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Messages - Erunion

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31
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Is stormlight sentient?? (major spoilers)
« on: September 24, 2010, 09:00:20 PM »
Quote from: guy on September 24, 2010, 08:50:46 PM
Quote from: Erunion on September 24, 2010, 05:51:55 PM
She communicated with the goblet's somewhat intelligent manifestation in the Cognitive realm, which was represented by a bead.
thats really interesting, if everything is represented in the cognitive realm, and the greater the cognitive ability, the greater the representation, so a goblet with little or no intelligence is represented by a bead.  Its interesting, just not particularly important

That makes total sense, with the greater the intelligence, the greater the representation.
Of course, that begs the question, what does the cold sun in the cognitive realm represent?

32
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Is stormlight sentient?? (major spoilers)
« on: September 24, 2010, 05:51:55 PM »
No, the beads in Shadesmar weren't all currency gems. She was drowning in a see of them, but there was one in her hand, specifically, the thing she was touching in the Physical Realm, the goblet. (She wasn't touching her currency gems, as they were in her Safepouch I believe.) She communicated with the goblet's somewhat intelligent manifestation in the Cognitive realm, which was represented by a bead. She asked the bead to change (unintentionally), and gave it stormlight in order to do so.
Soulcasting is essentially bribing the conscious representation of items (their spren, perhaps?) in order to make them change form.

33
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Truthless
« on: September 24, 2010, 05:46:32 PM »
I don't think that there is anything magical in the Oathstone, but just to play Devil's Advocate, I'll bring this point up; it could be that the compulsion is a psychological force, and not a physical force. Perhaps the oathstone amplifies Szeth's sense of honour, or perhaps psychologically makes him act certain ways. His mind simply makes up an excuse for how he is forced to act.

34
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoK: Shalan - near end of book **SPOILERS**
« on: September 23, 2010, 06:03:58 PM »
Not only do the dead have less blood pressure, the shardblade cuts too thinly. The sharper the blade, the smaller the wound. If a wound is very, very thin, blood will only seep out, as it simply doesn't have enough room to flow.

35
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoK: The Heralds *Spoilers*
« on: September 23, 2010, 05:49:42 PM »
I've always thought it likely that Voidbringer doesn't refer to a specific creature, but rather to a group of creatures, encompassing Thunderclasts, likely the Parshendi, and whatever other fighters are working during the desolations.
I can't see Thunderclasts as being the only Voidbringer, as Nohadon, when talking to Dalinar in his vision, mentions that the desolation lasted for eleven years. Also remember from the pre-prologue that everyone who could hold a weapon was fighting. Only someone with incredibly heavy equipment or a shardblade can engage a thunderclast, so if they are the only voidbringer, why have spearmen and the like fighting?

36
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Official WoK Fan Art (Here there be spoilers)
« on: September 23, 2010, 05:29:23 PM »
Good idea on the separation.

Also, back to our earlier discussion Inkthinker, I've just been rereading WOK's, and it turns out that the Parshendi do use spears, and at least once the used a spearwall. When Dalinar charged out to save Sadeas, a group of Parshendi stopped and braced spears into the ground to prevent his charge. He commented on how this was a brand new tactic from them, that they were finally learning how to face cavalry charges.
So yeah, while pikes are a bit of a stretch, a spearwall is actually accurate!

37
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WOK: Navani's Notebook Translation *MAJOR SPOILERS*
« on: September 23, 2010, 05:56:49 AM »
There are two writing styles, there are the basic glyphs which convey basic information, but don't seem capable of conveying complex ideas. Everyone with an education knows these (but not lower class/lower middle class).
The second type of writing is the type shown here, and only females and Ardents are cultural allowed to learn it, as it is considered an art form. (Note how in Shallan's 3rd or so chapter, she writes a letter to Jasnah and uses her brushpen as the letter is supposed to be "a work of art") It is a very artsy, pretty written language but is a complete written language capable of conveying complex ideas. Only the well-educated (Kaladin's mom knows it, ardents know it, noblewomen know it) learn it.

38
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Dalinar's gift and curse (lolSpoilers)
« on: September 22, 2010, 12:25:56 AM »
I also think that's the right idea. I doubt that the wish had something to do with Navani, as I got the impression that he'd gotten over Navani after she chose Gavilar (?), met and sincerely fallen in love with a different woman, who he married. I also think that his wish had something to do with his wife, he likely wished the pain of her death to be taken away, and so he lost all his memories of his wife. The only question I can think of is when he went to the nightwatcher. I do think it likely that he drank so heavily on the night of the treaty signing, acting surly and completely ignoring his brother's advice, because of either his grief over his wife's death, or his grief at losing all memories of his wife.

39
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoK: Shalan - near end of book **SPOILERS**
« on: September 20, 2010, 07:47:31 AM »
Quote from: Dryone on September 19, 2010, 05:10:34 PM
The only scenario I can imagine where Shalan's father gives the shardblade to her is: "Take this blade, kill your brother and give it back to me." That would also give Shalan a motive and explain the broken soulcaster.

It would not explain the man in a pool of blood. While the second-shardblade-strike theory has a ring to it, it still would not work since dead people don't bleed.

My favorite theory: Father beats son senseless, Shalan stabs father with conventional weapon (or steak knife), stormblade materialises, she picks it up and drops it again. Could a dropping shardblade cause the damage to the soulcaster before vaporizing?

A man in a rage has a tendency to lose outer layers of clothing so he can beat people up. I can see a very angry man throw his coat to the ground to remove the restrictions, both mentally and physically, that are implied by said coat. (Removing a physical layer allows greater freedom of movement, the coat of a nobleman also implies restraint and control. Throwing it off just makes sense.)
Shallan's father stands up from the table in a rage, charges over and attacks Nan Balat, shattering his leg and rendering him unconcious. He turns to the table, gripping the edges for a brief moment before continuing his beating of the now-unconscious boy. Shallan grabs a steaknife and stabs her father in the back. Her father dies, slumping over the table. Shardblade materializes. In shock, Shallan bends down and picks up the blade, not really realizing what she is seeing. When her mind refocuses, she realizes what she has done, leaps back and drops the blade. The blade cuts through her father's coat, lying on the ground, and shears the soulcaster.
Deep-seated guilt and emotions prevent Shallan from telling anyone about the blade.

Fast forward a year or so, and you have the Shallan of today.

40
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WOK: Navani's Notebook Translation *MAJOR SPOILERS*
« on: September 20, 2010, 07:24:14 AM »
Hol-crap....  :o

Capturing spren? In Fabrials? That makes so much sense.

BTW, you have talent. Thank you for the translation.


41
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoK Fan Art (Here there be spoilers)
« on: September 20, 2010, 07:22:02 AM »
Quote from: Inkthinker on September 19, 2010, 04:24:45 AM
So CUTE! Can we see a bigger version?

One of the design mandates on Shardplate is that it completely cover the body, so if there's a cloth component it must be covering a plate beneath. At the joints where normal armor requires you to go to leather or chain or something like that, Shardplate just has finer plates that slide or overlap along each other in various clever ways.

Quote from: Erunion on September 15, 2010, 08:20:38 PM
Very nice Inkthinker,  :o  I'd love to see the finished work!

Do keep in mind though that the Parshendi use axes, swords maces and the like, but I've never heard of them using longspears or pikes. Those types of weapons don't suit the Parshendi's two-man teams and warrior ethos, but are effective in the Alethi's more disciplined supportive armies. (Not sure if the Parshendi use shortspears, either)

Yeah, that's another reason I dropped it... I liked the visual of Kaladin leaping onto a pike wall, but it doesn't match the text and that makes it wrong, wrong, wrong. I make up stuff all the time, but I try to never directly contradict the text just because I think it'll make a cool picture... that way lies chaos (and bad designs).

Hmmm, I really like the feel of the picture, and I'd like to see you complete it (or something much like it.)
Perhaps you could lower Kaladin slightly, and have him just cresting an axe-swing? That would be both epic and accurate!  8)

42
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Cadmium and Bendalloy clarification
« on: September 16, 2010, 10:05:53 PM »
Quote from: Castleguard on September 15, 2010, 06:26:25 AM
Quote from: Ari54 on September 15, 2010, 05:00:21 AM
Quote from: Castleguard on September 15, 2010, 04:43:52 AM
It seems to me that the one that slows down is only really useful if used with a team. But in the right situation and with friends its very powerful. You see you get near a bunch of enemies then slow things down so that you and all the enemies around you appear to be moving super slow. Then your friends can used ranged weapons to take out all the enemies. Since this will be in the next book chances are they will have weapons like guns and can just shoot down the people who got stuck in your slow field.



That won't work. Any projectile fired into the field would slow down with you. Really, it would be good for taking one very powerful person out of a fight in a critical moment, by getting close to them and slowing down time, buying everyone else enough time to take out their friends and be ready to help you when you drop the bubble.

Yes I already thought of that. Even though everything inside slows down a projectile weapon would be much faster then the people in the field. So from the perspective of the person who is controlling the field they would die at the same speed that it takes a bullet to reach its target. As soon as the targets are down the time bubble could be stopped. Unless there is some kind of effect that makes projectile weapons moving into the field no longer work. Any way from the perspective of the people outside the field they just have to make sure there shots are fired accurately and then they can move on. It might appear to them that the shots are moving very slow when they go into the field but that shouldn't matter as they don't need to wait for them to hit the targets they can move on to other enemies. If the team is skilled it should work.

Part of this depends on how much this slows things down. If it makes things supper slow and the field inside makes even bullets stop in mid air then it wouldn't be practical for the person controlling the field to wait for long enough to confirm all targets dead. He might just stop things for half a second and then trust that his allies took the shots. In fact it might be best if he simply does short bursts so stops things for those around him for a fraction of a second then makes things move forward and then if necessary does another burst of slow. After each time ending the effect he could evaluate the battlefield and either do another burst or move to another location.

By the way does any one remember what these guys that slow things down are supposed to be called? Because the more I think about what they can do the cooler they seem. I mean I could be wrong about this whole thing but I am pretty sure they could have a huge effect on a battlefield if used correctly. The key is of course positioning.

This could be quite effective as a weapon, especially with a duralumin enhanced super-slow. You and those in the bubble are slowed down to very slow speeds, someone walks towards the bubble and shoots each of the baddies in the bubble, then you start up time again. End result, a two-man team gets 5-6 near point-blank-range, carefully aimed gunshots. When time starts up again, the people inside will not have time to react to jump out of the way of the oncoming projectiles (esp. if they are not metallic, perhaps a carbon alloy.)

43
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« on: September 15, 2010, 10:36:29 PM »
Properly crossbraced, it should be possible. Still, if you are right and it is indeed some 2000 pounds, it would still be manageable up to about 25 feet by a group of 10-15 men. The weight can't be greater than 100 pounds per person for 25 carriers, or it would never get to the battlefield. So my original upper estimate of 1500-1650 still stands as the heaviest feasible weight, with some 1250-1350 more likely.

44
Brandon Sanderson / Re: *Spoilers* General Shard List
« on: September 15, 2010, 10:10:57 PM »
I would think that sentience is required to hold a shard (access to all three realms, spiritual, cognitive and physical). That is likely the only requirement.

45
Brandon Sanderson / Re: WoK: Bridge Crews & Bridges
« on: September 15, 2010, 10:08:44 PM »
That's assuming they use modern weighted thicknesses and planks. With proper supports, you could make the wood relatively thin, even the crossbeams. 1250-1500 could easily be the weight of the bridge.
Yes, Rosharan wood is likely heavier. But if it is denser, it is also likely stronger, so it doesn't have to be nearly so thick, leaving the weight roughly the same. Of course, even if it were heavier, just add more people to the end. That equals more weight at the end, making the bridge effective over long chasms. 

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