#Vedenar

[imonlyhereforcrem]

Being sick and bedridden means a return to my Cosmere swears project. I'm working through the Dalinar chapters in Oathbringer and good lord. Within the span of like 10 days:

Dalinar gets his memories back

learns that Kholinar has fallen and Adolin might be dead

feels a panic attack brewing as the Thrill comes over him

gets excommunicated during the panic attack

summons the Stormfather as a blade to open the Oathgate to gtfo of Vedenar because the panic is telling him to kill people

has a 3 day alcoholism relapse binge

has the Nohadon vision

realizes that the Singers are coming for Thaylen City

Odium shows up in the vision Dalinar pulls Venli into

10 days

#and the only time he thinks of Renarin is while drinking #that flashback hurts so bad #cosmere #stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #stormlight #the stormlight archive #dalinar kholin #oathbringer #oathbringer spoilers #cosmere swears

[cosmereplay]

Day 10: Love is devotion

Rated General, Cord/Rysn, Dawnshard spoilers

Dear Akilu,

I know it's silly to write to myself as though this were a letter to you, but that's how deeply I love you. When I think of myself, I think of you, dearest Akilu, my protector. 

It’s been nine times nine days since our common cause came to an end, and we decided to part ways. In the rush of relief and victory, we didn’t know how we felt about each other. You were wise to ask for this time apart.

In those days of anxiety and trouble, keeping our secret safe was our highest priority. You, Nikli, Chiri Chiri, and I were together every day through it all, and our shared secret became a shared bond. But every bond is different, as you said. In the days since our parting, I have thought of Nikli less and less, though I wish his horde every success. Not so with you, Akilu–not to say I don’t wish you success, of course! I would say I wish you the world, but we’ve already learned how much responsibility that is. No, when my thoughts turn to you, I wish you happiness, and peace, and success at every endeavour. 

More to the point, I have been thinking of you–and missing you–more and more every day. Today, on this eighty-first day, I can say it with confidence. It wasn’t just our proximity that made me feel this way. I’m not alone here on the Wandersail, and many of the crew have become friends. My attendant is thoughtful and precient with his care, and I am freer than ever to pursue any adventure I’d want. I have money, and time, and good heath. I have everything–except you.

Akilu, I miss the steady pace of your footsteps just behind me. I miss the little huffs and sighs you made as you judged the people I bargained with. I miss your smile when you eat good flavourful food. I miss learning your language, and I miss teaching you mine. I miss your stories of the Peaks. I miss the way you looked at me, the way you focused like I was the only person on board. 

Without this time apart, I don’t think I would have understood just how much those things mean to me. Without it, I would not have known just how much my devotion to our shared secret had overshadowed my growing devotion to you.

I'm sure you'd be delighted to learn that for those who follow the Passions, the eighty-first day is an auspicious one. Nine days times nine gathers our deepest desires and brings it back to us amplified and clear, and we may even see an omen. I haven’t always been the strongest believer but I can’t deny that I have wished for a reason to go back to you, and today there was an opportunity to go to the Horneater Peaks. I can’t help but feel that it’s a sign that–

Dear, sweet Akilu, I’m going to save this and show it to you when I see you! I can’t tell you how much your spanreed surprised me. Here I am writing in my journal about how much I want to see you, and you find me first. The second I finish writing this, I’m going to start organizing the caravan. I have to speak to the captain! She could drop me off near Vedenar.

I can’t wait to see you, Akilu. I’m brimming with joy. I am hoping with every passion in my heart that you feel the same way. 

#minifemslashfeb2024 #cosmere femslash february #cord/rysn #corysn #cord x rysn #cord stormlight #hualinam’lunanaki’akilu #rysn ftori #dawnshard spoilers #stormlight fanfic #my fic

[onlycosmere]

Potential timeline discrepancies and their resolutions

jofwu: Someone in the last spoiler stream pointed out that there's an OB flashback where Evi is pregnant, and it reads like it's referring to Adolin. But the timing doesn't work out. They supposed she could have had a miscarriage, and it's just never mentioned in the books. The explanation technically fits... But I doubt it was the intent.

The timeline of the group traveling in Shadesmar in Oathbringer is kind of wacky. The time from Kholinar to Celebrant is extremely asymmetrical with the travel time from there to Thaylen City. I'll be curious to see if they tweak a mention or two of time passing in the OB leatherbound down the road...

In TWoK it reads like Kaladin spends MANY weeks in Bridge Four before he goes to the Honor Chasm. But when you do the math it's something like two weeks? (ten Rosharan days) One of those things where there's nothing technically wrong, but doesn't seem to have been the intent.

Another goofy one is that Shallan spent 6 months chasing Jasnah around by ship to petition to be her ward. Which, when you look at travel times elsewhere in the books, is pretty ridiculous. Did they like, sail around the whole continent once or twice?

The single biggest issue, in my opinion, is that the whole Veden civil war happens in about a month. Navani shares the news about the Assassin in White murdering King Hanavanar at the end of TWoK. That's what sparks the war. Then you have Taravangian showing up in Vedenar in Words of Radiance, prior to the Everstorm, at the end of the war. The Thrill was involved, and tensions were building for a long while... But I'm not sure how they fought a whole war (with their level of technology) in a single month in a country that large.

Peter Ahlstrom:

I asked Karen about these. She says:

Evi's pregnancy

OB CH 36, where Evi is pregnant, is timestamped 24 years ago.OB CH 49, where Adolin is born, is timestamped 23 years ago.A pregnancy on Roshar takes seven of their months. We give the timestamps half a year of leeway.

Shadesmar travel time

I don't have the calculations handy, but we certainly did them. The ship they got from Celebrant was faster than the one they took getting there, and it took them far enough that they could do a forced march to Thaylen City at a specific number of miles per day and arrive on time. We REALLY spent a lot of time getting this right.

Honor Chasm timing

Kaladin is in Bridge Four 18 days before going to the Honor Chasm. He was already close to suicidal before joining.

Shallan chasing Jasnah

It really depends on how directly they traveled and how long they stay in port. The Wind's Pleasure could have gone back and forth to smaller ports with shipments before they could find one going to the city she wanted to go to.

Veden Civil War

I see it as having been a few small battles in each princedom, but then everyone saw a chance to be king and they converged on Vedenar. That left power vacuums in the princedoms and smaller landlords fought there. I don't think that most of the country was in as bad shape as Vedenar.

#the stormlight archive #oathbringer #cfsbf #brandon sanderson #word of peter #root #long post

[lamaery]

This week is cosmere fashion week instigated by Edgebanter on instagram. So I thought broaden my own worldbuilding a little bit by having Adolin do a short guide through parts of the different fashion of roshar. Starting with my version of an ensemble a veden highprince might wear: striped jacket, takama and yes, a cape. (Because despite his own words... he CAN do cape!)

After that came Thaylenah. This outfit was certainly lend to him by Queen Fen's son Kdralk... (the style of the gloves I got from old photographs of the Romanov family after I thought for the cooler southern climate I wanted to have a tidbit of Russian influence in there...)

Bringing is my boy Sigzil to rock some fancy Azish robes (and hats) The cut of Adolin‘ open robe is a light nod towards the wide-sleeved robes worn by men in West Africa (although as I understand it, those are usually not open at the front and the sleeves are longer and/or folded over the shoulders... check out Nigerian wedding attire, it’s awesome). The Patterns are in part inspired by modern and historical Javanese and African prints

some reshi fashion... Shallan, as we all, approves of open vests...

And back in Alethkar sporting the lashes fashion style of the capital (before it got... well...). I don’t know how Adolin convinced Kaladin into wearing lighteyes fashion. Probably he was just overwhelmingly charming and Kal‘s defences broke down... Since I take some inspiration from sarees and indian fashion for the alethi version of the havah, i don’t see why that wouldn’t seep into men‘s fashion as well. Besides I just really like the achkan and sherwani stylewise... (just take a look at the designs of indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, if you don’t know them! Those are freaking gorgeous!) There will probably two more pictures for the weekend. But those won't contain Adolin, sooo I'll post these separately. Have a great weekend!!

#cosmerefashionweek #rosharfashion #Adolin #Highprinces of fashion #character design #Adolin Kohlin #Sigzil #Shallan #Vedenar #takama #capes #Thaylen fashion #azish fashion #patterned robes #reshi fashion #alethi fashion #kaladin #cfsbf #cosmere #stormlight archive

[butwhybother]

If Vedens and Horneaters get the red hair because of Singer ancestry, their hair is probably thick, too. Because Singer hair is thicker than human hair.

#stormlight archive #horneaters #unkalaki #vedenar #the singers #text

[unilateraldisaster]

Formless. Shallan’s fourth personality. A hidden one, a deep one. What memory forced that initial break that made Formless be shoved down and cause the initial personality fracture?

An Unmade, that’s what. 

Bear with me here folks, it’s theory time. (under the readmore because I’m hoping it’ll work on mobile despite the odds being low)

Tl;dr at the bottom.

The Davar household was, per WOB, haunted by an Unmade. It was driving their tensions higher and higher, truly messing them over in all sorts of ways. Shallan in Oathbringer meets an Unmade under Urithiru. She handles it well. Suspiciously well. Almost like she’s had experience confronting Unmade.

Maybe she has.

Now, I don’t want to say that Sanderson might be able to pull some vaguely-Lovecraft cosmic horror stuff, but I also don’t want to say he wouldn’t. It would fit, given that Sja-anat and Re-shepir both are somewhat…off…to everyone that sees them, only appearing in mirrors and not appearing quite like an actual human, respectively.  But which Unmade could it be? Well, there’s one that’s gone missing. One that we don’t know what it does. Dai’gonarthis. Supposedly, it was responsible for the Scouring of Aimia, implying it has some serious power to wreck things. What are the odds it’s some mix of the effects of other Unmade? Neragoul’s Thrill, to turn people against each other. Ashertmarn’s Revel, to make people lose themselves in ecstacy. Yelig-nar’s ability to co-opt thoughts and drive people to attempt to host it. And then, after Aimia, it disappears. Presumably recovering from its efforts, because taking down a massively prosperous nation like that couldn’t have been easy.

So it goes and hangs out in a cavern under a nondescript patch of land in what would become Vedenar, slowly regaining its power. And then someone brings a Soulcaster. A familiar feeling touches the slumbering Unmade. A reminder of violence, or enjoyment, of freedom. And the little bits of Stormlight that leak away from the Soulcaster are sucked away to revitalize Dai’gonarthis.  Until it wakes, and realizes someone’s built a house on top of its little hidey-hole.

So it manipulates them. It pushes, and it pulls, and it slowly, ever so slowly, baits one of the inhabitants out. A little girl. She normally is supervised by her mentors, or her brothers, or her father. But one day everyone is distracted, and she slips out. She’s not consciously following anything, but she’s still wandering with a purpose. Not her purpose, but a purpose.  Until she falls. A portion of ground gives way under her and she slips into the darkness beneath. There’s a small pond, deep and dark with depths untouched by light for hundreds of years. 

Something stirs in those depths. Dai’gonarthis, awake now, rises from the closest thing a spren can have to a grave, and shows itself to the little girl. She breaks. Humans break so easily, in the mental areas, and this incomprehensible horror has done it for this little one.  So she touches it. 

And it worms its way inside her to lurk. Human minds are surprisingly akin to a cave’s pond after all. The girl, if that’s what she even is anymore, walks out of the cave. She doesn’t recall anything that happened there. She can’t let herself do that. She’s not entirely conscious, either, lucidity retreating in favor of shock. And she begins to lie to herself.

Far, far away, on a battlefield at the edge of the Sadeas princedom of Alethkar, a proto-Lightweaver, an experiment, set to bond the only one of the Cryptics offered, dies. His spren, still barely understanding the Physical Realm, still a slave to the attraction of lies, senses something far away: a strong lie. A good lie.  This spren, this Cryptic, this Pattern, ripples his way to that source. And finds her suitable to bond.

tl;dr: Shallan confronted Dai’gonarthis and it broke her as a child, creating her first personality fracture and attracting Pattern, who was slowly bonding to Tien before, away from the corpse of his initial Nahelmate.

#oathbringer spoilers #shallan davar #stormlight theory #stormlight archive #the unmade #rhythm of war spoilers #rhythm of war #cosmere #cosmere theory

[preservationandruin]

Rhythm of War Liveblog, Part 1

Next Post

Let’s DO this, gang! I’m extremely excited for this book and to see what happens in it, so buckle up and get ready for a wild ride with me, because I can genuinely say that I have no idea what’s going to happen in this one. Oathbringer left us at what felt like a solid end of act one (initial villains defeated, main villain has been seen, characters have had a solid victory) so I’m not sure how this one will go. 

Also, I just want to say before I go into the actual liveblog, I love the fact that Sanderson opens the book with his credits and includes crediting someone who acted as expert on Dissociative Identity Disorder for helping write Shallan. I know that in the past I wasn’t particularly articulate or aware of Shallan as a character with DID while writing my liveblogs, and I’m going to attempt to be better about that going forward. 

That said, let’s get going! I geek out about the front materials as always, and then we get our Obligatory Feast Flashback as Navani deserves better and I grow blisteringly furious with Gavilar for small things before we even hit the real reasons to be furious with Gavilar Kholin.  Content warning: discussion of abuse in the context of a relationship

We open with a beautiful color map of Roshar, which I always love seeing--love this weird-ass supercontinent, gang--and then a diagram of Urithiru, including a sense of how far it extends underground that honestly looks like a picture of how much of an iceberg is underwater. I recognize parts of this--we may have had this diagram before--but I didn’t pick up on exactly how massive the place was. The chasmfiend barely reaching the fourth floor sketched in conveys a mind-blowing sense of scale. Also, nice to have a diagram of which gate goes where and a full list of where they go; Panatham, Rall Elorim, Shinovar, Akinah, Azimir, Thaylen City, Narak, Kholinar (F in the chat for Kholinar, honestly), Vedenar, and Kueth. 

There’s another diagram of essentially a series of lifts within Urithiru, and a cross-section of the atrium that again does wonders for a sense of scale--and then we have our obligatory Gavilar’s Death Flashback! This time, it’s Navani, who is stuck figuring out where, logistically, to put the drums we see the Parshendi playing in every other feast flashback. Apparently, Navani bullied Amaram into sharing his grain stores with everyone, and if you thought Amaram being dead would mean I stopped dunking on Amaram, you clearly don’t know how petty I can be. 

Okay, so let me get this straight. Gavilar invited one of the world’s most prominent artifabrians--someone in Navani’s field, or at least adjacent to it--to Kholinar, didn’t tell her, and then saddled her with organizing his entire feast? Navani. Navani, honey. May I recommend a service to you. 

So Navani is the one who had to organize the ENTIRE feast, because Aesudan wasn’t doing anything, Dalinar was drinking, and Gavilar was off being cryptic with Amaram and the fucking Sons of Honor or whatever the Pretentious Asshole Men’s Club call themselves. And Navani is there trying to do the work of an entire administration, feeling horrible imposter’s syndrome both about her passions and about her job. Also, Navani sees Dalinar and is like. Actually I need to go get some air right now immediately. 

I do like the flip-side of the book one “Dalinar sees Navani at a feast and immediately goes deer-in-the-headlights terrified”, though, although I’m so glad Navani waited for him to sober up and get his shit together before actually tapping that. 

Okay, Navani finds Gavilar and someone talking about Braize. The specific quote is “Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn’t mean anything, It’s too close to be a relevant distance.” They’re speaking about a box that allows travel and wait, Gavilar is having this meeting in Navani’s Study???? THROW. THE ENTIRE. MAN. IN. THE. GARBAGE. PUT HIM IN THE TRASH. 

Anyway, he’s meeting with a tall Makabaki man with a birthmark on his cheek and a short Vorin man with a round face and a small nose; they don’t have home kingdoms named, so I’m actually willing to bet they might not be Rosharan at all. Certainly they’re speaking about worldhopping, and outside of the Rosharan system given that Braize is too close a distance to be relevant. They’re speaking over inverted gems, the ones that have been charged with voidlight and are glowing violet darknesses.  OH I WAS WRONG, THEY’RE NOT WORLDHOPPERS AFTER ALL. One mentions that “another of us is here tonight, I spotted her handiwork earlier” and the Vorin man snaps at the Makabaki, who he calls Nale. 

Alright, how many Heralds are in this goddamn building tonight?? It’s at least four. 

Okay, returning to my earlier comment about throwing the entire man in the garbage, Navani accuses Gavilar of not treating her like a person and instead like a machine and internally mentions that he’s never hurt her, but there have been “words. Comments. Threats.” 

He goes on to tell Navani to tell Jasnah to take Amaram back because “Few other suitors will consider her; I’ll likely need to pay half the kingdom to get rid of the girl if she denies Meridas again.” He also refers to her as Navani’s daughter, not their fucking child. I’m going to kill this man! Navani points out that she doesn’t like Amaram and Jasnah can do better, which she’s 100% right about as always. 

Honestly, if Jasnah married Amaram, Amaram would be dead. He would have died on the wedding night. She would have killed him and I support her wholeheartedly. Actually, it would have solved a lot of problems. Anyway I don’t know why I expected any better than this from a man who was friends with Amaram. 

Navani threatens Gavilar’s legacy by pointing out that she has control of how he’s seen in the future, pointing out that his children, Dalinar, and his nephews still love him because they don’t know who he really is, and she could change that--and then he flat-up starts negging her. 

Navani ends up so furious that she draws in the glyphs for Death, Gift, Death, in the shapes of Gavilar’s tower/sword heraldry. She then points out that the next day he’ll be giving her gifts, that he’s not like this to anyone else, just to her--and she blames herself, but that’s not right. 

This is abuse. That is textbook cycle of abuse. The incident of abuse is followed by a period of appeasement so that the abuse victim doesn’t leave and thinks things can be better. Navani says that Gavilar is kind to the others, but if he genuinely cared about his children and brother, he wouldn’t speak about them like that even in anger. He’s been consumed with his own ego. 

And then he dies. Navani is stunned, but she doesn’t grieve him, and decides to be the better person, giving him his legacy and pretending for the sake of everyone else that he wasn’t a monster. 

“Gavilar had left his life as he’d lived it: with grand drama that afterward required Navani to pick up the pieces.” 

Throw the whole man away. He doesn’t deserve that fucking legacy. No honor for abusers.

#rowliveblog #row spoilers #throw gavilar kholin in the fucking trash #navani kholin protection squad #herald sighting

[100storiesin2020]

Chapter 7: Ivy, about a month after Landing Chapter rating: G TW: light misogny (not directed at Ivy), stalking Summary:  Ivy sauntered down the streets of Vedenar, hat pulled down against the hot sun. The Palaneum was the largest library on Roshar, with nearly seven hundred thousand books and climbing in number every day. She could spend over a century in there reading, possibly two depending on length and acquisition rate. She just needed to present the entrance fee. And that meant stealing.

#It's heist time! sadly not featuring any actual heist #mechs on roshar - what crimes will they commit #The Mechanisms #stormlight archive #ivy alexandria #hoid #rosie writes

[waffle-sorter]

Rhythm of War Chapter 90

Huh. So when are you writing this?

Pre-emptive “don’t do it Shallan!”

He- what? Okay, possible on-page moments this could be referring to: Oathgating back from Vedenar, binge-drinking after Vedenar, the Nohadon vision with Venli, the direct confrontation with Odium, going back while riding the storm. Two of those are Dalinar’s own action that explicitly caused the Stormfather distress/pain; one is mostly speculation on my part; one is a request the Stormfather chose to grant; one is a direct result of the war, and not actually Dalinar’s fault.

He may have invited an answer, but that’s not a direct response to his question. Contempt of court! Off with their head!

Oh. So it was the first. Bluh.

Fun fact: many previous Radiants have killed. Can you verify whether all of those killings were in war or in pursuit of their oaths?

And do you know the most effective way to remove ignorance?

Mayalaran running in to the rescue?

No. Look. If you don’t know who you are, why should you be confident that the people around you wouldn’t like who you “really” are?

Yes!

NO!

#i should get a liveblogging tag #brandon sanderson #cosmere #stormlight archive #rhythm of war #cosmere spoilers #rhythm of war spoilers #row spoilers

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 7)

blerg, I wanted to hit page 500 in the last chunk o’ liveblog, but alas. We continue on. This book is just too dense, the liveblog posts are too long and I will continue to mention that in every one of these posts, ‘cause it’s wild just how much is in here!

Part 7 encompasses pages 476-557 (previous parts)

OOOOOOOH JASNAH POV!!!!

hey, her art bubble is the old Shallan art bubble. that’s...boring. why doesn’t she get her own?

I’m emotional about Taln forever and ever

Jasnah being paranoid about her safety and assassins and stuffing her ventilation shaft with cloths is...so... You don’t expect Jasnah to be scared, but here she is. It makes perfect sense--she got stabbed through the chest, of course she’s scared--but she’s so poised and in control, you just don’t expect it.

OMG Jasnah had back up files of her notes!!! That’s brilliant.

spanreeds are so cool

do we know which type of spren Ivory is? if we do I don’t remember.

just keep reading, Megan, they’ll tell you. Inkspren. ...of course.

also, I’d been wondering how Jasnah was “broken”--since all the Radiants are--and somehow I never expected childhood illness. that’s a logical breaking point, but I never even thought of it.

THERE WAS A JASNAH AND HOID’S MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!!! THERE WAS!!! I’VE BEEN ROBBED!!!

but also, wtf did she learn, what did she learn from him. I’m guessing it’s the same thing the Stormfather refused to tell Dalinar... about all ten orders returning.

god, I really, really hope that my theory about them replacing the Heralds is wrong. I don’t want that. ..

(It’s a good theory though; the first new members of the ten orders all make a new Oathpact at the end of the fifth book. the back five are about their first time breaking and the first Desolation post-this one. It’s awful and I don’t want it, but you gotta admit, it’s an interesting theory, at least in a meta way.)

also I’m sad no one likes the honorspren. Syl is such a good. then again, she’s different than her peeps, she always says.

gaahhh, the Moash chapters are killing me every time I see that patchless shoulder I just die a lil bit inside

“Compared to bridge duty, this was paradise.” I’M CRYING??? This is so, so much the ‘I did that, so I can survive anything’ mentality and I’m cry.

okay, but can all of the Fused use all of the Surges? or do they all do different things? Do they have the equivalent of radiant orders?

(I’m going to be so excited if Moash gets a spren, but I feel like he maybe has to take responsibility for his actions first...)

aaahh Moash is taking the Kaladin route of “I don’t care about these people but storm it, I’m helping them anyway”.

OH SHIT Those are the ones who Kaladin helped, aren’t they... they brought “a false god” that was Kaladin shit shit shit they are getting punished for him. He would die if he knew, oh god.

AAAHH MOASH IS A GOOD “You’re becoming like us” Ohhhh goooddd yep. yep. wow. Be better. Do better. The theme of this book, and I love it. I LOVE MOASH AAHHH

punk!Dalinar not being allowed to fight is wild.

OOOHH THEY DIDN’T TELL HIM HE’S BEEN HURTING PEOPLE?? WHY!!!!?? YOU GOTTA TELL HIM HE’S DESTROYING PEOPLE’S LIVES BY BEING A BLACKOUT DRUNK AND FIGHTING PEOPLE

THAT’S NOT A GOOD THING AND HE SHOULD KNOW THAT

his name means “born unto light” oh my god that’s delightful oh my god

ohno. you should not send Dalinar back to war, u should keep him at home and maybe find him a therapist to talk to him about the Thrill...

FLYING KHOLINS AHOY!!

“something profoundly disconcerting about being out on the ocean” disconcerting? You’ve misspelled exciting.

They are holding hands while flying that’s adorable

I love that it’s “Elhokar’s team” when we all know Kaladin will end up in charge, much to Adolin’s chagrin...

No comment on what Dalinar’s hair looks like all windswept, obviously that means he’s been windswept into full greaser-style pompadour.

“shellheads” really? wtf. you didn’t call them that before. it’s only after they gain sentience that you give them derogatory nicknames?

High King Dalinar founding his own kingdom is wild to think about...

All of Navani’s scribes and engineers are so excitable. I love it.

Dalinar sneaking about without guards is nervewracking. Pls be safe, buddy.

“what else were important lighteyes going to do with unmotivated children?” Uuh...motivate them? Don’t just throw them aside to the church and expect them to drain resources by doing nothing for the rest of their lives? Find some way for them to be productive members of society? Why is this such a hard concept?

Fucking lighteyes

“He was RURAL Alethi he CAN’T be a HERALD�� fuck off, Kadash. Kaladin is from a backwater and he’s a Radiant. And Taln wasn’t a king. We know this.

“No spiritual basis for rule” seems like a good thing to me...separation fo church and state and all that...

Something I’m not surprised that Vorinism sucks ass at caring for the mentally ill...

Yeah, ok, but who cut Taln’s wall from the outside? one of the other Heralds? Someone who still has their honorblade? Or some...Diagram/Ghostblood/SonofHonor mofo who realized before we did that Taln is a Herald? I’M CONCERNED FOR MY ANCIENT BROKEN SON

“Lately, he didn’t much like himself.” Noooooo, Moaaaashhh!! I still like you! A lot!!!

I am absolutely delighted that the Fused point their toes when they are flying. My synchronized swimming ass is just...DELIGHTED

“You don’t farm an apocalypse.” heheheh

The tavern is called the Fallen Tower? really? Dalinar’s army fell at the Tower... and Bridge Four saved them. really.

omg noooo noooooooooo no

nooo

nooooooooo

that’s

a lumberyard. and

ladderruns. that’s the same damn thing oh god

no, I don’t want this.

Let Moash Live 2k17

There’s a weird trend of swapping PoVs in the middle of a chapter. I’m not used to it.

“They acted like they owned her already.” I mean...they kinda do, Shallan. You kinda fucked up with them.

“without her having to remain at the meeting” hon, you are needed at the meetings for reasons other than your mapmaking skills??

“I am my own woman” teeeechnically, you’re...what, Taravangian’s subject now? Right, he’s in charge of Vedenar.

Evi deserves better than punk!Dalinar. Him yelling at her because she invaded his manly man-space is gross and he should stop

Navani just chilling with Evi and Ialai is wild. I legit can’t imagine them all getting along.

Also, I love that Renarin’s name is just a name. I love the convoluted meaning of nothing. it’s great.

Evi is a Good and she! deserves! better!

oh god babies

tiny, tiny babies

Evil flying chulls!! Tiny Adolin is too cute oh god

Just writing down that page 519 is the glyph alphabet. That’s important, you know. :)

NanKhet’s list of assassination attempts and then his like... banquet of executions. is some Greek mythology shit up in here. That’s #yikes

Pastry chef scholar man! I love it! I love that there aRE people in Vorin lands who don’t adhere to Vorinism’s gender roles, people who think gender roles are for squares.

Hello Darkness My Old Friend has waaay too many names. Nakku, Nalan, Nale. This is why I just still call him Hello Darkness.

“Did you misplace her?” One does not simply misplace Lift.

They keep talking about how Thaylen City was super wrecked by the Everstorm and that’s fair, but like...has anyone heard from Shin? Talk about being unprotected for a wrong-way highstorm...

Jasnah reflexively sucking in Stormlight the second Amaram appears in the doorway is Big Mood.

“Other than the fact that you are a detestable buffoon who acheives only the lowest level of mediocrity, as it is the best your limited mind can imagine? I can’t possibly think of a reason.” GOD FUCKING BLESS.

“Give me an excuse. I dare you.” BIGGEST MOOD EVER OH MY GOD

yeah, you run away. fucker.

“The Windrunner” “the flying bridgeman” “brightlord broodingeyes” HE HAS A NAME, LADIES. He has a name.

I’m super tired of everyone--especially Jasnah--underestimating and disregarding Renarin.

And then he goes and does COOL SHIT LIKE FIND THE RESONATING LIBRARY!!!!??

Also, Jasnah can infuse gems with light? wacky fun.

oohh LIghtweaving isn’t just light it’s “and various waveforms” Renarin’s LIghtweaving is super different from Shallan’s isn’t it!!? I can’t want to see MOAR SURGES

Nooooo, Moash.... you gotta do the Kaladin thing! You can’t let go! Look at you, you are already helping the people he helped. You can’t stop yourself any more than he could. You’re not here to let go. You’re here to remember how to care.

Moash bby, I know you are prone to stupid decisions, but please...please don’t do anything stupid...

.........like that.

okay, creepy flying in charge lady. is creepy.

Okay, teaching the parshmen how to spear is good? sort of? from a certain point of view.

Ooooh Rlain pov!!! That’s new and interesting.

you know why is he here? How did he not get eaten by the first Everstorm?

HECK YE ALL FIVE LADY SCOUT WINDRUNNER SQUIRES HEEECKKK YYESSSSS

THEMS MY GIRLS

“He loved them because they did try.” Aaaahhhhh

“That’s like...extra manly.” I’m not sure that’s how being gay works, but I’ma roll with it. :D

“I guess it’s just a thing men say. Can you tell me how it feels?” “I can try.” KALADIN IS A GOOD WHO IS TRYING VERY HARD AND RLAIN IS ALSO A GOOD WHO IS TRYING VERY HARD AND I’M EMOTIONAL

I am so glad they are Trying Together.

That is an interesting question...did the magic stagnate them? stop people from being interested in finding non-magic ways of doing things? not just steel, but like...idk, indoor plumbing and better ways of farming, or anything that a Soulcaster can do. Why would you need better ways when you have the magic way?

It’s a very Harry Potter Wizard Wolrd mentality, tbh.

Oh shit, the Recreance was 2k years AFTER the Heralds bugged out and broke the Oathpact? That’s a long time for them to keep going without their leaders? and then to suddenly stop after all that time? whyyyy

what did they learn? about their spren? Jasnah knows.

Oh no!!!

nooo

he can hear the spren dying!!!???? OH NOOO

OH SNAP

WHAT

WHAT

NO

UM??? WHAT

THE FUCK?

HOW DID HE HACK DALINAR’S VISION?? WHERE DID HE COME FROM? HOW DID HE GET HERE? HOW DANGEROUS IS HE IN THIS FORM? HOW IS HE HERE?

WHAT

IS

HAPPENING

god, how many times did Dalinar rely on the Thrill? that’s got to leave some kind of bond, some connection. Something Odium can exploit.

God, it’s still really weird to think of Odium--the bad guy--as light, gold, white. it’s refreshing, but also wtf

Ah, fuck off, you’re not a god. The Shardholders are not gods. They’re just dudes with extra powerful magic. Ask Sazed.

God, okay, the STormfather is so. scared. wtf.

Oooohh, he hasn’t gotten Cultivation yet. She’s hidden and he’s bound--not very well if he’s here now, but still.

Can she help us?

Why does he...have to kill people? Is it because he’s the avatar of hatred of something else?

...interesting. Passion.

..........interesting that the Thaylens worship the Passions.

Also, I resent that if he’s All Sorts of Emotion/Passion, there’s the implication that all emotion eventually leads to violence, and I RESENT THAT SO HARD

oh snap, Cultivation is the Nightwatcher? What? I did not expect that...

goes further to the None of the Three Shards Are Good or Bad

though Odium might be lying...

what the shit

was that the Odium hell planet?

Did....did Lift just... scare him away?

I’m increaingly thinking shes got a bit of Cultivation in her. She’s not just a kiddo, and not just a Radiant, there’s something funky going on with her, and I think it’s something powerful enough to scare Odium.. hm...

EEEEYYYYY END PART TWO!!!!!

eww gross, Taravangian AND Venli? Bad interludes are bad. Where’s Szeth? I miss him.

#op #Megan reads OB #Oathbringer spoilers #I was sick so I missed a few days of reading whoops #and then I was on a plane #and as we all know from previous experience some of my best liveblogging is done on planes :D #Stormlight Archive #Oathbringer #Brandon Sanderson

[hoidthevoid]

Why do people think shallan should talk with unnecessary contractions/like a country person? I don't really get the joke... :/

it’s because she’s from a noble house that’s pretty low in the hierarchy of noble houses, and also from Vedenar! so there’s a normalized accent (in this case, generally the Midwestern accent : Alethi) and there’s an accent that sounds different (Southern : Veden) because they’re from a close enough region to speak the same language but far enough for a completely different dialect, and since economically both Alethkar and the Midwest appear to be doing better than Vedenar and the South (respectively), the “different” accent and social standards get associated with slightly lower quality of life/people. thus, it is assumed that Shallan would sound like a Southern hick to Alethi!

#the void screams back #Stormlight Archives #Cosmere #hopefully that makes sense #tmk the American version also stems a bit from racism but i don't think i know enough to speak about that #also Shallan hasn't really been subject to that that we've seen yet so

[onlycosmere]

dvoraen:

I, uh, have a lot of questions about the Unmade (these are the tip of the iceberg), and a few about wanting a RAFO card Voidbinding. I spend way too much time thinking about this. >.>

The Unmade

During the course of Oathbringer, and not counting what happens towards the end of the book, are all nine active in the world again (no longer imprisoned)?

What are the titles/bynames/epithets for Moelach, Nergaoul and Ba-Ado-Mishram?

Excluding Midnight Essence from Re-Shephir, have we seen at least two examples of the Unmade creating spren that people dismiss as normal, uncorrupted spren? (One type in The Way of Kings, one in Oathbringer, specifically.)

When Dalinar teleports away from Vedenar back to Urithiru, the Thrill immediately comes to him even though he just went a very large distance away. Was this due to Odium talking to him directly at that point, or did Odium move Nergaoul there to maintain the effect of the Thrill, or was Dalinar already Connected to/consumed by Nergaoul and the distance effectively didn't matter because Spiritual Realm Things(tm)?

Does Ba-Ado-Mishram have similar traits to a Borg Queen? In other words, does she consume individuality itself?

In the Midnight Essence vision Dalinar has in The Way of Kings, the female Radiant was wondering "who released it". Shouldn't the Radiants have known then that it was Re-Shephir that was the general source of Midnight Essence?

Dai-Gonarthis is speculated by Mythica's author Hessi to be the cause of Aimia's destruction. Does this have relevance to the Night of Sorrows?

Voidbinding

Is Renarin technically Enlightening his visions into precognitive ones?

"To see the future originates with the Unmade..." "Voidbinding is a dark and evil thing, and the soul of it was to try to divine the future." Is it therefore safe to say that Voidbinding, by extension, also originates with the Unmade?

Is the core principle of Voidbinding consumption and reconstitution? If so, is that what Enlightening does, therefore making it a fundamental if not the first level of Voidbinding?

Brandon Sanderson: 

That's a whole lot of RAFO fodder, I'm afraid. Let's see...

RAFO

RAFO

Humans are not terribly good at determining whether a spren has been touched by [Sja-Anat]. (That's a yes.)

Dalinar's feelings are not always the Thrill. A part of him legitimately feels these emotions--and there are other things happening as well. (Either way, Odium did not move Negaoul in that scene.)

RAFO

Yes, but Midnight Essence can be extracted and used independently.

RAFO.

RAFO.

Not always. But usually.

RAFO.

#The Stormlight Archive #the unmade #voidbinding #oathbringer #cfsbf #long post #wob #cosmere future #root #odium

[preservationandruin]

Oathbringer Liveblog, Part Four: Chapters 100-107

You know it’s a Sanderson book when you’re like “Hey, I’m on chapter 100 and I have three hundred pages left.” 

Anyway, Dalinar has PTSD, Adolin gets a makeover, the Shadesmar Road Trip hits a few snags, and Dalinar remembers stuff and has a normal dream for once in his life.

As though the last one wasn’t clear enough, the Mythica here flat-up says that Nergaoul is probably responsible for the Alethi thrill. We’re over by Dalinar, who is...really not doing great. 

He’s touring Vedenar, trying to get out of his own head. He’s determined that this time, he can fight it--he’s stronger than he was then, a better man. And he is, he really is. On the other hand, though, he’s still hearing phantom weeping, and smelling only smoke. 

And his thoughts aren’t helped by his panic about Adolin and Elhokar. He’s hoping he didn’t send them to die. 

Oh, he’s not going to like the news either. 

Anyway, Taravangian is coming to talk to him, which...I’ll just be lurking here, quietly suspicious. He shows Dalinar a half-shard and notes that there are “legends of a metal that falls from the sky, silver but somehow lighter,” that can block shardblades. 

Aluminum. You’re looking for aluminum. 

Taravangian says that fabrials are made using enslaved spren; Dalinar says spren can’t be enslaved, and gets some angry grumbling from Stormy. Taravangian asks if he would have wished the Sunmaker took over all of Roshar, so Dalinar would have a united world to lead against the Voidbringers. 

“I...You’d be asking me to consign millions of innocents to the pyre!” “Those people are dead,” Taravangian whispered. “What are they to you? Numbers in a scribe’s footnote.”  

They’re still people, Taravangian. And note Dalinar’s word choice--fire wasn’t mentioned but he talks about consigning people to the pyre. That’s not an accident. 

And then we get the horrible, horrible truth: the thrill is the reason the Veden civil war is so horrible. It came, it possessed them. Daliinar talks to the soldiers and they all talk about it. 

...Taravangian was just talking about luring spren places with things they love. And he, more than anyone, benefited from the Veden civil war. 

The Thrill starts nipping at Dalinar again. Rial offers him alcohol, which is...exactly the wrong thing. Oh, Dalinar. Also, of all times, now is when he’s declared a heretic. Because that’s what he needs right now. 

Isn’t it so horribly hilarious that the man who torched a city of innocents was religious, but the man trying to save the world is a heretic? 

Dalinar forces the Oathgate to work, despite Stormfather’s protests; Stormy withdraws. But Dalinar still feels the thrill, still hears Evi’s voice condemning him. 

But that voice is telling him that this is who he is, while Evi was always telling him that it wasn’t who he was. Something’s up. Something is very, very up. Kaladin was right--Dalinar’s in danger. 

And he starts drinking again. 

Oh, Dalinar. 

He gets drunk in Adolin’s room and everyone’s going to think it’s grief, but it’s not. It’s terror; it’s because he thinks it’s that or be a monster again. And I don’t think this is normal grieving, because Evi’s voice is saying things Evi wouldn’t say, and I don’t trust voices in heads after Mistborn. 

Anyway. Didn’t Odium say he’d been watching Dalinar for a long time? 

I don’t like this. Kaladin saw nine shadows around Dalinar. I really don’t like this. 

Moelach is very similar to Nergaoul, though instead of a battle rage, he supposedly inspired visions of the future. In this, lore and theology  align. Seeing the future originates with the Unmade, and is from the enemy. 

Alright, that’s where that comes from. It doesn’t have to do with Cultivation’s sight of the future at all, unless Moelach is somehow tied to her, which I doubt. 

Adolin, meanwhile, is trying to change his outfit. It’s...not going great. He’s also very stressed about the possibility of him having to take the throne. 

He couldn’t keep pretending he was the man his father wanted him to be. 

Your father, Adolin, from the moment you were born, wanted you to have his strength and Evi’s heart and that is exactly what you got. Stop worrying about disappointing Dalinar. 

Kaladin gaped at Adolin, looking down at his boots, then up at his neck scarf, then focusing on the waistcoat. That befuddled expression alone made the work worthwhile.

This is the scene where the girl comes out of her room after a makeover and everyone is just staring except the girl is Adolin and I love it. Kaladin literally gives him a once-over. It’s like the scene where you get the reaction shot. Also Adolin’s just like “Kaladin looked like he was wearing a shirt too small for him, Shallan’s clothes fit but were unflattering, and Azure looked...normal.”

“Did you really sew that?” Azure asked.  “There wasn’t much sewing involved,” Adolin said. “The scarf and jacket hide most of the damage I did to the waistcoat--which used to be a smaller jacket.”  “Still,” She said. “An unusual skill for a royal.”  “And how many royals have you known?”  “More than you might assume.” 

ADOLIN SHE IS A PRINCESS HER SISTER IS MARRIED TO A GOD-KING

“I discovered when I was younger that being too open with strangers...went poorly for me.” WOW THAT’S ONE WAY TO PUT IT

And we get that Ico, the captain’s father, is a “deadeye,” one of the dead Radiant spren. They search out the humans carrying their corpse. Oh, god, that’s horrible. 

“What is she to you?”  “A friend.”  “A tool. You use her corpse on the other side, don’t you? Well, I won’t blame you. I’ve heard stories of what they can do, and I am a pragmatic person. Just...don’t pretend she is your friend.” 

But Adolin, at least, has always treated her as one to the best of his ability. Talking to her, thanking her, refusing to take her name and treat her like a dumb object. Ico notes that his daughter “ran off chasing stupid dreams.” I wonder if she, too, is trying to be a Radiant’s spren? 

Syl seems very hesitant to go places in the city. Didn’t we get it mentioned that honorspren tried to conquer Shadesmar? That might be part of the reason. 

We get the vast variety of spren present in a Shadesmar City: 

The city wasn’t as densely populated as most human ones, but the variety of spren was stunning. Reachers like Ico and his sailors were common, but there were also spren that looked much like Adolin’s sword--at least before she’d been killed. They were made entirely of vines, though they had crystal hands and wore human clothing. Equally common were spren with inky black skin that shone with a variety of colors when light hit them right. Their clothing seemed part of them, like that of the Cryptics and honorspren. 

Others look like they’re made of cracked stone with magma shifting inside it; others yet have ashy white skin that blows away in the wind. There are no other honorspren. And then we get asking about how spren babies are made: 

“How does that even work?” Adolin said.  “Well, it’s certainly less messy than your method!” She scrunched her face up. “We’re made of power, bits of gods. There are places where that power coalesces, and parts start to be aware. You go, and then come back with a child? I think?”  Adolin chuckled. “What?” Kaladin asked.  “That’s actually not that different from what my nanny told me when I asked her where children come from. A nonsense story about parents baking a new child out of crem clay.” 

I love this. Syl notes, though, that most spren don’t raise children very often. They find a market and Adolin instantly stops at a clothing stall run by a spren like Ivory--an inkspren, I think? I don’t want to go look back through my notes to find it so we’re going with inkspren. 

Syl finds a poncho and a hat! She likes them. She also points out that because her dress is just part of her, she’s technically walking around naked all the time; Kaladin argues the technicalities on that one. 

Over to Shallan. Apparently, voidspren are surrounding Cultivation’s perpendicularity and demanding tribute from any they find. I think this might have something to do with how Rock’s wife said something was very wrong in the Horneater peaks; if there’s an army of voidspren pirates around it, then that’s gotta reflect into the actual world somehow. 

We also get a spren saying that she would rather “trade with honorspren” then go back there. Hm. Honorspren are really disliked in most of Shadesmar. 

And then Shallan and company see a parshman-looking person conducting inspections of the ships, which is worrying. They’re looking for passage either to Cultivation’s perpendicularity or to Thaylen City, but nothing appears to be going there. 

So voidspren rule the city. Which is. Great. That’s definitely going to be helpful in the long run. One of them just set Ico’s ship on fire. 

Shadesmar Road trip is going great, gang. 

And then we learn that Syl kind of, uh, has a huge bounty on her head due to running away from the fellow honorspren. We also get that Lasting Integrity is the name of the honorspren capital. Of course it is. 

“Azure is a bounty hunter,” she said in a small voice. “And I’m...I’m kind of like a spren lighteyes. I didn’t want you to know. In case you hated me, like you hate them.” 

Syl... Anyway, then they make it to the dock and see smoke. Anyway, the Fused are looking for “two or three humans, one honorspren, and one inkspren.” 

They still think Shallan is an Elsecaller. They’re not looking for Pattern. They’re also not looking for the deadeye spren, or Azure. 

That’s good. Any misconception on the part of the Fused is good. Anyway, at least the spren who runs the docks is excited to know that the Oaths of men are being sworn again, and promises to stall the Fused if it comes back. 

There’s also an honorspren ship on the docks, which is exactly what they need. Syl has an idea, so nobody listens to her and she just fucking bolts...towards the Honorspren ship. 

“Hey!” She screamed. “Hey, look down here!”  The vessel stopped ponderously, handlers slowing its mandras. Three blue-white honorspren appeared at the side, looking down with utter shock. “Sylphrena, the Ancient Daughter?” One shouted. “That’s me!” She shouted back. “You’d better catch me before I scamper away! Wow! I’m feeling capricious today. I might just vanish again, off to where nobody can find me!” 

Getting caught on purpose. That’s...really smart, actually. The honorspren won’t let the voidspren take them. Anyway, Syl’s hands are tied, Kaladin is preparing to yell at the honorspren, but they got away safe. 

Back over to Dalinar. 

He feels like he’s having a vision again, in a room he’d been in before. Stormfather isn’t answering, though, and he goes out to find an older version of Nohadon, greeting him like an old friend. 

Given that this is an old man in a Sanderson book, I am instantly suspicious. 

Anyway, Nohadon goes out shopping--with Dalinar--but the vision remains strange, and Nohadon remains elusive. Dalinar says that Nohadon is reminding him of Taravangian, which only makes me more suspicious. 

A thunderclast keeps appearing, rampaging through the otherwise peaceful market. Nohadon touches its hand, and it stills. 

“This is quite the nightmare you’ve created,” Nohadon said. “What does that thunderclast represent, I wonder?”  “Pain,” Dalinar said, backing away from the monster. “Tears. Burdens. I’m a lie, Nohadon. A hypocrite.”  “Sometimes, a hypocrite is nothing more than a man who is in the process of changing.”  Wait. Hadn’t Dalinar said that? Back when he’d felt stronger? More certain? 

Huh. Could Dalinar just be having a normal-ass dream for once in his life, but even his normal dreams are extra and involve deep analysis of his psyche? I mean, if anyone’s dreams did, it would be his. Still. I kind of doubt that. 

Dalinar wakes up. Huh. Might have just been a dream. He wakes up, and he remembers clearly the night of Gavilar’s funeral. 

We get a defined sketch of a vambrace made by Navani; it might be what the watch-fabrial she gave Dalinar is mounted on. It looks steampunk and very cool. 

Over to Navani, with a note in the epigraphs about Ashertmarn: 

Ashertmarn, the Heart of the Revel, is the final of the three great mindless Unmade. His gift to men is not prophecy or battle focus, but a lust for indulgence. Indeed, the great debauchery recorded from the court of Bayala in 480--which led to dynastic collapse--might be attributable to the influence of Ashertmarn. 

Navani notes that she has practice holding a kingdom together, especially from Gavilar’s last days, when he’d “gone strange.” That’s...an interesting view of it. Navani notes that he grew darker than most people know, which is also probably not good. 

Also,  we get that Bridge Four is now essentially lend authority to the throne, which for people who used to be Sadeas’s least lucky bridge crew, is an incredible jump in importance. They still haven’t quite acclimatized to it. 

The highprinces are worried about Dalinar, and about the fact that he’s gone back into drinking. Sebarial makes a snarky comment and manages to really piss off Navani. She actually gets Sebarial to back down from a snarky comment. 

Anyway, they’re all trying their level best not to let Ialai or Amaram know that Elhokar was planning on making Dalinar, essentially, highking. Because that would be a horrible plan with Dalinar in his current state. 

Anyway, they get the meeting wrapped up, and Navani apologizes to Bridge Four about how boring it was. They point out that hey,  nobody tried to kill them, so it’s all good. 

“See, Brightness?” Leyten said. “New recruits might get bored by guard duty, but you’ll never find a veteran complaining about a nice quiet afternoon full of not being stabbed.” 

All of Bridge Four remains perfectly convinced that Kaladin will come back. But things are getting worse--Teft was hauled before the magistrates for public intoxication. 

Renarin is working on finding a pattern in where the stones were stored; he is currently joking with Bridge Four, and looks happy. I’m so glad Bridge Four has accepted Renarin. 

Also, we get that Jasnah and Navani disagree on the importance of personal histories in a record; Navani makes the mistake of dismissing them and gets a lecture from Jasnah, although at least Jasnah does apologize. 

Navani looks through Jasnah’s notes, gets that Jasnah seems to be investigating Renarin’s spren. 

Back to six years ago, in Dalinar’s mind. Gavilar’s funeral. The ardent is preaching about it--Dalinar is angry, even at the Almighty himself. We get that Dalinar had been trying to control his drinking, although when he was away from Kholinar he did just get completely wasted, and that he’d stopped yelling at his sons, which...shouldn’t have had to be a thing for him to stop, but good that he did. 

“You, always about dreams. My soul weeps. Farewell, weeping soul. My dreams...about, always, You.”  The poem slapped him harder than the others. He sought out Navani, and knew instantly that the ketek had been hers. Gazing straight ahead, she stood with one hand on Elhokar’s--King Elhokar’s--shoulder. So beautiful. Next to her, Jasnah stood with arms wrapped around herself, eyes red. Navani reached toward her, but Jasnah pulled away from the others and stalked off toward the palace proper. 

And then Gavilar is soulcast into a statue. Elhokar swears that he will have vengeance for Gavilar’s death. Dalinar is still horrified by the man he had been, and makes a note that really undercuts one of the most alarming things about the Blackthorn: 

Frightening, that nobody blamed him for the things he’d done. Nobody but Evi, who had seen what the killing would do to him.

And he’s pulled away from his attempt to get drunk by Jasnah, reading aloud the opening to the Way of Kings. He asks her to read it to him. 

Jasnah met his eyes, chewing her lip as she’d always done as a child. Then she read in a clear, strong voice, starting over from the first page, which he’d just heard.

For some reason it means a lot to me that Dalinar’s introduction to the Way of Kings was this--him being pulled away from the temptation of oblivion by Jasnah, who herself is desperately trying to heal from this moment. Navani is right--they’re like each other in ways that they don’t really know. 

But I’m glad they shared this. 

When she read the last word, Dalinar found himself weeping again. Jasnah dabbed at her own eyes. She had always been so much stronger than he was, but here they shared an understanding. This was their send-off to Gavilar’s soul. This was their farewell.  Leaving the book on the lectern, Jasnah walked over to Dalinar as he stood up. They embraced, saying nothing. After a few moments, she left. 

Dalinar thinks that he has to leave, he has to go on a journey. He remembers Evi’s words about the Old Magic. 

Dalinar stood up taller. He turned and stepped toward Adolin, seizing him by the shoulder. “I’ve been a poor father these last few years,” Dalinar said. “Nonsense,” Adolin said. “You--”  “I’ve been a poor father,” Dalinar repeated, raising his finger. “To you and your brother both. You should know how proud I am of you.” 

So that’s when he decides to go visit the Nightwatcher. 

Over to Szeth, with more epigraphs: 

I find Ba-Ado-Mishram to be the most interesting of the Unmade. She is said to have been keen of mind, a highprincess among the enemy forces, their commander during some of the desolations. I do not know how this relates to the ancient god of the enemy, named Odium. 

We also get that Nale had made several safehouses, but also that--understandably--his conception of time is a bit fucked. They land on a plain in Marat, between the Vorin kingdoms in the East and the Makabaki ones of the center west. 

Nale gets the other Skybreakers to leave and takes just Szeth with him. Szeth is unsure of how to refer to the Heralds; he uses “aboshi,” which is a divine honorific his people use to refer to the “great spren of the mountains.” 

They find a ruined courthouse, where people tried to take shelter from the invading Voidbringers. 

“You are in a unique position, Szeth-son-Neturo. You will be the first to swear the oaths of a Skybreaker in a new world, a world where I have failed.”  They found steps near the back wall. Szeth got out a sphere for light, as Nin did not appear to be so inclined. That drove the whispers back.  “I visited Ishar,” Nin continued. “You call him Ishu-son-God. He has always been the most wise of us. I did not...want to believe...what had happened.” 

Nightblood thinks that Nale might be evil. At the very least, he wants Szeth to fight him. And to prove that he’s better than Nale’s sword. 

We also get something important: Nale is not only a Herald. He also joined his own order and has a Shardblade. He is a Skybreaker of the Fifth Ideal, and he tells Szeth that he’s going to tell him about Aharietiam. The time the nine Heralds sacrificed the Tenth. 

Over to Dalinar. He wakes up, feeling surprisingly alright despite the fact that he’s been drinking. He wakes up, cleans himself off, shaves. We get that Gavilar was the one who taught him to shave--”their father had been too busy getting himself cut apart in foolish duels of honor, including the one where he’d taken a blow to the head. He’d never been right after that.” 

He also notes that most people seem to remember him as far more noble than he remembers himself. Taravangian was waiting for him, kind of--he and Dalinar go up together. Dalinar asks for word from Kholinar, and there’s been none, but Stormy chimes in: 

I...may have felt something, the Stormfather said. During a recent highstorm, it felt like Stormblessed was there with me. I do not know what it means, for I cannot see him--or the others--anywhere. I presumed them dead, but now...now I find myself believing. Why?  “You have hope,” Dalinar whispered, smiling. 

Anyway, Queen Fen calls Dalinar the fuck out for not doing shit for like a week,  he accepts it, and the conversation moves on. 

Jasnah joined the group, delivering a stack of papers to her mother.  “May I see?” Ialai asked.  “No,” Jasnah replied; Dalinar hid a smile in his drink. 

I adore Jasnah. She keeps just wrecking Ialai until Ialai gives up. Unfortunately, Highprince Ruthar--who sides with her--decides to keep going. 

And then Dalinar has a moment of revelation where he realizes why the battle plan has been bothering him. The Voidbringers aren’t going to attack Jah Keved--the Veden and Alethi know every fucking inch of that land. 

It looks like the enemy is going for Thaylen City. 

Thaylen City, where Kal has been told to go; where Amaram is; where the voidbringers are, now moving. 

Shit, it’s all going to coalesce there. Fen realizes that the ships were spared by the Everstorm so that the Voidbringers could take them. Fen’s son points out that just defending Thaylen City isn’t enough--the Thaylens know naval warfare. Their fleet could just sail on and attack another port city. 

On his way out, he passed Taravangian, who had taken a seat by the wall. The old man looked distracted by something. “Taravangian?” Dalinar said. “We’ll leave troops in Jah Keved too, in case I’m wrong. Don’t worry.”  The old man looked to Dalinar, then strangely wiped tears from his eyes.  “Are...are you in pain?” Dalinar asked. “Yes. But is is nothing you can fix.” He hesitated. “You are a good man, Dalinar Kholin. I did not expect that.” 

Oh, god, what’s Taravangian planning. 

Dalinar goes to tell Kadash that he’s releasing his ardents from his service, not wanting to put them into the position where they serve a heretic. Kadash refuses, pointing out that the rest of the army needs them. 

Dalinar is thinking, trying to figure out if he can bring some sort of commander from Odium’s side into a highstorm vision. Stormfather says he can see one person--it’s probably Venli. Oh, this would be interesting. Also, we get that the Radiants really need to figure out how to power Urithiru and get things growing again. 

Over to Taravangian. We get that Moelach seems to have settled in the Horneater peaks--so that’s where the Death Rattles will be now. Also might be why it’s so dangerous, both in Shadesmar and in life. We get that Spark, Malata’s spren, uses “she” pronouns. 

“Spark is fine with what we’re doing,” Malata said, pressing her finger down and adding another swirl to the table. “I told you, the rest of them are idiots. They assume all the spren are going to be on their side. Never mind what the Radiants did to Spark’s friends, never mind that organized devotion to  Honor is what killed hundreds of ashspren in the first place.” 

Anyway, apparently Spark is up for anything that lets her take vengeance on the Radiants for what they did to the ashspren. That’s...interesting. I like this complexity added. 

Anyway, Taravangian is going to leak an anonymous essay with a bunch of secrets, and a bunch of Dawnchant translations as well, to make sure they all hit at the same time. He’s planning on crushing Dalinar down. 

#oathbringer spoilers #stormlight archive liveblog #shadesmar road trip #adolin kholin is a ray of sunlight #dalinar voice: unite them #to be unmade you have to be made

[preservationandruin]

Words of Radiance: Part 3

The spread here is Shallan and Kaladin, as usual, with Adolin and Navani rounding out the four. 

Shallan arrives at the plains and meets some new friends, Kaladin learns about lowkey regicide plans, and Adolin fights more. 

I feel like in part we’re staying out of Dalinar’s head because Brandon wants us to keep thinking he dismissed Kaladin’s complaints about Amaram, and to keep us in the dark as to what Dalinar is planning. I can’t complain, when the payoff will be so glorious. The epigraphs, now, are from the book Words of Radiance--for this first one, we get a bit on how the surges are divided among Orders. 

Adolin point of view--he’s distracted and rattled, thanks to Szeth’s attack. He’s also grumpy about Kaladin, still--he doesn’t understand Kal as well as Dalinar does, and is reading him as more insubordinate than he is. Doesn’t help that Kaladin has no reason to like him and thus Adolin hasn’t seen many of his redeeming features. Adolin is also lowkey classist/racist (hard precisely what to term the prejudice against darkeyes) in this, judging the bridgemen just for being darkeyed. Also, we get that Soulcasters--not Radiant ones, but human ones--look less and less human the more they work. Their eyes look like gemstones and their skin like stone. I wonder if the Alethi really know what they’re doing here, because this might be just a side effect, or they could be doing the classic “playing with things man was not meant to know” type thing. Also, they chant when they soulcast. Interesting. 

Anyway, over to Navani, working on fabrials to make things fly. We also get a hilarious description of Dalinar: 

“The man was a dear, but he was a touch overprotective. In the way a highstorm was a touch windy.” 

Well, he and the Stormfather should get along well, then. Also, Adolin awkwardly asks if Navani “encouraged” Dalinar’s “advances” and Navani has to break it to him that she basically seduced Dalinar. Adolin is Very Uncomfortable but hey, he started the conversation about his dad’s love life. 

Get a bit on the Releasers--god, I want to see them in action--and a Shallan chapter. She’s arrived at the Alethi warcamps, and gets herself taken to see Dalinar. Aaaaaaand immediately runs into Kaladin. Gaz basically tries to hide behind Shallan, Shallan and Kaladin start bickering, and everything is off to a great start, guys.

“I’m just doing my job.”  “Your job is to be offensive and asinine?”  “No, I’m offensive and asinine on my own time, too.” 

Shallan makes some nasty quips about Kaladin not knowing who his parents are, which is just...Shallan, he had a happier family life than you did. Which is a really low bar, I understand, but geez. 

Adolin point of view. He’s goading people into duels--he gets one, betting all of his shards. One on one, though. And then Adolin runs into Sadeas, and only Amaram stops him from punching him. Have I mentioned that I hate Amaram. Amaram tries to lecture Adolin, who gets distracted by a pretty girl--actually, Shallan. it’s the red hair. Anyway, I too would pay attention to any pretty girl in the area instead of Amaram. 

And then he realizes That’s his fiancee. 

Anyway, Shallan has to tell Navani how Jasnah died, and lies and says she set the boat on fire to escape. Navani...doesn’t take it well, although god, who would? Shallan gets momentarily distracted because Adolin’s smile is cute. Also, Shallan’s been playing so many different roles she doesn’t answer to her own name immediately. They’re both awkward as hell--Shallan’s opener is “I like to walk, um, your hair is nice” and so that’s happening too. Shallan also bullshits her way into Sebarial’s camp through astute people-reading and a desire not to get tied up in Kholin politics, which is smart. 

Also, Dalinar and Sadeas spend the entire argument between Highprinces staring at each other. Shallan also manages to endear herself to Sebarial immediately by being a little irreverent and a lot witty. Dalinar just randomly stands up and starts quoting the Way of Kings. General reaction is “Dalinar what the fuck.” Highprince discussions are a time. 

Sadeas remains five inches from Adolin strangling him at all times, Renarin pulls Adolin back down into his seat, and everything’s a mess. Also, this:

 “I need to choose some new Shardbearers.” “New Shardbearers?” “I will soon come into the possession of more Shards.” “And are we allowed to know the source of this amazing trove?” “Why, Adolin is going to win them from all of you.”

 I love the Kholins. Back to Shallan’s past, we get one of her father’s feasts. Her father was announcing his remarriage. Shallan gets her necklace, and someone with heterochromia--the king of Vedenar’s son? yeah--comes in. Shallan had frozen again due to her mom being mentioned. Shallan also manages to cheer up her brothers through awful puns. The children are all too terrified to give testimony against their father. Back to the present. Shallan realizes how canny Sebarial is, how he’s turned a profit because he was the only one who saw that the warcamps were permanent. I love Sebarial and Palona: 

“Ah, the bane of my existence. Please try to hold your laughter until we separate. My frail, aging ego can no longer handle the mockery.” “Please tell me you didn’t kidnap her, Turi.” 

Also Sebarial admits the only reason he brought Shallan home is because it would irritate the highprinces. He also lurks just inside the door so he can pretend to be uninterested in the conversation but also argue with Palona. Palona gets her set up in the house and admits that Sebarial brings home strays often, and implies that she was one as well. And Shallan finally gets to sleep. 

Apparently one group of Radiants didn’t want to lay down their Blades and flee--no idea what came of that, though. It would make sense for it to be the Stonewardens? Anyway, Kaladin. He’s fretting about not knowing where all the bridgemen are at all times, and also training new recruits in the chasms. 

Lopen uses the expression “flick my sparks” and Kaladin still can’t figure out walking on walls initially, although he does make it work after some going at it. Figures out how to manipulate gravity better. For a moment, it seems almost like he sees the Cognitive Realm? 

For a moment, Kaladin thought he saw shadows of a world that was not, shadows of another place. And in that place, a distant sky with a sun enclosed, almost as if by a corridor of clouds.

Also, Kaladin admits that although he feels that Dalinar is a good man, it will take being certain for him to tell Dalinar what he can do--and that he wants to kill Amaram, which still worries Syl. With good reason. 

Also, Renarin’s there! He’s come to try to join bridge four because Renarin is precious and I love him. He’s also doing the same rocking-back-and-forth stim that I do all the time and have I mentioned how nice it is to see someone stimming in fiction without judgement being attached to it? It’s really nice. Also, the conversation about Renarin’s epilepsy, which ends in the great: 

“How do you know these things? Aren’t you a soldier?”  “I know some field medicine.”  “Field medicine...for epilepsy?”  Kaladin coughed into his hand. 

REAL GOOD AT BEING SUBTLE THERE KALADIN. Also, Renarin’s just so goddamned earnest. Kal also notices that Renarin was terrified of doing this but did it anyway and honestly, could he ask anything else of a recruit? Also, the first thing Kaladin does is assign Renarin to washing duty, and Renarin just fucking goes with it. Moash says that Renarin “doesn’t act right” which, okay Moash, shut up. Kaladin is also suspecting that Moash was involved in the plot to kill the king, and Moash is trying to help Kaladin with Amaram. 

Back to Shallan, who finally also gets good food, and then finds Tyn’s spanreed going off again--she doesn’t catch the communication in time, but it starts her planning an identity with which to infiltrate the Ghostbloods, and so the drawing that becomes Veil is born. She does eventually make contact, and gets that the meeting is going to be very, very soon. 

Shallan also is learning how useful it is to be unseen--nobody notices Veil. She also notices that when she doesn’t want to do something, her mind seizes on anything nearby as a distraction--which is what happens when she tries to think about when her mother died. She also accidentally overpays for something because she forgets darkeyes aren’t filthy rich. Still gotta work on that, Shallan. 

So we’re meeting the Ghostbloods. Mraize apparently reminds Shallan of Wit--they’re both worldhoppers, that might be it--and she can’t place his accent. Probably also because of that. But violet eyes mean he might be a Rosharan native. We also see Iyatil--I’m so glad we know where she’s from now! Gotta love Southern Scadrial--and Shallan assumes she’s a dude initially because of the uncovered safehand. We also get some trophies, some of which are from other worlds--pale sand (Taldain), Hairpins (metalminds??), golden hair (Nalthis???), the branch of a tree (I’ve heard that’s from Yolen), silver knife (Threnody?), a flower (Nalthis??). A chunk of pale crystal that’s delicate that we don’t know about. 

Also, he mentions that he is currently hunting Amaram, so I gotta like him, just a little. He also gives her the nickname “little knife” here, and tells her not to harm Amaram because “his life belongs to another.” I don’t know who. Maybe me. I want to kill Amaram. Anyway. Also, Iyatil tails her, and Pattern catches it, and she disguises herself as a wall. 

Back to Kaladin, at the lighteyed training grounds. Zahel yet again tries for metaphor and lands squarely in shitpost: “Boy, you’ve got red on your ears like I’ve never seen” (he means they’re spoiling for a fight). Moash again shows how much he wants a shardblade by grabbing for one that Zahel puts in front of them. Kaladin passes up holding it, partially because of Syl, but also meaning we prolong the revelation of oh god screaming for a more dramatic moment. And Shallan has just. Shown up on the grounds. Of course. Adolin assumes that Shallan came to watch him only for her to completely ignore him to go talk to the radiants. Kaladin can’t resist teasing Adolin about that one. Shallan claims she didn’t see Adolin there, which is a lie, but is still hilarious. 

“Look,” Adolin said, turning to Shallan. “I can see what you’re up to.”  “Five foot six inches,” Shallan said. “I suspect that is all I will ever be up to, unfortunately.” 

Adolin just has no real idea how to deal with her, which is great. Adolin actually likes it, though, and Kaladin is just confused. Moash admits that the king ended up behind the death of his family--his grandparents. He admits to trying to kill Elhokar--roundabout--and gets Kaladin to agree to meet with some “others” who were involved. Syl is alarmed, although she only heard part of it--and I think here is where the oaths start clashing. 

Shallan flashback--she sees something that looks like a parrot, although--of course--it’s called a chicken. Why is Roshar like this. Anyway, Shallah slipped away from her father at a fair, and is trying to arrange it so that her brother gets with the girl he likes. Balat asks Shallan for dating advice and Shallan points out that she’s fourteen. When she returns, her father is meeting with someone else--Wit--and when he sees Shallan he nearly spills his cup. Can he see investiture? We see him pouring dust into his own drink, hinting that he may have used his lerasium bead on himself at this point. Also, her father declares Helaran disinherited. Shallan is trying to make her brothers happy--she translated months and months of equations into glyphs for Wikim, set Balat up on a date, and wants to get Jushu away from drinking and gambling. Wikim says she wasted her time, which of course devastates her.

And then she runs into Hoid, who asks if spren talk to her--Shallan lies and says no because thinking about them makes her go blank. We do get the great discussion of beauty--beauty is relative. If all you know is pain, the times the pain are less is beauty. She says that to her, the most beautiful thing is her in the garden with her mother. Helaran never left. “the people her mother new...Dreder...” never showed up, and her mother loves her. That’s heartbreaking. Clearly, Hoid might be trying to provoke her into surgebinding right now. He was--but he gets that she doesn’t understand enough yet. 

Kaladin again. The number of Herdazians in bridge four is exponentially expanding. Kaladin also asked Dalinar if he could arm Shen, got an okay, and gives Shen a spear, promising he’s going to be trained, and for a moment it seems like Shen was going to admit to being Parshendi, but Moash interrupts to drag Kaladin out for a night on the town. Apparently people bet they could outdrink Rock. 

“Tonight,” Lopen said, finger to the air, “I will be victorious. It is said you should never bet against the one-armed Herdazian in a drinking contest!”  “It is?” Moash asked. “It will be said,” Loped continued, “you should never bet against the one-armed Herdazian in a drinking contest!”  “You weigh about as much as a starved axehound, Lopen,” Moash said skeptically.  “Ah, but I have focus.” 

Have I mentioned I love bridge four because holy hell do i love bridge four. Rock keeps hoping for Horneater lager only to be reminded it melts things like non-Horneater teeth, and cups. We also get the Unalaki origin story, which is long and I’m not gonna write out fully, but is really interesting! Also, Rock encountered Lunu’anaki, the god of travel and mischief, who I am pretty damn sure is Hoid (interestingly, this implies the Horneater Waters of Life are a shardpool Wouldn’t surprise me with how Rock describes them--water on top, something else beneath, swim in it and you can see the place of the gods). Also, apparently “every man knows” that Lunu’anaki is forbidden to hurt men. Horneater mythology has a lot of things spot-on. 

Kaladin is unfortunately starting to think in terms of “he can bring justice to the world” by murder, which is the kind of thing that Windrunners are not supposed to do. Rock has finished seven drinks and is not tipsy. And we’re meeting Moash’s “friends.” Danlan is associated with them. These assholes follow the Diagram, if I remember right, although Moash doesn’t know much of that. Kaladin refuses to do it and tells Moash to stop meeting with them, but that conversation is going to stick with him.  I’ll cut this here. 

#stormlight archive liveblog #roshar #ghostbloods doing ghostthings #FUCK YEAH BRIDGE FOUR #i loathe meridas amaram

[preservationandruin]

Words of Radiance Part 2, Part 2

I swear to god I am not intentionally replicating Homestuck’s act structure with the parts here. 

Shallan gets serious, Kaladin fights someone else with his powers and falls off a horse, Sadeas is Sadeas, and Adolin starts losing friends. 

Continuing on with Part Two, the listener song epigraph mentions decayform, which “destroys the souls of dreams” and sounds horrifying. Needless to say, it’s one of the forms from the old gods. Anyway, Shallan is talking with Gaz, in part about why he deserted. She gets the details from ground-level about how the lighteyes started fighting not to win, but for sport. She also has started being witty around them, which is hilarious. Vathah still hates her, and she’s doing her best not to let it get to her. Also: 

“If you don’t mind me saying, Brightness. You have quite the clever tongue on you!” 

“I’ve never actually had someone’s tongue on me,” Shallan said, turning a page and not looking up, “clever or not. I’d hazard to consider it an unpleasant experience.” 

“It ain’t so bad,” Gaz said. 

They both looked at him.

“He shrugged. “Just saying. It ain’t...” 

GAZ. 

Also, Shallan thinks for a moment of trying to get Sadeas on her side, which uHHH SHALLAN NO. Pattern also mentions that Voidbringers have their own spren, from Odium. And we also get that Tyn assumes that Shallan is some nobody pulling a con, which...is wrong. Tyn’s assumptions about Shallan really come back to bite her. 

Smokeform is stated to be “though crafted of gods, it was by Unmade hand,” which implies a distinction. Also, Kaladin needs to get on a horse and is completely perplexed by this. He doesn’t trust horses, which...might be fair. I like Jenet, the stablemaster--she’s very frank about everything. And she reacts to Adolin showing up by throwing rocks at him. It gets him to go away and is also lowkey hysterical. Kaladin also just goes to the horse and is like, okay, neither of us want to do this, i understand that. 

Also, Adolin decides to taunt Kaladin again, pointing out a much more feisty horse, and Kaladin--knowing this is a bad idea--goes over to try to ride it. Unsurprisingly, he’s knocked on his ass. He’s very amused by all of it, actually. 

An interesting listener fragment, ending with “Our gods were not who shattered these plains.” Then who did? I still have a theory that it’s where Honor died. Also, confirmation that the plains were deliberately shattered. 

Over to Adolin, in a fight on the plateaus. Jakamav is there as well. I still only see that guy as a fratboy. Also, Eshonai is there, and Adolin wants to fight “him.” Eshonai instead tries to arrange a meeting with Dalinar--the one that ends up ill-fated when she takes stormform too soon. We also hear about when Renarin summoned his blade, him having one of his fits. Also also, Adolin comments that this plateau “almost looks man-made”--it probably is an old ruined building, covered in centuries of crem. Jakamav basically tells Adolin they’re not friends until Adolin’s reputation improves again, and Sureblood shows off a little to cheer Adolin up. Renarin also specifies that he didn’t have a fit, and Adolin notices that he’s not wearing his glasses. Renarin also says that he needs to be ready, because something is coming--Adolin accurately connects that to the numbers on the walls. 

More Shallan flashbacks. We get that Shallan’s homelife is getting worse and worse, and that she finds solace in the gardens. She wants to leave and find “a place away from the shouting.” Helaran keeps visiting and giving Shallan drawing supplies--does he know she’s a Radiant? Possibly. We also get that when she thinks of what happened, she goes blank again, staring at the wall for an indefinite amount of time. We also get how broken the family is--Jushu gambles and drinks, Balat sets fires, and Shallan dissociates whenever she thinks of what happened when she was eleven. 

Tyn and Shallan are talking in the present day, teaching Shallan accents and such. She also gives Shallan eyedrops that can darken your eyes--something Shallan might not need with her surgebinding, but still useful. Also, the boots scene. They’re so lucky Rock wasn’t one of the bridgemen they encountered--he would have seen through it in a second. The others are still skeptical. Still funny, but also still uncomfortable--another little way Shallan overlooks how she’s a lighteyes and the amount of clout and fear that connotes in darkeyes. 

“hopefully she wouldn’t run into those particular soldiers again” Oh, Shallan...

A Sadeas viewpoint. He’s still basically living on the Thrill alone. And he still doesn’t understand why Dalinar traded the Blade--he assumes it was to try to slow Sadeas down instead of, uh, being a decent human being and rewarding good men. The thing that gets me about Sadeas is that he just doesn’t get it. He notices that other soldiers are more competent than his men, gets irritated, and then puts no effort into positive reinforcement or into discipline. Also, we get that Parshendi used to try to surrender, but the first time they tried it Sadeas killed all of them, turning the war into a bloodbath. Thanks, Sadeas. 

Also, Sadeas still hasn’t realized anything about the bridgemen--he thinks they’re lying on the ground and sleeping while better men died, not, uh, being exhausted from being run like animals while malnourished. Also, Sadeas says that he knows Amaram is a ruthless bastard, which is true, and Amaram starts pulling his self-important horseshit. 

Sadeas is just so oblivious. He thinks everything works in one set way and doesn’t consider that people might have motivations he doesn’t understand. We also get some of the cause of his frustration--he’s getting old, he’s dying, he’s desperate for that to stop happening. Also, here we get the fact that contrary to what Dalinar believes, Sadeas doesn’t care about Elhokar--if Alethkar is going to be “strong” Elhokar’s going to have to die. 

...Eerie that that’s the same logic that almost wins Kaladin over, later. 

Also my brain just barfed “Sadeas voice: Make Alethkar Great Again” at me and I’m fucking dying. Also, we get that Sadeas can read Adolin well--it takes him a moment, but he notices that Adolin is faking not taking the duel seriously and letting himself take hits so that he can surprise people. Unfortunately for Sadeas, turns out later that he can’t read Adolin quite well enough. Also, Sadeas here admits that even if Dalinar was behaving the way Sadeas is--if Dalinar was what Sadeas in theory wants him to be--Sadeas would kill him anyway. That’s what gets it--this is the moment it becomes blatantly clear it’s not about Alethkar, it’s about power. 

Shallan is geeking out about plants. She also does a drawing for Gaz, drawing him as the people he saved saw him. A lie, but also not a lie. She’s getting good at this. One wonders what she’ll be able to do in the Alethi court proper--used right, she could be a great ally to Dalinar, if she can show the nobles what they would be like if they were united. Interestingly, she also draws a woman bringing down a hammer and chisel on a stone body’s face--she may have just drawn Shalash, despite knowing nothing of what she was doing. That’s very interesting. Tyn also says that Shallan needs a dose of realism. Tyn, just because Shallan blushes at the thought of lewd jokes doesn’t mean she hasn’t murdered multiple people before. We get this line: 

“How can you be so certain I’ve never done things like this?”  “Because you’re not broken.”  “Maybe I’m faking.” 

She is faking--faking so well she’s fooling herself, sometimes. Also, Tyn gives her some advice about the betrothal and how to make it work. 

Kaladin leads his troop of patrollers back and has stew, looking at the stars--there are moving stars called starspren, apparently, and I’m taking mental notes about the astronomy of Roshar--and Kaladin notes that something’s weird about the air. Also, we get Rock shooing away an ardent that’s probably Nazh. Back to Shallan, we get her and Tyn bantering more--including bringing up that sometimes Shallan might have to go with both hands bare for a con, which Shallan is scandalized by. We also get the news that Vedenar is in chaos because the king, his heir, and multiple highprinces were killed by Szeth. Thanks, Taravangian. 

Kaladin has another dream where he is the storm, and talks with the Stormfather, who accuses Kaladin of planning to kill Syl and “leave her corpse to wicked men”--the Shardblades. Kaladin denies it, but he’s already started. We also get “He comes for you, little traitor. I am sorry.” and a second storm rising made of red lightning--Odium is showing up. Kaladin is very spooked. 

Back to Shallan, where Pattern is freaking out too. This is the highstorm where some Parshendi bond stormspren, isn’t it. That would make sense for the amount of panic that is happening with people--and then Szeth shows up. Elhokar, understandably, is losing his shit. Dalinar is also upset-- “I’m not asleep at the table this time, you bastard. You’re not taking another one from me”--and he, Adolin, and Kaladin engage Szeth. Dalinar of course assumes Szeth was after Elhokar. Kaladin also realizes that Szeth has windrunner powers. 

And Kaladin gets stabbed by a Shardblade--and heals it later. Which is supposed to be impossible, and probably is, if you’re not a Radiant. Dalinar manages to barehanded catch a Shardblade--which is badass--and Kaladin tackles Szeth out a window and into a highstorm. The listener song implies that a listener might be able to surgebind--Radiant Eshonai please Brandon I will do anything--and Kaladin fights Szeth, telling Szeth he’s a windrunner. Szeth doesn’t believe him. We get Szeth’s breakdown--They named me Truthless--and he demands to know if all of “them” are back, to which Kaladin answers yes. Szeth runs, and Kaladin collapses. 

Kaladin also notices that Adolin noticed that Kaladin’s arm was stabbed, and fails to say that he’s a Surgebinder--is too much of a coward to say it in front of Elhokar and Adolin. 

Back to Shallan, she learns that Tyn was supposed to assassinate Jasnah Kholin. And the associate Tyn is talking to mentions Shallan and gives a description, meaning that Tyn now tries to kill Shallan. 

And Shallan stabs Tyn through the face with her Shardblade. “Difficult things. Yes, I believe I told you. I’ve learned that lesson already. Thank you.” And she also takes the conversation Tyn had, learns she worked for the Ghostbloods, and arranges a meeting with them. Again--the trip without Jasnah let Shallan come into her own a lot, and learn valuable con art skills. And that’s the end of Part Two! Adolin is suspicious of Kaladin (rightly), Shallan is almost at the Shattered Plains and has a meeting with the Ghostbloods arranged and also killed someone again, Kaladin has destroyed Szeth’s worldview, and Sadeas is scum. 

#stormlight archive liveblog #roshar #FUCK YEAH BRIDGE FOUR #shallan davar is amazing #sadeas voice: make alethkar great again