Toby_H

I can't provide the quote but... It's stated in one if the 3 Stormlight novels that Stormlight does not enhance strength. As I replay Kaladin & Seth's battles in my head, I can't think of a single example if it doing so. That said, please mind the difference in healing, stamina & altering weights, which it certainly does effect.

Remember, Kaladin does not "fly", he "falls". Falling speeds are governed by terminal velocity. On earth, a human body falls at terminal velocity of 120-180 mph depending on wind resistance (diving, flat, etc). Kal dives, so he would be closer to 180 mph. Gravity & atmosphere are different on Roshar. You are welcome to do the research and calculations to determine that difference. I'm happy to say 150-180 mph. It took the armies approx 7 days to reach the center of the plains. Marching 12 hours per day at an average of 2 mph would be impressive considering the challenges. That's 180'ish miles. So I'd estimate it took Kal just over an hour to get there.

As others have pointed out, if the Shardbearer does not know the effects of his actions, no it is not immoral or unethical... Though it may still have effects or consequences... If summoning a Shard Blade is torturing the "dead" spren, then of course it should not be done. Though I'm not aware that it is, nor are our in story Shardbearers. If summoning the blade of a "dead" spren is not torture, and the Shardbearer is aware it is a dead spren, it is my opinion that it is not immoral to use it. My morality says it is not okay to torture, or selfishly cause harm. But my morality does not say I may not utilize bodily remains to serve a noble purpose. Though its typically a little grosser than I'm willing to go. Once I'm dead, if you're ever fighting a noble cause near my corpse and need a thigh bone for the win, please feel free to use mine.

The depth and complexity of this series never fails to continuously amaze me... Great realization Claderis.

We must be cautious about what we "know". When a WoB tells us something we should take it as absolute, though possibly encrypted. But when Taravangian tells us something, we must only accept it "as far as Taravangian knows"... And I highly doubt he's visited the Stone Shamans vaults to verify what blades they hold... Don't get me wrong, Taravangian is a brilliant dude (or was that day) and has incredible insight, but his knowledge is fallible.

Some of the responses here surprise me, such as Shallan & Pattern, as they are main characters in the current storyline. Even suggestions like Rock & Teft caught me off guard as they have such significant screen time. It's true they aren't often mentioned on forum, but that's likely because they are supportive characters without many individual branches of their own. All 4 great characters, just not what I'd consider underrated... My Vote: Lin Davar and here's why... (minor spoilers within, reader beware) A very important detail within my opinion of him, please remember that before he broke, he was a good man, a good father and a good house lord. Also remember that the act that broke him was an incredibly selfless and noble act. Also remember that that act took place around 10 years before the current timeline, about 9 years before his death. His house was ancient but unimportant (according to Shallan), yet he was making considerable political advancement. He was somewhat successfully positioning himself to make a run at becoming High Prince. He made quite successful advancement within a powerful organization (GhostBloods), enough for them to trust him with a priceless fabrial (SoulCaster). Keep in mind, chances are, both of these were well underway long before he broke himself (Shallan mentioned every time a quarry ran dry, he immediately went out and found a new one, suggesting he has had the SoulCaster for quite some time). This part is laced with more speculation, but that's often the fun part. We know for certain at a very young age (7 or so) his daughter bonded a spren. Bonded well enough to use him as a shardblade. And not just any spren but the first spren in over two millennia of one of the two most powerful political spren factions. What possibly could have brought this child to the attention of the spren BEFORE she killed her mother?... There is a reasonable theory that Shallan isn't the only SurgeBinder in the family, but her eldest brother Helaran is Skybreaker. Keep in mind that, being the eldest, Helaran had the most association with Lin before he broke himself (and as the gem of the Davar House, Shallan had the closest). Do you find it odd that his two closest children became SurgeBinders? As we've seen among the Kholins, spren like to keep it in the family. Now consider that the guy had a "broken SoulCaster". Where is the only other non-functioning SoulCaster referenced? Oh yea, Jasnah! But it's not broken, it's a fake to cover up that she herself can SoulCast... So is it possible that, maybe, Lin Davar had bonded a spren and could SoulCast? Maybe that was the secret behind his political rise both in both Jah Keved and the Ghost Bloods? Is it possible that while saving his daughters life, hiding her secrets, being hated by his family, being loathed by peers who used to respect him, etc, etc... he broke his oathes and killed his spren... which in turn absolutely broke him as a human being? I know, I know... lots of speculation in there. Lots of unfounded and unfoundable assumptions. But also no major obstacles in the proposed path. Of course we can't say it's for certain, but possible... I'm not willing to assume it's true and label him a great man who got totally shafted... but I am willing to say his story worth of great consideration and is thus underrated...

Two thoughts: 1) Is time on Roshar & in Herald Hell the same?... If not what took a few moments in Hell could have taken a couple years on Roshar... 2) Its quite possible that when Taln broke, there was a series of events that took place between him shouting "uncle" and him appearing on Roshar. Kind of like it takes 10 heart beats for a shardblade to form. Its not an instantaneous event, its a chain reaction.