Aether

Also, there is the thought that the Honorblades has been found, but aren't recognized as such. Despite my better judgement, I'm finding myself in the "Szeth has an Honourblade"-camp, but if that is the case, I'm postulating that he is not aware of it.

Upvote for this thought. There might not be much evidence for it, but I like the sound and awesomeness of it.

I'm rather new to this forum, but I'm in! I also suggest that everyone keeps to just one post to avoid clutter. Just edit your own post if you have anything to add/tweak (just no editing past WoR release date!) My "I told you so" list: Surgebinders do have more than just three powers. Specifically, Windrunnners have a "Force Push" ability. Szeth's Shardblade is an Honourblade (I never though I'd find myself in this camp, but then this happened). EDIT 2: By writing The Way of Kings, Nohadon altered how bonding Spren (Nahel Spren) select their human partners - much in the same way Geranid and Ashir were able to "lock" Flamespren to a certain measurement by writing down its values. EDIT: Just adjusting to the new standard: Disagree, as stated above. The Windrunners (and other Orders) DO have more than three simple abilities. Well, I launched a topic claiming that the Windrunners have a "Force Push" ability, so yes. Don't know There are 10 different types of spren that give the ability to Surgebind and they are all Splinters. Agree Don't know Don't know Szeth is in possession of an Honorblade. Agree Shardblades are corrupted by Odium. Corrupted, sure, but not necessarily (or at least directly) by Odium. I'll hold off taking a position on this until we know more. Shallan's brother (Nan Heleran?) was the Shardbearer who attacked Amaram back in Alethkar. Agree, because it fits so beautifully. Dalinar will be a Stoneward. We will see his spren in WoR. Agree Kaladin will wield a Shardspear in WoR. Dunno, but it would be AWESOME. So actually, yes: Agree Baxil's mistress is Shallash (obviously). Agree The two Surge-charts were created by Honor and Cultivation and establish the magic system. I sincerely disagree. They did create the magic system, but I find the idea that the they then sat down to make the charts ridiculous. The charts are made by Scholars studying the magic system. Don't care The Order images on Honor's Surge-chart (Radiants) are images of Honorblades. No, just glyphs. Don't care. The Tranquiline Halls and Damnation are both based off of real places in the Physical Realm. More specifically, they are other planets in the Roshar System. Oh, YES! 'Twould be SO cool. Also logical. There are no Odium spren. Not directly, no, as I find it unlikely that he's Splintered himself. He does corrupt them, though, The Radiants had a plan when they Recreanted that included saving information for their resurrection with the Vanrial. Dafak? No idea. Urithiru will be found on the main continental land mass of Roshar to the west of Alethela in the physical realm. Agree Szeth gets his windrunner abilities from his Shardblade. I am not convinced. I think it has another origin. Disagree The parshendi killed Gavilar because "The evil sphere of doom" was a corrupted spren that could create a "voidbringer parshendi form". Disagree. There is no evidence to support this; rather evidence to suggest the contrary. And besides, how would Gavilar even know about their bonding process? Shallarin (Shallan-Renarin shipping) will happen in WoR. Don't really care. BUT KALADIN / JASNAH or KALADIN / TARAH ALL DA WAY!!!! Don't care. Syl is no ordinary honorspren. She is qualitatively different from other Honorspren in addition to her unique personality. Disagree. I see know reason for this to be the case. She already is unique, in the same way every given human is unique in their own way. She already is awesome, without having to be even more extraordinary. Kaladin's father, Lirin, will end up working for Taravangian. Disagree. I really hope Lirin will resurface at some point (he is one of the most interesting characters I've ever met in a fantasy series), but I doubt he will become one of Taravangian's "Death Surgeons". Doesn't seem to fit his character at all. (I realise this is a rather specific interpretation of the claim, but it is the only part that interests me) Kaladin will wield a Shardspear *by book 5. Agree. Slightly changed the wording of the claim. I see no reason to limit the claim to book 5 specifically, but I do believe he will have a Shardspear by this point. Renarin will become a Skybreaker. Disagree. I think Adolin is a more likely candidate for this. If Adolin becomes a KR, he will be a Dustbringer. Disagree. Though, Adolin might fit the ideals listed in the Ars Arcanum quite well, I would rather have Renarin become a Dustbringer. If only to have sweet, humble Renarin blow s**t up. No more than half of the POV characters will become Radiants before the end of the series. I see no reason to quantify this. Gaz will resurface alive. Agree. The reasons he disappeared don't seem to necessitate his death. Don't care. There is never going to be a real sex scene. Disagree. I was originally more in the agree camp on this one, but I find it likely that Sanderson might challenge himself at SOME point in this 10 book series.We're never getting a G. R. R. Martin type of scene, though =(. Over 85% of all the theories in this thread will be wrong. Disagree, as I think I'm supporting way over 15% of these theories. This might change in the future though, if the list grows longer and my Agree / Disagree ratio shifts. I haven't made up my mind yet. Moash is a bastard son of a lighteye or he is a darkeye born of two lighteyes. Disagree. There is simply not enough information to go on here. By writing The Way of Kings, Nohadon altered how bonding Spren (Nahel Spren) select their human partners - much in the same way Geranid and Ashir were able to "lock" Flamespren to a certain measurement by writing down its values. Well, since I was somewhat involved in the advent of this theory, I suppose you will have to put me down as Agreeing. EDIT 2: Added thoughts on #22-35. EDIT 3: Implemented changes from this post. EDIT 4: Added my position on #36-37.

Now, I realise that most people on this forum is probably sick to death about this subject, but there is a little piece of new evidence in the Jasnah WoR chapter that I haven't seen anyone quoting in reference to Szeth's Shardblade. Now, I won't get into a discussion about how his blade differs from most other Shardblades, and how some suggest that it might be the origin of his powers. Instead, consider this quote: Now, I realise that this is based on a LOT of assumptions, but even so, it fits so beautifully into the context. More so than actual direct evidence, this feels like a last piece of a puzzle that finally lets you see the whole picture. Anyway, I'd like to get others to chime in here.

We do not really have that much to go on yet, that's for sure, but I love the possibilities this might hint at. I cringe at at the ramifications of the release of tWoR for all our crazy theories. Other than that, Looter has a good point: I would also like to add that Brandon has stated that the users of the various magic systems in the cosmere rarely understand the full nature of what's going on (or something to that effect). So even the Windrunners of the Knights Radiant really only had the Three Lashings, there might still be more to discover.

I would also like to add a quote from Szeth's prologue: It does seem to imply that there are indeed more powers available - maybe even something Szeth knows about - but that these are the only three that are available to him.

Seems like a rather cheap trick if that was the case. Besides, the wording makes this not only unlikely, but completely wrong in my opinion. "The force of it slammed into the first rank of the Parshendi, tossing them backwards". The violence of this description is in no way compatible with mere hyperbole. He really would have had to severely delude himself to change it so radically. I agree with Moogle, Teft's POW picks up right after the first scene and describes a different ring of stormlight. EDIT: @Moogle. Agreed, the surges seem to allow so many interesting powers that it would truly be sad if they were limited to three almost arbitrary applications of them.

Quick queston: How the heck do you number them? I can't make out what symbol the different numbers are referring to.

Has anyone considered the possibility that it was the Shardblade that the Ghostbloods wanted back, and not the Soulcaster? The exact quote from the book is: "In private with me [Nan Balat], they implied that they knew of Father's Soulcaster and suggested strongly that I was to return it to them." Since presumably only Shallan knew about the Shardblade - for the various reasons as stated in the discussions above - her Brother could have just assumed they were talking about the Soulcaster, since they didn't refer to it specifically. Now, I am not sure how likely this is, but it is plausible. And as an added bonus, it opens up for all sorts of marvellously complex scenarios. What if, for example, her Father were in fact an innate Soulcaster (or maybe Luesh for that matter), and that the Soulcaster fabrial was a fake to begin with.

Well, something did knock the Parshendi back, so either the voicing of the Second Ideal itself conjured the "Force Wave" or something happened that not even the KR knew about. I originally thought that all of the Three Lashings were associated with only the Gravity surge, as the Full Lashing only seems like an exceptionally strong gravitational pull between objects. I don't think that is likely - in fact, I think it is wrong - but it would open up for there being even more Surgebinding powers associated with each Order. Also, you could also fit the "Force Wave" into the picture by having it be a mass application of the Basic Lashing to the surrounding enemies (i.e. making their gravitational pull be a 45 degree slant backwards. EDIT: Though perhaps it is just a freakish quirk of the Second Ideal of the Windrunners, making enemies fly backwards when spoken out loud. I think I might prefer this one. Just proclaim "I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES" and watch enemies FLY!

My pleasure

Well, I am suggesting that this might be the signs of an unknown application of the Pressure surge, thus whether they are known as the Three or Four Lashes is irrelevant. Besides, the information in the Ars Arcanum is written by a Worldhopper, i.e. an outside observer and could be wrong. Probably not, but I believe Brandon has plenty enough wiggle-room if he wants to add the awesomeness of Force Push to the Windrunner arsenal. I would love to see that quote about three powers., by the way. Sure, it would prove me wrong, but better to be right and sad then delusional and happy. Plus, I can always hope that Ishar's order might have something similar. EDIT: What he said. (God, should start reading the Mistborn-series!)

Why don't my iPhone have Bluetooth? And how the bloody h**l do you upload photos to this thing?? Oh, well, I ended up just tweeting them: - The Windrunner sword on the Part One page (same as on the cover) - The Dustbringer sword on the Part Three page. - The Skybreaker sword on the Part Four page. The hilts are the glyphs for the mentioned Orders, though they are, as remarked upon, slightly more elaborate in design. Edit: Ignore my twitter account, btw. I do not use it. And here is the Windrunner, Dustbringer and Skybreaker glyphs for comparison.

We know from WoB that the Windrunners' two surges are Gravity and Atmospheric Pressure (though the name of that last one will probably change). While I am aware that different combinations of surges might result in completely different powers than what the individual surges alone might suggest, it seems to me that in this particular case, what power is governed by what surge is quite clear-cut: Gratity gives one the power of "gravitational change" (Basic Lashing) and to "[give] an object a gravitational pull" (Reverse Lashing); and Pressure gives one the power of "binding objects together" (Full Lashing). Now, while firmly sticking things together for a short period of time might be all sorts of useful, it seems to me to be marvellously boring for the Windrunners to only get that power from the Gravity surge. It also seems rather coherent, that if one can make objects forcefully pull towards one-another, then maybe one can make them repell one another too? Anyway, lo and behold!, this extract from tWoK, which is right after Kalading has pronounced the Second Ideal of the Knights Radiant: Now, this might just be a one-off effect of just then having pronounced the Second Ideal, but I find it a bit strange that voicing these words out loud should have such a violent effect. While the words themselves might have permitted him to reach "the next level" of KR powers, it seems to me just as likely that he inadvertently used the a "Reverse Full Lashing" in the adrenaline rush of exclaiming words, but more importantly of finally coming to terms with his issues with leading and responsibility. I can think of no other signs of this being the case, but aside from the fact that neither the author of the Ars Arcanum (confirmed by WoB to be a Worldhopper) nor Szeth seem to know about this particular application of Windrunner Surgebinding, I can find no evidence to the contrary either. This would also fit into the picture of the Windrunners being the KR's shock troopers. Imagine a group of Windrunners smashing into the middle of enemy ranks right from the sky, sending enemy soldiers flying backwards as if pushed by a Jedi Force Wave. Awesome!

I do too. What I suggested was that the Honourblades could have a connection to "the Grand Temple above", not directly the Dawnshards that are name-dropped in the beginning of the epigraph. It's still a long shot though. IIRC, WoB have asked us not to pay too much head to the blades themselves from the cover and within the book, but the glyphs the hilts form. I think they are more artistic and/or symbolic than anything else, as the Honourblades themselves are described as "a masterly work of art, flowing in design. inscribed with glyphs and patterns.". Nowhere are they described as having "giant, unwieldy glyph hilts". Other than that, they do not only resemble, they ARE the glyphs representing the orders, just slightly more elaborate. The one on the cover, page 35 and 963 is the glyph for the Windrunners; the one on page 181 and 723 is the one for the Skybreakers; and the one on page 453 is for the Dustbringers.

Relax, I get that. 'Twas just a futile attempt at being funny on my part. And yes, though he can technically be described as a herald, or even Herald, whether he gets any bonus powers at all (except normal surge powers) is still up for question. And damnation you for stealing my thunder. I was just about to suggest that!

Woah! Ok, Jez it is. Bloody pervasive theory. I'm in!

If we're going to get really technical, Dalinar is already a herald. A herald is defined as "a person who announces important news". Given that Dalinar is shown these visions in the first place, and even directly told to re-establish the Knights Radiant, one could go as far as to describe him as a Herald of the Almighty (though dead).

Interesting. I had not thought of that. With this last piece of circumstantial evidence, I find myself inclined to join the ranks of sharders believing this theory. I am, however, not entirely sold on the idea that the quote about the drooling is indeed referring to Jezrien. It might as well be, but it didn't name him, and it hasn't - to my knowledge - been otherwise confirmed. Could someone conjure up the actual quote? What he said.

Really? Cool! *queue *

Well, he is receiving visions from the Almighty himself (even though he is dead), he knows that now. So it wouldn't be too far-fetched to extrapolate wildly and randomly and suppose that Dalinar in his megalomaniac schemes to force everyone to bow before The Way of Kings would proclaim himself a prophet of the One True (though dead) God and conquer all Vorin kingdoms as Blackthorn, the Mighty warrior-general of the AlMighty! Even if Gavilar, the wuzz, wouldn't have. I realise, of course, that Dalinar has proclaimed himself utterly uninterested in ruling in one of his POV-chapters, but this is completely irrelevant.

By the gods! ! It all falls into place now!

Well, we still do not know where on Roshar they are situated, and we do not know the nature of the Highstorms at the time of Aharietiam. For all we know, the battlefield described in the prelude might be far enough away from the Origin for crem not to matter too much. Also, one of the Epigraphs have been suggested as referring to the resting place of the Honourblades: Of course, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume that they are indeed buried away somewhere, but seen in the context of dramatic writing, it seems like a rather boring solution. I suspect Great Master Brandon has something else planned for them.

Upvote for being the funniest thing I've read all day!