PatronOfRot

Using a base metal wouldn't work because it would open the chimeras to Harmony's control. That's one very important reason to use trellium.

Spoilers for OB and Secret History.

Recently on Reddit, somebody mentioned that Autonomy's investure doesn't empower sapient beings directly.

1. On Taldain, the sunlight contains investure that energizes microscopic lichen in the sand. Sandmastery is the manipulation of these organisms, but as far as I can tell, involves little to no flow of investure through ones self.

2. On Patji, Avien are formed when normal birds eat the grubs in the Eye of Patji. Notably, there is no effect if a human were to consume said grubs.

I believe that this is intentional on the part of Autonomy, and I believe that I know the reason why.

We know from Oathbringer that Autonomy is leaving sentient splinters of herself around the cosmere. From Secret History, we know that a share cannot be taken up without significant connection to it. 

As there is more Autonomy to go around, the likelihood that someone could eventually take up a splinter is higher.

Autonomy tries to limit others connection to it, either as a precaution or simply due to her intent, by providing this buffer between her magic and the people of the cosmere.

I wonder if he'll have trouble manifesting shard plate. Will he need corrupted lesser spren?

1 hour ago, Sigsyl said:

When it gets to his flashback book, we are going to have the longest chapter ever as he recounts his four and a half millennia of torture

It's just 40 pages of screaming.

"I will not dwell on those I couldn't save, but focus on those I can."

"I will accept I cannot protect everyone."

1 hour ago, Kasimir said:

I used to be on board the 'Adolin for Dustbringer' train but I'm liking the idea of Edgedancer better. (Ignoring narrative issues and stuff like 'oh wouldn't it be great if Adolin remained the Badchull Normal in the cast.) He's a trained duelist, first and foremost. Remember how Nale describes the Edgedancers? As being able "to ride the thinnest rope at speed, dance across rooftops, and move through a battlefield like a ribbon on the wind."

Adolin moving through a battlefield like a ribbon on the wind with Mayalaran in hand, an unstoppable force of destruction. Yes please.

(That being said, I like TheGoodyShop's idea of a reversal where Maya is broken and bonding to Adolin fills in her cracks instead.)

She gets Adolin powers, like having to eat, and not being dead yet.

My feeling on the matter is that she'll get one eye back, but it might not be a complete nahel bond if there are parts lf her missing.

So Adolin might only get one surge, or reduced powers or something.

21 hours ago, FeatherWriter said:

A uniqueness in appearance is something that all Shardblades share. They're all very distinctive. Though the forged folds style could be significant, it could also just be the way that the Glysblade looks. It could be the bands of corruption mixed with regular spren power. 

I'm liking more and more the idea that Glys was a willing participant in his corruption. Makes me wonder what Sja-anat could have said in order to convince a Radiant spren to submit to the power of an Unmade like that. Or maybe she did it without asking, but helped convince Glys that it was a good thing later? I'm really curious to see what Glys says about her or how they'd interact.

Maybe he was one of the "dead" spren.

On 11/15/2017 at 8:04 AM, lookingglass said:

So are you suggesting that the gem acts as a replacement set of eyes and somehow forms a temporary connection?

Tha reminds me of Galivar's eyes being replaced with stones before his corpse is soulcast into a statue.

Just now, Pagerunner said:

For the Shin-Stone connection with the Voidspren, I couldn't think of a good mechanism for the other humans (who do see spren) to associate Shinovar with stone. In fact, that would be the last place they'd connect with stone, since there's actual dirt there. The Shin revere stone because there's so little. I guess it's possible that there are spren in Shinovar, but they just don't manifest at all in the Physical Realm. But I think it's more straightforward for the eyes to be Yolish, not Shin. (I'll admit, it sounds absurd when I put it like that.)

I will go on record against the Ishar = Tezim theory. Ishar has said the Oathpact is broken. Why would he claim to be its bearer? The Heralds are in hiding, so I think this person isn't a Herald at all. But if it were, who would be the Herald of Heralds? Who is the King of Heralds? It's not Ishar - it's Jezrien. I can kinda see a case for Jezrien being Tezim. But not Ishar.

The other humans wouldn't need to associate Shinovar with stone if the Shin are the vast majority of people who see this kind of spren. On the other hand, higher spren seem to have some degree of control over their appearance, so it may not mean anything.

2 minutes ago, Pagerunner said:

• Man, I just can't get it out of my head that this Voidspren isn't a Voidspren. Syl has been hiding, so she hasn't actually interacted with her. And everything she does... well, if we hadn't been told she was a Voidspren, I wouldn't have thought she was one. She definitely knows Kaladin is a Radiant, why he can sense the storms. And the emphasis on stone in her manner of movement makes me think she's a cousin to something like a stonespren, the same way Syl is cousin to windspren. So, I'm holding out for a reveal that this spren is actually a Radiant spren, but returning back to the listeners instead of bonding Radiants. (Still holding a grudge over the Recreance.)
• The eyes on the Voidspren are interesting, in that they aren't typical Rosharan eyes. They're like Shin eyes... but the Shin don't have spren, so she can't be a Shin spren. I guess it's because she's a Splinter of Odium, so she (and other Voidspren) are driven by Rayse's perception of humanity.

On the other hand, the Shin revere stone.

Maybe the appearance is related to this?

We know from WoB that the Nahel bond could be amiably severed with the consent of both parties. However, during the Recreance, the Knights Radiant killed their spren. Could Ishtar/ the Bondsmiths link the Spren to the Parshmen in some way such that when the spren lost their sapience, so to did the Parshmen? Could the spren even be in on it? I imagine that being bonded to a dead spren would have effects.

On 9/17/2017 at 9:48 PM, hoidhunter said:

I have a suspicion that it is going to be Moash.  

There is a scene in WoK when he is practicing with the spear in a chasm, by the light of a dozen spheres, and he is described as having an equal number of shadows. I know that it is far from definitive, it may not even be foreshadowing since the number of shadows is different. Its just a scene that made me think of the possibility, and after pondering the idea, it seemed to fit. While he and Moash were friends, they were also opposites. Kaladin wanted to excel at fighting in order to save people, Moash to kill them. I could keep listing examples...but the list goes on. Btw...he also has shardplate.

As the singular connector pointed out, Brandon likes to develop his important characters. It would be an interesting plot development to have these two, once friends, stand toe to toe, in the battle for roshar.

Do we know what Cultivation's number is? There could be a third shard in play here.

I hope Kaladin's kid brother doesn't turn out to be Odium's Champion.

I really hope that Dalinar's curse was specifically to forget shshsh and not "his wife." It would be quite sad if he gradually lost his ability to see Navani and I don't think divorce is possible.

I don't think that would go over well with the stormfather. All oaths are important, whether or not they were done in haste, or without full knowledge of the consequences. 

Does anyone have a recording of the Border of Magic and Science panel? It was on Sunday at 3:00pm and sounded really interesting to me.

1 hour ago, jofwu said:

Considering Brandon was okay with the transcript being shared, and considering this whole thread is built around the shared audio clip, I would assume that this is okay to post.

Hmm. I thought I edited it in. Must have forgotten to save it. I'll have it up shortly.

20 minutes ago, Oversleep said:

Gavilar's assassination will only be in the first five prologues.

I tie prologue PoVs with the flashback characters:

Szeth/Kaladin (I think it's obvious - both Windrunners, one tries to protect, one must kill. They were set up for a battle since the beginning)

Jasnah/Shallan (master-student realtionship and few other things)

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I have long suspected that the PoV to pair off Dalinar would be Eshonai - both leaders of their people, both generals of their respective armies etc

the other two flashback characters are Eshonai and Szeth.

I think Book Five will be Gavilar/Szeth. It provides nice closure (the first prologue is viewed form the mind of the killer, the last from the victim) and Gavilar's got to be the last as he will reveal the most. However, if Gavilar ends up as the Prologue Four, I will start running around screaming "WHO IS THE PROLOGUE FIVE CHARACTER, BRANDON? WHAT HAVE YOU PREPARED FOR US?!".

Szeth's flashback will provide insight in Shin culture and it could be vital to overarching plot - Shin are the keepers of the Honorblades after all. It will also explain why he raised Desolation alarm which could also be important.

This leaves us with Book Four being Eshonai's flashback. Who could we pair her off with? Who else was on the feast? Amaram? Nale? The other male Herald (probably Kalak)? Elhokar? Taravangian? Shalash (maybe?) I rule out Dalinar unless he had a really interesting drunken dream.

Herald being prologue PoV in her book would work on dichotomy of... well, Herald - Voidbringer (I mean, she is a Voidbringer now. I don't know whether she will continue to be).

Amaram - Son of Honor, wants to cause Desolation; Eshonai wanted to stop Parshendi gods from returning, hence Gavilar's assassination.

Elhokar doesn't seem an active player at the time, so I mostly rule him out.

Taravangian... I don't know.

Perhaps Sadeas?

Both protectors of their people turned betrayer?

He was the one who came up with the "King in Plate" plan.

I cleaned up the audio a bit using audacity. Not going to post it unless a mod/team Sanderson says it's ok though.

Way of Kings' prologue was from Szeth's perspective.

Words of Radiance's prologue was from Jasnah's perspective.

Oathbringer Spoiler:

Who else do you expect to hear from in the prologues?

I expect we'll hear from Dalinar and Galivar himself, although I'm not sure when. Galivar I could see in book 5 or 10, depending if the prologues of the back half take place during the same night as the first half. I could see them switching to a new event. Perhaps the ending of book 5 to allow the perspectives if second sequence characters?