Bloodfalcon

Well, after reading the new Words of Radiance chapter, it looks like we have a lot to revise here and a LOT more information to go off of. But I suppose I'll head into the Words of Radiance thread for that.

No evidence that something is possible is not evidence that it is impossible. This doesn't necessarily have to be true either. What if the Parshendi are a creation of Cultivation. They need to give certain things up in order to grow into something new. If gems are, as they appear to be, a way of storing stormlight that can have many methods of being used. They are used in armor, soulcasting, and inside of living beings. So maybe Cultivation produced creatures that convert as storlight charges the gems. I don't know. But in MB you see different types of beings using powers differently to operate. The Kondra, Koloss and Inquisitors. The point is, it is an option. We don't know if there is a certain ceremony that would need to be done in order for the transformation to occur, a song maybe, that is the reason behind them wanting to wheel away their own bodies. Maybe only certain ones are eligible after that. So many potential explanations that should not be thrown out because there isn't direct evidence for them or against them. And as I said, that was only one path that could support the general idea, and one that I don't have a lot of stock in.

OK, so let's say each of those cryptics is a representation of one of the Heralds symbols. I'm not sure if this chart is correct b/c i have not gone as in depth as others obviously have, but take a look for a second. Did Shallan have to give the truth right before she turned the goblet to blood? Because that would fit with Blood ->Shash -> Honesty. It could be that each Herald-based- cryptic requires a display of the attribute they represent to produce the essence they represent. I feel like I either unified my personal theory or proving that I need to go read the book again, though I was hoping to wait until we were closer to WoR. And I'm only trying to stay away from reading it again because I'm reading Elantris. EDIT: Oh, also Shallan is very creative. The other attribute fits too. It would make sense that that is the first Cryptic she draws in or potentially bonds or what have you.

But this would be a transformation when they are dead. Not them losing intelligence through its life. And I think you are limiting the possibilities to the most general, high level possibilities. Now, we are talking about a stretch here, but couldn't it be possible that it would only happen to parshendi who have the gems in their hair? Maybe that is what the death spren reacts with, and uses the parshendi body as a chamber for growing the gemheart as the body grows. I mean, that is a possibility that can't just be ignored by saying "it would have to happen to them all, and it doesn't." You could look at it like - the parshendi need large gems to make food and feed their people -> certain warriors risk their lives knowing that death will provide larger gems - > they don't like it when you mess with the bodies because this limits their food source. Again, not likely, and I certainly won't defend it as my favorite theory, but this is the kind of open theorizing that I think is needed when an author says he is releasing a 10 book epic fantasy series, and dishes out RAFO's like business cards. Maybe one of these unlikely roads will spawn a theory that actually does click, I don't know.

It is possible that multiple magic systems are associated with a single Shard, correct? Like in MB? And I applaud you, Shardlet, on being so well spoken after that rambling mess of a thread, haha. I still want to think that the cyptics are each a representation of the 10 essences, as each metal was used in multiple magic systems in MB. Edit: Meh, I may be forcing myself to face the facts here. This quote makes it sound like they are not the Essence symbols: "Above the stiff, high collars, where the creatures' heads should be, each had a large, floating symbol of twisted design full of impossible angles and geometries.” I don't think any of them are full of impossible angles and geometries.

I badly want it to be the case that each type of spren facilitates a specific magic type -> ability combo. Just like in MB where a Metal belongs to a certain category, and has a specific ability. Do any of you know of a good thread to discuss this? It interests me most. All I know is that there seems to be different magics so far based on physical and cognitive realms, and that these spren seem to be the connection to them. It sounds like it parallels to the MB system pretty well, and Brandon said there is a unified theory surrounding these. Am I way off on this or could someone point me to the proper educational thread?

There is a stormlight wiki article that lists the essences as glyphs, but there is no reference confirming that and I would say that label a guess that is as good a guess as any.

I'm going to disagree with you there, Wiery. If you take that quote from Brandon and consider where the emphasis may have been on the sentence, he may have been saying that we are wrong to consider those symbols to be glyphs, not that they do not represent the particular essences/ideals of each Order. Notice two of the essence symbols are red. One looks much more likely to be blood than fire, and could have been the symbol of the Cryptic that was next to Shallan when she turned the goblet to blood. Also, Shallan doesn't appear to see the Cryptics either, does she? Only when she draws pictures of them with her special talent, I thought. Does she have a more visual encounter in Shadesmar? And based on that picture at the front, it looks to me like the different orders are linked in a fashion. Could be that some spren work for both. Rock can see Syl, if that makes any difference. I don't mean to say I am right, I'm just saying that this response from Brandon doesn't invalidate the idea.

Yeah, with so little information I could see how one would be skeptical. It certainly would be kind of overkill to have that many different ones just to transport her to Shadesmar though.

You seem like you are the on that is on the ball in this forum, haha. BUT! A quote that suggests we haven't seen what they start out as does not imply they aren't connected at all. There could be a stage right in between Parshendi body and Chasmfiend body, and there could be a stage before Parshendi that is the starting point. Both scenarios would allow for this quote from Brandon without it appearing misleading. I mean, where the Parshendi come from (although we know they do mate) is also a mystery to us right now. Technically we have not seen what they start out as either. Could be the same.

Oh, ok, there has been a lot of classifying that I have not read about. Thanks! I need to go back and read that goblet scene again, but do I remember correctly that she was inches from one of these cryptics and then sort of... flailed? her touching it might have been a piece of it. I mean I don't think we have seen many soul casting scenes yet, but I doubt we'll see people constantly reaching for invisible beings - maybe you learn to call them toward you or something of the sort. Just thoughts!

Another topic that I have not had time to search through the forums for past a couple pages: Do we know who the Symbol-headed beings are yet? It seems to me like the only other symbols we have really seen so far that wouldn't be recognizable letters or glyphs would be the connected symbols on the Knights Radiant map. After finding the explanation from Brandon in one of his Q&A sessions, the connection seemed pretty obvious to me - Is it a popular theory that the symbol-headed beings are some representation of individual powers expressed on that map? Each one might give the specific power that the symbol represents. Maybe you have to touch them to use it or something. Has this been debunked?

Had a thought on the relationship between Chasmfiends and Parshmen yesterday, though it has been a couple months since I read WoK. If I recall correctly, the released excerpts from Words of Radiance confirmed that the Parshmen do take on different forms. Forgive my haste, I haven't gone back to confirm what I am thinking, but I believe I remember that these transformations have to do with their interaction with different kinds of spren? So let me throw something your way: What if Chasmfiends are the reaction between Parshmen and Death spren? Perhaps the reason the Parshendi are so obsessed with dealing with their own dead is because if they do not, they will turn into Chasmfiends over time.They could even be working for the inverse goal. Maybe it is some kind of honor to be turned into a Chasmfiend, and toying with the body limits your ability to attain godhood or something of the sort? Maybe they purposely sacrifice certain Parshendi to grow gemhearts in this way? It does explain their weird obsession with handling the dead. Now I'm not sure if this explanation has been debunked yet, but I thought this thread might be an interesting discussion, if not just a confirmation that I should stop thinking about this.