timi1993
Wayne, his inability to pick up guns, is there anything else to it or is it just psychological?
Brandon Sanderson
It's just psychological, and you'll see Shadows of Self, we talk about it a little bit. It's post traumatic stress disorder.
timi1993
[Wayne] seems to impersonate other people--
Brandon Sanderson
That also is just him. There's nothing really supernatural going on, he's just really good at this.
timi1993
What's [Wayne's] effect from his Twinborn abilities?
Brandon Sanderson
I don't think I've released that yet.
Questioner
It must be very difficult to write Dalinar, since it's--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah he's a very different person, it's kind of brutal to write him now. But it works, it's a good counterpoint.
Questioner
*inaudible* Shallan and Kal are both younger, so you have less to write about than Dalinar?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh yeah the flashbacks cross about 20, 30 years with Dalinar so it is a challenge. But you get to see a lot of sweeping changes in his personality which is really fun.
Questioner
Is Mistborn: The Final Empire based on the French Revolution.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes it is. Specifically the stuff with Elend.
Questioner
With spikes, would you be able to actually transfer Breaths, when they get to the other planets?
Brandon Sanderson
So spikes rip off pieces of the soul and so Breaths are not going to be part of the soul. You could maybe get a divine Breath but I haven't really decided on regular Breaths, they're kind of stuck there in the Physical Realm which is not a thing that spikes are dealing with. Divine Breath, potentially, because that's something that's actually melding onto your soul. But, you know, when you're using the Breaths they reach through to the Spiritual Realm so, maybe if you got it while the Breaths were kinetic, right, while you're using them, then you might be able to rip them off. I'm not a hundred percent certain on that one.
Bystander
There's still things to decide upon.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah there's still things, like I have to kind of see. My instinct says no right now. But, you know, how they interact is not something that I have-- Yeah.
Questioner
I make cocktails, and I want to make cocktails based on the characters, have you got any ideas? Particularly Kaladin and Vin, what would they drink?
Brandon Sanderson
...Kaladin and Vin, ah boy. Vin wants something simple, I mean she's going to want something to relax, so maybe something fruity and simple. Kaladin, he'll want something stiff, right, something hard...
The next one actually has a mixed drinks scene. Fortunately, you'll be happy to know, I went to a bartender friend to get some advice on how to make it work, so... If you make Kaladin's stiff and blue, that might be good because of Alethi blue.
Questioner
So I take it that a spren exists simultaneously in both the Physical and Cognitive Realms...
Brandon Sanderson
They do.
Questioner
But are they conscious simultaneously of what's happening in both.
Brandon Sanderson
No, they do have to transition.
Questioner
They have to transition. And does a spren's intelligence affect its ability to transition? So like a more intelligent type of spren finds it more difficult to move over--
Brandon Sanderson
Yep-- But the moving over creates a lot of-- Yeah, like some of the ones you'll sometimes see, you'll think that they are-- Some of the spren that aren't intelligent are actually mostly in the Cognitive Realm and you're seeing a manifestation here, but they're not really conscious of what's going on here, they're responding to stuff in the Cognitive Realm.
Questioner
Ok so they could be pretty damn clever but there's no one to talk to?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner
Has any of the Shards, outside of the Greater Roshar system, had a champion before, like...
Brandon Sanderson
Outside of? Yes.
Questioner
I finished Shadows of Self and TenSoon is still wearing the dog body, why is that?
Brandon Sanderson
Because he found he liked it.
Questioner
Really? Because he hated it so much.
Brandon Sanderson
He did, he actually changed back and just didn't like it, he couldn't adapt. So he went back to what he had found very familiar now.
Questioner
Why are there so many Kholins that are Radiants? Is there a story reason or...
Brandon Sanderson
There is a story reason, kind of. So the Kholin family is in Alethkar, which was the hereditary-- one of the homes of the Knights Radiant. It's still kind of in the forefront of the-- how shall we say-- the collective unconscious and things like this. Plus there's--
Questioner
And then they are on the forefront of that.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. I mean-- Yeah. And so the spren, some of them are naturally looking for where a lot of Radiants used to be. So it's just a higher concentration of spren around the area, if that makes sense?
Questioner
Could you have a good conversation with Adonalsium, back in the day?
Brandon Sanderson
Back in the day? I actually have to RAFO that because I actually haven't said whether Adonalsium was a force or an individual. So it is an excellent question, no one has asked me that before, but it's not one I can answer.
Questioner
That was a bit of a sneaky one, because it seems like it would be an easy one to answer, but it gives away too much
Brandon Sanderson
It does.
Questioner
Dalinar, his memory issues, are they his boon or his curse?
Brandon Sanderson
You will actually find out. That's coming. I’m not going to tell you that. You've got a whole flashback sequence dealing with this sort of stuff.
Questioner
Are the Unmade seeking anything on Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
The Unmade, are they seeking anything? Technically yes.
Questioner
And are they attracted to something on Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
Um, yeees.
Questioner
They are both of the above. And also you said--
Brandon Sanderson
The Unmade are not all necessarily sapient. Keep that in mind. Not sapient always in the way that we think of sapience.
Questioner
Someone asked you last year if the Unmade could be bonded and you said technically yes. Have we seen any evidence of this, or will we?
Brandon Sanderson
Uhh, you-- Eh-- Not yet, no. It doesn't really happen. Technically it could but it just doesn't really happen.
Questioner
Can Odium or any other [Shards] edit text like Ruin could? ...Or is that a special Ruin thing.
Brandon Sanderson
This is possible for others as well. The trick about it is, [Ruin] saturated everything on Scadrial in a way that not all Shards saturate their planets.
Questioner
Okay, what do you mean "saturate"?
Brandon Sanderson
Creating it, does that make sense? And so this was partially an aspect of the fact that everything on that planet, every atom was, y'know, had him in it... I mean he didn't create the atoms, let's say that, but yeah... The whole planet's existence and particularly the people on it are [Ruin], attuned to [Ruin].
Neuxue
Does Roshar have a magnetic field?
Brandon Sanderson
Um, Roshar, magnetic field, yes, it does. Yes. Yeah it does
Neuxue
You said at one point that it is all one plate--
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Neuxue
--that there's no tectonic activity. What is the interior of the planet like?
Brandon Sanderson
That’s a good question... You're not going to get an answer on that one. It's a weird planet, let's just say that. It's a pretty weird planet
Neuxue
Are the diamonds naturally occurring?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, but most are going to be-- They aren't-- all gemstones are naturally occurring, but most of, many or most of, the gems they are getting they are getting from creatures that grow them, not from the rock. Though there are mines on Roshar, you just have to-- most of them are on the leeward side of mountains, where the crem isn't being deposited.
Neuxue
So, diamond mines are about tectonics--
Brandon Sanderson
It was a created planet, keep that in mind.
Neuxue
And I have one more question that sort of relates to The Wheel of Time, which I’m reading right now. So Shai in Emperor's Soul has a couple of different personas, right? And some of them have versions of her name. Were she to create a version of herself that is as chaotic and evil as possible, an embodiment of chaos that is capable of reaching throughout the multiverse and--
Brandon Sanderson
Oh Shai'tan! *laughs* I did not think of that, there you go Shai, that's where she came from.
Neuxue
The most powerful character ever apparently.
Brandon Sanderson
That's right. *laughs* Shai, the Dark One.
Questioner
Mistborn Era 1, Elend had a lot of books in his library, and he really wanted to become a better leader. Would there have been any books from other Shardworlds that could have ended up in his library?
Brandon Sanderson
That is possible, but he did not read any.
Questioner
The dark orb in the Stormlight prologue, is that native to Roshar? Or could it be from somewhere else?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm gonna explain what that is in the next book, so I'm going to RAFO that.
Questioner
Who would win in a debate between Lightsong and a stick?
Brandon Sanderson
*laughs* Ah the Stick would probably win!
Questioner
Sazed is Harmony, so does he rule over all of the worlds? Or just--
Brandon Sanderson
Just Scadrial.
Questioner
So he's not involved in the others?
Brandon Sanderson
He is not really involved in them. I mean he's aware, and increasingly aware of things, but he is focused on one.
ParadoxicalZen
There's a WoB on Theoryland that if Hoid was tempted by a Shard it'd be Endowment. Why is that?
Brandon Sanderson
There's a word on Theoryland that if he was tempted by a shard it'd be Endowment? Things in his past, that make sense. Will make sense once you know him more.
ParadoxicalZen
The Second Letter, Frost mentions a gemstone, is that in the Moon Scepter?
Brandon Sanderson
No, good question. That is a topaz, which was associated with him for a long time and had some mystical properties.
ParadoxicalZen
How exactly is the Moon Scepter linked to the Dor?
Brandon Sanderson
The Moon Scepter is-- I suppose I can canonize this, now. Okay you're getting one out of me. So the big thing about the Moon Scepter that it was-- It is a Rosetta stone for the [Selish] magics. Meaning it translates them from one to another, and what the different symbols mean, does that make sense.
ParadoxicalZen
And can you describe the Dor? Is it like a-- Are the two Shards kind of mixed or is more one than the other--
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, it is the two Shards mixed. And it is very dangerous because of that.
ParadoxicalZen
The separation of the Rose Empire and the Jindoese, is that connected to Devotion and Dominion's Splintering?
Brandon Sanderson
Vaguely.
ParadoxicalZen
Can you give us the intent of the hide and survive Shard, or as an alternative give us the name of another Shardholder?
Brandon Sanderson
No. I gave you something good, you got a good one.
Questioner
Wayne's ability to heal himself, obviously doesn't mimic his natural ability because he can regrow fingers. So if he lost a limb, could he regrow the--just heal it roughly until he stored up enough Health and then regrow the limb at a later time? Does it have to be an instantaneous--
Brandon Sanderson
No, he could totally get that back.
Questioner
And if say somebody was born with an extra finger, could they cut that off, heal that up and have a whole fingers-worth of Health saved?
Brandon Sanderson
It depends on how they view themselves. Healing in the cosmere is based on replacing-- returning you to the state you view as your natural state... Almost every cosmere magic is going to work that way, unless-- There’s certain ones that-- Yeah almost everyone is going to work that way.
Questioner
I read online that you stated that Instabam's power was over mashed potatoes. Is that actually true in your mind, and if it is would you ever consider writing that story in the same vein that J.K. Rowling did Fantastic Beasts? As a comic relief--
Brandon Sanderson
As a comic relief? I could totally see doing that. I just keep thinking that if people got to get superpowers, there have to be stupid ones, right? People've got-- They can't all be “I can fly”, some of them are "I can control mashed potatoes" or something like that...
Questioner
Are we likely to see any more from Sixth of the Dusk's world?
Brandon Sanderson
You are likely to see, if you keep your eyes open, cameos from it. I am not planning anything in that world currently… It went really well, I've just so much on my plate.
Shardbound
We've seen different Shards have different prophetic abilities--
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Shardbound
Is this a result of the Shard itself, the wielder, or a combination of the two.
Brandon Sanderson
More the Shard.
Shardbound
Does each Shard have the same quantity or quality of Investiture?
Brandon Sanderson
Um, yes. They were equal proportions originally, how about that.
Shardbound
Have romantic relationships ever occurred between surgebinders and their spren? And if so what were the results?
Brandon Sanderson
That is a RAFO.
Shardbound
When we get to Era 4, are we going to see a Gasper/Lurcher EVA specialist?
Brandon Sanderson
You will see all kinds of things like that, yes.
Questioner
How come you don't have any gay, lesbian, or transgender characters in your books?
Brandon Sanderson
I do! This one [Shadows of Self] actually has one. Ranette is lesbian. Let's see, transgender is awkward because I have the kandra who are kind of no-gender and both, that doesn't really count, but it's kind of me testing the waters and seeing whether I can write someone who has fluid gender and not be offensive with it, does that make sense? So keep an eye on what I do with the kandra through the books. The other gay person is Drehy from Bridge 4, he's based on my good friend Ryan Dreher who is gay, and so you will see his husband appear in the series eventually as well, but we really haven't talked about that one yet, there really hasn't been an opportunity, but Ranette we've talked about and it becomes more and more obvious as we talk about it in the books.
Questioner
What's the most cosmere-icly-significant in Shadows of Self?
Brandon Sanderson
In the latest book Shadows of Self? Shadows of Self is not terribly cosmere-significant, the next book has a lot more.
Questioner
So the middle series?
Brandon Sanderson
No, no, no, The Bands of Mourning, the actual next one has some relevant stuff. Oh, what's the most relevant in this? The fact that Hoid is eavesdropping--
Questioner
On the carriage?
Brandon Sanderson
In the carriage. That's pretty cosmere relevant, but there's not a ton in this one. I wanted this one to stay really focused on Wax. You'll see some more worldhoppers in the next one and stuff, so keep your eyes open. They're hard to miss, honestly, in the next one.
Cemci
Have we-- I think you mentioned in a previous signing that we'd already met one member of every Order of the Knights Radiant.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, I think you have.
Cemci
My question is, have we met two Edgedancers? And is one of the Dustbringers a viewpoint character?
Brandon Sanderson
One of the Dustbringers is eventually a point-of-view character.
Cemci
Haven't been yet?
Brandon Sanderson
No, not yet, I don't think. But it depends if you count the Heralds as members of their order.
Cemci
I don't.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, see I would, because they're kind of heads of their Order. If you don't count them you have not met some from every Order.
Cemci
Have we met someone from the Dustbringers?
Brandon Sanderson
Well-- Dustbringers are really complicated. Really complicated. So that's the weird one. Okay? So let's shelve that one. You'll see why it's really weird later on.
Questioner
How did you come up with the idea of windspren?
Brandon Sanderson
Windspren in specific? I was thinking about the way the wind is often anthropomorphized, right? It's treated as if it's something alive. And that, for years, just stuck in my head. For a while there were only four windspren, one for each of the quadrants: the north spren, the south spren, the east spren, the west spren, or the west wind and things. But eventually I split them into many more, because I was working with the honorspren and things like that.
Questioner
In Shadows... did we see a Shardpool? And was it Harmony’s or some other mysterious god who...
Brandon Sanderson
So where do you think it is in Shadows?
Questioner
In one of the newspaper articles.
Brandon Sanderson
I am RAFOing that, the whole newspaper article. So the newspaper articles, who knows what’s going on in them. They're tabloid-ish so maybe, maybe--
Questioner
Have you ever thought about writing a horror novel?
Brandon Sanderson
A what?
Questioner
A horror novel.
Brandon Sanderson
You know, I've had little, vague things about, but never anything big enough. Like I'm most attracted in horror to the kind of cthuloid, dark eldritch style stuff, so if you saw a horror novel from me it would be along those lines probably.
TheMalhamBird
How much attention should we be paying to Highprince Hatham?
Brandon Sanderson
Moderate.
TheMalhamBird
Has Jasnah had any wards before Shallan, or is Shallan the first?
Brandon Sanderson
Jasnah has-- See I think she had one other ward, it didn't go well. That was a long time ago.
Questioner
Sazed's obviously Harmony now, if he connected with the other Shards would he become the original Adonalsium 'cause all the intents are morphing, or would he--
Brandon Sanderson
There are theories that would happen, there are theories it would destroy him.
Questioner
So, what happened to Shallan's family? As in--her brothers--the things that happened to Shallan's family, is that related to the black sphere from Gavilar that Szeth hid in Jah Keved?
Brandon Sanderson
It's vaguely related but not specifically.
Questioner
[Mraize's] cosmere treasure room had a white tree branch-like thing, is that the bones from Sel?
Brandon Sanderson
It is not from Sel, it's from Yolen.
Questioner
In Rithmatist there's a Tower in Nebrask, why don't the Rithmatists just build a big moat of acid around it?
Brandon Sanderson
You'll see, when I get there. They have tri-- Number one, a big moat of acid is really hard, you think about how much acid you would have to get in there? It's got to be enormous. Because remember the Tower moves.
Questioner
Okay, didn't know that.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, the Tower moves, and so there's this huge swath they have to keep defended, it's enormous. But that's one of the big things, the other thing is you can't just leave them there because they will find a way across, 'cause they know how to cross boats and things now. Because they can get between the islands.
Questioner
The broadsheet in Shadows of Self, is that a face or a mask?
Brandon Sanderson
*silence*
Questioner
Okay.
Questioner
Miles spoke about people in red and gold, is that to do with Lightsong's colors is that connected in any way?
Brandon Sanderson
Okay he spoke of people where?
Questioner
While dying, Miles spoke of people in red and gold--
Brandon Sanderson
Oh red and gold.
Questioner
Is that to do with the fact that Lightsong's colors are also red and gold?
Brandon Sanderson
No, good question.
Questioner
When will we visit the Spiritual Realm like we have done the Cognitive Realm.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, you already have, briefly when Elend transcended and burned atium with duralumin.