VirtuousTraveller

I believe the book has been essentially confirmed to be titled "Oathbringer" and will have artwork by the same artists as the first two books in SA.

As I'm rereading through TWoK, I got to the section where Wit (Hoid) appears in the story and something hit me. We know that physical death on Roshar is off a bit, that "warriors are needed to fight for the Tranquiline Halls" in the afterlife and all. The ardents teach that all callings are helpful in the afterlife, so it seems that death takes a person into service in the next life. It's been theorized that the reason the KR abandoned their oaths was because they learned that death would send them to Damnation (Braize) to fight voidbringers or to be tortured or whatever happens there (obviously unpleasant because they abandoned their shards and oaths to avoid going). But, even after the Recreance, this idea of moving on into the afterlife to fight for the Tranquiline Halls continued in culture/religion, but obviously didn't apply to average people because giving up the shards/Nahel Bond caused the KR to become average (read "uninvested" maybe?) people again, avoiding this unpleasant future. That said, of all the kinds of people and disguises Hoid could have taken, he chose to be a King's Wit, a position who insults others and is often killed for the offensive nature of the position. We know Hoid is invested with all kinds of magic - do you think he wants to be killed so he can be transported to whatever this next life, the "Tranquiline Halls/Damnation/Braize/Cognitive Realm," to further his mission in the Cosmere? Maybe there's no other way to get there specifically, so he's biding his time insulting powerful warlords knowing that he will eventually get his chance to go. Theory Hole #1 is that Hoid seems to be worried about Odium/Rayse and the terrible power he holds, so why would he want to go to where Odium is? I'm not honestly sure, but he does strange things - maybe he's ready to take the fight to Rayse directly?

Hey now, just because Scadrial and Threnody aren't close in physical space doesn't mean they aren't close via the cognitive realm! :-P

I believe that Vasher and the others that made up the 5 Scholars became cosmere aware in their research on BioChroma, but had not yet learned how to leave Nalthis as of the time period we see in Warbreaker. I think that with Vienna's help, Vasher learns how to leave the planet and worldhop, however it comes at a great cost (perhaps Vienna's life). Vienna's life either ends in a physical death or she assumes responsibility for Endowment, but in a way Vasher does not want/anticipate.

I believe the shards of Devotion and Dominion will eventually be recombined into the combo shard Unity, but will only happen after a powerful sentient splinter of Dominion which calls itself Jaddeth is defeated. I believe this story in the cosmere narrative (Elantris 2 or 3) will be where we learn how shards can be combined (as this idea is currently fuzzy; only that it is possible). I think this story could also reveal the backstory of Aona and Skai and how their love originally formed the single shard of Unity in the first place (though this may not be revealed until Dragonsteel, as it would have been a decision of the original shard holders shortly after the shattering).

I believe that the shattering of Honor had less to do with something Odium did and more to do with the Oathpact, either done intentionally by Honor (possibly to trap Odium) or as a result of the Heralds refusing to leave Roshar at the end of the last desolation. I think that the emerging KR believe their cause is just, however our new KR will eventually learn the same "dark secret" that caused the original KR to give up their shards and to abandon their oaths at the Recreance. I think this may be related to the shattering of Honor, or to Honor's real motives for investing in the Heralds/KR in the first place. I also do not believe that Odium is the end all, be all bad guy in the Cosmere, but is a red herring for the greater problem Sazed shows Wax (represented by a red haze attempting to attack Scadrial).

I guess all three of the shards ruled together at one point or another - there would have to be strict rules. Preservation and Ruin were bound by rules too!

I believe there are clearly defined rules between Odium and Honor in their conflict on Roshar. I think part of this involves the Stormfather's explanation to Kaladin that a champion must be appointed to challenge Odium (an oddly specific process for such a god-like power to respect otherwise). The organization of the 10 Heralds and the 10 orders of the Knights Radiant (and their specific powers) speak to this as well.

Welcome! =) The Way of Kings is one of the best - plan on re-reading it AND Words of Radiance again over the next year, as we're anticipating Oathbringer this time next fall!

When a shardblade cuts through living flesh, it severs the connection it has to the spiritual realm, which causes it to "wither." I wonder if there's a connection to this.

Yes...but how does Tanavast/Honor's combined consciousness with the Stormfather play into this reluctance? Perhaps we're misreading stormlight as Honor's investiture (not the first time this idea has been suggested). Maybe Odium is what fuels Stormlight? Also, remember that like the KR and the Recreance, the Sunmaker likewise challenged widely accepted "divine truths/visions" rather dramatically. I wonder what this great secret is!

Hurt Roshar, Heal First of the Sun 3. First of the Sun - 10 5. Roshar - 26 6. Scadrial - 19

First post, with no reputation - you get an upvote! =) I don't know that a gold compounder would survive more than one spiking. By taking that magical aspect from their sDNA/spirit web, they wouldn't be able to recover, as the ability was stolen from them. I could be wrong about this, but I think death is somewhat required (or maybe just a natural consequence) for hemalurgy. It's interesting to wonder what, if anything, ALSO transfers from the host spirit to the recipient of the spike. I know that there are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of "hemalurgic points" on a body, so perhaps there's a lot more to this than we realize. If death isn't required, I wonder if something like hemalurgic acupuncture could remove unwanted parts of a person's sDNA spirit web (like genetic defects, etc)?

Hurt Roshar, Heal First of the Sun 3. First of the Sun - 12 5. Roshar - 23 6. Scadrial - 20

Hurt Roshar, Heal First of the Sun 3. First of the Sun - 8 5. Roshar - 27 6. Scadrial - 20 You MONSTERS! #NeverForgetTaldain

OOoo...I like this idea. Imagine if Kaladin and crew knew that by becoming a KR, they would be signing up to go fight in a place that we've essentially seen as the Roshar equivalent of hell. I don't know that Honor or the spren made this part clear - if I were a KR and learned that my afterlife would be a battle in hell, I don't know if I'd sign up for it (or stick with it) either. Maybe this is what they learned that changed their minds and caused everyone to abandon their oaths.

Hurt Roshar, Heal Taldain 3. First of the Sun - 9 5. Roshar - 20 6. Scadrial - 20 8. Taldain - 5 Leave Taldain alone! =)

I think this hits the nail on the head. I would love to know more about the pre-ascension world (short story about Alendi's quest to the Well of Ascension?), but Brandon has other work he needs to do (PLEASE give us an Elantris or Warbreaker sequel!)

I believe that Brandon has said that the Stormlight Archive won't actually focus very much at all on events in the greater cosmere (especially in Oathbringer), so I'm thinking we'll see Hoid the character have a confrontation with Rayse the character in-world. I don't think it's necessary to know the back story that three gods (Honor, Odium, and Cultivation) are at war with one another in this planet system - Hoid is only involved from the reader's perspective as a mysterious helper to support those fighting against one of the gods (Odium). Now is it 100% cooler to know the backstory? Does it make the interludes of worldhoppers looking for him make more sense? Do the letters hold more weight knowing they come from powers within the greater cosmere? Absolutely! BUT, it doesn't seem necessary to know all of this to make sense of the story on Roshar.

Hurt Scadrial, Heal First of the Sun 3. First of the Sun - 7 5. Roshar - 21 6. Scadrial - 20 8. Taldain - 6

It does seem so odd that humans would give up these incredibly powerful weapons and suits of armor in an instant. "Breaking their oaths," it makes me think that it's been a red herring that the KR are the ones to blame for the Recreance - maybe they did learn Honor was using them for ulterior motives.

Hurt Roshar, Heal First on the Sun 3. First of the Sun - 6 5. Roshar - 21 6. Scadrial - 19 8. Taldain - 9 Not on my watch! :-P

Hurt Scadrial, Heal Nalthis 3. First of the Sun -- 84. Nalthis - 55. Roshar--176. Scadrial - 168. Taldain--9

Interesting...I suspect Kelsier is having the same issue that Ruin had - trapped in one realm but unable to move because his physical aspect has been destroyed/hidden.

Hurt Scadrial, Heal Braize, 2. Braize - 43. First of the Sun--54. Nalthis--65. Roshar--86. Scadrial - 77. Sal--78. Taldain--79. Threnody--611. Yolen--5 I will save these poor planets as best I can!