zas678
Are twins more likely to be Allomancers?
Brandon Sanderson
They are more likely to share--
zas678
--to share Allomantic attributes.
Brandon Sanderson
--to share Allomantic attributes.
zas678
Does it make a difference if they’re identical or fraternal?
Brandon Sanderson
It does… Yeah, it does. Fraternals are still more likely. But identical are even more likely.
zas678
Okay so fraternal are more likely than siblings--
Brandon Sanderson
Than siblings, yes.
zas678
And identical are more likely than--
Brandon Sanderson
Mmhmm.
Questioner
Last time you said that his name, if it wasn’t Harmony, it would be something else. Is it Discord?
Brandon Sanderson
This is relevant.
Questioner
It is relevant?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
With the god-Shards, is it possible to put-- for someone to put one down without dying?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, it is.
Brandon Sanderson
*referring to a personalization request* That is a R A F O, but you do earn a card for your RAFO... Now let me just say--
Questioner
I'm not asking about Nightblood, I'm asking about the Shardblades.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah-- Oh, OH. You're asking-- okay. You're not asking what other Shardblades made, but if somebody brought a Shardblade to another pl--
Questioner
Like if Kaladin went to Nalthis.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, his Shardblade would manifest exactly-- it would do exactly the same thing.
Questioner
The size of the metal, does it matter to transfer Allomancy or can it be really really tiny or really really big?
Brandon Sanderson
For Allomancy? Or what, a bead of lerasium? Is that what you're talking about?
Questioner
Yeah, when you're transferring the powers, like to make someone a Mistborn...
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah it has to be-- The size of it is going to influence how strong a Mistborn you are.
Questioner
It couldn't be a sliver.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah-- Well it could, you'd just be really weak as a Mistborn.
Questioner
Is it possible to Compound your Spiritual Connection to a location on a planet while storing your Spiritual Connection to all other locations on the planet to kind of pull yourself through the Spiritual Realm to that location?
Brandon Sanderson
That's not how that would work. Parts of what you say are possible, but the teleportation aspect wouldn't actually do anything.
Questioner
Was Hoid trying to Compound his Spiritual location in the scene you added in the 10th Anniversary [Elantris]? Was he trying to Compound Connection to that location to try to become Elantrian?
Brandon Sanderson
...So at that point chronologically he was not an Allomancer.
Questioner
*referring to his personalization request* Just that one. Wayne is a wise man, wrapped up inside of a sad man, wrapped up inside of a silly man.
Brandon Sanderson
He likes a hat to be nice and stiff. To mean something. And a fedora is going to be too weak for him. Too... too floppy. It's not a hat you have to commit to, in Wayne's opinion.
scottwo
Is the radiance of the Returned, or people with Breath, is it like Stormlight coming off of people? Or is it a different concept?
Brandon Sanderson
It's a similar concept with different magic systems.
Questioner
Given equal footing with weapons, who would win in a fight: Batman or Kaladin?
Brandon Sanderson
...Batman or Kaladin?
Questioner
Given that they have equal weapons.
Brandon Sanderson
Does Kaladin have Stormlight?
Questioner
Only if Batman gets Stormlight too.
Brandon Sanderson
Batman can't use Stormlight.
Questioner
Then Kal-- Equal footing. So if Kaladin gets to use Stormlight, so does Batman.
Brandon Sanderson
But he can't use it. See this fight doesn't make sense, because it's like-- You know-- Well, I mean, if you give Batman Stormlight does it make any sense? If you give a bunch of Batarangs to Kaladin, he's like "What do I do with these?" I don't know. Does Batman have time to prepare? Because if Batman has time to prepare... If Batman has time to prepare then he's in good shape.
Questioner
Maybe Batman just gets Shard-Batarangs and nothing else.
Brandon Sanderson
If he meets Kaladin on the field of battle, Kaladin's a soldier and Batman's not. Batman's not going to do well in a war.
Questioner
Yeah-- But if Kaladin doesn't have any powers, Batman has extensive hand-to-hand training.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, yes he does.
Questioner
Do you consider yourself a lighteyes or a darkeyes?
Brandon Sanderson
I am darkeyed… These hazel eyes don't get quite light enough, they wouldn't count me.
Questioner
Who would win in a fight, Kaladin or Kelsier?
Brandon Sanderson
Kelsier, he fights dirty. Kaladin has, probably, more raw power-- I don't know. Kelsier's going to win easy though. He's just going to murder him in his sleep.
Questioner
How many blushes did Blushweaver weave?
Brandon Sanderson
Hehe, as many blushes-- How many blushes would Blushweaver weave if Blushweaver could weave blushes? Many a blush is what Blushweaver weaved-- wove.
Questioner
We've got Kaladin's name meaning, do we have Shallan's?
Brandon Sanderson
Shallan is-- Her name comes from Shalash, the herald, so it's kind of like naming somebody Christian in a lot of ways. Or naming someone Michael, though Michael has a meaning. Shalash does too but it's so old-- Like-- Yes, it will have a meaning but really what you need to know is "she is named after the Herald Shalash", right? But I'm sure we can dig out what the meaning is because it does have a meaning... I mean Kaladin's has a meaning even though he's named after Kalak.
Questioner
I do have one question that I have no idea if you'll answer. Aronack?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Wow, you're going way back.
Questioner
Well it gets worse, I noticed the name both in Dragonsteel [Prime] and in some chapters from Liar of Partinel--
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
Was that a cannibalization? Or is that two separate appearances?
Brandon Sanderson
So Liar of Partinel was a re-envisioning of... Dragonsteel and so there were certain things I was changing but that's not one of them. That's the same person.
Questioner
So was that story arc just-- Okay it's just the same thing?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner
How has the process of portraying women changed from Elantris to the more recent books?
Brandon Sanderson
Portraying women? A couple of things. I would say the primary one is just getting better at characterization all around. And the other one has been kind of this-- *sighs* struggle to figure out how to make every female character's conflict be about her role-- Not just her relationships, that one's not as big a deal because-- I mean if you look at the male characters, they all have relationship issues too, right? But it's more like fighting against-- Like if every woman is fighting against society's expectations of her that becomes a cliche very quickly and there are plenty of people, of both genders who are fighting against society's expectations but people of both genders are like "This is my society, I'm part of this" it's not fighting against it it's "finding my place". It's very difficult though when you are writing characters in states of conflict. So, I don't know.
Questioner
I read Shadows of Self and Elantris back-to-back, and that was really interesting to see the differences between the first published and most recent published.
Brandon Sanderson
Right, yeah. Those books will have some very big differences.
Questioner
How did people-- So apparently Zahel... who is teaching Kaladin Shardblade stuff... He's Warbreaker?
Brandon Sanderson
He is Warbreaker.
Questioner
How did people figure that out?
Brandon Sanderson
The color metaphors. He displays BioChromatic Breath. It's not that great because I didn't put a lot of color metaphors into the book, even though I wish I had, I've gotten better about adding flavor to books. But really he notices when Kaladin is coming to knock on his door before Kaladin gets there. That's one of the big clues that people got.
Questioner
So Nightblood is basically a Shardblade from a different god-Shard--
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
--is that how it works?
Brandon Sanderson
Mmhmm.
Questioner
Are there going to be-- Are there Allomantic Shardblades?
Brandon Sanderson
Not yet... And the Nightblood experiment has been an interesting experiment.
Questioner
Are you considering doing and more digital versions with the annotations kind of baked in, similar to Warbreaker?
Brandon Sanderson
I'd have to write more annotations for it to really be relevant and the time do that has just vanished on me. So maybe we'll get the original Mistborn trilogy done that way. But I'm less certain I will ever get any more annotations written.
Seonid
I noticed that you-- Was that a retcon on the way iron Feruchemy works?
Brandon Sanderson
What do you mean?
Seonid
There's a researcher who talks to Wax, asking him about whether he's changing his mass of whether he's changing whether the planet perceives him-- affecting his gravity.
Brandon Sanderson
Right. It's more a re-- Defining something I didn't pin down strongly enough. I wouldn't call it a retcon because it's something that nobody really did until Wax, really, in the series. The only one really capable of doing that in the original trilogy would have been the Lord Ruler, maybe some of the Inquisitors, but we don't have viewpoints from them. So I wouldn't call it a retcon I would just say it’s something that didn't come up in the first series that now I have to make sure is clear.
Seonid
So is it Higgs field stuff going on?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. Mmhmm.
Seonid
My idea was right.
Brandon Sanderson
Mmhmm.
Seonid
I've heard about a Shard that just wants to survive, hiding off-- it doesn't have a planet it doesn't--
Brandon Sanderson
Right.
Seonid
--out there in space, trying to survive. Does it have the intent of like Fear, or something like that?
Brandon Sanderson
The intent is related but only tangentially. Mostly it just knows what's going on and is smart enough to get out of there.
Questioner
Which character, do you feel, would be the most "at-home" in this world that we live in here?
Brandon Sanderson
Most at-home? *long pause* Hoid?
Questioner
Do you have master-copies of all of these carved in metal so Ruin and Preservation can't...
Brandon Sanderson
*laughs* Well they're gone, Harmony is around. I don't mind if he reads'em.
Questioner
So is it just a coincidence that both Vin and Kelsier are Mistborn with siblings who are Seekers?
Brandon Sanderson
Um… Mostly a coincidence.
Questioner
When someone is born as a Misting, is the type of Misting they are dependent on random chance or genetics or their personality? Is that something...
Brandon Sanderson
Genetics.
Questioner
So the surprise with Lessie at the end of the last book [Shadows of Self], at what point did you know-- Like did you know that in... writing Alloy of Law?
Brandon Sanderson
I knew that at the end of Alloy of Law. So what I do is I write a book, and then I go and build a series out of it. So I wrote Alloy of Law. I then built a series out of it, then I went and wrote the prologue to Alloy of Law. And then I released Alloy of Law. I did a revision too to make sure it was all in there. And so, actual writing of Alloy of Law? No. By the time I'd done the revisions on Alloy of Law? Yes. And then I built the three book outline that would be the trilogy you are now in the middle of.
And Mistborn had some similiar things where I wrote the first book, then outlined second two, and revised the first one, then wrote the second two. It works really well for me doing that with a trilogy, because you get some spontaneity for the first book, and you know how the characters are and you can build a larger framework for them.
Questioner
I'm the guy who asked about the game.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh right, so have you guys released stuff?
Questioner
No. I have an app, that's a level builder, that is technically published but it's *audio obscured* the guy who's doing the art *audio obscured*
Brandon Sanderson
Like I do wish you the best of luck. My friends at ChAIR, Epic Games, they were just BYU guys who got together to release their own game but I need to do it with people who have done things before.
Questioner
Oh yeah. After we get a couple--
Brandon Sanderson
After you get a couple games, if you come to me. Because I have some really cool ideas for how a great Rithmatist game would work. Like I think what you would want to have is pieces of chalklings that people could piece together, and then they have to draw their chalkling and they’d piece together their circle and then enter into a duel with someone else on their own iPad and you have to trace your circle. You trace it. And whoever get's done first get's a bonus to their strength or whatever, but whoever's most accurate also gets one. Stuff like that would be a lot of fun to be able to do.
Questioner
My question is about Shai, is she going to meet Hoid in person? Like I read your State of the Sanderson, is it going to be another short story or is it going to be in the Elantris books possibly?
Brandon Sanderson
If I-- When I write future Elantris books you're likely to see her in those.
Questioner
Or before maybe in shorter stuff like this *audio obscured*
Brandon Sanderson
We'll have to see, like shorter stuff I can never say when the shorter stuff is going to happen because it's where-- I funnel the random inspirations I get now into the shorter stuff. And the big books I have planned, I just don't have room for more big books, so when I get an idea I'm like "We'll do a novella on that instead".
Questioner
*audio obscured*
Brandon Sanderson
Honestly? I just, these days, say "It kind of looks something like this" and he [Isaac Stewart] reads the book and finds any references I've made and comes up with something. I can trust him to the point that I don't have to worry too much about it. On some I'll give him a shape. On Roshar I gave him the shape, and said "It's like this" and then I split things up. Because that one shape was very important to me. But like Mistborn I'm like "It looks kind of like this. Go for it."
Isaac Stewart
*audio obscured*
Brandon Sanderson
Oh yeah I sent an MS Paint thing.
Questioner
This is kind of a shot in the dark but is there anything you want to tell me about whoever writes the Ars Arcanum?
Brandon Sanderson
The person who writes the Ars Arcanum is a character in-world from a book that is been written but has not been published.
Questioner
Is it a book that has been announced?
Brandon Sanderson
It is a book that's been announced, the title is known.
Questioner
The three travelers in Way of Kings, we know who they are. Did they know about the cosmere in the books that they appeared in?
Brandon Sanderson
Uhhh…
Questioner
Cosmere or Seventeenth Shard.
Brandon Sanderson
I'm just checking each of them. No, no, and no.
Questioner
So something happened in their lives afterward?
Brandon Sanderson
Yep… That's an excellent question.
Questioner
Did [Hoid] cause the Shattering?
Brandon Sanderson
*hands out RAFO card* ...There is a hint about this in a book that is released tonight that is not that book.
Questioner
Did you get a little bit of inspiration for Dalinar's character from Captain Moroni?
Brandon Sanderson
Maybe unconsciously? Not specifically, but a little bit perhaps.
Questioner
Would it require a human-type person to have possession of one of the Shards? Would it interact the same way like if a dog were to somehow take it?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, a dog would probably not be able to do it. It's not outsi-- Yeah, a dog wouldn't be able to do it.
Questioner
So there probably wouldn't be some huge dog tearing up the furniture?
Brandon Sanderson
Probably not. No, good question, but nah.
Questioner
So what about other creatures that are intelligent but not human?
Brandon Sanderson
That's possible.
Questioner
What would happen if a Leecher touched Nightblood?
Brandon Sanderson
*nervous laughter* If a Leecher touched Nightblood the Leecher would be dead. That would not end well.
Questioner
For the Leecher.
Brandon Sanderson
For the Leecher.
Brandon Sanderson
*following a question concerning information from Dragonsteel Prime* I'm not 100% on anything in that-- those books are canon
Questioner
What happens when a... spren picks up a Shard?
Brandon Sanderson
What do you mean picks up a Shard? Shardblade or Shard of Adonalsium?
Questioner
Picks up a Shard of Adonalsium.
Brandon Sanderson
A spren is a Shard of Adonalsium so it just--
Questioner
Picks up one of the big ones like could a spren do the same thing that Kelsier's spirit did after he--
Brandon Sanderson
*hesitantly* It's like you're asking if electricity can gain a charge of electricity and get electrified. Does that make sense? I mean-- It's a question that doesn't make a lot of sense.
If a Shard were to somehow-- They would just combine into a bigger Shard and get larger-- if that makes sense?
Questioner
The foundation of that question was I thought that maybe the Stormfather spren was basically doing what Kelsier's spirit did.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, um *sighs* Not really... It's really a not really There's some similarities but it's a not really. It's not quite a RAFO though. more of a--
Questioner
More of a "doesn't quite work that way".
Brandon Sanderson
--doesn't quite work that way but you're thinking along the right lines?
Brandon Sanderson
*after reading a personalization request* What do you mean by specifically what Paalm was doing, which thing?
Questioner
Her ultimate goal, we think, was to Shatter Harmony.
Brandon Sanderson
You think her ultimate goal was to Shatter Harmony?
Questioner
*audio obscured*
Brandon Sanderson
Her ultimate goal was to free people from Harmony, so I wouldn't say her ultimate goal was to Shatter Harmony. So what you're asking me is "Is Taravangian trying to combine Harmony?
Questioner
We thought that Paalm was trying to divide people from Harmony in order to Shatter Him. *audio obscured* Taravangian was doing the opposite, trying to gather his people so that he could pick up-- so Honor could come back.
Brandon Sanderson
Not really. Good question, once I figured it out.
Questioner
In the beginning of Way of Kings, the first one, you start and Gavilar has a sphere that he passes off to Szeth and says "Give this to my brother, keep this safe away from them". It says it's dark but has its own inner light, but it hasn't been brought up again.
Brandon Sanderson
No.
Questioner
Is it going to be brought up again?
Brandon Sanderson
It will be brought up again.
Questioner
How-- Is it important? Or is it more mi--
Brandon Sanderson
It's important… ish.
Questioner
Ish? Does it have anything to do with Odium?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner
If they can make it so they can't see that kandra, can they do that the same with koloss?
Brandon Sanderson
Is that possible? Yes it would be possible.
Questioner
Probable?
Brandon Sanderson
It has not happened yet.
Questioner
Megan's weakness was fire, she overcame it. David's weakens was water, I feel he overcame it when shooting at the window. So my conspiracy theory is that he didn't have to take power from Calamity because he overcame his weakness or he was never experiencing the negative aspects of being an Epic *audio obscured*
Brandon Sanderson
You are getting warmer... You're theorizing is wise and you'll just have to see where it goes. But yeah you are definitely getting warmer.
Questioner
At the end of The Rithmatist that weird chalk creature he meets in the chapel, can you tell us something about that?
Brandon Sanderson
That weird chalk creature is deeply involved with the magic system and you will find out a lot more in the next book.
Questioner
So three Vin & Elend books, and then four Wax and Wayne, and five of the next ones?
Brandon Sanderson
No, we'll probably go back to three, but they'll be big, thick ones again. So... I haven't actually named the main characters of the next one yet. I'll have to think about that, so I can tell people what it is.
Questioner
In Alloy of Law, Marasi goes to see Wax in his house and he was doing experiments, she describes him as being oddly-- looking oddly younger than he had before. Is that relevant or is that just because he’s excited about--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah it's more that, and more she had this picture in her head of him and things like that. There's no actual magical thing going on there. It's an excellent question.
Questioner
In Warbreaker, Hoid's about to tell a story and he starts pulling out sand, some black sand. Is this from the planet that White Sand is from?
Brandon Sanderson
Good question, and that's a RAFO.
Questioner
What's Wayne's favorite ice cream flavor?
Brandon Sanderson
The more-- Oh rum. Obviously, come on.
Questioner
Does Wayne's ability to impersonate people have anything to do with his Allomantic abilities, or is it just skill?
Brandon Sanderson
He is just really good at it. Good question.
Questioner
Could I get the material that Bleeder's spikes are made out of?
Brandon Sanderson
No. Nice try.
Questioner
Are you willing to answer any questions about Wax's earring?
Brandon Sanderson
Not really. Not the one you want answered. We're going--
Questioner
Won't even tell me what it's made of?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm going to keep that one close to my heart for now.
Questioner
Has a Hemalurgic Feruchemist ever used a Hemalurgic spike to tap power into it? Have they ever done that yet?
Brandon Sanderson
So a Hemalurgic spike is already Invested, so it's going to resist sticking anything else in it, particularly a magic like that.
Questioner
So if there's a pewter spike then a Feruchemist couldn't store strength in it?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. It would be difficult.
Questioner
Was Rashek-- Was he pained by burning gold all the time? Like was he always able to see what could have been, since he's burning gold to stay alive?
Brandon Sanderson
He grew more philosophical than pained about that.
