Master Silver

Yeah, can't heal very well from being crushed. I do think that Nale being a Herald and having Shard plate, makes him the most tanky individual on Roshar except maybe Hoid. Besides Thunderclasts can't fly. As long as the Windrunners don't have to protect civilians then they would be fine just staying out of reach.

The Radiants only have less staying power than the fused, until they get their armor. Right now the fused are able to use the weapons they have crafted to fight Radiants that don't have plate. Once radiants start to get plate they will be much harder to kill. I'm not even sure how effective a shard blade would be, because living plate is likely much more durable. So, a 4th ideal Windrunner, would close the gap with stormlight efficiency, be much harder to kill, and perhaps manifest new powers. Meaning the Heavenly Ones would want to limit fighting them. So perhaps just don't challenge masters to duels.

I think Brandon would have to go into hiding if he wrote another 1000 page book and Kaladin still didn't swear the fourth ideal lol. I do think there is going to be a blood bath in chapter 8 or 9 with Moash running around and a possible assassin on the loose (where Shallan and Adolin are). Not to mention two potential battles have yet to conclude.

Any thoughts on if we are going to get more Kaladin (in chapter 8) then what Brandon read? I really, really hope so. I'd hate to have to wait an additional week to watch him and Moash interact. I know we had mentioned perhaps the Heavenly Ones maybe defecting at some point, not from fighting for the Singers, but fighting for Odium. To my mind Moash could very easily fit in that camp. I know everyone hates him (to include me). But from his perspective, he could be acting with Honor. Surely Roshon deserved death. Elohkar was on the battle field and was a high value target. Jezrian has probably killed tens of thousands of Singers, and certainly no one that wants to live would wait till Jezrian can fight back. These last two deaths (assumign Moash killed them) would be the first non-warriors that he has killed, and they were prisoners of war/ hostages so that makes it worse. But if Moash were a Skybreaker, everyone would say, well of course he killed Elohkar and Roshon

I know the Shallan stuff is what is new to us in chapter 7. But upon re-reading the Kaladin stuff. I found it super interesting that although the new fabrial suppressed his surge binding and Syl couldn't turn into a shard blade. It didn't effect his internal stormlight nor the winds. Here is the thing though, if it suppressed a shard blade (Syl-blade) wouldn't it suppress armor? Could this be a sort of Easter Egg verification of something more/special with Kaladin? Others have said this, but I think when people say the winds know him, and also calling him Stormblessed, something more is going on. Or there is something about the fourth ideal that transcends fabrial technology. Will we really have to wait till chapter 9 for more on Kaladin's story arc?

One interesting thing we learned last time our heroes were in Shadesmar, is that stormlight is valuable. With Dalinar being able to renew Stormlight, our heroes could certainly buy whatever they want. Weren't there swords for purchase at one of the markets?

When I say the Pure Lake, I mean the Pure Lake in Shadesmar. Sorry for being unclear

Could this be the Pure Lake?

I am hoping we get to see how far Adolin has progressed with his bond with Maya. If Shallon does something stupid, it may push him to say an oath that allows him to heal her. For instance, Radiant has the mindset of a warrior, but compared to Kaladin and Adolin how much fighting has Radiant actially done. I think Shallan has the most kills out of her three personalities and maybe the most combat or my life is in danger experience too. Does anyone know if the Moash surrender was the end of chapter 8? Is Seth in prison at this point? If not, how crazy would it be if. Moash surrenders, and Seth burns out his eyes (according to the will of Dalinar Kohlin) even though Jasnah might want him to stand trial (for some reason). What does this have to do with Kaladin? Kaladin does not protect Moash and swears the fourth ideal, while watching his former friend be put to the sword. September 1st will be a good day lol

I just had a thought based off those words of Sanderson just posted. Remember how in Storm form the listeners were shooting lighting but with no accuracy. What if Renarian's sphere can have a similar effect. He is tall and lanky like many pitchers who can bring the heat. Being infused with stormlight, and possibly being able to use fortune to know where they are going to move might make him a staple on that fancy airship. He can double as a healer and archer.

Aren't the horneater peaks near the pure lake? ..... Just looked at a map... Nevermind. But if the Bondsmith bonded to the Storm Father coudl always open perpendicularities, they still could have done it.

Good theory, I think it more likely that since their is a know and stable perpendicularity in the area, one of the Bondsmiths opened it up and a group of Elsecallers spent a time in between desolations building these fortresses. Jasinah, made a wall of bronze in the middle of a battle. Imagine what a group of trained Elsecallers and a Bondsmith could do with a year.

So there are roughly 50 WIndrunners+ squires (maybe 250) although if most of the bridge crews are now squires, could be much larger. I would guess (pure speculations) maybe 25 or so Edge Dancers, they seem to be the second largest group, but likely not as large as the Windrunners. Oh and when I say Windrunners, or Edge Dancers, I mean they have their own spren. A handful of the other orders (5ish), maybe 10 or so Lightweavers. Only 1 Bondsmith for now. That gives us a grand total of maybe around 116. 50+25+10+(6 x 5)+1=116. Then you have maybe 20 sets of dead baldes and plate (they have lost a few between Moash and Elokar). With the coalition having perhaps 40 total. So, just a wild estimate here, compared to the end of Oathbringer, I would say the Radiant/human coalitions combat power has increased by 10 fold, which is why they are in a stalemate with the Fused. In Oathbringer they were just getting Steamrolled. I say 10 fold, because both Kaladin and Seth proved that a trained warrior/surge binder with access to stormlight and lashings can decimate a full shard bearer.

I disagree, with there being no consequences for the fused dying. The fused sooner or later, go insane from being reborn time after time after time. These duels, must have been something that Leshwi designed to preserve her order/friends. As you said, in many ways, this sort of combat favors the Fused. making it less likely that they will die. Although as certain radiants win, their skill and experience increase+ they will progress in oaths meaning that in some cases these duels will start to skew heavily in some Radiants favor (like Kaladin, Drehi, and Scar).Finally, another way that honor works to benefit the Fused, is by not committing atrocities and dueling humans with powers, they have something to cling to even if they do die and are reborn. This type of fighting makes it more likely that they keep their souls and sanity intact. Thus, not a trap and based on pragmatism as much as honor.

As the technology continues to improve, I think Radiants will have to swear more ideals or get wiped out. The best counter to these Spears of the fused that take the stormlight of Radiants is plate. I don't know what swearing the 5th ideal does. But it seems like each ideal constricts the Radiants (certainly the first three do, at least for Windrunners). But maybe the last ideal gives the Radiant some autonomy to Lead and protect (for Windrunners) how they think is best. Just like Skybreakers become the embodiment of Justice. Gem hearts for the Spren or stormlight upon the 5th ideal sorta makes sense, but it seems like that would make radiants easier to kill. The blades/spren becoming mini-perpendicularities with a direct connection to the spiritual realm might be a better option though. They would become like honor blades in that way upon swearing the fifth ideal.

There is something about having to sever the soul of the limb in order for it to die. I think if you go back to chapter 4 Brandon might mention some of the dynamics of the fighting.

It is a little unclear, but at some point Kaladin had a regular spear, and his side knife too. Hard to keep track of it all for me.

So my question is does Odium yanking away their immortality kill them? Also, Odium assumes that he can yank away their immortality, but that was perhaps before the Everstorm. Yes, it is Odium's storm, but it is now also a force on Roshar. Does a contest of champions limit what Odium can do? If Fused can continue to be reborn against the will of Odium then he may lose his hold on them. Another alternative that might lead to a massive defection of the heavenly ones, is if they can some how become of Honor again. The Singers have provided the body, the Heavenly Ones provide the mind and replace the Singers soul, that should mean that there is still one spot left for another spren, unless they are called the fused because they Ancient Singer soul has already fused with an ancient spren. The point I'm trying to make is maybe they will end up like Venli. Having Honor Spren capture the voidish spren that allows them to have that form (and perhaps that is why Kalidin can't find more Honor spren). What I'm hoping for is a massive defection of the Heavenly Ones, who become the army of the reminant of the Listeners, with Venli and Relain, Leshwi, and a couple others on the Listener Council. They then become allies of the humans and keep half of Alethkar and the Shattered plains. And since this has become a wild theory, Because of this Listener/Singer kingdom, Nale and they Sky Breaker join them, thus fulfilling Nale's oath to serve the Singers, but fight Odium.

If Odium tells the Fused Gavilar is their champion then that is the way it would be. If they resist he can always remover their immortality. They let Moash join their ranks, so I wouldn't see it as a stretch for Gavilar to do the same, were he somehow resurrected

I agree that Brandon is likely using misdirection. And also, given the textual evidence from the books, it does not make logical sense that Bondsmiths wouldn't receive plate. They are the most powerful of the Radiant orders, and because of that high value targets for the Fused. Seemingly Dalinar was on his way to plate at the end of Oathbringer. Plate is made up of secondary spren, so the Stormfather would still be holding true to his words by not becoming a mere sword. I do think as their bond deepens the Stormfather will be afraid of losing his human, and thus plate would help protect him. This being we hope the last desolation and rules already being broken, I can see Dalinar ending up with a shard blade that isn't the Stormfather. Whether that is an honor blade, or Oathbringer time will tell. But unless he ascends, he will need to be able to protect himself with sword and plate.

If Gavilar gave Odium his pain, he absolutely would do that. Few people would stop and be logical if they saw their wife with their brother. Their first thought wouldn't be, well I was dead for 6 years and he is a good person. It would be, surely they were running around behind my back while I was alive. And if he is a cognitive shadow, he is essentially immortal and doesn't need an heir anymore.

Can Shards bring back people who are long dead? Could Gavilar be Odium's champion? I know he is dead, but Shards are gods, Gavilar was at least a little invested if he was receiving visions, and there would be nothing like bringing Gavilar back and letting him see how his brother let his son die and took his wife, kingdom, and place as Honor's heir (even if not Honor's champion) to fill Gavilar with hatred. For a character that has been dead since chapter 1 of The Way of Kings Gavilar gets a lot of screen time. If Dalinar can combine three realms, so can Odium... meaning yank Gavilar out of the spiritual realm, show him a vision of everything that has happened twisting it just a touch, and then give him plate and blade.

What I think would be a wonderful counter balance to the betrayal of the Sky Breakers, is if the Heavenly Ones decide defect and join the Listeners (if any survive) and Singers that don't want to fight for Odium. And now that I'm thinking about it, the Sky Breakers are not necessarily team Odium, but team Singer which is something different. Wouldn't that be interesting if this war turned into a 1v1v1, instead of a 1v1?

A couple of thoughts on the chapter. Firstly, the way Kaladin views 50 fused makes you agree with the Heralds in the prologue to The Way of Kings. Jezrian says they have the Radiants, that will be enough. Even if there are 600 fused. The Ancient Radiants would stomp them most likely, considering how robust their orders were. The ones that would suffer would be all non-fused and non-radiants who would never have time to recover. The fused likely, began to just target scholars, artisans, black smiths and the like, during desolations, knowing that if they killed hundreds of these craftsmen and skilled laborers, the next desolation would be that much easier. Eventually they would get cornered by the Radiants and have to fight a pitched battle. But a few years later rinse and repeat. I am curious how Dalinar survived when the fused targeted him. Would love a huge reveal next chapter about Oath Bringer and plate for Dalinar....I know....I know no shards for Bond Smiths, but desperate time for desperate measures. Honor blade+dead plate...+ Blackthorn+Bond Smith powers= winning at life and lots of dead fused lol. Finally, air ships. The have the ability I think to be quite fast. So far they are moving without lashings or sails. It seems like a Wind Runner of the Fourth ideal might be able to summon a strong breeze and certainly can provide the lashings. So I would put a two Wind Runners, their squires, and two edge dancers on each ship. Use the ships to rain arrows, spears, and maybe cannons just for our heroes though :-)

Yeah I definitely meant shard blades not honor blades