Wonko the Sane

I found a lot of it online, but some of the observations were mine. The glyph on the map I noticed on my own, but if you look around some, so have a couple others on the forums. My big glyph question at the moment is the meaning of the Shadesmar glyphs. Also, I posted this so that we could pool our knowledge. If you know something that's not on the list, don't hesitate to tell me.

Threadjackers. 2 thoughts have occured to me: firstly, if I am right, what role do the kinds of fabrial listed in the ars arcanum play? secondly, spanreeds have some sort of bond, and we already have a Radiant order that deals in bonds and oaths. on a wishful note, my theory, and the existence of the Alerter fabrials, imply the existence of a Radiant order with a Spider Sense. And of course they would have gravitation so they could walk on walls.

Possibly, but like I said, it's probably meaningless. I'm more interested in compiling a list of solid data and making inferences from that. On another note, is anyone els interested in the dragon/bugs behind the Roshar glyphs?

I am intrigued by the glyphs in the front and back of the hardcover. I would like to compile a list of everything we have learned or seen of them thus far, as it is obvious that they will play a key role in the story. I will start with what comes to mind, in no particular order: - The small glyphs in the front represent the various Surges, or forces, that Knights Radiant and other magic-users can manipulate. These include Pressure, Gravitation, Transformation, and Travel. We do not yet know precisely which Surge is represented by which glyph, except that the top-right and the right-top represent Pressure and Gravitation, though it is unclear which is which. - The large glyphs in the front represent the Orders of the Knights Radiant. These include the Windrunners and the Stonewards, as well as perhaps the "Soulcasters," a name which follows the same pattern as the other Orders. It seems more likely, however, that Soulcasting is just the name of one use of the Surge of Transformation. The top-right large glyph represents the Windrunners. - The thinner lines on the front cover connect an Order to the Surges it can manipulate. These lines also connect adjacent Surges, or those that share an order. - The larger lines ont the front cover connect Orders to various other Orders. The connections include Orders that share a Surge, Orders on opposite sides of the circle, and two connections that seem unrelated to the rest, between the top-right and bottom-right and between the top left and bottom-left. - The large glyphs seem to be arranged such that the "Chapter-header" faces on the border are more or less in a relative position with the Order they might be associated with. It has been heavily speculated that these are the heralds. - These faces also surround the Silver Kingdoms map. Could they be in some relative position with the kingdom they could be associated with. - The sword on the front of the book, along with those behind the Part titles, are stylized versions of the large glyphs. - Shash, which, by some theories, would be the bottom-left glyph on the front chart, is a symbol that warns of danger. - The back cover seems to be depicted in analogy with the front cover, including various parallels such as the same general shape. - The large glyphs on the back cover ar depicted in the same color as their front-cover counterparts. - If you take a small glyph from the front cover, split it in half vertically, flip one half upside-down vertically, and make som minor modifications, you end up with that glyphs counterpart on the back cover. - The third glyph clockwise on the right is depicted on the map of Kharbranth on page 454. - just a personal, potentially meaningless observation: several of the back-cover glyphs seem resemble some sort of fairy or angel. I'm sure that there's plenty more, but that's all that comes to mind right now. Your thoughts?

Hadn't caught that. I had assumed that Brandon would try to disperse his cast between the orders, and this way, we have two Windrunners: Kaladin and Szeth.

Probably gonna be spoilers. So far as I know, Kaladin has not exhibited the Radiant power of Gravitation at all... only pressure. Therefor, he might not be a Windrunner at all. You guys have more time to search than I do: do we have any hints at what his other power might be? (Gravitation or otherwise.)

Fascinating... I had not heard Travel listed as a Radiant power. The spanreeds could very well be the manifestation of it; I had seen it as a sort of magic link, such that when a quill on one end is moved, the 'reciever' quill makes the same movements. I'm not sure that I would describe that as travel, though it very well could be. I do think that the Radiant use of this power was the teleportation described by Teft.

Hardcover p.978: Now, I realize that there are any number of potential failings involved with my theory. For example, Jasnah could be wrong about the fabrials. However, assuming that we take her words as correct, it is pretty much indisputable that there are two ways to Soulcast: The Radiant power, and the fabrial. My theory arises from an analysis of what we know about the mechanics of each. The Nahel Bond requires a spren and is fueled by Stormlight. That is fairly apparent. From the translation of the pages from Navani's Notebook, we learn that fabrials require a spren and are fueled by Stormlight. Based on this data, it is not too great a leap to speculate that these two might be the same thing; that is, that a fabrial is simply a device built in mimicry of the Nahel Bond. If this is the case, that means that each of the various powers of fabrials are either aspects or derivatives of the Radiant powers, and, in reverse, that each of the Radiant powers could be emulated by a fabrial. Following from this is the idea that we could compile all of the fabrials we have seen and, with consideration, make guesses at as-yet unknown Radiant powers. I do, however, have one misgiving about my theory. I have no direct quote, but I have a vague memory that somewhere in the book it is stated that all existing Soulcasting fabrials are relics from the Heraldic Epochs, the secret of their creation having been lost to time. If this is the case, it is entirely possible that they do not function the same way as modern fabrials. Thus, Navani's Notebook may have no bearing over their mechanics. Still, even without mentioning Soulcasting, The parallels between fabrials and the Nahel Bond are intriguing.

While this has nothing to do with thunderclasts, Szeth stated that voidbringers were said to have held stormlight perfectly, and chasmfiends, like most greatshells, have a gem growing inside their bodies.

Warning: spoilers run amuck From what I understand, the powers of the Knights Radiant are granted by forming a special link with a spren, referred to by Nohadon as the Nahel Bond, and are fueled by the energy known as Stormlight. One such power is that of Soulcasting. However, we also know that Soulcasting can be accomplished by the use of certain fabrials. In addition, we know from Navani's Notebook that said fabrials are also formed using a spren and powered by Stormlight. Thus a possibility occurs to me: Could fabrials be nothing more than a method of mechanically simulating the Nahel Bond? And, if so, could we extrapolate the remaining Radiant powers by compiling the various known effects of fabrials?