Random

I'm just started reading this book, but havent gotten very far so it's still just a theory, but i think it was the Dad's superhero t-shirt.

Brandon Sanderson has been quoted to say there will be no more mistborn in the future mistborn trilogy.  "In a future book series, Mistborn will also have become things of legend.  The bloodlines will have become diluted to the point that there are no Mistborn, only Mistings--however, the latter are far more common.   In this environment, a Nicrosil Misting could be invaluable both as an enhancer to your own team or a weapon to use against unsuspecting other Misthings."  The next series will have Nicrosil and Chromium mistings: the first will intensify another's metal while the latter will weaken them.  Ironeyes is technically a Mistborn, though I don't think he'll play an integral role: Sanderson didn't have him as a main character in AoL.

dited to add:  Also, the fact that Elhokar had begun seeing cryptics has suggested to a few people that he might (somehow) also have begun bonding a spren.  We just don't know enough.  I wouldn't use it as a counter-argument against Shallan's bonding, though.

Just a guess, but do you think that Elhokar can see the Cryptic spren, not because he's a soulcaster, but because he's potenially from another order? Sanderson was asked if other orders could see other spren and gave a RAFO answer, but it doesn't rule out the possibility.

They may have both soulcasters and fabrials but have no idea that a lot of those with fabrials are faking it.

As far as we know only Jasnah and Shallan don't need one, though they do need the stormlight.

I thought it was clear already from book 1. The parshendi were fighting for the gems, and they had to eat something. So they had to have soulcasters.

Unless they eat stormlight.

Syl told Kaladin his ability to Surgebind was her doing so I doubt Tien could surge, but I have always thought there was something to Tien's love for rocks that was more than just ordinary.

I think it would be awesome if it is Shallan who finally takes out Szeth-son-son-Vallano, maybe saving Kaladin during an epic battle using her Soulcasting and Shardblade.  Well, one can dream.

The Cryptic's repeated "What are you?" does seem odd.  It could be confusion, as you say. 

Another possibility I see is that the Cryptic (with its cognitive focus) needs her cognitive identity, how she sees herself.  When she states her feelings (afraid) and a hidden identity (murderer) it seems to be enough.  The "What" could be the Cryptic's way of focusing on identity rather than what she knows, believes or has done. 

 

Syl is very different from the Cryptic.  I assume that Jasnah is dealing with a different type of spren from either of the other two. On the model in my head, Jasnah's bond is established, so she doesn't need to reveal more of herself each time to soulcast.  

 

Venturing wildly afield, I see both of Shallan's divine attributes as cognitive (assuming Shash order).  When I assume that Jasnah is in the Palah order, I see her divine attributes as cognitive (Learned) and spiritual (Giving), so I imagine her spren will be strongly cognitive like the Cryptics, but somehow not quite as cognitive and more spiritual.  Jasnah's spren might have needed to bond with a somewhat different aspect of her. 

The Crytic (I still think Scholar) Spren might not have known or remembered much without the bond with Shallan, like Syl could not remember much until she took something from Kaladin and gave him the abilities of a Windrunner in turn.  Maybe the Cryptic didn't know what was going on until Shallan gave it a truth (something a Scholar Spren would be interested in), and in turn the Spren gave Shallan the ability to Soulcast.  The truth was powerful and in turn gave her a more powerful bond.  Kaladin's powers came slower I would think because he wasn't trying to gain any ability.  Syl just took what was there and gave more and more as Kaladin needed it. 

Welcome Random.  Just a couple of reminders, though.  We know that Jasnah knows of the cryptics, but we do not yet know that she has seen them.  Since the cryptic enabled Shallan to enter Shadesmar, and Jasnah can also enter Shadesmar, then I would suspect that she can see/interact with them.  But we don't know that for sure yet.  Also, Elhokar apparently can see them as well and it doesn't appear that he has a scholarly bone in his body.

Thanks and good point: one other thing occurs to me though concerning the genetics of the Alethi, since their hair takes on different traits at the same time, as with some lighteyes having blonde hair with sprinkles of black, and so on, I would think genetic aren't passed on in the same way as ours.

It occurred to me that maybe the Cyrptic/Creation Spren that Shallan sees are Scholar Spren.  It would make sense why Jasnah and Shallan have both seen them,.  It also falls in line why Shallan started seeing them after starting to study to be a scholar and being able to soulcast.  The Parshendi, I think would also be intertested in these "Scholar spren" from the preview I read of the second book.  That would come full circle rather nicely.