Theodore Smedry

On 6/21/2020 at 0:31 PM, Ripheus23 said:

Sanderson also uses the phrase "one-to-one correspondence" periodically (in WoBs). In set theory, the word "cardinality" was originally read off the notion of suits and ranks in decks of cards (the example being 4 suits X 13 ranks giving you a "set with a cardinality of 52"). 1-to-1 correspondence ends up being crucial to defining "different sizes of infinite cardinalities."

I wonder if there's anything about the Physical-Cognitive interface that suggests you could get a lot of indirect magical power from thinking about infinite sets. My guess is that there is, that the Set are either on to the problem or know (part of) its solution, etc.

What I think of when I consider one-to-one correspondence between the Cognitive and Physical realms is the Cognitive realm on Roshar where each physical object has a cognitive sphere counterpart, each soul has a candle-like manifestation, and the land and water manifest as opposites of each other. When thinking about how a shard manifests like this (its one-to-one correspondence in the three realms), I'm not sure how it would look in the Cognitive or Spiritual but in the Physical realm each shard manifests investiture as solid (i.e. god metal, shardplate/shardblades), liquid (i.e. the Well of Ascension, Cultivation's perpendicularity), and gas (i.e. the mists, stormlight).

How do you think considering the realms with one-to-one correspondence would allow access to more power?

On 6/21/2020 at 1:07 PM, Karger said:

I always thought they were referring to probability and how much of the overall events someone was actually competent to take in.  For example an Array can only really see the present if broadly, a Suit can see several moves ahead as well as to the side, Sequence is Marasi's counterpart able to foresee a variety of events branching out in all directions, while a series can look forward but can be blindsided in the now. 

Do you think then that the members of the set have access to Fortune or investiture-related future sight? I'm not sure how they would other than unlocked metalminds or a direct connection to a shard. 

On 6/18/2020 at 0:45 AM, Halyo_Alex said:

Quick, crackpot hot take: Trell is actually an Invested Supercomputer.

That would be awesome if it were the case, but I find it more likely to have to do with the foreman on Taldain named Trell. 

Quote

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Trell the foreman is connected to the religions on Scadrial.

General Reddit 2019 (Nov. 5, 2019)

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Questioner

In Vol. 2 of White Sand, there is a character named Trell. Is that intentional?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, that is intentional, but the connections are a little more obtuse than you may be expecting.

Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)

On 6/22/2020 at 5:16 AM, Oltux72 said:

Trell is the vessel of the Shard of Abstract Reasoning.

Sadly, I don't think that Trell is a shard/is associated with a shard that we don't already know based on these two WoBs:

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Questioner

In the past, you have said... that we've seen a metal that is from a Shard that we know, on Scadrial. You said Wax has seen the influence of a Shard other than Preservation, Ruin, or Harmony, and that the spike that Bleeder was using was a metal from a Shard we know. It seems like there's another Shard influencing Scadrial. Is Trell an extension of that?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

And is that Odium?

Brandon Sanderson

That's a RAFO.

Oathbringer San Francisco signing (Nov. 15, 2017)

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Questioner

Is the metal that Bleeder was associated with and had, is the Shard associated with that metal the same entity that's calling itself Trell?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Oathbringer Portland signing (Nov. 16, 2017)

However, it could be possible that a splinter of a shard we already know has become more associated with or was originally more associated with abstract reasoning. For example, the cryptic spren on Roshar are (possibly) a combination of Cultivation and Honor's investiture, yet are related specifically to logic, abstract reasoning, and lies. Trell might be a formation similar to this where he is associated with a shard we know, but he is more associated with abstract reasoning.

During my last Mistborn reread, I noticed that the terms used for the ranks in the set are all math/computer science terms: Sequence, Series, Suit, Array, and the name Set itself. I originally thought that this might say something about the nature of Trell, however I am not sure exactly what it would indicate. It is possible that these terms are used simply because they are not associated with any known structure other than math (if Scadrians use them in their system of math) and would thus be hard to guess what the internal structure of the Set actually is.

Any theories or thoughts about why Brandon uses these names?

A thought crossed my mind pondering the mechanics of color and Awakening. Since Awakening uses color as fuel, could gemstones (like the ones on Roshar) be used? If so, how would that affect the gemstone's function? I know that a some of the gemstones of Roshar are effectively only different in color and almost identical in chemical structure. Because of this, would a gemstone's ability to hold stormlight and trap spren be affected if its color was drained? If the gemstone that is drained were in a fabrial, how would it affect the fabrial's functionality? Are a gemstone's and a fabrial's magical properties about perception or more about physical properties? 

Also, I think the fact that it is practically impossible to draw from the color of living things suggests that investiture affects the accessibility of color. If this is true, I suppose that infused gemstones would be hard to use as color fuel.

I suppose if someone used the color from spheres (although likely expensive in breath for the Awakening because of the relatively low amount of color) it would prove a headache to anyone who tried to use or trade them.

What are your thoughts?

I divide by zero. Don't ask me how it works, it just happens.

It has been mentioned in the books that Bastille bugs Alcatraz often about what he is writing in his autobiography. They way it is written suggests they spend a lot of time together, and this amount and the playfulness of it suggests a marital relationship. I definitely ship it.

I have some questions about Nightblood that I haven't quite found answers for on Arcanum (although I haven't scanned all 222 WoBs tagged "nightblood") or in the cosmere books:

1: Does Nightblood need a direct connection to a source of investiture to consume it (e.g. consuming Breaths/Stormlight from someone holding it vs. it lying on the ground and consuming ambient investiture)? I know Brandon has said Nightblood can only consume kinetic investiture, but he also said that it can consume the mists so I'm not sure where the line of what Nightblood can and can't consume is.

2: If Nightblood interacts with the Spiritual realm, why can it not consume all investiture in that realm? I bet this has something to do with Connection and who is holding it, but I'm not sure. My knowledge of how spiritual mumbo-jumbo works is limited.

3: If Nightblood consumes enough investiture, would it become a perpendicularity? If so, would someone be able to use it without being consumed or is it more like a black hole with an event horizon?

4: On the black hole analogy, is Nightblood's investiture slowly dissipating like Hawking radiation?

5: Since Nightblood deepens colors around it, is it converting all the investiture into Breath or some other form of Endowment's investiture?

I've got one:

If a Radiant were to work out while holding stormlight, would he/she grow stronger or stay the same? Would the desire to gain strength be enough of a cue to the stormlight to facilitate that?

Ah, I see. I never noticed that before. Thank you.

After completing the series for a second time, I realized that even though Alcatraz ends his account after they leave the Highbrary, he dropped some hints that the story goes on. These include the fact that he wrote his autobiography, the fact that we know the world wasn't destroyed like Biblioden wanted because he wrote his autobiography, and a few other things he mentions about his life afterwards that I can't remember off the top of my head. Also, I know that Alcatraz suggests that one of the following happened (but most likely the first one): he and Bastille got married, Bastille married a Smedry, or Alcatraz married a Dartmoor (which is unlikely, since we only know of Bastille and her sister). I can't remember exactly what the wording is or where it was, but I am fairly sure it was in the third or fourth book if someone wants to check.

You're right. Right after the chapter ends they are all together like nothing happened. I guess you could say that Bastille was still list so she was still affected, but it is a bit of a stretch.

Main question for this topic: What is your favortie quote/joke/witty remark from all of Alcatraz?

Mine: "Definition of 'Crapaflapnasti': 'adj. Used to describe an item which is as disgusting as fish sticks.' (Note: This word can only be used to describe fish sticks themselves, as nothing has yet been found which is equally crapaflapnasti. Though the unclean, moldy, cluttered space under Brandon Sanderson’s bed comes close.)"

20 hours ago, Archer said:

THE CHOSEN ONE! Long have we waited for the fabled Alcatraz fan to grace this forum with their presence. Welcome, noble-minded reader! Welcome! The prophecies foretold your coming. It now falls on you to lead the Alcatraz subforum out of the plague of inactivity into which it has fallen, and into the light of the Recently Created Topics sidebar. The entire kingdom is counting on you! Go, fulfill your destiny. 

The Alcatraz section of this site desperately needs more posts. But whatever you do, don't try to say Alcatraz is cosmere. Have fun Sharding!

Will do.

4 minutes ago, I am a STICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! said:

Hurrah! Another Alcatraz fan!

Sadly we are too few and far between. Alcatraz fans unite!

Hello everyone! I'd love to get started with discussions, but I'd first like to introduce myself. First off, I'm not a hardcore Sanderson follower, but I have read all of the Stormlight Archives, Mistborn, and Alcatraz. I like to talk about the cosmere and other world's like the Alcatraz universe and how it relates to reality in certain ways.

Any tips for a newbie?

P.S. I would not like any cookies, thank you.