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I just realized something. This is probably common knowledge by now, but there are two things we know about Hoid's motives. He helped Vin and in turn Sazed. Now, he is helping the Radiant group, in order to fight Odium. There are two things in those actions at both ends of the spectrum. In the case of helping Sazed, he combined shards. In the case of helping the Radiant group, he is preventing Odium from shattering shards. So, once again, his motives are to reassemble them as a whole. As in fact, he does tell Dalinar that he would allow Roshar to burn, with tears in his eyes, in order to accomplish his goals. As their motives aren't in complete alignment. So, Dalinar's goal is to save Roshar and Hoid wants to stop Odium, was my assumption. Though, what I think now, is that Hoid's goal is to prevent any more shards from being shattered.

Well fiddlesticks. To quote Billy Bob Thornton from Bad Santa, "They can't all be winners, kid."

I did discover why Wit is spiritually blind. It happened while thinking about Hamlet. See, Wit is soulless. The reason being he lacks brevity. He's too involved and loves a good story. So, he over does it. Therefore, if "Brevity is the soul of Wit" and Wit lacks brevity, then Wit must, in fact, be soulless... case closed. That's why a Shardblade can't "offer [him] any real harm." Because there isn't a soul to cut.

Yeah, but by those standards Cultivation is the acquiescence or instillment of something through some means or another. Like time for talent and labor for crops. Then Honor would be fulfillment of your word or ideals or possibly personal esteem. Yet those are at odds with what we see from those two. In my opinion. As to be "Honorable" you have to have a code or personal agenda that you stick to. So, for Tenavast to hold that shard, he gets to be who he is and hold to that above all else. As it's mentioned that Ati was a good man who was turned into Ruin. What the ideological form of Cultivation is, I couldn't begin to fathom. It's almost as if Honor is the good guy, Cultivation is neutral, and Odium is the bad guy. I had forgotten though that Odium had splintered others and was not living on their shardworlds. Yet still, if you think of it this way. If Odium didn't occupy the TH. Then it is sitting wide open. What's preventing the humans left on Roshar from going there? I just feel that Roshar is a dead world. Slowly having its life snuffed out with each and every Desolation. That moments from the end we will see it wither and be lost forever. Though I could be wrong as applying logic to storytelling doesn't always work. It's like trying to figure out why Zod, with his World Engine didn't just go to Mars and snatch up a few humans for the sake of repopulating Kryptonians. Not to mention, after seeing Kal El, why he would want to change Earth into his homeworld? If you knew you could survive somewhere and have all of Superman's powers, why would you go back to being human? I say all that, just because I want you to know that I understand that a story without conflict isn't a story. That to convey that conflict, or allow for it, you have to bend logic and reasoning a little to make it work. I just mean that humans being kicked out of the Tranquiline Halls and Odium going there or not is just part of the story. If he did or didn't, that's fine with me. I am just curious if it is a considered part, as a character in TWoK actually asks this very question. They state that Damnation should be empty if it is how I am asking. I feel there are a lot of signs pointing to the current habitat being snuffed out and the humans running for their lives. It's basically what has happened in both stories already. The good guys are staring down certain doom. Then, at the last second, an improbable event happens that gives them a glimmer of hope. That because of the right people being in the right place at the right time. Our story leads are able to stinky leg it across a bridge or through an Oathgate, at the perfect time to salvage the day. If this pattern holds, I would predict that during the trilogy in ten parts, the last minute rescue will be off world. Possibly to Damnation or the TH.

Crap, I got "Rayse" and "Braize" backwards in my head. Sorry about that. Thanks for the reply though. That is kind of what I understood it to be also. Except the Yolen part, because I didn't read that story. Though, do you get my point? That why would you take out your enemy from the place they are. Then leave the place after you successful conquest? It would be like Hitler invading Russia and winning. Then just going back to Germany and leaving Russia empty and not utilizing the land in any way. Do see what I'm, doing a poor job of, pointing out? It just seems like a weird move. I feel like maybe Roshar is Damnation and its harsh environment is that way because it was Odiums original place of residence. That when the Halls were vacated, the men went to Damnation and Odium took over the halls. Like a game of musical chairs almost. That instead of removing a chair, you get stuck with the crappier chair.

What about the "Giblatish" chapter? When talking to Dalinar during a feast, he wonders if a man can be taken apart and then put back together, chunk by bloody chunk. Then says, "If you happen to find out, be sure to name him Giblatish, after me!" To which Dalinar asks, "Is that your name then?" Hoid replies, "I've abandoned my real name..." This is all rather vague and philosophical but it does speak to what Hoid wants. He is believed to be reassembling Adonalsium. I don't think he wants to reunite all 16 shards in their entirety but to recombine the investiture of all 16. If you notice, he's collecting all the "magics" of the different places he goes. He has breaths, Larasium, Spheres, and the God beyond knows what else. It makes me think that he is trying to piece together all the fragments, in scale model form. To see if the point of reconstituting it all is worth the effort. Though, in order to achieve his goal, he has to keep the Cosmere from being overtaken by the more destructive of the Shards. Like Odium and Ruin. With his line "I began life as words on a page." It may be that Hoid is Adonalsium in a lesser form. Which is why he abandoned that name. His "Words on a page" were an idea of what would happen if he were shattered. How he would have to recombine his mentality to restore his faculties. Also, as he isn't threatened by a Shard blade and claims to be spiritually blind. It would appear his soul is different from others. Maybe he needs the investiture controlling parts of the other Shards in order to reconnect with the Spiritual realm, to do something he needs to do. I still think it's possible that he is a "Champion" of one of the shards. Like the shard of Wisdom, Understanding, Insight, Reason, or some such. As he is always seeking information. He says he knows, "Almost everything. It's that almost that seems to be the real problem." It just appears that he is moving through space and time to recombine a bit of "Adonalsium" to make a small 17th shard. In order to possibly communicate with his old master/friend. To see what the end game is or to ask him for advice on what to do. It is also completely possible that Hoid will never be fully understood until we get what is going on from the beginning. As he began life as words on a page. It's possible that there isn't anything more to him than that.

EDIT: I was mocking myself. As I was the person who was being quoted originally. I don't know if that was the reason for the down vote, or if it was something else I said. I just wanted to clarify. I agree this theory has legs and am extremely happy to be quoted by anyone. I think it's crap! I don't know who this "Snot" guy is, but he sounds like he needs to learn how to read. It's "Nahn" and "Dahn" Jesus.. what a jerk! I am glad to see that I'm not the only one who thought there was something more to Kaladin's mysterious mother. I have been listening to the SA books again, while at work. I haven't found any reason to think otherwise about this theory. No piece of information that jumped out at me to deflate it. I still think she's a "One Eye" though. Which I think is the term used to describe someone who is either both light eyed and dark or is born dark eyed to light eyed parents. There a few reasons I think this, here are the major instances that come to mind. She is religious in a place that doesn't have its own ardents. She is gifted at wordplay, which Shallan attributes to something frivolous the light eyed do almost exclusively. She has an air of regality to her, as described by Kaladin. She's married to a high nahn dark eyes. Which means her family is at least well to do, otherwise Lirin might have been dissuaded from marrying her. I'll admit it's also possible that she is light eyed using drops. The only reason I can come up with why she'd do that though, is if she were pregnant before marriage. In order to keep it all hush hush, she moved to Hearthstone with Lirin, where she gave birth after the two of them eloped. Then later, after the scandal had died down or when the timeframe of the pregnancy could be hidden, she wrote her parents and kept in touch via letter. If she had been a light eyed woman, having the baby of a dark eyed man. Even a respected, high nahn, surgeon, she would have drawn attention and ridicule from the people of Hearthstone. So to make it just a normal event, she darkened her eyes and then was sort of stuck in the lie from then on. Any other reason for her continually masking her eye color is beyond me. It just seems like too much work for just a simple deception or for possible anonymity. I don't see her doing it and not telling her children either. It is one of those things that is easy to let them know about from birth, incase they ever meet their grandparents, who happen to have light eyes.

I am sure this has been discussed at length before. I just wonder what, if anything, could be speculated about where Roshar, The Tranquiline Halls, and Damnation are. Do we think the TH and Damnation are just places in the Spiritual Realm, or as I surmise, they are physical places? Maybe other planets, like the one that Odium has been mentioned to be on, in the Greater Roshar System. The thing I ponder on, is based on what we know. There was once a war for The Tranquiline Halls. Men were ejected and now they fight a war (supposedly in the Spiritual Realm) to reacquire it. There's only one problem with that. If Odium is occupying Damnation, who is currently in The Tranquiline Halls? I don't know about you but if I storm a castle, I won't go back to my castle and live. Well, without leaving a governing body behind. I wouldn't pull a Astapor. If my castle is better, why would I leave in the first place? Sure, Odium is hate incarnate but he is also spiteful and cruel. He wouldn't hatekill a people and then leave to let them slink back in while he's not looking. At least I wouldn't assume he would do that. It also makes sense that he would occupy the place he's taken as an insult. So, with that said, my theory is that Damnation is currently where the Tranquiline Halls were. Roshar is damnation or a neutral planet in the fight or an arena planet that they decided to have their war on. As it was WoB'ed that it was created by Adonalsium before the splintering. It also could have been where Cultivation was and she invited Honor and his people to come there to save them from destruction. Also, since the Parshendi are referred to as "The Old Ones" I think that they were possible created there by Adonalsium, and once men were kicked out of the planet they did live in, they came to Roshar like an unwanted houseguest. Now they are stuck and are taking over and ruining everything before they leave. I think it's even said in a death rattle or during a vision that Odium or the Voidbringers will burn the place to ground on their way out the door. To keep the humans from winning and having the place as a prize. Which, I do fully and completely expect Roshar to be lost throughout the series. I don't believe the planet will be habitable by the end. It's referred to a half dozen times at least. Wit says it, Honor says it, the visions say it, I think the Stormfather says it. That the Everstorm comes and with it the end of the world. That the Final Desolation comes. The Sun meets the horizon, which may be a time based description or a terrible cataclysmic event. So, yeah, I think the war to reclaim the TH is what we're wading through currently. That if our heroes don't find a new place that all of mankind is dead. As well as the Parshendi and all the ugly multi-legged crab creatures.

I'm sure the Parshendi in Storm Form are Voidbringers. The fact that Hoid said it to Jasnah pretty much sums that up. You have to realize though that Jasnah "HATES" the Parshendi and would never admit that. She thinks of them as murderous monsters without honor or compassion. So, for her to be the origin of that information is suspect at best. Even if there are a few pieces of information that fit, it's still not certain that they are the one and only race that can be called Voidbringers. So, one thing that is not certain and has not been completely addressed, is if there are other types or races of Voidbringer. We know there are Thunderclast that have been seen in both the visions of Dalinar and the Prelude chapter from the Herald's perspective. So, it is easy to assume that there are other, not-yet-seen, types of Voidbringers. I would say it is not only possible, but seeing as there are still 8 books left, it is very likely. The bit about the heralds departing between desolations, we know they are "supposed" to go back to Damnation to endure their torture. Before the abandonment of the Oathpact during the "Final Desolation", that's exactly what they would do, go back to Damnation and return to Roshar to "herald in" the next Desolation. They fought to save mankind, then died or "left" Roshar, to satisfy their agreement. The way I took the opening chapter was that instead of going back to Damnation, they were going to leave their swords and wander around Roshar without looking for each other. We don't know what powers and gifts besides the Honorblades that they were given. If Marsh can live forever with Harmony's influence, why not the Heralds with the aid of Honor and Cultivation? They also say that if their is one still bound to the Oathpact, who satisfied its demands, that it "might" be enough to maintain it. So, Taln being there, kept Odium bound to whatever his involvement and/or agreement with it was. Since we have seen living Heralds in WoK and WoR, I can only conclude that they have been alive this whole time. As Asha is the woman who "Sits and scratches out her own eyes" (A fan theory that I think was WoB'ed into confirmation. Correct me if I am wrong.) and Darkness is the Skybreaker's Herald. It seems odd that they would have died after and returned before Taln. Why would they come back at all, if they did fulfill the "going back" part? If they left their swords, that are now bound to the Shin, then how is it that they have been given new life? To me, it's much more likely they never left Roshar. They have been alive this whole time, as to avoid going back to the torture chamber. I am not saying I am certain by any means, I don't know for sure one way or the other. I won't likely have that question answered until Brandon spells out what the Oathpact was exactly or one of the Heralds tells us what happened. So, I am not meaning to come across as positive. On the other hand, I can't find any example that makes this theory wrong. There hasn't been any description of the Heralds dying or being soulcast into statues, like the Kings of Roshar are wont to do. As far as Nohadon being a Herald, I have lost the threads of thought that lead me to feel strongly about that one. I may have just forgotten or found out something that lead me to doubt it. Either way, I am not sure about that anymore. I do still however feel the High Storm was formed or caused by the Knights. There is just something about that that makes me want to believe it and the fact that it has never been addressed directly. It's one of those things that should be clear existed in the Shadow Days. Yet, there hasn't been one mention of it. The Storm Light itself is the only thing that makes me doubt it, even a little. Because it's obvious the KR used SL as their investiture source. It had to come from somewhere. I don't know, it could be that the Bondsmiths were the ones who infused the gemstones before the storm existed. Getting their power from Honor himself, they were able to infuse without a source. That's just me reaching for an explanation though.

I still think that the Highstorm was caused by the KR. If you notice, Dalinar never mentions seeing a creature of any type during the ME flashback. Though, during the flee from the Everstorm. When Shallan enters the cavern that holds the Oath Gate. She sees a mural that does have animals that are currently not present in the place where the gate exists. Animals that are considered "mythological" like Lions and I think an Elephant? So, there is more proof that the storm DIDN'T exist, than that it did. IMHO.

Thanks for allowing me to see those words written for the first time. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to those of you who read the books with your eyes. Not your ears, like me. The Heralds aren't supposed to stay on Roshar between Desolations, but it was implied that the Heralds have been living on Roshar since they abandoned the Oathpact. During the Epilogue of WoK the Herald thinks, "How had he survived this time. The fighting was so intense, this time. If he survived he was supposed to return anyway. Return to that place of fire and pain." Just as Darkness, the one who has vandalized her own statues, and others possibly hiding in the background, have stuck around. It seems that the Oathpact granted them immortality. They just had conditions. Since they sent one to the torture spot, it allowed it to not dissolve completely or at least that's the theory of the "Immortal King" he speaks to that tells him to leave his sword and not seek each other out. What was just a "normal" war? I don't know which bit you're referring to. You may be correct about the spren and the chasmfiends. I know there are several people who make mention of the fact that they constantly have a following, almost like a school, of spren tagging behind them. On a side note, there were couple of other things I notice and clarifications I would like to make. The quote that I was trying to remember for the chapter heading was miss-paraphrased... if that's a thing. It is closer to, "[X] resolved to vanquish the voidbringers upon the following morning. Though that night, a different plan presented itself. When asked [X] explained that it was related to the abilities exclusive to the Herald's themselves. In this matter, it was something only the Bondsmiths could truly understand." It's still not perfect, but it's more accurate than I previously posted. Then there is. "After the event that would become known as the recreance, only one of the ten orders chose to remain at their posts." It's implied it's the Skybreakers, the way it goes on is something like, "Stating that they did not abandon their ship because things get messy." or that's how I took it. So, in my theory that the radiants caused the highstorm, everyone disbands from the orders except one. I think somewhere it also states that there was some trial or execution, some form of riot where the Radiants were attacked by the people or something like that, after the event that I suspect is the creation of the storm. So, everyone realizes the ambiguity of their oaths and leaves the orders. But since the High Spren (those of laws and those bonded to the Skybreakers, who are the embodiment civil order.) value justice over what is right. They didn't have a problem as long as someone paid for the crime. We know that the Heralds came first. They existed before the surgebinders because of what Syl says, "The Almighty gave these swords to the Heralds. They let them do what you can. The spren watched what he did and copied it." (Again a paraphrase) So, that means that the spren saw the Honorblades, understood how to bond with men to grant them the power over surges, and how to use themselves as Shards. We also know that the oaths the Surgebinders recite were a requirement set up and likely devised by the Heralds (probably with input from the spren) upon learning of them, because of another chapter heading. "One of the Heralds (it says, but I forget which) states that if the surgebinders have been given powers without checks, that he will set about destroying anyone who presents with them. Otherwise it will allow the weak to be subjugated." Then, as I stated originally, during a vision of a Desolation (As it is stated in both the vision and implied from the carnage and remains of voidbringers (thunderclast at least) that litter the streets in Dalinar's line of sight.) where surgebinders are mentioned. That Nohadon had not wrote The Way of Kings yet. Because when "Karm" suggest it. Nohadon says that it is a colossally stupid idea. Then, the one I found the most compelling, is that the thing that Nohadon does in The Way of Kings, as the title implies, is teach leadership. During his rantings Talenelat starts rambling off which Heralds do what. Then says "X Herald will teach you leadership." When you put all of these things together, it really starts to make a compelling case, in my mind anyway, that Nohadon is both a Herald and still alive. It takes me a very long time to search through my ipod for the exact quote I wan't. I type around 65 - 90 wpm (depending on how much time in the last few days I spent at the keyboard typing and how warmed up I am at that exact moment.) and I still have to play it a half dozen or so times, stopping and starting after each sentence, to make sure I have it right. Otherwise, I would gladly just type it verbatim. When you fortune people see something of note while reading, you are holding your book or tablet but, when I finally hear the parts that make me think these things, I'm at work lifting a box or something and can't mark down the chapter number. I promise though, this isn't just wild speculation that I have based on nothing. There are pieces that fit together when I hear something that is said in passing, that's one sentence long. That goes back to the other sentence I heard in this other part about this thing said in a way to make you take it out of context without the right perspective. Like watching a movie after you know the twist, you facepalm wondering how you missed it. Plus, when you're listening to something it's easier to pick up on what isn't being said. Like what they're leaving out. Which can open a whole mess of implications. Otherwise, why not just come right out and say it without the ambiguity. Thanks again for reading my stupid long post. If you want to point out a mistake I made or ask me to expand on something please pin point what it is you'd like. I am not great at inferring things in text form.

I'm honestly starting to hallucinate because of sleep deprivation. I was nodding off typing that, so if find any errors please try to over look them I'll finish up my rebuttals and information in general tomorrow. I <3 you guys for humoring me.

First thanks for taking the time to reply. Both of you. I haven't found my way to bed yet and noticed the notification indicator. Yeah, sorry for what I'm sure is a lot of misspellings of names and places. I am spelling them phonetically as I don't have them in front of me to read, without going through the wiki, which if I weren't so tired is what i would have done. When Dalinar tells Nohadon to write the book, he responds, "Who will write it for me, you're the only man of letters I know Karm. Have you learned to write left handed then?" Dalinar looked down and saw both hands, but the man Nohadon was speaking to was obviously missing his right. Though this could mean he lost use of it as it's shard dead, which just now came to mind. Response to 5 from kaellok and a response to I could totally see this being true. That they aren't Voidbringers in and of themselves but were once some other type of Great Shell that was morphed like a Thunderclast out of the sea bed of the pure lake. I just have a feeling that the Voidbringers have been red hearings thus far. So far the only thing we know for sure. The Everstorm will change the Parshmen into something that has been called a void bringer in the past. There is a plea in the Listener's songs to be careful of Stom Form's power. That Void Spren exist and Pattern isn't one neither is Wyndal. Jasnah thought the Parshmen were Voidbringers in Embryo and she's rarely wrong. Yet, Storm Form doesn't seem to make Thunderclasts and those are the only confirmed Voidbringers we have. As they are shown "on screen" three times. Once in the Herald's breaking the Oathpact chapter, once during Dalinar and Nohadon's talk and again during Dalinar's Pure Lake vision, in WoR. Maybe once more, but I can't remember where if so. Then there is the Midnite Essence, which is not a Voidbringer, but Dalinar assumed it was. So, there is a lot of misinformation going around about them. I have a feeling that we won't get a true Voidbring until the end of this set of 5. It's just a guess, but I think this series is best when it's slow rolling the information. Making you salivate and stare longingly at the chance to dive into another part of the story. Response to point 7 from kaellok The part about Odium ripping out a piece of himself to leave is really interesting. Especially when you consider the death rattle. "There used to be 3 of 16, but now the broken one reigns." [paraphrasing] Which may be why he's stuck on Braize and how he became stuck there was leaving the planet we think of as The Tranquiline Halls. It could even be that Roshar is purgatory. That this is the desolation and has been for the past 4,500 years. Especially when you consider Honor's words at the end of WoK. "Your history tells you that you won. The truth is, we lost, and we are losing." Which presumably was a previously recorded message. So, at any point in the past 4,500 years. It would have to be true in order to make any sense. When Odium is allowed to rule and reduce people to their more savage tendencies. I wouldn't be surprised if Roshar isn't the battle ground for the retaking of the Tranquiline Halls. That all this spiritual calling for soldiers to fight to retake heaven. Is actually taking place right in front of us. It's just that the idea came from before the move to Roshar and it got passed down as though there was somewhere else to go. Since the Ardents do seem to ascribe spiritual powers to those who raise their calling high enough. Waving your hand and creating food, moving your are and defeating armies. It sounds enough like Surgebinding that it could be. I know that a lot of these are far fetched. Like I say, I just want people to bounce these off of, who know the Cosmere better than I do. I would believe if anyone had Parshendi blood and they came from those stones. It would have to be the Shin. They find it sacrilegious to walk on stone except for those in Euratheru. So, it would make the most sense. I don't know either. I just always liked the idea as the author seeing themselves as a diety inside the world of their writing. It is completely true when you think about it. Everytime the character pleads with God to stop doing to them what he is doing. The Author typed the words, then ignored the plea. It is what's best for the story at all times. Never what the character wants, that dictates the flow the story has. I would love it if Hoid turned out to be the Champion of "The God Beyond" and Brandon himself was that God. It would also make sense. lol. Though, if it were to be a Shard inside the Cosmere, and we have a WoB saying Hoid is not a shard holder. I want to think he's a champion, and knowledge is his Liege. Though, why would he say, "I have come here looking for an old acquaintance, but I spend most my time hiding from him instead..." then "You can't trust yourself around me Dalinar. I would watch this world burn, with tears in my eyes, if it meant accomplishing my goals..." Then something like, "If [he] finds me he will shatter my soul into a million pieces..." which is what Odium appears to have done with Honor and Cultivation.

My first character in this Pen and Paper game that let you be gunslingers... Vash the Stampede from the Anime "Tri-Gun". So, yeah, I played Vampire the Masquerade, character name, Pheonix Awesomeguy or something like that. Don't be embarrassed by it. I then went on to play Everquest for 11 years dual boxing a rogue and cleric named Fiction the Myth and Salvint the Savior (yes they both had titles, cause I am awesome and knew the developers! #humblebrag #bragbrag #whatshumble?) I will definitely look for you though. I don't get offended. I curse like a sailor and have to reign it in here because I know it's not appropriate or respectful on top of it being filtered out anyway. So, salty is sweet to me. I get what you're saying about fan boys and girls. I honestly lost my cool on a YouTube video, for the first time in years and years, because I said 14 different ways, in the nicest way possible, that Dragon Age 2 was a terrible sequel. This girl kept saying it wasn't a bad game. I said, well, that may be, but it's still a horrendous sequel. If you expect a sprawling epic, with meticulous turn based combat or fast paced twitch gaming, party members that you really get to interact with and play through the game again and again with different combinations to hear how two different members will react to each other and then you get...DA2, you feel robbed! One City...One Race, for you main character.... Nothing new, but you also get less! Backtracking the same dungeon 3 or more times! Underwhelming is an overstatement of its enjoyability. I said it was my opinion and it would be like going to the store and being given a bag of apples. Crisp and delicious, 5 apples for 3 dollars. Then going back a week later and being given a bag of rotten, half mushed apples and getting 2 for 3 dollars. You would feel ripped off. Sure, if the second bag was the first, your comparison wouldn't make it so much worse, but that's the way it was given to you. So, what do you do? Stop going to that store or do like I said and give them one more chance? Knowing they have the potential to give you what you want. This girl argued that I was calling her stupid for liking the game. Then I said it was a fact that the majority of people who played it didn't like it, which is a measurable fact. Opinions are personal and only relate to what you think. Though, when you have a group of people who are all disappointed by a sequel. It makes it a bad sequel, empirically. That she seemed to enjoy the game doesn't make the game good, but the fact everyone who played the first, thought it failed, makes it a bad sequel. She then said I was upset that my opinions weren't facts...ugh, I get mad just thinking about it. I had to mute the thread to keep from getting angry all over again every time it popped up. The worst part is I know better. I'm 33 and have been dealing with internet forums and chat since like 1996. Almost 20 years. I have heard the old adage, "Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics..." Which I won't finish here for propriety sake. Let's just say, if she was trolling, she was a good one because she seemed just adamant enough to make me think she was serious. Which made it that much worse to me. Because she was playing the victim, like everyone was picking on her for liking a crappy game. Which, wasn't the case at all. We were trying to explain, the game may be good (to her), if it weren't called Dragon Age 2. If it were, Loathering City, the demo. You would then get exactly what you paid for. Yet, calling a pig a cow, does not make your pork chops taste like steak. In most cases it will leave you disappointed, in the pork chop. When it would have been fine, if you just called it a pork chop to begin with. So, I do understand about uber fans who don't get what's wrong with their favorite thing and despite this novella undermining this point, I usually have thick skin on the internet. lol

I have (probably) listened to the audio-book for Way of Kings and Words of Radiance more times than any single person. (Definitely more than I should have. I only have one audiobook in my Audible Library. It is "Words of Radiance" It shows my time at 1 month, 2 days, 5 hours, and 50 minuets. A lot of that time is where I have listened to it at night falling asleep. What I can promise though, is that I have listened to it, start to finish, at least a dozen or more times. The book is 48 hours in audio form. So, excluding the sleeping time, that sounds about right. I bring all this up, because during the course of listening to "WoR" and "WoK" (probably just as much, if not more. You have no idea how much this series speaks to me. It's like a lock finding a key. Everything in it is right up my alley.) I have came up with some theories that may be odd or may be disproven by things in other books I've not read. I would really appreciate anyone who is willing to take the time to tell me where I have went astray in these ideas. Thank you, in advance. 1: Nohadon is alive and is one of the Heralds. I think this, because if you read the chapter "What we cannot have" where Dalinar goes back to speak with a person who he believes to be Nohadon. Nohadon says some peculiar things. First, he says, "What of your Surgebinders Karm?" The phrasing is worded so that you think he is talking to an administrator about his troops. When, infact, he is speaking to another Herald or a high ranking officer in the Knights Radiant. I believe he is a herald because of his arm being missing. I think some how he wasn't gifted his immortality until after the arm was lost. We know that the Knights Radiant followed the precepts of "The Way of Kings" extrapolating the oaths and their honor code from it. We know that Dalinar isn't able to convince him to write his book at this time. Nohadon references the Heralds in such a way that doesn't claim or disclaim his involvement with them. "What will the Heralds see upon their next return?" or something like that. It is just vague and ambiguous enough to go either way. 2. The Knights Radiant caused the High Storm. In a "WoR" chapter heading, that is quoting the inworld "Words of Radiance" it says, " (Random Bondsmith I don't remember) claimed to have found a strategy with which to deal with the Voidbringers once and for all. Time was of the essence and therefore was unable to speak further about the matter. Only saying that it was specific to the powers of the Bondsmiths." That is terribly paraphrased but that's the gist of it. I think what happened is this. The last Desolation came and was more intense than any of the ones before it. So much so that even the Heralds were ready to leave it to fate to handle the next one. The Bondsmiths, in order to save the oaths of their fellow KR, decided to summon this storm, hoping it would wipe out the Voidbringers OR and this is really out there, splinter Honor. In a WoK chapter it mentions that Euratheru was built where it was, so that tehy might be close to Honor. Which, I think, is The Origin. The Eastern version of where the Night Watcher's valley is in the west. The Old Magic and Cultivation could have aided in this process somehow. Then, as we know, Spren gain more power, the more they are thought of. They are shapped by the thoughts of men. Some seem attracted to it, others seem to create it, and all seem changed by it. Like our ardent couple measuring flame spren. So, the Storm sent by the Almighty becomes his Herald to those left behind. He is circling Roshar, "Invested to the hilt, and looking for a place to stick it all." as he contains the majority of what remains of the Honor shard. So, like was said in a WoB, the shards will gain sentience if they have enough power and aren't bound to a person already. Therefore, the Storm Father gains power as he's prayed to and worshiped. What he was before the recreance is beyond me. Though Eshonai calls him a traitor to her people. The Storm Rider was once a friend to the Listeners and something changed. It may have been he was a storm spren that gained more and more power. Like how Pattern describes being everywhere before he was himself. I know this is really scattershot, but I have a logic and examples that I'm not conveying well. 3. Through different subtle hints, I think that one of the Parshendi will become a surgebinder. Merlain most likely for obvious reasons. Syl says that Listeners can't become Surgebinders. It also says in one of the Listener's song chapter headings that "Broth are we, their meat is men." in refrence to the Spren and how they bond with the two groups. Something about that song stanza makes me think it's a prediction that in the time of the final Desolation, they will gain the ability for some reason. I have a feeling as we learn more about the different groups (Surgebinders and Voidbringers) it will be more clear why some can and can't do these things. Why the Listeners aren't able to and why they might be able to now. 4. The High Storm is a shard pool. Well, just because it fits. It has all the investeture in it. It even has two people bound up walking along with the storm, just like the Well of Ascension in Mistborn. 5. The Chasmfiends are Voidbringers. So are Sky Eels. Szeth says that it is said that Voidbringers can hold their stormlight perfectly. So, what does a better job of that than a big Gem Heart. It appears they are faster than they should be, which may be them using the stormlight inside them. Also, I think they have their children out on the plains exposed to the high storm because they are trying to get stormlight into the crysalis. If you look at the Voidbringer chart and imagine you are standing on flat ground about 100 feet away some of those symbols look like Chasmfiends looking at you head on. Some of their legs hidden behind other legs and so forth. It's hard to describe, but I see it plain as day. On one of them anyway. The others aren't obviously anything to me. 6. Kaladin's parentage is complicated. I have a feeling that Kaladin's mother is a one eye or a straight up light eyes using drops. As far as we've seen, everyone who has acquired surgebinding abilities is a light eyes. Except for Kaladin. Which makes sense. If you assume that the eye color of the Radiants is passed down genetically after it is changed by infusing. So, for this to be a genetic trait, Kaladin would have to have light eyed ancestry. Everyone says that high Non and low Don can marry and no one questions it. Kaladin never talks about his grand parents on either side, that I remember. So, it's completely possible in my mind that his mother came from a higher born family and due to her having dark eyes herself or being of low birth order she just got to pick her mate but due to politics was forced to use the eye drops. 7. The Parshendi can change into Chasmfiends. There is a story told in WoK that says that a lady went and gathered stones touched by the Heralds and using her dying or dead husband's seed prays to the Almighty and asks him to turn them into her children. My Theory is that, this was some form of blood magic type Hemalurgical procedure that our pal Odium was in on. Thus the Listeners were born, given a dual nature to allow them to understand and destroy humans better than he could on his own. Or maybe like Ruin and Preservation struck a deal. Odium and Cultivation struck a deal to create this new race. Some people that Odium, like Ruin, assumed he could control towards his own goal. Which works, as long as they are holding the right spre. Just like how you have to have a Hemalurgical Spike to speak with Ruin or be influenced by him. So, just like how men can do good and evil, they can do either in the right forms. 8. I know there is more, but it's 4:30AM and I can't think of them right now. Please, just take your time and consider these statements for what they are. Ideas that popped into my head. Some with more reason than others. Some with more weight than others. I honestly think like maybe 2 of these are really true. So, please, poke holes in them. I don't want to continue believing in the wrong ideas. I love theorizing though. So, it would be my pleasure to have you rip apart or add information to my thoughts. Oh, Super Bonus Theory. Hoid is a champion. Not of a shard though but of Brandon Sanderson. Given only the information he allows him to have. That's why he can say, "He doesn't know everything." yet he seems to have a very large knowledge base and far more understanding about the Cosmere than most anyone else. Enjoy and thanks again for reading all this. I know the grammar is poor. When I'm more alert I'll edit it up. If it's not torched in my sleep.

Well, I just bookmarked FactPile. It seems like a site I would love. I really like discussing and debating things like that, with people who aren't just being jackasses and wanting to be hateful and/or argumentative. If you can have a calm rational discussion, with spirit, I will participate all day long. That was one of my favorite parts of playing Magic:The Gathering in tournaments, having the ability to out think, as well as have unexpected answers for, my opponent. It was exciting and intellectually stimulating. I really miss it, come to think of it. It was a great hobby for me personally, as someone who appreciates battles of wits. (Just got a mental image of a bunch of different Hoids fighting each other.) Yeah, I've only seen Frozen one time. It was a cute movie, and there was a lot to like about it when trying to view it with a kid's eyes. Which, I never grew up enough to feel childish for watching things like "Adventure Time" and the like. So, if it is entertaining, I'll watch it. The things you mentioned are all there in the movie. I even googled the "Elsa vs. Fire Lord Ozai" thing you mentioned to read it. I honestly want to know who won now. That's a pretty awesome match up. If not him, then Flame Princess from "Adventure Time" simply because they are both elemental princess that live in a kingdom of their element. Both were stuck inside throughout most of their lives. One was held prisoner by her father, the other her powers and love for her sister. They are both able to really let loose (or let it go, as it were) and wreak some havoc. I think it shows in the episode "Flame and Frost" what FP can do. She takes Ice King to task. Wow, yeah, I'm 33, so what? I'm eating a stick of Laffy Taffy while I type this... what's your problem? About Kaladin, he has that wind guidance precognition thing. He also can move inside of the ice using lashings, I would imagine. He, unlike other shard bearers, has more control over his shard, so he could summon it as a Shuriken and where it wouldn't be stopped by anything, would be able to slice right through any obstacle that Ilse would place in its way. Should would have to figure out a way to "last clap" it in order to impede its movement. If he knew how and where to throw it, he could take her down pretty easily if he didn't maneuver or parry just right. If you take away his Shard though, I think it's all Ilse and that's saying something.

I am going to bet that this has been brought up before. As it is more about what goes on in TWoK rather than WoR, but do any of you think that the Chasmfiends need Stormlight to aid in their gestation process or even just life in general? I'm not sure if that's what you call the growth of an offspring with that type of reproduction. Anyways, if Shallan was right, and the CF's don't live on the Shattered Plains, but instead come there to pupate. Why? There would have to be a reason, so let me state what I can think of, with my limited understanding of biology and evolutionary imperatives. -They know there won't be any predators. Before there was a war there, for presumably 4,500+ years, no one came that way. They were able to go into what is essentially the wilds and lay their eggs. Then wander back to food sources. Knowing that no other animal could or would disturb them. -They need the forces of the High Storm to crack them out of their shell, once they get to that point. Meaning that it takes more than just the strength the baby chasmfiend has to escape its baby house. In order to reliably get them out, without having to sit there and watch them, they let the High Storm they know will path that way and allow for the birth to happen naturally. -They need Stormlight. It has been stated a few times now that the CF's have a weird Spren around them. Just like the Sky Eels do. Not to mention their big ole' gem hearts! You know, the thing that everyone and their brother uses to hold Stormlight? Szeth-son-son-Vallano states at the beginning of WoK that Voidbringers were able to hold Stormlight perfectly (or much better, at least). Well, if you have a big Gem Heart, it's pretty easy to hold your Stormlight without losing any. This leads me to personally believe that they are transformed Voidbringers and that if you look at the Voidbringer symbols that are illustrated in the book. I can see the shapes of chasmfiends in the place where either Else Callers or Light Weavers would be, if you imagine you're both standing on the group facing each other from a slight distance. Even if that's not the case, they may be going to the SP to ensure they are infused with the Stormlight they need. Since it is a place often hit with storms it would make sense they go there, if it's an important resource to them. Which would explain why Kaladin thinks, "Nothing this large should move so quickly." because they are using Stormlight to aid in locomotion and reflexes. Also, they stick their chrysalis on top of the plateaus. Why would they do this, if not to ensure it drinks in as much storm light as possible? If they were just looking for a place with storms and isolation, why not go into the chasms but above the waterline? It would be safer. High on a hill out in the open speaks to specific reasons in my mind. -Reasons! It may have just been an evolutionary imperative, like Monarch Butterflies, who will fly South and then North, taking multiple generations to make their destination. Each going to the place they know they need to go, without having ever been there. None having a reason to speak of, just doing what nature is telling them to do. Finally, -They are lost residents of Storm Seat! Hey, they can't all be winners, now can they?

Man, I have to believe you're an RTS player. That was a great breakdown of strategy and understanding of advantage versus counter effects. Good job sir!

I re-read my message then I read this. I spit out the pizza I was eating from the spontaneous laughter. Thank you! Also, /agree!

There's a bridgeman in TWoK that says, "By the color's bright rays!" I am pretty sure he dies before the end of the book. There is a good chance he was from Elantris.

Imagine, if you dare, the Scarlet Witch meets Iceman. Think of her as a White Walker with the added bonus of having lived as a human. Isolated in her room, spending each waking hour alone, plotting the demise of every warm blooded creature. Now, somewhere in her icy heart, there lies a shadowed soul. Born and raised in darkness. Only remembering the most fleeting moments of joy and compassion. Moments in which her child's body almost took the life of her sister. Was it by pure accident or was she just not yet strong enough to claim her victim's life? That innocent child she called "Sister." The one she cared for most. Yes, inside Elsa lies a danger more deadly than even Squirrel Girl! Squirrel Girl, a weaponized mass of flesh that carries the moniker "The Anti-Life, The Destroyer of All That Breathes!" I mean, she could summon a beast of undying snow, wielding a sword whose blade is as frigid and deadly as she herself. Using her Satanic powers, forged in the depths of Hell itself, to instantaneously construct a barrier of ice and snow. A frosty prison that Kaladin and the other Knights Radiant would glimpse no hope of escape in. Even wielding Shards, that cut through all but the weight of their circumstances, would not save them. Leaving all those under her crystalline gaze, trapped and isolated. Until the inevitable moment when the ache of hunger and pain of frostbite, pushes them to claim their own sword's blade. To sever the soul that has now forgotten the warmth of not only the sun but those once alive. Alive, perhaps like they themselves once were. You should ask yourself, now. Do you REALLY want to build a snowman?

In the song Elsa says, "I am one with the wind and sky" which makes me wonder what Kaladin would think about her claim. So, my question is, who would win in a fight. Elsa or Kaladin? Or would they just stop halfway through and start making out. I am sure there is some fan-fic on that topic if we dig hard enough.

Thank you for finding those quotes. I had a hard time finding text because I only have the audio-books. Also, thanks for correcting my stating it was Amaram that mentioned Gavilar's visions when it was in fact Graves. I just remembered it being said. I think you and I are in agreement with our interpretations of the events leading up to the Everstorm. That it was helped along by prophecy and poor decisions. I think, as was mentioned, that fate would have created the events that lead to its inception without the way they happened in the book. I just feel that if they had never been mentioned to Gavilar or Dalinar the way they were. It may have been much later in time. Maybe even after this Desolation. Which would definitely aid the humans in their fight against the enemy. I have also started thinking that the Bondsmiths from the time of the Rereance made the High Storm. During one of the chapter headings it says something like, " (Bondsmith person whose name I don't remember) tells us that he found a strategy to deal with the Voidbringers. The exact nature of which was specific to the abilities of the Bondsmiths. He was too rushed to give detail at the time." I can't seem to find a single vision or history mentioned in either book that says the High Storms existed in the shadow days. I think the Aharietiam is the day it happened. If the Windrunners ability to control wind was used to aid this creation process. It might explain why the Herald Jezrian was called the Stormfather. I would assume the Bondsmith Herald would get that honor but who knows. People are weird. Not to mention it was implemented in Storm Seat which is how it got its name. It was abandoned after the storm kept cycling through there with it being lower than sea level. The chasms worked as channels for the water just as we see in the story's current time. So no one could live there and it was abandoned. It was probably before the days of Storm Wardens so if you live in a place that will kill you during a high storm and you don't know when they are coming, it is a good idea to gtfo. As for how the Surgebindings were powered without the High Storm, it says in TWoK that they made Euratheru where they did, so that it/they could be close to Honor. Which makes me think he was physically on Roshar before he was shattered. It could just be a metaphor for being close to heaven and the sky like the Tower of Babel. That may even be his physical self held inside the High Storm. That he is one of the walking beings we see when Kaladin and Shallan are trapped in the chasm. I don't know if the other is Cultivation or Odium but neither would surprise me. Anyways, any thoughts, discussion, or evidence for or against would be appreciated.

I don't know if you're asking if Gavilar had visions at all or if he had the same visions as Dalinar. The former is definitely true as Amaram mentions it, the latter is just speculation. I do agree that Gavilar isn't the bee's knees. I think it will be more and more obvious that he and Amaram are both wanting to bring about a Desolation for not better reason than to shake hands with a Herald or something equally as selfish. I honestly think that Gavilar, having visions, made the same mistake that Dalinar did. That when he heard the Almighty say, "Unite them." he put his own personal spin on it and gathered the princedoms instead of the Surgebinders that were emerging as I believe was intended.