Crustin

I've noticed that it's not merely a recurring theme for the Stormlight Archive, but the Cosmere as a whole. Through following what is truly in their hearts, people will continue to strive and be worthy of touching divinity. And in recognizing no one person, even a vessel, can live in isolation on their own, those who trust in their own hearts and that of others will have their hearts connected to one another. And in doing so--after enough time has passed--they will reconnect the entire Cosmere to divinity. It won't be Adonalsium, but what all the hearts connected together believe to be divine. And it's what Adonalsium expected to eventually happen when letting the original 16 kill them.

I suspect the Royal Locks also has a strong element of Connection to Identity, so much that anyone not of the royal family would not have enough identity for them to manifest. Just adding that I am all-but-certain Nightblood was traded by Vasher to Cultivation, not simply the Nightwatcher. Possibly for Vasher to get through Cultivation's Perpendicularity unmolested by the Unkalaki; for safe-keeping; maybe even in order for him to be able to stay on Roshar. Perhaps all three aforementioned. Regardless, Vasher said giving up the sword was the best mistake he ever made, and we also know dragons like a good trade; and--presumably--ones that pay long-term dividends are even better. Which is why I'm confident Cultivation was who gave Nightblood to Nale (or perhaps Ishar), probably from having seen how it would go from Szeth to Taravangian and eventually be used to destroy Rayse. She both saw Nightblood's its potential and planned for Rayse's undoing *that* long ago. Long game indeed.

Lift learns Awakening from Zahel. Maybe he can even fashion a hemalurgic spike from the full feruchemist and take her powers! The voice in Jasnah's head was an Unmade with precognition ability and was setting her up for Odium's schemes. She'll have to unravel that and her childhood trauma. Rock was out there in Shadesmar with the clan of Horneaters on that side, battling over Cultivation's Perpendicularity as part of a resistance until it disappeared. Now he'll run into his cousin (Shallan) since they're stuck there too. Shallan's baby will be a 3rd generation with Heraldic blood and until the baby/babies is/are old enough to travel, she'll be making Seon Zoom calls to figure out how to get back to Adolin or Urithiru. She'll also remember she forgot to interrogate Thaidakar about how her FATHER was involved with the Ghostbloods and what their plans were. I think this will probably draw her towards making Felt take her to Scadrial. Szeth will find the Skybreaker dissenters and build up a Skybreaker militia. He'll also have to search out a new source of investiture in order to wield Nightblood and utilize surgebinding from his new High spren. During therapy, Kaladin will share his past with the group. When Nale brings up he's sorry his strike against Amaram via Helaran Davar got Kal's friends killed, Kal and Channa will both learn he killed her eldest son. Dova will be conflicted over her deal with Odium since he is now Retribution and she made that deal not knowing an Oathpact 2.0 was possible AND that she'd get free therapy with it. Her feelings will tear her apart. Will she be better off with this new leader, Stormblessed? Or this new Shard, Retribution? Syl will become the StormMother and start accepting oaths. Part of the fragments that broke off of the Stormfather pre-vaporization went to her, which is why she has white in her hair now and storms in her eyes. (That line reminded me of a previous one in WoR...) Rysn is going to try to use the Wandersail and her crew to travel Shadesmar using some method the sleepless have taught her. Yanagawn will become like Genghis Khan once the peace between them and their neighbors breaks due to civil unrest at being surrounded and doing nothing. Fortunately more and more Unoathed will flock to them as more Deadeyes wake up due to the recent world-altering changes.

One of the other things adding credence to the theory, which I believe 100%, is that one of the lines before that one robardin quoted is about her staying there for several months. ...3RD GEN. HERALDIC SURGEBINDER INCOMING!

Commandant Kushkam is missing an eye, but later is described as his eyes growing distant and gazing at the dome. Chapter 34 Chapter 42

I 100% think it's going back to them because of the in-world book's emphasis and themes of Journey Before Destination being vital to the Contest of Champions. It's too strange a choice otherwise.

The breaths are in the flute he gave to Kaladin as a backup/safekeeping! And maybe in his other instruments. Maybe some worldsingers, such as Sigzil, know where his Cognitive Realm base is and that's where all his other instruments with breaths are hidden.

Oh rust! Maybe Endowment is the Wind! Nohadon = Nazh?!

I was so loopy the other day from having stayed up all night to read last week's chapters ASAP, lmao. Totally not Szeth. But I do think it's Jasnah after looking it over and thinking about it for a week. Also, it's kinda hilarious I say it's not Kaladin because he can't write, and then in the insanely small window of time before he departs Uruthiru they stop to get materials so he can learn on the way to Shinovar.

Naw, I think it's Todium just messing with Kaladin's head, having had a Dustbringer quickly slide in with abrasion in order to hide it in Kal's pack when Leyten wasn't around. ....Obviously.

I agree in thinking thinking it's pretty heavy handed with the parallels. Personally, I think Kaladin will die. Physically. And his soul will rise..... as a Cognitive Shadow, and will eventually replace Jezrien as a Herald. And if/when Dalinar dies in his Contest of Champions with Todium, then Kaladin will also be a King. And maybe... eventually... King... of Heralds? Who else has both the leadership potential and desire to protect the world, after Dalinar, FROM Dalinar? As either a Cognitive Shadow, Herald or Shard, Kaladin Stormblessed leading the Knights Radiant against a Fused Dalinar forced to change sides will be a pretty amazing and frustrating climax and cliffhanger to end on between the 1st and 2nd half of Stormlight!

"Szeth-son-son Vallano, Knight Radiant of the Skybreakers, wore white on the day he was to write Wind and Truth." Okay, so that was maybe a little dramatic, but I'm pretty confident in Szeth being the one writing it. And it somewhat serendipitous that I just happened to be re-listening to Oathbringer for the hundredth time and read chapters 7-9 shortly thereafter. [During his Skybreaker training, Szeth and Nightblood are talking.] "I knew a voice like yours once, sword-nimi." The whispers? "No. A single one, in my mind, when I was young." Szeth shaded his eyes looking across the glistening lake. "I hope things go better this time." - OB Ch. 92. Water Warm as Blood The WaT author states I should have known I was being watched. All my life, the signs were there. (Ch. 1 Epigraph) I first knew the Wind as a child, during days before I knew dreams. (Ch. 2 Epigraph) I have read that in the ancient days, the Wind often spoke to both human and singer. It would then mean that the Wind stopped talking not because of Odium, but because of people who began to fear her… Or to worship the Storm instead.* (Ch. 4 Epigraph) All agree the first key moment came when Kaladin Stormblessed listened. Though not an Edgedancer, he did a fine impression of their oaths. (Ch. 9 Epigraph) Furthermore, Kaladin does not currently know how to write and while he could learn at a later date, I doubt he would refer to himself in the 1st person. By acknowledging WaT might be written at a significantly later date, for all we know it could be a character 10-20 years after WaT during the time skip between Stormlight's 2 parts. If that were the case, I think Szeth being a historian and philosopher is incredibly appropriate if he survives the cleansing of Shinovar and eventually becomes the law. Jurisprudence, the theory and philosophy of law, requires a lot of reading of both history and laws. Szeth searching and maybe finding peace from the voices through ...justice would be almost poetic justice. Anyway, I digress, Szeth can probably already read, as evidenced by going through Taravangian's hit-list without need for clarification; Also, being Shin, he also is not inhibited to read or write because of any Vorin piety. If he can read, he can probably write or at least learn to better than Kaladin or any other Vorin men. Especially if it's during the decade+ long timeskip. *Kaladin Stormblessed neither worships the storm nor fears the wind. The Wind is probably talking to him because he has had some affinity for it and heights since he was a child, as evidenced by his both surviving a highstorm while strung upside down (TWOK) and splitting one with his hand (OB). Syl tells Kaladin that she came to the PR because knew she would find him, because the wind knew him and she is of the wind. If it's not Szeth, the next best possibility is Jasnah, though there isn't as much evidence for it IMO. WaT is admittedly written in a scholarly way, but a scholar could transcribe the words of a person less well read and written than they. "As a historian, I find such nuances relevant. As a philosopher, I find them enticing." (Ch. 5 Epigraph) Jasnah is in fact both historian and philosopher. "Regardless, the events surrounding the cleansing of Shinovar are of specific relevance, and I am doing my best to record what I can discover of the Wind’s own words regarding them. Though, now that the Wind and Heralds have vanished, I have only two sources who can speak of these events. They are my witnesses." (Ch. 6 Epigraph) Could the two witnesses of the cleansing of Shinovar be both Kaladin and Szeth? Knight Radiants of both Wind and Truth? I find it extremely unlikely that they both survive, but one dares to hope.... If it is Jasnah, then perhaps the mystery surrounding her childhood "madness" will soon be revealed. I wonder... was Gavilar's traumatic reaction to it perhaps influenced by either Odium or Unmade? Aside: At several points I found myself thinking of Sazed--it's very much like his own writing style, except without any I thinks ....yet.