Blaze1616

Ah, okay. I've been trying to hunt a WoB and I'm not finding one. I also don't recall that being mentioned in the book, likely due to the characters not exactly having time for SCIENCE!!!

I believe that is not the case. Color drains to grey in all cases except where the Awakener has reached the Heightening that allows them to drain the color down to white. Lifeless, requiring but one Breath, are drained to grey. Vasher's straw man takes a multitude of Breath, yet the scarf still drains to grey. I have a feeling I've misunderstood you and you actually mean the amount of color drained as in Vasher only using the color from half the scarf on the straw man. In that case I do not know. I don't recall it ever being mentioned outside of the straw man instance. It has been a year since I read it though. I thought we had confirmation that, using steel for example, a stronger push required a stronger burn, which in turn burns more metal. Is that not the answer to the question? As for why Elend has stronger pushes than Vin, I thought it was due to Vin's finesse, not the lerasium bead. Perhaps I am mistaken?

I'll add to Moogle's well rounded post a bit. Calling a Shard a "gigantic, planet sized glob of [investiture]" is a little misleading. It's not like there is this entity just floating next to a planet that you can see Physically (though Shards do manifest Physically, and I presume Cognitively and Spiritually as well). I do not think we know much about what a Shard looks like, if one could even see it, outside of the three main phases of matter (which really makes me wonder if they also manifest as plasma). The Hero of Ages gives us some details on this though. Note that the bit in Moogle's spoiler tag is a direct quote. Phrases like "according to my terminology" are written in the book, as the Ars Arcanums are written by an in-Cosmere character. Moogle, I am in your boat with Bonds being the focus on Roshar. It makes the most sense to me, currently. Though Moogle is correct in saying we do not know much about Realmatics, our ignorance does not stop us from theorizing. This link will take you to a theory by Kurkistan that heavily details his thoughts on Realmatics. Please note though that it is still just a theory, and according to Brandon is merely "along the right lines," not absolutely correct. I've seen some members on this site forget that, given Kurk's detail and thorough-ness (which I applaud). Also good job Moogle.

What do you mean by influence? To continue using your example, I do not think Endowment can reach to and influence anything on Scadrial. From reading the books exactly once, my understanding was that upon ascending one's mind is opened to the universe Cosmere. This enlightenment includes much knowledge, probably the ability to see things a normal being can't, among other benefits. It is simply the matter of being a god. I think it is hard for us mere mortal humans to imagine just how much Sazed "learned" upon becoming Harmony. I do not think it is necessarily knowledge tied to the Shard, but rather the knowledge came about as a mere fact of being a god.

You know, the best thing about some of these is that some of them are true... Case and Point: It's hilarious. I'm having trouble not laughing out loud in the office because of this. It's great.

I feel Unhinged is correct in believing time apart will affect the potency of the Squires. Everything in SA seems to be about bonds. Maintining the bond between individuals is difficult during lengthy separation. Moreover, Kaladin is probably in for some major characterization when he has to deal with what happened to his home town (whatever it may be), him being a pseudo-lighteyes, and him being the Radiant known to pretty much the entire Alethi army. This characterization will potentially alter the bonds to his Squires, possibly affecting their powers as well. In addition, I feel Kaladin does have an abnormally large number of Squires, given he's the only one with any at the moment. We can theorize who Shallan's and Jasnah's might be, but I do not recall anyone being confirmed other than Lopen. I also believe it is just Bridge 4, and not all the bridgemen, because only Bridge 4 have a particularly strong bond to Kaladin.

I think that if someone's natural personality meshes with the Shardic Intent they pick up they become incredibly powerful immediately, which is why the letters comment upon Rayse picking Odium (I think it was the letters). For Ruin, the worst case scenario is someone especially destructive. I'd still pick it up, if for no other reason than to prevent destruction for X amount of time before the Intent corrupts me. As for taking good Shards, I think I would pass, not because I don't like the intents, but because I'd rather live a normal life. If I had to choose one though it would be Endowment.

You win won the internet today yesterday.

But what about the possibility of keeping it out of worse hands? If you know you are a good person, and you have the chance to pick up a Shard, would you really pass it up given the chance that the next person who comes along could be someone worse than you? Even armed with the knowledge that I would eventually be corrupted, I'd rather pick it up myself and fight the change for as long as possible to avoid someone far more nefarious than myself picking it up.

Upvoted, because that is exactly what it feels like.

Are you forgetting Vasher? Or Galladon? Or Demoux? Eye colors may not have been mentioned, but I would classify all of them as main characters.

I thought it was stated somewhere that they have ichor alcohol production facilities, implying that it is completely man-made, and of no relation to the shardpool. I could be wrong though.

I am going to disagree with you here, though more out of personal opinion than factual evidence. From my understanding, except for the diverse population of Roshar and the altered physiology of Scadrians thanks to TLR (which may have been reversed by Harmony), I've been under the impression that all the sentient Cosmere races we've been exposed to are Earth-style humanoids. Except for potential height differences and eye/hair color differences, I've always thought a non-Elantrian Selish individual could totally pass for a Nalthian. That's why the Terriswoman in Warbreaker has eluded us. I've been of the opinion it is because, when the Shards went about creating life on non-Yolen planets, they merely created life in their image. How humanoid life came to be on Yolen is probably one of the classic means; evolution or creationism. But for Shardic worlds I've always assumed they were that similar.

I think something more along the lines of Pity is applicable.

I do not believe it is possible to reassemble Splintered Shards. Otherwise Odium would have had to do something else to ensure no one would come and pick them up.

I disagree. Sazed's ascendence with two Shards was a very important, and I believe unique, event in the Cosmere. We have no idea where the other Shardholders lie on the good/bad scale, but from what we've heard only Rayse is truly "bad" due to the intent of his Shard. I'm not convinced the rest are all "good," but I'm also not convinced that there are any other truly "bad" ones, meaning that none of them are necessarily going to be villains. We can assume that none of them would give up their Shards, as by now their intents have consumed them and that means they have no reason to willingly give up their Shards. So, if they aren't villains, why would anyone kill them to take their Shards? Unless the remaining Cosmere books are all going to have the same two storylines: either Odium comes through and kills the Shardholder, but a POV/major character picks the Shard up before Odium splinters it (or he splinters it), or some antagonist on the given planet kills the Shardholder and a POV/major character takes the Shard from them. I don't see Brandon repeating that storyline the upwards of 9 times it needs to happen to account for all the Shards. I do think the Shardholders will probably become major characters by the end of the Cosmere Epic, but I don't forsee individuals holding more than 2 or, maybe, 3.

It is confirmed by Peter. You do recall correctly. Mraize is from Thaylenah. Also Braize, at least as far as spelling goes. Rayse is on Braize and on Roshar there's a guy named Mraize...

There is WoB about how, should Adonalsium have Shattered in a different way, the 16 (or more/less) intents would be different. That is why it is so difficult to guess accurately what the others might be. Particularly when you get very complex intents like Devotion and Dominion.

Well, there is this WoB about Harmony's Shard(s): source That would imply that an individual who holds more than one Shard at once is enough to combine the Shards. Whether getting someone to hold all of them (or what's left of them, as noted by Outis Outeis) would turn them into Adonalsium or not is debatable. I don't think he is a Cosmere Humpty Dumpty, simply because the Shards are qualities of an individual. Rather, someone holding all sixteen would simply be themselves, with their own personality, holding a ton of power, rather than an individual with a warped (for better or worse) personality holding a ton of power.

It is an interesting theory, but I'm pretty sure the power was split as well. If it was not split, why would Odium fear Harmony so much? If each Shard holds the same amount of power, and math properties of addition and multiplication do not apply, as you are suggesting, then holding two Shards is the same as holding one in respect to power. So why would Odium fear Harmony, because Harmony's two Shards have intents that are perfectly opposite, making it really difficult for him to do anything with his power. If it is merely the intents that made Adonalsium so much stronger than the individual Shard holders, Odium would not be afraid of Harmony in the least bit. source Now, you could argue that Odium is merely afraid of the fact that two Shards came together and their intents combined, but I do not think that is the case because he already knew that in destroying the two Shards from Sel, it was not news to him.

The question is further mistified with this: source

As was revealed at the recent Orem signing, Shadesmar has no equivalent for physical space. Instead, locations manifest in Shadesmar if there is a Cognitive presence. As such, worldhoppers using Shadesmar can walk from one planet to the other because all the physical space in between is nonexistent. This would mean that one could use Shadesmar to travel to another galaxy only if there were a Cognitive presence in the other galaxy. This all assumes, however, that other galaxies even exist. The WoB that states the Cosmere is the size of a dwarf galaxy does not state there are other galaxies as well, if I recall correctly. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I have a feeling that Brandon's response was another sly, slippery answer that sounds totally revealing but is in fact something we already knew. In my mind, Adonalsium still exists, but in sixteen-ish parts; the Shards. So there was obviously a plot of some sort that caused Adonalsium's shattering, and it obviously failed, as Adonalsium lives on in sixteen-ish large pieces, and an uncountable number of splinters. I suppose it comes down to whether or not you believe Adonalsium isn't "destroyed," just "shattered." That's my view, anyways. Also, the sixteen-ish is due to whether you want to count Harmony as one or two Shards.

Brandon has flat out said Hoid uses Feruchemy. source

As a note; I recieved the "prerelease" booklet with my order from the Sanderstore for Christmas (ordered items included Stormlight T-Shirt, Stormlight Hoodie, Stormlight car decal, and Elsecaller necklace, just in case money spent matters). Also, I purchased the Kindle e-book of Steelheart the other day and the Firefight chapters were included at the end of it.