A Dopey Spren

2 hours ago, shawnhargreaves said:

In Kholinar, while surrounded by corrupted spren, we observe that Kaladin draws screamers as soon as he attempts to use his powers, yet Shallan is able to lightweave to her heart's content with no repercussions.  Why this difference?

The characters explain this as her magic somehow being 'quieter' than his, but that's a "just because" rationale rather than proper explanation.  This observed difference seems like a symptom of something more fundamental and perhaps informative about the nature of these magic systems.

Ideas:

1.  We know that different orders of Surgebinders are aligned with varying blends of Honor vs. Cultivation.  Perhaps the screaming spren are more sensitive to Honor than Cultivation?

2.  Related - are the screamers corrupted windspren?  Perhaps that is why they pick up more easily on Windrunning.  If so, would corrupted creationspren have been able to sense Shallan?

3.  I subscribe to the theory that surges can have different effects in the physical, cognitive, and spiritual realms.  Perhaps the screamers pick up more easily on physical effects, like Kaladin is using, while Shallan's lightweaving is more cognitive or spiritual in nature?  (I would have guessed it was primarily cognitive, but Stormlight Ars Arcanum says it has a major spiritual component).

 

On a slightly different note: Shallan makes detailed observations of which kinds of spren have been corrupted vs. which are unchanged.  I noticed a pattern here: it appears to be the spren of negative emotions which are corrupted: fearspren, painspren, hungerspren, etc.  Those of more positive emotions (anticipationspren, gloryspren) are unchanged.  Does this indicate a limitation on Sja-anat's powers?  Perhaps she can only change spren which are in some way Connected to herself.  In which case, her recent ability to corrupt Radiant spren (which we are told has not happened before) might be an even bigger sign than I'd previously realized that Sja-anat is changing?

There are corrupted Gloryspren but Hungerspren didn't seem to be corrupted. That is what puzzled Shallan. 

When Kaladin jumped into the arena to save Adolin... I had such goosebumps and I instantly reread it, not believing it'd happened. Thinking about it makes me excited!

There's a WoB somewhere (can't find it) stating that she can't breathe in Stormlight. I believe this is from when she went to the Nightwatcher. She's also partially in the cognitive realm and thus she can physically interact with her Spren, Wyndle.

I posted on another thread (can't find it) but if we were to go along the lines of Shardplate being made by lesser Spren, Sja-anat could corrupt said Spren in Ann area, robbing a radiant of their ability to protect themself (by using Shardplate). 

I think this is one aspect of her/its ability, I believe there's more, we shall see...

Amazing to hear from fellow writers. I completely understand what you mean in terms of the depth of characters that Sanderson creates, there is such diversity that one way or another you'll be able to associate to at least SOMEONE.

On 11/12/2017 at 7:09 AM, Tesh said:

I have wanted to be an author since third grade, when I discovered my love for reading. Sanderson has inspired me even more to pursue that goal, even though some other people I know think that it is pointless. Just by reading his books I have become a better writer, and his lectures on YouTube and Writing Excuses have helped a lot as well.

He has made me look at life in a whole new way. When I read now, I think about how the author is putting the book together, and I can spot so many holes in them now. I used to daydream about being a Demigod, or a witch, or a caretaker of a magical reserve, but now, I seriously think, would I actually be able to handle it? But I'd never know until I actually experienced it. (Also, the Inkheart trilogy really nugged me in thinking that way as well. They are all really good books). 

I am way way way way obsessed with three things:

1. The Cosmere
2. The fantasy genre in general
3. Writing

Sanderson is solely responsible for the first, obviously. (But the one who introduced me to his books was @LionTale_Writer). And he is very largely responsible for three. My third grade teacher is responsible for two.

I also have a lot more friends now! I am very socially awkward, and have trouble finding people who actually want to get to know me. But through this site, I have gained a lot more friends. The truth of it is, I have more friends on here than I do from school or stuff. Then there's fictional characters...

You can never feel unloved or excluded or ignored in a book. You always have friends, and a place. Readers are never alone. And Sanderson's characters are just so complex, and real, with real feelings, and reactions, it's hard to feel alone. My Leadership teacher actually called the counselor the other day because I wasn't really taking much in class, or anything like that. I prefer places of fiction to the real world, and the Cosmere is always right there, waiting for me with open arms.

I tend to daydream a lot...

I'm also an insane Sanderfan now, and I have been since the day I finished tWoK. I still have the receipt from when I purchased my first copy from one of the three B&N in Salt Lake City. I started reading it about mid-April.

And now, here I am.

Thanks for sharing! I love seeing how he's influenced people, for me that is what I strive for as a writer. I don't care for the fame or money (although I wouldn't turn down the latter ) but creating that same feeling for my readers that I get when reading Sanderon's books.

On 12/12/2017 at 8:49 PM, Stormrunner1730 said:

His characters (specifically Dalinar, Kaladin, and Szeth) have helped me to face and come to terms with some of my own personal issues.  How he presents different views on morality and worldviews has (helped) influenced me to understand people's motivations for why they view the world the way they do/why they take the actions they take.  

He also sparks my imagination more than any author since J.K. Rowling.  I think Stormlight (and the Cosmere) will be for me in adulthood what Harry Potter was for me in childhood.

I completely see what you mean I terms of his representations of morality and worldviews through his characters. It's so interesting how he can create such vivid messages just through the actions of his characters. (Personally I was into Harry Potter particularly much, but my first proper fantasy novels which got me hooked were the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks), but Stormlight is on a completely different level to anything else I've read. 

20 hours ago, LionTale_Writer said:

Yes, Brandon Sanderson has definitely influenced me.  I desperately want to become an author.  Hopefully, in the future, I can go to BYU Provo.  I've been getting much better grades and I'm in Honors English.  I've been studding, reading, and taking notes all the time.  Many notes.  You would not believe how many notes I have for everything even slightly related to writing and worldbuilding.  I'm developing entire worlds of people and culture and places and ideas.  I'm even developing a non-english-related language for one of the worlds.

But best of all, I'm developing myself.  Brandon has made his characters so real and I don't get very close to actual people.  I don't understand them.  But through his characters' strengths, weaknesses, trials, victories, and perspectives, I can understand people just a little better.  I agree with @Stormrunner1730.  Brandon's work will always mean so much to me through the last of my teenage years, my adulthood, and on.

Amazing job on your grades and Honours for English! Keep going on the note taking (don't forget the most important thing to do is the WRITING itself  (I'm guilty of a lot of note taking... over 30k words now...)). Like I said above, I agree in terms of Sanderon's depictions of strengths, weaknesses, etc and how he brings them to life with such emotion and thought!

Thanks all of you for sharing, I love reading these and hearing about other writers, I hadn't realise that there were so many people working on their novels! Keep it up!

I'm not sure that Dalinar would want his brother's murderer, as well as attempted assassin, to be covering his back. Also Szeth had to get through many Parshendi to get to the gem (Kaladin isn't as efficient at killing as Szeth). Also as far as we know, Dalinar does not know of Nightblood. 

To sum it up, Dalinar doesn't know Szeth or anything relating to him, such as NB, so he wouldn't make the decision to have him defend himself, rather than his rusted bodyguard. 

8 hours ago, Carbonationspren said:

Let's see if we can identify a spren for each type of Soulcasting:

 

Air - Windspren

Smoke - Smokespren

Fire - Flamespren

Crystal/Glass - Shamespren? (they manifest in the Physical Realm as shards of crystal)

Plants - Cultivationspren

Blood - Angerspren? (they manifest in the Physical Realm as pools of blood)

Oil - Inkspren? (this one is kind of a stretch, but they are described as having an oil-like shimmer. But, so are the dark Oathgate spren, so that isn't exclusive to Inkspren)

Metal - (I don't think we've seen anything onscreen yet, but I'm sure there's some sort of metallic spren)

Stone - Spren in the Celebrant port

Flesh - ???

 

So, I'm pretty sure that that covers all the onscreen spren thus far. It seems like a reasonable correlation. The Inkspren seems out of place, since it is a more sentient spren than the rest of them.

Also, I'm wondering what the heck a Soulcaster that Soulcasts Flesh looks like. 

Shamespren manifest as falling petals, and thenonly metallic Spren I can think of are the sailors when Kaladin and the others were travelling through Shadesmar! 

This crossed my mind. Also the Soulcaster of wheat had vines growing out of her face, etc. Similar to Lift's Spren...

Unsure if they're connected, but it is interesting!

B

1 hour ago, tabitreader said:

Being a lowly spearman, can I get an explanation of:

What are the Releasers?

Who/what is Bo-Ado-Mishram?

Does Odium's "Sibling" predate the arrival of Honor/Cultivation's failed planet of Surgebinders arrival upon Rosharan stone?

Long before Honor's fracture/Tanavast's death one could assume the 3 realms were unified at that point, like Nalthis for example. Might the Dawncities and Dawnsingers have predated the Heralds and Knights in coping with humans living peacebly with Odium's passions and rule/worship over the native Rosharans?

On another note: Has Gavilar's light-sucking gemheart/gemstone, from Oathbringer's prologue appeared at any point after Szeth absconds with it from book one?

Thank you Heroes of the Cosmere.

Bo-Ado-Mishram is one of the Unmade which is believed to have stepped in to take Odium's place temporarily at some point and give Parshendi Voidlight, and thus the ability to change forms and access the surges.

Which sibling are you talking about? If you mean the one in regards to Urithuru, I don't believe they predate Odium.

I don't believe we have seen the same gem which Gavilar had since TWoK. 

Hopefully the others can answer the rest as I don't have all the information (and I'm falling asleep! )

There is the theory that the other sibling is of stone, and created Urithuru, the Kholinar windblades and other things. It is a fitting theory! Can't remember the thread, if I find it I'll post it.

31 minutes ago, Ookla the Elinox said:

Agreed, as I just started the Alloy of Law and am now disappointed I know something I shouldn't.

Same 

I'd like to point out you have spoilers in this thread (ones I didn't know... ).

Please make sure you hide them!

10 hours ago, The Feruchemist said:

He’s influenced me to try writing again and attempt to create my own fantasy world with its own magic system. The system is philosophy based. Its heavily influenced by Elantris and Mistborn but also by the Shannara series. It’s called Shadowlight. I wrote a prologue for it, and want to post it some time. I’m not sure on some points about the world though, maybe you guys can help me out. 

That's awesome! By all means tag me in it and I'll happily read it. I'm currently outlining/writing my own fantasy novel. Sanderson is definitely a big influence!

When you get a splinter, then worry that the voices in your head are actually Ruin influencing you through hemalurgy ... or am I the only person who hears things....?

I'd also add lifespren to the Edgedancers as an educated guess!

6 minutes ago, Dragonangel said:

"He closed his eyes, kneading and humming his mother's song to a beat he could almost, barely, just faintly hear."  

Could this mean that at some point, either the Horneaters mixed with the parshendi, way back when, and gained some access to the rhythms?  Or does Rock's ability to see all spren help him understand the listener's songs?  

That's actually an interesting theory! Also Horneater's height and red hair could derive from the Parshendi...? 

Just theoretical of course!

Logicspren for Jasnah?

7 hours ago, The One Who Connects said:

“It’s a complete misnomer. Our names and titles are assigned randomly by a small monkey who has been fed an exceedingly large amount of gin.”
     —Lightsong the Bold

I forgot that quote! I need to reread Warbreaker, I loved that book!

I don't know whether to support this or shun it... 

My father started me on Mistborn a good five or so years ago, and I've been hooked since, I've reread a large number of novels by Sanderson. I think the Mistborn trilogy (first era) is great for starting people on. I've recommended it to many people as it is fast paced, and gritty. (I think SA is the best but it is definitely more dragged out and there are a lot more factors to take into account).

Seeing that it is the Surge of Pressure and Vacuum, creating a vacuum around an enemy can suffocate them, as well as causing a multitude of effects. That's just 'vacuum', there will be many other uses I'm sure, if we were to look at the physics aspect of it all!

16 minutes ago, WhiteLeeopard said:

I'm not sure Vivenna agreed to tell the spren how to make more swords, she could have just agreed to give them some basic information on her sword. I haven't reread OB yet, so not sure. In any case I doubt she would teach anyone how to make Nightbloods for two reasons. Vasher would almost certainly hunt her down and kill her, and there may be other cosmere groups to do so too. Secondly she is chasing Nightblood as a criminal. She knows Nightblood isn't normal, and if she thinks of him as a criminal she won't be likely to teach others to make more criminals who supposedly would be unable to not be criminals. (Since its literally their purpose for been). 

Now, it is possible Vivenna doesn't know how to make Nightblood, and just knows how to make invested swords which are not "wrong". Whatever is going on with Nightblood we don't know everything of its creation.

Finally, as soon as they said the Fused are reborn on the everstorm I had a vision of Szeth flying in with Nightblood into the Everstorm. Fused souls destroyed + lots of investure in the Everstorm to feed Nightblood = Perfect evil destruction

All true, and regarding the last two sentences, that sounds so dramatic and exciting!

13 minutes ago, Rainier said:

You jest, and it won't be Nightblood, but imagine a sentient invested object with the command: reproduce yourself. 

That actually made me laugh aloud!

14 minutes ago, Rainier said:

I don't doubt that she has her goals, but I do doubt that she's fully thought through the consequences of what she's doing to accomplish them. Alas, we'll have to wait for more content because right now there's just too much uncertainty. 

Did Vasher betray her, or did she betray Vasher, or did something else cause them to part ways? Did Vasher help her with this sword, or was it Yesteel? If so, what difference does it make? Is the difference indicative that this is Yesteel's handiwork and not Vasher's?

She says Vasher and Nightblood are criminals. What crimes did they commit? When? Where? Against whom? All unanswered, as of yet. Most likely is theft of Nightblood himself, but again, why? And then who brought Nightblood to Roshar in the first place? Was it Vasher? Why does't he have it now?

Vasher was haunted by the changes his inventions wrought on his world, Nalthis. I don't think he'd agree to build more swords, but I can absolutely see Vivenna repeating Vasher's mistakes.

That's very true. Sanderson has kept it very nebulous and is leading us on, hopefully a lot will be answered in the near future! I'm definitely curious as to what happened upon the ending of Warbreaker and what has happened between Vasher, Vivenna and Nightblood!

Imagine programming multiple sentient blades with: Destroy the Fused. So many possibilities!

3 minutes ago, StormingTexan said:

I REALLY want more Szeth/Nightblood/Lift that combo was both hilarious and a little dangerous all in one. 

I know right! Lift's recklessness, Szeth's focus on what's lawful and his neutrality and Nightblood just being Nightblood.

3 minutes ago, Rainier said:

It absolutely IS risky, which is why Vivenna selling the knowledge of how to make more is, I think, the most important thing to happen in Oathbringer.

Let me say that again: of all the crazy rust that goes down, the single most important event may have been the selling of weapons technology between two factions we hardly understand. Who knows where that technology will lead? That question, by the way, is also the heart of the Mistborn trilogy-of-trilogies: how does magic interact with technology?

One last note: we have no idea what the differences are between Nigthblood and Vivenna's sword. It could be that her sword has a different level of investiture, or that it isn't really like Nightblood at all. It may or may not destroy on all three realms. It may or may not consume investiture, thus lowering the total amount available in the Cosmere. I'm inclined to think it isn't quite the doomsday weapon that Nightblood is, both because we see Vivenna use it and it just drains color but doesn't make the poor bastard at the pointy end disappear in a puff of smoke and because More Warbreaker Spoilers:

  Reveal hidden contents

Vasher killed Shashara to keep the secret of making swords like this from spreading. We also know, from Brandon's annotations of Warbreaker, that Yesteel also knows how to make these swords, and had the crisis not been averted he would have led an army armed with said swords to put down the Hallendren aggression. So I doubt Vasher would have taught Vivenna, and if she had learned on her own he would have helped her avert what he saw as his mistakes.

So yeah, Nightblood is AI, and AI is scary. The spread of AI technology is scary. And the connotations of Nightblood on Roshar go farther than simply taking out Fused.

I can't wait for Nightblood, the book. It's #1 on my list of Cosmere books I want before SA#4. I think when it comes out we're going to see much more of the backstory and motiviations of these characters, and what exactly brought them to Roshar. I'll also shamelessly plug a topic I started a few days ago: Vasher, Vivenna, Nigthblood, and Szeth where I talk about the chain of custody and possible motivations.

That's true, and it seems reckless of Vivenna to do so, but I'm sure there are ends to which she is working towards. Valid point regarding the fact that NB and Vivenna's sword have those differences! 

I'm super excited for the Nightblood book! I loved Warbreaker, (odd that many didn't enjoy it!) and I'd love to see how the characters progressed further.

Argh! Sanderson! Too much excitement and too many questions which have been left unanswered!!

7 minutes ago, treblkickd said:

 

Love this thread, but here are you maybe referring more to the comic relief elements that Nightblood brings? I've never gotten the impression that Nightblood possesses anything close to a sense of humor (along with other subtle/nuanced "human" qualities). This is a big part of what makes Nightblood such a frightening entity, it doesn't seem to know how to behave like anything other than something between an over-eager puppy and a single minded child.

When I say sense of humour I'm thinking more along the lines of the comic relief elements as you mentioned, and the fact he doesn't actually realise what he's saying. His naivety and both the over-eager puppy and single minded childlessness, I found funny, paired with his brutal manner of killing people.

You're right though, sense of humour is wrong, more the manner in which he doesn't understand human nature and the way he implies things!