The Invested Beard

I came out as INTP -A. @Mestiv looks like there's a reason we're both in IT. With only 3% of the population it's interesting that so many people on this forum fall into either this category or INFP. Says a lot about the kind of people who read Sanderson/spend time on boards like this. I think what I read describes me pretty well. I mean this especially:

One other thing: I think it would be extremely fitting for the ultimate bad guy in Brandon's overarching work to be someone who wants to get rid of all sources of magic systems in the Cosmere. I mean what better antagonist for a writer who started writing what he writes because he loves awesome magic systems.

I would say due to the intent of the Shard itself, she may have retained more of her autonomy and individuality than others. Thus she could have in the back of her mind a plan (nudged into existence by Autonomy's intent) to rid the Cosmere of all Shardic influence once and for all.

Haven't picked it up yet, but a little disappointed that the new Tad Williams book is only a Novella. I was hoping for a new saga set in Osten Ard. I'll still read it though, love the guy.

Not necessarily. Who's to say at the end of removing all of the rest of the shards from existence she doesn't just splinter herself? Maybe she's figured out a way to sever the connection without it being fatal to herself.

I'm still a beard.

Yeah I'm thinking that maybe Odium isn't the only one splintering Shards. Not only is she helping him do it, she may be directly responsible for others that we either don't know about yet, or some that aren't directly tied to Odium yet.

So this is something that just sort of popped into my head, so it's not fully fleshed out, but hear me out. What if Autonomy hasn't been just working with Odium (if you accept the Autonomy = Trell theory and the recent WoB's that state Autonomy is getting involved in other systems), but that She/He (DRAGON! because of the weird switching sexes thing some amphibians/reptiles can do) is actually the one pulling the strings and is using Odium's power to splinter shards? Think about this: What could be more in line with the intent of Autonomy than separating power from those who hold it, i.e. splintering shards away from their Vessels? Autonomy cannot be truly achieved until no one has power over you, and most Vessels/Shards are exhibiting some sort of control over the less powerful beings in their systems. Thoughts?

I think so. As many paths as possible, pick your own way. Let your belief be autonomous from the belief of others maybe?

I think that's just a reference to the scouring of the Aimian homeland that occured on Roshar.

Yeah cultivation is all about the end result. Pruning a plant, especially a tree around the base/trunk is killing young offshoots to ensure the tree grows into the shape you would like it to be.

I grabbed this one as well and I have to say, it's the game that shouldn't work as well as it does. I mean overall it seems very generic, but the gameplay is fantastic and sucks you in. Really good open world RPG.

True, but if I remember correctly Jesus didn't have as prominent a role in the original Heston film. Haven't seen it for a few years though so I may be wrong. Even if that's not the reason, they're still wrong.

So I just watched the new Ben Hur movie and I can't really wrap my head around why the critics hated it. I thought it was really good and an all around well made movie. I have a suspicion it may have been so panned because it included Jesus or something. No clue what's going on there. I guess at my age I should realize that movie critics are mostly wrong.

So after reading all this, I have a question. Could it be that the Recreance was actually the KR finding out that what they were doing was going to set Odium free somehow? I don't have all the logistics laid out but it would fit I think.

Yeah let's not forget that Ishar was the one who first came up with the idea that all but one Herald quitting the Oathpact could keep the desolations at bay and we all know how that turned out.

LOL I was wondering about that little bit and now that you say it, it makes perfect sense.

LOL I work in IT, there's nothing but introverts here. Well, there's a few people who work directly with the clients that aren't, but all of us people behind the scenes are pretty awkward.

Oh man last time I flew I went with United. Never again. They totally screwed me on some stuff. I won't go into it in detail because I don't feel like making myself angry by remembering.

Re-reading Tad Williams' Memory Sorrow and Thorn in preparation for the new Osten Ard books he's set to release. Read the originals so long ago I forgot how much I loved them.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that internet and social media culture has created a space for people to very easily put forward a persona that is not who they really are and I'm not a big fan of this. Internet anonymity is a thing that I feel overall hurts society in general (not saying it's all bad, but the trend is generally moving in that direction). That said, I make a conscious effort to present myself (thoughts, emotions, ideals, personality, speech) as I really am. No pretension, no facade, no BS. Just me. I find it much easier to deal with people when coming from a place of honesty and forthrightness. So yeah. What you see is what you get, all joking about being a sapient beard aside.

That's fair. Although some may have the opposite opinion in that the prequels seemed too green-screeny and fake in their locales and prefer the fact that the film makers are now trying to skew more toward practical sets and locations while still using subtle touches here and there to make things feel "alien".

To be honest, George's planets were never really that inventive. They were all planets that had only one geological feature. Forest planet. Desert planet. Water planet. I love Star Wars, but I would not point out the planets themselves as exceptional in most ways.

"I was like, that log had a child!" I love BLR so much.