Pathfinder

I re-read your last post where you said Kaladin calmed the wind for 100s of feet around him. I have included the scene below and I do not see 100s of feet mentioned anywhere. He only acted as a stone in a river, deflecting a portion of the force. Jasnah can selectively transform the air down to the atoms. Have you ever watched full metal alchemist? Because it seems that is basically what she does. She could soulcast the air in such a way, and spark it to cause it to explode perfectly around Kaladin. She could soulcast a bulwark of stone against his blowing air and accomplish the same feat he did in the above scene. I am not saying Kaladin is not effective. All I am saying is transformation in Jasnah's hands coupled with transportation trumps him. Other radiant orders could potentially trump elsecallers. And windrunners could potentially trump other radiant orders.

Dalinar had Kadash in a grapple, so he was touching him. Quote below As we said before, Jasnah could soulcast the composition of the air. She sees the "atoms". That is what she is referring to when she speaks of "axi". Confirmed by WoB. We also again get back to Jasnah teleporting away to avoid an explosion. Basically what it comes down to (for me) is all your ideas for Kaladin with gravitation and adhesion, Jasnah can do easier and more effectively with transformation and transportation.

So minor nitpick because I went through the trouble of going over those scenes in depth. At Thaylenah there was not near infinite stormlight. They all got one initial big charge, then all the stones from the reserve was charged up, and then it stopped. The realms slowly drifted back apart so the implication is all surge binding was made easier, but the stormlight was definitely limited. Shallan and Kaladin plow through their resources to the point of exhaustion. They both were basically lucky they lasted as long as they did for the reinforcements to arrive. As to Kaladin winning based on training, skill and etc. I respect your thoughts. Earlier in this thread I wrote why I disagree with this. If you are curious, I can post it again, but if you just wanted to post your thoughts, then thank you for contributing! As Swordnimiforpresident brings up below, a large part of the damage that concussive forces do is to organ damage, which I agree would be easily healed by stormlight, and I think would be mitigated by the plate. I mean maybe if he uses all his stormlight for a super focused blast, I could see it blasting away the plate, but Jasnah would still be able to retaliate with relative impunity. Good point regarding range of touch. He would need to get close, and he wouldn't be able to use it on her directly.

Personally I feel Dalinar and Stormfather's conversation over Oathbringer says otherwise. Dalinar as a radiant is able to hear Oathbringer screaming, but it is lower. He speaks to the stormfather asking as to why and the stormfather says that Oathbringer remembers the oaths Dalinar has made, the ones he has kept and the ones he has broken. For that oathbringer hates him less than everyone else. For me the capability to remember the wielder and his actions speaks of more than pure mindlessness. Now as an aside I theorize that Dalinar's actions began awakening Oathbringer like Adolin is potentially awakening Maya, but a bondsmith is required to get it that last bit over the fence, but that is a whole other matter. Regardless whether the spren is being awakened or not, it is remembering and normally it hates humans period. That still does not sound like self sacrificing to me. That sounds like betrayal. Otherwise why wouldn't it also remember why it sacrificed itself? But I respect you have your own theories. I was just saying why this one doesn't sit right for me.

Hey, totally, be screaming in pain and all. But why "you killed me!". If it was a selfless sacrifice, to me, wouldn't it be more "it hurts so much!". What that shardbearer hears says to me that the spren is lumping him up with the radiant that killed it. If it was a mutual choice, I couldn't see the spren blaming the radiant. Sure it could regret its choice, or agonize over the pain, but why go "you killed me!". I don't see the heralds yelling at honor for making them join the oathpact despite doing it voluntarily. They just go on about how they can't keep going. That they took it up voluntarily, so they will put it down voluntarily.

I agree that Kaladin could theoretically use pressure to break out if he was encased in fully in stone or metal, but i foresee one main problem. How would he produce such a force across his body to break the rock/metal, and not kill himself in the process? Fun little tidbit. As of alloy of law, people were discussing hemalurgy and such, and I said that maybe someone off planet was further advancing their capabilities. I was told that that was impossible. Then we got to see what happened to Wax's father and I felt rather vindicated lol.

My main issue with the theory that the spren were in on it is that during the 4 v 1 duel, when Kaladin touched the shardblade, the shardbearer screamed while he ran away "i didn't kill you!". That implies to me that he heard the spren screaming "you killed me!". Can't really see a spren screaming that, if they voluntarily did it. Unless they were experiencing buyers remorse lol. Which personally I do not see happening, but I admit is possible.

Considering the reception, what was once the exception could end up the norm. Once people realize there is money in it that is lol.

There is also the scene with soulcasting the windbreak. The Ardents didn't soulcast a giant block. If i recall correctly it did connect to the ground. Actually as I type this out, it kind of has to connect, otherwise how did Jasnah soulcast steps connected to the wall to run up them? Unlike the picture on the cover, she didn't soulcast them hanging in midair. They were linked to something. (tagged you because you were the most recent response to that point. to clarify I am agreeing with you)

What about a computer generated/animated movie like enter the spiderverse?

To clarify, I was pointing to the plutonium more to illustrate not relying on the 10 essences alone. That if the individual soulcasting understood something, it could be soulcasted directly. That soulcasters are not limited to the 10 essences.

Regardless whether antimatter can or cannot be soulcasted, we do know as per WoB that plutonium can be soulcasted, and you could get quite the explosion from that too.

I respect that you are disinclined towards polyamory line of thought, and as an author you would steer clear of the topic. I do not think Brandon would have the same experience as you, but as neither of us are in his head, I recognize this is pure conjecture. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought polygamy was originally accepted in the LDS faith. Later on they changed it, though a sect still pursues it today. Is that correct? I think if Brandon chose to include it in his books, it would be unrelated to his faith and only portray it after much research like he has done with atheism and homosexuality.

Antimatter, despite its name is actually quite naturally occurring. It is probably over my head, so I will wait for those potentially more knowledgeable in the matter @Quantus to comment, but I do not think there has to be "anti essences" to soulcast it. The essences are also a construct of the people on Roshar. I feel like @Calderis posted a WoB that went into depth on another thread about how humans like to codify things, but that once understanding in investiture grows, it may go even beyond that. I think I am doing a poor job explaining, so this portion I will wait for others to ring in.

You do not have to only soulcast essences. You can soulcast certain things directly. Plutonium and such were confirmed via WoB. The issue is just making sure the individual understands what they are soulcasting, and getting the concepts across to the spren. The essences just make soulcasting easier. Jasnah explains this in Words of Radiance and Oathbringer.

Not sure if you saw it when I posted it, or if you commented, but please give my "Jasnah more than meets the eye" thread a read. I go over all quotes that mention Jasnah over the course of Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. It was very illuminating for me (sorry for the pun lol). I am currently working on Oathbringer and will post it when I can.

Just would like to point out that Shallan would not have to get worse in order to be polyamorous. She could still reintergrate the other personas into herself, and realize as herself Shallan, that she is polyamorous. Not saying whether there is evidence or not, nor am I saying whether or not Brandon would write it (which I do not think is a valid point as he has written other instances contrary to his own beliefs such as atheism and homosexuality). I am just saying that Shallan could be a completely mentally healthy Shallan and be polyamorous. There doesn't need to be multiple "Shallans" to accomplish that.

But he then comes into the issue of running out of stormlight by trying to use his body to basically crush whatever material she creates. He would also burn through stormlight to heal his body while it is being crushed against whatever she soulcasted. So I think it would be quite the drain on his resources. Touche. Storms elsecallers are fun! lol Hmmm, if you mean Kaladin makes himself sticky, and then touch Jasnah, it may stick since we see a fused use abrasion on the gemstone, and it was slippery to everyone except that fused. Now would that result in Kaladin tagging along on a teleport? Personally I say no, but we already accepted we do not see eye to eye on that subject and there is nothing to conclusively back up either of our interpretations, so that question is still very much RAFO.

Although Quantus does make a good point later regarding soulcasting and the conservation of mass, my reference to the jam is what backs up what I am trying to say. Also as I type this, so too the paper having words soulcasted onto it. The jam was poisoned. As in the poison was mixed into a viscous fluid. Physically you could not separate the poison from the jam unless you used centrifuges or chemicals, yet Jasnah was able to soulcast the jam with the intention of keeping the jam as it was, but removing the poison. She only failed in her attempt because by her own admittance, she sucks at organics. Also consider that Jasnah was able to soulcast words onto a piece of paper. That is a fine level of etching that is incredible. She is literally soulcasting the tiniest of the sliver of paper to smoke, so that words are seen on it. So for me, it is entirely plausible for her to in an area of highly concentrated oxygen, to soulcast it to smoke, or water, or even soulcasting some of the oxygen atoms to another element resulting in an harmless gas. That is my point, her proficiency in soulcasting is incredible. True, how she teleports is a agree to disagree point. I think she could teleport out of his grasp easily, you disagree. As to stormlight consumption, if I understand you correctly Kaladin is using gravitation to make himself heavy enough to pin Jasnah to the ground. Given the strength of shardplate and also given due to shardplate it would be difficult to take advantage of choke holes, and joint locks, then I would assume the amount of weight Kaladin would have to increase via gravity to keep her pinned would use far more stormlight than she would just soulcasting the area around her allowing her to slip from his grasp. Also still do not see him being able to close the distance and grab onto her before she got away or used soulcasting in some way to harm him. But that is my reading of the situation. Hmmmm, hey here is a thought. If the WoB I mentioned that to me implies jasnah could teleport someone else to another location, without herself traveling, then what is to stop Jasnah from transporting all the condensed oxygen around her to Kaladin, and then igniting it herself with a soulcast spark? Then the whole process would backfire on him, literally lol. I agree. Maybe the heat fabrial used fire spren, so it could have something to do with dustbringers? Even though I still have no idea how their use of division and abrasion works lol. I agree.

And in his reaction he is making reference to what he just read. Miraculous survival. Favored of the winds. I respect that you think the text is straightforward in how you read it. i think it is straightforward in how I read it as well. I will agree to disagree.

The portion I am referring to is shown below and bolded for emphasis. He reviewed the whole section of the diagram. I think it could be interpreted that he read to himself a portion, and then continued towards Adro. Though as I said I acknowledge it can be interpreted otherwise. “No,” Taravangian said. “A male. One of Dalinar’s family members?” He thought for a time. “We need the Diagram itself.” She went to fetch it from the ship. Nothing else—his visits to the soldiers, more important meetings with Veden leaders—mattered right now. The Diagram was off. They strayed into dangerous territory. She returned with it, and with the stormwardens, who set up a tent around Taravangian right there on the path. Excuses continued. The king is weak from the sun. He must rest and burn glyphwards to the Almighty for the preservation of your nation. Taravangian cares while your own lighteyes sent you to the slaughter . . . By the light of spheres, Taravangian picked through the tome, poring over translations of his own words written in a language he had invented and then forgotten. Answers. He needed answers.

For clarity though, to be considerate of all, please notate that you are presenting your opinion as an "us" vs "the one". As in SLNC is the only one that holds its (using it as I do not know whether it is male or female) view, while stating "us" to imply everyone else agrees with you when there have been other parties that supported SLNC's view. So yes, everyones interpretation is perfectly acceptable and equal in the end as till book 4, we do not know conclusively how things will pan out.

Ok, so to make sure I understand, Kaladin would potentially need to do these actions to accomplish this: 1. Do a reverse lashing/gravitation pull to pull all the surrounding gas in the air centrally to Jasnah 2. Increase the pressure and decrease the pressure selectively around Jasnah of the gas that is being continually pulled towards Jasnah to keep the effect localized 3. Then once the perimeters have been met, use pressure to create a flame piston to ignite it all So first and foremost, love all the learning going on here. Thanks again for all that info! Second, based on all that, i do not see that working on Jasnah lol. To me she can either teleport away easily before this gets anywhere near what you are saying, or theoretically soulcast the air back to normal air negating any progress the alternating increase/decrease of pressure would have created. If theoretically Jasnah could (had she been successful) have soulcasted the poison out of strawberry jam (which she implies she could have considering she admits she is personally not good with organics, which I do not believe air is included in this rationale) then I would imagine she could soulcast the air in such a way to return it to its prior state (unconcentrated, and different temperature). Finally there is also the issue range and how much stormlight is required. A reverse lashing, which is the one that causes its own gravitation pull in a radius, requires constant touch to maintain, and relatively weak so would need a higher amount of stormlight to cause the same effect. Thing is if Kaladin somehow pins Jasnah to the ground, Jasnah could then soulcast bonds around them completely, and teleport out, leaving Kaladin "pinned". True in that case he could break out, because it would have to not be aluminum for her to teleport out, but it would slow him down and potentially cause this idea to backfire.

So got both quotes. I have included them in the spoiler tags below with my commentary on each. First regarding sinking the ship. It appears their only intention was to kill Jasnah and any crew that could finger them. Shallan was the one that sunk the ship. They wanted Jasnah's works in one piece. Second, although winds favor and such can mean lucky, I think it is of note that 1. Szeth only told Taravangian that the man he fought could heal, 2. Taravangian had the diagram pulled out and was reading through it and 3. this was well after Kaladin survived being strung up in the storm and everyone began referring to him as stormblessed once more. So to me that is a little too on the nose considering Kaladin's moniker for it to be an accident of expression, especially since Taravangian has the diagram open right in front of him, but I guess that portion is open to interpretation. Scene quoted below: Finally does anyone need me to post the WoB regarding Skybreakers focusing on personal codes vs laws, or the scene with Gawx? Will be happy to, just will need to a moment to pull it up.

Give me some time to pull up the scene, but the line was clearly indicating Kaladin. (at least based on my recollection. will follow up when I get the quote)