#Paalm

[lightflame]

You ever think about how Paalm didn’t stop being Paalm when Lessie was shot in the head?

She wasn’t a corpse. She was still there. She was still her. She had to watch as the man she loved more than anything wept for her, more broken than he’d ever been. She had to let him bury her and leave her behind.

And she couldn’t say anything at all, not a word in comfort, not able to tell him that she was still there, because then she wouldn’t be Lessie any more, she would be Paalm, and all that runs deep in her bones is the fear that he could never love Paalm.

#mistborn #cosmere #mistborn era 2 #paalm #shadows of self #brandon sanderson

[marvelousmagicalaura]

Thoughts on Mistborn: Shadows of Self

Shadows of Self is incredibly great, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking!

I'm hurt and confused. And I'm not sure how to feel, and I love it for that. Shadows of Self is completely different than its preceding book. It is different from even the Mistborn trilogy. There are themes of the stagnation of political systems, religious tension, the ethics and morals of what line God should, could, might have on interfering with the lives of his creations. After finishing off the book, I genuinely had no idea what to think about Harmony, Trell's puppeteering, Bleeder's campaign, or the state of Elendel.

Something that annoyed me about Era 2's books off the bat was the noble system. There's no state sponsored murder or rape, and the nobles are more like businessmen. But it still felt like nothing changed over the last 340 years. I kept thinking... wow, this is what Kelsier died for?! This is what Vin and Elend fought to protect?! I started off hating everyone - Harmony, the Senate, constables, Wax, even Spook - for not erasing the noble system. But while reading the book I kept thinking about Sazed's limitations due to wielding the Shard of Harmony, his stance on free will, his subtle maneuvering of Wax and Marasi... and kept thinking about real life. I came to the realization that being in the role of God comes with a lot of nuance on guiding mortals. I connected the stagnation of Elendel back to the history of the US... how even though centuries has passed, many abhorrent systems are masked by seemingly more human systems. Governments are still being controlled by nobles and aristocrats, just in a different flavor. Policing has so many issues it could take 1000 years to solve.

Even after finishing the book, I still think the noble system should've been completely erased. But now I'm thinking if that would've fundamentally changed things. The US doesn't have monarchs, nobles, slave plantations, or aristocrats. But corporations, billionaires, politicians, and the upper class get away with a lot, they find ways to obtain power and avoid accountability. Would Harmony be right if he gave the divine mandate of "I DECREE NO NOBLES FOR ALL OF TIME!" At that point is free will a choice?

I started off blaming Harmony for not making a democratic world with no nobles. Ended off having… weird feelings about him. Like... MeLann brings up a great point about the kandra impersonating witnesses to testify against people. If Harmony allowed that, that could be a dangerous precedent.

But then there's Bleeder. Bleeder is easily my favorite antagonist in the series. She's incredibly competent, her body horror is gruesome horrific, and her climax is depressingly tragic. May she rest in the Beyond. Poor Wax. This is the thing that has me feeling weird about Harmony. This hurts cuz of Sazed. Fuck Sazed. Fuck Sazed. I knew Harmony would’ve become a Chessmaster, but not like this. Sazed isn’t supposed to manipulate people. Sazed isn’t supposed to cause trauma to people 😭😢💔💔

But Sazed is, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages. Harmony seems to be foreseeing a great disaster caused by Trell. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to thread towards a future possibility that will save Scadrial from this disaster. He must think about the future of the entire world. It hurts that he moved Wax this way, but would there really have been any difference if he left Wax completely alone? The Set - puppets of a Shard of Adonalsium - would've subtly caused turmoil on Elendel. What if he told Wax he was hunting Lessie? TenSoon said it himself. Harmony saw the future, saw that Wax wouldn't go through with it. Bleeder - another puppet of a Shard - would've succeeded in her goals. Sure he could've maneuvered someone else, but it opens a new can of worms!

I love the hints of Trell being a far scarier antagonist than it appears. I love the advancements and possibilities of Hemalurgy Trell is responsible for. Shadows of Self does a far better job than The Hero of Ages presenting gray morality in the motives and plans of gods. It also does a far better job at presenting a smart and clever antagonistic deity. I think with the conflict between Ruin and Preservation, Sanderson wrote many things that made Ruin appear too much like "the bad guy." He can say Preservation has a dark side, but we never saw it. The one reprehensible thing Preservation could've been completely responsible for - the Deepness killing people - ended up being the result of his frayed mind. He could've been solely responsible for the Deepness covering the Sun and killing plants, but that ended up being caused by Ruin. Ruin spoke with too much malice and joy of killing all life and destroying everything. Apart from his attributes being fundamental aspects of life and the Universe, there was no possible way I could've seen his stance as having any sort of value. Sanderson also wrote too many things that made Ruin's planning so far behind Preservation's. Preservation felt like a Xanatosian genius even on his deathbed. Ruin was a petulant child. Ruin wasn't kind, or patient, or particularly clever, or have long-spanning schemes when Sanderson presented him in the spotlight. Don't even get me started on his futuresight lmao. And tbh I don’t get why Sanderson wrote a being of death and destruction as the opposite of stasis and stability. Is he trying to say in life and creation, everything either stays the same or everything dies?

I know that wasn’t his intent, but it came across that way. It’s haphazard in retrospect, and I don’t understand why that was the direction after the beauty of Kelsier’s rebellion. I still love the concept of Ruin and Preservation’s conflict, but I think it could’ve been much more developed. More nuanced. Ruin could’ve been far more of a Chessmaster or represented a different concept.

With Harmony and Trell... I'm not as certain who's the good or bad guy. And so far, Trell's schemes are genuinely complex, layered, and terrifying. Even the Set are scary.

Marasi grew a lot, as expected. Wayne didn't grow but he was still so much fun. Love the new dynamic of Wayne and MeLaan, who's also pretty great. ARADEL IS A MAN!!!

There wasn't much of Steris this book. But she vastly improved in such a short time! Feels like she hides a lot but is actually a warm person. Look at the ending 🥺

Well done, Sanderson. I give Shadows of Self ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

#mistborn #mistborn era two #wax and wayne #shadows of self #cosmere #brandon sanderson #paalm #bleeder #lessie #rip lessie #rip paalm #poor wax :( #go steris! #mistborn wayne #marasi colms

[king-of-the-oreo]

Wax: *shoots lessie*

Lessie: *dies*

Wax:

#cosmere #cfsbf #mistborn #cosmemes #oreo speaks #Waxillum ladrian #Paalm

[thestormlightnetwork]

i finished shadows of self

BRANDON SANDERSON I DEMAND AN APOLOGY VIDEO. WITH TEARS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN WAX KILLED HIS WIFE TWICE??????

#mistborn #shadows of self #mistborn era 2 #mistborn era two #mistborn spoilers #brandon sanderson #cosmere #waxillium ladrian #lessie #paalm #also MeLaan ate in this book #august reads mistborn

[beginnerblueglass]

Mistborn headcanons

After having these rolling around in my brain for months, I remembered that tumblr exists ^_^

Marsh is the first one who met and became friends with Sazed. Marsh recruited Sazed while he was the leader of the skaa rebellion and helped free him from the stewardship program. I think Mare was involved too, since Sazed met her before he met Kelsier (I'm pretty sure? idk I'm rereading the books rn). Maybe she posed as a noblewoman and bought Sazed, freeing him to become a rebel agent if he so desired. He met Kelsier later through Mare.

Era 2 Marsh/Ironeyes lives in a house outside a little gothic mountain town on the edge of the Basin, populated with mostly Sliverists (people who revere Ironeyes). There's one family in this town charged with serving Ironeyes and making sure he can live there in peace. I just want him to have a nice comfortable house, maybe a garden, maybe a cat or two. I wish Brandon could have written more about Sliverism.

(More of an observation than a headcanon) Paalm is definitely not her full name. KanPaar, TenSoon, MeLaan, ReLuur, ???-Paalm. It just makes sense.

#cosmere #brandon sanderson #mistborn #mistborn marsh #ironeyes #sazed mistborn #paalm #cosmere headcanon #mistborn headcanon

[cosmerelists]

If Era 2 Mistborn Characters and Stormlight Characters Met Each Other...

We already considered how Era 1 Mistborn characters & Stormlight characters would get along. But what about Era 2 Mistborn?

[Includes spoilers through The Lost Metal & Rhythm of War!]

1. Dalinar & Wax

Wax: It’s something, isn’t? Finding a new love after losing your first one?

Dalinar: It was not something I expected or believed could happen, after I lost Evi.

Wax: Yes, especially when it’s you who accidentally killed your first love...

Dalinar: Er, yes...

Wax: ...and then killed her again, but on purpose the second time...

Dalinar: ...Metaphorically, you mean?

Wax: No.

2. Navani & Ranette

Ranette: So this glove makes its wearer just...shoot off in the direction it’s pointing??

Navani: Er...yes. It’s just a prototype. I assure you, I have many more inventions that...

Ranette: I am 100% giving this to Wayne. 

3. Renarin & Steris

Steris: So...you can see all possible futures?

Renarin: Well, maybe not all. But I can see the possibilities expanding out like broken glass.

Steris: ...

Renarin: I know. It is forbidden to see the future, and belongs to corrupted spren but I...

Steris: [literally vibrating with excitement]

Steris: I have never wanted anything more!

4. Jasnah and MeLaan

Jasnah: So you can craft your body to be as you wish it?

MeLaan: Sure can! And I did the whole stately, breasted boobily look for a while!

Jasnah: ...

MeLaan: Been into androgyny lately. 

Jasnah: Yes, I can see how having both options would be enormously advantageous.

MeLaan (conspiratorially): But most importantly I can turn my skin transparent and show off MY GLOWING BONES!!

Jasnah: I am going to write many papers about you.

5. Veil & Wayne

Wayne: Nice hat, mate!

Veil: Thanks! You could say it makes me the woman I am!

Wayne: New hat, new you? Trust me, I get that plenty!

Veil: Yeah, I get the feeling you do!

6. Rock & Allik

Rock: These pastries are wonderful, friend! You are far less of an airsick-lowerlander than most men I know!

Allik: My people have airships!

Rock:  Ha! That must be why!

7. Paalm & Taravangian

Taravangian: I am a very big fan of the whole “Kill as many people as it takes to free the world from a god’s influence,” my friend.

Paalm: Thanks, I guess.

Paalm: I like the way you literally stole your god’s body and took it over.

Taravangian: And “Bleeder!” What a great name! I’ve bled a few people to death myself, you know.

Paalm: I think your world is very lucky you haven’t discovered Hemalurgy. 

Paalm: Yet. 

8. Marasi & Shallan

Marasi: Oh wow, the Ghostbloods tried to recruit me too!

Shallan: The promise of interplanetary knowledge is pretty tempting, huh?

Marasi: Oh man, it so was!

Marasi: But I had to turn them down. And I appreciated how nice they were about it!

Shallan: ...Nice?

Marasi: Oh yeah! Just all “Lovely to meet you. Thanks for considering us. Have a great life!”

Shallan: On my planet they literally tried to sell a child!

#cosmerelists #stormlight archive #mistborn #Dalinar #Wax #Wayne #Veil #Shallan #Marasi #Ranette #Navani #Renarin #Steris #Paalm #Taravangian #Rock #Allik #Jasnah #MeLaan

[comiclysmic]

“I WILL MAKE YOU FREE”

Cosmere Inktober - Puppet - Bleeder from Shadows of Self

✒️ Kuretake, Deleter, Dr. Ph. Martin

#arts arcanum #cosmere inktober #shadows of self #paalm #comiclysmic

[puddlejumper38]

I'm rereading Lost Metal and honestly, why were the Ghostbloods even there?

The whole book has its scope problems, since our main characters are out of the wild west, but the Ghostbloods really don't help.

Marasi's character arc didn't need them - she was headed away from the police anyways.

They added cosmere lore that really pulled away from the plot and Kelsier was barely even involved. Why introduce them and his non-death only to not Do Anything With It? I feel like Secret History should have been introduced Post-TLM instead as a build up for era 3, which surely must actually be dealing with these elements (I mean, working title Ghostbloods).

It felt like a lot to introduce in the last book of a series when it wasn't plot relevant.

Did Marasi need the more powerful character to reach the endgame? Maybe, but here's the thing. Use the kandra. The kandra were a big deal in era 2, only seriously underused in this book. Pair a kandra with Marasi for the end scenes!

You need a more powerful character? Use Marsh, instead of removing him from play for reasons I no longer understand! I admit to bias here, but if Marasi needs more spotlight at the end remove Marsh by saying he can't sneak through the village. Marasi was the first person Marsh approached, I just feel like this would have made sense. Also, he could say something that would lead to the hint that Kelsier is alive and hence the Secret History drop post-TLM. (I accept that Bands of Mourning would need some editing to make this possible but I don't think it would actually change the plot much).

And, again, putting a kandra with Marasi in that village would make sense! Since blending in is kind of their thing!

I think Branderson had already mentally moved on to era 3 and it didn't benefit The Lost Metal at all.

#Mistborn #negative #(or more exasperated actually) #This has been a rant #look I did enjoy the book #but I really do think Branderson's mind was already on era 3 #I really think Marasi should have been working with a kandra #maybe not VenDell #maybe MeLaan and she could have left afterwards #Maybe another kandra! Maybe one who knew Paalm well! #I just think it would have Made More Sense #and of course I would have preferred more Marsh #I have Opinions

[kingjasnah]

What do you dislike so much about era 2 of Mistborn? Besides Wax being one of the most 2D characters of Brandon’s recent work?

its just not for me! i will admit it IS partly wax....though ive come around on him just because i think that anyone who has had that much shit happen to him has a lot of potential to get really interesting. i mean i like wayne. i like melaan. i like marasi in certain situations and steris is one of the best things to happen to the entire series. wax is just like...the 2012 jumped out you could swap him for any protag with a trenchcoat from any urban fantasy novel of that time and there would be no difference.

mostly i think era 2 has some really cool ideas and visuals but the messaging doesnt compare to era 1 at ALL. the fight scenes are mostly good its just like i cant be sustained on gunslinger vibes and revolving anti-metalborn bullet chambers when the rest of the story reeks of 2012 liberalism. the last time i read shadows of self (probably my fave of the three currently out) i was banging my head against the wall at the "of course workers should fight to get paid but rioting is BAD" section (it doesnt help that i had just reread the discworld watch books at the same time if u know u know). i literally feel like everything that was cool about era 2 has been twisted into ok cool but what if we were a cop about it. there's portraying realistic politics.....and then theres being a cop about it. if wax goes full villain era i take back almost everything ive ever said about him but for now. sorry :/

#theres some religious stuff thats like ok i fundamentally disagree with this and thats making reading hard #but thats one isnt anyones fault it is just another factor in my personal dislike #shadows of self is good because i think the paalm insurrection stuff was cool but the politics make me want to die #for real if anyone didnt like era 2 i do recommend the watch books. or if you did like it. there are similarities there are differences but #imo the watch books are......quite a bit better #asks

[satoshihiwatari]

Also! In rereading Mistborn 3-6 I will get to see my wife MeLaan again! :D

#personal #I love her sm. unhinged shapeshifter wife #also NO SPOILERS PLEASE but I want to see if my conspiracy theory - that Paalm was Mare - actually has any basis gjfkdsldjf

[disneydatass]

Hello! I saw a post of yours where you mention Unbroken by Worldofmyown is one of your fav fics. I just finished it recently, instant fav for me too! Have you read the sequel? It’s unfinished in AO3 and I’m trying to decide if I should read it. If you have read it, could you let me know if it ends on something like a cliffhanger, or in the middle of a lot of plot?

Hey paal! So glad you liked it! Unfortunately I haven’t read or wrote fanfic since before the pandemic🫣I know I have read it but I honestly couldn’t tell you how it leaves off bc I don’t remember. There are a lot of unfinished fics out there in my history list so it’s hard to keep track, I’m sorry I can’t be more help!

#paalme #their stuff is really good tho the whore’s queen is finished if you haven’t read that I highly recommend it by the same author #this is my ask tag now

[cosmere-polls]

Reminders of the circumstances if you've forgotten (spoilers obviously):

Dalinar: Ordered a city burned to the ground while his wife was inside. A pretty horrifying war crime yes, but in his defense (on the wife-killing front), he didn't know she was in that city at the time.

Vasher: He and his wife Shashara created Nightblood (soul-sucking sword) and invented a way of commanding Lifeless with a single Breath (yikes). Shashara intended to reveal these dangerous secrets to others, and Vasher dueled with her to the death over this.

Kelsier: His and Mare's cons and schemes got them caught and sent to the Pits of Hathsin where they were required to retrieve at least one atium geode a week or face death. One week, Kelsier didn't find any, and Mare told him she'd found two that week and gave him one. She had lied, and so she was beaten to death in front of him.

Wax: (first time) Lessie/Paalm was being used as a human shield by Bloody Tan, Wax shot at Bloody Tan but missed and killed Lessie. Whoops!

(second time) After Paalm goes rogue and starts a murder spree in Elendel, Harmony puts Wax on the case. Wax, unaware that Paalm is Lessie, shoots her with a bullet that allows Harmony to take control of her again, and she kills herself rather than return to Harmony's influence.

#cosmere #polls #mistborn spoilers #stormlight archive spoilers #mistborn era 2 spoilers #warbreaker spoilers #shadows of self spoilers #oathbringer spoilers

[l3st1b0urn3s-707]

I finished Shadows of self! It was so good, the ending was shocking. I loved TenSoon and all the tunnels beneath the field of rebirth. The fact that Wax climed up the Pits of Hathsin was awsome. And the plot twist with Paalm/ Lessie? I didn't see that coming. The Trell stuff is quite concerning, and I'm a bit sad about Wax and his faith crisis (the poor thing was crying at the end of the book, he doesn't deserve it). Also, I don't know if it was just the spanish traslation, but the epilogue seemed to be narrated by someone who had talked with Steris. I don't know who that was. I want to know who that was. Anyway, I loved the book and I'm so excited to read the next one!

#shadows of self spoilers #shadows of self #mistborn #mistborn era 2 #waxillium ladrian #wayne #wax and wayne #tensoon #steris ladrian #marasi colms #melaan #sazed #cosmere #brandon sanderson

[marvelousmagicalaura]

Thoughts on The Bands of Mourning

Everything about this book is a bundle of pure fun. It’s just like an Indiana Jones adventure!

The breakout character this time is definitely Steris. I was shocked to find out a character could develop so much in such a small amount of pages. But, Sanderson did it with Steris. And to me, she’s insanely relatable. I was literally saying aloud “SHE’S JUST LIKE ME FR 😭” So much I could gush about her omg.

Wax x Steris is better than Vin x Elend. There, I said it. I also started to become a fan of Wax’s character arc - his arc of finding his true position in the world. Wax’s arc feels more subtle than the Era 1 characters and his personality is definitely more rigid than them, but I think I can appreciate it.

Allik was hilarious. Wayne x MeLaan was pretty wholesome and fun. Marasi is always great ❤️

The highlight of this book’s plot was definitely the Southern Scadrians and their Metallic Arts technology. A complaint I’ve had about the Mistborn Saga is that its world and history either feels too small or too shallow, even though there are reasons. This book definitely didn’t eliminate it, but it did mitigate it. The Southern Scadrians’ mask culture sounds intriguing, AND THEIR TECH!!! I’m so excited to find out more about them.

Another highlight of the plot, even though it came during the Sanderlanche, was the conversation between Wax and Harmony. This helped me realize that Sazed is still Sazed, but a Sazed that realizes the complexities of being God. Apart from the issues behind the Shard of Harmony mentioned in book 5, it seems like he’s trying to be different from Preservation. Even with Sanderson’s hazy writing of Era 1’s themes, I felt Preservation was indirectly portrayed as a coddling force. Much like the Lord Ruler, it could be a force who wants to protect, keep things stable, and keep the status quo even at the cost of change and lives.

Granted it’s fuzzy because of The Plan, so I could be reaching lol. Anyway, those attributes clearly aren’t Harmony or Sazed. Harmony is representative of a perfect balance with Ruin’s attributes, and Sazed wants to change Elendel and drive innovation. I love that Sanderson made this clear. I also love the mention of Harmony’s futuresight and his insight into Wax’s mind. It shows he really thought about all future possibilities before deciding Wax needed to go through pain for Paalm and the world’s sake.

And I’m pretty confident Harmony placed Wax’s group in place to stop the Set from getting the ettmetal bomb and Bands. His lines about Trust remind me of what Preservation did throughout his several thousand year long plan, but moderated/expanded with the Shard Ruin’s attributes and Sazed’s outlook.

Harmony’s speech about choices made me cry 😭

I’m shook by the Sovereign twist lmao. Kelsier is the Sovereign?! What the hell is going on?!

I have several theories but I’m sure some will be answered in Secret History and Lost Metal.

#mistborn #mistborn era two #mistborn era 2 #the bands of mourning #cosmere #brandon sanderson #mistborn harmony #harmony #sazed mistborn

[onlycosmere]

After finishing The Lost Metal and with The Things happening, it’s brought me back to a question I had which I’m not sure was ever addressed by a WoB and I’m curious about your opinion: was atium involved in Lessie’s first “death”? The way Tan pulled her into the path of the bullet always had me wondering. Or was it just Paalm/Harmony messing around to get Wax back to Elendel?

Info that Brandon has said about the Lessie incident:

Bloody Tan is not an atium misting.

Bloody Tan is not an Allomancer.

Harmony did not control Bloody Tan.

Bloody Tan was not under the influence of Harmony, but Harmony is not 100% guiltless.

Bloody Tan "had influences."

RAFO to how Bloody Tan pulled off the move that he did (with a statement saying he will answer that some day).

RAFO to if anyone else controlled Bloody Tan

RAFO to if Bloody Tan was performing like Lessie

Kelsier is currently not involved with the Bloody Tan showdown, but that could change if Mistborn Secret History 2 gets written.

So, I don't think atium was involved in Lessie's death. I think Bloody Tan's ability to move Lessie was akin to how Ruin was able to use spiked minions in order to perfectly hemalurgically pierce Spook. Who influenced Bloody Tan is an open question. It wasn't Harmony directly, but it might be another shard. We know Autonomy liked Wax and had long-term tendrils in Scadrial, so maybe Autonomy was hoping to claim Wax as their Sword, but Harmony beat them to it? Or it could be a completely different Shard altogether. But I think Bloody Tan being under the direct influence of a Shard is the most likely possibility.

#mistborn #the lost metal #bloody tan #cfsbf #tlm spoilers #cosmere #brandon sanderson #asks and answers #root #wob #cosmere theories

[koravelliumavast]

Vasher for the sexyman, he might not try to look good but he’s a returned after all

And blushweaver of course

So we’ve got Vasher, Lightsong, Dalinar, Kelsier, Adolin, Zellion, Kaladin, Szeth, Raoden, Hoid, Susebron, Elend, Gavilar, Taravangian, Axies, Ishar, Nale, Hrathen, shallans dad, Huio, Moash,Jezrien, Mraize, Teft, The Lopen, Nan Balat, Sadeas, Lezian, Renarin, Amaram, Rayse, Sazed for the guys

And the ladies have Blushweaver, Jasnah, Shallan, Navani, Vin, Siri, MeLann, Steris, Serene, Shan, Rysn, Cord, Hesina, Raboniel, Edgli, Venli, Cultivation, Aesudan, Ilali, Shalash, leshwi, radiant, veil, Lessie/Paalm, Evi, Allrienne, Marasi, Lalai, Vivenna, the Stump, Paloma

Now adding a spren bracket where all the spren are

#more additions? #cosmere #cosmere sexyman bracket #I think I need like 16 of each #lists #asks #shouldprobablybereading