Rade

I had a thought upon reading this: If 1 of the people who has an Honorblade is a monster, (Szeth quite possibly) and the other is a Herald, and Taln still has his, then the Herald who went back and took their's either turned into a monster (and if the final surge is change of appearance, possible it might be Szeth, also possible even if it isn't, Nightwatcher could have taken memory of that time.), or they gave it to someone/thing that is a monster, or to someone/thing that gave it to a monster. Btw, random thought, how come none of the people from the peaks have ever asked the Nightwatcher for a Shardblade? How come NOBODY that? Or does she just reject such asking for favors?

That is a hilarious short story, REALLY good. Thank you for sharing that!

I've got one problem: When Elhokar is using his Honorblade, why aren't his eyes brown? (Or dark, just not light-eyed.) This might just be a characteristic of one Herald's Honorblade, but still...you would think that it would do something different. Edit: Different from normal Shardblades. Also, I realized another problem: Honorblades only disappear when their owner is dead, yes? So, how come Elhokar's can disappear?

This could also be somebody that we haven't met yet. This is supposed to be a HUGE, EPIC series. There might be another couple characters thrown in. Or, it could be somebody that we already know but don't know the back story of. For example, Moash might get surgebinding abilites, as Kaladin saved his life and it is hinted that somebody else ruined it. It could be Dalinar. It could be Shallan after some events have happened. It could be Elhokar. It could be ANYONE.

I've got an idea that goes with something we discussed originally: What if Urithiru USED to be in Natanatan, and it left some parts of itself behind, but they then moved it elsewhere, specifically, into Shadesmar? I was re-reading WoK a bit, and I happened upon the part where Shallan is talking to Jasnah about Urithiru, and she asks if Urithiru is in Natanatan, and Jasnah says it isn't. To me, it just seemed like Jasnah was saying it in a self-satisfied way, as if she knew where it actually was. This might just be satisfaction at Shallan's good guess, but you can't prove a negative unless you have absolute proof that the question couldn't be true. The only absolute proof I can think of for that is if Jasnah knew where it really was. If Jasnah knew where it really was, wouldn't she have investigated it thoroughly? And, eventually, I believe that she would have announced it to the public, as I think that based on her character she would want the general people to be more...enlightened in general. There would only be one thing really stopping her: If it was a place that she couldn't publicly admit exists. Enter: Shadesmar. (Cognitive Realm.) Any ideas from anyone?

Well, we haven't EVER seen snow in this world yet (excepting the highest mountains), and we can almost tell that there isn't--the weeping at the years end and the highstorms never snow, so there wouldn't really be any. Therefore, the world must be pretty warm, and so would the water.

You know, if the Honorblades are all unique, then A: they would seem pretty distinctive compared to other Shardblades, and B: Just because the Herald went back and took their Honorblade doesn't mean they kept it. For all we know, (s)he took it, got tired of the reminders of responsibility they once carried, and decided to give it to someone. (Although personally I think that the 10 kingdoms idea is better.)

Just a thought-- what if Highstorms originate out in the ocean near, say, Aimia (which has been theorized as Urithiru) then they move Westwards, Urithiru could be the origin as they go around the world that way. Edit: This would also explain a bit of their strength, even if they are supernatural, if they are anything like normal storms at all, they should increase from being over water.

I think that something that nobody has looked at yet is missing: if the Shardic Lens theory is correct, why wouldn't it be a single sheet of glass all with the same...well...going back to the stained glass metaphor for back of a better term "color". Even if the powers existed independently, but they were balanced out by each other creating a sort of clear glass color as the Shardic Lens, it seems like a good part of their intent comes from the people who are holding them. Yes, Ruin seems bad at first. But without death, destruction, etc., the new wouldn't come as easily. For example, some types of trees rely on fires to make their seeds grow. BUT, if a personality got affixed to it that wanted to Ruin other's lives/whatnot, then it would be worse because the glass would be colored the intent of the person who wanted to use it specifically to HURT people, not to help. Another example would be if instead of Sazed picking up the powers of Ruin and Preservation, what would happen if they had fallen out of the sky next to...say...Spook. He would have had good intent, but he wouldn't have had the knowledge that Sazed had to know what the world would be like, and instead of trying to stay out of how the world works after fixing it, he might interfere with it quite a lot. (Just using Spook as an example, I don't know what he would do precisely, but...*shrugs* first character I could think of off of the top of my head.)

If Allomancers learned shape metal magic, or whatever the thing that the people on the other side of the globe from the Final Empire used, could they burn a shaped Allomantically pure metal to release a stronger effect?

Point #1: Alright, that is a really weird/boss/I don't know cat profile picture you have Kurkistan. Just saying. Point #2: I know this is off topic of what you guys have been talking about with Kelsier, but I thought I would field this out there. Rereading some of the earlier notes, Jasnah said Urithiru is not in the Shattered Plains, and somebody else pointed out that it might have been in the past. What if Urithiru doesn't move around, but it WAS in the Shattered Plains before something hit it from the sky, like a meteorite? That could explain quite a lot, although I personally think that Urithiru moving around is waaaaay cooler of an idea. Point #3:REALLY off topic again, and I bet somebody else mentioned it, the reocurring theme with Shardpools seems to be...well...pools. What if the lake in Mistborn was a Shard Pool? (Yes, I know this is horribly off topic, but I saw it in the link somewhere about the questions Brandon answered way back when, and one of them was about Kelsier and another was about the lake, and it got me thinking.)

It WOULD explain a lot about Hoid, but it doesn't explain why he stays around at all after he gets his sample. (I think he got the Lerasium b4 the final Mistborn book, but he was there in one of his disguises, not using the alias Hoid.) Maybe he is just a general good guy who tries to help the overall worlds without directly interfering as long as he can still get his samples?

I think that since Kabsal does have a hidden allegiance, as there would be LOTS of topics he could research as an ardent,but I think he picked that one because it would benefit the Ghost bloods somehow. On a completely different note that has to do with the Shattering of Honor, what exactly IS the Shattering of a Shard. Is it just that the host for the Shard dies, or is it that the Shard itself was split into pieces and scattered? Also, do we have any word on when the high storms started coming? They don't seem like an exactly natural phenomenon, and I wonder if they have some connection with the Splintering of Honor and all that. I doubt that they've been there forever.

Btw, if you look at the map of Roshar, try flipping that chain of islands and taking Aimia out of the picture and see what happens. Then try twisting Aimia around a bit and shoving it into that gap where the rivers are. To me, that looks pretty symmetrical. (Alright, yes, you have to completely deform Aimia, but waves can do that to an island after who knows how long! Or, if you really want symmetry, try taking it out of the picture entirely. Maybe Aimia IS Urithiru, and it was "placed" there as an island. It is the most far west spot on the map, Btw, does anybody know how to make a map of that, but without any of the labels and drawing the ripples that show elevation underwater that are around all of the continents? I think we would get a more complete picture of the world that way. Because, if you look at the outermost ripples, if you discount Aimia the shape is almost a perfect ellipses with about 10 spots where there are regular bumps around the edge. *By spots I mean sections, not just individual bumps

I think there IS a mention of the dawncities, although I can't remember where. Btw, ty earlier for telling me how to do the spoiler thing, that was informational. I hadn't known about that.

himself like Ruin did in atium? *Spoilers from Mistborn series ended*

Well, if we are going to figure out where it is, I would take a shot in the dark and say that Urithiru is someplace that has already been mentioned in Way of Kings, because Brandon normally likes to have a good bit of groundwork laid for major plot twists. Yes, I know that this is supposed to be a huge saga of books, but he would probably put some good hints in. I'll try and list some important places I can think off of the top of my head in order. #1: Shattered Plains, already discussed for the most part. #2: Purelake was mentioned, and although I haven't read the interlude for it in WoR yet, I will read it soon. (I think I saw a reference to one somewhere not in this topic.) #3: Again, already mentioned, the Horneater Peaks. However, this one has a couple small holes. #1: Even if it does move, wouldn't it have to find a good, large, flat spot to land on unless it was permanently floating in the sky? Peaks have points, slopes, and not much else. #4: Again, already mentioned, Shinovar or whatever the Shin land is called. Other than it seems Earth-like, we don't really know anything about it, so we can't judge it. (This goes for a lot of the things I'm putting down here, just theories, nothing is sure in the first book of what is meant to be a series.) #5: I'm only going to say something when an idea WASN'T put forward already by now. ;-) The Reshi Sea. I don't know about this one, it just...it doesn't really seem to fit, but it is an interesting idea. #6:Aimia: That seems to fit with mostly everything, except for the already acknowledged "Urithiru is a myth" type behavior everywhere. #7: Shadesmar: An interesting idea, but I think that Brandon Sanderson might just be talking about how Jasnah shoved Shallan back through a large flame to get her into the normal world. If people wanted to move goods, they would have to pay the Radiants exorbitant amounts of money (tariffs) to move them with their goods through Shadesmar to the appropriate flame. Also, how would you permanently affix energy to beads of glass that respond only to will when most of the Radiants/Heralds are long gone? (I never figured out if the 10nth Herald was alive or dead at the end of Way of Kings. I think I saw somebody say he was alive, but I'm not sure. Making a guess about the will from what Jasnah did in Shadesmar.) And now for the other places that I can remember. #8: Although Hoid might have just told Kaladin the story about the great leader who made a huge ship to sail westwards, does anybody here know many instances where Brandon Sanderson does just 1 thing, or the thing that he appears to be doing on the surface at a time? For all we know, Urithiru is under the whirlpool way out there. #9: Isn't the Nightsinger or whatever the mysterious person who grants wishes in return for a curse of some type currently living to the west of Alethkar? They might be a sort of guardian to Urithiru. #10: ...I had some random idea for this, but I'm forgetting it right now. I'm sure somebody else will come up with it eventually. Random thoughts: Since many of the Shards of Adonalsium--one of which is Honor-- have physical manifestations, what if Honor just had some large, immobile physical manifestation of *SPOILER ALERT FROM MISTBORN SERIES, SKIP THIS NEXT PART IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT*

I apologize if this topic is a copy of another topic somewhere, as I have only recently discovered this site and this is my first topic, so please feel free to point out anything which is wrong. Only recently, I found the WoR readings, and read the Eshonai interlude. The one thing that sticks with me about it is how the Shattered Plains all used to be a city, with a central spire in the middle, as well as a thickly inhabited spot. I believe that Sesemelex Dar, or some name close to that, is mentioned in Way of Kings as a city name, one of the ones that the Heralds supposedly designed, for it is perfectly symmetrical, and it had cracks in the ground through which the water of a highstorm drained. My theory is that the canyons in the Shattered Plains were either sewers or canals which grew different form each other and the symmetrical pattern collapsed from neglect, crem, and the highstorms. The one hitch with this idea is that somewhere in the Way of Kings that said Urithiru was instead in the West, but who knows what the ancient people's constituted as West? Also, doesn't it seem odd to anyone that if there was some sort of impact that formed the Shattered Plains in the center which was another idea I heard somewhere, (I'm not sure where so please don't ask, I think it might have just been talking to a friend about the book) then wouldn't the plateaus get larger as they radiated outwards from the center, and the center would be disintegrated?

There's one thing that you guys haven't covered yet that I think might be important. Kaladin is a Surgebinder, but when he said the first words of...isn't it the First Ideal or something like that?, they later said that it was working more powerfully for him. I think that as Dalinar is only starting to become a...well, sort of a better person, I forget which order I thought he might eventually end up as, but if he has just started, might he not have ANY of the abilities except for, perhaps, the proposed connection with his Shardplate?

Just a quick thing about the Honorblade note right there at the end: I haven't had time to look this up yet, but I remember that each of the Heralds were rougly linked to one of the elements in the Ars Arcanum, and if every Honorblade is different, it would make more sense to have the HONORBLADES linked to the Ars Arcanum and the Heralds linked to the Shardblades. Therefore, I think that the sword of retribution wouldn't just be a empty nickname about the person wielding it. (Unless they have some sort of weird capacity to seek out wielders who would fit them, kind of like that one sword in...agh, I can't remember its name. It is the sword in the book where everybody has a Breath and they can "Awaken" stuff with Breath.)

Sorry that I don't know about Eshonai's interlude, but I'm going to assume that it's after the Way of Kings right now. It seems to me that if Dalinar/Sadeas have been taking most of the plateau runs and they won every time that they combined forces, Eshonai might be saying that they will eat because they finally got a gemheart after being denied them for a while. Also, with the Parshendi bringing about 20,000 forces to the Tower, I would say that Sadeas's estimate of how many troops they have is wrong. How did they get this estimate? Only sailing ships have ever been east of the Shattered Plains for the most part, and I bet that no Alethi scouts have gotten into the center (with the one bit about how the army has sent scouts, I bet that none have gotten out and returned), then those estimates might be completely inaccurate. For all they know, the Parshendi might have 50,000 combat ready soldiers and over 150,000 populace. (I doubt that it's anywhere near that high, but it makes a point.) Also, it doesn't matter how many troops they really have on the plateaus compared to the Alethi as they can only bring so many into combat at a time. Sure, they could surround them, but with scouts in the army they could see them coming from a long ways off, especially since we know that Dalinar certainly sets scouts to watch the other plateaus. 17th Sharder, you mentioned that Soulcasting from air is hard, but why don't they just soulcast from the dead...chasmfiends? Is that what they called them? I forget precisely what the creatures were, but if one of the 10 substances is Flesh (from the Ars Arcanum) then you would think that it would be easier to soulcast that. I think that your 6th theory, that they need gemhearts for something else is the most likely. If you go to Brandon Sanderson's page it says that the Parshendi try to summon the Voidbringers to aid them. My guess is that this would take a great number of gemhearts, as they can hold Stormlight, although I don't know for sure.