Questioner
Is there any real difference between Steelrunners and Sliders? It seems like that could be sort of similar class--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. But different.
--Sliders have the bubble around them, but...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. They work similarly, the big difference is you're seeing the limitations of Allomancy versus Feruchemy. Where Feruchemy there upper limit is unbounded, but you have really much more distinct cost and that can be stored up. You see that these have a different kind of cost to them, but I would call them the same category of thing, it's just the Feruchemy can be way more powerful. Except its limited by how much you store up.
Questioner
If we knew more about Jasnah's past, would there be a moment <when she got> gifted zircon or something important at some important time in her life?
Brandon Sanderson
I think this theory is probably going to lead you to a dead end.
Questioner
Is there a name we can use for Paalm's metal, or should we just go with trellium?
Brandon Sanderson
Trellium will do. Yeah. Go ahead and call it trellium.
Questioner
I was a little bit interested in Words of Radiance...how Taln's Shardblade screams for Dalinar when the other Honorblade doesn't scream for Kaladin...
Brandon Sanderson
That is true. So, if you look at the description Shardblade at the end of book one and they present it book 2, check the [clipped].
Questioner 2
You also give a hint at the end of the book of what happened.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. I give a hint in the book of what happened as well, the hint is, those aren't the same swords.
Questioner
I feel like there's a pattern at the end of Mistborn part 2, where a character we like is completely gut punched...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. That's kind of a theme for this. I'm actually trying to create a parallel it's going to be interesting for some interactions for the third one.
Questioner
I wanted to ask about Paalm’s spike. Is it that one specifically that allowed her to hide from Harmony or would it happen with any sort of...?
Brandon Sanderson
It was because she was not using one out of any metal that he knew, was a big part of it. She couldn't have done that with any spike. Taking one out helped a bit, but a non-Harmony spike it had to be… What you’re seeing there is a weird hack of the magic system intentionally that was built to do that.
Questioner
Should all the Shardworlds have radios and the like, and progress in that...
Brandon Sanderson
Should they? Not yet.
Questioner
Could they?
Brandon Sanderson
Could they? Yes.
Questioner
You’ve spoken before how DNA exists on multiple different levels in your magic systems. I was curious about something else that I think I read that that the Hemalurgy system actually splices something into the DNA - so what does that imply for heritability of those?
Brandon Sanderson
So, it is not inheritable when it's Hemalurgic because it's splicing. It's basically ripping off a piece of the soul and spiking it on someone else's. So, it would not transfer.
Questioner
The metals used in Allomancy are they naturally occurring on Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
They do.
Questioner
And all the alloys as well?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, the magics would...oh, all the alloys in Roshar naturally occurring… The magic of Mistborn is related to the actual metals' structure being the key. So, you can use metals from other worlds, there's no actual power in the metal. The metal is like a password.
Questioner 1
Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs test?
Brandon Sanderson
I have. That's the one that's like the letters. I am whatever the Mastermind is.
Questioner 2
INTJ?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner
[Is OreSeur...] she wanted to know if there's a worldjumper who's the same species?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, there are and several of them have, but they tend to be homebodies, but there are some who have gone off.
Questioner
*inaudible*...Wit and Hoid are two different people and one is just going by the other's name.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh. Okay. There have been other people named Hoid, before, in the past, but you have never met them.
Questioner
If you could ditch the entire Cosmere, *laughter* what would you write about?
Brandon Sanderson
Start fresh?
Questioner
Twilight fanfiction.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, there you go, Twilight fanfic. That's...
Questioner 2
Brandon Fifty Shades of Grey would be much tamer. *laughter*
Brandon Sanderson
The problem is, I don't think my Fifty Shades of Grey would hit quite the same demographic.
Questioner 2
You'd have a great magic system, though. *laughter*
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, it would. It would just be a magic system based on different colors of grey and what they do. *laughter*
Questioner 2
Sorta like Warbreaker.
Brandon Sanderson
I have no idea what I would do, I'm sure I could find something, but it would probably turn into another cosmere.
Questioner
What happens if you burn atium at the same time as cadmium or bendalloy?
Brandon Sanderson
That would be really cool to see. *laughter* Here you go, you can have a RAFO card.
Questioner
In Stormlight, are there lovespren?
Brandon Sanderson
Lot of people've been asking about this. There are passionspren. Lovespren, I haven’t really talked about much...
Questioner
Does Tia know Professor’s weakness?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Tia does know Professor's weakness.
Questioner
Could you tell me when the Ghostbloods were founded?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. I’m gonna RAFO that.
Questioner
My question is about Jasnah, and why she tried to assassinate Elhokar’s wife?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, you’re going to need to get to know Elhokar’s wife a little better before you get an answer for that. But understand that Jasnah is very deliberate in her choices, and protecting her family is one of her most important personal mandates.
Questioner
Would you ever want to write an episode for Doctor Who?
Brandon Sanderson
I would consider it. But I don’t have enough screenplay writing background right now, I'd have to work with someone else. Does that make sense? If they had a good screenwriter who could work with me, then yeah.
Questioner
I know you mentioned online in a couple places that Kelsier is still around meddling, are you planning on having him meddle in a little more overt manner any time soon?
Brandon Sanderson
That’s a RAFO. A big, big RAFO.
Questioner
On the coppermind it states specifically that Nightblood is fueled by Investiture, would that mean that an Allomancer burning, say, steel, could then [draw] Nightblood and fuel it off of that?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, Nightblood would feed off that Kinetic Investiture, you could make that work. You would have to keep that portal open, and he would eat the power instead of whatever you were planning to do with it, and when you ran out of metal he’d kill you.
Questioner
Would that also work with say...whatever you have in a Coppermind or metalmind?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, yes, theoretically you could make that work too. That’s an excellent question, you’re the first to ask that.
Questioner
What’s your most terrifying character, and why is it Nightblood?
Brandon Sanderson
Ha. Nightblood is pretty terrifying… You know, an object created to destroy evil but doesn’t know what it is?
Questioner
When you brought it back...I had <to like shut the book> a little bit and like, scary.
Brandon Sanderson
I wanted you to think that Nightblood in the hands of Szeth should be one of the most terrifying things that you have ever contemplated.
Questioner
Regarding Hemalurgy and its basis in the Pits of Hathsin being Ruin’s body, my theory is that Kelsier gained his Mistborn powers from being in the Pits of Hathsin.
Brandon Sanderson
It’s a good theory. I’m not going to confirm or deny it. It is a very good theory.
Questioner
Do you just get all the small little bits and pieces from just the way people talk about him as the Survivor, so *inaudible* theory... Are we ever going to see it confirmed or denied?
Brandon Sanderson
It is possible that you will, but you will see...I’ve got somethings that I want to write about Kelsier.
Questioner
Please, that would be amazing.
Brandon Sanderson
You have not seen the last of that man, I want to write some stuff that happened.
Questioner
Is there meant to be a direct connection between the efficiency for transferring Breaths and the stamp magic from The Emperor’s Soul?
Brandon Sanderson
There's not meant to be a direct correlation only in that the magics both work on the same fundamental rules, like all of them do.
Questioner
Okay.
Brandon Sanderson
I wasn't specifically linking those two in any way in my head when I was working on them.
Questioner
Okay, because I was just wondering with the fact that the stamps work better with what there supposed to be like...and the Breath work better--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. That's just a fundamental of the Cosmere, the whole idea of perception, what you're thinking, how much something matches what you're doing, and how well you're able to visualize what you want to have happen. This is all related in the cognitive aspects of the magic, basically, and the spiritual, I suppose.
Questioner
In the <third Stormlight book>, are we going to learn more about the Ghostbloods, and about the organization Mraize is in?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, and yes.
Questioner
So, you know when Feruchemists increase their weight or strength, something like that, [...] like when they're increasing their strength their muscles literally grow bigger, why does that not happen with Allomancy?
Brandon Sanderson
So, the idea with Feruchemy, in Feruchemy you're storing like your own physical strength. So, when you're filling the metalmind, you kind of shrink *inaudible* and you get it back. With Allomancy, you are drawing on the strength magically from something else and so the power and strength you're getting is actually not related to your muscles, it's related to the magical power, you're pulling directly from another place. So, that's why.
Questioner
I remember in, I believe it was Hero of the Ages, when Sazed was helping TenSoon escape. When he had fallen on the guard, he said that, by increasing his weight he also increases his density so he doesn't <hurt> himself. Then in The Alloy of Law, it also says that when Wax increases his weight he said that he didn't.
Brandon Sanderson
So, Sazed is just making a mistake. He's mistaking the fact when he increases his weight his musculature changes to be able to handle the new weight and that was what he was talking about. Strength and muscle tone and things like that. I might have just gotten it wrong in the original one [scene], I can't honestly remember, but this is what we kinda decided it needs to be.
Questioner
In The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, you covered the relationship between Shardblades and spren...you never get around to Shardplate.
Brandon Sanderson
I’m saving that one on purpose, it’s a gun on the mantle, or armor on the mantle. So, you will eventually find out what’s going on there, okay?
Questioner
In Elantris, so, if the people are dead they don't have any pulse, right?
Brandon Sanderson
They do not have a pulse.
Questioner
So, wouldn't all the blood just go straight to their legs?
Brandon Sanderson
You know, I worked out a few things on this. In order to make what I was doing work I didn’t want to zombify them too much, and so I would give them like a blood pump, like a pulse of the heart, very softly, like every couple of minutes or something like that, and remember they’re being sustained directly by the magic so I was able to fudge some of the stuff. There’s some other things that would happen, like the gas would cause them to expand and... I didn’t want to do that, I didn’t want them to go all the way to zombie, and so I made some basic metabolic processes happen, but more magically caused than physically.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
How are beta readers chosen?How are beta readers chosen?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Mostly off 17th Shard and my Facebook page, Peter watches for people making comments and being involved.
Questioner
The Seventeenth Shard—is their purpose limited solely to tracking down Hoid? Or all Worldhoppers or is it something grander than that?
Brandon Sanderson
No, they have other stuff. It is grander than that.
Questioner
He's just one of many priorities?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. They are very worried about what he's going to be doing.
Questioner
But there's others they're worried about as well?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes... They have a task, they have goals, and they are worried that he is going to be [at] cross purposes to them, so is trying to hunt him down.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
If you had to pick one character to have dinner with, who would it be?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
I’d pick Sazed. It would not be Kelsier, cause he’s kind of scary, and it would not be Hoid cause he would make fun of me.
Questioner
I almost have a little bit of trouble understanding the difference between the Lighteyed and the darker...How did you come up with it?
Brandon Sanderson
I wanted to have some kind of racism in the books that was removed from the racism we have in our world, so I could talk about it in a more isolated way related to the books; and so, having it based on eye color made sense because the Voidbringers have these glowing red eyes and the Heralds have these bright eyes. So, this idea of eye color being related to your level of nobility, which is not true, but it entered the culture and became the form of racism and prejudice that they use.
Questioner
Was it a deliberate move on your part to make it such that on Scadrial, people who wear aluminum foil hats actually are safe from mind control?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, yeah that was a big inside joke. *laughter* When I realized it would work, I had to put it in. *pause* I’m doing some fun things. The gun thing is another one I’m very fond of.
Questioner
She wanted to know earlier, when [will] you get a book with Lift?
Brandon Sanderson
You are going to get a book with Lift as a main character. It is going to happen, I promise. And I'll probably do some more shorts with Lift because she is so much fun.
Questioner
I was one of your beta readers. So, I wanted to know whether Lord Harms ever got off the roof?
Brandon Sanderson
Lord Harms. Yes, I did because people were so--*grumbling* 'Lords Harms Lord Harms'. Alright. Fine. So, I mentioned Wax saying, "go get Lord Harms back," or something like that. I did put it in at some point.
Questioner
Would Vasher be able to use Stormlight in the same way that he can get Breath?
Brandon Sanderson
That would not be immediately easy, but Stormlight could feed Nightblood.
Questioner
Which is why Szeth can wield Nightblood?
Brandon Sanderson
Eh, you'll have to see if but yes. That could theoretically happen. You can use most of the magics on most of the planets to fuel the other magics, if you know how to do it, it is not easy.
Questioner
Is the key to the [Oathgates] dead spren?
Brandon Sanderson
*dry laughter* That’s an excellent question, you will actually find out a lot more about the Oathgates when you see them from the cognitive side.
Questioner
If Kelsier had been born on Roshar, would he have become a Knight Radiant and if so...?
Brandon Sanderson
I think there’s a possibility that some of the orders might want him, but it really depends on what period he was born in, and what he’s up to, because Kelsier's got this dark edge to him where he could go villain very easily, depending on what’s going on with him. *pause* That’s kind of how I view Kelsier’s defining attribute, if channeled correctly he’s a great force for good, but he’s like right on the line.
Questioner 1
How did Marsh survive for so three hundred years and *inaudible*?
Brandon Sanderson
Compounding atium. He got a little pouch that one of the kandra gets sent out with if you watch, and then Marsh shows up and he has the pouch.
Questioner 2
<When is that>?
Brandon Sanderson
Go look for the little pouch of atium.
Questioner
I was wondering if you were planning on writing anything else in the Elantris world?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. There will be some more [clipped off]. Yeah. I'm going to do some more full books. I'd like to get Shai into things a little bit more, but I don't wanna ruin The Emperor's Soul by writing a bad sequel. Mmhmm, you know, it just turned out so well.
Questioner
In Well of Ascension, Zane: how and when did he get spiked?
Brandon Sanderson
That is an excellent question. That someday I will answer, but not right now.
Questioner
Calamity, it is just, because it talks about it always being in the sky. Is it hovering above North America or is that a global thing?
Brandon Sanderson
You will find out in the next book.
Questioner
I was wondering if there was any update on the movies, similar to video games?
Brandon Sanderson
The movies are moving along better. They're taking some time, but they are moving along better. I think, right now the farthest along are going to be Steelheart and Emperor's Soul.
Questioner
Okay. Are they like in production right now?
Brandon Sanderson
No. They are in screenplays. So, yeah, nothing's really gotten done.
Questioner
Are you writing the screenplays?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm writing the treatments.
Questioner
Okay.
Brandon Sanderson
I don't want to write the screenplays but I can do the treatments.
Questioner
When does a person become a Surgebinder? Cause Kaladin talks about when he was a child, talked about it being a familiar feeling, and Shallan obviously was younger. Or is it when they speak the Words?
Brandon Sanderson
The bond starts forming before the Words are spoken, but if the words are never spoken that bond will eventually evaporate and get broken. But the bond will start forming before. Just like an emotion attracts a spren, acting in the way that the spren you would eventually bond will start drawing them toward you and that will start to create that bond.
Questioner
If someone—Vasher says that Nightblood would kill him, is that just because he has this one deific Breath? Would it kill an ordinary person, like a drab?
Brandon Sanderson
It would suck the Breath from anybody, and if they were unable to feed it he would feed on their soul.
Questioner
So they would die?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Anyone wielding Nightblood, he will suck their soul. If for too long, he will eventually—if you draw him—will suck your soul.
Questioner
The letter in the epigraphs in Way of Kings, the recipient—is he or she—are they in Words of Radiance?
Brandon Sanderson
They are not in Words of Radiance in person.
Questioner
Will they be in the next book?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO. But they have not appeared in person in the series yet.
Questioner
Which of your characters do you think would win in a fight?
Brandon Sanderson
At what stage in their career?
Questioner
Not the Slivers.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so they don't count, the Shards of Adonalsium don't count… Does Kelsier have atium?
Questioner
Yes, atium exists.
Brandon Sanderson
A Mistborn burning atium is really hard to beat in any other way.
Questioner
So you think that Kelsier would beat Vin?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, Kelsier would beat Vin if he had atium and she didn't. If they both did? Vin has more raw talent, Kelsier has a lot more experience. So if you can pick Vin after she's had more experience she will give him a fair fight, but before that she will not.
Questioner
Szeth a lot of the time throughout Words of Radiance is referring to the fact that he's hearing his victims screaming in his head. Is that actually just his conscience screaming at him or has he possibly already bonded to a spren in some way, that is displeased with his actions?
Brandon Sanderson
That is not his spren, good question... It is not the spren—it is not a spren that is for one of the orders.
Questioner
Okay, but it is related to—
Brandon Sanderson
I didn't say that. I just said it is not a spren—it is not a Blade. It is not one of those.
Brandon Sanderson
Blast. I've got that in my records somewhere. It's been a while, now. Off the top of my head, I believe Luthadel was the biggest city with around two million. (Peter might have a better read on this.) I was shooting for 1920 London, but with a slightly better flow of food in because of the imperial structure an absolute monarch offers. It was the biggest city by a long shot, though. Others would have trouble topping 100k. Probably a 25%/75% split urban rural, weighted on rural, through the entire empire. Scope is relatively small. Smaller than the US. Bigger than Korea. If you email Peter@brandonsanderson.com, he might have the actual scale.
Brandon
