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Interview #1048: WOR Signing Report - IronCaf

Summary

Entry #1

IronCaf

The signing tonight was tons of fun, and I was super pumped to meet Brandon Sanderson! I also figured, why not share the tiny nugget he shared with me instead of hoarding it and sitting on it for all eternity, so I made an account and here I am.

Entry #2

IronCaf

In what ways is the process of becoming an allomantic savant like body building or other exercise?

Brandon Sanderson

[Paraphrasing] That is not an inapt metaphor for it. It’s like a wedge gets in the soul and cracks it, and investiture can fill it up.

IronCaf

And using allomancy breaks it further?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

IronCaf

Do other magic systems in the Cosmere function in a similar way?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

IronCaf

Which ones? Will we see them soon?

Brandon Sanderson

I’m going to have to RAFO that.

Entry #3

IronCaf

And he also gave me this as a sweet custom dedication:

So it’s official, I’m a dead Mistborn :D Hooray!

Entry #4

Rybal

Can the Heralds Surgebind without their Blades and if not are they under the same restrictions that others are?

Brandon Sanderson

The Heralds without their Blades are incapable of the powers you’re familiar with. It doesn’t mean there aren’t other things they can do.

Entry #5

Rybal

How did you come up with the geography on Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson

The geography on Roshar was developed as a natural outgrowth of the highstorm, which was the first concept for Roshar, which was inspired by the storm of Jupiter, which was me wanting to tell a story about a world with a continual magical storm. And then I built the ecology and all of these things up from that. Roshar had to grow up–I had to find a mechanism by which stone was deposited by rain, because I felt that the constant weathering over that long of a time would leave no continents. So the crem was my kind of scientific-with-one-foot-in-magic hack on keeping the continent. So the continent does drift. They don’t have plate tectonics. The continent actually moves as it gets weathered on the east and gets pushed that direction over millennia of time.

Entry #6

Shicaca ()

I was looking at the map of Roshar and it kinda looked like a spiral galaxy to me, like it was flipping a certain way.

Brandon Sanderson

That was intentional. You are on to something that no one’s figured out yet.

Shicaca

I was thinking it could be connected to people being able to manipulate gravity.

Brandon Sanderson

It’s not exactly what you think you’re on to, but you’re getting close to something that they’ve all wanted to know for a while.

Entry #7

Outis

Are there any birds on Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, they’re called chickens by everybody, and you’ve seen some of them. If you watch in WoR, there are things that people are calling a chicken which is not what you know of as a chicken.

Entry #8

Outis

Kaladin is a lot younger than his knowledge and training levels are? (Can’t make out the rest)

Brandon Sanderson

You’ve got to keep two things in mind. He’s led a very hard life which has aged him experience-wise prematurely, and also Roshar years are longer than ours, so when in this book they say he’s 19, he’s not actually 19, he’s more like, I can’t remember the exact equation, he’s like 23 or something like that.

Entry #9

Outis

What Order of Knights Radiant would you want to be in?

Brandon Sanderson

Ohhhh I would probably place myself in the Bondsmiths would be my guess. But the bondsmiths are very hard to get into, there’s a limited number of people who can be Bondsmiths.

Entry #10

Outis

Do you have an advisor for the science?

Brandon Sanderson

I usually run things by my editor who’s very big into science, but mostly we go find an expert and have him read. The thing about it is, I have to hand wave a lot of things. Like the laws of thermodynamics, I can’t, you know.. There are quantum physics in here. I’m trying to handwave as little as possible but we are breaking fundamental laws of physics, but even in terms of things like the laws of conservation. Energy is being conserved, but there’s a supernatural source.

Entry #11

Outis

Is Hoid the one that comes out of the lake that Rock is talking about?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Entry #12

Outis

What was the tweak you wanted to put in the end?

Brandon Sanderson

At the end of the day, I kind of wish that I had had Kaladin decide not to kill Szeth. But him killing Szeth is what the outline calls for and it’s going to send the book in some interesting ways but I kinda wish I hadn’t done that. Forcing him to live with what he’d done instead. Taking his blade and forcing him to live with what he’d done, I’d kind of wish that’s what I’d done.

Entry #13

Outis

Is the fundamental force of gravity the same as it is on Earth. Is the constant the same?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, the constant would be the same. The big difference is when I’m tweaking the fundamental forces is, I imagine on Roshar that there are more fundamental forces. There are more than four. I’ve broken them up according to what their scientists have decided.

Entry #14

Outis

Are you going to make any of your primary characters into worldhoppers?

Brandon Sanderson

Some of them already are. There are primary characters who are worldhoppers. We just haven’t had books about them yet. In this series’ main characters, I will RAFO whether any will become worldhoppers.

Entry #15

Outis

Is the crossover surge for each Knight the same?

Brandon Sanderson

To an extent, yes. Each of the combinations make a little bit of a tweak to how things act. But when you see the Skybreakers affecting gravity it will look much the same as what you saw on the Windrunners.

Entry #16

Outis

In book one, Dalinar catches a chasmfiend claw. In book two, he catches a Shardblade. Is he going to keep catching stuff in each book?

Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar is pretty good at catching stuff. Umm…RAFO?

Entry #17

Outis

The line about three of sixteen reigned and now the Broken One rules. Did Odium follow three other shards to Roshar, or is he the third Shard?

Brandon Sanderson

Odium is the third Shard on Roshar.

Entry #18

Outis

Do you know the order of 6-10?

Brandon Sanderson

I know whose they are but I haven’t decided the order. Lift is one, Taln is one. The person who calls himself Taln.

Footnote

6-10 presumably means books 6-10 of Stormlight Archive.

Entry #19

Outis

With the different headings on each chapter on the Stormlight Archive books, 5 years from now if I read the 5 books and I’m reading all of the last words of the people, is it going to be this huge foreshadowing?

Brandon Sanderson

It will make a lot more sense.

Entry #20

Outis

Who would win in an argument, Shallan or Lightsong?

Brandon Sanderson

[laughs]Lightsong. More practice. Maybe Shallan would eventually be able to hold her own but at this point he would win.

Entry #21

Outis

When can I expect Dragonsteel?

Brandon Sanderson

A loong time. It’s waaay off.

Entry #22

Outis

How much Stormlight is equal to one Breath?

Brandon Sanderson

This is one of the times I have to go to Peter and say, They’re asking, we have to canonize this.

Entry #23

Outis

How much Stormlight is equal to one Breath?

Brandon Sanderson

This is one of the times I have to go to Peter and say, They’re asking, we have to canonize this.

Entry #24

Outis

Will Allomancy affect Shardblades?

Brandon Sanderson

It cannot affect Shardblades. Well, cannot is a strong term. Things with innate Investiture are much more difficult to affect by any of the magics at all. Which is why it’s very hard for Szeth to bind people or lash people wearing Shardplate to the ceiling. In the same way Allomancy wouldn’t be able to push on it without some help. Duralumin with a strong Push would probably do it.

Outis

I was just wondering if it was actually metal.

Brandon Sanderson

It is metalish–it’s metal enough for Allomancy to work on it.

Entry #25

Outis

If an Elantrian bonded to a Seon and traveled to Roshar, would that act as a Nahel bond?

Brandon Sanderson

It would act very very similarly, yes. But it would be like… it wouldn’t necesarily do the exact same things. It would be treated the exact same way, but wouldn’t grant the same powers.

Entry #26

Outis

Is Shardplate crem?

Brandon Sanderson

No it is not, good question.

Entry #27

Outis

What other magic systems in the Cosmere have that same kind of, “If you use it a lot it gets better?”

Brandon Sanderson

It is a little bit more like wedging open cracks in the soul by letting the Investiture come in, and it can open the cracks more.

Outis

Are there other magic systems like that?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Outis

Will we see those any time soon?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe…RAFO.

Entry #28

Outis

Is it very difficult to worldhop from Sel because most of the world in its Cognitive realm version is ocean?

Brandon Sanderson

No that is not the reason, good question.

Entry #29

Outis

What alloy did Hoid drink?

Brandon Sanderson

Let’s just say he was trying to make certain people act the way they wanted to.

Footnote

act the way “they” wanted to, or “he” wanted them to?

Entry #30

Outis

Are there any locations on Roshar with red stone?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Outis

Where did the redstone on Feverstone come from?

Brandon Sanderson

Roshar.

Entry #31

Outis

Is Eshonai going to be a Radiant?

Brandon Sanderson

In the past, parshmen/Parshendi were not allowed to become Knights Radiant. However, what I said might imply that that could change. But no promises.

Entry #32

Outis

Can spren be resurrected? Because ideas can never really die.

Brandon Sanderson

This is theoretically possible but very difficult without the people who originally betrayed their oaths.

Entry #33

Outis

Does Nightblood act as an Honorblade?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO

Entry #34

Outis

Would you consider yourself a Worldsinger?

Brandon Sanderson

Potentially, yes.

Entry #35

Outis

In Shallan, in the beginning and middle of the book it’s 10 heartbeats, and in the end of the book it’s none…?

Brandon Sanderson

The 10 heartbeats is required to revive a dead shardblade

Outis

But he wasn’t dead the whole time.

Brandon Sanderson

He wasn’t. But perception–all magic systems in the Cosmere are based on perception-what you think you can do. For instance, Kaladin can’t get healed because he sees himself as having a wounded forehead with the scars and that can’t vanish because his perception is in the way.

Entry #36

Outis

Do we have another worldhopper potentially, with the epilogue?

Brandon Sanderson

There is some interesting things happening there. Good question!

Entry #37

Outis

How many orders have we seen so far? I know there’re the four identifed at the end.

Brandon Sanderson

You’ve seen Jasnah’s, so that’s the fifth one. You’ve seen Lift which gets you to six. You’ve seen Ym.

Entry #38

Outis

Unknown.

Brandon Sanderson

You can usually-in some cases-use the magic of one world to power the magic of another world.

Entry #39

Outis

Szeth in the prologue of book one says he can’t heal from a Shardblade wound, but Kaladin can. What is the distinction there?

Brandon Sanderson

You should be looking to see if you can find other distinctions between what Szeth says and what happens to Kaladin, because there’s three or four big inconsistencies.

Entry #40

Outis

What’s with the black stone that the king gives Szeth?

Brandon Sanderson

It holds a secret that will be revealed in future books. I’d tell ya but they’re recording me right here, so I can’t tell you otherwise it gets out on the internet!

Entry #41

Outis

How do safepouches work?

Brandon Sanderson

Imagine an envelope that you can button closed.

Entry #42

Outis

Dalinar, the Blackthorn, are we going to figure out why he’s called that?

Brandon Sanderson

You will eventually see flashbacks from Dalinar in a later book, which will add some information to that.

Entry #43

Outis

Is there any significance to Adolin’s mother’s chain being missing?

Brandon Sanderson

Only to him.

Entry #44

Outis

If after speaking the Third Ideal, Kaladin were to betray his oaths, would Syl turn into a Shardblade?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Entry #45

Outis

Given that Investiture is Investiture, would there be potential Investiture of like, kandra to Parshendi using Hemalurgic spikes?

Brandon Sanderson

Hemalurgic spikes can be used on any planet.

Outis

Would it be potential for Parshendi to develop a form using the spikes?

Brandon Sanderson

Wow, that would be a really weird hack of the magic system that would be theoretically possible. But that’s a really weird one. I had never even considered that one. Parshendi adopting other Investiture could happen, the spikes is not one I’ve considered.

Entry #46

Outis

Are the Unmade actually spren as Taravangian thinks they are?

Brandon Sanderson

As far as anyone knows. I’m not going to answer other than that.

Entry #47

Outis

Are there factions in the Spiritual Realm? Like there are different stories about the Tranquiline Halls and the Iridescent Tomes.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes…there are actual factions but they’re not what you’re thinking of.

Outis

Are there lifeforms that are native to the Spiritual Realm like the spren are native to the Cognitive Realm?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, but they’re not what you’re thinking.

Entry #48

Outis

How did Hoid and whoever he’s sending the letters to deliver the letters?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO

Entry #49

Outis

Can Nightwatcher RAFO people?

Brandon Sanderson

[Laughs]Nightwatcher can do whatever she wants!

Entry #50

Outis

Was there any specific reason why you chose to not have men not be able to read in [Roshar]?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, it relates back to the origin of where the safehand comes from and things like this.

Entry #51

Outis

Are spren visible on Roshar because Cultivation is present?

Brandon Sanderson

Cultivation has a lot to do with the spren but the spren…would…it’s hard to separate them, but some spren did exist before Cultivation arrived.

Entry #52

Outis

Unknown question.

Brandon Sanderson

Eshonai indeed gets a flashback sequence. Now, Parshendi were not allowed to be surgebinders in previous eras. I’ll just mention that.

Entry #53

Outis

Are there any other characters from Elantris or other things?

Brandon Sanderson

There are indeed others around. I don’t know how obvious they are in this book, but there are a couple.

Entry #54

Chris_from_Warrenton

Would it be possible to Soulforge NIghtblood and change the command that was given to him when he was Invested?

Brandon Sanderson

That is possible. That would actually not be a very difficult Soulforge. The problem is, he’s Invested. So reInvesting him, which is what Soulforgery is, is really hard. So you’d have to figure out how you could use Forgery on something that is already Invested. But forgery can get through some of those hoops a lot easier than some other magic systems can.

Chris_from_Warrenton

Do you have to be a willing subject to be Soulforged?

Brandon Sanderson

You do not. Working with the soul is really hard though. You have to be a supreme expert in what you’re doing, because soul is Investiture

Entry #55

Chris_from_Warrenton

[Paraphrased]In order to use magic from one world on another world, do they need a bit of [the first world’s] Shard with you?

Brandon Sanderson

It helps a lot. But there are other ways to do it. What’s going on in the Cosmere is people have 3 sets of DNA. They have Physical DNA, Spiritual DNA, and Cognitive DNA. Their Spiritual DNA is what encodes the magic system into them, their Investiture. So if you can find a way to rewrite your Spiritual DNA, you can do all kinds of funky things. That’s what Hemalurgy does. It rips off a piece of someone else’s soul, staples it to yours. So if you went with a Hemalurgic spike to the right place, ripped off a piece of someone’s soul and stapled it to yourself, you could create short circuits that will let you do all kinds of goofy stuff.

Entry #56

Chris_from_Warrenton

Will the next book explain how that sword [Nightblood] got there, and why that guy[Zahel/Vasher] isn’t with that sword?

Brandon Sanderson

The next book will give you some hints.

Entry #57

Chris_from_Warrenton

Is Edgli the name of Endowment?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO

Entry #58

Chris_from_Warrenton

In the middle of WoR, there’s a scene where Kaladin’s hanging out in the barracks, and Rock kicks out an ardent sketching them. Is that the guy drawing all the pictures?

Brandon Sanderson

That is Nazh. You’ve found him. You have discovered Nazh!

Entry #59

Chris_from_Warrenton

What kind of spren do Dustbringers have?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO. But you asked a very wise question.

Entry #60

Chris_from_Warrenton

Have we seen a Knight of all of the Orders yet?

Brandon Sanderson

You have not seen a Knight of all of the orders yet I don’t believe.

Chris_from_Warrenton

Even one that doesn’t have a spren yet?

Brandon Sanderson

I think you have met everybody.

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