redbishop

Here there be theorizing. I suspect it is a resonance effect. Brandon chose "Progression" as the name of the surge, rather than Growth or Healing. Progression means to continue forward. Illumination means to cast light on. If you combine those, you are casting light forward - seeing the future (or glimpses of it, or glimpses of possible futures) makes sense. Rampant speculation: Contrasting, Lightweavers have Illumination and Transformation. From WoR: Transforming and Illumination combined, resulting in incredible artistic abilities? Sounds right, especially since the Words of Radiance implies more-than-normal artistic ability. Similarly, Adhesion (Sticking together) and Gravitation (Pulling in) sounds a lot like assembling a cohort... of Squires? Tension (Drawing taught) and Adhesion (Sticking together) in building a surgebinding link between people? I may be wrong, but I feel like we are deep enough into SA that once we get the reveal, it will be really obvious in hindsight.

I like this, and I'd like to further the speculation/offer an alternative. We know from WoR excerpts that Truthwatchers never spoke or wrote of what they did, and from other sources that Vorinism considers foretelling the future to be of the Void/Odium. We also heard Honor's recording say that Cultivation was better at seeing the future than he. Tying threads of speculation together, where we have surmised that surgebinding involves spren and surges associated with both Honor and Cultivation. Based on placement on the Surgebinding chart and the fact that Progression is shared between Truthwatchers and Edgedancers (who are bonded to cultivationspren), it seems reasonable that the Truthwatchers may be influenced by Cultivation, and thus may have some access to foretelling/seeing beyond. Since that is pretty heavily scorned by Vorinism, that would explain why Truthwatchers don't speak much of their activities - fear of being branded heretics, or worse.

I have a suspicion that the Fourth Ideal is going to involve leadership more than protection. @Groggins made a good point about Kal's Oaths involving overcoming his character flaws - right now, it looks like he is calm, cool, and collected. He is also operating alone and unafraid, which based on the Strength of Squires and the divine attribute of Leadership, seems like it isn't the role he is supposed to fill. I would suspect "I will stand alongside those that stand with me, and allow them to fight at my side." Or something similar, in better prose.

Somewhat in there, and also in the topic about drawing Urithiru.

That is hilarious, and it deserves a pause for acknowledgemnt. Well spotted! I am on mobile now and may have missed, but have we speculated that Perel may have been killed because of where he was/What he had seen, rather than a pure frame up or other sneaky shenanigans? As a Sebarial guard, he may have seen something he wasn't supposed to (such as Ghostbloods spying on the Brightness Radiant?) and been killed, and the murderer used a recent, memorable method of killing/mangling as misdirection? "Look, a serial killer!" may throw them off the correct trail. Except it shouldn't throw Adolin, and could give him a reprieve, if not fully put him in the clear.

1 and 2, there has been some other speculation along similar lines. As to 3, at least, this is the best argument I have seen for Urithiru being soulcast. We saw the Shin trade valuable chickens for soulcast metals, as the earth hadn't been violated to obtain them. 4, I think is just a function of location and lack of active Oathgates. At the end of WoR, there is various commentary that amounts to they are so far that without Shallan, they are stuck. 5 - Speculation, but I somehow got the impression that the Oathgates are a series of semi-conjoined fabrials that exchange places with others. Of course, when you try to travel from Kholinar to the Shattered Plains while a group from the Shattered Plains is about to leave for Urithiru... hilarity ensues? Maybe they had a schedule, and certain gates only left at certain times to prevent it...

Mistake, or SICK BURN!?! Maybe Laral, in addition to having a blasphemously-symmetrical name, is dropping shade on the inept King of Alethkar! Joking aside, this may be some world-building. We know the Alethi are a warlike people, so perhaps they have formalized the system of governance for when the King is away on campaign.

Tongue was firmly in cheek, but it is worth the read/listen. The UA audiobook has a portion of a prose version of White Sand, I believe. I did the same, audiobook-wise, although I got White Sand for the reason you mentioned. And I'm about to break down and get hard copies of SA, at the least.

Very high, I imagine. It falls just below the Stick. "I am... a city!"

Thank you for that. Now I am envisioning (in horror) Radiant parents handing their toddlers Shardspinners. Although something interesting could likely be done with fabrials! This is actually an effect of Breath, and may be the origin of the Royal Locks.

I have got to start triple-checking my posts for missing words. I meant "all the surgebinding and spren/spren-bonded occupants over the years have pulled Urithiru partially into the cognitive realm." The idea I failed to express was that the city of the KR was also a city of spren, and that took a toll on Ry'leh... erm... Urithiru.

Or maybe she just wanted "Brightlord Brooding-Eyes" to put his arms around her and fly away with him! Ok, sorry. I don't 'ship Shalladin, but it was too good to pass up. Interesting that she references his new status (notably, seeming to be within the extant hierarchical system) in her internal monologue. My first thought on reading this segment, since so many 'normal people' get confused and Shallan herself can only draw the place with surrealistic styling, makes me wonder if all the surgebinding and spren/spren-bonded occupants have pulled Urithiru partially into the cognitive realm. I am envisioning subtly non-Euclidean geometry.

Perhaps, but not immediately. I like him as a potential Radiant or Squire. Anyone else think Laral was the other voice that Syl referred to in Ch. 5? She and Kaladin played frequently as kids.

In that case, I stand corrected. A pity, as it would be a really potent capability for the Stonewards, as one of the main-line combat orders, to posess. That said, it is in keeping with the second divine attribute associated with Ishar - "Guiding." That mirrors the Windrunner's "Strength of Squires" being in line with Jezrien's secondary attribute of "Leading." I suspect I'm over-analyzing that, however.

Shallan was asked to trot out Pattern to discuss world affairs. Glys was not obviously present at the time. I feel like we're being deliberately led to distrust Renarin, and so heavy-handedly that I am becoming more and more reluctant to suspect ill of him. That said, what reason would he have, given what we know, to turn bad? Cageyness would be explicable since it seems as if Truthwatchers have a history of reluctance to disclose their power. Of course, could his position on the spectrum make him more open to badspren?

I think this is our introduction to the surge of tension. It could be the Bondsmith resonance power, but (narratively) it feels too early for us to see that. I expect this is functioning by establishing a Connection - likely between allies or at least agreeing individuals - to use their powers and abilities together. Here it involves Surgebinding, elsewhere it may allow communications, and enhanced tactics. Although the idea of using a spanreed-connected spotter and a team of Windrunners and Skybreakers as artillery would be amusing.

Speculation: Regarding the murder, my guess is the Ghostbloods. They knew that Adolin killed Sadeas, and are stirring things up to put pressure on Adolin, which they will use as a lever on Shallan. During the course of the investigation, Adolin will probably find hints that lead back to Shallan, and lead to an interesting exchange where she distrusts and eventually confronts him as a murderer, while he distrusts and confronts her as an agent for a secret society. Also, it looks like spanreeds do, in fact, use stormlight. We also know where the Oathgates are.

That's where I got the idea. Well, that and: I also would be interested to see if Electrum acts similarly to

I agree with @Calderis based on what we have seen, and in many circumstances. It raises another question. With practice, might an Oracle make a very effective safe-cracker/bomb-squad member? Burn electrum. "Hmmn... I think I'll cut the blue..." Visions of bits flying everywhere. "Nope, definitely the yellow wire!" Of course, we haven't seen anyone trying particularly hard to explore the capabilities of electrum. Perhaps Oracles will be the Navigators of Mistborn Era 4 starships.

Why does a two-armed Herdazian seem greater than a one-armed Herdazian? He can pat himself on the back for twice as long! What makes a two-armed Herdazian the best sort of cousin? He can lend you a hand... twice!

I think you are correct, though I think the flashbacks we are seeing are setting up for a gradual backsliding. He likely does not consider conquest as a serious likelihood, but what if a holdout princedom or small kingdom refuses passage to Alethi troops going to fight off the Voidbringers that are gathering in some remote location? All it would take is defeating a small garrison - and aren't we all really on the same side? Some little slip - not even a violation of his oaths, because conquest actually does bring people together, from at least one point of view, and the old habits will start pouring back.

My apologies, for I was not clear. I meant "known from Dalinar's perspective." At this point, all the KRs that he has heard of are popping up around him, not to mention Taln (though we have no strong idea what he thinks about that). I'm uncertain regarding his intentions to unite them under Alethi rule, because I am uncertain (and think we're supposed to be uncertain) about what he has planned. He stated an intention all of Roshar. He is acting with the powers of the King, but Elhokar remains on the throne. I feel like we're supposed to see the beginnings of an overlordship/empire or some unified coalition with himself as the dictator (in the pre-Imperial Roman sense). Alternately, he may very well intend to unite them under Alethi rule by steamrolling everyone else into bending the knee, either by conquest or threats. We see implications in the flashbacks that he and Gavilar won supporters by intimidation as well as by actual conquest. Perhaps those ideas are swimming around in his head, regardless of what he actually ends up doing.

I think this is about interpretation. Option 1, what you say is 100% true. Option 2, all of the known KRs are tied (by blood, oaths, or causal betrothal) to Dalinar, an Alethi Highprince of War and de facto Overlord of Alethkar with his eye on all of Roshar and the sense of a divine mandate. Dalinar's marriage to Navani was both sudden and in open defiance of convention, and I think this may be a sign that the Blackthorn is stirring inside him. After showing Dalinar's steadfast devotion to the Alethi Codes of War for two books, followed by this, I suspect that we are being led to see that Dalinar is no longer going to let convention be an impediment to necessity. Of course, this will likely lead to him finding himself again in some morally ambiguous situations, and the books climax could be him recognizing something about compromise (possibly a Bondsmith oath?) as he has to find an internal balance between Highprince Dalinar and the Blackthorn. And hey, why wouldn't we see a conflict like that? The KR are all Broken Aces, right? We need to see their baggage. I find it easy to forget their imperfections and vices and idealize our heroes when I am not reading the books, and Dalinar is more perfect than most, in many ways. Time to trot out the skeletons from the closet!

I think this was to contrast with our introduction to Roshone. The pride in the new citylord wearing a takama - a little out-dated, sure, but a warrior's garment. Now, Kaladin is seeing him as outdated and out-of-touch.

I just re-read the chapter headings in the "voice" of each of the characters. (Mistborn Series 1 Spoilers) I suspect we will probably be misled a few times before we lock on. I like the idea of Jasnah, but that doesn't feel right anymore - partially because I think she'll end up as the Vessel of between one and three Shards before this is all over. I think it's Shallan, as she is associated with Jasnah and so could bear the mark of heresy and could also be thought lost in Shadesmar, or may later become so.