Hoiditthroughthegrapevine

This is speculative, to be sure, but all we know of Iyatil is that she was born in Silverlight and that she supposedly has Southern Scadrian ancestry (due to her wearing what appears to be a Southern Scadrian Hunters mask). There are a number of plausible scenarios where her most distinguishing feature, her mask, is just that, something she uses to conceal her true identity. It's rather hard to believe that the culture of the warrior tribe of Hunters exists in anything like it's native form in the Scholar city of Silverlight, but it is likely that there may be a pocket of Southern Scadrian emigres in Silverlight, like Little Herdaz in Sebarial's war camps, where certain traditions are maintained and are generally known about, so it might be assumed common knowledge that Hunter Southern Scadrian wear their masks from adulthood until death. I think it is dubious that Iyatil is truly a Hunter South Scadrian, unless she has figured out how to magically increase her lifespan. Hunters get their second, permanent mask when they reach adulthood and Iyatil's mask is described as both being made of orange carapace (hence from a creature native to Roshar) and as being grown over by her skin. That would mean that Mraize's Babsk reached adulthood on Roshar, and most likely was a member of either the Ghostbloods or the Seventeenth Shard before she was an adult (how else could she travel to Roshar to get her adult carapace mask), both of which seem highly unlikely. I think it's far more likely that masked Iyatil is a useful disguise. With the preface behind us, here are the plausible scenarios: Iyatil is wearing her mask because she is a practicing Hunter South Scadrian, but she also utilizes the cultural significance of her mask to do tasks unmasked (and therefore perversely incognito). She is shown to a potential recruit with her skin apparently growing into her mask to establish a negative identity between masked Iyatil and Iyatil the infiltrator. The Ghostbloods worship at the altar of power, there are no sacred cows to them, taboo is only taboo for the weak, if breaking a taboo is unexpected and useful then in service of power it will be done. She is descended from the Malwish Nation, and accustomed to the idea of changing masks, she sees the utility in adopting a Hunters disguise (which implies a permanent association with one particular mask). When moving amongst Southern Scadrians, this would be an extremely effective disguise because there's a 1 to 1 correspondence between mask and individual, extremely useful if it's necessary to hide in plain sight. She is descended from the Fallen, the original rulers of Southern Scadrial, and as above adopts the disguise of a Hunter Scadrian because of its utility. If this is the case, then Iyatil herself might be Thaidakar, and she will wear her final ornately painted mask when all of her plans have come to fruition. I personally think this scenario is very unlikely. She is a member of the heretic sect The Deniers of Masks, and would have no qualms about adopting a Hunter persona if it achieves her ends. This is my personal favorite, because culturally she would know about Hunter South Scadrians, and ideologically she would probably delight in the ruse. She is not descended from South Scadrians at all, but growing up in Silverlight she was aware that Hunter South Scadrians existed and saw in them the idea of a permanent mask, and realized this was the ultimate expression of conspicuous anonymity. I think this is the most likely, and that Iyatil's probable background is with the stage. Easy to create the semblance of flesh growing into a mask, and we know that Ishnah wears heavy makeup and lipstick and that she pencils in her eyebrows. All the pieces fit.

Hahaha, funny stuff. Funny stuff. Last meal, Fast deal, Chloroplast teal, Avast Eel!!, uhh there are probably others.

Thanks brother, it's all in the details. Incidentally that sketch shows Shallan's hidden persona which is both formless and the mole, it just pops out of her arm and does whatever spy type stuff is required. Like one of her tangible illusions at the battle of Thaylen Fields. And also, Shallan got her ghostblood tattoo on her mole persona.

This was so good Subvisual, that I did my Inktober sketch on this.

I'm with @Toaster Retribution on this, Sebarial and Pallona are super fishy. In Toaster's way back post of "Is There A Point to Sebarial", I put together some pretty compelling evidence for Sebarial at least being more than he seems, and more likely, part of the Ghostbloods (along with Pallona). A link to my original post is spoilered below. In another post in the same thread I analyzed the scene where Shallan returns from confronting Reshephir and Pallona grills her for information about the Unmade while plying her with possibly drugged tea. The whole post is spoilered below (because it's pretty long), but there's a consistent sense of menace that Shallan continually dispels: Is Sebarial Thaidakar? Maybe, or maybe he's just a well positioned senior member of the Ghostbloods, content to let those in his employ do what they need to do (like eliminate Thanadal, Ialai, etc to shore up his grip on the markets in the Alethi Warcamps). Is it known if Thaidakar is the founder of the Ghostbloods, or is he just the leader? If he's just the leader it could easily be Sebarial, if Thaidakar is also the founder then the case for Sebarial becomes a bit weaker. At the very least, the founder of the Ghostbloods should have figured out a way to attain at least a bit of the immortality that they are most assuredly striving for. Oh, new crackpot theory, Thaidakar is Nohadon, the weird shopping scene wasn't a dream/vision, it was really Thaidakar taking Dalinar to the Market. Actually that theory makes me wince a bit.

Yeah, former house spy and would-be Ghostblood, what's suspicious about that background? Also, one thing else that aligns with this theory is that Ishnah quickly falls into the role of mentor/teacher, teaching Veil, Gaz and Vatha how to read a room inconspicuously, training Vatha how to plan an operation, and from the recent chapter apparently training new recruits. Iyatil is Mraize's babsk, and the one time she was teamed up with Shallan during WoR, her role kind of seemed like a driver's ed instructor. The watchful eye of the master, letting the apprentice succeed or fail on their own. Also, what better position to be in to recruit new Ghostblood Radiants than as the primary instructor of Lightweaver squires? The order has a known attraction to secrets, and that's the lifeblood of the Ghostbloods, gathering and selectively revealing information.

Doh! Makes me think of Britney Spears, maybe this should be the official theme sing of The Game: (I like this version of the song better and the video has lip synching cats)

Oops, sorry about that, thanks for changing it!

So cool! I just ordered mine (glad there were still some left), and I am getting it signed for my daughter who loves the Stormlight Archive. I also opted for the personalization, I think this is a good model going forward now that Brandon is getting as busy as he is. Kind of a no brainer to give some extra money to his charity to get to ask a question and have the book signed for my daughter. I was worried that personalizations were going to have to go away, but trust Brandon to figure out the perfect way to keep it going.

You lose again Lews Therin. Basically Ba' alzamon (or the Game) always win, and those who think of the game, us poor Lews Therins, always lose. Just the way it works.

Happiness is an illusion, so keep smiling. Who cheers up the clowns, the mimes? Who listens to the mimes, their therapists? Or do they act-out their problems? So many questions, so few answers.

Granted. The parrot's previous owner was a huge Star Trek fan and had tourettes. So, unfortunately, you parrot talks only in Klingon and swears incessantly. He's mildly terrifying, and gets grumpy if he goes too long without a cracker. I wish for a bottomless bag of donuts that only has maple bars, old fashioned, chocolate on chocolate, chocolate cake, cinnamon twists, and Boston cream donuts.

If you can't wait for the analysis that leads up to the conclusion, and want to know right away who I think Ishnah really is you can click the spoiler below. First off, I think sometimes the simplest explanation is the best. The character with the best access to Ialai prior to her poisoning and who also has a very explicit connection to the Ghostbloods is Shallan's squire Ishnah. I think it's worthwhile examining Ishnah's actions in Chapter 8, where Ialai was assassinated. Ahhh Shallan, Shallan, Shallan, such poor judgement at times. Right after having your stomach turn in knots for suspecting your own squires, why have the most suspicious of your squires who was one of the only people who had the opportunity to poison Ialai inspect her corpse for evidence? That's an excellent oppurtunity to remove the damning evidence, namely the gag that Ishnah was instructed to use on Ialai. This scene is interesting for a couple of reasons, first I think Ishnah's explanation of the application of blackbane contradicts what Kaladin said, namely that to be effective it has to completely dry out. If you take an active drug where the efficacy is dependent on it being completely dry and then turn that into a gum (the only means being the addition of liquid) wouldn't that impair the efficacy of the drug? Also, a gum is a semi liquid state that is in no way fit for injection. It's all about misdirection... The most efficient and covert means of administering the blackbane powder would be to apply it to the gag yhat you shove in the target's mouth. The second interesting point is that Ishnah initiates the conversation with Shallan right after Ialai dies, essentially putting herself forward as the best candidate for investigating the murder that she most likely committed. What do we know about Ishnah, who appeared rather suspiciously in Oathbringer? Ishnah contacted Veil ostensibly to join the Ghostbloods, but she didn't approach Veil until she already had Gaz and Vathah as squires. Ishnah was known to be a spy for a minor lighteyes house, whose head, Brightlady Hamaradin, incidentally was assassinated by the ghostbloods and her spys were the chief suspects. Pretty good cv for most trusted squire so far. Here is her physical description from the Coppermind: She is by far the most obvious candidate for the ghostblood spy, which also makes her the least satisfying. I believe she is not truly Ishnah the Alethi spy (or rather not just Ishnah) but instead that she really is Iyatil, the Ghostblood infiltrator extradanoire! The only defining physical characteristics that we have of Iyatil are that she wears an orange carapace mask that has seemingly grown into her skin and that she has brown eyes. And we know that Ishnah wears heavy makeup and pencils her eyebrows in. Why the heavy makeup? Perhaps to hide the scars where her flesh had grown into the mask perhaps? Why the lipstick? To disguise the only other feature visible beneath her mask, namely her lips. I really didn't harbor this suspicion util the Mraize hunting moles scene in Chapter 13 came out, but the evidence in this chapter is pretty compelling. Here are the pertinent Chapter 13 excerpts (emphasis added only once, but holy crap this is important): So we know that bonding spren is a key objective of the Ghostbloods, and that they are not the type of organization to have only one poker in the fire. Why settle for just a corrupted Radiant bond when you have an easy path to a true radiant bond? The fact that Ishnah joined up with team Shallan after it was a proven fact that direct association with her was setting others on the path to Radiancy I think is very significant. Also, Mraize explicitly states that the guardianship that Shallan/Veil is under is directly comparable to what Iyatil did for him when he was an untested apprentice. This seems to be a pretty explicit tip of the hand. Mraize seems wryly bemused during this whole exchange, and what better explanation is there to this wry amusement than that his own babsk is the one keeping tabs on Shallan/Veil. One final point, there is a new nexus of power in ascendance on Roshar, namely the Knights Radiant. With the only stated aim so far of the Ghostbloods being the acquiring of power, it makes complete sense for one of their top and most capable members to try and infiltrate a known group that provides a ready pathway to this power. And just think what juicy truths Iyatil could reveal to her secret hungry cryptic.

First, I have to say, your post title sounds like a Little Golden children's book that I would love to read. Also @asmodeus recently posted a great thread about how Humans are an invasive species in the Rosharan ecology. It's pretty clear in the scene with Mraize that the mole is meant to symbolize humanity on Roshar, and more specifically to Shallan, the pathetically small scale ambitions of the non Ghostblood aligned citizens of Roshar. It's a Machiavellian reinterpretation of the "Whole New World" scene from Aladdin, Mraize with a very brutal analogy is showing Shallan that the world is much larger than she thinks, and Shallan/Veil can either be on the side with the knowledge and by extension the power, or she can, like the rest of the moles on Roshar, continue to live a small life defined by fear and ignorance. There's also the subtle menace of her role as an infiltrator of the Ghostbloods being compared to the mole, ultimately she is still in Mraize's power because she is largely ignorant of what the ghostbloods are doing, who their members are, and even who on her own team is keeping watch on her. And the culmination of the choice either to be content with the ordinary state of ignorance (like most Rosharans) or to infiltrate and betray the Ghostbloods is to be swallowed whole by their power (symbolized by Mraize's parrot). A stark choice, but an easy one, and it's just a restatement of position that Mraize has always maintained, that in life you are either the predator or the prey.

The composer for bladerunner, Vangelis, also uses synthesizers in that 70's/80's this is the sound of the future kind of way. I still haven't made it through your list, so I'll write a more detailed follow-up after I do.

@Matrim's Dice, that's a great song and a brilliant parody! Super catchy, I'm going to have "Sliding through the streets of shame" stuck in my head all day. @Shard of Reading that was a super funny roast! You got Lift's character perfectly, and the ending with a stolen platter of hors d'ouerves was classic.

Who knew that philosophical debates could have Prog Rock soundtracks? Well, Rush has decided the question once and for all with their catchy little number that they *chose* to call Free Will. Ah Geddy Lee, with what clarity didst thou see, the choicless chasm of forlorn dejection, with subtle art you hath voiced thy rejection. The ignorant rail and wail still, but you have chosen to choose Free Will.

Use the Falchion, I'll get to the other songs later, but this is a manageable chunk to get through so I'll start here. Linkin Park, not my favorite type of music, but that's a really good song. Reset by Mutemath, that was amazing! Totally see it as the soundtrack for a William Gibson novel, where a team of hackers are preparing to infiltrate the main mainframe. Really nice, my favorite of your top 3 Running to You, again not really my type of music, but it was really good. The whole point of living is expanding your horizon's right? I liked it a lot and would listen to it again. You seem like you have incredibly eclectic taste in music, here's a blast from the past that sounds like it's a vision of the Future, Jean Michael Jarre's Equinoxe Part IV, from one of the best soundscape albums of all times Equinoxe: Hmm, is your favorite band, by any chance, parachute?? I really like Forever and Always, and based on how parachute sounds, I have to recommend the Avett Brothers (@Truthless of Shinovar I'm spreading the good news). That song is really good, makes me want to play Civilization IV, but my wife says no way. I spent too much time playing No Man's Sky. I don't know if you've listened to Fela Kuti much, but his music is amazing, reminds me a lot of Baba Yetu. This song is long, with some seriously nice instrumentation on the lead up to the vocals, but it's so good, spoilered below is Sorrow Tears and Blood. I love Fats Waller! Have you heard much Milt Jackson, the master of the Vibrophone, it's super good stuff: Hey Brother, I have the song for you, it's Growing Up With GNR by Aqueduct, and it's all about a first breakup and having your heart broken again when GNR comes on the radio. It's SO GOOD! In the top twenty for sure! This is so beautiful! This doesn't happen often, but the first time I listened to this it's in my top 100. The only thing I can do after hearing this is answer beauty with beauty, spoilered below are the 2 songs that I think are the prettiest songs ever recorded (sentiment and tone): Such a good song! At least 20 of my top 100 songs are Leonard Cohen songs and this one is in that list. There's a definite through line in your top 3 and I think I have some pretty good recommendations for you spoilered below.

Beautiful song! Makes me want to play Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I really like the small musical change about 4 minutes in where it slows down a bit, so good. Obligatory plug for my favorite video game music of all time, it's short so even if you don't like it there's not much to dislike: Super Jazzy, I like it! The video is great too! Great stuff! These are all songs that I wouldn't normally listen to, but I see a very clear through line with all of them. Seems like you like the tapestry of sound. I liked Abends Wil Ich Schlafen Geh'n and The Horowitz rendition of Brahms Waltz, Opus 39 #15 the best. Horowitz has such an amazing touch on the piano, incredibly beautiful. Something you might like, it's totally different, but one of the most talented piano players of all times has a touch on the piano that is similar to Horowitz, but in a rowdy grab your can of Schlitz beer and lean into the music kind of way. James Booker's Sunnyside of the Street is one of my all time favorite songs, and I think you might like it too: Holy crap! These were SO GOOD! Roberta Flack makes me think of Nina Simone, have you listened to any of her music, it's so GOOD! Michel Lagrand, that song is so pretty! You probably already know about some of the other Chanson singers, but if you don't holy crap, here are some of the best songs ever: I love the music by Ennio Morricone, but I think that Nina Rota is even better. Here's another classic from Nina: Holy Crap, @Use the Falchion, I have some serious homework to do. Good thing I'll be working all day tomorrow and can queue those songs up. I will reply when I have gotten through the whole set (so in like 2 weeks).

Leonard Cohen is, in my opinion, one of the most talented songwriters of all time, some of what I think are his best songs are spoilered below if you want to check them out. I really liked Muneca de Trapo, I just read the English translated lyrics and they're really pretty! I loved Hoshikuzu too, ethereal and beautiful. The singer's voice reminds me a lot of Maaya Sakamoto, she's sung a lot of anime opening theme songs, and her voice is hauntingly beautiful. Tomorrow's always a new day, if you're 3 favorite songs are different today make a new post. Good music is good music. Those are great! I really like paralyzed, what a pretty song! I love AJR too! I'd never heard Finale, so thanks a bunch, that's an awesome song! The only one of these that I've heard is Want You Gone, that is a classic for sure. It has one of the funniest put down lines of any song, "Goodbye my only friend---Oh, did you think I meant you? That would be funny if it weren't do sad". I'm going to listen to the other 2 and I'll edit my post after I do.

The title says it all, but maybe not emphatically enough. This, my friend, is a moment for supreme reflection. Think about. What are your 3 favorite songs of all times. I swear, by all that is holy in this world (and possibly by all that is holy in the Great Beyond) that I will listen with due attention to all of the songs that are posted here with undivided attention. In a world of noise-some distraction, and meaningless white noise, this is a place to put forward only the best, namely the 3 best songs of all time. In honor of the semi-sacred self-assigned charge, I humbly present to you, the three best songs of all times (ranked, because you should really rank these kind of things): NUMBER 3: Okkervil River Song (by Okkervil River) This song. oh this song. So good. SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. NUMBER 2: So Long Marianne (by Leonard Cohen) Possibly the prettiest lyrical ballad ever penned. Actually who am I kidding, this is the prettiest lyrical ballad ever penned. SO GOOD! NUMBER 1: One Way Street (by Mark Lanegan) This is it. The absolute best song EVER MADE. I kid you not. Listen to it at least 50X before you dare to say otherwise.

If no one else joins I say let Fezzik be two people. Hey @Toaster Retribution, there's one more spot open in the cosmere/non-cosmere roast tournament, want to sign up?

Hey @Ghanderflaffle, I stutter as I vote yes, essentially saying yes 4 more times, does that work?

@Jofwu, the fact that the CR is described as an infinite plane doesn't preclude it from being a continous topology which can be traversed in infinite paths. Say you have a torus that is very large (like a planet sized donut), and your movements are confined to the surface. To you the expanse you are walking across would seem flat, but there are an infinite number of directions you can walk and never encounter an edge because it's a continuous topology. The surface of a sphere would likewise be a continous topology, but a topology of a different form I think is necessary for encompassing the predominant feature of the CR, namely the expansion and contraction of the surface plane based on densities of thought. From that WOB you quoted I think Brandon's idea of an infinite plane is just that the plane would seem infinite for someone traversing it. To say that the plane has edges is to acknowledge that it's not truly infinite. To say that these edges are weird I think is a hint at the mechanics of how this works, namely that one apparent edge of the plane is connected to the same plane at a different point. I have a post where I discuss the nature of the cognitive realm , and I haven't seen any WOBs that directly contradict this assessment.

I think the thing that is operatively different in this case is that this is the True Desolation. Though the Fused are flawed and broken, they still are the Singers. Maybe the advent of the Everstorm and it's obvious function to destroy will help Leshwi and some of the other sane Fused realize that Odium is not in this for the salvation of the SIngers, and that this is a much more dangerous game. The callousness with which Odium destroys Singers to give the Fused life probably tips his hand that he will pursue his objects regardless of the cost to the Singers, and my guess is that his Machiavellian tendencies are only going to get more pronounced as the war continues. The case for not siding with Odium is pretty clear, looking around at her drooling Ancient One friends, seeing the strange indoctrination of the Singers that flows from Odium, and witnessing the new cycle of Destruction unleashed on Roshar through the Everstorm paints a pretty compelling picture that Odium doesn't give a crap about the Singers or Roshar. Simple vengeance is not enough to sustain a movement, what good is the struggle to rid Roshar of the Humans if there's no Roshar left for the Singers and the Fused.