Shadowmancer

I wanted Dalinar in Shardplate on his Ryshadium. You gave me soft porn.

I firmly believe some writers thrive on the agony they cause their readers from the characters they kill off.

As I understand it, the bridges are significantly longer than the chasms themselves. The bridgemen pushing on the back of the bridge also adds a bit of weight. So the bridge doesn't extend past its center of gravity/tipping point, and therefore doesn't tip over.

Thanks @Calderis, I got Sleepless mixed up with Listeners. Long day. Thank you both for your responses! Especially @john203 for picking out the specific instances that I was too tired to look up

There are many times where cremlings are noticed specifically in SA. After the reveal from Edgedancer that the Dysian Aimians are made up of cremlings (or creatures that are classified as cremlings by the general public) I am beginning to wonder if these cremling sightings are more than world-building and scene-setting. What if when a Radiant or proto-Radiant notices a cremling offhand it's actually a Sleepless keeping tabs on the ones who might save or destroy them? I would like to know what exactly is a Dysian Aimian's range. We know that Arclo can watch an entire city. Can they spread even further? What is required to keep communication among the parts of the whole viable? And have we seen any others like him hanging around and just not known they were Sleepless? The whole reason I thought of this was when I remembered J. K. Rowling foreshadowing Rita Skeeter's (Spoilered in case any of you haven't read HP 4 yet.) Anyway, not a mind-blowing theory, but it could be Sanderson's way of showing how the Sleepless really are living up to their claims on the dust jackets.

I have a couple of magical weapons, and a few non-magical. One non-magical is a proto-gun, a spike-launcher that's basically a scaled-down crossbow that shoots metal spikes at terrifying speeds. Another non-magical weapon I've been toying with is called a gharth, a weighed whip designed to incapacitate and knock out opponents. A magical one is a suit of armor that is infused with magic to let non-magicians fight with the same strength as magicians. The only downside being it requires necromancy to create by sacrificing several magicians and putting their souls essentially into the armor. The last weapon, one of my personal favorites, operates on the same principle as the armor. It is a sword hilt that contains the soul of one of my main characters, allowing the wielder to use her magic to create a blade out of any of the seven elements (as long as they ask nicely) and decimate their enemies.

I'm doing it! The only problem is, though I did win NaNo last year, I still haven't finished my novel I've still got 40K or so left to go (and I'm already at a whopping 154K). I want to finish my old novel before starting the new one I've been outlining, which means, in essence, I have a pre-NaNo nano-NaNo to do.

Yes to both of these. If you enjoy Sanderson, you'll likely enjoy Stroud. And Neil Gaiman is pretty entertaining, too. I honestly agree with your opinion on Warbreaker, I felt it had several fundamental flaws, but still well-written.

So the "Wicked thing of eminence" [somewhere in the chapter headings, I'm too tired to look it up] that has been mentioned makes me think it's a bit more than a simple "we found out we're going to be tortured for all eternity" or "this spren made my family member die." I think that somehow, Odium was working on something that would bring about another Desolation. Perhaps something akin to the Preservation/Ruin dynamic, where they were diametrically opposed so that if one acted the other reacted to balance it out. Maybe by the increase of Radiants without the threat of the Desolation, Odium was able to squeeze Investiture into Roshar in a way he couldn't before. The wicked thing of eminence, I think, could be the Everstorm. Because Honor/Cultivation were creating Radiants, Odium was creating new forms for the Listeners, new forms that would bring on the Desolation cycle again in a new way. This new cycle, we have learned, is going to be different from the last cycle of Desolations [see Hoid at the end of WoR]. It might not be bound by the rules of the past, which could allow Odium to finally break free of his prison. If the Knights Radiant knew this, then I think they would have had a justifiable reason for all simultaneously breaking their oaths and consigning their friends to a fate worse than death.

@King Cole I think that most of the animals on First of the Sun are bird-like in nature,. The nightmaws and tuskrun seem to be able to sense mental signatures, while the Aviar can do something to avoid detection. Whether or not other animals can be granted this boon would most likely be dependent on whether they can support the parasites in a symbiotic relationship. The powers they grant might perhaps be related to the animal's role as predator, prey, scavenger, etc. It doesn't seem to work with humans, or else no human has tried it...

A lot of good critiques. Sanderson himself has admitted that he likes to be a little over-the-top, making his writing seem pretentious at times [acknowledgments in one book somewhere]. I see that come through more in his short stories and earlier stories than the more recent novels he's done. But to respond to the thread, I think it's a tie between Warbreaker and Well of Ascension. Aside from the Zane/Vin/Elend love triangle that made us all think "Twilight," I think WoA had a couple of flaws as far as plot development. The story was paced too slowly, and was even more political than Elantris was, without having the philosophical/moral/religious discussions that made me love Elantris (I like thinking books, to be honest). I couldn't finish the book and didn't pick up another Sanderson novel until Way of Kings in 2013. That said, Sazed and Marsh and Allrianne made the reread worth it. Their characters made the boring plot and Mary-Sue-ish-ness of the other characters more bearable. Warbreaker ... well, let's start with the ending. We don't get the story behind the friggin title of the book until the ending? I just felt like Sanderson was yanking me around a bit too much in the book. Starting out with Vasher and not seeing him until halfway through the book, and then revealing he's the main character of the book, that was a little ... I don't know. Deus ex machina? I wanted a bit more than I got of Vasher. And the ending just felt chopped, to be honest. There should have been more of a resolution, in my mind. Then the awkward naked scenes felt unnecessary, though it certainly makes him fit right in with Jordan (whose work I love, to be clear, I just think there are more naked people than there need to be). Anywho, that's my two spheres.

@Sunbird Sounds good to me! I work in SLC and have to deal with rush hour traffic, so I might be a bit late, but I'd love to come! Any requirements for these meetings? Do we bring books, paraphernalia, snacks, or is that frowned upon? Sorry for the questions, feel free to PM me so I don't clutter your forum

I'd love to join you guys, when are you planning your next meeting?

My name is Wilberforce Thornton. I'm not quite sure how to explain myself, but I'll do my best. I lived many long years on Threnody, living a simple life of a scholar. My life was not ideal -- no one's is, especially in Hell -- but I found happiness in learning and preserving knowledge. I moved among the forts, restoring books or copying their contents onto more stable parchment. In my work I discovered an ancient book written in nearly indecipherable script, hinting that the Evil was not as contained as all we hoped it to be. It spoke of a magic available to those who were willing to pay the price, the price of their body. Using techniques I will not mention here, I became a Cognitive Shadow with full sentience, and I fled the doom I felt certain to befall us. Time has taught me my mistake was rash, and I soon grew displeased with my lack of a physical connection. I came to Roshar to see if the wonders of its magic could do anything for my state, but the Aimians did not take kindly to my presence on their isle, even in the Cognitive realm. The spren all shun me, and I am forced to watch without interfering. But I can interfere, just not in the typical way. My long stay in the Cognitive Realm has given me the magic I first thought only a vague possibility. My magic is called Syphon, also known as Shadowmancy. It is the manipulation of ideas. Not big ones, not important ones, but small, everyday ideas. I can give hints to minds that they otherwise would not have obtained. I can draw men and women into fantasy that distracts them from the world around them. I can view a soul and judge of its propensity for good or evil, and it is very difficult to lie to me when I am focused. And, most importantly, I can make myself completely invisible in every realm but the Spiritual, though only through intense concentration. The spren notice a little of this, but I operate on such a subtle level that they can only guess what I am doing. I steal even those suspicions and Syphon them away, keeping myself secure. I hope you realize the danger I place myself in by coming to you, but I felt that such brilliant minds as yours -- to remain hidden in the shadows, ignored and reviled whilst effecting great change -- might be able to offer a remedy to my ... disembodiment. My aid is not contingent on your help, of course, but I cannot do much more than watch and wonder. I have observed you briefly, and where others ridicule your naivete I see great potential for good. Being ignored, as I have so painfully learned, can allow one to interact in a much more intricate way with the events of the Cosmere. I would fain be glad to join my efforts to your forces, if our aims can be aligned. Meanwhile, you can find me searching old tomes and composing epics of my own. Thank you for your consideration.

Granted. You are a very healthy to the point of psychosis if you see any germs. You know instinctively what germs are, where they are, how many of them there are, what they will do to you if you are infected, etc. It is up to you to use this information. Good luck kissing anyone ever again {cackles evilly}. I wish to be able to wake up well rested every morning.

I'm dying send help please

I think Sanderson himself has said that all writing is essentially thievery. Hoid talks about it at the end of WoK. I myself had a Cosmere-esque plan in motion years before I learned of Sanderson's, but that hasn't put me off of my writing plan. Just keep developing, keep writing. Be aware of the similarities you have to other works out there and keep yours as unique as possible while trying to make it as YOU as possible, too. If that wasn't confusing, or tl;dr, just know that there is always room for new ideas and we welcome and support any aspiring authors!

Hi @Stormsurfer! Welcome to the dark side, where cookies gain sentience and rabbit-hole theories make the US Tax Code simple by comparison. You should tackle Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians next for a quick, lighthearted read with the odd reference to the Cosmere. Do you like 1) analyzing the books you read, or 2) just reading for enjoyment? If 1), what is your opinion of Kaladin's character arc throughout the Words of Radiance? If 2), what has been your favorite moment in any book so far (just remember to use spoilers)?

@Calderis A bit undignified, but not impossible I suppose. We didn't see what really happened to those Radiants in Edgedancer, so it's sort of a moot point to argue, but I do think that the Sleepless have more to them than just bugs. The bugs can specialize to do a lot of weird things [citation needed] and I just think it's possible that they could have a way to suck out Investiture. Unless larkins have a spren bond which allows them to do what they do, in which case I don't know if it's possible for them to be in Sleepless' employ. Or perhaps the bond between a Sleepless and his hoardlings facilitates the absorption of Stormlight, or a myriad of other things. Point being, there are a lot of ways Sanderson can take it, and I personally doubt it will simply be "The bugs attack you for 60d3 damage." But it might be that simple (well, "simple" maybe is the wrong word, but you know...).

I hate jumping in to have my opinion dragged through the figurative shredder, but I don't think any characters in SA are overhyped. I think we just haven't had enough time to see what The Bard is going to do with them. There are characters I don't particularly enjoy (and I enjoy every character that has been mentioned here, including Sticky McStickspren) but I just can't bring myself to distrust the arc of the story so far. Other books where the story arc has ended, I can look at and judge those characters. But this series is only two books into its ten-book arc. ~~

Sorry to necro this but ... well, look at my name I think you're on the right track with this. Think of Edgedancer where I don't think something like that happens by merely overwhelming your opponent. Literally all they have to do is heal is breath in. The regeneration is passive and acts without any direction. Since Arclo does I think it unlikely that he would go without a larkin in his entourage. Sucking up a Radiant's Investiture seems to be the only surefire way of killing them if you don't have a Shardblade or something akin to it.

@Nathrangking I understand the distinction you're making. But destruction is just transformation. As Syl says in WoR Matter and energy (and, in my mind, spren and other cognitive representations) can't be destroyed, only transformed. Even Nightblood leaves behind some ash. Breaking something in the PR still leaves behind a residue, but it is destroyed. The only way to fully get rid of it is to dump it into a Shardpool where (I assume) it dissolves into energy/Investiture. Essentially, chemical bonds are broken, and in the case of a living creature its body becomes unable to support a connection to the SR and CR. Breaking something in the SR ... well we've only seen Hemalurgy do any "breaking" and that, again, means the breaking of bonds and forging of new ones. The CR works the same way, in my mind. A person fights to survive in the PR. Even something as simple as a stick [see WoR pg 144] wants to stay a stick, and a rope [see Jasnah's spoiler] wants to stay a rope, but their very identity can be destroyed, ripped from them as they are transformed into something new. The idea is broken, the identity is shattered and made into something new. Soulcasting is a very powerful use of Investiture, one that I'm sure we're going to see more of in the Cosmere.

I think Taravangian is a good prospect. Gavilar spoke with him the night of the assassination. That seems like a conversation of import.

You can always get Arcanum Unbounded. That provides a pretty fair overview of the worlds as they interconnect. That, and hanging out here on the Shard will probably help a long way towards understanding. The Cosmere is a big place [citation needed] and it takes a tiny bit of patience