Beaker

Thanks! yeah, we’ve read Narnia and all the Percy Jackson stuff. Will check out some of the others. We’ve got a bit before we get through the reckoners and skyward anyways. theres really only a few bits of mistborn I worry about (the opening scene and some of the straff venture stuff) but it’s enough for me to hold off a bit. I didn’t even read white sands with him, he just found book 1 and snuck it off my shelf and read it himself haha. I'm just impatient .

So, I’m a big Sanderson fan. I even have a class set of Emperor’s Soul I teach sometimes in my English classes. My 8 year old son is a crazy advanced reader. At 6 he was reading at a grade 7 level. Not sure where he’s at now but it’s a lot. He reads voraciously on his own but we still read longer form stuff together before bed.It’s tricky balancing his reading and comprehension levels along with age appropriate content. I push things from time to time. We’ve read all the Harry Potter series and I have been venturing into some Sanderson with him. We’ve read all of the Alcatraz series, the Rithmarist, we’re on book 2 of the reckoners right now. Maybe we do skyward next? I haven’t read those myself yet. I’m going back and forth on an entry point to the Cosmere. Mistborn or stormlight seem the most reasonable choices (unless I’m forgetting something). Elantris maybe? Not warbreaker. what do you all think? cheers!

I’m teaching emperors soul for the second time this year to two groups of (not especially academic) grade 11 students. This went over well last year but I’m interested to hear from everyone else what might be interesting topics or areas of the book to focus on. thanks everyone!

I gotcha. I just kinda feel like at this stage that's a lot of "if this happens" type scenarios. Feels to me like a simple answer feels a lot more likely that one that requires a bunch of factors. Though generally, I guess to be fair, I'd have to admit the "simpleness" of it being autonomy or another shard is based off lack of knowledge more than anything.

Perhaps but the author of the second letter seems pretty confident Odium is fairly secure there in Roshar and as far as I can tell has been there for a very long time and is likely otherwise invested there as well. Who knows besides Brandon of course but this doesn't feel like Odium to me.

Don't we know that Odium is "trapped" in the greater Roshar System? And that Odium is afraid of Harmony? I don't think this is Odium.

Yes, but you can carry those metals away, literally can't use mists without the shards presence? Least that's how I see it.

I guess but I feel like even if this is factual they are still tied to the shard's (and by extension the vessel's) presence.

This is sort of what I was thinking. There has to be something more to it than an "ordinary" answer. I feel like how it shows up in the letters is too important for that. Could've saved that information for another spot if so. But then again, what the heck do I know?

I've been reading stuff here and on coppermind for the last few weeks and I dont recall seeing much about this so I figured I'd ask. Sorry if its been discussed or I've missed something. I'm also just halfway through Bands of Mourning currently so maybe this gets answered. Harmony doesn't appear overly aware of other shards from what I can recall. Odium is stuck at greater Roshar, which implies to me that shards arent naturally stuck in their systems. Do we know much about the nature of shard movement/awareness of where other shards are? It seems to me that the other reason vessels know about each other at all is because of some shared vicinity/connection/whatever around the shattering of Adolnasium? Do we have any other insight? It sometimes feels like worldhoppers themselves are more cosmere "engaged" than the vessels of the shards? Thanks guys.

Yup, was just trying to bring it back to the original discussion again I guess. Your terminology is correct.

Your "soul" is so expanded but as far as I can tell you don't gain any specific power unless, like the lord ruler, you take that power and use it to give yourself access to that power.

I stand corrected, though im not sure she gained (much) power from that as she gave the power up.

Correct me if im wrong but she wasnt a sliver, she was actually a vessel.

I feel like the Vin lending thing kind of proves my point. Mists and its power are dependent on the shard being present (but can be directed by a vessel) Sure, but in this hypothetical aren't we sort of removing the characters from their context thereby removing the direct influence of shards and just including their magical effects? This is what I'm getting at though. Metal (even Lerasium/Atium) can be carried around and are not "attached" as it were. It seems to me that the presence of the mists requires the presence of the shard itself. Its not something that can be detached from the shard carried to say Roshar, the metal can be. Also, I love this place. Haha. I have no one in RL who I can bounce ideas off of. Thanks guys.

The mists arent an entity on their own but are they not part of an entity? Also a part that cant be removed from the entity in question? Like I feel like bringing the mists along is akin to beating everyone to death with gods leg haha.

Here are some questions that I feel are most vital: Do they get to bring items? (metal vials, etc) Do connection with spren count as relying on another entity or does the alteration of their spiritual web/identity and subsequent bond with the spren make them "inseparable"? Do the mists count as relying on a separate entity? (My problem with including the mists is because to me that implies relying on a completely separate being/entity in the fight. If they do not count as a separate entity I also think Vin can't just "bring along" the mists as it were if this is a "neutral location where everyone's magic works fully)

We're talking enough for her to destroy buildings though. And again, I said that personally, im assuming this is neutral ground where magic works properly for everyone. The real question i guess to me is about magic users who sort of have an innate ability vs magic users who rely on consuming a product (metal) Is everyone starting fresh here? Do people have unlimited supply of whatever resource they use? Have feruchemists stored any attributes? That starting point is more determinative for me than anything else.

You'd assume this hypothetical fight is taking place of "neutral" ground where all magic systems function properly, correct? 1) There shouldn't be mists just floating around 2) Her using the mists is a part of the ascension process, I did say "sans any level of shard ascension"

I remember reading somewhere that Brandon would put his money on Vin in a fight between Vasher (with nightblood) and Vin but said it would be close. Of course, everything depends on timing. But assuming you are taking all characters at their peak (sans any level of shard ascension) then Marsh likely makes the most sense to me.