Stark

The part that nearly broke me was in Kaladin's chapter: They just found freedom after millenia of being mentally neutered. And they are stuck out in the rain, with no real skills. No fires to cook with, not for lack of trying. Eating soggy grains that have not been boiled because they have nothing else. And all the skills they do have are low maintenance slave duties. This is freedom. My biggest fear, if Kaladin does manage to bring them to the safety of Urithiru as an independent society to be protected, that they will fall back into third class menial labor for the Alethi... I really hope Kaladin can work with them to find a solution that allows them to have meaningful lives to go with their freedom rather than this rather depressing tableau we are shown. Playing cards in the rain, because the masters found it fun, hoping to remember the rules. Right in the feels.

I'd love to see Shai and Shallan discuss their work. Shai: "I spend years researching myself in deep introspection to find ways to change myself fundamentally to achieve my goals, and even then, it only lasts 24 hours." Shallan: "I think of the qualities I want to emulate, draw myself blended with the person who embodies those traits, inhale a bit of light, and exhale my new form. 20 minutes tops, and it lasts as long as I have light." Shai: "..." Shallan: "But I can't use any skills I haven't learned yet. But I'm a fast learner, and if all else fails, Pattern is pretty good at picking up my slack." Shai: "I hate you."

At Navani and Dalinar's wedding, by the Stormfather The implication, to me, is that all spren capable of forming bonds, or of achieving sapience, are true spren, while everyother spren (life-, rot-, shame-, pain-, rain-, fire-, glory-, etc) are subspren.

Also, noting that the Patternblade is not as long as Shallan is tall, does this make Pattern the smallest shardblade? Isn't Shallan on the shorter side, and most blades (albeit, dead ones) are about 2m long?

Inevitable revelation discussion, abbreviated and nowhere near as well written as Sanderson will write: Shallan: "You've been acting weird about this investigation, Adolin, and you won't let go of this theory that there are two killers. What's up, be honest with me." Adolin: "I don't know if I can tell you, I don't want you to think poorly of me." Shallan: "Just be honest with me, whatever it is, we can get though together. No judgement, just be honest with me." Adolin: "I don't know how to say this, its been driving me nuts. Shallan, I... I killed Sadeas, but none of the others!" S: " Oh, that's it. Huh. Not what I expected. We'll work through it." A: "Wait.. That's it? That's your reaction?" S: "Well yeah, we already covered that everyone hated the guy and he literally tried to have you killed. That's cool, if inconvenient." A: "But I murdered a highprince! And now someone is copying me to get away with some malevolent agenda!" S: "Good use of the word malevolent. It will be easier to catch the other killer, now that we know its two isolated crimes. Besides, killing a highprince is nothing. I murdered both of my parents, though to be fair they tried to kill me first, so self-defense." A: "Wait, what?!" S: "I said no judgement!"

So, total thoughts: I am unbelievably happy that not all listeners have gone dark side. And that a non-red spren seems to be helping them. I'm hoping that Kaladin helps these ones, and links back to the end of WoK when he told Dalinar that Bridge four would not fight them. I want to see what happens here. And that spren are helping them, that is huge. And it seems like truespren, sapient in its own right if it is communicating and standing guard, so who is it bonding to? I think Shallan's next truth will have to do with accepting that she is all of her persona's, that they are all her, not separate personalities to be discarded when not needed. She is each of them. But until she can accept that truth, they are a good crutch. Similarly fascinating, the truths she used as her ideals cannot be forgotten or hidden from, without breaking her Oaths to Pattern and killing him. It breaks my heart that he is willing to leave her and let a different spren take his place because he thinks she hates him. I need them to resolve this. Adolin and Shallan is fun, especially the frantic realization that her hand is exposed. I also like that she was better able to replicate the stances once she understood the necessity of balance to include in her drawings. And how much did Adolin pick up on about her transformation? I hope he will be the first to notice her changes, and help her towards the next truth. Want more Kaladin, I want him to interact with freed listeners. Finally, for now, Shallanspren, Sylblade... So... Uncle Stormfather? Wyndlefork? Glysblade? Ivory-balest?

Not really. We knew Kaladin was nowhere near his squires.. And we know they can't "capture" stormlight on their own... But I do want to know what game they were playing and how to play it!

Adolin, Highprince of Fashion, accused of spending time reading through fashion folios and arguing with Shallan about garments... Loved every second of that.

I don't know if it is because this information requires approval, making it slightly forbidden, or because I only saw the thread after the transcripts had been taken down, but I am itching with curiosity to see what questions were asked and which were answered. Can't wait to see the approved transcript.

Thanks @Pagerunner for the link! Emphasis mine. So still not 100% confirmed. But most likely the case. So I am at 82% certain now. but there is still some wiggle room for doubt.

Taking it a step further - Do we know for certain that the Nightwatcher actually is a spren? To my best recollection, most characters are unsure of her and theorize that she is a spren. But, we have yet to have any scenes with her direct involvement, and all information we have is second hand - and tightly guarded, as the Old magic is supposedly heretical. So the prevailing theory is that she is a spren, a splinter of Cultivation the way the Stormfather is a splinter of Honor, but as far as I know, we have no direct confirmation. It could be as simple as Rosharans saying that any force on the world that they do not fully comprehend must be spren related. And we know that some of their theories are off, like rotspren causing rot, reather than being attracted to rot in unsanitary conditions. So... Unless there is a WOB stating the Nightwatcher is a spren, I remain hesitant to label her as anything other than odd. Because we have seen no other spren capable of doing anything remotely like the boons and curses she doles out. Argument could be that it is similar to Stormfather creating storms, but... There just is not enough data to say she is, yet. That said, yes, I am 80% certain people are right, she is a spren, and is one of the potential bondsmith trio. But if you are looking for certainty, we just don't have it yet.

I almost feel bad, but I have to. Spoilered for length. I modified the text a little bit...

I think you might be right. Right up to the point where Zahel is Zahel and grumps at everyone. Still not the best for someone who is likely trying to be incognito while hunting for Nightblood and dodging all the other Worldhoppers and secret societies lurking everywhere in those camps.

Another thing that could happen is forced transformation. As the Everstorm is forcing void forms on the listeners it encounters (though Rlain resisted, so I do think there needs to be an aspect of consent, or at least willingness for the transformation to happen), it is possible that Zahel who is returned and can change his form/appearance, may be at risk from the storm. How would people react if the cranky old shardblade training radiant suddenly turned into a 7-foot tall, muscly god figure that warped colours around him? Or turned him into something else. A lynch mob would likely form up right quick. So I buy Zahel hiding during the storm until it passes, each time it passes. And that is not even worst case scenario - what if he gets forcefully bound to an odiumspren as an interaction between the storm and his transformative nature?

I remember it differently. Dalinar left a gauntlet on the tower. There was a concern that the listeners could regrow the whole plate from that one gauntlet if they had enough Stormlight. He was not worried, as it would take him less stormlight to regrow his missing pieces, including the gauntlet than it would take the listeners to regrow the rest of the plate... If successful the abandoned gauntlet would disintegrate to dust. So it is more a race of who has more stormlight to spare and enough dedication to keep infusing the pieces. If, say, Dalinar had lost the guantlet at the end of a normal weeping, when no one really has Stormlight left, and the listeners had enough spare, or got refueled by a highstorm first, they would have the advantage, and could regrow/steal the plate and put it into contest. But, that was not the case, and Dalinar had enough stormlight, and enough of the plate to make it no contest. But they still had to be very careful to keep feeding the plate until the missing gauntlet was fully regrown...

Squires. I know some people are hoping for Elhokar to become a Windrunner squire in a buddy drama with Kaladin. Props to @Elena for first mentioning the buddy drama idea! But I don't think it will happen. I don't think it will happen any more than Adolin becoming a squire for the Truthwatchers, Lightweavers or Windrunners. I don't think that will happen for the simple reason that both Elhokar and Adolin are still bound to dead blades. And, if the theory turns to be true, dead plates. I think that the spren find this so repellant, as evidenced by Syl's comments, thatthey won't be able to attract spren of their own, or become squires and enjoy proximity benefits. Additional support for dead bonds blocking live ones - Dalinar had given up Oathbringer already, and had barely bonded the blade thought to be Taln's when he bonded the Stormfather - and was told to give it up, that he would bear no blades. Renarin was already bonding Glys when given a blade, so it did not prevent him bonding Glys, that was already there, but it did interfere. Elhokar has seen spren in the mirrors, but not been approached for a bond, and he practically lives in his armor, and has never unbound his blade. So I really don't see Adolin or Elhokar joining the ranks of the squires.

Contrary away! You are very right to point out that Szeth did tons of non-consensual Lashings during his interludes. I fully expect that Elhokar's plan is to be lashed along for the ride. But I do think that the squires of each order need more distinction to them than just being able to use passive benefits of Stormlight inhalation. Otherwise, what is the point of differentiating them from Order to Order. Why would Dalinar's men specifically refer to them as the Windrunners rather than the Squires? They have to have surges, though either less powerful, or less efficient. Also, the mental juggling required for one Knight to keep an entire squad airborne without splatting a few along the way seems far more prohibitive than the squires being able to do it themselves... And I really want Rlain to have surges....

So this just blew my mind: The stormfather made some the spren. The honorspren, splinters of Honor are Made. And nine were Unmade?

While it is possible, I don't think so. Given how much Brandon has discussed the importance of properly writing a character who suffers from depression, having it be part of their character rather than the defining attribute of said character, I don't personally see him undermining that stance by having an Unmade be responsible for said depression. If it turns out that there is some mystical monster to slay, or magical cure for Kaladin's depression, to me that would cheapen the effect of having a character who fights through that struggle every day. I think that would undo a lot of the good that has come from this character, having his depression be magically induced. It changes the narrative, making his depression more of a focus, making Kaladin like many other characters in fiction who have depression. Their whole story becomes a focus on the fight against depression. That is so counter to everything Brandon has said so far on the subject and Kaladin's arc. Today's chapters have done much to lessen the impression for many, including myself, that Elhokar will be the champion. Same for Renarin, though I did not buy into that. So while we are still trying to figure out who, I think it is more likely to have Sadeas resurrected as Odium's sock puppet than to have Kaladin's depression be linked to one of the Unmade, causing him to be the champion of Hatred. Doesn't fit for me.

See, for me the line "Though they had started manifesting powers" speaks of surgebinding to me. Especially seeing as When Lopen was regrowing his arm, he was also trying to stick his family members to things. So I do think that the squires will have limited access to the surges, not just the healing. Otherwise, they cannot follow their knight in flight. And Elhokar seems to think that he can para-drop into Kholinar with Kaladin and his commandos... So I am pretty sure the squires can surgebind when close enough to Kaladin. And I get that we have very limited info on the squires, they have been backdrop in the few scenes where they have appeared, only two or three of them named, of which Rlain is one. We have no information to go on. BUt until proven otherwise, there could be enough of a bond between Rlain and Kaladin, the first person to treat him as more than a slave in the warcamps, for Rlain to be a squire. Proof one way or the other will come in the next few weeks. Till then, we speculate!

The key seems to be posting funny or awesome comments. Or well thought out arguements about prospective character arcs, or theories. Or thinly veiled, poorly disguised requests for upvotes. Though the last is as likely to backfire as it is to succeed... I probably lurked for five of those years before ever posting. Don't even remember what finally got me to open up and start flooding the boards with whatever came to mind...

I have this irrational desire to see my reputation level match or surpass my post count. It will never happen, I think. But Tuesdays are starting to give me hope.

So, we know that Bridge four have become Kaladin's squires, gaining Windrunner powers when in his proximity. We also know that Rlain has stayed with Bridge Four, thankfully untransformed by the Everstorm. So, is he a squire? Do we finally have a listener who can surge bind? Will he be the bridge that will finally allow listeners to attract and bond radiant spren?

As far as I can tell, we only know three so far, Commerce, Information and War. Coppermind, reliable though it isn't at times, seems to confirm this. There is an implication of a Judiciary Highprince as well, but no official confirmation or canonical title. https://coppermind.net/wiki/Highprince So there could be a Highprince of Fashion. Not likely in the grand scheme of things, that seems commerce-y to me. But still. Dreams can be had.