The Stick

Now I think a big question is how does Sigzil fail, and what leads him to reject his paths. Another question is what oath he will finally reach before abandoning then. I think he will not make it to the fifth, I would say he will say the fourth, then find he cannot bring himself to say the fifth when he really needs to, like Kal in OB finale. I think that if this failure leads to a good part of Bridge 4 dying, he will completely abandon his oaths. I think that Sigzil's biggest struggle is that he doesn't think he is ever good enough. This can be seen with his failure of the Azish exams and him trying to not become captain of the Wind runners. That is why I think that the second thing that could lead to him abandoning his oaths could be a confirmation of his worst fear, that he is not good enough. I think that this path would mean that he could not swear the fourth, because he could not hear not being strong enough to not save everyone.

Another question I just thought of is the question of how time works on Canticle. We know that enough investiture can change how time works, similar to a black whole. I think that it is possible that the time on Canticle is slightly dilated due to the massive quantities of investiture.

I think something strange to consider is that this book is seeming to exemplify the ideal of freedom very strongly. I find this kind of weird when this ideal would match up way better with Venli and the willshapers. I can see a united Listener-Sja-anat faction forming, and potentially using a corrupted Narak gate to get them into the action.

Fair enough on the points Alder made. The only thing I can really disagree with is Sja-Anat not corrupting other Oathgates. We know she only enlightens spren who want it, but that raises the question of whether or not the Kholinar spren wanted it, which I honestly doubt.

My problem with Rayse Odium trying to get his soldier through Cultivation's perpendicularity is the question of how the Stormfather could not see the troops amassing. We know that his vision can let Dalinar make the map of singer troop movements. Unless Moelach is actively blinding him to the peaks, I don't see how the army could be unknown. My argument on Rayse's subtlety is that the Urithiru attack wasn't his idea. Not really, it was all Raboniel. And the attack on Thaylen City was influenced by Amaram and his men being open to the thrill. And of course, we realize that in RoW epilogue, Hoid figures out that something is wrong, and Taravangian rectifies this by acting way more blunt, less subtle, and Rayse-like. As for the gates at Urithiru for being a way into the CR, I think that that is legitimate. Even if the hypothesis of corrupted gates only being able to connect to corrupted gates, CR realm transfers should still be possible, which could be how the singers got into CR, to have an army in there to act as extra pressure on Azimir. Even with this, it seems illogical that Rayse would not use Sja-Anat to corrupt a friendly Oathgate like Thaylenah. In that case, it would allow the corrupted transfers you are hypothesizing, and this would let Rayse drop thousands of men into a weakened Thaylen City with a reduced garrison and no hope of reinforcements, as well as a notable lack of radiants. I would think that revealing the occupation to the coalition would be a small price to pay to knock out Thaylenah. Now, I guess the question is why did Odium not think to do this, but instead put a force into the CR. I think that it is possible that he is not sending the fleet to Thaylenah, but potentially to this Grand Knell, to potentially pull some shenanigans with Honor.

While I know it logically has to be Rayse Odium who ordered this, I am just having a hard time believing that. Subtle is one of the words not in Rayse's vocabulary, and plus, why would he possibly need to send an invasion fleet through Shadesmar if at that point he already had the Oathgates at Urithiru and Vyre.

Wow. Well at least we know Mishram is most definitely not friendly. I wonder how she can manifest beads in Shadesmar. Abidi's remark makes it seem like many Lightweavers could once substantiate, but they swore the skill off. I could see this as one of the many things leading to the recreance. What on Roshar is the Grand Knell, where the Current runs where a god died. Do we think that this is the actual site of Honor's splintering, or where an old magic god died. Kal's chapter today makes me think that his really funny moments in the library and telling off the librarian could be progress towards a fifth oath, to protect the mocked and scorned. Finally, I don't get how Odium managed to get a whole invasion fleet in Shadesmar, if it was Rayse or Taravangian, and how he even hopes to get them to PR, assuming Oathgate spren are all loyal to sibling.

Based on this, do we think that Urithiru will reject Glys and Renarin because they are Enlightened. In my opinion, there is enough corruption there the tower will at least try to reject them, especially since the Sibling is quite judgemental and picky.

I think that that is the top of Urithiru. I would think that the 9 gemstones, if there are nine, are for the 9 Unmade as perfect stones. In my view, their distribution makes me think it is the top of Urithiru. They all seem heavily weighted to once side, which makes sense if the other side is cut off.

I respectfully disagree with your points on Szeth. The exact words do not refer to the investigation of the events of the cleansing, but rather the Wind's words on them. For all we know, Szeth is not a witness to them, it could be Kal and Syl, though I doubt they will both live.

My point for this is irrelevant on if the spren are physical or not in CR. I phrased it kind of poorly, but we know that Shallan made investiture physical in CR using the Radiant physical form. Ishar is also trying to make investiture physical, but he is trying to do it in PR. I am saying that if they are both trying to do this, then the difference in realms might make a difference. We know spren do fine physically in CR, but die in PR. Whereas, Shallan made unconscious investiture solid in CR briefly. I think that however she did that may help Ishar bridge the realms to make the investiture of the spren form PR bodies.

Do we have knowledge on what type of fused El is? I think it is possible that the changes in Fused behavior could be sources from him if he is some sort of general of military leader. Really, the attack stinks of Lezian's style, but he is dead. As to how they got attacked, I think the ghostbloods are the most likely option. However, Ishar's men probably know about the expedition. I think it could be possible Ishar sold them down the river. He is certainly crazy enough. I feel like Shallan's new ability with Radiant is a similar end to what Ishar was trying to do with his experiments, but clearly Shallan's method works to some extent. She turned Investiture into mass, which is what Ishar did. I think the realm transitions what messes things up. I guess the big question is whether or not whatever method Ishar used to turn spren physical would still kill them if they only turned physical in CR and not PR.

Wow. The revelation of the blades just fading from the physical realm after centuries is big, but at least that settles multiple arguments threads on the shard. Shallan being able to transmute and control physical Mass with her light weaving is also very important, and I think it allows her a lot more shenanigans. On the epigraphs, I think we can be sure it is not Kaladin, because he is specifically mentioned in the text. To me, it sounds like there will be way fewer Radiants post book, if people have no interest in bonds. I think the key to the author is who would call him Kaladin Stormblessed, Jasnah always addresses him by military rank. Lusintia coming to bond Dabbid is pretty cool, and I really want Radiant Dabbid this book. I think it will be interesting to see whether or not his issues heal themselves, based on his perception of being different. The Nightblood scene with Lift causing trouble made me laugh a lot. Finally, who the storms is Abidi the Monarch? At first I thought that it could be El until the name-drop. Who on Roshar is this Fused and why have we not seen him before? I think that if he makes the Heavenly Ones more ruthless, then they might start slaughtering citizens to make Dalinar submit to stop the bloodshed. I also really wonder why this guy hates Lightweavers so much. Shallan physically creating Radiant like Kalak said is awesome. With this, I would not be surprised if the book ends by Shallan literally making Radiant a separate body and moving the personality.

Maybe part of the destruction could potentially be some unleashing of Dai Gonarthis, who we know has likely devastated Aimia before. If Dalinar does fall to Odium, maybe the whole 9 Unmade 9 shadows will lead to Dai-Gobarthis being reactivated to destroy Aima again.

I think that a potential reason for the disappearance of the Wind and Heralds could be Ishar figuring out how to kill and absorb them. If Kaladin is unable to heal Ishar, which seems likely from what Hoid said, I think Ishar could carry out his whole dream of becoming Adonalsium by eating up all the Old Magic Adonalsium fragments. I also think that this bodes really, really badly for the Stormfather, because he should be able to witness the cleansing of Shinovar through the storm, but that means either he is a witness, or probably dead. The death rattle and inheritance make Navani seem to have a bleak future. She is first in line, so she has to either die or surrender the title. I don't think she will die, because she has not had enough time in a Bondsmith arc.

Potentially, assuming mass casualties during the crusade, Syl could count as another witness, depending on whether Kaladin, Szeth, or Syl are 2 who live. In addition, the reference to the Wind and Heralds vanishing makes no sense to me. The second arc is said to be much more herald focused. Another potential thing is that the heralds all did witness the cleansing, because the author makes it sound like there are two witnesses because the Heralds and Wind are gone, and therefore in no place to give witness

I would like to suggest that perhaps it is not referencing the death of Rayse. I would say it is indeed possible that if Odium's vessel may change again this book, which could be what the book is talking about.

I am thinking that the answers to this are all 5d chess Endowment things. We know Vasher hates the Shards in general, but I think that he somehow is obligated to do certain things for Endowment, possibly in relation to the creation of Nightblood. We also know that Vasher has not yet really had any chance to fulfill the purpose of his return from WoB, so it makes me think that this is some long-term Endowment shennaniganing. At least we know that anti-light was not his purpose.

I am thinking that Adonalsium left the wind and the other truly ancient spren behind as Avatars in the form of the Old Magic. I guess my question is how did Cultivation hijack the Old Magic over the years. The Sazed name-drop was really cool. This confirms that they have not actually met as of KOWT. We know that Wit cannot die at this point in the timeline, but I am not thinking that Kaladin will die either. However, I do think that what this does mean is there is some permanent change that kicks Hoid off of Roshar. The chapter was surprisingly Jasnah heavy, and makes me think that Jasnah and Hoid have fundamentally different philosophies. To me, if reads that Hoid really did consider Adonalsium as a capital c God figure, which again raises the question on why they killed him. On the change in suppression of the Wind, I would say that because Rayse actively knew and was connected to Adonalsium, he intentionally tried to limit any forms of its power in any way possible. Either Todium doesn't know, doesn't care, or is deciding to let some fragment of Adonalsium reassert itself.

I think that king of nowhere exhibits my view way better than I did. Fundamentally, the Nahel bond makes them near infinitely close already, so marriage is kind of irrelevant. I guess I see the Nahel bond as more a form of platonic love among friends rather than romantic.

I command my army of The Stick to march on the pawn democracies.

My point is that every cosmere novel has romances, but Sanderson has made it pretty clear over the years that he doesn't ever write really complex romances except Yumi. As to your first point. The two things are completely different. Kaladin loving himself is fine in your first context, and that is completely right. However, you misunderstand me in the fact that I am taking this point in a more theory of the forms manner. Fundamentally, love and relationships requires multiple people, and since Syl is now kind of part of Kaladin's soul, I don't really know if that works.

So my perspective on this has always been that the 4 Dawnshards all pulled equally on Adonalsium's nature, similar to the medieval process of quartering. This it's central integrity collapsing, which made the power be drawn to the Dawnshards like magnets, into four like-minded Intents. I would then say that the Dawnshards all did the same thing to the smaller super-shards. I guess the issue is then the question is why did this process not continue to recurse. But in my mind, this allows you to say each Shard was shaped by two Dawnshards, one super shard one, then another one that ripped the super shard apart. So that would mean that there are 4 out of 16 shards that are purest to the Dawnshard's command.

I read the quotes again, and I am way more sure of it being Szeth. The only thing that I don't think fully fits is the Wind. The part about children, to me, is amazingly similar to Szeth's observations of Gavinor. The part about dreams and aspirations makes me think of the entire character arc of Szeth, and the preview chapters where he wants other people to make decisions for him. The lines about dreams makes it sound like they are unique to a person, which seems to be the lesson Sanderson is gearing Szeth up to learning in KOWAT.

I really don't like this theory at all. My issue with it is that the Nahel bond is basically a spren filling cracks in the Radiant's soul. Turning this into a romance would mean that Kaladin's soul would love himself in a way, depending on how deeply you would say Syl is entwined with his soul. My other point is that Sanderson has never been that much of a romance writer, and I don't think that he would really try a Syladin ship.