Rakei

I'm not going to disagree with you, you've obviously analysed and interpreted Adolin more than I have, I'm only just re-reading the second book now and I haven't been focusing on him, not because he's not a great character, but like you mention, at this time? As he's not "cracked" in the same way some of the others are or potentially are, So I didn't consider him a proto-radiant in the same way I would the others. I'd base this on the fact that we've actually had his point of view and he's as far as I recall never been in a situation where a spren has behaved irregularly. I'm going to revise my position on Adolin though, thanks to your analysis and interpretation, he's a proto-proto-Radiant, he's missing the final blow, he's managing his issues to such a degree that he's kind of in stasis, he would need to crack so he can start overcoming his fear of loving? (if that's the right kind of issue, I still favour him for Edgedancers) Now I never considered Adolin a player I want to point out, He's to my interpretation always extremely sincere in his wish to form deeper relationships, I disagree to some degree on his inability to relate to his peers, we don't know enough of the past, but his interactions with his fellow peers seems like they may have deteriorated by and large due to the issues of him being Dalinar's Son and expected to follow his rules (the Codes) at least as we see him in tWoK he doesn't appear to have problems, and his interactions with a few of the Duelers suggest that before he got hamstrung by his father and his own sense of right and wrong, he had a type of friendship with them. S So narratively it's more a question of does he hold together or break, now I'd say it'd be impossible for him to become a KR unless he does break and starts to overcome his issues, and that could entail dealing with the loss of his mother, remembering her, (someone who's literally been forgotten, by someone) and then overcoming the fear of attachment and starting to build healthy relationships, it might even mean accepting in some way that he's NOT able to control everything, giving up his obsessive need to protect his family. I'm going to briefly defend Rysn, because I considered the almost miraculous survival an indication something was up with her, but yeah I freely admit it's a bit of a stretch.

That's why there is a clear paragraph break that includes the word speculation. You don't need confirmation to speculate based on hermeneutics, I interpret that there is a possible pattern, I see potential other characters who fit the pattern and speculate based on that. From a narrative perspective the story of the useless king overcoming his flaws to become a much better person and king as a result is also very interesting, and something that was hinted at during his drunken ramblings at Kaladin in WoR. Eshonai I'm the least convinced of myself and I simply included her because I felt she might fit the pattern, it's also entirely possible she's simply not capable of forming a nahel bond at all.

Ok so I have a completely different interpretation of what might be going on with Elhokar and him seeing these spren. I think given the potential nature of his primary surge Transportation (if I'm correct about him being a potential Willshaper) is allowing him to see partially into Shadesmar. Similarly to how Shallan kept drawing the symbol heads in her pictures, she was unwittingly glimpsing shadesmar, through her potential to use Soulcasting. I'm not sure that the figures Elhokar saw were cryptics or if they were a similar type of spren, as I recall they were also shadowy and that's how Ivory, Jasnash's Spren is described. They might be similar in form to both Jasnah's and Shallans Spren because they're so linked to shadesmar, in a way that the other surges don't necessitate to the same degree. But that's after all just my interpretation so far.

Sure can do. So the main reason I didn't include Adolin in my OP was that I'm not entirely convinced he's going to join an order of the KR. This might be an unpopular view, but as I have read and analysed him he's by and large a fairly regular and stable individual, with some exceptions. I yield on the grounds that we don't exactly know his past (in the same way we don't know Jasnah's) I will however try to see where I think he's most likely to be based on the flaws in his personality. Adolin tends towards shallow, need for gratification(he wants to duel and seethes internally about being kept from it by Dalinar), being center of attention(multiple failed courtings). All of these to me seem to suggest most powerfully the idea of him being an Edgedancer like Lift, he needs to overcome his proclivity to Take, and become much more of a Giver and Lover. Edgedancers are considered quite deadly, refined and gracious, but what stands out to me about Adolin as a potential Edgedancer is that Darkness tells Lift this: "It is unfortunate they were always so concerned with small-minded things, while ignoring those of greater import." It falls in line with Adolin's focus on dealing with Sadeas, nearly his entire focus became occupied with how to deal with him in WoR.

I have been looking and I can't find anyone who makes the case for the connection between the "broken" people and the bond the spren create, however it's something I've been contemplating for a while. I think it's Pattern who speaks about how Shallan was broken and that's how the nahel bond could be formed and I found it interesting because I can see four other KR's who might be termed Broken in the same kind of way. My thoughts are as follows. Shallan: her mental problem is that she dissociates - she is unable to deal with truth - Her Spren is a cryptic who progresses her in her order through Self Awareness and Truth. She's only able to deepen her nahel bond through overcoming her issues of dissociation. The essense attributes of her order is Creativity and Honesty. Kaladin: His mental issue is Depression - he is prone to giving up and inaction - His Spren is Honorspren - he progresses in the nahel bond through dedication to Protect (action) - His anger and restlessness in WoR lead him to mildly depressed state where he chooses inaction - but he revives the nahel bond with Syl by rededicating himself to protection and proaction. The essense atributes of his order is Protecting and Leadership. Renarin: His mental issue is Autism - Autism is linked to issues of learning and development - It's harder to say exactly how he progresses as of yet, but Truthwatcher and the essense attributes Learned and Giving. Give some indication that it'll likely be through similar means as Shallan, he also seemed to grow to fit in better with the Bridgemen, overcoming difficulties in relating to others? perhaps he'll need to become more of a scholar and accept his abilities. Ym: His mental issue indicated in his chapter, is addiction, (he's described as having drunk and partied away all his inheritance) Which is why I would suggest he was also a Truthwatcher (rather than an Edgedancer) His addiction makes him a Taker. Overcoming his addiction and dedicating himself to hearing the stories of everyone he helps (giver) also means he's dedicated to learning. Lift: Her mental issue is I suspect ADHD, she's prone to distraction and not paying attention(uncaring). Her bond with her Spren Wyndle deepens when she acknowledges and speaks the second ideal of her order - "I will remember those who have been forgotten" (Caring) the essense attribute is Loving(caring) and Healing. Jasnah: I honestly don't know, but I suspect she has some issue she's overcome to a large degree being she's proficient in Elsecalling, Her issue likely deals with the opposites of the essense attributes Wise and Careful. Perhaps something that makes/made her unreasonable, insensitive, blunt, thoughtless, inattentive? Absentminded? Losing herself in scholarship? could be something similar to Lift, ADHD, hyperfocus is part of it after-all. Dalinar: His mental issue, might be the same as Ym, addiction, he's described as having been almost addicted to the Thrill, and he was prone to drinking in excess, furthermore he was neglectful and mismanaged the war for a similar reason, addicted to the idea of getting revenge, excessively attached to the codes, causing division, he also lost faith as he was told Honor was dead, the almighty was gone. Overcoming his flaws which lead to division of the kingdom, he was neglectful for many years while Gavilar had the throne, and the other high princes manouvered, then when Gavilar died in his shame and self-recrimation for that neglect lead him to become attached to the codes which in turn lead the other high-princes to see him as divisive, because he put himself as holier than them. Dalinar dedicates himself fully to the ideal of uniting rather than dividing with his second oath. The attributes connected to Bondsmiths are Pious and Guiding. Dalinar has to overcome his need to force and control the path of others. Now we come to speculation! Elhokar: His mental issue is paranoia - he's erratic, fearful and (self)-destructive (he's acknowledged this last one, he tries to do right, but he keeps self-destructing in some way) I make the argument here that he's very clearly "broken" he's already seen something that seems to be spren of some kind. Going by the already formed pattern his mental issue makes him the opposite of the essense attribute of the order, Willshaper is the most likely with the attributes Resolute and Builder. Further I think he also contains some of the positives,having a love of adventure, novelty and oddity. Rysn: I'm not certain but I'm going to call her leaping off the Island irresponsible and unstable (in the search for dependability and resourcefulness) again working from the theory that an order's KR will have to overcome a mental deficiency opposite the essense attribute here Dependable and Resourceful would make her a candidate for Stonewarden. I'd even say she embodies one of the flaws of the Stonewardens, Stubbornness, she was unwilling to give up even when she was told by the King that the trade wouldn't be possible, she also somehow survived a rather large fall. (I'm not as certain of this one, but I think it works) Eshonai: I think her Mental issue is Social Anxiety (fear), her adventuring and discovering seems to me to be to a large degree to remain away from her people, she's IIRC described by her mother as being a disobedient child. Eshonai is clearly scarred in some way, and again if we do as before, the things she's been overcoming has been the opposite attributes to the Order of Dustbringers(releasers) Bravery(courage) and Obedience. (again it's debatable, and I'm not sure about Parshendi and Surgebinding as such, but she's at least a candidate in my mind for that order, again because of how I've interpreted her personality.) Szeth - I'm just not sure how to touch this one... Like he's shattered, I can imagine he might become a Skybreaker? He's completely without confidence and I'm not sure he trusts that what he has done was truly just, so it might be that he's going to need to overcome his uncertainty, self-doubt, and what injustice he might caused before? I don't think he's going to be Evil in any case, I think the beauty will be in how he comes to be a whole and hale person fighting for Roshar. I'm gonna end it here, I'm interested in hearing if anyone has any thoughts and if it makes sense in some fashion.