Takeshi

I don't think there's a definitive answer to that yet, but from I've read of WoK and Q&A's, doing the appropriate honorable act around the appropriate spren is how it works. So, Kaladin happened to "protect" around windspren, and attracted Syl. I can't find the quote, but I think Brandon said something along the lines of only certain spren having the capability to become honorspren. My assumption is that only spren of the ten essences can form the Nahel bond to create Radiants. So Windrunners are all bonded with windspren that became honorspren. So in Kaladin and Syl's case, Kaladin first attracted Syl in Amaram's army. Since Kaladin continued to "protect those who cannot protect themselves", she continued to stay with him and strengthened their bond. Had Kaladin given up or gone on a killing rampage or something, Syl probably would have left him. I'm guessing the Nahel bond stays as long as the person honors the Oaths.

While readers haven't seen pre-pupation (larvae?) chasmfiends, i don't think it's a mystery to the Alethi. They have scouts always watching for chasmefiends coming onto the plateaus to pupate. I assume they see larvae Chasmfiends.

Look to the titles of the 5 parts of the book. Above silence / the illuminating storms / dying / storms illuminate / the silence above Keteks read as a whole are supposed to make grammatical sense, but part divisions don't need to make grammatical sense (I'm assuming). Only that each part conveys a meaning. So singling out "the" as a single part wouldn't work because it doesn't have any meaning on it's own.

I'm 90% confident that the blade symbols are corresponding to the symmetrical nature of the Ketek used as the titles for each part. The Ketek used in WoK (noted after the epilogue) is symmetrical, as all Ketek are, and broken into 5 parts. So you could order the parts as 1 2 3 2 1 as opposed to 1 2 3 4 5. If you then order the Orders numerically according to the Ars Arcanum, 1 would be the Zephyr order, 2 would be the Vapor order, and 3 would be the Soul order. Hopefully that made sense. I think so far it's been a combination of the Vorin numbering system (indicated in the Ars Arcanum) and hints throughout the book. We know Jezrien (Jes), Kalak (Kak), Ishar (Ishi) and Taln (Tanat) from the prelude. Szeth mentions Shalash (Shash) in his prologue (along with the Vorin versions of Jezrien, Ishar , Kalak and Taln). I can't think off the top of my head where we got the others.

I don't quite understand how you make that conclusion. I know others believe it, but I'm of an opposite opinion. I think Shinovar is actually how all of the planet Roshar originally looked. At some point after the Shards came to Roshar, the highstorms were formed, and thousands of years of highstorms changed the evolution of the planet except for Shinovar. For whatever reason, the mountains surrounding Shinovar buffet away the highstorms, protecting it. I think the Shin reverence to stone stems from some powerful ancestor (a Herald, Honor, Cultivation, or something else) not wanting them to mine away the mountains that protect them.

I thought, on my second read through, that the drunk old man was Hoid in disguise. That he was actually disguised as someone he was looking for and was asking Szeth (and possibly other random people) if he's seen "him". We know Hoid tends to be present during major events, but that he doesn't always know what major event is. He may even have been after the sphere Gavilar had, as he seems to be collecting important artifacts (the moon scepter, the lerasium bead...). Thus he stayed with Elhokar, thinking it was still near the royal family (who would think that Gavilar would give it to his assassin?). As for Ishar, I'm leaning towards Kadash (chapter 18). My pet theory is that the Heralds are tied to their divine attributes somehow, and a guiding clergyman seems to fit him. He also knows a lot about historical events and Voidbinding. And for Shallash, maybe the art she is destroying are works that are false depictions. "Dishonest art", if you will. And for whatever reason, she is on a mission to delete these fabrications.

(Flesh)-------(Fauna) Gravity Inhalation --- Moving towards the planet (Cool air) Pressure (Air, Atmospheric, etc.) Exhalation --- Moving away from the planet (Warm air) Eruption/Explosion (possibly EM field?) The soul ----- Planet's core Aurora The eyes ----- Light Growth The hair ----- Flora Transformation The blood ---- Water Retention Oil ------------- Soil(?) Transportation The nails ---- Metal Fortification The bone ----- Stone The stone creatures Flesh ---------- Fauna First of all, sorry that the above table isn't very clean. If someone can make a spiffier version, go for it. Anywho, since Windrunner surges seem to harness planetary phenomena, I thought I'd try to associate each body focus to an equivalent planetary function/focus. Then, I tried to discern the resulting surges. Since pressure in the atmosphere relies on the rising and falling (cooling and warming) of air (I think?), and Gravity involves pulling bodies towards the planet, I'm guessing that the surges involve the planetary force/focus/aspects their connected to. I imagine you guys will tear this apart :)/>/>/>/>/>/>/> I'm hoping the choices I made make sense, even if you don't agree with them. If anyone wants me to clarify my decisions, say so and I will. I personally like Retention and Transformation where they are, since the former could explain Shallan's photographic memory (making Shallan of the Shash order).

Hello, from Japan. I was actually raised in America, but I'm in Japan now. I started reading Brandon in 2010 and have been obsessed since. I'm currently pouring over Stormlight Archive material, developing my own theories, and not making much headway. I think what i enjoy most about Sanderson works, particularly WoK and it's sketches, is what I enjoyed about the (first few) Myst games. Gathering pieces of information and piecing them together to learn about what actually happened. (A Brandon Sanderson written Myst-style game? Hmmmmmm. Mystborn?) Anywho, if there happens to be any other Brand-Sand-fans in Japan, I'd be happy to geek out with them in person.