Odium's_Shard

I was under the impression that since the Parshendi are known to have previously been the Voidbringers, then they had always caused the Desolations in a similar fashion to this (if this is yet the Desolation and not just an Everstorm).

Its his esoterics that I feel make him particularly dangerous, but also an indication of his brilliance. He seems to have everything worked out, and yet at the same time he seems to feel like he doesn't know enough to do what needs to be done. It obviously also makes him a great character to read about, in the same way that I enjoy Lightsong's humour.

Perhaps in a more scary way this might relate to the disestablishment of the Radiant's in the future (another Recreance could occur).

I think he is attempting to increase Cosmere-awareness in preparation for the possible coming apocalypse or danger presented by Ryse. By pushing Shardworlds forwards in their understanding of Investiture, he acts in a dangerous way (because you never know what people might do with this power), and perhaps this is why 17th Shard finds him to be reckless. Odium's_Shard

In my opinion, this talk of squires just conjures images of the Knights Radiant lead large armies into battle passing along superhuman abilities to their troops by allowing them to hold Light, and a large charge of infused infantry. Perhaps people performing heroic deeds could hold Stormlight due to their temporary affinity to an Ideal (if a Radiant of this Ideal was around).

I believe that has something to do with footprints he left at the Well (my memory has been proven to be quite terrible though). Also I recently saw a quote from Brandon than stated that whatever Hoid is aiming towards crosses paths with 17th Shard, if not in direct antagonism to them (though since both of their intentions are as yet unknown this isn't of much use). Odium's_Shard

It was implied by Teft's comment, about the bridgemen glowing as Kaladin fought the Parshendi, that Kaladin was fully capable of supporting squires before he spoke the Ideal. Also, as for 'where is Lopen's spren', Shallan was able to use her abilities without knowledge of having a spren, so Lopen might never have remarked it (it was a short Interlude, after all). And moving aside from semantics about exactly how 'faintly' Lopen or the squires glow... My point was more that I feel squires are 'of the moment'. They are temporarily Invested by a strong expression of the Knight Radiant's Ideal, and his Intent to carry out that Ideal (such as Kaladin fighting the Parshendi in defense of Dalinar's army), and I assume only in proximity and on the understanding that they Intend to act upon the Radiant's Ideal at that time. Because they are not bound by the Radiant's vows, and are likely to break these vows at any other time in a way that a Radiant cannot, I feel that they do not remain a squire (in this case, if they were to enact the Ideals, they might as well themselves become Radiant), but are only a squire for the duration of a concurrence of Ideals with their leading Radiant (for the duration of a battle in defense, for example). EDIT: Added a point I forgot. Odium's_Shard

My impression was that Lopen had become Knights Radiant, not a squire. He did not 'glow faintly', he directly and purposefully Inhaled a sphere's worth of Stormlight. Also, Kaladin was not around, and was not at that time leading him into peril. My impression of the squires was similar to the one in the passage: In that if a Windrunner, or Knight Radiant, leads men into battle in defense of their Ideal, or who for that time express and represent the completion of the Knight Radiant's will, maybe be granted some of the benefit of Stormlight, or are temporarily Invested through the Knight Radiant's spren due to a gravitation in the Cognitive Realm (due to similarity of Intent). Odium's_Shard

In the actual Oathgate, this 'eleventh lamp' points to Urithiru instead, if that is of any use in interpreting this. But perhaps the Circle of Memories has another function in the same way as the Oathgate is presumably a fabrial that gives limiting parameters to the Surge or Transportation/Edgecall. On a side note, where is this 'Circle of Memories'? It could potentially just be another Oathgate to one of the major cities. EDIT: For stupidity only. The Circle of Memories seen by Lahn in Kholinar is almost definitely the Kholinar Oathgate, but the locked placed under might be this keyhole (the keyhole itself being a blocking fabrial to the Shardblade slot just behind it). Odium's_Shard

I tend to adopt what my friends call my 'foreign language accent' whereupon I ditch my native English and speak in a strange amalgamation of all sorts of accents in the vague hope that I will correctly emphasise a word (the only languages I tend to do correctly are English and French) when I speak words such as: Jah Keved -> Yah Kay-VED. Taravangian -> Tar-ah-VAN-gee-un. Dalinar/Gavilar/Jasnah Kholin -> DAH-lin-ar/ GAH-vih-lar/ YAS-nuh KO-lin (K'O' as in Y'O'KE)

While I agree that it is correct of Taravangian to try to use his gift and the Diagram in combination with the rattles, I am also aware that prophecy appears to be of Odium and the Unmade, and may be thus alterable (Ruin's own changes were very subtle, only Kwaan saw them). As part of a random conjecture on what causes the death rattles, there is a Form of the Listeners that was supposedly able to prophesise or catch glimpses of the future, in a similar way to the death rattle. Presumably, this is through the binding of some sort of voidspren to the Listener, and is one of the forms directly controllable/influenced by Odium. What if, in certain moments of death, certain more evil spren begin to gather around the person and the Cognitive intervention of the Unmade responsible for the visions allows for some temporary bonding or association that might grant the person this snippet of wisdom (it clearly comes from an external source, potentially Invested directly from Odium through a voidspren, because of the example of the light-eyed child having remarkable clarity and diction for his age)? Just a thought. Odium's_Shard

I think the way Szeth develops will be in a positive direction as he comes to accept the ways of his Order of Knights Radiant. However he might suffer consequences (not just harm, but potential mental blocks in the way of speaking the Words or expressing the Ideals). Odium's_Shard

My mistake, it must have been Sel (I get mixed up between worlds, its a long time since I've done much Realmatic work on Shardworlds other than Roshar and Scadrial). I think Dominion is known to have been dropped there or something (or am I just getting seriously confused...?) Actually, I am reading on the Wiki that Dominion was also Splintered (something to do with Skaze), but I didn't remember this. In which case, the point about Hoid and Splinters stands. Odium's_Shard

In the same way that I have discussed spren moving to the Physical Realm in a different thread, it might be possible for Nightblood to fulfil a similar Realmatic role (like a spren) while still having a large Physical presence, or even being anchored in the Physical Realm. Odium's_Shard

I think its more the ideal of leadership and unification that leads to the Stormfather 'selecting' you. After all, the Stormfather is actually a spren of the type that creates Bondsmiths. So perhaps he was half-way through bonding Gavilar (and Gavilar then revealed the return of spren bonding to the Parshendi, offering them to become Nahel bonded too, which reminded them of their old gods and caused them to assassinate him), and part of the Nahel bond with the Stormfather grants visions, due to his nature as a Splinter of the Almighty (in the same way that as he passes over the land he releases Stormlight, presumably part of the Power of Creation that composes him). After all the bond must have started with Dalinar for his saying of the Ideals at the end to solidify it. Odium's_Shard

If he picked up another Shard his own current balance would be thrown out of sorts. Odium's_Shard

I completely missed that! I thought it was either a native language or from a Shardworld I didn't know, I never made the Elantris link! After all the effort Brandon went to in ensuring it could be seen by reinforcing Galladon's use of these phrases. I think the Interludes of Stormlight Archive are probably the most Comere-important parts, if not chapters involving Hoid. Also as for why people with Cognitive access can't all world-hop, Jasnah seems to be able to transport only because of the Elsecall Surge. Maybe a similar form of Investiture must be given on the corresponding planet for corresponding Worldhoppers. Galladon may be able to worldhop just using the magic of Elantris (the rune that details transport), though this would mean he would be stranded when he arrived (so this is pretty void). Odium's_Shard

Wait, Doors of Stone might release this century?! I was hoping for a Winds of Winter release sometime this decade (even George R.R. Martin is more punctual than Rothfuss...), but I guess that's out of the window now! Wait, if Hoid travels through ASOIAF, does that mean Kvothe versus White Walkers! Now we know exactly how the Night's Watch will counter the coming invasion of undead: Hoid will Elsecall them all into the Commonwealth, whereupon Kvothe will speak the Name of Fire and end them all.

I have always felt that the ability of Bronze to sense an Allomantic 'pulse' was a hint to things happening behind the Physical world, and the bright lines leading to metal that iron and steel allow. I can't think of anything right now that was exactly explicit in implying that there were two other Realms. Odium's_Shard

I don't believe it would be much fun if Sazed was point of view (except in some sort of Interlude), but this kind of Cosmere wide event must happen at some point (and could hopefully tie in a large amount of characters) though we might have to wait for events on Yolen before this occurs.

This makes me potentially excited for the ways in which he could combine Investiture cycles (that is, if Investiture cycles remain the same when away from their planet). But if Hoid gathered enough Splinters... could he make an Adonalsium, a completely idealogically balanced Shard, of roughly the same power as Odium, or other Shards? Who picked up Honor's Shard? Or the Shard that was dropped on Nalthis? If it was Odium, that's worrying (but also slightly delaying because it would somewhat negate his ideal, hatred). But if Hoid gathered at least some of the splinters... I wonder how much he knows, about the true nature of the magic systems, and what could be done with them. Odium's_Shard

I've always wondered if Brandon has ever planned some inter-planetary action, or has some really cool potential combinations to explore (in the same way he did with the whole Metallic Arts triangle, compounding, etc). I am certain that Taravangian at one point implied that the large spren around the world were impacting it in very meaningful ways (such as bringing on the death rattles), and I can only surmise that even if these are not direct Physical influences (perhaps at a Cognitive level) then the spren at least have presence and effect on all three Realms. Odium's_Shard

I think you're right to imply that a Command in Awakening is almost parallel to a spren in Surgebinding. They're the Cognitive aspect of the magic. I think I might have implied elsewhere that when Investiture is grafted onto the Physical object (human, sword, metal) this is done through some sort of Cognitive bridge that shapes the Investiture (in my opinion). As for Shardblades not consuming Investiture, do we know if a Shardblade that is not of a Nahel bond (one that has a gemstone in its hilt) doesn't consume Stormlight? Because it seems to operate as some sort of fabrial. I don't know what it would use this Stormlight for (in Shardplate, that takes Stormlight to repair itself), but then we don't know why Nightblood needs Breath (presumably it could sit sheathed forever and be fine). Lastly, on the point about Snapping, you're probably right (I was making a very tenuous link). I like the Brandon quote about having a broken Spiritual aspect allows something else (the Investiture key) to be grafted on more easily. In this way, Shallan, Renarin, Kaladin and Dalinar could all be considered those with a broken Spirit (though the Edgedancing girl seems quite happy, and the old man who can heal quite at peace).

My personal opinion is that Brandon's systems are based on real life interactions with only Investiture and the Realms as the defining features (which allows for some really cool systems), so as to avoid contradictions as much as possible (either that or he has everything pinned down to the exact tenets, after a tremendous amount of work with consistency, that we're merely guessing at, that he may or may not ever choose to share with us in full). But I love Brandon's magics because they begin to be able to be refined to a scientific discipline. Like the commercial uses of Allomancy in Alloy of Law, the people begin to lose their mysticism and develop good scientific methodical approaches, such as those prescribed by the writer of the Ars Arcanum. And I think this is the best thing about this magic system, its almost as wonderful as real science. /offtopicrambling EDIT: To avoid double posting, I just found this WoB about aluminium, and burning aluminium, that might give some hints: Seems like it can absorb all Investitures, and as well as wiping the body of the Invested metal reserves, it can wash away other Investitures. Perhaps burning Aluminium could destroy a Nahel bond, or remove Awakening links, or even cast out Breath (this has exceptionally scary consequences considering that Chromium does the same thing, but to OTHERS)? Odium's_Shard