RoW Chapter 2 & 3 Discussion

[Nymeros]

6 minutes ago, Innovation said:

Couldn’t Kaladin just Lash the knife out? That would explain why he kept stabbing him. 

I really like this explanation!

[The Ryshadium]

2 minutes ago, Gilphon said:

He probably couldn't Lash the knife if it was still attached to the Fused's body, though.

He could. He can lash fused. 

[+Child of Hodor]

4 minutes ago, Gilphon said:

I think if he was soulcasting, he'd be able to take objects with him. And there'd be no reason for him to leave a body behind / have the cast-off body collapse into dust.

He abandons his shell and zips around as just a cognitive shadow, a being of investiture. I don't think he can hold much. He'd have to soulcast whatever objects anew each time in addition to the body. Maybe that's more effort than he wants to put it since he's 7 feet tall and has spikes on his body already. 

I dunno could be weird transportation Fused can do. 

[dgreene196]

4 hours ago, Harbour said:

I wonder what Veil ment asking to remember - stuff we already know but Shallan isnt ready to accept (Shallan killing her parents) or something even more deep and mysterios we didnt even know about.

I don't think know the events surrounding Shallan first forming her Nahel bond with Pattern (aka saying the First Oath) - maybe there's something there?

Presumably, the revelation/acknowledgement of that truth would take her to the highest level of Lightweaver.

Speaking of, do we know what happens after the 5th Ideal?  Most theories are that most orders get their Plate after the 4th Ideal.  So, what kind of level-up occurs with the 5th ideal?

[agrabes]

In terms of the knife, I also think the repeat stabbing is forcing more healing and stormlight draining.  At least the way I see it:

Leaving the Knife in = Stormlight is used to heal what it can, but stops draining when it can't heal the spot where the knife is.  So leaving the knife in would drain much less stormlight.  Or, alternatively maybe his body would grow alternate pathways around the knife and restore his mobility.

Stabbing Repeatedly = Carefully timing the stabs to allow him to fully heal and then restab greatly increases the stormlight drain.  It can drain him many times.  It also allows the Fused to control precisely how long and how often the Radiant is mobile.  If he's not good enough to stop the stabbing in the split second where he is mobile, then the fused kills him.  If he is good enough, the Radiant is still not mobile enough to be a true threat.  So, basically the Fused just gets a free chance to drain tons of stormlight.  If the Radiant has backup, then yeah it's maybe not a great strategy.  But the Fused knows there is no backup in this case.

[+Harrycrapper]

6 hours ago, What's a Seawolf? said:

Just when I thought we'd seen the last of the literal Bridge Four, Brandon goes and transforms it into a storming flying ship!

I love how ubiquitous Windrunners and Edgedancers are now, and Lift trying to mimic the gracefulness of other Edgedancers is adorable.

I have no idea what to make of the Shallan section.  I thought a year of having a solid relationship with Adolin and having her brothers around would help her mental state, but she still seems in a not too healthy spot.  I can't even fathom what truth her personas was referring, I thought we had learned everything there was to learn about her past.

All in all, two fantastic chapters.

It occurs to me that each Truth Shallan has spoken has been further back in her past than the last. First - "I'm terrified" Second - "I killed my father" Third - "I killed my mother." I'm assuming the next Truth will have something to do with when she was originally exploring her bond as a young child. 

[Gilphon]

16 minutes ago, The Ryshadium said:

He could. He can lash fused. 

With difficulty, in a way that the Fused could muscle his way through. Not good enough to force the knife out by itself, y'see?

[Michael Portz he/him]

1 hour ago, Gilphon said:

• You need to drain a gem of stormlight to make a Fabrial, and there's no commonly known way of doing that.

Why not just let a KR or squire suck it from the sphere?

[Innovation]

Drainer Fabrials would work. 

[Karger he/him]

7 minutes ago, Gilphon said:

With difficulty, in a way that the Fused could muscle his way through. Not good enough to force the knife out by itself, y'see?

Given that the entire encounter took about 10 seconds I think they both did fairly well.

[jamskinner]

5 hours ago, Pattern said:

Perhaps Stormlight is the wrong light? What about the green mist around Cultivation in OB - perhaps the Sibling needs a combination of both. "Cultivationlight" would also fit the theme of enabling plants to grow in Urithiru. 

just a grow light along with some miracle grow.

[Pathfinder]

Just some tidbits:

 

1. the knife was not part of the fused. Kaladin notices the fused break off a spur from its body. That is the knife it uses. Since it cannot take anything with it when it transports, and rebuilds the body each time, it breaks off the spur, attacks with it, transports resulting in the spur going away, breaks off spur again, stabs again. 

2. Since the spur is no longer part of the fused body, Kaladin should be able to infuse it with gravitation.

3. Kaladin does not have to be touching an object with his hands to infuse it. As long as some part of his body is in contact, he can infuse it

 

These reasons all leads me to believe the reason the fused repeatedly stabbed the neck was to prevent it from being lashed out of the neck, or the blade pushed out while heaing. In addition the continually fresh trauma could theoretically be disorientating. But people are totally entitled to think how they wish. That is just my own interpretation on it. 

[Neturo he/him]

Loved the chapters

It was a gentle reminder of why Brandon is my favorite author

First impressions are that Kaladin still has a far way to go,

Shallan is still crazy;  but functionally crazy. She is also reckless and needs to learn how be a team player (with other actual people) 

Mental health continues to be a big thing in Stormlight, Of the main cast Dalinar is the only one who is stable and accepting of who he is.  

I'm excited to see the rest of this arms race, I want to know if Shallan has been working on the task the ghostbloods give her, and what event is going to break Kaladin even more than he already is. 

 

 

[Karger he/him]

6 minutes ago, Neturo said:

It was a gentle reminder of why Brandon is my favorite author

Really?  On my end it was a not so gentle reminder.

6 minutes ago, Neturo said:

I'm excited to see the rest of this arms race, I want to know if Shallan has been working on the task the ghostbloods give her, and what event is going to break Kaladin even more than he already is. 

Agreed.

[GudThymes he/him]

Haven't seen this theory here yet. My theory is that the Mink is a Dysian Aimian. It could explain how he is able to "disappear" as well as could provide an alternative explanation for how he was able to lock the Herdazians in a stalemate with the Fused army for over a year (rather than being a budding Radiant). 

[Karger he/him]

3 minutes ago, GudThymes said:

Haven't seen this theory here yet. My theory is that the Mink is a Dysian Aimian. It could explain how he is able to "disappear" as well as could provide an alternative explanation for how he was able to lock the Herdazians in a stalemate with the Fused army for over a year (rather than being a budding Radiant). 

Interesting theory.  People can usually spot Aimians at this range even more over long periods but this would definitely make sense.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Karger

[GudThymes he/him]

9 minutes ago, Karger said:

Interesting theory.  People can usually spot Aimians at this range even more over long periods but this would definitely make sense.

That's what I'm not sure of. I looked into the other two Dysian's we've seen (In Edgedancer and the Cook) and in both of those situations the people interacting with them don't know until the Dysian "shows" themself to them.

Now, I haven't found any proof or references to cremlings where the General is mentioned. But now it's my theory until proven otherwise.

[Nymeros]

28 minutes ago, GudThymes said:

Haven't seen this theory here yet. My theory is that the Mink is a Dysian Aimian. It could explain how he is able to "disappear" as well as could provide an alternative explanation for how he was able to lock the Herdazians in a stalemate with the Fused army for over a year (rather than being a budding Radiant). 

He doesnt seem ugly enough for an Amian

[Karger he/him]

5 minutes ago, Nymeros said:

He doesnt seem ugly enough for an Amian

He is pretty ugly.  However he also says that it is his face that will betray them.  Couldn't he alter that if he was an Amiain?

[+Child of Hodor]

Just now, Nymeros said:

He doesnt seem ugly enough for an Amian

LOL

I do like the theory. There is something up with his disappearing act. In Edgedancer the Skybreakers targeted Arclo in part because of reports he would be there one second and then disappear.

Quote

“The report described a man who has been spotted vanishing by several people.” Szeth in Edgedancer Ch 16

The Mink could be doing it any number of other ways though. 

The Sleepless aren’t thaaat good at blending in. Their hoardlings stick out and look “weird” to people and Arclo had to wear a full body robe with a hood to pass for human. 
 

Quote

“I like this place. ... Where else could I find an excuse to cover my entire body? ... I’ve spent thousands of years breeding my hordelings and I still can’t get them to fit together quite right.” Edgedancer Ch. 18

[GudThymes he/him]

19 minutes ago, Karger said:

He is pretty ugly.  However he also says that it is his face that will betray them.  Couldn't he alter that if he was an Amiain?

He *could* but I would assume he would be hesitant to doing so for a couple reasons.

1) It's unlikely that some if any of his army knows that he is a Dysian (if he is) and changing his face would be a dead giveaway.

2) He needs to be recognized by someone who is in contact with Urithiru/Dalinar. 

 

6 minutes ago, Child of Hodor said:

The Mink could be doing it any number of other ways though. 

The Sleepless aren’t thaaat good at blending in. Their hoardlings stick out and look “weird” to people and Arclo had to wear a full body robe with a hood to pass for human. 
 

 

"with practice, a Sleepless can mimic the shape of other creatures, including humans." Pulled from the coppermind wiki. Just because Arclo isn't great at hiding as a human doesn't necessarily mean that other Dysian's aren't. Take the Kandra for example, we know that some are better than others. Additionally, we know that Dysians exist in other parts of the Cosmere, I don't see why some of them aren't really good at pretending to be human.

[+AnUnknownShard]

I love all the Fabriel tech and Navani POV. Sure seems like the Navani bonds the Sibling theory might be right.

[Karger he/him]

26 minutes ago, GudThymes said:

1) It's unlikely that some if any of his army knows that he is a Dysian (if he is) and changing his face would be a dead giveaway.

2) He needs to be recognized by someone who is in contact with Urithiru/Dalinar. 

Couldn't he change it just while passing through and then change back latter?  Why endanger innocents?

28 minutes ago, GudThymes said:

"with practice, a Sleepless can mimic the shape of other creatures, including humans." Pulled from the coppermind wiki. Just because Arclo isn't great at hiding as a human doesn't necessarily mean that other Dysian's aren't

He claims to be one of the best.  Even if he is wrong, and I don't think he is, that still indicates that impersonating to the level of people you live with not seeing you for what you are is a bit much.

8 minutes ago, AnUnknownShard said:

I love all the Fabriel tech and Navani POV. Sure seems like the Navani bonds the Sibling theory might be right.

I certainly hope so.  Welcome to the shard!

[+AnUnknownShard]

3 minutes ago, Karger said:

I certainly hope so.  Welcome to the shard!

Thanks,  long time lurker but so excited to be seeing RoW had to post lol.

[GudThymes he/him]

6 minutes ago, Karger said:

Couldn't he change it just while passing through and then change back latter?  Why endanger innocents?

He claims to be one of the best.  Even if he is wrong, and I don't think he is, that still indicates that impersonating to the level of people you live with not seeing you for what you are is a bit much.

 

Quick aside. How do I do those nested quotes to show what you were quoting?

TBH I don't think my theory has a lot of merit. It was a more of a "hmmmm, WHAT IF?!?!?!" type of deal. I personally just don't want every new interesting character to turn out to be a budding radiant, and I recall seeing that the Dysian have an importance. 

I also think how the Mink/General talks to Dalinar is proof that he really is a Herdazian, however, I really want to see a Dysian become a minor or even major character.