CosmereQuestioner

Yeah, Brandon has stated Kaladin has seasonal depressive disorder, and his depression during the weeping is related to this.

I would recommend words of radiance since it is now out in paperback. Oathbringer will be rather expensive in hardcover for the first several months before the paperback is released. So if money is tight, WoR will save you money.

Division among the enemy is always a good thing though. I think this is an excellent post, good eye john203. Brandon (taravangian rather) has left enough paragraphs down the desk drawer to allow ambiguity as to whether this refers to the unmade or not, but I find it an intriguing possibility, and not unlikely! It could really make for some good story to have an unlikely disruption of the enemy from the inside.

A lot of times that a question gets RAFO'd can also have to do with the question itself. I have noticed that when someone asks a "gimme info" question (like the aforementioned "why was hoid drinking perfume" or something like "will kaladin die") he often won't answer. Not only can they be spoilery but it doesn't show much thought being put into the question or theory. You just want an answer to a mystery he has created. Better to ask a question that shows you have thought and formulated and take the evidence and show him this. I have never gotten a RAFO despite asking questions that are pretty deep into shard theory (asking about Harmony splitting, and Adonalsium's intent) but both times I included in my question why I thought it was the way it was, showing I wasn't lazily info grabbing. (And people told me they had gotten rafo's on similar questions in the past).

The other aspect is this: http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=977 (I don't know how to point the link directly to the quote, but it's about 3/4 of the page down, do an in page search for "mcalton2", the asker). This quote leads me to believe that scene involved cross-world travels. And yes, bandolier -> scadrial seemed the obvious connection once you are convinced it's crossworld travel.

Maybe...(and I can point to WoB that strongly indicates that the epilogue of WoR is evidence of world hopping) but I can't imagine that scholar Jasnah, upon discovering other worlds with intelligent life, wouldn't go about becoming cosmere aware very quickly.

So over in the events section (Warsaw event, I believe) there was a WoB saying Jasnah neither knows of Adonalsium nor is she cosmere aware. Now I understand that she can understand realmatic theory and enter the cognitive realm without knowing of the other planets and the cosmere, but I felt the final interaction between her and Hoid (at the end of WoR) had basically established she had world-hopped over the Scadrial. I mean come on, she had a bandolier! Anyone else blown away by this?

Harmony is basically another shard to the point that it's possible (albeit very unlikely) that it could seperate into 2 different shards. See the following thread about a personalization about just that:

Got my leather edition of mistborn, and some interesting info about Harmony. I've wondered about this for awhile, and interestingly, while Sanderson confirms the possibility, he basically says it won't happen. (At least not with Harmony). The question was: "Like Adonalsium, could Harmony split into 2 shards OTHER THAN ruin/preservation with the right intent." (then in the comment section of my order I clarified as follows) "You once stated that it is plausible that with a different intent Adonalsium could have shattered into a DIFFERENT 16 shards. You have also said that Harmony is one shard (or could be viewed this way.) My question: Could Harmony split/be split into 2 shards OTHER THAN ruin/preservation (yet still complementing/opposite) with the right intent of the splitter? (And if not is this because Harmony is still too invested in scadrial as ruin/preservation?) His answer: "Almost anything is possible... but it is very, very unlikely that Harmony would split except back to ruin/preservation." My thoughts: while this may not happen with Harmony (and maybe goes against common sense for the shards?) It could happen at some other time or situation with another "double shard". Also, when he says it's "unlikely he would split EXCEPT back to ruin/preservation"... I don't want to read too much into this, but to me it sounds like there's a distinct possibility Harmony would split , if the right circumstances arose. (It Not unlikely anyways)

Alot of it isn't CHOICE of the holder per se as much as their approach. The original 16 had intent, and the holders tended to influence it (though were more influenced BY it.) I would imagine that Harmony could have had R/P and the combination could have been "strife" or "conflict" instead of harmony, but having 2 shards of such opposite intents probably gave him more flexibility in controlling them (and we can see he's still somewhat limited in what he can do by having such opposite shards.) In the case of ruin, perhaps Ati took what could have been interpreted as "destruction" and simply made the best of it, resulting in ruin. Or perhaps the 16 came apart exactly as they are now...afterall, they are 1/16th of the powers of creation, and the holders mere mortals til ascension.

I had never considered that maybe the heralds are evil? Or were? (Yes they came and did good things between desolations, but they could have either been compelled, or have changed their evil ways). Thoughts?

I think your theory has a lot of merit. I agree that Syl (and the spren in general) aren't nefariously dangling storm light in front of the Knights saying "obey my code or lose your power"...but the reality is that's what is happening. Maybe it's a side effect of the bond, but watching Kaladin during WoR there is a definite sense of controlling taking place. And while it was driven more by Kaladin's goodness than a pure "loss of power" motivation, it still existed in force. I could easily see the recreance as a response to the ever increasing pressures of following a strict code that might not always line up with desired behaviour. (At the risk of loss of power for so long, until finally determined not to be worth it.)

Isn't that exactly what it said? That we CAN'T post new WoB in other topics unless we post it in the event first? Now again, I LIKE it to be in the event column, but telling people they HAVE to put it there first, and this will be "strictly enforced" really rubs me the wrong way. Just my feeling.

I wouldn't say that the power even needs to "pool" or gather over time. Every world so far has had different mechanics, so maybe when the heralds "use" their power after these great bursts of strength it is somehow immediately recollected by Honor (or his stand-in). I can't see Brandon forcing the same mechanic on Roshar as on Sacdrial.

I agree with Argent. When I get a new fact from Brandon at a signing, I feel it is my personal special connection gift thing (hard to explain but you know what I mean). Now I always want to share these, but not always right away or in a certain way, and it really feels like trying to control how those are shared infringes on what's a very personal author/reader connection. (I could see some people simply not sharing at all under these conditions). (I also agree with Argent in that I would love it if everyone DID share everything, because that's the main reason I check the threads for events that have happened.) But I think we have to respect their choice to release it another way if desired.

Perhaps the ascension comparable power has to do with the heralds? we haven't seen the scope of their powers, but Brandon has hinted that they can do really cool things. Maybe not as powerful as using the well of ascension, but theres 10 of them constantly powerful, so it could be similar in terms of investiture.

I think you guys are reading too much into it. I think Hoid and his master came up with who they wanted Hoid to be...like his purpose and identity (for example, kind of like Batman decides who he's going to be...an ideal, a vigilante). Hoid started as human, but his web is broken and filled in (like an obligator) which is why he isn't entirely human, but I don't think we should read too much into his "idea and concept" statement, beyond his intentional plan on who to be, and purpose to fill.

Good questions! My thoughts regarding FotS is that a shard probably was invested and pulled back as much available investiture as possible in a rush and fled. (Maybe some investiture is "more invested" (less free, or "liquid" to borrow financial terms), making it more complicated to take back and hence got left behind)

The essay from Khriss in the Arcanum Unbounded preview released by Tor today talks about the oddity that is FotS having a perpendicularity despite no shard. She mentions this hints at its past, and she suspects investiture being there (clearly she doesn't know about the events of Fifth of the Dusk). So maybe the "shards that just wants to survive" used to call FotS home, and has since fled? (Also, how does Khriss know where there are and aren't shards residing? Some sort of shardic signal they put off?)

If we got this much awesome info from one little essay on a minor world...well...i can't wait for the rest of the book!

Brandon has said that each shard has a number (when asked more about it at various events he stated we shouldn't pay so much attention to their "number" as its not that big of a deal or significant).

Can you point me in the direction of your source? I haven't heard about only half-ish of the 16 being whole, but I would love to learn more. Edit: just found the source, thanks!

Agreed, except that the effects of the shattered shard are in Arcanum Unbounded, and SoS and BoM are not. Although secret history is in there so maybe that alludes to it?

So the real question is whether the evidence of this 4th shattered shard is from Edgedancer, or one of the old things (6th if the dusk, sfsitfoh) or maybe even the star charts/intros from Khriss. The fact that American fans have seen it but possibly not in Spain makes me think it's the old material (something that hasn't been translated yet). But we have WoB that Threnody and 1st of the Sun dont have shards (even shattered ) right??

How i see it is that Preservation and ruin were locked in constant conflict, and would basically never let anything happen due to cancelling each other out with their opposite intents. Honor and Cultivation, however, ruled in harmony til Odium came along. I feel that their "strictness" would be more closely related to Honor's code of ethics, and ensuring that not just anyone could use investiture, unless their goals aligned with his. Ruin and preservation each just needed an edge, and hence made their investiture available to anyone who was broken enough to relieve it.