AquaRegia

I agree with everything @redsoxu571 said. Well stated, and welcome! It's clearly Brandon's intention 1) to be mysterious, and 2) for us to learn a lot more about the Recreance - and the history of Roshar in general - going forward (six more novels' worth!). As he did (is doing) with Shallan's personal history... as he did in Mistborn Era 1, he's a master at making a backstory with MANY layers, and then peeling them back, deliciously, one by one. There is always another secret.

First of all, in case anyone didn't see it, this: In the Stormlight Archive Call to Adventure board game (which I just got for my b-day), one of the Challenge cards is titled Thwart an Evil Agent , and the picture is of Mraize with his stupid green chicken. Mraize = Agent of Evil, ergo, Thaidakar = EVIL. It's canon. Just saying. Honestly, though, I'm worried. I agree it's unlikely he wants to be the next Lord Ruler of anything, based on what we know of his personality, but we don't know really know what he DOES want. I hope I don't have to root against Kelsier... but I'm preparing myself to do so. I would love to watch him join forces with the Knights Radiant and bring his considerable skills to bear in defense of protecting the innocent and freedom for all on behalf of the whole Cosmere, but I think it much more likely that Kelsier, just as Hoid said he would, just as Taravangian DID, will be perfectly willing to sacrifice all the people he doesn't know in order to buy safety for those he does. And I think that's going to be a big problem for me. I think the most we can say right now it that those things WERE true - several hundred years ago. We don't have much to base their CURRENT truth on, and the impressions we get of Thaidakar through Mraize, in my mind, do not support them very strongly. Hopefully, that's Brandon's intention, and we'll be pleasantly surprised once the real Thaidakar is revealed. But I'm not ready to bet that way yet.

These are excellent questions, and I don't know enough to help pin down the answers. My gut feeling is that the first item above is closer to the truth; we know an Invested Cognitive entity can persist for a while (before going to the Beyond) after all Connections are severed, and we also know that the Heralds do not require a constant influx of Investiture to continue existing. So at this point I'd lean in favor of "the dagger severs a Spiritual Connection"... but I agree we have a lot to learn about both the process of trapping a spren in a gemstone and exactly how those Raysium daggers work. Also, no, I don't think a regular non-Invested human would be affected in any odd way, just a regular old stabbing. But I'd guess an Invested Radiant would be drained of Stormlight.

The fact that both Kalak and Raboniel explicitly and matter-of-factly describe what happened to Jezrien as a "capture" ("collection", "harvest", etc.) makes me very confident that is exactly what was intended. I find it very unlikely that Leshwi was not aware of this - otherwise, how would she have known to recover the knife with the now super-valuable-Herald-containing-gemstone in it? What if Moash tossed it in a rock pile, or tried to keep it? I think the obvious explanation is that Leshwi simply didn't want Moash to know that a "cognitive capture" was the actual objective, preferring for him (and us, as readers) to view it as a simple murder. No Anti-Investiture was involved. I don't think Raboniel had ever even HEARD of Anti-Investiture at this point. Her first inkling that it exists comes from Navani's experiments later on. She knew that the Raysium dagger would conduct Investiture, and that gemstones could be used to capture spren, and she really wanted it to work for Heralds. She is later stunned by Navani's synthesis of Anti-Investiture, and sees it as a NEW way to end the war.

The Epigraphs from Kalak's journal (as noted above) make it quite clear that the Fused were trying to capture Jezrien, not kill him. I suppose it's possible Kalak BELIEVES this to be the case, but is mistaken... but I think he is correct. The dagger given to Moash by Leshwi is never described as having the anti-light glow or warping appearance, and he notes the gemstone is faintly glowing after the deed is done.

Moelach is the third of the "Mindless Unmade". https://coppermind.net/wiki/Moelach

Certainly this is true, but it doesn't answer the question "how do Rosharans even know what aluminum is?" Here on Earth, it took 60 years of trying by the smartest chemists to make any (1820s), and another 60 years before it was commercially available (1880s). Given what we see of the state of Rosharan science and technology, no native Rosharan should even expect it to exist. Worldhoppers importing it from Scadrial, Silverlight, or elsewhere clearly must be part of the explanation. I wonder if we will ever know the full story. That said, back to the OP. Brandon has created fictional elements for all the other God Metals we've seen - Atium, Lerasium, Raysium. If Adonalsium has a God Metal, it seems unlikely that it would be something as mundane as aluminum. While aluminum IS difficult and costly to make, it's hardly the MOST difficult or costly... and my understanding is that God Metals can't be "made" at all; they are not "normal" matter, but rather solid deposits of Shard Investiture.

Hello, little friend! Welcome to the Shard. People do indeed read these introductions. I have MANY guesses for your Who´s that Cosmere Character... I will think on it and try to narrow it down before guessing.

I agree. Glys - in keeping with the whole future-sight theme - speaks almost exclusively in future tense; "you will" or "it will", rather than "you are" or "it is".

I'm glad others have started this conversation, because it's something I literally cannot help but think about while reading the novels. I often find myself reading dialogue OUT LOUD to myself, trying to get the starvin' accents right. But I also think it's appropriate for us to muse upon because Brandon has put serious effort into giving us so many different cultures, and he even goes out of his way to describe accents to some degree in Stormlight and quite a bit in Mistborn Era 2. Obviously, as a native U.S. English speaker, I picture everyone on Roshar 1) speaking English, and 2) having some variant of recognizable accent. I know neither of these is realistic... but how can I help it? Rock definitely sounds Russian to me; I even omit the word "the" from his lines to make it extra realistic. The Lopen is absolutely Mexican (think Cheech Marin from Cheech & Chong), while the Mink is more suave, like Antonio Banderas. Szeth will ALWAYS, in my mind sound like David Carradine in the old "Kung Fu" TV series. It's taken me a while to adjust to the idea of the Shin being the caucasian-looking but asian-sounding culture, but I'm pretty much there now. I also can't help but take the clues from Brandon regarding style of culture and skin colors when assigning accents on my head, so Makabaki people usually sound African, Purelakers Indian, and the Azish remind me most strongly of Persians, so Sigzil has a faint Middle-Eastern accent, although of course his Alethi is better than many native Alethi members of Bridge Four! I love the way (did anyone else notice this?) the Heralds speak in a more casual "modern" style than any other characters? Ash is the only person in 4 novels to use the word "yeah", and Kalak especially reads like a straight-up present-day Earth human. So I picture them using the most familiar standard US dialect. Nale sounds like Samuel L Jackson in my head. I picture some stuck-up Alethi lighteyes with British accents; also Taravangian - highly educated Oxford dialect. I really don't have a clear mental image of what singer accents would be like; sometimes, it's Caribbean (like Jamaican), sometimes African, and sometimes Native American. Although we are told explicitly that former-parshman singers simply spoke the language of the places they lived, so really only the Listeners and the Fused would have their own unique native languages and accents. Moving to Scadrial, the obvious "wild west" motif in Mistborn Era 2 makes "cowboy" the obvious choice for denizens of the Roughs... but Wayne is CLEARLY speaking with an Australian (or Kiwi) accent. There is just no other reasonable way to read his dialogue given the way it is written, especially when he thickens it on purpose. So maybe we're supposed to be inferring Aus/NZ for everybody in the Roughs. Elendel, equally obviously, is the cosmopolitan center and melting pot, so upper-crust Londoner or rich New Yorker for the nobles, and a wild mix of Cockney, Aussie, Irish, Brooklyn, and generic redneck hick for everyone else. Constable Captain Aradel definitely sounds like the classic overworked New York cop. For some reason, I always pictured the Terris speaking like "British colonial" Indians; Sazed sounded like Morgan Freeman (but with a faint Indian accent) to me even before he Ascended to Godhood. Wow, I didn't intend to type for so long. Seems like I have some opinions about this!

Have to agree - the UK covers are not my top-20 of the ones shown. I also agree the French covers for tWoK absolutely knocked it out of the park! (That's good, for those unfamiliar with baseball idiom)

Sazed inherited knowledge of 1) Adonalsium, 2) the existence and names of the other Shards, and 3) the ability to communicate with them, among other things. Seems reasonable to assume he also "remembers" things they did while they were Vessels, but my impression is that he WOULDN'T necessarily know details about Leras and Ati's lives before they Ascended. Likewise, Taravangian gets access to anything Rayse DID with the power of Odium, especially anything that would affect or restrict his use of the Shard's power. But I'm betting he doesn't get any of Rayse's thoughts or memories that are unrelated to the use of the power. No evidence, just my guesses.

Prologue: The Way of Kings. Love them all, but the one that started it all has never been topped. The way the mood is set, the way the Palace and guests are described, our first look at Surgebinding, the start of so many mysteries... and I will never stop loving Szeth as a character. Epilogue: Oathbringer. I loved the insults, followed by the realization - "you don't speak Alethi, do you?" I think it's one of the most enjoyable insights into Hoid's true character. And seeing him find and bond a Radiant spren was VERY unexpected and awesome. Cover: The Way of Kings. Just LOOK at it! They are all artistic and impressive... but tWoK is STUNNING. Head and shoulders above the rest. The way our view is drawn to the distant horizon gives a breathtaking feeling of the vastness and emptiness of the Shattered Plains; it's like the feeling you get at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Sunset is the most emotion-laden time of the day for me. The clouds, the light, the rockbuds, the mist in the chasms - everything about this cover just looks more REAL than the others. I also agree that the others are a bit too spoilery. Honestly, RoW is my least favorite cover so far - Shadesmar looks a bit cartoony and Shallan looks both too young and too... umm... topheavy.

Just one more specific example: Mraize says "Lord Thaidakar is too busy and important to visit Roshar in person, only as his Avatar." Brandon explicitly confirmed this week that Kelsier can DEFINITELY NOT make an Avatar, and he is completely unable to leave Scadrial in any way. Even characters who know A LOT are still spectacularly wrong about very important things. Don't think of these as "red herrings", think of them as "delicious complications". I'm sure that's how Brandon sees them.

Brandon has confirmed in the 17th Shard Interview January 23, 2021: El's title was "He Who Quiets", and it was given to Moash.

A cool idea, but unfortunately I don't think it matters if they get labelled as "squires". There are only three Bondsmith-level spren in the world, so Bondsmith "squires" can't bond spren or gain Radiant powers. Plus, nobody around Dalinar is considered a squire, as far as we've been shown. How super fun would Radiant science nerds be though...? I'll buy THAT novella for sure.

Yes, but those quotes are from in-world CHARACTERS. They believe wrong stuff all the time. How many times has the Stormfather declared something is impossible, only for that exact thing to happen later? How about "Deadeye spren can't talk"? Just because characters say or believe something doesn't make it true. Nobody knows everything, not even the Shardholders.

I don't think this is true - or, at least, it's not completely true. My impression is that Radiants of the 4th Ideal are Connected enough to overcome the blocking power of the Tower's suppression fabrial. Kaladin was basically there - he had "reached" the 4th Ideal, he just hadn't spoken the Words yet. All the other Windrunners were unconscious. Lift, of course, is a special case - her Progression doesn't need Stormlight; she makes food into Lifelight. She's also approaching the 4th Ideal. All the other Edgedancers were out cold. Neither of these requires "little to no effect" on specific Surges to explain... although I agree there are still mysteries. The unconscious Windrunners were "closest" to being awake; Lift can use Progression but NOT Abrasion. Navani bonds with The Sibling and becomes an Invested (and conscious) Bondsmith BEFORE the polarity of the Tower fabrial is reversed. If Dalinar had been in the Tower when the fabrial was corrupted, would he have fallen unconscious? Clearly it all means something, but we don't know enough yet to answer all the questions.

Oathbringer, Interlude 13 However, I'm sure you are correct that the easy-to-get gemhearts of "normal-sized" animals are fairly small. That's why they put currency gemstones in glass spheres, right?

Oh, I'm definitely in agreement... I'm just looking for more evidence. "Life sense" is a Breath-related ability; I was asking here specifically about Stormlight, again, just to see if there were any hints I've missed. I agree it is possible - likely, even - that he'd found a way to get some kind of Investiture from offworld.

Rust and Ruin, I forgot all about that. Just goes to show how dangerous it is to deal with (or cross) a Herald... Or offworld Investiture? Invested items from other planets? Maybe "a chain from the lands of the dead, said to be able to anchor a person through Cognitive anomalies"? Anything seems possible now.

There is certainly mining on Roshar - Shallan's family made their wealth from mines. Granted, it turned out that the mining was really just a cover story for the use of Soulcasting... but in order for it to be a useful cover story, people must know what mining is. The easy availability of gemstones is not due to mining, however, but to harvesting gemhearts from animals. That's really good question. It's unlikely Roshar has coal deposits - as a recently created planet, it lacks the geologic history necessary for coal to be formed. But you can make charcoal from wood, which then makes steel a reasonable discovery. It's also possible that Roshar was created with coal present, but we have not seen it. Honor's Drop is described as being the size of a human head, so considerably larger than a softball. And that's a CUT gemstone - fashioned from one even larger. I picture the chasmfiend gemhearts being at least as large as basketballs. It is somewhat disappointing that we've never seen or heard much about how they are cut. I had the same reaction a few weeks ago LOL It's not anywhere in the text, but multiple WoBs confirm this. He's not "implying" it, he has clearly stated it - the entire Rosharan system was created by Adonalsium. I find myself asking many of the same questions... but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Of all the things Brandon is terrific at, biology isn't one of them. Expecting things like ecology or evolution to make sense in the Cosmere in the same way they do on Earth, I think, has been shown to be unreasonable. The fact that humans and singers - unrelated, different physiology, created at different times and on different planets - can mate and produce viable progeny is enough to show me that we can't expect Cosmere biology to be consistent with our own.

I'm amused by the idea (just hinted at in RoW) that

If this is the case NOW, what would the moons have looked like during the 5000+ years before Odium came to Roshar? Mishim is green, Nomon is blue, and Salas is just white? No, WHITE is Preservation's color! Salas would somehow be invisible, perhaps...? I can imagine Honor and Cultivation thinking "I sure hope another Shard isn't drawn here by that unclaimed 3rd moon" LOL

"Godly", "infinite" and "verdant" strongly imply that this is Cultivation. Gavilar would not be ANY of those three things, and "verdant" means green, lush, growing. I find the evidence of Gavilar being Invested rather underwhelming, but lack of evidence doesn't prove anything. We clearly can neither confirm nor refute the possibility of other types of Investiture being available to him. I can accept that the Stormfather was giving the visions to Gavilar - makes sense, in fact. That was literally his only job at that point, to choose someone important and show them the visions. Is there any evidence in Words of Radiance, when Dalinar is seeing the visions but before he explicitly bonds the Stormfather, to support the idea that he could draw in Stormlight? I don't remember any. Certainly some degree of Spiritual Connection can be inferred, but enough to permit a Cognitive Shadow to persist? And if so, why would the Stormfather fail to ever mention this to Dalinar? Seems like an awfully important item to keep your Radiant in the dark about. Also, semi-related Gavilar question: what are we supposed to make of the fact that Nale was well aware that Szeth was in town to kill the King... and not only didn't bother to warn him, but seemed completely unconcerned that Gavilar was about to meet his end? I get that they were not "friends", but they were sharing information and making plans, right?