Darkness

So this deserves a separate thread. Some of the old spren used to have 4 genders because people didn't imagine them. Parshendi have 4 genders. Male, malen, female, femalen. That was cool. And significant. And oh bother... the spren had 4 genders originally because the Parshendi were the first ones responsible for directing their identity!

That was my thought too. Could just be that he saw a similar thing in a vision, or someone with black Shardplate.

This week was SOOOOOO good! ok, theory time. So confirmed that spanreed requires Stormlight. Also, Kaladin is going to take it with him, so I guess the Connection between reeds just needs a stable place to be active, and not necessarily attuned to a specific physical location. I like this new Laral. I loved Syl talking about Kaladin's previous weapons, and the 4 genders lol Hesina had a baby! Called it I also loved how she reacted to glow-Kal. Lyn the scout sounds very familiar. Anyone got a bead on her? So Bondsmiths... they tug on other radiants and boost their abilities? I wonder if this can also translate as a physical tugging, like will other radiants be subconsciously drawn to him? He also seems to have forged a minor bond (transient?) between Shallan and the Stormfather. PARSHENI HAVE 4 GENDERS!!! OOOO! That just clicked! Spren had 4 genders... Parshendi had the additional malen and femalen! Renarin seems to know things about the champion, but I could also read that as no one looking at him because they were all bug-eyed too. But he definitely senses/knows about Adolin and Sadeas. And Pattern was humming at the bathhouse situation too So, copycat murder of some random guy from Sebarial's camp... first thought is maybe Ialai is trying to flush out a rat, or the Ghostbloods are messing around. That shiver Shallan got on the back of her neck when Ranarin stood behind her. I think it is significant in some way, but it might just be a life-sense type of thing (like with Breaths).

Sorry to say it Flash, but Pattern beat you his thread was further down the list than yours.

You win sir. I'll delete mine

In all seriousness, this is the kind of subtle detail that team Sanderson might appreciate an email about from you. It adds to the realism with some very minor adjustment. In tin foil hat land, Alethi simply have different physiology from Earthlings, in such a way that it makes the finger slide become the ultimate strike in hand-to-hand combat

I am on the train of 'Adolin is the most overhyped in SA'. I don't dislike the guy. I actually liked him a lot more before all the discussion about him, unfortunately. Now I just... you know... wouldn't be sad if he had as little a part as, say, Rock. All that said, I do want to point out something I see as an inconsistency in your arguement, and actually it's a point in Adolin's favour. Hoid says to good people what they need to hear in order to be stronger, better, more capable. He acts this way with Jasnah (giving her knowledge and directness), and you already mentioned the rest. But you maybe missed the key part here. Hoid doesn't make special efforts to make Adolin grow. Why not? Well... you could argue that Hoid doesn't care if a non-radiant son of Dalinar falls by the wayside, but that honestly seems unlikely. It doesn't fit the demonstrated character of Hoid, who invests quite a bit of effort into everyone around him. Making Adolin the exception to this rule makes less sense to me than applying the rule to Adolin. Applying that rule would mean that Hoid quite simply knows that Adolin is doing just fine and doesn't need his special consideration. I take it as a compliment to Adolin that Hoid spends so much time with him, but doesn't spend it all trying to reshape him, because Adolin is already growing in the right direction on his own, and Hoid sees that. It's also quite possible that Hoid saw Adolin's fascination for Shallan and, knowing the track record of interest --> boredom --> next venture, Hoid intervened a little in the interest of making Adolin actually have stakes, something to fight for, which makes the union more valuable and durable to Adolin. I admit that part is total speculation though. On a different note, a few pages back you made the comment that 'Adolin is the most anticipated character in Oathbringer' or something like that, but you forgot to specify 'to me'. Just saying that at least to me, Adolin's arc, even with the cliffhanger from WoR, still just feels like a distraction from the real story. Probably why I don't really enjoy Rysn that much either. Too much hype, not enough relevance. I see that Adolin lent valuable perspective to our main characters, and Rysn did a beautiful bit of world building, but I'm just not biting my nails over their personal stories.

There's always a deeper secret Seconding the mob. But to be fair, you would probably make a better Highprince than Sadeas. I always took spanreeds as a functional pairing, and once the device is set up it doesn't need stormlight infusion. It just works by Connection. Kind of similar in practise to how the gemstone of a dead shardblade is needed to establish a bond, but once that Connection is made it doesn't require Stormlight to summon and dismiss the blade, so the gemstone never runs out. Maybe a bad analogy because the system doesn't share the same mechanism, but it's still an occasion of using the magic system without continual input. Seems like solid evidence that the focus of at least that type of fabrial is the planet itself.

Upvoted this is the first time i remember seeing you do a decently sized post without mentioning Adolin even once haha. Guys! Character progression! I'm just kidding Maxal. You make some excellent points here. I agree with your assessment of Elhokar, but perhaps not with the outcome. I dont think the only options for his story are bow to Dalinar or oppose him. We've seen what happens when Elhokar and Dalinar butt heads, and I'm sure Elhokar will keep that in mind. I cant see him just rolling over and giving the throne to Dalinar (nor do I think Dalinar wants that), but he is certainly cowed by his uncle (step-father?) to a large degree. I think Dalinar will realize what his politicking is doing to the throne and, once the moment is ripe, set himself up in Urithiru, abdicate to Adolin, and remain in an advisory role to Elhokar. Navani would probably also set up some kind of scholarly cadre in Urithiru to research magical means of withstanding a desolation. Big ties between Alethkar and the city-state of Urithiru, but I think Dalinar will eventually ease himself out of his power spot in order to give Elhokar's kingship actual legitimacy. Depending on Elhokar's personal character progression, he might even be trusted enough to do it before the desolation ends.

ooo, the first Bondsmith squire?

Reminds me of that Star Trek episode where they travel to the 70s on Earth and Scotty pulls up the schematics for transparent concrete. I really need to not say things like that haha. hmmm... Aluminum is probably way too rare, not sure how you could make it transparent realmatically, and it would probably warp and pit through natural forces. I figure it's actually based off of a metal sheet, soulcast into glass, and then imbued with modified regrowth and abrasion fabrials, and possibly a few others. Edit: Aluminum can be soulcast, but it's realmatically inert. Thanks to all for the sourced corrections

sorry for quoting myself, but I've seen a lot of people echoing the thoughts I expressed, and since I edited my experiences in about an hour after posting it was already buried by page 2 haha. Someone mentioned Navani not telling Dalinar about Evi, and implied that there was something shady there, like she had known beforehand or something. I just read it as Navani being smart enough (and having experienced personal tragedy with the 'death' of Jasnah) that she understood it literally wouldn't do any good for Dalinar to hear about his dead wife. I read Elhokar as being whimsical and only slightly bitter at Dalinar usurping his authority. Like he knew it was inevitable after the chest stomping, and had accepted the changed power dynamic. I thought that him putting his mother's happiness ahead of his personal uneasiness was incredibly mature. Also, is no one going to mention the single pane of glass?! That is a ridiculous improbability! There is no way it would survive that long without breaking, chipping, cracking, turning opaque from grime, etc., without some sort of magical structural engineering that is WAY beyond anything else we've seen. I mean, come on, a single pane?! In seemingly perfect condition? How? Why is everything not made out of this miracle glass? It obviously withstands Highstorms well enough.

Shattered glass I believe, Mistborn: Secret Histories spoiler

Again? I'll get you next time, Flash... My first thoughts: Chapter 4 Oooh! Jasnah is writing it! Or actually... Maybe it's Dalinar. I wonder if the Stormfather is unpredictable because that's how people perceived Highstorms for millenia? Maybe he'll become a little less mercurial as knowledge of the mathematics behind Highstorms is widely disseminated? Ooo! That scandal! Navani touching Dalinar with her safehand exposed! It feels so weird that I'm actually blushing while reading that. Chanada? Really? Besides that horribly un-subtle name... What a cad! I like getting details of Eva, but I'm terribly impressed that Navani quickly grasped the implications of Dalinar's condition. I would have immediately started explaining all the important moments Dalinar had mentioned, as if I could fill in the blanks that had emptied themselves dozens of times. Oh and, lol the alcohol. Of all the things on Roshar: Stormlight, and fabrials, and Gods and Surges, I find a 'pure, single unbroken pane of glass' the hardest to believe haha. Probably because the window washer in me is shuddering in horror. Maybe Adhesion could help keep it clean. A giant, adhesion fabrial that filled with each Highstorm and automatically sloughed off everything on the glass periodically. Oh Navani, you had to wear red and gold for a wedding dress... 3 formatting errors that I've caught so far in Chapter 4... Hopefully it's just the Tor transcript. Elhokar, that was incredibly mature! I didn't expect that from you! HAHAHA! "SO BE IT." Full stop, mic drop. Peace. Chapter 5 WOOOHOO!! Kaladin! Aw, I've read this one. *Giggles* Kaladin has Stormlight-drag. Gravitation-drag? Like a baby born with no face? That's an almost David-esque metaphor :D, and more than a little creepy. Oh right, Kaladin has SAD. Forgot about that until now. Chapter 6 Yes! More Kaladin! Glad 6 didn't drop his story right away. *sharp intake of breath* GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! I SO HAPPPYYYYY!!! Lirin! Wait! Shut up Lirin! What did you want to say Hesina? What else do we, I mean, does Kaladin need to know? "another voice. Pure, with a song like tapped crystal, distant yet demanding..." I think Tien may have been a proto-radiant. Just a hunch. Hee hee, the perfect punch. I'm thinking Syl is going to have to appear in the next Kaladin chapter.

The chaper headings thing has been extremely thoroughly dissected on the site before. It was several years ago, and I'm trying to find it, but I'm on my phone and it's tough for me to search threads with my data connection. I cant really remember who the main searchers were, but I'll edit it in if I find it.

any chance we could list the expected release times for each segment here? Like will 4-6 be at 9am edt again?

That was my first thought too. I mean, surely she wouldn't be mentioned as being in her mid 20s if Adolin hadn't tried. Only reason her age would be in there haha

Thinking about which of our lighteyed characters might become squires, I had a few fun possibilities. 1. Adolin to Renarin. I had thought about Adolin to Dalinar, but I don't really see Bondsmiths taking squires at all, and Adolin already loves and in many ways looks up to his brother. It would also be an interesting take, where the capable, handsome, warrior heir becomes subordinate to his physically weaker brother. 2. Navani to... Just kidding, I can't see Navani's pride allowing her to become a squire. But if it were ever to happen, totally to Jasnah. 3. From completely out of left field: Sebarial to Shallan. I see Sebarial as an indulgent, purposefully lazy master deceiver. He secretly runs the smoothest economy in the war camps, and makes everyone see him as a wasteful buffoon. He already has the connection to Shallan, and I believe his respect for her will only grow. There is the small problem that Shallan may already have other proto-squires with Gaz and co. 4. Amaram to Taln. Problem: Can heralds take squires? I don't know, but I don't see why not. Amaran has very strong feelings of devotion and almost worship for Taln, which don't always mean squireship, but could make a decent start. 5. Elhokar won't become a squire I don't think. In his mind, he can't afford to be seen as subordinate to anyone (even though everyone thinks of him that way already). However, if he were to be a squire, it would be to Dalinar, which again, I dont think Dalinar can take squires. 6. Random street urchins to Lift. This isn't necessarily on topic (lighteyes), but it would be awesome to see a bunch of glowing urchins slipping through the streets stealing food. We already have one! I want more! Haha

my bad then I definitely took for granted in my head canon that we would see both an Odium champion and an Honor champion. But yeah, that's not mentioned officially at all.

We've been inferring all along that getting Odium to choose a champion would mean that champion would battle honor's champion to a proxy, but binding outcome. It makes sense that, given we know Tanavast posthumously wanted Odium to choose a champion, Honor would organize a system in which that champion would be made to fight his own. In order for Tanavast to believe that strategy would have a chance at success, he would have to somehow ensure the result of the contest will be binding. Being Honor, I trust that he can arrange things so that can happen even post-his-own-mortem. Having Odium choose a champion doesn't make any logical sense to me if there is no one he/she has to confront. Especially since this whole scenario was (again, only apparently) dreamed up by Honor. So in conclusion, no. We have no idea if a splintered shard can have a champion, be that Honor, Odium, Harmony, Devotion, whatever. We've never seen it onscreen, and Honor has never mentioned his own champion (to my knowledge), only Odium's, and Odium isn't currently splintered.

I personally want szeth to be honor's champion, but I wont get my hopes up. I do believe Taravangian is mostly of cultivation, and has an enormous role to play in the coming books. I wouldn't be surprised to see him unite the nations while Dalinar unites the knights radiant. Taravangian doesnt have bad intentions by any means, and I feel like an alliance with Dalinar would do wonders for his cause, assuming he gives up on killing Dalinar, that is. As for Odium's champion, I have a few ideas, but no working theories. This is the first time I've heard 'Nohadon is the champion', but it would make for a cute twist. Here's a thought, what if the shin conqueror, Sunmaker, and Nohadon were all the same person? And he was one of the heralds (probably Jezrien or Ishar)?

This thread is for all of us who mourn the loss of the one-armed Herdazian, but look forward with great hope to the sequel! Here be gathered all two-armed Herdazian jokes. How do you get a two-armed Herdazian out of a tree? Ask him for applause! How did the two-armed Herdazian beat up the whitespine? Using his two fists! Why did the Herdazian need two hands? So he could hold his two women's hands. Where does the Lopen find room for all his stories? On the other hand... So please guys, give me better jokes than these! I'm obviously desperate and sorely lacking

you and me both I fully expect some amazing two-armed-herdazian jokes now.

I dont feel like we're reading the same book Maxal. Everybody loves Renarin? Not even close! Zahel feels obvious pride and affection for him and Adolin loves him (just as Renarin loves Adolin), but Dalinar didn't seem to know what to do with him until he came out as a Truthwatcher. From the way Renarin acted around Dalinar, it was clear to me that Renarin knows his father thinks of him as less capable than Adolin, and true or not, that hurts. Outside of his family, everyone in high Alethi society thinks of him as a cripple, weird, or useless, that was evidenced when Adolin overheard his 'friends' talking about it in the warcamps. Sadeas is the only one who lays it out plain to the Kholins, but Renarin is very aware of how people regard him. He's an outsider to his own society, and he said so when he went to join bridge 4. I think your annoyance of Renarin and love of Adolin may be giving you a bias in this case. It certainly isn't any kind of personality flaw, but I guess just like in real life, you'll like some people while others dont, and vise versa. Regarding Odium's champion, I like the idea, but I think it's a little bit too stripped down. There are nine Unmade, and even though we know some aren't as sapient, and some aren't as active in the living host, I would be very surprised if the only prerequisite to being champion was being attuned to just one of the nine unmade. And there is still the minor detail that Tanavast said, "perhaps you can get him to choose a champion" (can't actually remember if he said choose or pick, but still...), which implies a cognizant decision by Odium.

That's a heck of a first post Upvoted you not just for your first post to the forums, but also for the content. I think you made some very solid points, and I look forward to seeing more of what you have to say in the future! I agree with several posters (and obviously, my original post in this thread haha) that Dalinar feeling 'familiarity' in those eyes could have less to do with 'who' it is, and more to do with 'what' it is (as in, invested by Odium, under the effect of the Thrill, etc.). But it is fun to think that maybe we already know Odium's champion (if Odium does indeed choose one). I had about an hour long conversation with my wife about who the 2 champions could be. My most likely were Szeth (for Honor, after he gets rid of Nightblood's investiture interference) vs. Eshonai (for Odium), but I'm only giving that maybe a 5% chance, with 95% that I have noooooo idea. Also, I figure Taravangian would make quite the champion for Endowment, but that's a separate issue. My wife figured it might be Dalinar (but also figured that might be too predictable) vs. Eshonai or Adolin for all the reasons developed in this thread already. On a completely separate topic, I thought it was hilarious when Dalinar was appraising his companions in the room after Sadeas was discovered: "His sons, steady Adolin and impenetrable Renarin." I had to laugh... those are pretty much the exact opposite of the words I would use to describe those two in recent times