teknopathetic

Renarin also used his light to banish a Thunderclast. I wonder if all Lightweavers/Truthwatchers can do this, or just Enlightened Truthwatchers?

I wonder where Nalthis falls. Likely Roshar since it is so close?

Thanks for staying active with more recordings! You two are my favourites!

I like the culture(s) on Roshar more, so I would go with them. Plus I am weirdly interested in re-forging Ashyn somehow, so that is where my research and efforts would go. You've also got 4 worlds for the price of one with Roshar (Asyn, Braize, Roshar, and a real Shadesmaar Culture), so it is also the better value. Sure Scadrial might be better at making vassal states, but those don't count to me.

Agreed. I think Rabonial is someone who has been put in an impossible situation morally speaking. She was somewhat of a monarch at one point, and she had had the unique opportunity to see how her people's kindness and morality led to their downfall . Conversely, she also has seen how her people's hatred has led to the same miserable outcome. Having been on both sides of the morality spectrum, she likely doesn't perceive a difference anymore. Why be Dalinar or Taravangian if you have done both already and both have failed equally catastrophically. Rabonial has explored utilitarianism (Mt T) and deontology (Dalinar) , and both have failed her people. Now she has moved back to greek philosophy whereby the absence of pain is the highest good. She will end pain in the long run no matter what it takes. Her daughter represents this. Rabonial is not insane. She is horrifying because she rationally has come to her conclusion. Now, all Raboniel cares about is ending pain. SOMEHOW. This is why she is fascinated by change and by finding something new. She truly believes that collaboration is the only way to move forward, but she doesn't believe collaboration can be done in a "hug and be friends" mass market way. Rabonail has even moved past caring who ends it for whom, as long as the suffering can end for one side. Having lived fo so long, who are we to say she is wrong? She likely has seen every moral high-ground collapse, as well as every moral low blow fail to materialize results. It sucks. Her life sucks. But she kept trying.

This was obviously the core image as it is in the Spiritual Realm, and the pre-riginal artist should be sued.

I mean, I don't think Ulim and Syl are thaaaat different. Syl is more playful about it, but she does go on about how old and gross some humans look, or when someone is being stupid or unreasonable. Syl assumes people are trying their best, while Ulim assumes everyone is at their worst. Syl is curious while Ulim is dismissive. They seem somewhat similar (Unlike a Cryptic to Ulim or an Inkspren to Ulim). Again, the cultural ideas permitting Ashyn or Braize would have been different, so the spren would have different connections and associations. But, Ulim seems like evil Syl with a moustache to me.

Ugh - I meant honourspren.

2. Why Human 3. Why wind I actually thought we were supposed to believe that Ulim is the equivalent of a Windspren, but from Ashyn and Odium. Now I’m like “Oh, maybe that wasn’t made explicit”

@Chaos Any chance we could get a shardcast where the team discusses these theories of the week?

I have ascended! (for a week) Thank you though. I haven't read all of these past winners and I am looking forward to diving in =)

I think we read completely different books. Also, WOB WeiryWriter In a lot of Navani's viewpoints, Navani is very uncertain of how genuine is Raboniel being. Beyond the obvious deceit considering her true intentions. Did she really not know about Sunraiser being Elhokar's Blade, how true was her grief over her daughter's death, and with Venli what were her intentions, revealing the survival of the listeners and dismissing her from service. I just love Raboniel. I want to know everything about Raboniel. Brandon Sanderson I will only answer one of those. Her grief over her daughter's death was completely authentic, as was her desire for bringing an end to the war. That part of her is completely authentic and legitimate. Her motive is to make sure [the war] can't keep going; whether she's right in that, wether it can keep going or not, is a subject for discussion. But she believed this was the best way to make sure the fighting ended, that was her primary goal, and that was at cross purposes even at times even with Odium. So that is legit. Some of the other stuff I will leave subject to reader interpretation.

But Taln also became lucid when Shallan used lightweaving in the sanitarium.

I take exception to the idea that Rabonial “murdered” her daughter. Rabonial was motivated by kindness and mercy in that moment. It was euthanasia. I couldn’t imagine a more painful thing than watching your own daughter suffer and deteriorate for 1000s of years.

I wonder if it is some kind of numeric code?

I really want the Chana theory to be true because that makes Shallan’s inability to admit the truth so much more plausible and relatable (at least to my own psychology) Sure, someone might repress killing both of their parents in self defence. I get that. But I also get knowing deep down that what you did was the right thing. Shallan knows what she did with her parents was the right thing. It doesn’t seem that killing her parents is as truly awful as killing Testament. And even then, did Shallan even know she was killing Testament and just not being friends anymore? Maybe depending on what Testament told Shallan. But even then, it sort of makes sense with what a kid might need to do in that situation (especially if it is "just a spren" that is "immortal"). I am not convinced Shallan really knew what she had done until she learned what Deadeyes are and how they are made. But killing a herald and ending the world? And knowing your mother/herald was 100% for sure being mercilessly tortured by voidbringers? Because of you? That's concrete. That is something a kid understands. That’s something that would leave a person “unable to laugh”. Who wouldn’t be insensate at that? Imagine being told over and over by relations that your mother was in a better place now, but you KNEW that wasn’t the case. And not only that, but you aren't even being punished. Your father is taking the blame for what you did, and you can see how much everyone you love despises him for it, and they dont even know the extent of the atrocity! And then realizing your mother was a god and realizing a god HATED you and tried to kill you for the good of the world. Each time someone praises the heralds, Shallan has to repress the knowledge that a herald despised Shallan and wanted her dead for being “one of them”. How do you deal with that? Devote yourself more to the church? Does that ever go well for “abominations?” Can she take comfort in her father? Her father is devolving into an evil man, and that evil man loves ONLY her. He is driven to such rage - to such horrors - to protect her. Her? She is vile and one of the most evil people in the world. Her father's psychotic devotion is just further proof of how wretched she is. Growing up any moment of joy would be ruined by a rogue thought of her mother being scalded, skewered, or worse. Any comfort at “a better place” would be a punch to the gut. How could you ever truly enjoy your life when you knew your life had cost the world, a god, and your mother so much? This is why Shallan says over and over that she does not deserve joy or happiness. She’s evil. She was told so by a herald and by her mother, and because of Shallan each day her mother is burned alive. One day her mother will break, and the world will end, and everyone will know it was Shallan’s fault How could she not repress that? I would. I get that lie and likely would support repressing it myself.

We dont know that either. Kal had semi-broken his bond with Syl at that point, so it is possible that Khal could no longer hear the screams of a blade anymore. Kal couldn't draw stormlight anymore, and thats a pretty basic ability on a low oath-tier. We don't see Pattern during the chasm fight, so it isn't clear if he is the blade or he is somewhere else or if Shallan ignores him. EDIt: Sorry, audiobook listener so I forget the spellings a lot.

I wonder if Todium would potentially promise Hoid something? Hoid likely cant be killed and Hoid cant fight non-cognitive shadows. That is an eternal draw. Hoid does say he would watch Roshar burn if that got him what he wanted. Hoid could betray Jasnah and ghost the planet once he receives his prize (whatever that is).

I think I would have been happier with Rlain or Dabid. Or maybe if there was a twist like the Sibling sometimes bonded more that one person at a time? That would have been neat.

Brandon and his team have also gotten eye colour wrong with his own character descriptions before as well (it is hard to track 100%)

Chana is brave and obedient, which really reminds me of the mental illness/magic illness Lin Davar suffered from. He demanded his kids be insanely obedient and servile. I wonder if there is a connection.

It is possible Roshar was created by Ado with Cultivation in mind as a primary purpose. Then the lovebird Shard Couple head over there and Honor has to sort of stick himself into the system kind of like Honour is a step-dad.

Oh, I meant they are one and the same, but now it is even worse as he cant share/distribute the pain of being tortured to try and last longer

Weird. How can a Cryptic not learn a language? They crack patterns and meaning almost instantly. Pattern got the dawnchant from supposition, so why wouldn’t most Cryptics get the Alethi language with some help? Unless maybe Pattern is especially good with language patterns. Could it be the type of pattern making up a pattern gives them different skills?

1) Khal saving his father was lame, and the joke about being precise and timely was utter cringe. I cant believe THAT was the scene Brandon had wanted to write for 10 years. Really? A damsel out the window trope and then an out of place quip? It really stole the high I had from the Tien scene (which was beautiful). 2) None of part 1 needed to happen. It drags so hard in the re-read. We should have started the book at part 2 with a couple of scenes brought over (like the 9 and the Airship). This would have freed up "Part 6" to be about Venli and her people and delving into what Stoneshamans are and what Casmfiends are. Venlie should not have ended on a cliffhanger as she never really got to do anything.