WeiryWriter Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 TES takes place after Elantris (though we don't know when) and it does takes place on the same continent as Teod, but it is fairly distant from it (or at least the capital is). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 So... The post-reod Elantrians exist the way they do because the Dor wasn't concentrated enough to complete their transformation, right? Why did the Elantrians who had been taken by the Shaod years ago take on the same state? This still confuses me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 So... The post-reod Elantrians exist the way they do because the Dor wasn't concentrated enough to complete their transformation, right? Why did the Elantrians who had been taken by the Shaod years ago take on the same state? This still confuses me. No it's because they were targets of an incomplete Aon. The Elantrian Metropolitan District mega-Aon was lacking the chasm line. It was basically a massive power enhancer targeting all of the Elantrians, when it became flaw all Elantrians felt the consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) No it's because they were targets of an incomplete Aon. The Elantrian Metropolitan District mega-Aon was lacking the chasm line. It was basically a massive power enhancer targeting all of the Elantrians, when it became flaw all Elantrians felt the consequences. So then would the Shaod not be happening to anyone at all if Elantris had been "unbuilt"? Would the Elantrians have returned to normal? Edited January 6, 2015 by mckeedee123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 So then would the Shaod not be happening to anyone at all if Elantris had been "unbuilt"? Would the Elantrians have returned to normal? No, the Shaod exists independently of Elantris. After all it had to have been built by people who had experienced it (otherwise it wouldn't be a functioning Aon). There's basically two things going on the Shaod and the broken Aon. The first gives Raoden the ability to draw Aons, the second makes him into a zombie. Dilaf's wife was also targeted by an incomplete Aon (a healing one) and turned into a zombie, but she was not taken by the Shaod so she could not draw Aons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 No, the Shaod exists independently of Elantris. After all it had to have been built by people who had experienced it (otherwise it wouldn't be a functioning Aon). There's basically two things going on the Shaod and the broken Aon. The first gives Raoden the ability to draw Aons, the second makes him into a zombie. Dilaf's wife was also targeted by an incomplete Aon (a healing one) and turned into a zombie, but she was not taken by the Shaod so she could not draw Aons. Right, but would they not be "zombies" if the broken Elantris Aon wasn't in effect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Right, but would they not be "zombies" if the broken Elantris Aon wasn't in effect? As far as I can tell, if the Elantris Aon was neutralized, then yes they would return to "normal" (they would still be Elantrians, but their Aons wouldn't be super strong). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 No, the Shaod exists independently of Elantris. After all it had to have been built by people who had experienced it (otherwise it wouldn't be a functioning Aon). I actually have a competing theory; I realize I have no specific support for it, but I think it's a plausible second option. Remember how expressly little we know. Humans as we know them came to Arelon and found the city whole-built. Were they built by people? Was it direct Shardic intervention? Is there a hidden Forgery symbol made out of mountains in MaiPon? Anyway. My theory is this. There was once, lost in history, a group of people who lived in Arelon. Like Forgery, AonDor was something anyone could do if they learned enough, but it was very, very weak. Unlike Forgery it could do literally anything, but getting enough power to actually accomplish a thing was difficult. People born there with the proper knowledge and within its borders could draw any Aon on a sheet of paper, or craft it from metal, or carve it into wood, and it would function as an incredibly weak Aon. I think Elantris was their answer to this. A decision was made to concentrate the power. The Dor was like the purelake, just a few inches deep spread over all of Arelon. Using the power of AonDor itself, they crafted one huge Aon whose very purpose was to dam up this power, withdraw it from "everyone" so it could be concentrated to be used by a very few people. The result was the Shaod. Rather than let literally any Arelonian do minor magics, a selected few now had vast power at their disposal. As a side effect of this much power in one body (like how one's natural Breath doesn't give you any noticeable arcane capacity, but hundreds gives you an aura and the potency of Heigthenings), Elantrians glow, heal miraculously, and are able to enforce aons by simply gesturing in the air, rather than needing a visible medium. I realize it's a bit out there, and the idea that the Shaod simply always existed and Elantris simply modified how it works is a lot simpler. This is absolutely an insane, wholly speculative theory that I simply think would make a good story. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) I always imagined the Shaod to be the work of Aona's cognitive shadow or something. I'm also pretty sure that AonDor existed in some form before Devotion was shattered. Somebody built Elantris. Edited January 6, 2015 by mckeedee123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashiok Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Why is the focus of Selish systems external (Creating symbols) while the focus of most other cosmere systems internal (Manipulating energy drawn in Ie surgebinding, allomancy, feruchemy, Awakening [you manipulate breath, no symbols])? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Not sure I'm qualified to answer this after the above confusion, but I don't think there's anything special about AonDor in that regard. From my reckoning, AonDor is practically the same thing as Allomancy, just broader. You're using the rhythm of the Aon's (cymatic?) pattern to draw out energy in the desired form, just like allomancy draws out power using the timbre of the metal being burned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Why is the focus of Selish systems external (Creating symbols) while the focus of most other cosmere systems internal (Manipulating energy drawn in Ie surgebinding, allomancy, feruchemy, Awakening [you manipulate breath, no symbols])? I must confess I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to say here. The foci for AonDor are the Aons, which are external yes. But the focus for Allomancy (and Feruchemy/Hemalurgy) is the metal (specifically the molecular structure of the metal, which acts like a mini-Aon type thing) which seems just as external to me. For Awakening the foci are the Commands, which I've theorized previously as creating patterns in the Cognitive, which I guess would be "internal" We don't know what the focus for Surgebinding is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaa Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) This is absolutely an insane, wholly speculative theory that I simply think would make a good story. I should use that line next time I post another Skaa Theory. @Kurk: The current FAQ for Sel mentions Devotion and Dominion but doesn't explain who they are. The FAQs for the other Shardworlds are similarly vague about the Shards. Was that intentional? If not, allow me to contribute to the Sel FAQ: Q. What/Who are Devotion and Dominion? A: Devotion and Dominion are the two Shards on Sel. The Shard Devotion was previously held by a person named Aona, while Dominion was held by one named Skai. Aona and Skai are now deceased, their Shards Splintered. Source: WoP, WoB Edited January 12, 2015 by skaa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 @skaa A good point; that wasn't really intentional. I'll add that to the Sel section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovis Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) For a change another question: Is there more behind the lingual similarity between Hoid and the Hoed? I had this same question just 10 min ago! But I have no answers, sorry Edited June 26, 2015 by Ovis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypatia Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 Questions to Elantris/Aon Rao: Elantris is the Ela/middle of Aon Rao - is Kae the circle in the east or is it the blue pool on the hill above Kae? What were the names of the other cities around Elantris? Are there Aons for south, north or west or is there another system? There's a way from Kae to the pool - were the people from Kae in the older times involved in whatever had happened with the pool? The ruins of the other three cities - is it possible there are topics similiar to the pool near Kae - perhaps even secret passage-ways? What is the effect of an Aon with the name "Direction East"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 1. Kae is the circle east of Elantris. It is a walled city with a circular wall. 2. There was a recent WoB that said the other cities were named after the Aons for North, South, and West, and I believe it might also have said we will learn those words when the 10th anniversary edition comes out. (Special note: Elantris is not oriented north. To read the Aon Rao properly, Kae is actually on the bottom. This is per my copy of Emperor's Soul, where Mr. Sanderson drew the Aon Rao with the chasm line added. In the book, we know the chasm line touched the circle of Kae, and the only circle the chasm line touched in his drawing is the bottom one. If you saw this man's hand-drawing skills, you would understand why I consider this to be of limited canonicity.) 3. There's a what now? I mean... Raoden and co. start at the pool and literally climb down the mountain to Kae; by that reasoning there's a way from Teod to the pool. Are you talking of the secret tunnel? That started in Elantris, in the library at the edge of the city (they describe it as very far from the entrance everyone uses, so I assume that means west? But who knows.) 4. Dunno. 5. Excellent question. I've wondered this myself. What happens if an Elantrian draws the symbol for "yellow" in the air. Does it just glow yellow? Will it turn nearby object permanently/temporarily yellow? I have no real answer for you, but my gut tells me it would have something to do with directionality; if you draw it in the air, the aon will rotate until it faces east, for example. Or maybe within its light you will simply know which way east is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypatia Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) I hope the anniversary edition will clarify this with a better map. Kae is at the bottom? But...East? As if this isn't difficult enough, after the mistake in the German translation where Kae was the direction west. #1 Like in SA the history of the Elantrian culture is destroyed - even Galadon don't know about the secrets. Raoden believe the villages are the circles, but what is more magical - the village Kae or this pond? And in order to recognize Aon Rao there have to be greater structures as a pond or something like this - this is the base for the idea for other secrets near the ruins of the remaining three ruins. #3 As Reaoden was the first time on the hill he looks down and tells us about an old street to Kae, right before he goes to the pool with the old Elantrian. I just reread Elantris - to be prepared for the new edition - and I was a little bit stunned. Edited August 10, 2015 by hypatia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I added the question/answer about Kae to the Sel section; waiting on the 10th Anniversary to see if we get more answers on the other(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParadoxicalZen Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Interview: Mar 12th, 2015 Brandon Sanderson - /r/books AMA 2015 (Verbatim) focoma (Reddit) First of all, I'd like to thank you for e-mailing me White Sand and Aether of Night last year, and for just being so awesome and giving to your fans. Here are my questions: 1. Sel question: What are the names of the Aons for West, North, and South? I'm assuming that these are also the names of the other cities around Elantris besides Kae ("East"). Is that right? Brandon Sanderson (Reddit) 1. Yes. Peter pointed out to me that we really needed these, so they should be in the Elantris 10th anniversary edition. http://www.theoryland.com/intvsresults.php?kwt='aons' Removed the other questions/answer for irrelevancy but - number 8 - this WoB from the AMA says the names for the other cities will be covered in the 10th anniversay ed. so we could possibly hope that the map errors will also be cleared up also. As for Aon East, I'm inclined to agree with Oudeis on that intepretation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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