Shardlet

I find that quote interesting Feather. Shallan clearly indicates that quartz can be soulcast. Yet we know that gemstones, for stormlight purposes, (according also to Shallan) cannot be soulcast. However, amethyst and, presumably, smokestone (being most likely smokey quartz) are stormlight gemstones. So, apparently pure crystalline silicon dioxide (clear colorless quartz) can be soulcast, but quartz with the appropriate impurities cannot. This is, at the very least, very strong evidence that there is something particularly special about the polestone gemstones.

I agree that even if the walls were crystalline, they would not be polestone crystals. The value would be just unimaginably to high to just leave them in situ. There would have to be an extraordinarily powerful reason to just leave them in place.

I read that as being a description of an anteroom where the crystalized partition walls were added. It does not seem to me to describe the Palanaeum itself.

I don't recall the Palanaeum being described as having crystal walls either. But it has been several months since I last reread the book.

They also appear to be relatively new on the scene (last 10 years or so). I hope we get some substantial info about them in WoR.

Wetlandernw is one of the beta readers for WoR. I think it is Szeth or Dalinar who wrote it. As for problems with Szeth scratching it using stone, remember he frequently cuts through stone with his blade. If he was that hung up on it, I'm fairly sure he could still be very successful in his fighting without cutting out chunks of stone walls to use as weapons.

Well, it doesn't precisely fit what I was saying (not that it has to). I was thinking of bonds between molecules rather than bonds within molecules. It is merely a matter of energy level required to accomplish it. Also you would be bringing elements from an ionic state to an elemental state which involves swapping around electrons and such. And it takes much more energy to get a cation to accept an electron rather than to donate one. The opposite for a anion. To me this seems a bit overpowered, but who knows.

Just be careful of spontaneously appearing bowls of petunias when using such a drive. They may stage an elaborate trap to kill you in one of their subsequent lives.

I hate to disappoint you, but Ishikk does not say crystal caves, he says "Holy Grottos". There is no mention of crystals or gems at all. I do recall some folks speculating that there are a lot of gems there in conjunction with assuming that gems are to Roshar as metal is to Scadrial. But it was only speculation.

I thought the acting was a bit weak (particular Ang and the Prince), but they're kids. What do you expect. As to the whole "It sucked because the actors weren't Asian' thing, I don't get it. Nobody in the cartoon (or at least very few) looked particularly Asian to me nor was it set in Asia. But, the story followed very closely to the cartoon which is a plus. Ang was directed very poorly as well. In other news, the Riff Trax for both Avatar (airbender) and Twighlight were quite funny.

I think that they do not necessarily need to breath in Shadesmar. I think that they need to breath there only because they think they need to breath there. Or, alternatively, because they believe that what they are breathing is air, then it functional becomes air. In both cases, this would be because of some sort of cognitive interaction.

Watch as I harness the power of pewter to slightly displace the air around me! Fear me!

My view is Wyndle came through with protections and Ivory and Jasnah have been hanging out together for about seven years now. In contrast, Syl and Kaladin have only been hanging out for maybe a year.

Why not a kitten named 'Puppy'?

I think Blood is referring to the inordinately large fortress of obsidian that apparently once was but is no longer plainly visible in the Purelake.

I agree with Weiry that smokestone is likely smokey quartz. As to onyx, I again cite its opacity as leading away from its likelihood.

That would suggest to me that the ethnicity would Makabaki. Given that, and in the lack of a context to assume Azish, why would he then be considered to be Azish over any other Makabaki society. It seems like that would be akin to assuming someone to be Nigerian rather than thinking African. Edit: Now it may be as simple as that there is a visual distinction for ethnic Azish and Ym thought in terms of the overarching Makabaki ethnicity. It just seems a little bit curious.

Yeah, the entire scene after the spren is brought into the physical is what, 20 minutes or so? Give the poor guy a chance to get his feet under him before we say that he is stunted.

The wallpaper is the final release, but it did not show up in the content list. I had to follow a link while logged in to the vault to get there. Here is the link: http://brandonsanderson.com/feruchemical-table-wallpapers/

It seems like it must be well-identified cognitively, by the person soulcasting, before they could soulcast it. If the soulcaster was more precise in their 'specifications' and they visualized it well, then I would say it was perhaps feasible. However, I don't think that there is an inherent standard of understanding required. In other words, I doubt that in order to soulcast, you would necessarily need to be aware of things like molecular structure or any one or set of characteristics. But if you were aware of molecular structure (or whatever defining characteristics you know) such that that substance was known to you to the exclusion of all other substance that you knew, then you could soulcast it.

I think it is interesting, though that he is described as Azish in some instances but Makibaki by Ym. There doesn't seem to be any ambiguity in the viewers perception of geographic background. This suggests to me that Azish and Makabaki have different skin tones (one darker than the other). That suggests to me that it may actually be two different people. Not as clear as I used to think. I did not previously recognize the differing descriptions.

Welcome, Awesomeness. Glad to have you with us as part of our little corner of the web.

I don't think that there is anything to support such a clear-cut assertion. Though, arguably, if you dream something up or design or develop something new, that could very likely create a form of sorts in the cognitive realm, thus allowing your condition to be satisfied, Shardbearer.

The color is largely irrelevant since plate is painted and customized to suit the tastes of the bearer.

The infinite improbability drive is better.