Blaze1616

I would like to remind everyone just how expansive space truly is. Even when a society reaches warp technology, there is a very slim chance they will just happen upon another previously published planet. For example, if Sel reaches warp tech faster than Roshar, the Selish could spend decades traveling the stars and never find Roshar. I will say this, though. The existence of investiture sense (allomantic bronze, etc.) makes it far more likely for the Selish to find Roshar in my example. But even then they would have to somehow boost the power to reach other star systems that are potentially half-way across the Cosmere. And yes, worldhoppers would help by mapping the night skies from other planets to further refine their locations, and yes, hunting Shards will result in eventual first contacts, but it might not happen in the books like people seem to hope it will. The SF Mistborn books might just be "Allomancy and Feruchemy In Space!" and nothing more. I think we are far more likely to get intermingling of magic systems and cultures through worldhoppers, not space travel.

Emphasis Added. If you're wanting to delve into the concepts of being a deity, Lightsong from Warbreaker is an excellent focus. His monologues alone could easily support a dissertation, not to mention his discussions with the rest of the Pantheon. Add in the Annotations from Brandon's site, and I think it would be easy to reach your 10,000 word target. You could also approach the issue using both Elantris and Warbreaker, as the Elantrians are, essentially, fallen gods trying to reclaim their godliness. I feel, though, that Lightsong is a much more doable topic, with a thesis along the lines of "What does it mean to be a god?" Good luck!

He shouldn't need a constant source of Stormlight held in his body. Rather, he would need to take in Stormlight at the time in which his body goes to process the investiture to sustain itself. As Lightsong shows us in Warbreaker, Vasher would know when it is time to do so by feeling weak.

I don't think Vasher went to Roshar looking for Nightblood due to a WoB, but the WoB does leave room for the possibility. source This makes me believe that Stormlight is the primary motive for the move, as it rules out all the other worlds we have seen so far. In addition, Stormlight is far more accessible, and by not using Breath Vasher feels no guilt for consuming someone's soul. I feel that the Stormlight substitute is too "good" of a reason that if Vasher went for any other reason it just wouldn't make sense and would be too coincidental. Plus, I think the concept of Naln sending a world hopping agent to steal a sword is too convoluted. How did Naln even learn of Nightblood's existence? Especially if Naln himself is not a worldhopper.

Most recent version of Google Chrome, and Windows 7. If it was the computer, it won't be an issue anymore. I was merely reporting it in case it was not the computer, but the site.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Malazan is on my list (who knows when I'll get to it) and I was just curious as to why people beg others to read past book one. Thanks again!

Who said it had to have a useful effect? By that logic the gnat mistings must be able to do something useful too, but I don't see that happening...

I really do not understand this viewpoint. Every person I've met, either in real life or on forums, who recommends Malazan always says this. If I were to read the series, then, should I even bother with book 1? Most answer with "yes." Why? If someone didn't like the first, no matter how good the rest might be why recommend they continue? If someone read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone and told me they did not like it, I would never tell them to continue reading, even though the books only get better. It just does not make sense to me. I would actually greatly appreciate someone explaining this to me, as I really only ever see it happen with Malazan.

As has been discussed in other forums, it is possibly the 10th Anniversary Edition of Elantris, Tor releasing the Alcatraz books and an official announcement on Alcatraz 5, new information on the White Sand graphic novels, or, as you said, Shadows of Self information.

I would imagine it could potentially do two things. First, it could enhance the increase/decrease of time rate within the bubble, as Voidus has implied. The other possibility is it increases the size of the bubble. The first possibility falls more inline with the duralumin affects on the other metals, but I do not think we know for certain.

I did completely misinterpret you. My apologies. Unfortunately for me, that misinterpretation caused me to write a long post for no reason, haha. Anyways, the concept of actually changing the form of investiture is an interesting one, though like you I do not think that's what is happening.

Exactly. There really isn't, in my opinion. I personally like luminescence, but the problem with that is whether there is a threshold, and if the luminescence increases with each unit of Stormlight (it might not is the issue). The purest way to measure, as with any of the magic systems, is based on raw investiture, but we simply can't do that given the current books, nor is that possible in world until they become very Realmatically aware. The reason using chips won't work is because the gems within the currency are not standard. They could all have different cuts, and as a result each hold varying amounts of Stromlight. No two diamond chips are the same. If Roshar were advanced enough to have standardized the currency it would be the perfect way to measure, but there is no evidence suggesting that they have, and given their technology level I do not think they even have the capability to. I have a feeling though that your post meant that if there is no better way, we default to the use of currency. Perhaps that is the case, but I feel that if we can't be more precise, we should not bother until we can. I think that using gems is simply too imprecise, that it is not worth our effort. We need more scientific data from Brandon, which I believe we will get once Sigzil starts testing his Squire powers.

Hello, I am having issues with replying that I'm not sure if it's the website, my computer, or something inexplicable. Today, when I signed in, I unchecked the "remember me" box, as this is a public computer, and was able to browse the site just fine. I then went to reply to a topic, using the quick reply box, and could not make use of the "Quote" buttons (the computer seemed to register that I pressed the button, but the quote never appeared in the box), and when I hit the Reply button nothing happened (again the computer seemed to register that I clicked the button, but nothing happened). I then thought that maybe something fishy happened, as it has on other forum sites, so I hit refresh to see if my post actually posted. It hadn't, and I was suddenly not logged in. I re-logged in, having unchecked Remember Me again, wrote my reply again (always copy to be safe!), hit reply again, and the same thing happened. After refreshing I was not logged in anymore. So, finally, I logged in again leaving the Remember Me option checked, and everything worked hunky dory (both Quote and Reply buttons). Is it the site, my computer, or my curse after visiting the Nightwatcher yesterday? Thanks for the help in advance.

I do not think knowledge alone could cause Vasher to be better at holding Stormlight. He is still human, and all humans, that we have seen, have not been capable of holding Stormlight perfectly. It probably has to do with the species'/individual's make-up, which in the Cosmere means their Spiritual aspect (I do not think it is Cognitive); their sDNA in particular. This could mean Vasher is more efficient at holding Stormlight due to holding the splinter, but I do not think that is the case, because Moogle's scenario of Vasher taking "vacations" to Roshar would actually be plausible then. I do not find your proposed scenario very plausible unless Vasher is capable of perfectly holding Stormlight. As we all know, Stormlight leaks. Even if Vasher absorbs an entire Highstorm's worth of Stormlight, and we assume he is more efficient, but not perfectly efficient, at holding the Stormlight, I do not think it would last him all that long. I am confident that he would lose more per week than he "eats," probably even more per day. But even if such a plan were plausible, he would still be stuck on Roshar. Stormlight, as has been pointed out, is actually light. The aura one gets from achieving the Tenth Heightening is not an actual glow, but a color bending aura [source]. If he were to return to Nalthis with his huge stockpile, he'd be an anomaly, because he would actually be glowing. In fact, unless there is a planet other than Roshar where people have the ability to glow, he is stuck on Roshar, or risks being feared/worshiped. Even on Roshar, though, it is unusual for someone to glow, so he would need to be in seclusion if he felt he needed to hold large quantities, and that is assuming he can get access to such a large quantity. Stockpiling gems would be odd, and standing in a Highstorm is deadly (even if he can survive, we saw what happened to Mr. Stormblessed's PR when he survived). It is simply much easier to deal with small quantities of Stormlight every week, and to hold a job in which he has easy access to such quantities, even during the Weeping. I would argue that this is, essentially, what it means for the extra Stormlight to be a "fuel" or "cost" to convert, you are merely calling it an inefficiency. One possibility that no one has mentioned is that there might be different types of Stormlight that we don't know about, similar to how there are two types of Breath. If you interpreted "most can't be used" as "most [stormlight] can't be used," it would seem he is referring to there being different kinds of Stormlight. I find it a highly unlikely possibility, though. I think that using spheres is far more inaccurate than the unit of Breath. Given the drastic amount of variables, I don't think it is a plausible unit at all.

I have a feeling you'll be offered a white macadamia nut nail cookie.

I have a feeling that the "most can't be used" is in reference to a requirement to convert. For instance, if Vasher is trying to use Stormlight as his weekly Breath, he has to use 20 [units] of Stormlight. Of the 20 [units], though, 17 of them are consumed to fuel the conversion, and the last 3 are actually useable. Great question!

I am getting a strong feeling of deja vu here... I have to agree with Outis, there is simply too much variance, and the books give no where near the right frame to make any useful conclusions. As Outis and I discussed in another thread (our discussion starts right around here) even in a more controlled, scientific environment (which does not exist in the novels) it would be very difficult to gain useful knowledge. Though do not get me wrong, I am not trying to discourage, but rather want to try to make sure you are not disappointed if the result of your effort is not notable. Good luck!

My personal theory on this is that Vasher went to Roshar with Nightblood, and lost Nightblood on Roshar in some way. It seems too coincidental to me that Vasher would lose Nightblood (whom is then taken to Roshar), and then travels to Roshar himself for the Stormlight, and it just so happens to be the same place Nightblood was taken.

Vasher has been on Roshar 12 years, not 10. Though he may have been in Dalinar's employ only 10 years. Also, the quote you provide does not strike me as Dalinar saying that Gavilar's "theft" of Navani's love is why he had the itch to attack Gavilar. It feels more like a side note, an aside Dalinar makes to himself given current events, not past ones. Moreover, Dalinar has stated that after losing Navani he later found love, and that he did in fact love his wife, even though he can't remember her. Perhaps that statement is "proof" of when Dalinar visited the Nightwatcher?

Unfortunately, Kalak is not Kalad, unless Vasher worldhopped to Roshar after Returning, became a Herald, hopped back to Nalthis for Warbreaker and Nightblood, and then worldhopped back to be a boring old Ardent. More to the point, though, we have WoB that you can only Return if you are born on Nalthis, though I cannot seem to find it at the moment...

That's why I am asking. to rephrase, zas, were there two individuals who asked similar questions about the Kandra Worldhopper? Reading the entirety of zas's post, since he was writing he did not get many answers verbatim, and it seems odd to me that Brandon, at the same signing, would RAFO a question for one person, but give a definitive answer to someone else.

Emphasis added. Is this correct? It sounds like you are reporting Newan's questions, but you gave a different answer than he said...

Welcome to the forums! I like this idea, I think it is pretty cool, but I also don't quite agree with it. Firstly, I don't think the Stormlight bit is correct. If I am not mistaken, the Stormlight does not actually enter the body through the nose, but is simply absorbed through the skin. The intake of breath is the physical "gesture" that causes the "muscle" to work and trigger the intake of Stormlight. The other issue I see with this is that, as you note, it begins to fall apart for Awakening and Biochromatic Breath, and the Dor does not seem to fit either. I believe that you are potentially looking too much into things, as the Cosmere is made up of three realms there should be a physical aspect to all magics, and by default that means one of the five senses will be able to "sense" the magic.

I don't think this is accurate. If I recall correctly, though the entirety of the story occurs on the islands, there is actually a mainland where the population resides.

Mm, good point. Perhaps he is having a conflict of "faith." Or perhaps is testing his faith. Or perhaps its a requirement of all members to dabble in the opposite gender's roles (assuming women can even join the Sons of Honor). Wild conjecture is fun.