Nnatel

Okay, this isn't as well thought as it should be but let's put it here. I fell like Roshar is much more similar to Scadrial in this than it looks like. Odium didn't want to invest into Rosharian system - so it makes sense he has no 'his' magic system. If this is the case than we have almost the same situation - two Shards and three systems. To put it shortly: Honor - Surgebinding Both - Fabrials Cultivation - Voidbinding (actually I can't really explain why I put the other two this way, it is more like a gut feeling. It has something to do with the way Cultivation alters a person - changing a part of them, though) And coming back to Odium - after such a long time in the system some of his Investiture got in - but it was not enough to create a new system (also, he didn't want to and we know how important intent is in the cosmere). He got his Investiture into already existing systems altering them as he willed. And all he had to do was to create his Spren - as they are an integral part of every system here. To make another Mistborn analogy - just as we see in the second era Trell 'getting into' the systems by creating his metal.

I have found this WoB, which is quite uncertain but at least gives us some idea about the time: If it is really so, than other three things you pointed out must have happened before. I think RShara is right about the signs - that would explain why Stormfather started showing visions (I believe there was a WoB that Gavilar and Dalinar weren't the only ones - but to me it implies that he started visions not so long ago, not more than these 8-10 years ago). Actually, I have problem with Spren that decided on bonding - I don't feel like they would be so concerned about a possible desolation that would bring them into bonding unless we make assumptions that the ones that bonded were like Syl - decided to go against the rest. But both Shallan and Lift were watched /chosen by more spren so it is not true. And, I just wanted to say I really like this theory. I don't know how I haven't thought about it but this totally makes sense.

I know it is quite off the topic, but I just realised that, as we know that Hoid has been to Obrodai before SA, there must have been a perpendicularity on Obrodai before an Avatar of Autonomy arrived/was created. Or did I mess the timeline? I feel like I didn't (at least I hope so) so it would mean there must have been a Shard on Obrodai before or there happened something stranger. The bolded part most likely refers to Obrodai - so there happened something significant, but whether it was before or it is the part about the Avatar - I don't know.

He definitely is stuck on Roshar, for now, but there is a way to work around that and he will find it. (Elegy covered it really well). Yes, spren are part of the CR but distance is relevant there.

I always liked Eshonai over Venli (though at the end of Oathbringer they started to go closer to be equal) but with Brandon saying Venli's flashbacks will give us more chance to learn and explore cosmere secrets I cannot decide which I prefer. Just - a character I like or more information on cosmere? (I didn't vote as I can't deicide what I prefer.) Actually, I feel it can be the other way around as well. Eshonai's point of view makes sense as Venli knew too much back than. I felt like the promise was about all that was going 'behind the scenes' with singers, not the certain character. And with Eshonai being dead, focusing on her might as well feel out of place. And don't forget, she will still come back in flashback sequence, just wouldn't have a viewpoint.

As we are following the pattern of oaths - what if 'the Spear' somehow tells us where (or when) he will swear the fourth one? (Though I have no idea what it can mean...)

I feel like the Tower can be as well a reference to Urithiru - and so to all Knights Radiant.

Okay, a thought that can be a little (or quite much) crazy and I'm putting it here before I decide it is too chaotic to share. So here we go. I feel like Nightblood can be similar to a black hole. It will 'eat' (sorry, I can't find a better word) any amount of Investiture just because it is so heavily Invested. (The black smoke is like the part of matter that gets out of the black hole - sorry for putting it so chaotic and simple at one but I'm not good at physics and don't know how to call it correctly). To me, it leads to an 'internal' perpendicularity - there is no way to use it as a typical one - but is a reason why it Nightblood destroys in all three Realms - in the sword they are one. And, kind of using that we're on Nightblood, could someone tell me if it is possible that the presence of Ruin's Investiture was caused by the Command - 'destroy' is almost exactly the Intent of Ruin?

Yeah, I must agree with you on that. But imagine you can eat any amount of calories you can find - Lift is definitely able to eat enough to heal herself. Oh, I believed that Nightwatcher gives you a separate boom and curse every time. Oops.

I might be wrong but I don't think healing uses so much Investiture and than the 'loss', as you called it, wouldn't be very big. (I'm not really convinced if it is a loss because she still is the only one who 'creates' Stormlight, so she ends up with more then anyone else). And to the second part - I'll add third version... As I believe she is the next case in which Cultivation intervened (because for what I know it is not confirmed) it would be logical for the boom and the curse to mix - just as they do in Dalinar's case.

In Warbreaker, Lightsong and Blushweaver in general. Especially this one (putting it in quote box as it is quite long actually...) I remember Mistborn has some as well but I'm just at the beginning of reread so I hope to find more gems. And, actually, during a Warbreaker reread I almost started crying as someone cursed 'Kalad's phantoms' talking to Vasher. It just killed me.

Hoid is awesome but I just realised - does that mean we're getting an in-world book named Rythm of War? Because I just don't find it likely that the 4th book will break the scheme. It definitely sounds like a Singer book, doesn't it? Probably in the Dawnchant, telling more about the beginning of Desolations? (okay, it is just a hope to find out more than any realistic prediction about it...) But I still like the idea of a Singer book and maybe someone has better guesses then mine.

I really like the part of Vax being destroyed as a result of the Shattering (and as Ati talks about it as he sees Cognitive Realm it is at least connected or as you said - a part of CR). But I'm not sure if the Shattering could happen in CR - wouldn't it result in a similar effect as on Sel, where magic is bonded to certain place? The Shards are mostly in SR, so either it needed to happen in Spiritual or the amount of freed Investiture during Shattering created kind of a perpendicularity that allowed new-created Shards to get to another Realm (and if that was the case than I have nothing against your theory and actually such an amount of Investiture would cause some crazy destruction and create some weird magic effect - just look at Threnody).

I might be wrong but I believe Nightblood would just start sucking his Investiture: the metals he is burning but also all he has stored in his metalminds. It would take longer than compared to a person with 'normal' amount of Investiture but it'd kill him sooner or later (and I'm not even talking about his age).

At first I thought of putting Hoid here, but with him being incapable of hurting anyone, he would be rather useless in a fight. Although talking just about the amount of power, he is definitely up there. Also, I am sure I heard once Hoid could have access to the Feruchemy, but went searching through WoBs and found nothing, at least no confirmation. Only that he tried to figure it out (source: https://wob.coppermind.net/events/390/#e12754). But there is also this WoB: What would also give him abilities of a Compounder (if I understand the mechanics correctly). Well, sorry for getting so hard into Hoid (it almost got me off topic) but he is amazing to me.

I wasn't sure as the previous one was a few days ago but I'll know for the next time. Oh, so it even goes further than I thought. Good to know. It actually works even better for what I was trying to say. We have no way to tell anything about Dominion or Devotion, as we haven't seen the 'pure' Investiture of those Shard. Am I right?

Nightblood is definitely the most dangerous thing, not sure if the strongest. That's the problem with what 'the strongest' really means. Because you can have less power but be better at using it. Are you stronger? Well... Are we talking about Vasher with or without Nightblood? Because, well, he is awesome, but tenth heightening Vasher with Nightblood is quite a terrifying idea, isn't it?

Okay, I don't know if I should edit previous post or if I can double post with some interesting WoB (again found by accident). Let's do it this way and please tell me if it os OK. Okay, it is only a part of this WoB but here is where it is getting interesting. I bolded the part I'm thinking about. I believe it can support your theory because before you can change something into more pure form it needs to be somehow 'limited' (can't find the right word, hope you get what I'm talking about). Or did I get the WoB completely wrong?

From what @Chromium Compounder said I got that yes, Snapping is important, as similar thing is needed, for other systems as well, to let Investiture in. But directly from Preservation is the fact that you choose to stay alive, to 'preserve' yourself. And unfortunately I can't add anything to Autonomy part as I still haven't read White Sand. Although just a random thought on this. But is Honor more of bringing together or rather having bonds? Because if the second is true, than in opposition to being bonded is being alone. (And it seems more likely to me as I don't see Autonomy destroying anything - but I might be completely wrong as I said I haven't read White Sand yet.)

Wow, I never thought of it and it works pretty well. Thanks for giving me the idea how to get Preservation work in this theory, as I couldn't find any way it would.

I posted something very similar in the thread mentioned above, so I agree. Just one correction, as on Scadrial Allomancy is of Preservation and Hemalurgy of Ruin (Feruchemy is of both). So Ruin's system requires you to 'ruin' part of your soul (spiritweb) to make place for Investiture. With Preservation it is more complicated but I believe Brandon said that Leras established the system before he was limited by the Shard's Intent. (I'll edit if I find it).

I agree that my idea is part of yours and actually the longer I think the more interesting it gets. I might be completely wrong but I always believed Splinters to be sapient pieces of Investiture. Than the way they act will be also working for whole Investiture. And what I meant about Dominion and Devotion was that I think the Dor is mixed Investiture - just possibly in different proportions in different places on Sel - so it is hard to say anything about it. As for Cultivation I would expand the way Old Magic works. It would totally make sense to me if the Investiture itself was about evolving and adapting. It wants to survive - so it adapts. And also allows others to do so.

Actually, I've been thinking of something similar though I've been connecting Intent with system more than with Investiture itself. That goes quite well for Endowment - the Breaths can't be stolen, they must be 'endowed' with free will. If it is not the Intent, I don't know what it can be. But it can be probably the Investiture itself that works this way - I wouldn't be surprised. And than it probably works for you as well. I had actually hard time getting Preservation and Ruin work and I'm still not sure, so I'll leave them and move to next ones. Dominion and Devotion - I might be mistaken but I got the impression that the Investiture from this two Shards is kind of mixed - it works differently based on the proportions but there is no 'pure' Investiture that will fuel magic - only Seons and Skaze and they work along 'their' Shard Intent. I like your idea on Odium (I didn't have any) and mostly agree about Honor, so on Cultivation. More than growth I consider her being about adapting to different circumstances. And I believe that is what Old Magic is doing - changes part of your spirit web as a way of 'evolution'. And, just like you, I don't have any ideas on Ambition or Autonomy, so I'll leave them too. Maybe just a random thought I had right now - what if Autonomy's Investiture is working differently for each Avatar? But I'd like to ask if it makes any sense for you?

Yeah, because there are two polish translations of Warbreaker I was confused at the beginning, at least untill I found out that they are the same book (I read only the later one). And I must agree, almost everything is translated at least ok, if not really well. But I am planning to read all in English, to get used to names (because for now getting through forum is sometimes confusing as I have no idea who is who). And I just don't want to wait for Stormlight 4 being translated. Even if they are not one word, like in English. It happend with Mistborn - the meaning is the same but it is actually 'Born from mists' (or something like that) or as @Bloodweaver said - the names of gods in Warbreaker.

Hoid is probably sooo overpowered that he wasn't the main subject of my question. But as we are at him, (thanks for the link!) I am almost sure that at some point we see him putting something into his drink - and I believe it was a proof of him having Allomancy - although I like the idea of him keeping the piece of Lerasium for later. If I remember correctly, he also tried to gain Feruchemy (it was somewhere in the first Mistborn trilogy). But also thanks for all answers. I actually had no idea that being a Mistborn counts as too much power. I wonder if it is connected to the amount of Investiture (well, I don't see another explanation, to be honest). If yes, than being a Returned would also result in not having even a possibility to have a Resonance, am I correct?