Argent

Gifting is the process through which an Epic grants one or more of his powers to a regular human. The human receives a fraction, up to the entirety, of the Epic's power, but the Epic can withdraw it at will. To me, it looks like when Conflux uses his power to charge an object, he forms a link with that object - and terminating this link removes the power from the object. If this is true, then it stands to reason that the people Conflux gifts his power to will also function the same way, so when he ends the gifting, the recipients' links to the batteries are broken, and Newcago goes dark. It just makes more sense to me that way. Gifting feels similar to what Calamity does, only it's temporary, potentially weaker, and more limited in terms of the powers it can grant. Since Calamity can't affect Epics or non-humans, it sounds right that Gifters won't be able to either. Which reminds me, I wonder of gifting is technically a power...

One thing that keeps bothering me about Firefight is that guy David kept spotting around Steelheart whenever the Firefight illusion was around - you know, his original candidate for the illusionist. Was that just Megan changing her appearance, so she is doubly protected against recognition, or do we have another mystery?

Now I remember those. No harm in forgetting to mention that then

I liked the first four, maybe six books. Darkness at Sethanon was the last really awesome one for me. It was all the same story after that, with Pug (and maybe Thomas) saving the day, a Jimmy-like character dealing with a smaller problem while cracking jokes, and Macros dying and coming back to life every few books. I too have the last 2-3 books sitting on my shelves, waiting to be read. Feist got me into fantasy (I don't count Tolkien, because his work was already done), and he was my favorite author for many years - until I discovered Brandon, actually. Even Jordan couldn't really replace Feist as my favorite. So I'll finish the books more out of respect than curiosity.

Thanks, Morks I just remembered something else from the individual questions during the signing. Somebody asked a question about Shinnovar and whether all Shin go through some combat training (but don't actually become warriors) at some time during their lives. Brandon said that we'll learn a lot more about the Shin in book 3, which has Szeth's flashbacks. Obviously not a big reveal or newsflash, but I don't remember seeing a confirmation about the main character of book 3 before. I always thought it would be Dalinar's, since he was a contender for 2...

Refresh me on this real quick - are the Expanses the equivalent to interplanetary space in Shadesmar?

Primary power: Knowing anything at will. Not omniscient - I would need to "request" a certain piece of knowledge to acquire it. I could use this for very light future predictions (e.g. "I wonder when the next Solar eclipse will happen..."), but attempting to divine something complicated and convoluted (e.g. "I need to know how and when I am going to die") will fail. Or, rather, it will give me some information, but that information will disappear as soon as one of the (unknown) initial conditions / assumptions changes. Which, considering that the butterfly effect's younger cousin is present in our lives at all times, is pretty much always. Secondary power: Semi-subconscious mind reading. I instantly know the general direction of everyone's thoughts, as long as they are within a kilometer (I lived most of my pre-Epic life in Europe, your US units are puny) of me. I can also concentrate on any number of people within a direct line of sight and learn their exact thoughts at the moment. Weakness: Lacking prime invincibility, I rely on my influx of knowledge to protect me from attacks. Those powers, however, fail me if I am in an elevator and the doors are closing. Name: Infinitum. If it has to be cheesy name, then The Brain. Costume: Jeans and a geeky/nerdy shirt. Always. Manifestation of Evil: I despise ignorance, be it real or perceived. I have no tolerance or mercy towards people who refuse to or don't read (by choice), people who believe in ideas proven to be wrong, or people who dislike the pursuit of knowledge. ... I just realized I probably won't rule over cities. Which probably suits me, I've always liked the idea of being the person who makes the person in power be, well, powerful.

Interesting. The "Epics' weaknesses are related to things they disliked / feared / hated before they became Epics" theory is one I am willing to buy into for now. Maybe we can go through the book and catalog all of the Epics with known weaknesses and see if it's possible - and plausible - for them to pass the test.

Right. I keep mixing the two together for some reason. Fixed. Also, woot woot on upgrading my rep rank from Elantrian to Shardbearer because of this report! And getting a Popular star in this topic. I feel like one of the cool kids now

It's in the October 1 blog. Many of you have probably seen it. But literally sat for about 5 minutes just look at this GIF. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, BRANDON!?

Which I am out of date on. But I will, should I stumble upon any of those threads during my next few days of intense research

"It's similar, but not 100% the same were his exact words," I believe. So yes, (fixed) typo on my part. I'll need to dig through the threads and do some major catching up in the next few days. Hopefully I'll get a few of the other big ones as well.

And a question of my own, so it doesn't get buried in my previous reply: Was David completely correct in guessing Steelheart's weakness, or just correct enough?

From the first Chicago Steelheart signing. It's my first time doing this interrogation thingy, so I don't know what the proper procedure to updating our knowledge base is... Small italicized text are my own comments. Q: Will Hoid return as the King's Wit in the next / future (not sure which one) SA book? A: Yes. Q: Before his departure in TWoK and his return in a future book, does he stay on Roshar only. A: Good question. RAFO. Q: Are the Cryptics (what we used to call Truthspren before I went on a hiatus from the forum...) spren? A: Yes. Q: Why can Shallan draw the Cryptics without seeing them, and can she do the same for other invisible (to her?) spren? A: Shallan and the Cryptics have a "special connection" that allows her to draw them. Q: None of the Heralds mention or address the Almighty in the opening scene of TWoK; it's a little strange, considering they are his champions. Have they seen or spoken to the Almighty? A: Yes, the Heralds have spoken with the Almighty. They also feel that what has been done to them is partially his fault. Brandon RAFO'd the "was that how and why the deal with Odium showed up?" part. Q: Any news on Mistborn: Birthright? A: Pushed back to 2015, so it can be developed for the next generation consoles. --- Ultimate List Questions --- Q: Ruin and Preservation were often represented in the Mistborn trilogy in terms of black and white. Is this imagery limited to that series, or do other Shards also have an associated hue? A: This (Ruin & Preservation's colors) was because of the specific world and their perception of the world and themselves. Essentially, because of the dynamics of the interplay between Ruin and Preservation, they "chose" to view themselves as black and white respectively, so that's how they were represented. Also, because the only two Shards on Sel (?), and their natures were opposites, after the long period of time they spent on the same planet, they kind of "polarized." If similar thing happened on another world, similar coloring effect could happen. Q: How is it that Nightblood, who is merely a near-sentient awakened object, was able to read minds, something a Shard like Ruin was unable to do? A: It requires bonding (with the person whose mind is to be read) to read minds. Q: What is the definition of a focus (in TWoK's Ars Arcanum)? A: Foci, though linked to the magic system, are more like artifacts of the philosophy surrounding the magic system. A focus is a philosophical concept, rather than a hardfast rule related to the magic system. A man-made, artificial way of explaining the magic system. Like the periodic table. Q: Can Shards travel backwards in time? A: Anything is possible. Q: Is the bond between a Seon and its master similar to the Nahel bond between a Surgebinder and his spren? A: Yes. Q: What effects does being a Sliver have on a person? A: It can vary (on the Shard, the length of time the power was held, the power itself, etc). In some way a Sliver is someone who has had their mind, body, and spirit expanded due to holding a great deal of power, and then have had that power leave. Q: Is spiritual DNA inherited the same as regular DNA? A: Inherited similarly, but identically to regular DNA. Q: Why can lerasium be burned by anyone in the Cosmere, while atium is restricted to a small portion of the population of one planet? A: RAFO. Q: Did all orders of Knights Radiants use Shardplate? A: It was available to all of them, and they could (all) use it. Many Knights (not Orders) chose not to. There were Knights who were not soldiers and had not interest in wearing Shardplate. Q: How does one erase/alter memories using Breath? A: RAFO. Q: Why do the Returned need to sleep? A: Sleep is necessary for many reasons - different from the reasons we need food and water, for example. One of those reasons (for sleep) is memory storage. Like humans, Returned need to sleep so their (important) short-term memories get moved to long-term storage. I personally was not entire happy with this answer, because like with food and water, memory storage is purely physiological process, so if they don't need one, they shouldn't need the other, but the two are different enough that I can buy it. For now.

Let me preface this that I mildly failed at being a 17thSharder during this event. I did make sure to stand by Brandon and get any bits of trivia (which were none!), and I did stay after the event to ask a few questions from the Ultimate List, but I've been away from these forums for so long, I am behind on my Cosmere lore... So I might have asked some repeats. I don't know. I will be better prepared for the second Chicago signing though. On with the show then. I came in about 10 minutes late, so it looked like Brandon had started off with general Q&A with the audience. Things like what inspired him to become an author, his favorite books, advice for aspiring authors, nothing interesting. He read from the Words of Radiance prologue (Jasnah PoV, I need to check if this one has been uploaded before - it was new to me) and Shadows of Self (the scene where Wax and Steris plan their wedding). He then moved on to the regular signing. All in all, a relaxed event in a really nice bookstore. But here's what I managed to get out of it all. Note that I will paraphrase much of it and then maybe attach whatever meager recordings I have. I found out that my voice doesn't sound quite as majestic as I thought it did... I also apologize in advance if I stole your question and butchered it with paraphrasing. I am new to this stuff and was too busy being a fanboy Small italicized text are my own thoughts and comments. Q: Will Hoid return as the King's Wit in the next / future (not sure which one) SA book? A: Yes. Q: Before his departure in TWoK and his return in a future book, does he stay on Roshar only? A: Good question. RAFO. Q: Are the Cryptics (what we used to call Truthspren before I went on a hiatus from the forum...) spren? A: Yes. Q: Why can Shallan draw the Cryptics without seeing them, and can she do the same for other invisible (to her?) spren? A: Shallan and the Cryptics have a "special connection" that allows her to draw them. Q: None of the Heralds mention or address the Almighty in the opening scene of TWoK; it's a little strange, considering they are his champions. Have they seen or spoken to the Almighty? A: Yes, the Heralds have spoken with the Almighty. They also feel that what has been done to them is partially his fault. Brandon RAFO'd the "was that how and why the deal with Odium showed up?" part. Q: Any news on Mistborn: Birthright? A: Pushed back to 2015, so it can be developed for the next generation consoles. --- Ultimate List Questions --- Q: Ruin and Preservation were often represented in the Mistborn trilogy in terms of black and white. Is this imagery limited to that series, or do other Shards also have an associated hue? A: This (Ruin & Preservation's colors) was because of the specific world and their perception of the world and themselves. Essentially, because of the dynamics of the interplay between Ruin and Preservation, they "chose" to view themselves as black and white respectively, so that's how they were represented. Also, because the only two Shards on Scadrial, and their natures were opposites, after the long period of time they spent on the same planet, they kind of "polarized." If similar thing happened on another world, similar coloring effect could happen. Q: How is it that Nightblood, who is merely a near-sentient awakened object, was able to read minds, something a Shard like Ruin was unable to do? A: It requires bonding (with the person whose mind is to be read) to read minds. Q: What is the definition of a focus (in TWoK's Ars Arcanum)? A: Foci, though linked to the magic system, are more like artifacts of the philosophy surrounding the magic system. A focus is a philosophical concept, rather than a hardfast rule related to the magic system. A man-made, artificial way of explaining the magic system. Like the periodic table. Q: Can Shards travel backwards in time? A: Anything is possible. Q: Is the bond between a Seon and its master similar to the Nahel bond between a Surgebinder and his spren? A: Yes. Q: What effects does being a Sliver have on a person? A: It can vary (on the Shard, the length of time the power was held, the power itself, etc). In some way a Sliver is someone who has had their mind, body, and spirit expanded due to holding a great deal of power, and then have had that power leave. Q: Is spiritual DNA inherited the same as regular DNA? A: Inherited similarly, but not 100% identically, to regular DNA. Q: Why can lerasium be burned by anyone in the Cosmere, while atium is restricted to a small portion of the population of one planet? A: RAFO. Q: Did all orders of Knights Radiants use Shardplate? A: It was available to all of them, and they could (all) use it. Many Knights (not Orders) chose not to. There were Knights who were not soldiers and had not interest in wearing Shardplate. Q: How does one erase/alter memories using Breath? A: RAFO. Q: Why do the Returned need to sleep? A: Sleep is necessary for many reasons - different from the reasons we need food and water, for example. One of those reasons (for sleep) is memory storage. Like humans, Returned need to sleep so their (important) short-term memories get moved to long-term storage. I personally was not entire happy with this answer, because like with food and water, memory storage is purely physiological process, so if they don't need one, they shouldn't need the other, but the two are different enough that I can buy it. For now.

The Chicago hint, should he decide to repeat it, was that the two codes hidden in the store were "around my nemeses." Those ended up being John Scalzi (who I got right immediately) and James Dashner (whose name I had forgotten, but found quickly on the site... unfortunately his books were too spread out and somebody beat me to the code).

Looks like I'll be going along with two of my friends (one of whom hasn't even read Brandon). Might cut it a little close to 7 though.

True, but a world doesn't have to belong to the Cosmere to obey those - or similar - rules. I've always thought it likely that Brandon uses the three realms because that's how he himself thinks about his magic. More specifically, when he designs magic, he designs it in a way that accounts for intent, as if it were a real physical thing. We pretty much know that's the case for the Cosmere worlds, so it's not very difficult to imagine his non-Cosmere ones* could follow similar logic. * Which I've started to think of as "alternate realities" - Alcatraz, Rithmatist, and Steelheart all take place in an alternative version of Earth.

A comment in a different thread got me thinking - Brandon is well known for his early foundations and science-like magic systems, so why don't we try to figure out something about Calamity? Let's start with what we know: It appeared (about) a decade ago in the sky. It presumably looks like a big, bright, red star - not as big as the sun, but not as small as the night sky stars, though the size thing is a guess. It shines through Nightwielder's cover of darkness in Newcago, even as the Sun fails to do. It is presumably less luminous - I personally feel somebody would've mentioned it if it were brighter than the Sun. It transforms, or is related to the transformation of, seemingly (but not necessarily) random people into Epics. The transformation itself is presumed to be relatively quick and seems to be genetic. I am curious to find out whether the swift mitochondrial death the Epics experience after they die is something unique to them, or whether they share it with humans/animals (somebody with background in the field should be able to answer this). Anything major I am missing?

I too have to disagree with this theory. Firefight explained that she was lost and confused after every death. Nightwielder decided to avoid random massacre, because those things attract attention to the Epics and often hold a clue about their weakness. And Steelheart considered David worthy / special enough to be killed by his own gun.

That's an interesting point. Deathpoint didn't look like recognized or had even heard of Steelheart the first time he tried to point at him. After that first attempt fear was quick to sink in though. Unless Steelheart instilled some kind of primal fear in Deathpoint - guy's pretty impressive to look at, from what I understand, and that could be a factor when combined with his arrogance and confidence (in that scene). I am not buying this one. Prof had been fighting Steelheart for quite some time, and he had a non-Epic aid him at least once before David got a chance to get there. Abraham fired a shot, and Cody also led those Enforcement guys to misfire at Steelheart (though this one won't qualify, as they didn't really cooperate - but Abe, definitely).

Oh, wow. Time to reread Elantris - and The Emperor's Soul - and find where Dominion is hiding...

Greater Roshar. That's actually interesting - it feels like an implication that the other planets are either directly related to Roshar (I like the idea of Braize being Damnation, and the orbital periods of it and Roshar being responsible for the Desolations), or it was people from Roshar who originally discovered those other planets. Makes me wonder if sometime in the history of Roshar, its inhabitants were faaar more advanced than they are now, and then lost it all in a Desolation. A little like the Recreance on steroids.

I hope to make the two Chicago area ones (Oct 1 in Naperville and Oct 5 in Wheeling). Though, realistically, I might miss the first one...

I am with Morsk on that one. Mostly. It's over. - statement of fact We ran. - the reason why it's over We ran. - sounds more like a general realization / repetition from shock. But that's irrelevant.