Dankworth

Me too. I'd recognize Omi (love), Rao (spirit), maybe a couple others, but I think I'd be interested the moment I saw Aons, never mind being able to read them.

Nightblood?

When reading this makes you want to compose a poem in Aons using their symbolic meanings to convey emotion...and all those vowels just sound nice. Then you realize what a project that would be, and decide to do it over the summer...maybe...possibly...OK, I'll have forgotten by then. -Sigh-

Yes, it was an online university survey about discrimination on campus; in the "Religion" section I checked "Other" and typed Church of the Stick in the explanation box. The next page asked if I had ever received unfair treatment for religious reasons, and my first thought was "There have been times when a poorly placed mention of the holy Stick meant an immediate shower of downvotes..." and you certainly get strange looks when someone is trying to make you change your mind and you reply "I am a stick."

Stormfather? Rayse?

When a survey asks for your religion and you put "Church of the Stick."

Harmony?

Yep, Galladon. I expected this one to be figured out immediately, it was pretty obvious. I am a servant to the ghostly lord of perdition, (He serves Raoden, who becomes "Lord Spirit," leader of Elantris) And the son of a dead god who reviled Xanadu. (His father was an Elantrian, a "god," who hated living in Elantris, which everyone else thought of as paradise.) In a sepulchral land of torment and wretched melancholy, (Elantris is a sort of tomb for the "dead" Elantrians after the Reod, where they suffer and despair in isolation from the rest of the world.) Where a mountain of gold has not worth to purchase a grain of wheat, (The only thing that the Elantrians want is food; everything else is worthless to them--a few grains are worth more than all the gold in Shaor's bank.) And forever echo the mournful chants of the accursed, (The Hoed are everywhere, always chanting their mantras of agony.) In this dark Golgotha I walked with confidence and surety, Knowing each turn and step from ancient memory. (He knows his way through the city because he grew up there, even if he stayed away his whole adult life until the Shaod hit him.) Among provincial peasants I was a learned sage; (He lived as a farmer most of his adult life, and stood out from other farmers because of how educated he was after life in Elantris.) Among the moonstruck and the moldering, The voice of reason and common sense. (The "moonstruck" is Raoden because it means both crazy--"You're kayana, sule!"--and lovesick, which Raoden becomes during Sarene's time in Elantris, which Galladon points out to him: "A two-headed ferrin would never leave its nest". The "moldering" are all Elantrians, who almost seem to rot as they live. Galladon was always the voice of reason when Raoden was making plans.) Now beyond the rebirth of great soul's light (This refers to the restoration of Elantris, a gigantic Aon Rao, the symbol for souls and spiritual things.) I hunt the immortal hawk through quiet seas. (The "immortal hawk" is Hoid, who is older than the Shards--in their present state of existence, anyway--and is described as having "hawkish features." The "quiet seas" refer to the Purelake, where Galladon was seen searching for Hoid.)

When you decide to rewrite Godwin's Law for the 17th Shard because it's the only place you participate in online discussions. Original Godwin's Law: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." My 17th Shard version: "As a 17th Shard thread grows longer, the probability of an unnecessary reference to the Stick approaches 1." Of course Nazi references do pop up on here, but not very often, and very rarely in the sense which Godwin originally meant.

I am a servant to the ghostly lord of perdition, And the son of a dead god who reviled Xanadu. In a sepulchral land of torment and wretched melancholy, Where a mountain of gold has not worth to purchase a grain of wheat, And forever echo the mournful chants of the accursed, In this dark Golgotha I walked with confidence and surety, Knowing each turn and step from ancient memory. Among provincial peasants I was a learned sage; Among the moonstruck and the moldering, The voice of reason and common sense. Now beyond the rebirth of great soul's light I hunt the immortal hawk through quiet seas.

Skip from "I Hate Dragons"?

It's my turn, but I've got midterms tomorrow, so I can't write one until Friday, and then I'm leaving town for a week and won't be able to check the responses. I can write one on Friday and give someone else the answer so they can judge, or someone else can just take over this and write the next one.

Syl?

Paliah?

Ironeyes?

Interesting as this discussion of fantasy curse words is, it's now time to return to the thread topic: You know you're a Sanderfan when you have trouble listening to a psychology lecture because the guest teacher looks eerily like Brandon Sanderson--and even has a sort of similar voice--and you keep drifting into Cosmere theories.

I think part of this was supposed to be guessing other people's rattles, so here are my answers for the ones I can do off the top of my head. (Warning: The answers are pretty spoiler laden--well, the whole thread is, but these are in plain English.)

The Stormfather?

Topomouse got it. I basically wrote a plot summary of "Defending Elysium" with antiquated and grandiloquent phrasing. Explanation: In my early youth did the Cimmerian shade surround me (Jason went blind as a child and has been terrified of darkness ever since.) Until began the cerebral song with a great ringing of bells (He developed the Cytonic ability to perceive color as a kind of humming in his mind; the bells refer to the Northern Bell Phone Company.) And came the divine lords of heaven to treat with me. (The Tenasi picked up the Phone company's signal and came to set up relations with Earth through Jason.) From that day have I guarded the gates of the thrice blessed paradise, ("Defending Elysium"--Elysium is the Greek afterlife for the great and good, sometime referred to as the "Three Isles of the Blessed.") Preserving the divine by barring from them all my kin. (Jason thought of deep space as a paradise and protected it and the pacifist aliens who lived there by denying "violent, barbaric, underdeveloped" humans the ability to go there.) Threat to friends called me to edge of the world (He went to Evensong, the farthest outpost of humanity, to rescue a PC scientist.) Alright Topomouse, your turn again.

Still no. I actually wrote a longer boast, but only posted part of it because I thought the end was to obvious; here's the original (white text on the second part in case anyone wants to keep trying with just the first part) In my early youth did the Cimmerian shade surround me Until began the cerebral song with a great ringing of bells And came the divine lords of heaven to treat with me. From that day have I guarded the gates of the thrice blessed paradise, Preserving the divine by barring from them all my kin. Threat to friends called me to edge of the world Where grim crepuscule shrouded me once more in tenebrous murk. When a hateful foe lifted the gloom I saw hell; Beneath the fancied face of paradise was blackened Tartarus, No shining gods in this place, but only cringing devils, Frightened of all save those who licked their boots. Now I prepare the engines of war and the infinite arsenal of thought, Praying only that some small scrap of heaven might be saved.

Yes non-Cosmere. No, not them. The darkness is literal, the divinity figurative.

Not Iadon, and you're in the wrong universe entirely.

No, I haven't even read that one yet.

Nice reasoning, Sirce, but your answer is a long way off.

No.