Shardlet

IDK, I think we could probably go back and forth on this one for a while without coming to any reasonably sure conclusion. We need a POV or direct insight from an experienced compounder. Here's to hoping that we get one in SoS .

Also, if he views the work he is doing as being critically important, can he afford the substantial risk to himself by getting directly involved (as in fighting, etc.) in planet affairs rather than simply influencing significant people and collecting the tools he believes he needs?

To continue the thread hijack, Helaran did know more about his father's plans. This does not necessarily equate to Helaran was a Ghostblood. It is reasonably possible that Shallan's father was not actually a member of the ghostbloods. It seems easily possible that Shallan's father was an ambitious Veden noble who the Ghostbloods opted to back in order to get a simpathizer in position as a highprince and ultimately as king of Vedenar. As such, Helaran could easily have not been a member of the Ghostbloods and could have been killed or disappeared by the Ghostbloods because he chose to take action against them in some fashion. This scenario strikes me as being at least as possible as the scenario you set forth, Moogle. Personally, I don't have a favored position on this theory. But both scenarios strike me as being perfectly reasonable possibilities.

I think the metal burns also, but I am inclined to think that you only ever get either the feruchemical effect compounded or the allomantic effect. Not both at the same time. @Kurk. Though, Miles was far more experienced than Vin at compounding and it is his metalmind and store. Both these together could possibly equate to it being harder for Vin to see the other store.

Ooh, bustin' a quantum cap! Nice.

Yeah, I think the Marasi quote could readily be understood to mean that the time effects cancel each other out not that POOF!, the bubbles go down. If anything, POOF, the bubbles go down sounds like something special happening as opposed to "nothing" happening. I think the quote is more in line with WoB than the other interpretation that the bubbles destroy each other.

I would expect that burning lerasium and its alloys would only ever result in gaining allomancy of some form. But, given Brandon's comments about lerasium, I think it's possibly possible to use lerasium in some other way to gain feruchemy. I think though, that there is a way (not involving burning) using some alloy of atium and lerasium to gain feruchemy as well.

I fear you underestimate the sneakiness . The question was at the end of the page so the reply box was directly under it. Result, hidden answer on the next page.

Shallan soulcasts only once when she is on her own. She enters Shadesmar a second time when Jasnah comes in too and saves her neck. But, Shallan does not soulcast at that time.

I also believe that Shalash is Baxil's mistress. I also agree that the quote brings us really close to confirmation. Though the likelihood is rather low, there are other possibilities which are not that great of a stretch. As a side note: I don't think we are anywhere near as close to confirmation or absolute surety that Kaladin killed Shallan's brother. There is some compelling evidence, sure. But I don't think it is that strong. Personal assuredness is, of course, perfectly wonderful. But it is not the same thing as fact or confirmation.

I don't think it's bad that it doesn't jive with you. It doesn't really jive with me either. If for no other reason than it takes a pretty enormous amount of energy to create any appreciable amount of matter from it. I was just tossing it out there.

Wait, what? How does Shalash being confirmed to be Jezrien's daughter confirm that Shalash is Baxil's mistress? Sure this gives further evidence to tie the epigraph, Shalash, and Baxil's mistress together. But I don't think this adds up to a complete confirmation.

I could see it as one of two ways. 1) Brandon was speaking off the cuff thinking about Hoid knowing all of the 16 original holders and forgot about Sazed. Or, 2) Hoid made a point of meeting the new kid on the block. 2 seems most likely to me.

How did you arrive at that? I haven't seen any description which connects the two.

My impression is that the Dawnshards are agents or tools of creation rather than agents or tools of destruction (like weapons). this is evidenced by Kabsal statements that the four ciites (which match cymatic patterns) were created by the Dawnshards. The connection between the Dawnshards and the Dawnsingers feels strong to me. The Dawnshards were used by the Dawnsingers? This is what feels right to me.

More precisely, Bran... I should've known you'd ninja me on this one Kurk .

Do what? Are you suggesting that the cryptic symbols are aons? To me that doesn't make much sense. Outside of Arelon and AonDor, I can't see the aons having much meaning. Perhaps the symbols could function similarly to aons. But I have a hard time getting on board with them being aons.

I have also theorized that shardblades are voluntary splinters of Honor and/or Cultivation (http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/3713-theory-the-origin-nature-and-purpose-of-shardblades/'>here). I suspect a splinter is by definition 'invested'. Spren are also splinters and most of which resultined from Honor's splintering (involuntary). Just some terminology notes: a shard is one of (or a combination of) the 16 pieces of Adonalsium formed when it was shattered. A splinter is a portion of a shard. And the best definition of a sliver we have is one who held a substantial amount of the power of a shard without being a Shard.

That is the purpose of faceting gemstones for jewelry. Brandon's quote suggests that faceting plays an additional role in stormlight retention.

It could be the actual shape, number, and orientation of the facets that play a significant role in stormlight retention as well.

You said, "she isn't cruel, violent, or hateful. I'm not sure why she would attract a voidspren". The underlying assumption here is that these are the characteristics required to attract a voidbinding spren. They may be. However, is every spren involved with the KR attracted to traits which are good and happy? Some are, surely. I suspect that most could go either way. Even honor and holding to oaths can go both ways. Thus, it stands to reason that traits that may attract voidbinding spren may also go both ways or even be many of the same traits. On top of which, we know absolutely nothing I can think of about the nature of voidspren. As to Jasnah being in the same boat as Shallan, this is of course not necessarily the case. For starters, there are two radiant orders with soulcasting ability. On top of which, Szeth has Windrunner abilities without being in the same boat as Kaladin. On top of that (if Szeth's abilities are not voidbinding), it is entirely possible that voidbinding could include soulcasting abilities.

That is my finest demonstration of ninja skills yet . Preempted two with one blow, the first by 4 hours and the second by 6.6 hours .

Gloom, I think you are making a lot of assumptions about voidbinding, its nature, and the nature of the spren it is associated with. Truth is we know virtually nothing about any of that. The closest we have is the Dalinar reading and some scattered legends. I do agree with you, however, that it does not appear that Jasnah interacts with the cryptics. Her reaction to the drawing of it shows her to be unsettled. If she had been interacting with a cryptic for her soulcasting or whatever, I would expect her reaction to be one of relief or something similar. As to her taking Shallan back, there could be any number of reasons. Jasnah could recognize that Shallan does not have ill-intent as yet. She could be actually attempting to turn her from the dark side, as it were. There is also keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That is just two reasonable and possible motivations.

Cool, thanks Kurk. I admit I am pretty wedded to 17S and I often wonder about what other Q&A's crop up on other fansites.

So we were having a discussion about the cryptics in the "Symbol Heads" thread and I hit on an idea that I hadn't heard anyone toss out yet. Now don't scream and fuss about this idea to much. I know it is thin and the evidence is thin as well. But, I don't know of anything that particularly speaks against it. As a preface to this, I have heard people grumble about the fact that it appears that all the Main characters so far (Dalinar, Kaladin, Shallan, and Jasnah) are on the road to radianthood. I myself personally thought that this was kind of a bit damp. It seemed like it would be nice if one of these four went astray or was not on the path. This idea may appeal to those who share this sentiment. So, the prevailing thought about the cryptics is that they are the bonding spren responsible for Shallan's soulcasting ability. However, by all appearances, the cryptics have different symbols in place of heads. Now this could simply be individuality, but Brandon indicated that we may recognize these symbols, though they are not glyphs. What if these symbols indicated separate classifications or orders of cryptics? Now, clearly, Syl is not a cryptic and she is the right kind of spren to associate Kaladin with the Windrunner order of the KR. This could mean that the cryptics are not associated with the KR. What orders then would the cryptics be associated with? What if the cryptics were associated with voidbinding? Could the symbols be the ones we see in the back cover lining chart? This may explain Jasnah's concern at seeing the picture of the cryptic.