Timewaster's Guide Archive

A couple of things come to mind, as I stay up waaay too late to read all of this:

Rashek probably took the power for himself because Kwaan had told him the truth - that the prophecies had been changed. Therefore, Rashek would be going on this mission to lead Alendi astray, knowing he wasn't really the Hero, and trying to dissuade the others from following him. And in the end, he could have even gone into the Well of Ascension in order to stop Alendi from doing it. And that would have been what the Mist Spirit wanted, so no resistance there. Created the things that would aid him in Preserving what he had set. He brought order. The Kandra could be spies, the Koloss troops, and the nobles the ones who actually believed him (and his uncle Kwaan), so they get Allomancy. All in the name of Preservation. Call him evil, but I think he was really just hardened by 1000 years of preserving things as he initially set them, which was influenced by the fact that he was going against pretty much everyone from his own civilization, since they all thought Alendi to be the Hero to save them all. And he was a cool guy from what we know, but possibly coming off arrogant since because he was so sure (outwardly) that he was the Hero.

If the thing trapped in the Well is Ruin, trapped by Preservation, then everything the Lord Ruler creates is for Preservation. Keep things as they are; crush rebellions, find your enemies through spies, etc.

The Ashmounts could actually be part of Ruin, since they seem to be semi dormant volcanoes, maybe even held dormant by the mists, which could be Preservation, depending on the kind of people the mists killed. Brandon does say in his annotations (Chapter 15)

Mostly, I'm showing the real danger of the mists--that there IS indeed a reason to fear them. Either way, remember one thing from this chapter. Some people were killed (and there's a connection between the two people you've heard described specifically as dying from the mists) some people got away, and some people had seizures, but then were all right later.

Which two people were "Old Jed," described as being a "hard worker" (pg 42). The other was "Old Jell" who was "Bullheaded" (pg 141). More thoughts on that?

Last thought for the moment: "Legends say" that there were no mistborns or mist before the ascension, according to Sazed, but we know that Copperminds are subject to Ruin's manipulations, so that may not even be true; a thousand years have gone by.

So, this doesn't account for the Mists coming in the daytime, and I know there's a lot I've missed, but there are my thoughts. Ideas? Discuss.

What it seems to me then, is that being a Rithmatist is not a question of "you have the gift or not" but more like "you've been chosen to do this or not." Joel has abilities, except he somehow missed his chance. Like something should have been given to him when he was 8 (at inception?) but it didn't happen. He wasn't good enough, or maybe it coincided with his father's death. Still, and this is from three chapters, I think he gets the ability somehow. The tutoring or the knowledge of that one secret that keeps him from bringing his work to life. Maybe the villain is the Scribbler, but maybe he is one as well. Interjected speculation with no real basis in fact.

Something... It's late.

Well. That is an interesting beginning. Can they do this form of magic in anything besides chalk? Etchings in stone or metal, ink drawings, or such like that? I know not the chaklings (maybe in ink), but some of the basic defenses or something like that?

As I recall, Wasn't it Denth who mentioned that rule in the first place? And while it's true, I think he was discouraging her from getting rid of that much breath, which he was probably going to take later on, anyway.

But when Vivenna asked if that was his real name, from when he was a scholar, he said he no, but that he didn't remember, because he doesn't remember anything from before he became returned.

"The Usurper" – ahh. But then who was her multi-grain -great grandfather? (Oops. Pun slip)

Wow. And yet the destruction of the Lifeless armie doesn't show until the epilogue.

So he's Returned, and he figured out commands to just be alive again, instead? or he's really a normal man (Scholar) and figured out a command to give himself Returned Status?

Funny though, that gives both girls a love interest who's kind of dead. Well, yeah. Or how'd they get the first God-king again?

Questions still not answered:

Pahn in the beginning, who Vasher kills - same guy all the Pahn Kahl people like Bluefingers follow?

Who was the Second intruder when Vasher found the tunnels?

What did Vasher find in the tunnels, and why didn't it seem to matter to the story?

Why did Vasher use parts of him to awaken the straw men in the beginning (eyebrow hair) and no one does later?

How does Sus know how to speak? know the commands to awaken?

Maybe these will all be answered in the next chapter and epilogue, but if not, then I think they need to be addressed more.

Happy birthday Yesterday, Sigyn.