Child of Hodor

I think Dalinar is hearing voices from multiple sources. I think the people Dalinar hears that he recognizes may like Evi are likely due to connecting to the spiritual realm which may be unique to Dalinar because he bonded with a Spren containing a splinter of Honor giving him a connection to the spiritual realm. It doesn't happen to the other KR that we know, it seems unique to Dalinar. The unknown voice saying Unite Them and speaking of Life before death in his head we don't really know who that is / they are. There may be a part of Tanavast/Honor speaking to Dalinar through the bond that Stormfather isn't aware of. We've seen another shard, Odium, talk directly into someone's head: "Open the window" to Taravangion in Oathbringer "Let go, Moash, something deep within him whispered. Give up your pain. It's all right. You did what was natural." to Moash Chapter 54 Oathbringer. We don't know that lesser beings are able to do this. Doesn't mean they can't and as you point out there are lots of powerful unkowns out there.

I think so too. Dalinar also had the vivid dream with the beautiful, warm light of he and Gavilar as children at the end of WoR. Seems like Dalinar is able to connect with people who have passed on.

Do we know that all the orders have the same number of Oaths?

I think we should get Venli flashbacks instead of Eshonai flashbacks when Brandon writes the book that was to be centered around Eshonai. I really grew to enjoy Eshonai's character, I love her curious nature and how easily distracted she is in the prologue to OB. However, I think Venli's backstory holds more relevance since she was secretly working with Ulum the spren of Odium to help bring about the Everstorm. Eshonai was an aspiring explorer who never really got that far. In WoR she reflects that she always had duties at home that kept her from exploring as mush as she'd like. In the OB prologue she is shocked at how small the unclaimed hills are on Gavilar's map. There doesn't seem to be that much Eshonai's story could reveal that Venli's story wouldn't and Venli was working on secret, plot relevant things that Eshonai did not know about. Plus, Eshonai is dead and Venli is alive and looks to be a future Knight Radiant, the book should focus on her. By focusing on Venli's actions in the past her actions in the present will be informed with additional meaning (as has been the case with the first three books). I know Brandon said he'd do Eshonai flashbacks and a person being dead doesn't preclude them from getting flashbacks. I don't know if he wanted Venli to be the one that lives and changes sides all along or if he called an audible and I don't think it matters. I think Venli flashbacks better serves the story going forward.

I wonder if this is Tanavast's cognitive shadow. We know, as stated in the WOB above, that Honor (whose vessel/holder was Tanavast) intentionally put some of his power into the Stormfather. It's possible Tanavast is able to cheer Dalinar on. Since Tanavast is the one that said unite them over and over in the visions it makes sense he would be the one saying that in his head on occasion. I don't know how exactly, he is dead, but he seems a more likely candidate that Nohadon. Then again, Evi is also not a shard vessel and Dalinar could hear her. The dream of Nohadon where he was acting very different might have actually been Nohadon. I still think Tanavast was the more likely person to say UNITE THEM in Dalinar's head since that is established to be his mantra in the visions.

Yes, I agree that they possess new bodies, killing the host. I was being cute by saying respawn, but that's not the most accurate term. The Fused seem like "cognitive shadows plus". The plus being whatever Odium did to them that makes them not pass on after the body is dead and be able to possess new bodies. I assume it involves investiture, but don't know exactly what it is. If Nightblood is able to consume the cognitive shadow itself, that's even better than consuming whatever power Odium gave them to keep their cognitive shadow around. Either way I think he may be able to "solve" the problem of the Fused permanently.

Nightblood consumes investiture from his victims (and wielder). If Nightblood were to be stabbed into a Fused would it consume whatever investiture Odium gave them that makes them respawn endlessly? We don't know exactly what Odium did to the souls of the dead ancient Singers that made them immortal, but it seems like one way to put an end to them. Perhaps they would need to be stabbed right in the gemheart where the Voidspren is stored in order for Nightblood to consume them. Otherwise they might be able to escape.

I think these death rattles are meant to be from the future and not the past. Some have happened during the first three books. I'm thinking this one hasn't happened yet. "We stand atop the mount!" sounds like the parsh conquering Urithiru. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/161-words-of-radiance-washington-dc-signing/#e6923 #16 Share Play/Pause Questioner With the different headings [epigraphs] of each chapter of the Stormlight Archive books, obviously they don't all make sense as you go along, but five years from now, if I read the five books and I am reading at the start of The Way of Kings, all the words, all the last words of people [the death rattles], is it going to be this huge foreshadowing moment-- Brandon Sanderson It will make a lot more sense. #death rattles

In addition to the Gemstones, voidspren can bond with the stone on the surface and create Thunderclasts. A good reason to not walk on stones.

I was able to accept it because the Stormfather told Dalinar that at the time of the Recreance Honor was dying and as he was dying he was raving to the Radiants that they were doomed to destroy Roshar like they did their previous world. If their God is directly telling them they will end up destroying the world with their powers like humans did in the past it would make a difference. When I first read it I also thought "Really, that's it?". Especially when a lot of modern day people focus on the fact that humans came from another planet and Roshar isn't their home. After thousands of years who cares? I don't think the ancient Radiants gave up their shards because they found out their ancestors were invaders.

At first, I thought "did he mean him and his voidbringer friends?", but Odium doesn't seem like the type to view his minions as equal participants. Both Honor in the visions and the Stormfather have indicated that Odium killed Honor and there was no mention of another shard helping. I think it must mean something about what Dalinar did or said reminded Odium of Adonalsium. Perhaps it was Dalinar calling himself "Unity" as much as summoning the perpendicularity that spooked Odium. Unity sounds more like an Adonalsium thing than something that was specific to Honor's intent. I realize it was Honor's constant refrain of "Unite Them!" that Dalinar is acting on, but perhaps "Unite Them" means Unite the shards of Adonalsium. Or at least Unite the Roshar shards.

When Dalinar visits the Nightwatcher and she is trying to figure out what to give him she offers a very specific item. Chapter 114 "The Cost" page 1078 of the US hardcover: "Perhaps it is possessions you wish, she said. Spheres, gemstones. Shards. A Blade that bleeds darkness and cannot be defeated." Did the Nightwatcher have possession of Nightblood and was offering to pawn it off on someone else? This was five and half years in the past so Nale might not have had possession of Nightblood at this point in time. It's possible the Nightwatcher was offering to create a new sword that happens to be like Nightblood. Even if that is the case I suspect the Nightwatcher must have seen a sword like Nightblood in order to think of creating one for someone else. Perhaps Vasher visited and part of his cost (or boon) was to have Nightblood taken. Or perhaps Lady Azure visited and asked for a blade that bleeds darkness and cannot be defeated and that's where she acquired her blade.

For the first three Stormlight Archive books Dalinar has been told that their best hope against Odium is to force him to pick a champion. Dalinar tried it in Oathbringer and it was immediately screwed up by Odium choosing Dalinar as his Champion. Although Odium's plans were foiled by Dalinar due to Cultivation's preparations. During the conversation between Taravangion and Odium it seems that Dalinar has the power bind Odium to a contest of Champions now that Odium agreed to it. Taravangion indicates that Odium must now avoid contact with Dalinar in order to avoid this contest. Do we think this will be how the front 5 of SA will resolve? Dalinar finding a way to force Odium to make good on his agreement? The two major objectives that I think need to happen in the 10 SA books are: Kill Rayse and Reform Honor. I'm not sure what order they would happen in. With Dalinar reforming Honor's perpendicularity in OB it seems like we are on pace to reform Honor and repel Odium's current plan in the front 5. Back 5 will be about a more permanent solution. As an aside, I feel like ultimately Kaladin will end up the new holder of Odium (with or without combining other shards). Whenever Shallan thinks about him she remarks on how he's mastered his powerful anger and emotions. He's already practiced at restraining anger, hatred and other negative violent emotions. He'd be ideal especially if he brings a tiny piece of Honor with him in the form of Syl.

I will miss Eshonai, what we got of her before she turned Stormform I liked. That said, I hope she stays dead because there have been enough fake outs in SA. I think the Unmade are in part Listeners whose physical forms were "Unmade" and merged with a piece of Odium. From Words of Radiance http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/Words_of_Radiance:_Chapter_79 : What does it mean, soldier?" Dalinar asked. "It means our gods have returned," Rlain whispered. "Who are your gods?" "They are the souls of those ancient. Those who gave of themselves to destroy." "Gave of themselves to destroy" sounds like beings that sacrificed something. In this case perhaps their physical forms to become powerful spren merged with pieces of Odium. Some of they aren't Sapient, so it is hard to see them commanding an army. However, the Diagram believes that some of them can think. From Chapter 81 Epigraph: "The Unmade are a deviation, a flair, a conundrum that may not be worth your time. You cannot help but think of them. They are fascinating. Many are mindless. Like the spren of human emotions, only much more nasty. I do believe a few can think, however." https://coppermind.net/wiki/Words_of_Radiance/Epigraphs

I imagine Rayse pre-ascension will be like Mistborn Spoilers:

In my mind "defeating" Odium in the first 5 books is repelling his "Final Desolation" and neutralizing him as a direct threat to Roshar. It feels like there is too much that has to happen in the next 3 books to both piece Honor back together and kill Rayse. As Jasnah and Hoid discuss in the WoR epilogue this desolation is not happening the way the other desolations did. As Kalak told Jezrien in the prelude to the SA “He will not remain bound by this. The enemy. He will find a way around it. You know he will.” The Everstorm is something new that needs to be dealt with now. Maybe they can find the Dawnshard that binds any creature voidish or mortal and force Odium to choose a champion and if Odium's champion loses Odium and his forces must leave Roshar and never return.http://coppermind.net/wiki/Dawnshard The Dawnshard would presumably force Odium to stay true to this. Then Roshar is safe from Odium's (direct) threat. First 5: Dealing with Odium's invasion Back 5: Piecing Honor back together? Getting to know Cultivation more?

I found in this thread. It's under DC, doesn't have a date.

WOB: From DC signing Shicaca Q: I was looking at the map of Roshar and it kinda looked like a spiral galaxy to me like it was flipping a certain way. A: That was intentional. You are on to something that no one's figured out yet. Q: I was thinking it could be connected to people being able to manipulate gravity. A: It's not exactly what you think you're on to, but you're getting close to something that they've all wanted to know for a while. So we have the idea of a constant storm and Brandon acknowledging that a spiral galaxy-esque pattern is on Roshar by design. A type of spiral galaxy is a Whirpool Galaxy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Galaxy What if there is one giant constant storm constantly spinning in place on the other side of the planet and the Highstorms are actually the tendrils of the spiral that slowly sweep across the world? The center of the storm doesn't move locations it just spins and the "tendrils" are what is hitting it the rest of the world. I don't know why the land is shaped in a spiral pattern I don't know that a spiraling superstorm would create spiral erosion patterns. Reinvestment The storm tendrils lose their stormlight as they pass over land, perhaps there are more things to drain stormlight out of the tendrils on land than on the ocean so it loses more as it over land. The center of the storm pushes more investiture out to through the tendrils and by the time the tendril comes back around it is recharged (not much to siphon investiture on the ocean). Where does the investiture come from? Not sure about this, but we know that fish in the purelake have magical properties and we know the purelake drains right before a storm hits. Perhaps there is a shardpool under the purelake and the draining actually carries that investiture through the planet to the center of the storm on the other side. In WoK Hoid tells Kaladin of the Wandersail and how it was wrecked "by a giant whirlpool where it is said the sea drains". What if the sea doesn't drain from there so much as the purelake drains investiture INTO there? The investiture is then distributed to the tendril "highstorms" by the center of the storm. http://coppermind.net/wiki/Wandersail http://coppermind.net/wiki/Purelake

A lot of rambling by me below. The conclusion is that I agree that the nahel bond is imitating what the Honorblade does to whoever wields it not what Honor did to the Heralds themselves. The Heralds were imbued with special powers by Honor that they can use regardless of having the blade. There is a supernatural connection between the Heralds and their blades. The blades probably still will disappear when the corresponding Herald dies, as far as we know none have yet so this hasn't been tested. Shardblades can be used by other people. The king let's other people practice with his blade and Aladar lends his out in battle and oversees the battle from the rear. Granted they are "dead" spren, but Honor is dead too. If you mean why can't more than one person bond the same spren it may be that they just aren't powerful enough. It's true that Heralds can't use surge-binding without the Honorblades, but they have other abilities. So the surgebinding comes with the Honorblade itself. It seems to automatically grant powers to whoever is carrying it around (we don't know how long they have to hold it for the powers to be granted) and that is what spren are imitating with the Nahel bond. WoB: From the prelude we know that Honorblades disappear when the Herald dies and goes back to "Damnation" suggesting that they are supernaturally connected. Honor made them specifically for each each Herald and didn't have the foresight (he admits he's bad at that) to see the Heralds willingly giving up their blades so he didn't account for it. Perhaps that's why the blades don't disappear when the Heralds drop them, but do when they "die". Because the Heralds aren't truly dead and will come back so there was never intended to be the option of a new wielder of the Honorblades. In other words, Honor made it so that whoever wielded the blade got the power because he assumed the Heralds would always be the wielders. He didn't foresee the Heralds giving them away so he didn't see the need to safeguard against "unauthorized" users.

I think there is something to this. When Honor talks of the KR and how the Spren figured out what he did with the Heralds and imitated it he may mean both giving humanoids powers and the blade. For the spren the bonding comes first, they give something of themselves to their surgebinding buddy. Honor probably invested some of his power in them or whatever term is most appropriate which is why they live for thousands of years and at least one has super reflexes. The Diagram seems to think there is a bond involving the Honorblades. From the WOR chapter 78 epigraph. http://coppermind.net/wiki/Words_of_Radiance/Epigraphs "Ah but they were left behind. It is obvious from the nature of the bond. But where where where where? Set off. Obvious. Realization like apricity. They are with the Shin. We must find one. Can we make to use a Truthless? Can we craft a weapon?" No one else can truly Bond with Honorblades because the Heralds are bonded to them and perhaps the blade and are perhaps part of the same whole. I think the Heralds were pre-existing people were offered the chance to become Heralds and accepted and not purely a part of Honor made into a human as Jezrien speaks of taking up the burden willingly in the prelude to WoK. They clearly were altered by Honor and the nahel bond may be the closest imitation to it that the spren can produce.

Doesn't your quote of "Brandon defined a worldhopper as someone who has been to another world" suggest that Frost is still on Yolen? If Hoid came to the Roshar system to get in touch with Frost as I suggest above in my post above, which we don't know either way, and Frost is on Yolen then Yolen is in the Roshar system. Frost told Hoid to "leave that place" which could mean the planet Roshar it doesn't necessarily mean Frost isn't on Braize. The phrase "System he now inhabits" doesn't really indicate whether Frost and Odium are in the same system or not. It seem intentionally vague, which is how Brandon might word it if he is trying to keep a secret. Nothing in the thread you linked debunks the idea that Yolen goes by a different name now or that Frost is in the Roshar system or that Yolen could be in the Roshar system or that Yolen could be Braize. Please have Chaos lock all threads you deem unnecessary so that you don't have to tell everyone not to post. Will save everyone time ultimately. Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!

Hoid does state he came to Roshar to find an old acquaintance. Roshar (The Stormlight Archive) “ I've come to your land to chase an old acquaintance, but I end up spending most of my time hiding from him instead. ” — Hoid to Kaladin.[32] His use of the word "chase" is odd because per Frost Odium is stuck in the Roshar system and Odium makes a lot of sense for Hoid to hide from, but I don't think Hoid actually wants to confront Odium right now. We know from the letter in WoK (assuming it is from Hoid to Frost) that Hoid wants Frost to become active in the fight against Odium. From the letter we know the 17th Shard is chasing Hoid and Hoid asks Frost to call them off. So we know Hoid has a reason for "chasing" Frost and we know he has had to hide from Frost's associates. If Hoid came to the Roshar system to recruit Frost then Frost is likely in the system. Yolen might also be in the system under a different name. We don't have that final piece that connects Yolen to Braize. It seems really weird that Frost would hang out on a planet that Odium occupies though.

It's possible that Yolen was renamed. SH Spoiler:

I was reminded of the Santhid saving Shallan when I watched these videos about humpback whales recently.

Most of the few clues we have point to Odium, but they are far from conclusive. The biggest one depends on if you believe the shards physical manifestations are always color coded: Preservation White, Ruin Black, Odium is red (Stormspren are red, the transformed Parshendi have glowing red eyes) " Trellium is a silvery metal with a red cast to it, and dark red spots similar to rust.["http://coppermind.net/wiki/Trellium The Haze of Red from BoM chapter 28: The light ahead suddenly rolled outward, and Wax found that they’d been rounding a planet. They stood high above it, and had stepped from darkness into sunlight, which let Wax see the world below, bathed in a calm, cool light. Beyond that hung a haze of red. All around, pressing in upon the world. He could feel it choking him, a miasma of dread and destruction. Odium has been on Scadrial and Trell was a god worshipped long ago on Scadrial. "Trelagism was a religion in Scadrial before the Ascension of the Lord Ruler and the establishment of the Final Empire worshipped by the Nelazan." http://coppermind.net/wiki/Trelagism#In_The_Bands_of_Mourning Rust & Ruin is a common curse on Scadrial, as referenced above Trellium has red spots that look like rust. The people of Scadrial had some awareness of Rust as force and associated it with the destructive power Ruin and this was passed down through the curse. Brandon hinted that "Rust & Ruin" should be looked at carefully to understand the Trell Religion. What's in a name? Rayse Trell sounds like Wastrel. Trell could be Rayse's last name and if you say it together you get: Wastrel - "literary A wasteful or good-for-nothing person. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/wastrel" Odium is someone who wants to lay waste to all threats to his power in the cosmere. It's a lame pun, but I wouldn't rule it out.