Lunu’anaki

Isn't that just realistic though? We have inventions like this in the real world, throughout human history, that take hundreds of years to be turned into a usable and popular device even though the understanding they are based on was developed centuries before. The camera is a perfect example. Camera obscuras existed all the way back in 470 BC, Photochemical reactions were known to humans by 1801, why then did it take 60 years to have a working camera? Why wasn't the first camera used as soon as 1805? 1815? For that matter, why didn't the ancient greeks realize that photosynthesis existed, and therefore seek out novel ways to use plants in order to record their camera obscura images? Why didn't the renaissance artists? These sorts of connections arn't made overnight. It takes care and interest, plus luck, to make these sort of discoveries. People often don't think outside of the confines of what's possible right in front of them, and those few who do often have very specific goals in doing so.

I can see your reasoning for everything but this... if anything, wouldn't this be evidence for why Kaladin would not be fit for "War"? Maybe for Odium and Honor together... but I doubt the shard would be called War if Kaladin were the one combining the powers. In fact, we're shown time and time again how much Kaladin hates the consequences of 'war'.

Radiants cannot leave Roshar, because their spren are bound there. Any Scadrien wishing to form a bond would also need to be willing to stay on Roshar forever, how many do you think would give up their home to be a radiant and fight on the eternal war planet?

I'm reading the new novella with Lopen in it and very excited!! I laughed the whole way through his first chapter. (Heads up! Double posting is against the forum rules, so from now on try to combine responses into one post! (You can quote multiple posts at a time by clicking the + sign at the bottom of any given persons response.)

Unless I'm horribly mistaken, we know very very little about how breaths work in regard to memory. My guess/theory is that Hoid is immediately storing what he witnesses to breaths, potentially to have a more vivid, sharp memory stored to investiture. (like a video recording rather than a vague impression of an event.)

I'm not baffled that they have a ton of built up knowledge, you have to remember that for much of history things were being destroyed and rebuilt constantly, and technology was always guided by the heralds and the fused, ancient peoples who have been shown to be very stuck in their ways. RoW explores this a lot with Raboniel and Navanni. I have no doubt this is coming. Span reads are a new invention. I believe Navanni was alive to see their creation, was she not? These sciences are also very clandestine in nature. It's not information given out to the public because of the constant war on Roshar. Everyone wants a military advantage and therefore they hide knowledge from one another. They did eventually come to that conclusion though, and there were discoveries required to do so. Remember how Navanni needed a device that could alter the direction of the force before using anything other than lateral motion to guide the ship? There are definitely holes in it here and there, it is fiction after all; but I do think there are good explanations for many of the issues you've addressed here.

I think that would depend entirely on why it was bad... If it was just bad writing or whatever... I'd ignore it and keep going, I'm way too 'Invested' in the Cosmere at this point I'd be sad though.

That's the most terrified I've been of the fused yet, reading that.

Yeah, I can see that. I suppose I'm more forgiving of Rayse being outmaneuvered, partly because of the lack of cohesion the Vessel had with the Shard, but also because I think we are going to see a lot of peak Rayse in the back half's Herald flashbacks!

Welcome the the Shard!! I too am a Wayne fan. Glad to have another of us aboard!!

I think the most likely scenario for seeing this sort of thing would be in a flashback. I think you're right. It would be amazing and really get across the terror which these shards should instill. Let me play devils-advocate for a second here too though: I also think these Shards being bound is a big thematic thing in the Cosmere. The audacity of a mortal to think they could hold the power of a god and wield it effectively, the powers being more in control than the vessels, things of that nature seem to be wrapped up in the overarching story of the Cosmere as well.

@mathiau I agree, I don't think the reports of Red-Eyed demons are fused. I like the "Autonomy is corrupting investiture" line of thought a lot better. But It's not impossible that they are fused, the red-eyed monsters are barely a side-comment in BoM so I wouldn't put it past Brandon to throw something like that in.

This is exactly the type of cursed torture Brandon would put Kaladin through. I always thought he would become a new Herald to renew the Oathpact between books 5 and 6... but this... damn. This sounds so much better.

Oh I totally understand. I'm not trying to say you did anything wrong. Mentioning Secret History is mostly for the benefit of anyone who's having trouble following the Thaidakar-Kel connection!!

Besides what mathiau already mentioned, Mistborn Era 2 Spoilers:

Mistborn: Secret History is not part of the main Mistborn series. It's a short story in Arcanum: Unbounded (One which I highly recommend to anyone confused by this post)

So, Cultivation killed Rayse... but we aren't certain that Rayse is working alone. I'm thinking 'ole Koravari might want to go out and take care of one or more other Shards that may have been involved in the death of Honor. I can see that being her ultimate plan as well... I think that Dalinar and Vargo are each options for her though, what with that whole "cant see into the hearts of men" thing. This sounds way cooler than anything I've heard up to this point. Great theory for the cool factor alone!! I'm assuming that she does know about him, considering how much Harmony talks about reaching out to Shards. It's actually one of the things that sparked this idea in me, alongside the Dalinar War Shard Theories that came along with the Rhythm of War light combination reveal. Yeah. And I think if it happens in the first 5 its going to be Vargo. Dalinar is too expected, and also too respectable of a character at this point to make a good space-age antagonist IMO.

That would turn Kal into a wacky kind of Bondsmith-Avatar-Windrunner. Storms...

This is the way I'm looking at it until we have more information. Who knows though, I find it hard to believe he'd ever be all bad, but he lived in a very different time and place when he wasn't a cognitive shadow, and some of those attitudes may not transfer over well to Rosharen morality.

I'm thinking more and more since RoW that Kal is meant for the Shard of Honor. This is solidifying that opinion.

I would drop everything and join/form/fund a game design company specifically to make this game is Brandon asked me to.

Thanks, I've fixed this on my post, I apologize if this threw anyone off. I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you on your fundamental assumption that being a leader makes you immediately responsible for the actions of your followers. If an amazon employee is delivering a package and decides that it is more efficient and provides better service if he murders everyone who stands in the way of him getting that package to your front door... Jeff Bezos is not responsible for those murders unless his actions directly influenced the decision making process of his followers so that they would believe murder was a valid execution of their goals. It is entirely possible for a good leader to run an awful organization. Organizations are groups of people. Their leaders are singular and can only have so much influence over the actions of the whole. You can't blame the president of a democratic country for what it's senate decides to do. The same goes for Blaming Jeff Bezos for Board decisions, or Thaidakar for Ghostblood actions he has no part in. We don't know the extent of his reach within the organization, why he's involved with them in the first place, or how much power he has within their organizational structure. It's entirely plausible to me that he could have started the Ghostbloods as a democratic organization and they could be voting against his wishes. We just cant say for certain and I think assumptions like (Ghostbloods=Bad so Thaidakar=Bad) are bad assumptions to make when we don't know the full picture.

Any particular reason though? "Broken One" seems very much like a title. One which I don't think we've heard yet.

I've missed him every day for a very, very long time now. His name was Dog. He was a good dog. You'd have liked him. Have you seen any of those black ones around? I've been looking for ages but I just can't seem to get my hands on one... if you find one, do please let me know.

I could see it as an RPG for sure. Especially one totally separated from the main characters. I could see a great Bioware style Mass Effect/Dragon Age story being told on Roshar -- or better yet, in the Cosmere as a whole!