ZenBossanova

Is there anything Canon about what Sho-Del look like, and how many eyes they have?

Now, on the other hand, what about the Irali? I think I just read a WoB that was deliberately ambiguous about their heritage.

Best non-Cosmere Sanderson

I wouldn't characterize what Szeth did as breaking, so much as realizing his oath never applied in the first place. But we may need to wait until Stones Unhallowed to understand Shin oaths better. And in particular why he was determined to obey even when he was committing atrocities. That why is what I want to understand. Oh, and Maglor wasn't ever defeated in battle, unless you mean something like the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. The Silmarillion has him wandering off at the end and not seen again, while The Lay of Beren & Luthien has him throwing himself into the sea. The first time I tried to read it, it was easy to get lost. Take a look at the summaries Tor has been doing. The Silmarillion may even be better than The Lord of the Rings, though it is very different. Also, I named my husky Beren.

It is the analogy that I was pursuing. I wanted to know why Szeth felt so determined to obey an oath he so clearly despised. Szeth only had his oath broken because Kaladin defeated him in battle. Breaking the oath was not his choice. It is *why* he felt the way he did, that I want to understand.

Thanks, Galendo. I was looking for the rest of that last night.

Szeth, and even the Shin, are all still something of an enigma. We don't really understand their perspectives and point of view. Is it all just a big cult? Perhaps, but it also reminds me of the seven Sons of Fëanor. Fëanor is one of the central characters of JRR Tolkien's Silmarillion. This is a elvish prehistory to Lord of the Rings. Remember the palantir? Fëanor made that when he was bored one day. But it was three holy gems called the Silmarills, that were his masterpiece. He was the most talented and charismatic of all the elves in the First Age. To make a long story short, bad guy/devil named Morgoth steals them, while also causing a lot of trouble. The Valar (think archangels, or demigods) warned him not to pursue. And he humbly accepts their council. Ha! No, not Fëanor. He gathers the people of his nation and puts them under an oath. He later puts greater oaths (curses?) on his kin. This leads to the entire reason most elves were in Middle Earth. In their haste, they committed the first Kinslaying, because other elves would not give/lend their boats. As bad as this was, it was a crime of passion. And things just go downhill from here. Fëanor dies soon after, but his sons are still bond to the oath. Later, (2nd Kinslaying) they destroy an entire elvish kingdom in a (failed) attempt to retrieve a Silmarill. And they do it again (3rd Kinslaying), premeditated and cruel. Now, some of the Sons were (other than a little genocide) were really good people (well, you know what I mean). Fast forward a bit, and the Maia (~angels) wage war and retrieve the gems and tell the two remaining Sons of Fëanor that they no longer have a right to the gems. Now this is the part that makes me think of Szeth. The two best, and only remaining, of the Sons discuss it, and in their mind, they have no choice. And so they killed again. For a better, longer summary https://www.tor.com/search-page/?s=Silmarillion So, here we have some otherwise good people who go from one atrocity to another, despairing of the oath they made, and yet seeing no other way forward. Is Szeth in a similar position? Is this the best way to understand him?

All this assumes that they actually let her in the air. I could easily see the Admiral holding her back at the last moment. Classroom is one thing, but the Admiral really didn't want her in the air at all. If she does go up, it will probably be the last time in one of their fighters.

I am impressed, but could you please post the rest of that Tumblr post? I can't get it to come up.

Keep in mind, Rock is a Horneater, and they have Parshendi blood in their ancestry. That could mean they may manifest magic in a way slightly different than either the Knights Radiant, or the Parshendi. Call it a Horneater-varient KR. If Rock has something unique about his powers, then Lopen (Herdazians also have Listener ancestry) may also not be a simple Knight Radiant. Call him a Herdazian-variant KR. Natanatans may also have unique variations of abilities. (because of Aimian ancestry)

If we compare this with Allomancy & Feruchemy, then we can catagorize the Shards as Internal/External, Pushing/Pulling and the 4 categories/Realms Physical, Cognitive, Spiritual, Temporal.

Interesting! But, I wonder if silver also functions in this role, for certain magic systems, for instance, the one on Threnody (Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell). I suspect he used Aluminum, because prior to the modern age, it was incredibly rare and expensive. That is why the Washington Monument is capped with aluminum. For a long time it was more expensive, and more rare (in isolated form) than gold.

My head-Canon is still that Adonalsium is a very young God. And also that the Shattering is part of his(its?) development. Now, the real question is, are there other beings like Adonalsium out in other Star Clusters/Galaxies?

Or it simply means it is a much, much older world, near dying stars. And if something is killing those stars, then I could understand why it freaked people out enough to consider the Shattering, or why some Shards are still set against mingling, lest it give any more strength to what panicked them in the first place. Perhaps the Fainlife infecting stars and worlds?

I have wondered if Aluminum is the electrical ground for Investiture. That would explain a lot.

Realmatically, it would be closer to Hemalurgy, but that is just arguing about minor details. Interesting, but I doubt that was Brandon's actual intent. Still, interesting.

People are complicated, and Kelsier even more so. Conflicts do not necessarily mean one side are the "Bad Guys". Of course, Kelsier has issues, and just because the first Mistborn trilogy ended in victory, doesn't mean that his issues have gone away. It is suspected that Hoid is trying to reunite the Shards. Kelsier may be doing that, in a less ethical fashion, as well. It makes him a fascinating foil and reflection for Hoid. After all, if Hoid was willing to see Roshar burn, then what is wrong with a little murder or hemalurgy? What indeed!

My suspicion is that the Red Rip/Taln's Scar is where Yolen is, and the red stars relate to the Shattering (or the reason for people thought the Shattering was a good idea).

Taln is the most broken, and yet the most unbroken of the Heralds. He doesn't currently have much of a mind, but he is perfect for his mind to be rebuilt. He is the most honorable, and the only one who didn't rebel against the Oathpact. Unlike the others, he is in a position to be Cultivated. He isn't ready for it yet, but he has 7 books to go.

I would like to see Taln form a new shard, not Dalinar.

I have wondered if Book 5 would end with Dalinar or Kaladin asking the Heralds for 15 years, enough time to prepare, but not forget.

Thus far, I would say that Radiants and old fabrials are applications of the magic of surgebinding. Likewise, Venli's new bond, will involve surgebinding, even if it isn't a regular Nahel-bond. So, the magic is fundamental, and the kind of bond you can make, determines how it manifests. Human (nahel) bonds, Parshendi (forms) bonds, Aimian (fabrials) bonds, and even horses/Ryshadium. We haven't really seen Voidbinding, probably. If we have, then it makes twisted versions of regular Surges. Regardless, it will be a different kind of bond. The Old Magic appears to simply be Surgebinding without the Oaths. (Does that mean that whoever binds the Nightwatcher needs no oaths?!!? That could be shocking, especially if Taravangian binds her. ) For the more esoteric abilities, let's keep an eye on Rock and Lopen. And any Natanans. Why them? Rock (a Horneater) and Lopen (a Herdazian) have a bit of Parshendi ancestry in them. Remember Rock's strange moment when he weilds a shardbow? That should NOT be possible. It might be because he is partly a hybrid. Likewise, the Natanans are Aimian hybrids. It will all be Surgebinding, but in ways and forms we never thought of. Now, as complicated as this is, Renarin and Venli appear to doing partial Surgebinding/Voidbinding. If regular Radiants have interesting resonances/quirks, then these could be far more unique and surprising. This means that, while previous Desolations had 10 human Surges, and perhaps 10 Aimian ones, we could now be looking at as many as 10+10+10 regular bonds, 10+10+10 hybrid bonds, 10 double hybrid bonds (Human-Parshendi-Aimians, if such a thing exists), and double all that for partial surge/void binding. 140 kinds of bonds. This could get complicated and esoteric. Keep an eye on Rock and Lopen, as well as Renarin, Venli and (I hope) Rlain.

Hoid

Im not sure I get your meaning? (sorry) Taravangian said he was working for Odium, but I could really see Odium getting burned by this, and Mr T accomplishing his purposes. Thus far, everything Mr T has done has helped the good guys, even when he was trying not to.

That is what he said, if you entirely believe that.