Landis963

I assumed it worked on the same principle as Glys, Tumi, Timbre, and any other examples I've forgotten, where a spren can hide inside their Radiant.  

It occurs that the last time we assumed that Cultivation was mourning and staying hands-off, a god died.  Perhaps this is similar, although I find it difficult to deny that Dalinar's actions (and Taravangian's before him) are a setback to the goal of "keep Odium bound."  Perhaps she'll recognize the subtle weak point Dalinar wove into Retribution.  

If nothing else, Seon Olo probably knows about the perpendicularity in the Shattered Plains.  I'm guessing that's why he was headed there when Shallan press-ganged Seon Ala.  So, even if he was diverted to Azimir, even if Ala decides to omit that crucial detail, Olo will undoubtedly tell Adolin as soon as, or perhaps even before, Adolin thinks to ask Olo where he was going before Shallan diverted him and why.  

Much better to steal powers from feruchemy than risk the revolt.  And also the possibility of Compounding - we got a taste of that in Era 2, and it was stoopid broken.  Honestly, for what Steel Inquisitors were used for, it would be better to start with an allomancy base than a feruchemy one.  Less ground to cover, and less downtime once the full suite of powers was in place.  

I think I knew when he had the blow-up at Hoid.  His synopsis of Wit's actions in tWoK and WoR was too specific - and too personal - to come from anyone else.  It's been a while since the preview chapters, though.  YouTube comments might just as easily have spoiled me.  

On 1/21/2021 at 2:43 PM, Bort said:

I cheered when Teft finally forgave himself, and cried right afterwards. A beautiful ending for him, but I would have liked to have seen some of the non-self-hating Teft before we lost him.

I think we did.  I think he was part of the chorus of voices urging Kaladin onto the Fourth Ideal.  "Say [the Words], lad!  Do it!"

Technically speaking, the only habitable land on Ashyn is comprised of Ringworld-esque arcologies, but even they are orbiting the planet Ashyn, which conforms to the spherical model.  And really that's the only exception I can think of.  

1 minute ago, Harrycrapper said:

Has Brandon confirmed that Mistborn Era 4 is the final set of books in the Cosmere? I had always imagined there would be a final book/series that brings everything together for some sort of conclusion made up of relatively equal parts of every series kinda like an Avengers movie. Either that or a book from Hoid's POV involving characters from the various locales of the various series.

Space Age era Mistborn has the greatest likelihood of fulfilling that, especially since the main cast (last I heard, anyway) is set to include Hoid.  

19 hours ago, Honorless said:

In case the above WoB is confusing, it means that just White Sand and Investiture does not a Sand Master make. You need to have the necessary component in your Spiritweb. But if you are already a Sand Master then you can recharge your Sand with any kinetic Investiture.

You need to be a Sand Master to use the newly-charged sand, but the charging happens passively in the presence of Investiture (to wit: Hoid's "Radiant Detector" sand bottle, in Kholinar).  Ergo, the sand should charge upon exposure to the Mists, regardless of whether or not its user can then Master them.

13 hours ago, Karger said:

But the diagram does warn Odium about him.

Odium didn't exactly get the memo, and neither past Taravangian nor present Taravangian saw fit to volunteer info which could clue Odium in.  (Seriously, Odium was looking directly at it when T quoted himself arguing for his continued utility, and made no sign of acknowledging its presence) Admittedly, this could qualify as "warning" Odium, but divulging the continued presence of a precog among Odium's enemies does not seem to have been a goal that past-T devoted a lot of effort to.  

On 7/19/2019 at 11:07 AM, Karger said:

Dalinar's entire life experience was realated to his refusal of Odium.  Are you saying his children were not part of his life experience?

I meant that Renarin's actions around the time of the Battle of Thaylen Field were physically removed from Dalinar's, and thus Renarin could to nothing to aid or hinder Dalinar's choice at that time.  My larger point, however, is this: the Diagram knew that Renarin was important.  (If he wasn't, why would it touch on him at all?)  Since Renarin is important enough for the Diagram to note him, I find it highly suggestive that he happens to be important in a way that prevents the Diagram from warning Odium about him.  

On 6/23/2019 at 0:14 AM, Karger said:

Not necessarily.  It could have been speaking Renarin's effect on Dalinar emotionally.  He has an extremely different personality to anyone Dalinar could otherwise be in contact with.

"A section of words that had faded from golden to black.  What was that? As he drew near, Taravangian saw that the words were blacked out into eternity starting from this point on his wall.  As if something had happened here.  A ripple in what Odium could see...

At its root, a name.  Renarin Kholin."  (OB, p. 1216, hardcover)

Admittedly it isn't as in-depth as I thought.  However, I find it difficult to believe that Renarin is important only insofar as his effect on his father, and furthermore I find the fact that his name in the Diagram is faded to black deeply suspicious, especially since Odium himself is providing this expanded copy of the Diagram.  In addition, the very next line ("'Dalinar was not supposed to Ascend,' Odium said.") appears related, but on closer inspection is a bit of a non sequitur in the context of Renarin, especially as he was mostly unrelated to Dalinar's refusal of Odium's temptation.  This in itself is a bit odd - why has Odium not noticed the singular black splotch in his otherwise pristinely golden room of text?  Especially since T quotes the Diagram verbatim, off the very same wall, and Odium, reading that section himself, fails to note the Renarin section's presence.  Ergo, something is interfering with Odium's expansion of the Diagram, and that something is closely related to Renarin.  What could it be?  Well, we know Renarin sees potential futures.  Occam's razor and the mechanics of Allomantic electrum and atium conflicts suggest that his continued existence is preventing Odium from knowing everything.  

I continue to hold the opinion that, as English is not a thing anywhere in the Cosmere, the three symbols were "M", "A", and "R".  

Something else of note regarding the Diagram - it foretells Renarin's existence and his powers, and withholds that information from Odium when he comes a-calling.  Yet more evidence of T's sleeper agent status.  

Aether is also the name for a clear, yet sweet-smelling chemical that is known to be flammable. Stormlight spoilers ahoy:

That appears to be mostly correct.  Tacenda (and, most likely, Willia) had a latent spark, and the influx of mana from the full Bog Entity likely ignited Tacenda's.  However, the spark is intrinsic to sapient souls, e.g. Tacenda, and most beings formed of magic, e.g. the Bog Entity, don't have souls compatible with spark generation.  

On 12/14/2018 at 2:06 PM, Scion of the Mists said:

 

Here's the quote from the very end of the book:

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She stepped up to Davriel, who was actually looking haggard.  She reached and touched the side of his face.  

"Thank you," she said, her voice overlapping to her own ears as if a thousand people had said it.  Then she stabbed her power into his head and withdrew the small piece of her strength that he had taken from her earlier in the night.  "But never try to reach inside my mind again."

Then - complete for the first time in her life - Tacenda vanished.

Well.  That's... suggestive.  Although it's still slightly ambiguous, given that the only thing she stole was a power that was first stolen from her.  Something else to add to the litany of questions for Brandon, I suppose.  Thank you for posting the quote.  

3 hours ago, Scion of the Mists said:

@Landis963, regarding Tacenda's abilities at the end of the novella, 

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Doesn't she also have the spell-stealing power?  Didn't she steal back her warding spell from Davriel prior to Planeswalking?  

I don't believe so.  Remember that Davriel's stolen abilities have a shelf-life to begin with, and that they return to their owner after a while (e.g. telling the prioress that her "tap all Geist creatures, they don't untap during their controller's next untap stap" spell would return in a day or two). I would need to reread the scene to get a better understanding of what all happened (I probably need to do that anyway w/r/t the angel), but I suspect that: 

On 12/12/2018 at 8:02 PM, mr.bug said:

Never even though of Magic the card game before. Now I'm obsessed with understanding what the heck just happened in this story! I enjoyed this short story but there were so many small things like the angels soul that just left me baffled. Any other work help explain these things? Also what the heck is Tascenda now? Does she have the same basic power set as Davriel plus warding strength? 

If you have any other questions I will do my best to provide the context neccessary to clarify them.  However, some questions baffle me as well, e.g. the angel soul.  

On 4/22/2018 at 0:21 AM, Apollyon said:

Does the fact that Mraize (who is a worldhopper) says that his cloak is stained with ‘aether’ related?

I would suspect not, if only because there is an RL chemical also called "aether" - which is clear when dry, leading me to believe that the stain Mraize so quickly awarded a 3-firemark bonus for removing was a convenient excuse to get the washerwoman out of the room.  EDIT: the suspiciously delicate crystal in Mraize's trophy room is indeed an Aether (note the capital letter).  On that note, I seem to recall that the Aethers require a bond with a human to live, after harvesting (it's been a while and I don't recall where they got the Aethers in the first place).  So even if Mraize had what it takes, the one he has is probably long dead.  

22 hours ago, Zellyia said:

I can see his Hoid-sense/Fortune check  like, "Eh.  Nothing urgent going on for a year."

 

What to do?  Performance art.  Lift does say he shocked a watching crowd. 

I can totally see Hoid doing this, too.  Especially when bored.  

17 minutes ago, teknopathetic said:

I wonder what silver can do eventually? 

On Threnody, silver can repel the shades and counteract their burning touch.  Elsewhere, we don't know.  

To clarify, the list of 10 core worlds is probably: 

• Yolen
• Taldain
• Sel
• Nalthis
• Scadrial
• Roshar
• Ashyn
• Braize
• Threnody
• Vax

On 4/2/2018 at 10:44 PM, Ilythyrra said:

I remember her blushing once in conversation with bluefingers and it turning red, so maybe if she were sexually aroused it would be either red or blonde?  I'm trying to get a better image in my head what her hair color is when during that first week in the god emporers bed chambers as he watches her.  Also, when she is asleep and feeling nothing at all, what is her default hair color? 

If I'm remembering that scene correctly, she's flustered and angry at the sudden removal of her privacy, which neatly explains why her hair blushes with the rest of her.  As for how the transition occurs, I was always under the impression that the whole strand changed color at once, but going from root to tip is a more interesting image.  

On 4/3/2018 at 8:03 AM, dbulick said:

Is it possible the "compass" is one of the medallions that grants allomantic powers?  Possibly bronze if they found a way to use it to detect other investiture rather than just other allomancers?

Allomantic bronze requires that the allomancer have ingested bronze, and I didn't see any opportunities for that to have happened.  Or rather, I don't see any such opportunities which would allow Vathi to still have bronze in her system by the time she drew the ability from any hypothetical jailbroken medallions.