Author Topic: Warbreaker: Free Ebook  (Read 234605 times)

DavidB

  • Level 3
  • ***
  • Posts: 54
  • Fell Points: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #570 on: May 03, 2007, 10:35:52 PM »
Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think that either my suggestion or Matt's additions to it actually require Denth to be about to kill Vivenna. Though I suppose it might add something if he were planning to, say, cut her ears off and send them to her father.

It might work better to state Denth's reasons for not killing Vivenna in the story. For example, Tonk Fah could want to kill her (since she almost strangled him), but Denth could stop him and persuade him to use her as a hostage first (promising Tonk Fah that he could kill her later).

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #571 on: May 04, 2007, 12:18:06 AM »
That's a very good idea.  (The second one.)  Clears things up a bit. 
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

dreamking47

  • Level 5
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • Fell Points: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #572 on: May 04, 2007, 12:47:00 AM »
I think you did a good job in the earlier chapter, where Vasher and Denth talk, of subtly showing that Denth has at least the tiniest bit of affection for Vivenna, or perhaps shame at having used her -- some less mercenary remnant of the man he used to be.  For that and the practical matters you mention, I never thought he'd just kill her (though she had just set Vasher free, who Denth had been set on getting revenge on, so he might be a little irrational at that moment).  But the point is, anything he would find to do with her would most likely be dangerous for her -- so it would heighten the tension to actually give a glimpse of that danger.  The leader telling the henchman "you can have her later" is a bit of a cliché, though it does fit the characters.  There are a lot of ways you could handle it; I was picturing something like Vasher coming upon Tonk Fah and some mercs leading Vivenna to some unspecified holding area, while Tonk talked about the ways they had tortured Peprin...

Or if Denth was going to use her against Vasher, he'd do so.

Etc.

But just my $.02,

MattD
« Last Edit: May 04, 2007, 03:24:13 AM by dreamking47 »
"It had blood in it.  That makes it a good metaphor." -- Tonk Fah, in EUOL's Warbreaker

firstRainbowRose

  • Level 18
  • *
  • Posts: 867
  • Fell Points: 1
  • So pretty!
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #573 on: May 04, 2007, 01:35:35 AM »
Okay, so I know everyone's talk about Sub being able to use breaths... but my question is this:  Will he still need to get breaths from people in order to live, or will his devine breath fade after a week if he doesn't turn someone into a drab?

Also, I thought once you gave all of your breaths away you couldn't get more.  It seems though that Vasher and Viv are giving theirs away and getting more later all the time.  If you can do that, why don't most drabs do that?  (I could see that being a really big zelot type thing, or something the rich do to prove themselves even more.  "I give my breaths away for the god I care about most, buy more, and then go back the next week.  I become important because I'm the main sorce of breaths, which makes me seem like even more of an import person on top of all my money.)
"The custom of royalty in referring to oneself is to naturally employ the royal 'we'.  We are very happy, we are very sad, we are bored and suffer from ennui.  For a royal prince there's no such word as 'me', It's always 'we'.  So rightfully I should be two or three, don't you agree?"

dreamking47

  • Level 5
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • Fell Points: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #574 on: May 04, 2007, 03:36:43 AM »
Okay, so I know everyone's talk about Sub being able to use breaths... but my question is this:  Will he still need to get breaths from people in order to live, or will his devine breath fade after a week if he doesn't turn someone into a drab?

Susebron never actually needed to get additional Breaths from anyone, because he received the enormous store of Breaths that had been passed down (from Vasher originally) through the previous God Kings.  With that as a surplus he'd have no need for further infusions.  The priests probably kept up the ritual as a matter of tradition, a good way of keeping people respectful of their God King.

Also, I thought once you gave all of your breaths away you couldn't get more.  It seems though that Vasher and Viv are giving theirs away and getting more later all the time.  If you can do that, why don't most drabs do that?

Cost, I imagine -- drabs have sold their Breath for money, and most probably did so because they needed the money for other things.  Vasher and Vivenna aren't getting new Breaths, BTW, they're just putting Breaths into objects like their clothes and then retrieving those same Breaths when needed.

MattD
« Last Edit: May 04, 2007, 03:42:44 AM by dreamking47 »
"It had blood in it.  That makes it a good metaphor." -- Tonk Fah, in EUOL's Warbreaker

DavidB

  • Level 3
  • ***
  • Posts: 54
  • Fell Points: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #575 on: May 04, 2007, 03:43:35 AM »
Vasher, apparently, can switch between a returned form and a "normal" form in which he doesn't need a regular intake of breath. Maybe he'll teach Susebron and the other gods to do that too, so that they only need to get breaths from other people if they use their returned forms a lot.

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #576 on: May 08, 2007, 10:28:42 PM »
Actually, Vasher DOES need a breath each week, just like regular Returned.  I'm planning to write into the book Vivenna noticing that he'd down one breath a couple of times.  In my original draft, I wasn't sure if I wanted an Awakener to be able to see with that much precision, but I lilke that this might offer some foreshadowing. 
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

dreamking47

  • Level 5
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • Fell Points: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #577 on: May 09, 2007, 01:02:37 AM »
So a Returned needs a new Breath each week, even if they have a large store of Breath already?

Just trying to make sure I understand...

MattD
"It had blood in it.  That makes it a good metaphor." -- Tonk Fah, in EUOL's Warbreaker

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #578 on: May 09, 2007, 01:15:28 AM »
No, and I'll make this more clear.

Just like Nightblood feeds off of Breath, a Returned feeds off of Breath.  They need about one a week, he needs about one every second.

So, if you have a store of Breath and are Returned, then one will simply be consumed every week.  The breath that makes you a Returned is separate from breaths you take from other people.  You can't spend that one or feed off of it--if you do, you die.  You can take other breaths, however, and use them normally.

I'm not sure how much of this the characters themselves understand, and that will determine how much I include for the reader.  So, the God King has:

1 Super Breath
10,000 regular Breaths.  (One of which he consumes a week, but he gets given two a week, so his stockpile grows.) 

A regular returned only has 1 Super Breath.  They are fed one regular breath a week.  However, if they were to be given a couple hundred Breaths, they could use them for Awakening. 
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

Peter Ahlstrom

  • Administrator
  • Level 59
  • *
  • Posts: 4902
  • Fell Points: 2
  • Assistant to Mr. Sanderson
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #579 on: May 09, 2007, 01:59:51 AM »
Didn't Vasher sneak into Vivenna's room with zero breath? Also, I thought Vasher gave that little girl a breath by hiding all his breath in a cloth except one, then saying "my breath to yours," then taking his breath back in. That would leave him with zero breath for a moment, right?
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!

dreamking47

  • Level 5
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • Fell Points: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #580 on: May 09, 2007, 06:55:55 PM »
My impression of the scene with the little girl was that whatever Vasher did was simple, one whispered step, but you're right, he does seem to travel as a drab often for stealth purposes.  Maybe normal people can't sense the divine Breath?  It's probably rather different than the biological life force of normal BioChroma.

Thanks for the explanation, Brandon -- that's how I thought it worked based on what you wrote last week, but your comments about Vasher confused me temporarily.  Confusion resolved!

MattD
« Last Edit: May 09, 2007, 07:24:04 PM by dreamking47 »
"It had blood in it.  That makes it a good metaphor." -- Tonk Fah, in EUOL's Warbreaker

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #581 on: May 09, 2007, 09:44:02 PM »
Chapter Fifty-nine

Last chapter.  Mostly an epilogue.

About the above discussion, the thing is, it has been established that Returned CAN go for a long time without a breath.  Lightsong never has any breath save his one Returned breath.  So, Vasher would only need a breath to feed upon when his week is up.  The rest of the time he can go about without one.

The command he has, then, is one that will hide his single Returned breath from the world.  Does that simply seem too convenient?  If so, do you have any suggestions?  I need him to be Returned, but it not be obvious to those around him. 

Note: The full version of Warbreaker will be up soon.
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

firstRainbowRose

  • Level 18
  • *
  • Posts: 867
  • Fell Points: 1
  • So pretty!
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #582 on: May 09, 2007, 11:06:19 PM »
*claps*  I was giggling through the entire chappie/epilogue.  I really liked this.

I think that your explanation on the gods looking like they wanted is good enough.  Have him be around long enough to have realized that he can control it, and play with it until he realizes he could make himself seem like a normal person at will.

Also... will we get the next book too?  Please?
"The custom of royalty in referring to oneself is to naturally employ the royal 'we'.  We are very happy, we are very sad, we are bored and suffer from ennui.  For a royal prince there's no such word as 'me', It's always 'we'.  So rightfully I should be two or three, don't you agree?"

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #583 on: May 09, 2007, 11:17:47 PM »
Yes, you WILL be getting the next book.  I plan to begin work on it late this fall, and will start posting chapters much as I did with this one.  It will mark the end of the series, as I only intend this to be two books long. (It was going to be one when I started, but I realized that if I really wanted to tell Vasher's story, I'd have to do it after he had been outed as a good guy--which meant a second book.)

Vivenna is only about halfway through her character conflicts, and Vasher has barely touched on his.  Then there's Nightblood, who...yeah, we need another book to deal with him. 
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

Qarlin

  • Level 8
  • *
  • Posts: 267
  • Fell Points: 0
  • The idiotic cock-eyed flum-dummery!
    • View Profile
Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #584 on: May 09, 2007, 11:44:46 PM »
So it seems that out of all the scholars, Vasher is the only one who went good, as it were. Denth wanted to, perhaps was at first...

Anyway, The question I have then, is does that make Vasher her Great great great great great great grandfather? or something?

So, he was a scholar before he was Returned. Did he return after he started the war then, or before? I think after, and he had someone who let him know at least something of his past, else how would he know the other scholars?

I think the hide your breath works, if there is a variation that allows you to hide your other breaths too, even if it hasn't been discovered yet.