it is a theory without anything concrete), and I think I have one or two more I am forgetting). So I am asking, do you have anything concrete that you can present that leads you to believe this?

So originally I was going to say I do not think a fused could bond a spren because they are made of investiture and I am unsure how the spren could suffuse existing investiture with their own in order to make a bond, but as it has been said (excellent point btw), the Heralds clearly do it and they are cognitive shadows, so color me convinced. Well the voidspren also confirmed it, and I do not see why the fused would need to lie. The voidspren felt that if Venli did so much as to annoy the fused, he would kill her. The fused stated even explaining as much was him doing Venli a massive favor that she should be dropping to her knees to thank him for. All of this says to me the fused in that case could care less what Venli thinks or how she feels and if she gets on his bad side, he would destroy her. So I do not feel he would need to lie.

I do not feel Shallan can bring Jasnah and the Ghostbloods together in peace just by joining the Ghostbloods. The main goal that drove Jasnah to exhaustion throughout Way of Kings, and Words of Radiance was to stop the coming Desolation. Jasnah's main goal throughout Oathbringer now that the Desolation has come is to try and preserve humanity, and end the Desolation as soon as possible. If an entity is attempting to prolong the Desolation, I do not see them getting along. The most I could say is Jasnah using them aiding team Kholin while team Kholin is down, and then once team Kholin begins to win, Jasnah and the Ghostbloods try to take each other out. But by standing by, Shallan becomes party to the rest of the organizations practices. If you support an entity while fully knowing it is taking actions against the people you care about (regardless if you know the exact details) and do nothing, then you are accountable for the consequences of those actions. And yet the Ghostbloods have repeatedly already tried to kill Jasnah before the war was even a thing. They wanted the desolations to happen to take advantage of it despite knowing countless people will die. They want the war to be prolonged despite knowing it will mean greater numbers of deaths. Jasnah is trying to prevent both. Please refer to my last post. Mraize literally says the power of the voidbringers specifically. Interesting theory, Cosmere domination. Could be. Although I did mention earlier in this post how if their goals aligned, Jasnah would use it, I still can't really see Jasnah agreeing to work with them. Mraize was very upfront that he would work against whoever seemed to be coming out on top till the time was right for them to gain control. The goal that drove Jasnah more than anything throughout her life is protecting her family. The desolation is the greatest threat to that. It is why she drove herself to exhaustion, and was terrified everyday researching it. I have trouble seeing her coming to an accommodation with a group bent on prolonging that and risking her family more. But I see where you are coming from and wish you luck with your theory. Guess RAFO!

Jasnah experienced the same exact thing the first time she soulcasted and she was "astral projecting" then too. I still request you provide some WoB or quotes that support being able to form an "astral projection" miles from your body, being able to scan the entire area in seconds, pop out and do it all over again with minimal stormlight while phasing through objects. Please show me some references that show "astral projection" soulcaster style phases through objects. Please show me some references that show distance "astral projection", and please show me some references that demonstrate scanning in seconds. I have provided plenty of references but none apply for you, so could you provide the ones that do apply for you? Ivory saying one sentence that does not indicate any function whatsoever is not evidence. Otherwise I guess we will have to RAFO.

The lack of stormlight was an issue during the entire novel. It only changed when Dalinar realized he could bring the realms together and recharge them. That was stated multiple times throughout the novel. They were never not short of stormlight Way of Kings page 969 Shallan fell, dropping into that sea of dark glass beads. She struggled, trying to stay at the surface. She managed it for a moment. Then something tugged on her leg, pulling her down. She screamed, slipping beneath the surface, tiny beads of glass filling her mouth. She panicked. She was going to- The beads above her parted. Those beneath her surged, bearing her upward, out to where someone stood, hand outstretched. Jasnah, back to the black sky, face lit by nearby hovering flames. Jasnah grasped Shallan's hand, pulling her upward, onto something. A raft. Made from the beads of glass. They seemed to obey Jasnah's will. "Idiot girl" Jasnah said, waving. The sea of beads to the left split, and the raft lurched, bearing them sideways toward a few flames of light. Jasnah shoved Shallan into one of the small flames, and she fell backward off the raft. And hit the floor of the alcove. Jasnah sat where she had been, eyes closed. A moment later, she opened them, giving Shallan an angry look. "Idiot girl!" Jasnah repeated "You have no idea how dangerous that was. Visiting Shadesmar with only a single dim sphere? idiot!" So lets review the scene. It involves both Jasnah and Shallan employing the "astral projection" version. When Shallan entered shadesmar, she had weight, heft because she sank beneath the stones just like in Oathbringer when she was physically there. Just like in Oathbringer when she was physically there the gemstones tried to get in her throat, and suffocate her. Just like in Oathbringer when she was physical there were creatures moving/swimming among the stones. In this case, one tried to pull her further down. The investiture bubble version is not directly connected to the flame. In other words investiture bubble moves, flame remains. Unguarded, and vulnerable. In order to reform the investiture bubble elsewhere because as I have just shown, you cannot just phase through objects (Shallan was standing on the obsidian land mass that is the water when the Winds Pleasure was attacked and she astral projected to shadesmar then as well as standing on the obsidian water when she was physically present in oathbringer), you would need to be able to project it elsewhere while your flame remains by your body alone and vulnerable. Now instead of me posting quote after quote, can you provide a quote, or WoB that backs up how you interpret it works? As I have provided some, I think it is only fair to request the same of you.

Boskone 54 (Feb. 17, 2017) #2 Share Copy Play/Pause Bromo_Sapien When somebody travels into the Cognitive Realm, what happens to their physical self? To their body? Like Elsecalling or through a Shardpool? Brandon Sanderson Well it depends on the way they’re doing it. The two ways you’ve mentioned transport the physical body. It’s actually creating a rift and slipping them through. But there are other ways that you kind of peek in, where your body’s saying it’s a little more astral projection-y in those cases. Bromo_Sapien So their physical self would also be in the Cognitive Realm? Brandon Sanderson Yes. Bromo_Sapien Okay. Brandon Sanderson Which is weird. Bromo_Sapien As opposed to somebody like Kelsier who died and no longer has a physical self. Brandon Sanderson Yes, right. Or when Shallan is Soulcasting and peeking in, and things like this. It can still be dangerous, because what’s happening is that little soul bubble there that’s manifesting into a version of your soul and then things can get at it in different ways and stuff. So... But yes, going in physically means you just pop between realms, and yeah, yeah… Bromo_Sapien And when they leave the Cognitive Realm their Physical self just leaves the Cognitive Realm the same... Brandon Sanderson Yep, mhm, yep. Bromo_Sapien Perfect. Brandon Sanderson Basically you’re transferring into Investiture and popping out of Investiture, so...

She is paranoid enough of her well being in Urithiru that she made a point to chose rooms blocked off from the balconies and even stuffed the vents. Mraize was able to infiltrate Ialai's personal guard and get into Urithiru with everyone else. The Ghostbloods want Jasnah dead. Jasnah has said Shallan using astral projection soulcasting is dangerous. Ivory mentioned the pain spren who "harm more". So no she would not be safe. This is a broad assertion that proves nothing It is not actual ethereal. Per WoB, the body is formed from investiture. A "bubble" in his words. So the investiture bubble body is physical in the cognitive realm and can die. It can be submerged under the gemstones, and suffocate. Regardless, even if it worked as you posit (which per WoB it does not), she would still need to pop wherever, search, then pop out. How many square feet could a pop in, search, and pop out cover? How long would each situation cover? You still run into the same exact issues you claim make an intelligence network impossible to track someone. Urithiru is above the highstorms. It was just after the Weeping. They were low stormlight and had to bribe a highprince still at the shattered plains with awful inflation rates to exchange for infused gems. No, that is not how it works.