Extesian

Aaahh interesting I hadn't seen that one. It was a vague theory looking for any proof or disproof so I'm happy with they. I wonder if it could still be confined to Heralds' use (pre-Oathpact breaking) but either way unless the identity was keyed to any Herald yeah that knocks that one out.

Brilliant work @swieczq! I love the Taldain question! I'll have the transcript done by tonight and eedit the OP.

Except...

Not a bad thought but it's a different sword They were switched and he just had a normal (dead) Shardblade. But yes my theory would be disproven if it turns out someone other than Taln can use his Honorblade. That part of the theory anyway.

Examples that come to mind. A feruchemist filling a metalmind while having no identity A shardblade having the bond severed from its KR and a gem allowing it to be unkeyed Breath can be passed with changed identity (though yeah its not becoming unkeyed I guess) None of them are perfect, they all involve hacks. But my suggestion was that the Heralds were bonded to the Honorblades and breaking the Oathpact severed that identity key. It's still just a thought but I don't feel it's inconsistent with general realmic theory.

Yeah crem existed before the Shards arrived (Cultivation at least, so I'm assume all three), and is likened to Shard-poop rather than spren-poop. I expect it's basically wasteproduct of investiture so it existed before because of Adonalsium's investiture but now it includes that of at least Cultivation, maybe Honor (if splintering doesn't prevent that). Probably not Odium as we believe he's confined to Braize.

The metal is destroyed but in the same way if you burn wood it is destroyed. It's just converted into energy/different matter that isn't usable in the same way. Its essence isn't destroyed. It's end positive because the amount of investiture you get by burning it is greater than the investiture that was stored in it. The extra comes from Preservation. Contrast end-neutral magics like feruchemy and Breaths where you get out what you put in. Or hemalurgy where you get out less than you put in. The metal is a catalyst to bring investiture from elsewhere and is consumed (converted) in the process. Possibly to investiture rather than energy. But either way it's not converted to as much investiture as you actually get to use as an allomancer.

We know Elsecallers can Worldhop I think it's just that being aware of other planets and even visiting them does not make you aware of the history of the Cosmere, the magics and the power structure. She is not aware of Adonalsium. She may not be aware of the Shards or at least the ones outside Roshar. She may not be aware of the variety and nature of magical systems outside Roshar. She's a scholar of Rosharan history but apparently not a Cosmere scholar.

Genius. Just...genius

Hold up.

In the beginning, Brandon created Hoid.

I never noticed this one. Good theory and good find @Jondesu. There's also this: So that sounds distinctly to me like the 'amalgamation' is that of the remaining (non-seon/skaze) investiture is now one set of investiture, one shard, only it can't be considered a full Shard because of the extent of the Splintering. But I'm curious about this. A Shard can splinter of part of their essence and still hold the Shard. So why should the part missing from the Dor (seons and skaze) prevent the remaining now-combined investiture from being picked up? Is it just it's location in the Cognitive Realm? Or did Odium splinter it in a way that means it can't be picked up no matter the location (without recombining the splinters, which we don't know is possible). But I agree, I think @Yata's theory has moved into the likely category.

We don't know how Vasher and Nightblood got separated, or how Nale has Nightblood, but we know this

Seems legit Chaos. I more wanted to learn if I'm saying things that irritate people so I can learn from it, but I'm comfortable with that. Cheers.

Good memory. Here it is. Here is a possibly relevant WoB to the question of splitting the object (though it's an old one). I haven't found an answer to what happens to Breaths imparted by someone now dead. I'm guessing when the object itself degrades or is destroyed the Breaths return to the system as they do with a normal Nalthian who dies still with their Breath.

I didn't know there's no notification for getting downvoted. Any idea if you can find out any downvotes you get?

Normally investiture is keyed to your identity and can't be easily transferred. Breath, because it is of Endowment, can be transferred to someone not from Nalthis by command and thatcwill key it's identity to the new person and even give them access to the powers granted by it (Awakening).

A couple of relevant WoBs So the answer as I see it is that a non-Nalthian has less investiture than a Nalthian with Breath, but a drab has less than a non-Nalthian because they have given up not just the additional investiture Endowment provided but also the investiture that a normal Cosmeran would have.

I like this. I've been a supporter for some time of the idea he's only used it as a misting alloy so far but this is a good idea for why he'd be keeping it, better than my idea of wanting to create other mistings or not wanting to have too much connection to one Shard. It would still seem strange to me that Preservation's essence could grant connection to a different Shard but it's certainly an intriguing idea.

@Oversleep thanks for the timing update, I've updated the OP. @kotwq I have a question (and please can others say if it's something we know already, I couldn't find counter-evidence. Does Surgebinding with Honorblades use Cultivation's investiture? (I've theorised that the system is different to Nahel surgebinding in that it's purely Honor, as it looks like the blades themselves are purely Honor's essence). One other that may be silly - has Endowment's Vessel (Shardholder) had a child since being a Vessel. I'm sure it'll be No or RAFO but I'm curious. Alternatively have we seen or heard of a child of any Shard's Vessel. (But this is only if someone gets the extra questioning time, it's a questionable pet theory of mine).

Merciful Austre! As both a red-green color blind parson and someone harboring a strong desire to be a full spectrum drafter/superchromat, I approve. And may consider pledging my allegiance.

@maxal living with someone with depression, especially as a sibling, is a terrible thing. We focus on the direct sufferer, and we should because depression and anxiety are two of the most common illnesses that desperately need an understanding of how they affect your mind so you can separate the illness from just the problems of life, and treat those two things differently. But those around that person often have the toughest time. I can only say that the more people generally talk about it the more direct and indirect sufferers can understand and deal with the often confusing and distressing ways these things can affect behavior. @Oversleep and others who did recordings, i have time tonight to transcribe if I can help out (understanding there are sensitivities around the Big Reveal, something I have no wish to know let alone publish). Let me know if I can give a hand. If we have a few recordings I can link them on the OP. But if you're taking care of it Oversleep, especially due to the confidential part, I'll leave you to continue the good work

@Hunky Dory you may have seen but it's now confirmed as 6.30-8.30pm at Mall Bulgaria, Boulevard "Bulgaria" 69, 1404Sofia, Bulgaria

The way I've had it described to me by my uncle is who also a mental health specialist is that you have predisposition to a chemical imbalance and some people will get that kick in no matter what, but others (like me) require mental trauma (can be an event or just the build up of circumstances) as the snapping event to trigger the imbalance. So the mental reasons for depression still play a part for less severe sufferers. But there's no one answer to depression, that linkage makes sense to me. In which case once you have depression it stays until you fix the imbalance, it recurs unless you fix the psychological reason, and if you're susceptible enough it's probably going to happen anyway. Kaladin for example may have gotten depression no matter how nice his circumstances. Or if he had lower susceptibility his actual life circumstances explain the triggers that set off the imbalance that was already possible due to his genetics. Now he has the imbalance even fixing the circumstances would not be enough in the immediate term, without something to fix the brain chemistry. But if he becomes generally happy (outside of the depression) and views himself as being him without the depression and was healed - well that should be enough. But that's not to argue the point, just to prevent a line of reasoning that makes sense to me, has some evidentiary basis and fits with what Brandon has said. Either way it's a great thing that we talk about this in detail and that he helps facilitate these discussions by writing openly and without judgement on mental health issues!

I completely agree with @Pattern, gravity is not a strong enough fundamental force to break apart bonds between molecules. And even if you used an insane amount of Stormlight to do it (better just to use someone Werth the division surge I imagine) I think the cognitive association of a body as being a single unit would prevent lashings from being applied to separate parts of it. A crazy Mistborn may be able to push on trace metals in different parts of the body to achieve this but I don't feel that the gravity surge, which is about reassigning the gravitational bond with an object, would do this.