Humph

For argument's sake, let's take his actions at face value and say that Mr. T is deliberately seeking a condition of anarchy throughout Roshar. The question to ask then would be: What could be the foreseeable benefit to anarchy and weakness? I can think of three options: Option #1 -- Mr. T focus is for someone to emerge immediately holding unified power. Option #2 -- Mr. T is currently more concerned about encouraging potential tyrants / nefarious secret socieities to come out of the woodwork so that he can wipe them out, so he is encouraging anarchy and weakness in the hopes they will finally show themselves. A rope-a-dope strategy. Once he cleans the Nasties out, then the issue of One to Rule Them All can be dealt with. Option #3 -- Mr. T actually wants the Desolation to come about unhindered, as he views the Desolation as the actual means for the survival of [his] people, or desireable in some other way, e.g. as the only means of ensuring that at least some will survive. Better that 9 die and one live then all ten die sort of thing. I'm sure that others could think of more options. Option #1 would seem to be the most natural explanation. Some have postulated that Mr. T has himself in mind as the candidate; however, I think there is an inherent weakness in saying that Taravagnian is attempting to set himself up to be ruler of Roshar. He certainly is trying to tear down what is there. But we don't see any political manuevering, any annexation of territory, any seizure of power. (Yet .... don't know what surprises lay in waiting or course.) So perhaps he seeks the opportunity for another individual or group (e.g. Ghostbloods or Church). Option #2 would seem to be right up Mr. T's alley, as it still leaves open option #1 while having an added benefit. While Mr. T might have personal sorrows and pains from his actions, he is singleminded and even ruthless in pursuing what he judges to be necessary. I could see him trying to kill two birds with one stone here, not realizing that he simply does not have the time to do so. Perhaps he is attempting to ferret out Odium's champion. Option #3 can't be ruled out, but seems the most far-fetched. There is a quote in the book something to the effect that the fate of the world might rest upon his intelligence and decisions. If he has seen deeper into the situation than any others -- and it appears that he has spent at least two years pondering all this -- then it is possible he has a lot more understanding of the gravity/non-gravity of the situation, or how best to handle it (war vs. passive enduring of suffering). Another option would be that he actively desires it as a good thing (agent of Odium thesis).

Agreed, although I don't know if I would exactly call it "lying" to one's self. Perhaps a refusal to face the truth, covering it over and suppressing (repressing even); over time (or quickly through response to trauma) resulting in a state or habit of self-deception. The very mark of her essence that could enable her to attract and bond with a Liespren.

By that definition Szeth cannot be using an Honorblade then, as he is able to dismiss his sword and call it back at will. If not an Honorblade, who then is the "master" whose blade Szeth holds? It would not seem to be a Herald then -- a Dawnsinger? a World-Hopper? Odium?

If Taln collapsed unconscious, would he have needed to intend that his sword did not disappear prior to doing so? When shardblades are knocked out of the grasp of their owner, they then fade out and need to be re-summoned. Is Taln's blade different in this regard?

I've been known to be out in left field at times, and I don't have the book in front of me to doublecheck, but I somehow got the impression that Darkness's (sheathed) sword was described in a way similar to Hoid's. For Honorblades -- typically they would disappear upon the Herald's death (I assume to return to the Hades place to be with the Herald). However, in the epilogue it appears that Taln is dead, and yet the blade did not disappear. So either he is not dead, or he was not bearing an Honorblade, or the behavior of Honorblades has changed with the death of Taln due to the Oathpact being broken. If the third case, if we assume that the final shattering of the Oathpact occured at Taln's death, can we then expect that Szeth's blade and/or abilities might be changed or hampered when he arrives at the Shattered Plains?

If memory serves (pun not intended) I believe the "Memory" is described as harvesting a bud from the subject's being (soul?). Capturing a part of the essence of the being [spiritual plane], rather than merely being a "how it's viewed" kind of thing [cognitive plane]. An interesting question is -- how many other characters have such special non-spren / non-stormlight / non-honorblade abilities? I don't know if it would qualify, but Tien had the ability to find rocks with hidden patterns that would bring comfort to Kaladin. Others?

A lot of the discussion has the implicit assumption that the laws of nature in the Cosmere are identical in all respects to the laws of nature in our universe. Absent a WoB on that I'm not sure we can make that assumption, although we have only our universe's laws as a basis of comparison. For the story to be understandable there needs to be a more-or-less coherence, but not necessarily a full identification between the two sets of laws. As an example, in this universe gravitational force varies inversely with the square of the distance between the masses. This means that the gravitational force on our feet is greater than the force experienced on our head when we are standing. It might be possible though that on Roshar gravitation force on anything that can be taken as a cognitive unity (e.g. "Kaladin") does not vary within the volume of that unit, meaning Kaladin would have the same gravitation force on his feet that he has on his head. The above is meant simply to show how the nitty-gritty details of nature's laws could differ on Roshar; I am not advancing the thesis above as one to which I ascribe (although I find the notion of an object's epistemological status [cognitive realm] actually affecting its physical status [physical realm] to be an alluring one). I would be surprised if Mr. Sanderson had worked out all the fine details of the theory in the degree the discussion has taken it. I would not at all be surprised if he bases further details of his works on the points raised in these sorts of threads as well.

I'm going to have to re-look at the map in my paperback addition. I could swear I couldn't see the reference anywhere. How embarrasing ... unless it is stuck deep in the page fold. That would teach me not to be so cheap and to get the hardbound edition.

Thanks!

Is there a JPEG of the map somewhere that I can obtain?

I guess a valley could be associated with hills, but more commonly it is associated with mountains. If mountains, where would it be located in? The Horneater peaks? The ones near Bavland? Those outside of Rall Elorin? Or the mountains that form the border of Shinovar? If they are located too far to the east it would seem a bit problematic for Lift to have visited, given her young age and origin at the northern tip of the continent. So that would seem to argue in favor of somewhere near Azir, or on the way from Rall Elorin to Azir. Like Duskshard, I have always associated her valley with the Valley of Truth, although I don't have any substantial basis for doing so. An unconscious bias perhaps. Maybe even a curmudgeonly one.

Is it possible that certain shardblades are "attuned" to specific orders of the Radiants, and this the particular blade that Kaladin won in combat was not meant for a Windrunner, but for some other Order? I'm not sure we've seen enough to say that all particular sets of blades/plates would be abhorrent to Kal and Syl, just that those they've run across so far haven't fit the bill. It does appear that his aversion to them is affected by, but runs deeper than, his bias against lighteyes and their possessions. But I hold out the possiblity that he could obtain (or develop!) a set in the future. If so I would bet against a shardplate and put my vote on a shardspear.

I would vote for Sadeas, for two reasons. He has already served his plot purpose in forcing Kaladin to come to grips with his radiant powers, and in bringing together Kaladin and Dalinar through his treachery. While other plot purposes can exist I'm having a hard time finding clues as to what they might be. His subordinate Amaram has a working relation already with the Kholin family (from Gavilar speaking to him on the night of the assasination), and so Brandon has an understudy to Sadeas' position already in the wings.

The idea of healers both being a source of financing, and actual operatives really resonates with me. It has a certain symmetry to it as well. Kharbranth's agents are able to eliminate Szeth's master AND his target prior to Szeth arriving at the mark's location. Either they had to run the head along to the target location or simply weave a window and step through. As Szeth didn't lollygaggle on his way, I lean toward the latter -- and that would imply someone with a Transportation bond. And I just realized (duh!) that there was one other 'nation' that uncovered Szeth first to use as a geopolitical tool -- the Parshendi. They actually seem to have the basis for the best intelligence service of all -- thousands of (potentially at least) telepathic Parshmen operating unhindered under everyone's noses. Could the Parshendi be the means through whom Taravagnian uncovered Szeth? This would entail some contact or working relationship between the two nations.

I will pre-order all ten volumes. The Pay-Pal Order

Hmmm ... tagging along on Vstim's caravan coming out of Rall Elorin on the way to Shinovar for that time that he picked up Szeth perhaps? Or escaped from some slaver's caravan -- Rall Elorin doesn't have the best of reputations as a place to live.

How does an ten year old kid make the journey from Rall Elorim to a quarter- or half-way across the continent? With just a short detour into the Valley of Truth to chat with the Nightmother? Does she just hop on her skateboard and make it totally awesome and one push (and a couple of months) later arrive in Azir?

There appear to be 5 male Heralds and 5 female ones. Of the male Heralds, it seems generally supposed that we have seen Jezrien and Nalan as characters in the book. We've also seen Talanel. Kalak has appeared in the prelude. The general consensus is that Shallash appears in Baxil's interlude. Have the other Heralds been shown as characters in the book to this point [excluding prelude or visions], in the background and unannounced? We would be missing 2 males and 4 females. Would a result of their 'Heraldship' be in essence functional immortality, i.e. non-aging (baring violent death)? Could that be used as a clue to help 'ferret out' candidates? If I were one of the absconded Heralds I would be avoiding anything that could kill me and send me back to that place of horror. So perhaps characters that don't seem to age, have obscure backgrounds/history, shrink from confrontation or violence, or operate under the radar?

With the Purelake draining out from approaching Highstorms, the crem deposited by the rains would have largely filled in depressions and gullies over thousands of years.

Kharbranth an insignificant piece of Roshar in terms of geographical extent and military might, with its king generally held in lower regard by others. And yet it appears to have the finest intelligence service in all of Roshar. We know Taravangian has been blessed with extraordinary intelligence (when not stupified by the conjoined curse). We also know that he has long placed value on the gathering of knowledge (the Palanaeum). But consider also the following: of all the kingdoms in Roshar, it was Kharbranth that tracked down Szeth in Bavland to use him as a geopolitical tool their knowledge of Szeth's background was such they uncovered his father's name, and called him as such ('Szeth-son-Neturo') rather than the name given elsewhere all through the book ('Szeth-son-son-Vallano'). This knowledge could only have been its origins in Shinovar. Kharbranth had been shadowing and studying Szeth for a while, unnoticed. This implies a careful and professional commitment of serious intelligence-gathering resources. Mr. T gets relative quick inside intelligence assessments from the Shattered Planes Despite the horrors of his secret hospitals, not a word has leaked out to the world. All this implies a spy service of world-wide extent in the gathering of intelligence, and of extreme competence in safeguarding complete loyalty in those around Mr. T. How does he do it? While Kharbranth is a trading hub, and thus has easy access into many places, it would appear that the finances needed for such a spy service would not be covered simply by tarriffs. Elsewhere it has been suggested that Mr. T runs the Stormwardens to finance himself, which would make a lot of sense. But his ability to track Szeth down raises another possibility to me -- what if Mr. T employs, or has a working relationship, with Darkness? And that he used Darkness's preternatural ability to sense the manipulation of stormlight through Honorblade usage to track down Szeth? In the Jasnah prologue it appears that Darkness was aware of Szeth's existence as Truthless from its very origin -- could Mr. T have gotten his knowledge of Szeth's background that way? Part of the knowledge Mr. T collects are the dying words of vision from his hospitals. Why would this collection effort be limited to the hospitals? Could Mr. T's agents (e.g. Darkness) also be doing this throughout Roshar? Take the vision from chapter 3 of WoK: Could this be Ym? I find it somewhat hard to picture that a hospital of the death and dying would know that the person was a cobbler "of some renown". This could be taken as evidence that Darkness -- whether he has his own agenda or not -- might be passing field reports on to Mr. T. While spanreeds work to give quick intelligence updates, I wonder if there might also be another avenue of update. Is it possible that Mr. T has working for him a person with a Transportation bond? I don't believe that Darkness has shown such, but could there be others who do?

It has been suggested elsewhere in the forums that Gavilar is not actually dead, and that it was his bodyguard is the one actually killed by Szeth. If so, on the assumption that the bodyguard had been lent the Shardblade, it would have returned to Gavilar.

A variety of theories/speculative discussion points here. #1 -- Could it be a safe made of shardplate? There are cracks in the front, leaking stormlight, similar to what can occur when shardplate cracks. If so, perhaps the dead man had been attempting to smash into with a shardblade or Honorblade. Shallan could have collected her blade from him after dispatching him with some other sword. This would raise the question of what would be so valuable that it would need to be stored in a safe of shardplate. #2 -- Do we know for certain that shardblades and/or Honorblades have the same effect on all living persons? Can a shardblade cut the soul in one person (Shallan's mother) but act as a normal blade against someone else (a world hopper, or an incarnated Spren)? In other words, was it one blade or two blades that caused the havoc? If two, who were the separate killers? Would they be the dead man and Shallan? The dead man and Shallan's father? Shallan and Shallan's father? Or could the man have had a shardblade, and was killed by a normal blade, and then his shardblade was used to dispatch her mother? #3 -- Shallan has admitted killing her father. Could it be possible that the man lying dead on the floor is her actual father (her mother had an affair a decade prior and might be continuing it)? And that Shallan only later discovered the fact? If so, why would Shallan be killing anyone in the first place? Would her putative father have told her to defend the safe at all costs? #4 -- Shallan's father doesn't seem broken up too much by it. It appears that his concern in the scene is directed only toward comforting and calming Shallan, which seems odd (even setting aside the odd lullaby with which he attempts to do so). He isn't berating her for killing either the man or the mother. He expresses no grief or remorse that I can detect for either of the deceased. It is true there is a tear in his eye, but could that also be interpreted as a tear of joy or pride that his daughter passed the test or performed some heroic act? More like, "Good girl, I know that was hard for you, but Daddy is so proud of you". Perhaps the deaths were desired by, or directed by, or engineered by, Shallan's father. It seems very much in his character to do so. Eliminating conspirators or double-crossers perhaps. Or illicit lovers. #5 -- Building from #4, could perhaps her father's pride is due to the fact that this is what Shallan has been raised and trained for. Could Shallan have been trained as an assasin or killer? Her father seems to be ruthless. Her brother shows evidence of callousness to the death and pain of other things. Why would Shallan's upbringing been any different in this regard? Could this explain why she has a blade, that she was given one in similar vein to how Szeth was given one? And thus Shallan in her own way is 'truthless' and thus could attract liespren? #6 -- Has anyone commented upon the anomaly of Shallan's fixation on Jasnah's soulcaster? I don't mean the fixation on getting a working soulcaster. I mean the dogged determination that it had to be Jasnah's soulcaster. There would have to be other more easily-obtainable soulcasters to steal. Was this single-mindedness due to the effect of Pattern, as Jasnah thought? Or is there something else in the background of Shallan that led or drove her to that particular fabrial in all the world? I'm not committed to any of these theories, but they popped into my head as interesting "what ifs".