Aoibheann

I believe that at the end of WoR, Mraize says she's a member. Only after Shallan makes it clear she doesn't think she is does he start creating hoops for her to jump through. Having a child get a tattoo would be a bit excessive. Shallan was 11 when her mother died.

I haven't looked back at WoR to see when Mraize starts referring to her as "little knife". Is it before he realized she is Shallan?

I like this idea - but I don't think it alone will be enough. During WoR, Shallan helped Pattern transition more fully into the physical realm by drawing: If this is true, I think Shallan will have to fully accept a memory of Testament and draw that. it's also interesting to consider that this method won't work for others trying to revive deadeye spren.

During RoW, Veil contacts Mraize using the seon cube and has a severe deja vu experience. The resurfacing memories force Veil to fade to Shallan, but Shallan loses her ability to understand speech and Veil has to take over to complete the conversation. Mraize mentions conditioning to reinforce the behavior you want. Up to this point, Veil has been excited by the Ghostbloods and generally wants to follow Mraize's orders. This interaction seems to change her mind about moving forward with the Ghostbloods. Later in RoW, Radiant mentions Veil's experience spying: So really, Veil does have a decade of experience as a spy. She was a spy for the Ghostbloods as a child, and repressed the memory, because it led to the death of her mother. Thaidakar has had no issue in the past with recruiting (useful) children to use them. The more unhinged version we are seeing now, would see no issue with it. It also explains Mraize's fascination when he realizes that Shallan and Veil are one and the same.

I completely agree with this - In order for Maya to be able to speak at the Trial, Adolin sends her strength: Clearly there is a bond and a connection between the two of them. One can not will strength to any random person or spren - maybe a Bondsmith can - but not a normal human. Also - we haven't heard Adolin try to say the oaths. What would happen to the Adolin/Maya bond if Adolin said, and meant, the first oath? Does he not consider himself worthy of that?

Personally, I'm wondering if any of the tones Kabsal demonstrated correspond to Honor, Cultivation, or Odium. If so, what are the other tones?

If Maya is revived, it will be because of the bond with Adolin. Already we've seen her protect him. Anyone who would swap their sword for a "better" sword doesn't respect their blade enough. There are multiple orders open to most, it depends on which spren you attract most strongly. If you can reawaken a blade it will be because you have won the spren's trust. Thus it will be for an order you are compatible with.

I would guess it has trapped Jezrien's soul. The heralds are being spun out, again and again, to alternately imprison or protect. This can't happen if they are killed and stopped from reforming.

Yup! Ialai did it directly or had someone do it. She's as devious as her husband was, if not more so.

I don't think Elhokar has to step down. Dalinar has realized his task is larger than Alethkar. I believe Elhokar needs to step up as King, and Dalinar needs to be above the Kings of the world, coordinating them. Maybe being obedient means listening to Dalinar, but also being a leader, which for Elhokar is a brave thing to do.

The name of the book, Oathbringer, being the same as the shardblade Dalinar held seems entirely too coincidental.

I didn't miss that point. I'm trying to point out that it seems Kaza is being pulled into Shadesmar as she approaches Akinah. This is unusual. Something about the place pulled her (further?) toward Shadesmar.

I had some impressions while reading the interlude transcript: - Kaza does not go too shadesmar while soulcasting, - recently, she's been glimpsing Shadesmar, - she assumes this means she is closer to death. - as she approaches Akinah she starts to see Shadesmar and has to crawl through/past it. Seems likely Akinah is a perpendicularity with access to Shadesmar; Through Shadesmar to other worlds.

Here I was wondering who the patron is...

Wait - 10,000 year timeline + Roshar in the middle + 4,500 years since the last desolation = all desolations happened in a 500 year period? give or take??? Even if the desolations happened in, say, 2,000 years (still the middle-ish) and there were "only" 40 of them. That's killing most people off every 50 years. Once in every two generations or so.