Curiosity

Good one! Yeah, tagging spoilers is always appreciated.

Yup.

In partial answer to the first part of this post: Get ready for a madcap rush through an amalgamation of my own theories... I would say that the Dor is a gaseous Investiture, and that Investiture that is held by a mind does not have a physical manifestation. So Breaths, souls, the majority of a Shard's power, spren, etc. do not have a physical form while mindless lerasium, Mist (while directed, is still "unheld"), Stormlight, and shardpools have a physical manifestation (solid, liquid, or "gas"). The Dor is mindless ("...and [Odium] left the powers there, to a large extent, mindless."*), and therefore has a physical manifestation, which I would argue is the gas or light phase. Investiture somehow is always seeking to have a holder, a mind to control it, a soul to identify and grant it sentience. Sometimes it finds a holder (Vin, Kelsier, etc.) and sometimes it develops sentience on its own (spren, Seons). (It's possible that the Dor hadn't stewed long enough to develop autonomous consciousness since Elantris is much earlier than the SA.) From what I understand (and what most people on this website theorize), the Dor is the mixture of free Investiture from the Splintering of Devotion and Dominion. Unlike on Roshar, there were few Splinters (Seons and Skaze) that formed out of this Splintering, meaning that there weren't as many Seons or Skaze as Radiant bonding spren on Roshar. The remaining Investiture is a gigantic, concentrated, violent ocean in the Cognitive Realm. This is really where my theorizing starts. I think that the Dor (in the Cognitive Realm) is like Mist and Stormlight, but having no Stormfather or Kelsier to control it, destroys things. However, it "wants" to be used/controlled. Now, the Aons, Soulstamps, Dakhor monks, ChayShan, etc. all use the Dor, but since there's no mind to control the Investiture, careful instructions must be given as the Investiture exits the Cognitive Realm (Aons, Soulstamps, creepy chanting, careful choreography, etc.). Since the Elantrian (we'll just use them as the point example) never holds the Dor directly like Stormlight or Mist, they cannot innately control it as in the examples of Surgebinding or Allomancy. There is no mind to this power, so the form (as in the AoL Ars Arcanum's "form-based") acts as the mind and doorway. So now we have a magic system in which the Dor/Mist is accessed through bureaucracy, so to speak, instead of direct wielders. You just fill out a complicated geographically based form, and you get the desired effect. Anyone from MaiPon can Forge, anyone from Jindo can perform ChayShan, anyone from Fjordell can become a Dakhor monk. However, only Elantrians can access the Dor in Aonic lands. This is interesting, but I personally believe that it is simply that the Dor, by granting a boost to the soul (similar to burning a bead of Lerasium,) forges connections to certain people who will use it, an effect exclusive to Arelon, Teod, and portions of Duladen. This probably has to do something with the Intent of the mindless Investiture and the actions of an Elantrian-to-be, but I'm not sure. The bond forged is similar to the bond between Allomancers and Preservation's power. They wield the power in limited fashion, but unlike in Allomancy, the power is not limited to 16 abilities, but the full extent of Aons' meanings. Just like a Mistborn is more Invested than a Misting, so an Elantrian is Invested more than a Mistborn. This extra strong bond (making use of an extra strong soul granted by the Dor) is what gives the Elantrians their "passive", nonAonic abilities such as functional immortality and a healing factor. You must have Investiture to "request" investiture, to open up portals for it to flow through. However, the Selish power source (the Dor) is not invested in a person, obeying a Shardholder's will (like Leras') but mindlessly careening about the Cognitive Realm with no directive. Only the qualification to draw light in the air, the VIP pass is given to someone. You cannot hold the Dor like the Mist without it wrecking you, because it is not controlled the will of Aona or Skai, unlike the Mists of Leras or the Light from the Stormfather. I would appreciate clarifying questions, comments, and general hole poking in the theory (if you can call it that). TL;DR- Investiture needs a soul/mind/sentience. Without it, it has a physical manifestation. Extrapolate from there. Read the rest. There once was a furry footed British guy who had to throw his uncle's ring into a hole in the ground. Don't take reader's digest version of stuff.

From the blog: http://brandonsanderson.com/three-stories-in-new-formats/ I'm excited about the maps, but then again, I just like maps. Maybe we'll get a little more info and understanding about how the Aons work with this too. He also talks about the newly edited WoR and the standalone release of Shadows of Silence in the Forests of Hell. I wonder if I'll have to purchase a new version of WoR or if my e-book will update itself...

On a scale from stick to Rothfuss, how eloquent are you today?

I liked it a lot though! Most people think Cosmere first though, so that threw me off. But it was nice, especially considering that English isn't your first language! I'll be getting a new one up soon. I have the bones, but I'll flesh it out a little more. Many sought me, but I did not let them find me I earned the right to rule though the land was not my own I am the friend of gods and adviser to kings Where the fists and arms of many failed My hands, with only burning, deathless shells for light While ruin lay near, laid low Gretgor's agents

Before Odium came to Roshar, could anyone be a Surgebinder? If Preservation and Honor had created people together on Scadrial, would Snapping be any different? This is what informed these questions, in case you were wondering.

Could you define "one-shot", please? I've never heard the term before.

Perhaps a good wording for this is "Is there a magic system on Roshar which is of Honor in the same way that Allomancy is of Preservation?" or some such variation on the wording there. The trick with this is how to ask about Feruchemy-like, balance systems. "What is the equilibrium system between Odium and Honor?"

This is good. I think it's Joel from The Rithmatist.

1. Fuego 2. Conflagration 3. Inferno 4. Flame 5. Tongues 6. Ardor 7. Shoot 8. Exercise arms 9. Combustion 10. Oxidization 11. Burning 12. Let go 13. Terminate employment 14. Fury 15. Passion Name 15 different homophone pairs.

I'd say it is.

Closest thing I can guess is... reality TV? But that doesn't even make sense.

May I politely ask why in the world you have the second-highest rep on the site if you haven't read all about Roshar?

Graeo?

Bingo! I enjoyed writing it. He is famous, as the Emperor, but the fact that he only exists on an Essence Mark, the great work of art, must be kept secret. He was attacked by assassins, but came back. And he hates fish. The Soulstamp pushed him to do what he always wanted to do for his kingdom as the Emperor of Eighty Suns.

The beauty that I am is too great to be known to man, Yet my bright face is admired by all. Do not lift your hands against me For even if I am cut down I rise up again to humiliate my enemies; I regard them as the fish of the sea. The kiss of stone gives me the strength To raze the wall of thorns that tries to choke me And give the fourscore light I am to the land.

I was thinking Alcatraz...

Yalb.

Hmmm... *Sets about composing leitmotifs for the Cosmere*

Sell. Alcatraz will rant on how being creative is not limited to the fine arts. Stoopidly.

Jasnah sounds good, but I'll throw in a token guess of Renarin.

On a scale from 1 - Nightblood, how much do you want to destroy some evil today?

Amaram?

Lift...?