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: 

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When she finished the last line, she found herself breathing hard, as if she'd run a great distance.  She blinked, again noticing the creationspren around her - there were hundreds. They lingered before fading away one by one. Shallan set the pen down beside her vial of ink, which she'd stuck to the tabletop with wax to keep it from sliding as the ship swayed.  She picked up the page, waiting for the last lines of kink to dry, and felt as if she'd accomplished something significant - though she knew not what.

As the last line dried, the pattern rose before her. She heard a distinct sigh from the paper, as if in relief.

She jumped, dropping the paper and scrambling onto her bed. Unlike the other times, the embossing didn't vanish though it left the paper - budding from her matching drawing - and moved onto the floor. 

WoR page 66 (emphasis not mine)

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. 

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"... have been careful," Mraize was saying, "not to attract attention in the communication?"

"I..." Veil said.  "Of course I did this in secret.  You know me better than that." What had he been saying before?  She'd missed it entirely. 

"It is always good," he said, "to reinforce the behavior you want, little knife. In people as in axehounds. Your report?"

RoW pg 405

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: 

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Radiant tapped the top of Shallan's sketchpad with her pencil, trying to judge whether this woman was lying.  But this was Veil's area of expertise.  She'd spent over a decade being a spy. 

Be careful, Shallan throught.  Remember that decade of experience is imagined.

True. It was hard to remember.

Yeah... Veil thought.  My empty past... being nothing back then... unnerves me.

RoW pg 433

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.

On 5/23/2024 at 12:05 PM, Aredor said:

I think in the end, the reason he hasn't given up Maya and become a Radiant is because he has a bond with Maya. At first, it was just the bond of friendship, but now... something new happened at the end of the trial. They're Connected now. Adolin would never abandon her at this point. If he were to become Radiant, he'd do it with Maya. If not, then he'd refuse the spren that asked him because he will not give her up for anything. 

Nooooo! Adolin can't abandon Maya! He's not allowed! 

I just really like both Adolin and Maya, if you couldn't tell...

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. 

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While this does make sense on it's own, you're missing one key point: Soulcasters (the people) use Shadesmar to Soulcast objects, and as they use it more and more, they grow closer to Shadesmar and start to become like the object they Soulcast. It's speculated that this is because, unlike Elsecallers or Lightweavers, they have no spren blocking the negative effects of Soulcastigng on their spiritweb.

 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.  

I think the OP is right.  Taravangian was possessed by someone/something on the day of the diagram.  

It may have been made possible by the boon/curse of the Nightwatcher.  I imagine someone with very, very low intelligence could be easier to possess.  It's possible this is an Unmade version of what a Bondsmith would come up with. 

Darkness/Nale refers to Ishar in Edgedancer a great deal.  It really makes me question what he's been doing and who he's really aligned with. Emphasis mine

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"Unfortunately, no," Darkness said.  "I once thought as you, but Ishar made the truth clear to me.  If the bonds between men and spren are reignited, then men will naturally discover the greater power of the oaths.  Without Honor to regulate this, there is a small chance that what comes next will allow the Voidbringers to again make the jump between worlds.  That would cause a Desolation, and even a small chance that the world will bedestroyed is a risk that we cannot take.  Absolute fidelity to the mission Ishar gave us - the greater law of protecting Roshar - is required."

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"A fluke," Darkness said, his voice firm.  " I contacted Ishar, and he assured me it is so.  What you saw are a few listeners who remain from the old days, ones free to use the old forms.  They summoned a cluster of Voidspren.  We've found remnants of them on Roshar before, hiding."

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"The Voidbringers have not returned," Darkness said firmly.  "Ishar has promised it, and he will not lie.  We must do our duty..."

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Then [Darkness] slumped to his knees.  "Storms. Jezrien ... Ishar ... It is true.  I've failed."

Seems to me like Ishar has instructed Nale and the Skybreakers to kill all other surgebinders.  Worse, it wasn't a one time thing, He's been instructing Darkness all along and is a desolation denier even now. 

I think Eshonai was bonded to a spren - the cometlike spren she swats at in WOR.  The stormspren have pushed it out. 

However... we don't know what happens during the highstorm/everstorm event at the end of WOR with her at the bottom of the chasm?  Assuming her "cometlike" spren is hanging around during the highstorm - if the stormspren gives up on her to find a parshman? She could be a new woman. 

I just got my copy. It took around 9 months. I think they were working hard on the deadline items recently completed.

Thank you Peter!

We know how deadlines are and appreciate your work (and Adam & Kara.... and Brandon's too!)

I thought Kaladin had only said the 3rd WR oath (of 5).  Don't we have WoB stating Shallan has progressed further than Kaladin?

Could she already be one of Nalan's Skybreakers then?  Her focus on Rules and Law seem... extreme. 

Urithiru = Tranquiline Halls?

Either way, trying to activate the Kholinar Oathgate would be trying to move the entire palace complex and all inhabitants.

I read that.  

 

Adolin felt a panic rising.  He looked toward the highjudge.  She could call this on her own, if she felt it had gone too far.  

  She sat imperiously in her seat, watching him.  Adolin thought he saw something behind her calm expression.  They got to her,  he thought.   With a bribe, perhaps.

 - Words of Radiance, page 663

I believe Adolin thinks she is too slow to react, but I think he's wrong.  He is interpreting her as being bought off, but she believes that the rules must be followed.  In fact, her comments to Dalinar come after Adolin's assumption.  

Brightlady Istow, highjudge of the dueling ground loves the law.  She is so focused on the law and the rules she is not willing to stop Adolin's duel with Relis and friends.  Though she has enough compassion she tried to make sure Adolin knew what he was getting into. 

 

"I've told you, Prince Relis," Istow said from behind.  "Prince Adolin didn't break any - "

- Words of Radiance, page 622 

 

The highjudge lingered, regarding Adolin.  "You realize what you have done."

  "I know the dueling conventions quite well.  Yes.  I'm aware."

She sighed, but nodded, walking out.

- Words of Radiance, page 622

 

Brightness Istow was a tall, greying woman who sat with hands in her lap, watching the duel.  She did not turn as Dalinar stepped up beside her.

  "It is time to end this, Istow," Dalinar said.  "Call the fight.  Award the victory to Relis and his team."

  The woman kept her eyes forward, watching the duel.

  "Did you hear me?" Dalinar demanded.

  She said nothing.

  "Fine," he said.  "I'll end it then."

  "I am highprince here, Dalinar, " the woman said.  "in this arena, my word is the only law, granted me by the authority of the King."  She turned to him.  " Your son has no surrendered and he is not incapacitated.  The terms of the duel have not been met, and I will not end it until they have been.  Have you no respect for the law?" 

- Words of Radiance, page 663

I can think of no other characters who fit the traits the Highspren are presumably looking for more than Istow.  I have no idea how that fits with Nalan's plans.