LightSong77

Following up on this idea, we know that Nalan is hunting down surgebinders because he believes that doing so will prevent another Desolation from occurring. The Knights Radiant were always led to believe that their purpose was to protect humanity from the Desolations only to learn that their very existence is what was/is causing the Desolations to continue to occur. This revelation is the betrayal which caused the KR to abandon their oaths. While this may not seem consistent with the theory that the Desolations occur when one of the Heralds breaks from the torture while on Braize, if Nalan was made to believe the the presence of surgebinders on Roshar could cause a Desolation to occur, there is no reason to believe the KR couldn't be made to believe it too.

Other than seeing his actual corpse, it is the only way his father would ever believe that he had been killed.

Another plausible way that the mechanics could work is that Helaran, no longer needing a dead Shardblade, had it sent back to his father as a kind of "proof of death" because he wanted his father to believe he was dead. This would explain how the blade ended up with a member of the Ghost Bloods, as he could have given it to the group after receiving it (being a member himself) and why he is so certain that Helaran is dead when he was unable to be identified on the battlefield.

We know that Odium is trapped on Braize, that Desolations came at intervals and that they (presumably) have something to do with Odium's attempt to escape. We also know that Ruin was trapped, that the Well of Ascension fills with Ruin's power at intervals and that this is related to Ruin's eventual release/escape. I was wondering if we have any information or theories on whether this is related, i.e., that even when a Shard is imprisoned, after a period of time its power consolidates and something must be done to disperse the power to keep it trapped? i started thinking about this once I read the Lord Ruler say to Kelsier, "Only a year left. So close. i would have again ransomed this undeserving planet." Also, Preservation says something to Kelsier about Ruin seeping out into the world even though he is imprisoned. Maybe something similar happens with/to Odium? (Also, first post so please go easy)