Timewaster's Guide Archive

Looking at the quote saying that Shallan used all nine colors of sphere, I think she means actual color, I don't think she counts white in that, so that would be nine colors plus white, and so we're back to ten types.  This really makes the most sense.  I mean, why wouldn't they use all ten types of gem as currency?  Why exclude one?

Page 978

"What of the creatures with the symbol heads?"  Shallan asked.  She flipped through her sketches, then held up an image of them.  "Do you see them too?  How are they related?"

Jasnah frowned, taking the image, "You see beings like this?  In Shadesmar?"

"They appear in my drawings," Shallan said.  "They're around me, Jasnah.  You don't see them?  Am I-"

Jasnah held up a hand.  "These are a type of spren, Shallan.  They are related to what you do."  She tapped the desk softly.  "Two orders of the Knights Radiant possessed inherent Soulcasing ability; it was based on their powers that the original fabirals were designed, I believe.  I had assumed that you...But no, that obviously wouldn't make sense.  I see now."

Am I remembering it wrong now?

Then why would it refer to Kaladin and Szeth as Windrunners, rather than Surgebinders, and yet Nohadon still refers to honorspren as part of Surgebinding?  And there are two different kinds of Soulcasting, Jasnah metions it near the end of the book.

The marbling of red and black is unique to each one, so what the balance is between the two colors is depends on the specimen. (look at me trying to sound scientific )

The males have the beards with bits of gem in them, infused with Stormlight, except for what might be the female of each pair.

The half-shards are just really strong fabrials, yeah.

It's been repeatedly mentioned that the writing is impractical because of the vertical symmetry.  I don't actually think this is true, after a second look at it, it seems to be written with lots of sweeping motions.  It kinda resembles our own cursive style in that sense, though it's a lot more precise than in english.  True, you could just write the top half as a shorthand, but I could easily see it written in longhand.

This is good.  This is definitely the kind of thing that could fit under Brandon's "it depends on how you count them" statement.

There are a few problems though.  I'm thinking that the last 10, the ones you've attributed to Cultivation are likely not particularly related.  Like the Old Magic, or the magic that generates spren, these would tie into there too.  It's not just magic that is used by people that fit under the magic systems banner.

EDIT: Kykeon, well, this wouldn't the first thing to be misnamed after centuries.  Jezrien as Jezerezeh, anyone?

We don't know the exact chronology.  But yeah, all of Brandon's books save for Alcatraz and WoT are in the same shared universe called the Cosmere.

I agree, we need a Cosmere introduction thread.

I'm not sure where the answer to your first question is, but Brandon has said that all of the Hoid appearances we've seen are the same person.