Timewaster's Guide Archive

While it's never specifically mentioned, I always imagined the bridgemen moving closer together as the bridge crossed, with everyone having a hand in it until the end. This could easily account for chasms up to about 23 feet wide. Once you start hitting 24-26, things would get very, very difficult, requiring a lot of momentum and a small height advantage to get you over the last foot or so. 27-29 would be basically impossible (only feasible with a full bridge crew, a running start and a major height advantage), and 30 would be impossible. (This is what my experimentation with hardcovers has shown me)
Now, how heavy can the bridges really be? Consider; 25 malnourished, maltreated men, generally the scum of the earth before they were thrown into the bridges, can carry a bridge for hours at a time, at a jog. I don't think this would be possible if the men were carrying more than about 75 pounds each. Under those circumstances, and for that length of time, 75 pounds each would be pushing it, more would be nearly impossible. Less, around 50-60, would be likely. So, the heaviest the bridge could be would be approximately 1875 pounds. A more likely figure would be 1250. As the bridges are likely made from the lightest woods available, this seems an accurate figure. (I am, of course, no woodworker. If someone with more experience in that field could comment on the accuracy of my figures, please do). As the average man, even under those circumstances, would weigh between 150-200 pounds, It would only take 10 men to equal the weight of the bridge. Ten men leaning and pushing the bridge would be able to keep it upright right up to the end. For the very long chasms, you could have more men pile on top of the end of the bridge, keeping it stable. (As such behavior isn't mentioned in the book, I take it to have been unnecessary. Likely they were able to get enough people holding on to the end to anchor it to the plateau.)
As such, it seems likely that the bridges could cross chasms up to 25 feet wide without too much trouble, unless the bridge is overwhelmed by enemy arrows, leaving a bare handful of men to push.

Ermm... They would be able to push a 30 foot bridge over a 25 foot chasm because it is weighted. By the Bridgemen.   It would be a simple, even a necessary matter to push down slightly while pushing the bridge over the chasm. This pushing down would keep it sticking out horizontally. Of course, if many bridgemen died the bridge would topple over the edge, but I suspect that that wouldn't be too much of an issue. (The bridges could be replaced with new ones)
To prove my theory, with one hand push a hardcover book to the edge of a table. See how far you can push it without it tipping over, while only using one hand. (Don't grab it.)
You'll be able to get surprisingly far! (Please don't use, WOK, not only is it far too thick for an accurate comparison, the risk of damage to said great tome is too great.)  

Ok, so here is my theory on the identities of the three travelers in the interlude.

First off, Grump is Galladon. I can't believe people are even debating this one. The fact that his skin isn't glowing or silver isn't even a consideration. Elantrians can create food out of thin air, I'm sure they can come up with a good disguise or change their shapes.

Second: I think Blunt is Shuden. He matches the description and when he spoke in the books he was, well Blunt.

Third, I think Thinker is Kiin. He matches the description and towards the end of Elantris he is fighting half a dozen soldiers and they stop him by smashing him in the head with a rock, thus the scar.

Also, he seems to talk like Kiin. In Elantris when his friends start to argue, he interrupts them, starting his sentence with  the word "Gentlemen." Thinker does the same. Also, Kiin has an unusual background that I think makes him an interesting choice. Its hinted at that he should have been king and its said that he's one of the most well traveled men, with various relics from his traveling days. Who better to take if you're going to another world?

I"ll admit, Shuden as Blunt is pretty weak. Mainly because Blunt is described as a solider and Shuden didn't strike me as the solider type.

Then again, part of me wants to  say that one of them is Ham. I could see Thinker being Ham. (Ham also took at head wound at the end of HoA).

Not sure about Shuden or Kiin, as I haven't read Elantris in a while. I do however agree with you on the glowing; it would be easy to change. There are so many possible explanations! Maybe it happens when they are too far away, maybe it doesn't. Either way, it doesn't matter. Creating a disguise that would last separated from the Dor shouldn't be too hard, plus think of this. They are part of an organization that is called the 17th shard, and likely has members that use nearly every one of Brandon's magic systems, including ones we don't yet know about. Shouldn't it be relatively simple for the 17th shard to find one way to disguise one of their members, so that they could use a skilled and knowledgeable operative without him glowing and scaring off he locals?

Quote from: Random112 on September 10, 2010, 04:30:16 PM

And as far as we've seen thus far, DeathSpren come around when something is dying, they don't bond to people to give people that mastery.

So to be clear, when people mention Deathspren, are they talking about the people with wavy lines where their heads should be?

No, the wavy line-head spren are an unknown type of spren that seems to confer the ability to soulcast without a soulcaster.
Deathspren are the black, insect-like spren that people who are on the verge of death see. (Note Kaladin's viewpoints after surviving the highstorm, he sees deathspren shortly before he is given stormlight-infused spheres which bring him back from the point of death.)

Just had an interesting thought; Honorspren bond with people to make them surgebinders, (or windrunners if you prefer). Another type of spren (Soulspren? Truthspren perhaps?) bonds with a person allowing them to soulcast.
Now, there is a fabrial that allows you to soulcast without being bonded to a spren, so could there also be a fabrial that allows you to surgebind (or windrun, if you prefer) without being bonded to an honorspren? Perhaps this is related to the glowing glyphs on the Radiants armour, and their brightly glowing shardblades? 

One thing you should think on though is this, when the Elantrians were nasty blotchy Zombie-guys, the Dor wasn't slowed to a trickle, it was broken. It wasn't as much a pipe with less water pressure, but more of a pipe that's half clogged with muck. When the Aons were fixed, the "muck" was cleaned out. You got all the water, and it wasn't murky and disgusting.
However, if you go very, very far away, you will still get a trickle of that water, but it'll be clean. If you go incredibly far away, then wouldn't that water be no longer able to effect you? You would revert to normal.
This is, of course, going on the somewhat large assumption that the Elantrians genetic code and physical makeup aren't changed when they become Elantrians, instead they are saturated with the Dor. (And when the Dor was broken, the saturation was ineffective.)

Well. I (a Very long time lurker) finished tWOK's yesterday, and have hardly been able to do anything productive because of it. Curse you Brandon Sanderson! 
So, in a desperate attempt to retain a semblance of sanity, I am committing my thoughts to paper. Well... Close enough, anyway.

First Crazy Grand Majestic Theory: The Nature of the Almighty, and the Tranquiline Halls.

The Almighty
It is my belief that the shard the almighty possessed was "Novelty" (Note Hoid's conversation somewhere late in the book on what men value most. Could also be Creativity or some such.) The Almighty was a creator and an experimenter who liked to mess around with things (in a good way, mostly) and create new, novel ideas or things. This leads me to my next point;

The Tranquiline Halls.

According to my theory, the Tranquiline halls are real. But they are not the place that humans are supposed to go when they die, nor was humanity forced out of them by the voidbringers (Well, not directly anyhow.) The Tranquiline Halls are the Almighty's Laboratory. The Almighty took basic humanity (which likely existed before Adonalsium shattered, as evidenced by the bodies left by Ruin and Preservation in Mistborn: tHOA) and made new and exciting versions, with unique genetic traits which are found all over Roshone. Once the almighty decided that he was finished with modifying and diversifying Humanity, he sent them to Roshone so that he could begin his new project in the Tranquiline halls: The Parshendi. (Hence the Vorin belief that the Voidbringers forced them out of the Tranquiline halls) The Almighty decided to build, from scratch, a whole new species with access to the Cognitive and Spiritual realms. He wanted something Novel, but he also worked in the pattern he was familiar with in the basic human form. (If this theory is correct, the Parshendi are likely the first, experimental species, with more, less human ones intended to be created after the Parshendi proved successful. Alas, the Almighty likely died before he was able to.) So the Creator started work on the Parshendi, pouring all his efforts into them. Odium, seeing that the Almighty (who I will from now on refer to as "Novelty", as he wasn't really almighty) was distracted and pouring his power into the Parshendi, attacked Roshar. This was the first Desolation. Novelty stopped his work in the Tranquiline halls to foil Odium, and the cycle of desolations began. Eventually, (possibly during the so-called "Last Desolation") Odium struck at the heart of Novelty, breaking him and capturing the Tranquiline halls. 

The Parsh, both Men and Endi

On the Parsh, I have two theories. Both are crazy, both could be right. Both could be wrong. One of them could be right with the other being wrong.  
Theory #1:
The dumb, slow, stupid Parshmen are Beta versions of the Parsh. Works in progress, sent to Roshar for two purposes; as an experiment and to help the Humans against Odium. According to this theory, the Parshmen were fully functional in the Physical realm, yet heavily limited in the Spiritual and Cognitive realms. After each desolation they were brought back to the Tranquiline halls to be updated/upgraded. When Novelty was defeated, they got left behind.
According to this theory, the Parshendi were the finalized version; the "Gold" version. Novelty completed them with the last of his power, before being overwhelmed by Odium. Unfortunately, they were left behind in the Tranquiline halls. According to this theory, the Parshendi we know and love, who are singing, humming and fighting on the Shattered Plains, escaped from the Tranquiline halls. Escaped, or were set loose... (To quote Gandalf the Grey  )
Theory #2:
The Parshendi have easy access to the Spiritual and Cognitive realms through a "Hive Mind" that was created for that purpose by Novelty. This "Hive Mind" connects them, and while it doesn't control them it influences them. Our slow quiet Parshmen are the Parshendi who have been disconnected from the Hive Mind. While still moderately intelligent, they lack the huge advantage granted by their hive mind.
One more, tiny little thing. The Parshendi are "Bound" to the hive mind by a fourth type of SurgeBinding. The Gemhearts they are so desperate for are needed to keep them connected to the Hivemind. If they run out of Gemhearts, their connection to the hive-mind will fade away. Parshendi are terrified, and respect, SurgeBinders, as SurgeBinders can connect/disconnect an individual Parshendi from the Hivemind, a fate quite possible worse than death.

Neither of these theories explain the Parshendi's reverence for the dead. Perhaps the hivemind records everything that happens to the Parshendi up to their point of death, and a central force will eventually come and reconnect those bodies to the hive-mind? This requires much more thought.

The Heralds, and The Oathpact

What is The Oathpact? Why are the Heralds doomed to torment in-between desolations? Again, I have two theories.
Theory #1
When Novelty saw what was happening during the desolations, he found for himself ten volunteers. Each of the volunteers agreed to take on some of Novelties powers and strengths, to defend Roshar so that Novelty could focus on The Tranquiline Halls. In between desolations, they were granted a place of rest where they could recover themselves. Early in the cycle of desolations, Odium captured the Heralds place of rest, turning it into a hell in his attempt to get the Heralds to abandon the Oathpact so that he could destroy Roshar. 
Theory #2
Perhaps, like Preservation, Novelty realized that he was losing. So he decided to do something Novel! He granted the bulk of his powers, not to one replacement, but to ten, and set them to oversee and protect the world. With his power reduced, however, he was unable to stop Odium from making the in-between times living Hells for the Heralds.

The Last Herald

Our last Herald, the only one who didn't abandon the Oathpact, tried desperately to get out of his torment early, or at least to give some warning to humanity (the strange death-prophecies perhaps?). He failed to both escape before his time or to get a clear warning to Humanity. When the time of the Desolation came, he was sent back to Herald it. Likely he was sent somewhere far away, perhaps to the source of the Highstorms, or the great seas to the North. He hurried as best he could towards one of the few places he knew civilization to be, A Dawncity. Exhausted, he burst his way into the city, and fell unconscious; The Herald of the True Desolation; The Everstorm.

The Shattered Plains

There is something that has been nagging at me continually. Where did the Shattered Plains come from? When were they shattered? When did the Chasmfiends arrive? My theory is this; Something massive, carrying with it the Chasmfiends (and possible the Parshendi) crashed into the center of the Shattered Plains. Perhaps this was the opening move of the Everstorm, or perhaps this was a desperate escape attempt by the Parshandi from the Tranquiline Halls. Either way, something Massive struck Roshar. And suddenly we had Parshendi and Chasmfiends.


All these theories are crazy, wild speculation. While they are somewhat connected, one, or even a part of one can be true without any other part.
Please poke holes in my crazy theories, but not too many.