Lurky McLurkerson

Entirely agreed. I am not expecting concrete answers. It was just something I considered to be worth pondering and discussing. This forum would be a very different place if we only discussed the things about which we had certainty.

So I've been trying to imagine the cognitive realm for Taldain. If Scadrial is mists and Roshar is spheres, would Taldain be sand? Or maybe only Dayside is sand, while the other side is something else entirely? Given how distinct the two places are, I could see a dramatic difference in their cognitive portrayal.

I wonder if the graphic format will make cosmer connections easier or harder to find. Up til now, we've relied on specific descriptive words to catch worldhoppers. Now we're going to be seeing them.

Yeah, first time I read the manuscript I about flipped... but I just can't see it being the same person. Likely a name that Branderson loved much. Had to work it in.

Yeah, though that's an interesting point that our vocabulary for shardology uses the same term for both cases.

Fear not. His two-armed Herdazian jokes will be on point. Also, the pranks he will pull if he gets access to surges? Oh goody.

Stopping Rayse is a solid goal. Option 1: Trap him. That's what Tanavast did, but that doesn't seem to be enough. Option 2: Splinter him. Could be a solution, but then you've got little bits of Odium floating around. Option 3: Kill him. Sure, but then you've got an Odium shard just waiting to be taken. Whoever picks up Odium ought to have something ready to balance him out. Like maybe counterbalancing intents. Food for thought.

Idle tangent: Why create a planet, specifically? What if it was about tying up as much Ruin as possible to keep him inactive? We've seen what happens to "negative" shards that are not given sufficient entertainment/distraction?

I don't know that proto-feruchemy would have the same focus (metal), as focus appears to be a function of the planet it is on.

Just finished White Sands. Where is the appropriate place for discussions of its content? So many thoughts/ideas/theories.

Valid point. I would argue that having a hand in starting something is very different than actively running and administering something.

I don't think Hoid is equipped to "head" anything. He is doing his own thing with his own agenda. Ghostbloods, Ire, 17th Shard, etc are all engaged in some sort of power struggle on the cosmeric stage and Hoid is a fly in the ointment for all of them.

Posted this elsewhere, but throwing it out there for general consumption/disagreement/hole-poking: 1. Hoid is on a mission. (first letter) 2. Lots of people are hunting him down. To stop him perhaps? (first letter) 3. He rejected the OGs that took out Adonalsium. (Secret History) 4. He is gathering items of investiture like the Lerasium (Secret History) 5. Connection to a shard is required to hold a shard. (Secret History) Theory Time: Hoid is collecting all the goods so that Adonalsium can be restored (H/T to others who I've seen posting versions/aspects of this). The In-Cosmere 17th Shard is working to prevent the restoration of the shards. Where I differ from other similar theories is this: I don't think he wants it for himself. He wants to sucker some hero into taking them all. "Here, eat this bead, just eat it. Oh, and here is a flower, trust me." He'll make someone a perfect candidate to hold all of the shards. My vote is for Stick. I'm going to go back to lurking now. Enjoy.

What if the reason Hoid is collecting bits and pieces from all the worlds, like picking up the bit of Lerasium, so as to enable someone (himself?) to form Connections with all of the shards? Can't you picture it now? Some far future book culminates in Hoid talking some poor sap into sampling various bits of investiture(correct term?) so that they can be suckered into being the new Adonalsium? Or I am completely wrong and this is why I lurk.