Elder

1. Name one Shard that’s actually a creator. They’ve all either taken over a limited portion of Adonalsium’s creation, or it’s Preservation a Ruin’s combined attempt. Omnipotence means no limits. If the Intent (an inherent part of the Shard, not the vessel) is limiting them, they’re not omnipotent. 2. If Honor couldn’t reliably know the future, he wasn’t omniscient. Omniscience knows the future by plain definition. 3. You need to talk to more Atheists. Many don’t reject God because of science. They reject God because they can’t accept God having created an imperfect world. Ironically, most Satanists are actually Atheists.

Shards are demonstrably less than omnipotent. Preservation and Ruin couldn’t create Scadrial individually. They had to team up. Storms, none of the other Shards created their worlds, they just picked up after Adonalsium left off. Honor is bad at Fortune, thus showing a certain lack of omniscience, but Odium and Cultuvation are good at it, though they both have to contend with uncertainties, both brought about by each other, and their own power (see Renarin). Don’t even get me started on Harmony. In some ways, he’s less omnipotent than other shards. He literally gets in his own way. The shards are limited by their intent, and possibly their portfolio. Beyond that, I’d argue there’s room and even ample justification for a completely different kind of atheism in the Cosmere: one born of knowledgeable disgust. A rejection of the shards as children playing with powers beyond their comprehension, or powers beyond comprehension playing with children. Given how Shards have demonstrated little influence on what happens after death, beyond a send-off and the occasional cognitive shadow creation, the mortals of the Cosmere are free to reject the Shards with little consequence, if any.

It was once just Ur, iirc

That sounds a lot like a Lightweaving. But Renarin doesn’t light-weave that much. So is it just that his light-weaving is clumsy and underdeveloped? Or has his access to fortune eclipsed his surge of illumination? Was what he used to take down Moash a Lightweaving, or something more akin to a Malatium vision? would Enlighened Spren create Surgebinders with access to 3 surges instead of two?

Oathbringer is plenty religious, but I agree, Kaladin's isn’t. Wit says Kaladin is inventing Therapy. That’s not quite the same thing as religion. Music Therapy is definitely a thing, so that’s where the Flute can play in. My first impulse on reading was that Kaladin’s arc was going to focus on leadership. Kaladin will learn to inspire others. That seems like a low bar for Kaladin tho. But his conflicts are definitely becoming increasingly psychological. Szeth, Ishar, maybe Moash. These all could stand to be the most dangerous therapy group ever. the only other possible direction I saw was Kaladin’s reflection on who he was in the moments before he swore the 4th Ideal: consumed with a desire for vengeance due to the murder of Teft. based on all this, this what I see coming: - Vyre is going to continue to engage with Kaladin in visions. Kaladin may actually turn it around and get into Moash’s head, and maybe get Moash to actually face his sins. - Szeth is going to have issues and Kaladin is going to use Music Therapy to help him. - Tezim is going try and force Syl into the physical world, but I don’t necessarily believe it will go well for her, until Kaladin overcomes the desire to go vengeance mode, speaks the 5th ideal which revives Syl and allows her to manifest physically, and snaps Ishar and maybe even Nale out of their madness, and then proceeds to start his overpowered group therapy session. or (Dark Version) Tezim kills Syl and Kaladin becomes Odium’s champion. he kills Dalinar, takes the Stormfather, and eventually ascends to become War.

If this is true, maybe Lifts bonded creature will be her new “chicken.” So, is it the radiant Spren who lives in the gem heart of the bonded creature? Will we be Sylphrena possessing a some sort of creature? the 5th ideal is also some sort of point of no return for the bond, according to Notem. If that’s because the Spren has become some sort of creature in the physical realm, that makes sense. EDIT: NVM, the Spren’s physical form IX the blade. So it’s probably some other Spren in the bonded creature’s gemheart

Cultivation was vaguely referenced in the first two books. She shows up in an OB flashback, and once in a big way in RoW. She seems to attempting to manipulate current events. She basically put Taravangian where he is. She has plans for Dalinar and Lift. However I feel like we know little to nothing of her ancient activities. All the stuff involving the Heralds and the Knights Radiant seem much more tied to Honor. The only thing I can think of is her being vaguely referenced as telling the Dawnsingers to take in the humans. Is there anything else we know of her ancient activities?

Honestly, we’ve seen her do more in recent history than in the past. As far as I can tell, we have no idea what she did back in the Shadow Days/Heraldic Epochs, etc. we don’t know of any tie to the Heralds or the Knights Radiant…… but it might be there. They were definitely aware of her based on the sculptures at the Oath Gate. That said, this is a topic unto itself. Good to know about the timing of when Ishar recovered his blade. Where do we find that out?

I agree with you, but: I will point out that Ishar, as a “Bondsmith Unchained,” does have rather immense power that we don’t necessarily understand completely. He may have been able to create that connection after all. Still think it’s the Stormfather. I suppose the real question is whether Ishar had the honor blade at that point, or Neturo son Vilano had it.

I could see the prophecy referring to Rlain or Venli. He was too late to stop the latter. The Storm could easily be the bridge. But, it could be the former. In the meantime, I would probably reserve Atium levels of precognition for higher ideals.

I do like him, but to each their own. I’ve always liked the trickster trope. I’d say I like him best in book 4 though.

I’m going to say that Moash’s problem is that he doesn’t want redemption. He’d rather be worse (Vyre) than try to be better. He feels bad about what he’s done (when he’s forced to feel), but until he reacts to that by even desiring to change rather than running from it, he won’t change.

Moash realizes he messed up, but he gratefully buys Odium’s line that he couldn’t possibly have done any better. Problem is, he can’t handle how Kaladin demonstrably refutes this. Hence he feels the necessity to try and break Kaladin. As far as Moash is concerned, Kaladin is a freak for not jumping into the Honor Chasm back in WoK. If Kaladin can beat Moash on a philosophical level, maybe Moash can be redeemed. then again, until he decides he can be better, he never will be.

Worth pointing out: at least among the parshendi, mateforms usually sequestered themselves. They wouldn’t be found in the invasion forces that took Kholinar or in the occupation of Urithiru. They might have been around Hearthstone, but they may have been sequestered far from anything going on. They probably were given some privacy.

A couple Factors that go in to determining what the 5th ideal might be: 1. Jezrien was the Herald the Windrunners were patterned after. The Herald of Kings. A King’s role is to protect his people. I suppose that’s what you could argue makes for an honorable king. Something tying protection to leadership wouldn’t go amiss. Granted we’ve only had maybe 4 glimpses of the man, half of which he was a drunken mad man, so it’s hard to really get much of a profile on him. 2. Kaladin’s story arc should lead him to the next ideal. The question is, where’s that arc going? He’s not leading Bridge 4 or the Windrunners. He’s teaming up with Szeth. We haven’t seen very much interaction between the two since Kaladin killed Szeth. what we might be seeing here is exploring the differences between Honor Spren and High Spren, between Law and Protection, Adhesion vs Division, etc. Where they intersect, where they do not. Something that certainly has some real world ramifications that Brandon may be interested in exploring. Then I have my theory that Kaladin is going to have a showdown with Moash via visions. Not sure how or if that meshes with the rest. I haven’t reached any conclusions yet. I’m not sure if I want to or not.

The only issue I have with lessening Moash’s responsibility for his actions as Vyre is that he chose and still actively chooses to be Vyre. When Vyre is stripped away, Moash begs to be Vyre again. He can’t live with himself as Moash, so he yearns to be something worse. It’s like a very unhealthy addiction with terrible withdrawal really. I’m not quite versed enough with addiction recovery to say how much responsibility is involved here. If Kaladin can reach Moash in one of these times of weakness and get him to go the other direction, that would be quite amazing. But Moash has to choose it. Has to want it.

Happy Birthday!

Worth noting, slave form is obviously capable of reproduction. I would guess that so is dull form. Maybe work form. But mate form actually has reproductive instinct.

Done

Moash is going to continue to assault Kaladin’s psyche via visions. Kaladin will have his final battle with Moash and it will be a battle of ideals. I do think Taravangian will outmaneuver Dalinar in the Contest of Champions. But, it won’t necessarily go his way anyway. Taravangian keeps thinking Dalinar can’t succeed, and Dalinar keeps succeeding anyway. If Dalinar can pick up the Shards afterwards, he will be the Shard of War. Dalinar may not be able to do it as a Cognitive Shadow.If not, Adolin has a nice blend of Honor and Odium in him. So does Szeth come to think of it. Shalan and Adolin will seek out Ba-Ado-Mishram, fight the Ghostbloods, and save the Deadeyes. That oughta completely upend social structures if you think about it. Szeth is going to learn lessons of justice and mercy as he faces his people. His “cleansing” of Shinovar won’t go how he thinks. SP4 Spoiler

Fair point. I’ll admit, the distinction isn’t as clear for me, but I merely dabble. I can definitely tell there is variety within Japanese animation, even if I don’t understand it. That said, when you speak of overwrought emotions, Passion, plus the Spren reaction, is integral to this story. I agree on the detail lines and the eyes (except for maybe Szeth).

Honesty, with Spren popping up every time someone’s mood changes and Shardblades slicing cleanly through inanimate objects, it feels more like an anime than anything else. But, that won’t necessarily suit the books’ audience. I enjoy the occasional anime, but my y wife can’t stand them, and I’d prefer to watch with her. I agree it should be animated though. It would simply be too SFX reliant otherwise. Having CGI Spren popping up would be just too distracting. In an animated feature it would feel better.

A fair point, but the name isn’t drawn just from the light, but also the Rhythm. Those are a bit more congruent with the shards, though not universally. I’d be interested in what you think a good alternative would be.