Argent
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Everything posted by Argent
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Kaladin actually makes the argument that it's both.
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This has always been my take on the situation. A little more nuanced (e.g. I am not getting much of a dramatic vibe from Rashek, despite some of the things he does as the Lord Ruler, so I think he would have a "let's get on with it" kind of attitude towards (his) death), but essentially the same. Only a little bit, perhaps. A tiny tiny bit. He must have only held the power for a brief period, which - considering that Shards don't instantaneously re-align their Vessels' character to match their own - was probably nowhere near long enough to make any changes. I know we are in a very speculative territory, but everything we know about how those things work - in both text and subtext - suggests to me that it is extremely unlikely that Rashek was changed in any significant kind of way.
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As usual, I've curated the list a little bit, but I haven't left much world relevant information out. There was one reply about Kelsier's harshness and how he could be considered a villain in other books; one about Mare's flower picture as a device to show both the Scadrial's strangeness and Kelsier's character (i.e. his love for Mare). For what it's worth, Brandon was active as recently as yesterday, so you can still get your questions in. Do keep in mind, this AMA is very much not about Brandon's worlds - it's not that it's not for Sharders, most of his answers don't even go into specifics about each story.
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Alright, let's get a few answers in: Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source
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Considering we have some pretty rabid fans, and nobody can remember seeing this exact WoB - or produce it - I am very much inclined to say we should stop repeating it. If there is, in fact, another Windrunner coming in Oathbringer, we'll know (not) soon enough.
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Nice work, @Flynn.
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No AMAs are truly for us. But he does know that we are out there, and so he throws us a bone every now and then.
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It's really an Isaac question, I think.
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I was not prepared, team! I can't do surprise AMAs, it's not fair!
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A couple of extra WoBs:
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I like this.
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This sounds consistent with what I've seen.
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Maybe... ... but I disagree with this. Fundamentally. You believe that being a Radiant is a prerequisite for being a Surgebinder; I believe the opposite. Wielding a sword is a prerequisite for being a soldier, not the other way around. Moreover, being a better soldier doesn't necessarily mean you can use your weapon better. So, considering that one of our most reliable in-world sources (Jasnah) is telling us that this is how things are, I am not going to to start doubting her without a significant reason. Regardless, I think the reason we started this discussion is because there were concerns that Gavilar may have been playing it a little hard and fast with the First Ideal, and so he couldn't have been a Radiant. Our discussion (and, in fact, my first post on it) doesn't contribute to that in any meaningful way.
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Recall Jasnah early in Words of Radiance (on the boat) teaching Shallan about what she is. In short, she says that Shallan is not a Radiant (and, for the record, Teft insists that Kaladin is not one either) - but she could become one. She then goes on and talks about how being a Knight is more about belonging to the organization (the Knights Radiant) than it is about Surgebinding. Anyone can Surgebind (assuming you got a spren), but that doesn't automatically make them a Radiant - Shallan (if I recall correctly) makes an analogy about people who wield a sword and soldiers; both groups can do similar things (like Surgebinders and Radiants can manipulate the Surges), but being able to swing a sword does not make you a soldier.
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It's not just about how the Vessels view themselves though. Obviously we don't know anything about the actual events that transpired around the time of the Shattering, but I don't think the original Vessels got a blank piece of investiture each and imprinted their own most defining traits on it. I think they each got some somewhat general mandate, which they interpreted specifically. So it's not like Rayse got a ton of investiture and decided that he would use it to become the embodiment of hate; I think it's more likely that he got "god's own divine hatred" and his mind interpreted it as "Odium" (as opposed to Hate, or Antipathy, or Mild Dislike). Honestly, I think another Vessel might have turned the same Shard into Envy. This doesn't solve the Ati-Ruin problem, however. But then, I don't think there is much of a problem. Ati could've been a kind man, but he had also been a man who believed everything must eventually come to an end. Given that (vague) aspect of Adonalsium's power, I don't find it too difficult to imagine him interpreting it as the power to bring the world to a closure. He doesn't need to feel a desire to destroy everything. In fact, as I try to put myself in his shoes, I could see him picturing himself almost as a caretaker of the world, the one who will watch over it and all the things in it, and ultimately - in the end - embrace them. Yes, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that Ati could've seen his chunk of Adonalsium's power as Ruin. Other names - such as Entropy or Change - feel too weak for a man who is constantly aware that everything and everyone around him is slowly but irreversibly headed towards oblivion.
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I can only speak for the signings I have gone to (plus a few others), but the format is generally Lecture - Brandon usually opens with a 10-15 minute talk about something he finds interesting and/or relevant Reading - after the talk Brandon usually reads from an unpublished novel Open Q&A (ideally, spoiler-free) - Brandon takes questions from the audience for about 15 minutes Signing line - this is when everyone gets their books signed (there might be a limit on how many he will sign the first time around, but usually not) and personalized (there is usually a limit on how many you can have personalized the first timer around). You can chat with him and/or ask questions while he does all this - but you are holding the line, so I try to keep my chat under 2 minutes. You usually also get a photo with him. Now, every event is different, and cons are even more so. But this is his book signing routine.
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Ati was a "kind and generous man," according to Hoid. Rayse was a piece of crem. I am actually going to guess that was an organic process. Since we know that the Shards' mandates are not entirely fixed (e.g. Ruin and Preservation had ended up with someone who is not Sazed, the resulting double Shard could've something different from Harmony), and are open to their Vessels' interpretation, I assume it was the original Vessels at the moment of, or soon after, the Shattering. Ati and Ruin are particularly interesting here, because it sound like Ati would've chosen a different name (e.g. Change).
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Remember that being a Radiant is about social structure, not about Oaths. The only difference between a Surgebinder and a Knight Radiant is just how they fit in society. The powers come entirely from the spren, and so the Oaths must be mandated by them too. I suspect that the... rigidity of the First Ideal has more to do with the spren's collective decision to try to imitate what Honor had given his Heralds (Surges, Honorblades) and (maybe) the Oathpact, and less to do with Nohadon and his Orders.
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A New Theory on Hemalurgy Realmatics [SH spoilers]
Argent replied to Djarskublar's topic in Mistborn
Could be. -
I will just remind you all real quick that "UNITE THEM" doesn't have to refer to the Alethi princedoms. Gavilar could've interpreted that as a command to unite the world. It is, in fact, the first thing I thought of when I read about that map of the Roshar supercontinent.
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I think someone in The Way of Kings speculates pretty much the same thing (though as a concept, not about Gavilar's sphere specifically). So you could consider that a piece of foreshadowing. As to why a gemstone is never mentioned, I don't think that's terribly suspicious. My impression is that the gemstones in the spheres are usually mentioned either when the color of the light is relevant (e.g. someone's face being outlined in red), or when the value of the sphere and/or its brightness are relevant (e.g. a sapphire broam would light up the entire room in soft blue light). I think the characters usually just say "sphere", similarly to how we would say "coin" or "bill" (when the value is irrelevant). So that could be it. I will say though, the omission of any mention of the gemstone is not entirely innocent. If I had seen a sphere like that, and I were native to Roshar, one of the first things I would think would be "huh, this looks like it glows with darkness, I've never seen a gemstone do this, I wonder what's in it." Either way, the characters' disinterest in the sphere is at least a little bit suspicious.
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Cosmere University Paper Topics/Ideas
Argent replied to blakismaximus22's topic in General Brandon Discussion
Heh, that's the problem with Brandon - you can't fit much in 1,500 words. My gut feeling is to go with the original Mistborn trilogy and look at one of the following motifs: Trust, love, and betrayal - whether it is better to implicitly trust new people, or be suspicious of everyone; whether it is better to love and risk betrayal/disappointment/rejection, or avoid love (and the potential drawbacks) altogether. Vin's views on trust change dramatically over the course of the trilogy, but most so in the first book. Belief - what are the roles of the believer and the deity in the different religions Sazed examines. Do you pray and wait for a miracle? Do you not pray and do everything on your own? How is the former different from being a lazybum, and how is the latter different from being an atheist? I feel like there is much to be said about belief and expectations, mostly considering Sazed's PoV. -
Nothing fancy to it. You ask Brandon if you can record him (out of politeness, not because he might deny your request), he agrees, you start your recorder/phone, leave it on the table, go back to your seat, and pick up your recorder whenever. It's nice if you can also lurk nearby (so you can pause the recording if he asks you to, and so you can maybe peek into people's books and see if he answered any questions there), but that's not always an option.
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We actually don't know that. It's a likely possibility, but we did get RAFO'd on it.
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I am surprised by how many people are surprised by Gavilar's behavior here. We knew he was in the Sons of Honor, and we knew what they were all about. But do go ahead, I find this discussion positively fascinating
