Date: 2014-03-08
Type: Paraphrased
Location: Seattle, WA
Reporter: Jerich, Trickonometry
Is the Hoed from Elantris similar to the state of a shard blade?
(slightly paraphrased, because I am writing these from memory): Similar, but probably not exactly in the way you are thinking. It is kind of like two diseases caused by different bacteria. Both are caused by bacteria, but they are not exactly the same.
This is referring to shardblades that are dead spren.
Is it possible then to reawaken a shard blade if that blade is wielded by someone who speaks the oaths of a Knights Radiant?
(Thinking)…Yes, but it would be extremely difficult. The spren in a shardblade are not trapped in a state of mid-transformation like the Elantrians. They are stuck in an agony cycle after having a significant portion of their consciousnesses ripped out of them. The Nahel bond is what allows Spren to think on material plane and that has been torn away. It would be like having a data jack installed and then having someone come up to your head and rip it out of your head.
So you would basically have to replace the part that was lost to wake them up?
Exactly.
This is a follow up question. See link for previous questions.
Are the Skybreakers kind of like the MPs of the Knights Radiant?
Hmm… (Thinking) … Yes. That is actually a really good analogy.
Are there radiant orders that would take someone like Adolin even after what he does at the end of Words of Radiant?
Brandon: I am not going to say whether or not Adolin will become a Knights Radiant, but yes, there are several orders that would be very happy with what he did. Me: Like the Skybreakers or Dustbringers? Brandon: The Skybreakers would probably not want him because he broke a law, but there are other orders that would think he completely did the right thing and be very happy with him. Trickonometry (who was waiting in line behind me): Like the Dustbringers? Brandon: (Didn’t say anything but looked up at him, smiled and half nodded)
This question refers to Adolin’s slaying of Sadeas.
What would happen to the function of a magic item if it were to be taken from one world to another?
An invested object theoretically would work, but they may not work exactly the way they are supposed to.
Would you be able to tell me anything about how Vasher lost Nightblood to Nin?
A: (Brandon gives a knowing smile) “Wait, who?” Q: Okay… What can you tell me about how Zahel lost Nightblood? A: Oh ZAHEL! Well… I can’t say much about that right now, but you’ll get all of these questions answered in the book “Nightblood” in the future.
We’ve now seen that the Syl-Blade can change shape to meet Kaladin’s needs. Is there a limit to the size that Syl can become?
As for the size, she can get up to about the size of a human.
Okay, and is Syl limited to only weaponry, or can she take on the shape of other objects?
I’m gonna have to RAFO that. Though, to be fair, you have been seeing Syl change forms since the beginning of the books into many non-combat forms, so…
We’ve now seen that the Syl-Blade can change shape to meet Kaladin’s needs. Is there a limit to the size that Syl can become?
As for the size, she can get up to about the size of a human.
Are larkin and lanceryn one and the same?
There’s a little bit more than just [being] one and the same, but in some ways they are.
These are both fauna of Roshar.
Do all greatshells have spren?
In order to survive with the science that I built, the greatshells almost all require some sort of spren to keep them from collapsing. (I suspect greatshells in the water may not require them.)
Did Adonalsium deliberately shatter itself?
Hmmm, good question! RAFO!
Why didn’t Kaladin’s brand heal if Lopen can regrow an arm?
It comes down to how one views oneself. It is the answer that you think it is. So really what that’s saying is Kaladin sees himself as branded.
Does Shardplate use a spren?
That’s a RAFO.
Can Glys, Renarin’s spren, be a box?
The box is not his spren.
Is a Desolation caused when a Herald breaks under torture?
This person is asking the right kinds of questions.
Who’s Nazh? The person who retrieved Shallan’s notebook…
You have seen him before.
Why does Urithiru not have hallowed stones?
That’ll be answered eventually. It’s cultural, not magical.
Why does Lift feel that Darkness isn’t a real person?
Because Lift is an interesting person who has her own perspective on the world.
Darkness is presumably the herald known as Nale.
Is there anything that I should have asked that I didn’t?
Probably not… Do you know if anyone has figured out the hidden things in the map of Roshar?
I picked up the Easter Eggs for Mraize being a Worldhopper. It was actually the sand that did it, having been fortunate enough to read White Sand.
Now there’s something odd about that sand. What color is the sand in WoR?
Are the Parshendi at the village the only Parshendi there are? Besides the parshmen?
The Parshendi as a people were all at Narak. Barring any scouts and things like that. That doesn’t mean that there might not be any other Parshmen out there that have bonded spren, but they would not have been part of this nation – any more than if you found another human that they may not necessarily be American.
Has Rock always been a third son?
No (85% sure)
Are the pools on the Horneater peaks Shardpools?
RAFO.
Any hints on the chapter 84 code?
There is a key in the book.
http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/6762-chapter-84-decoded-epigraph-message/ - this was a puzzle that was decoded. The chapter 84 epigraph: 1118251011127124915121010111410215117112101112171344831110715142541434109161491493412122541010125127101519101112341255115251215755111234101112915121061534 decoded as: Hold the secret that broke the Knights Radiant. You may need it to destroy the new Orders when they return.
Would the powers of a magical object change if it went to a different world?
It is plausible that they will, but most likely is that they don’t work right. Most of them will not.
Why are Ryshadium cooler than regular horses? I suspect a spren bond.
There is Investiture involved.
Can you tell me who the Herald is for the Truthwatchers?
RAFO, sorry, good question.
The coppermind wiki lists Paliah as the Herald of the Truthwatchers.
How about one of the surges?
I am RAFO’ing the Truthwatchers entirely.
The coppermind wiki lists the Truthwatcher surges to be Progression and Illumination.
Can you go into healing a bit more?
Regrowth in the books - Healing is an aspect, Regrowth is ??,
Is Vasher the swordmaster-ardent?
(coy) I have no idea why you would ask that. Zahel the swordmaster-ardent was in the 2002 WoK by a different name and it blew my assistant’s mind when he looked back in the original draft. It was ALL PLANNED.
When do we get to officially get to know what’s going on in the Cosmere?
All of my epic fantasy books are connected with continuing characters. That’s a way off, and that’s because I don’t want people to feel like they have to have read all my previous books to enjoy the series. It should be about the characters. Eventually I will write one that’s a mashup, but we’re not there yet. I’ll be very upfront about it when I do it. For now it’s just easter eggs.
How do you pick names?
It really varies based on the book. I’m often picking a linguistic paradigm. Alethi - there are two separate paradigms because I like linguistics to be messy. Usually based on symmetry being holy, so they’d pick names one letter off from symmetrical to avoid hubris. Also suffix - like Kaladin is Kalak (Herald) + din which is a suffix, all of them mean things, like the old Hebrew names have “born of” or “comes through”. Stick that on and drop the last letter. Dalinar, Elhokar, all of those have suffixes - nar, kar.
What would happen if Alcatraz tried to wield Nightblood?
They would get in a long conversation about random things and the book would just be those two having a discussion, and then the entire world would break probably.
How long has Zahel been slumming it on Roshar?
For quite a long time, on this planet he can get something quite easily that is much harder to get where he came from.
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