HokieBry

I am sure TLR loved some of his unique powers like growing his hair as fast as he wanted or getting a tan or making himself skinny or fat.Of course Hoid is, how else does he get so witty?

I originally thought Wax's "steel bubble" could be his "effect," but then I realized this is probably too simple and not really related to being able to store weight. I think his ability to create that bubble is a factor of him being a really really talented Coinshot, and maybe bordering on savant territory.

That's what my math was adding up to once I thought about it a bit more. 50 distinct powers is quite a lot. I wonder if we'll see them in the other era mistborn books? Has it been confirmed by Brandon that Paalm's spike is made from a metal from another planet, or could it be a God Metal alloy?

So what are the total possible number of metals, including the alloys with the god metals? And would all of these have different powers?

The Ars Arcanum states that each of the 16 base metals can be used in alloy with the two God Metals to "craft an entirely different set of sixteen each." Is this statement worded poorly? To me, as written, that sounds like there are 16 possibly alloys for each of the 16 base metals, for a total of 256 metals. Is the intent of that statement that there are actually 16 base metals and 16 total alloys to these with atium and lerasium? I apologize if this has been covered elsewhere (as I am sure it has because the users on this forum are amazing and think of everything and track every WoB, but unfortunately I couldn't find the answer). On a side note, I've read a few topics and a WoB that Paalm's mystery metal spike is a metal that Harmony is not aware of. Does that mean it is from another planet, or could it mean it is an alloy of atium and one of the 16 base metals?

In the Ars Arcanum for Shadows of Self, there's a statement in the "Combinations" section that each unique combination of an Allomantic and Feruchemical power creates "something distinctive," so the person has two powers and "an effect." I tried searching for a topic on this, but couldn't find it. Has there been a discussion about these "effects" and what these could be, especially for Wax and Wayne? Has anyone asked Brandon about these "effects" on his recent book tour? I definitely think it is worth asking him if anyone is going to one of his signings (if there are any remaining). To me, the "effect" is not simply the fact, for Wayne, that he can increase his weight and push on something, the "effect" thus being that he can then use his increased weight as a battering ram or to smash through floors. I was thinking it was more of an indirect side effect. This works better for Wayne, who does not have a simple, obvious "effect."

I enjoyed Shadows of Self, but the Steelrunning power annoyed me more than any other of the powers of Brandon's eclectic magic systems. As the first poster mentioned, there are many instances of Paalm using Steelrunning that make no sense, which is strange for a Brandon power. He usually makes them as "real" as possible, even though they are clearly a work of fiction. I would like someone to ask Brandon at a signing how Steelrunners can run, stab, shoot, think, stop, turn, etc. while using their power. Does tapping the metalmind increase their friction, thinking, reflexes and decrease their wind resistance? I personally believe that Brandon made this one power too, uhh, powerful. It got to a point in SoS that I was quite disappointed with the fight scenes when Paalm was tapping steel. I wish Brandon had not made Steelrunners so friggin fast. Like I said earlier, I think this is the most unbelievable power of any in the Cosmere. I hope Brandon comes out with a viable explanation.

I like this theory, especially as it would throw another wrench into Kaladin's almost irrational hatred of all lighteyes (even though he is one now basically). Wouldn't it be quite humorous if he decides to fly home looking for his parents, finds out they went back to live with Hesina's family in Kholinar, he flies there, finds the family, and it turns out they are lighteyes? So basically Kaladin is a half-lighteyes? That would hurt Kaladin's brain.

I have another comment for Moogle that I forgot to include in my previous post. A lot of the examples you mention for Cohension involve stretching a material. I think one of the more useful tools of Cohesion would be the opposite - making things more dense or compact. So with Cohesion, you could make the air so dense around you that nothing could get through it. Better than shardplate maybe.

I like to think of Cohesion ("strong" axial connection) as relating to molecular physics. In other words, Cohesion allows the Radiant to manipulate atoms/electrons and alter the form that an element or compound is in. This is very close, if not identical, to what Moogle hypothesized. I picture Radiants with this Surge being able to "melt" things, or like Moogle said, taking a gas (the air) or a liquid (water) and making it "hard" by manipulating the atoms and bringing them "closer together." So in theory, Cohesion could be used to make a "force field" or used to create a big ditch/hole to hide in or take shelter from a highstorm.

I think you can translate the part between the parentheses as "it raises the question who told Szeth voidbringers don't leak stormlight" or "a separate question is who told Szeth Voidbringers don't leak stormlight?"

I like the theory that the Parshendi have gemhearts. One clue that points to this possibility is the Parshendi being so adamant about retrieving their dead. They don't want anyone cutting open one of their dead and finding a gemheart. As far as why they would had gems to their beards, I am not sure if that is more than just something they do with respect to their culture. The Parshendi are not using hte Stormlight in the gems from what we have seen so far.

I am leaning towards the side of not voidbringers, just because they act too honorably in battle and because of the "too obvious" argument. Obviously we have a lot more to learn about the Parshendi, and I am looking forward to the Parshendi viewpoints that Brandon said would be in book 2. I am VERY curious as to what they will be about and if they will be from the past or present. One scene that really spawned some questions in my mind was towards the end of the book when Kaladin was fighting to save Dalinar. When he "breathed" in a bunch of Stormlight from the gems in the Parshendi beards and started glowing, the Parshendi stopped fighting and said a two-worded term (I don't have the book with me and can't remember the term they said out loud). It was the first time they said something during battle, besides their singing. To me, the way they acted towards Kaladin was almost reverence, like he was something special. Maybe they know of the Radiants and think he is one. On a side note, do we know for a fact the the Parshendi were the ones to order Szeth to kill Gavilar? Szeth could have been tricked into thinking it was the Parshendi. I wonder who actually gave him the direct order?

I still 100% agree with the theory that Kaladin killed Shallan's brother, even though that other quote you showed me from Sanderson basically proves Gaz as the Asmodean parallel. It's a great way to bring the characters together. So then who killed Gaz (it's not on the top of my list of mysteries I need solved)?

One piece of important evidence in support of this theory is something not even in the book; it's something Brandon mentioned. He said there is an "Asmodean-like" death in the Way of Kings that he is surprised more people are not asking him about or talking about on forums. When I read that quote from Brandon, I couldn't figure out who he was talking about. After seeing this forum post, I became convinced it had to be the person Kaladin killed. For Wheel of Time readers, what happened in WoK is the opposite (with Asmodean, we know who was killed, but not who did the killing, in WoK, we know who did the killing, but not who was killed), but in my opinion still enough like the questions that went along with Asmodean's death (why, who, the connections, etc). I just hope Brandon doesn't wait until book 8 or 9 to finally reveal who it was that Kaladin killed. Like people have mentioned, maybe we will find out in book two when hopefully Shallan, Kaladin, and Amaram all end up meeting with each other.

A few people in this thread have theorized about how Shallan's family's Soulcaster was sheared/broken. The type of break in the Soulcaster makes it sound like it could have come from a Shardblade. What people have surmized is that Shallan's father had a Blade, and it fell out of his hand and sheared through the Soulcaster. I just finished a re-read of the book, and if my memory serves me correctly, didn't Shallan mention that her father's advisor (I forget his name) was the one who used the Soulcaster?