Questioner
What's the difference between a spike prepared for a Koloss and a spike prepared for a Mistwraith or Kandra? What side effects might occur from... [?]... Koloss spikes?
Brandon Sanderson
It's the pieces of the soul that are being ripped off and the amount of the soul that's being ripped off. That's a big part of it. What side effects would there be? You would probably not get something as intelligent.
Questioner
What's the difference in how you prepare those spikes?
Brandon Sanderson
The Koloss spikes, you've seen how they're done. The Kandra spikes were prepared by the Lord Ruler. He gave them to them, and so we don't know what he did, at least in canon.
Questioner 2
That means that we kind of screwed up the role playing.
Brandon Sanderson
You can totally do- I imagine all the role playing happening in a slightly different alternate universe, where there are slight variations and differences.
But yeah, there are no- Kandra spikes are prepared and given by the Lord Ruler, they didn't even know how to make them themselves. I mean they had an inkling of what went on, but they didn't know.
Mason Wheeler
In Bands of Mourning, in the party scene. Hoid was outside; talked with Wax. Khriss is inside; talked with Wax. Were there any other worldhoppers present? And if so, how many?
Brandon Sanderson
At least one was present. Probably two. At least one, probably two.
Brandon Sanderson
Now, I would like to point out that I have been miss-represented. While I have a penchant for characters who avoid marriage, I have some (not as many, I admit) who look forward to it. Let's look at viewpoint characters in my current novel:
Jasnah: Female. Doesn't want to get married.
Taln: Male. Doesn't want to get married.
Shinri: Female. Eager to get married, and engaged.
Merin: Male. Never really thought about it (only 17) but not really opposed to it.
Jek: Male. Neutral.
Dalenar: Male. Has been married twice, and is currently married. Wanted to the first time, was forced into it the second time.
So, while I wouldn't argue that I tend to have a lot of characters who (perhaps) share my philosophy, I try to represent the other side as well.
Tacticus Prime
Also, what is going on in this chart? Is it all RAFO, or can you hint at anything?
https://www.brandonsanderson.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/twok_endsheet-rear-2-webres.jpg
Brandon Sanderson
That's...I'm sorry, that's a RAFO. But thank you for reading! Answers are coming.
Kingsdaughter613
Primary question: Peter recently said something about atium in Era 1 actually being an atium-electrum alloy, which is called nalatium. Is this accurate?
Brandon Sanderson
This is accurate, yes.
You could, by the way, just continue to call it atium. That's what they think atium is in-world. It's very slightly tainted.
Kingsdaughter613
Secondary questions: If the above is yes, did Kelsier get malatium by separating the atium and gold from the silver in nalatium? If so, do atium and gold have similar melting points?
Brandon Sanderson
That's more of a RAFO in that I'm not sure I want to canonize any of that right now.
jurble
but one kingdom (led by a mysterious figure who knew far too much)
Did this evolve into or influence the Ishar/Tezim situation at all? Or maybe the latter is a parody even of that idea.
Brandon Sanderson
The mysterious figure was [Aronack] (though I don't remember how I spelled it) one of the original figures planning to kill Adonalsium. Back then, before the cosmere fully formed, they were demigods--but I later decided it was more interesting for the Shards to have been (mostly) ordinary mortals before the shattering. So he's no longer canon.
He was basically breaking the agreement between the others of his kind by giving rapid technological development to his people. This was, in part, because I was intrigued by the idea of a single highly-advanced (in technology) culture among a group of bronze age peoples. An idea you see play out in science fiction (with advanced aliens among modern cultures on earth) but not often in fantasy. (Except in some versions of "Old world meets new world" style recreations of what happened on Earth.)
ericsando
(mostly) - translation: dragons?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, at least one Dragon. And at least One Sho Del.
LewsTherinTelescope
Is [Aronack] (though not necessarily with the same name) still one of the original Vessels in the current version of the Cosmere? If so, does he have a different name in the current canon?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, I'm afraid.
Ben McSweeney
Chull shells are traditionally shaped by domestic herders for a variety of utilitarian ways and reasons in cultures across Roshar. The porous stone is strong but relatively light and easy to carve away without injuring the chull so long as you do not approach their actual carapace beneath the rock layer.
aluminum22
So, is what we see in the art not even their shell, is it just... Like a rock?
Ben McSweeney
We see carapace on the limbs and belly, but the part of the back that is visible and rocky is basically very porous stone yes. It’s carapace inside, at a deep enough point, but the boulder grows from that.
That’s why the stone can be carved and anchored and adapted, and it doesn’t hurt the chull at all… if anything they might appreciate becoming a bit lighter, like shearing a sheep.
aluminum22
Very interesting, so forgive the questions, but when you say the 'boulder' grows from that, what's the boulder made of?
Ben McSweeney
Crem, stone, and other general trace minerals in the food they’re eating (they eat rockbuds, cracking them open like eggs and chewing up the veggie goodness), processed by the digestion and then extruded naturally through various channels in the back and legs.
Ultimately the idea here to design a creature that performs a particular role, and when sleeping or hunkered down it looks like a boulder. It has a (somewhat) more typical crabby shape under the stone, but I was designing towards a goal and working backwards.
Mike Lach
When will we be getting a non-cosmere short story collection? I'd like to have all of the cytoverse in print
Brandon Sanderson
We've got it prepared and ready, just have to find time for it. (And I have to decide if I want to do an exclusive story for it or not.)
Shreyas Wajekar
I'm just going to throw in a title suggestion for Stormlight 5.
Knight(s) of Withered Truth(s).
Brandon Sanderson
That's a good one. I've toyed with Knights of Woeful Truth for a while. That's the frontrunner, but yours isn't a bad one.
Maor Bril
SA 5 Title:
Knight Of Winds and Thunder
Brandon Sanderson
That's not bad, actually. One of the better suggestions I've been given. But it can't just be cool, it has to match the text. Knight of or Knights of is likely to start it, but the last words are ones I'm still mulling over.
Syen Adnan Moquith
Any chance you can release the original ‘too dark’ version of the Rhythm of War?
Brandon Sanderson
I think it's Oathbringer you're talking about. If you're referencing the sequence I trimmed where Dalinar is brutally murdering a bunch of people. (In the scene after the avalanche.) Unless I'm forgetting something else? I'd be happy to release the scenes for you, if those are the ones you're talking about.
Daniel Danchik
How long until we see more of Sel?
Brandon Sanderson
Probably not for a few years.
Brandon Sanderson
I took it a little easy over the Holidays, and actually worked on Stormlight 5's prologue as I'm eager to get to it.
Gavilar viewpoint. Final perspective on the book one prologue. Some interesting secrets revealed in this one...
Counterblaste
There are some rumors he's [Brandon's] working on Forspoken
Brandon Sanderson
I was asked to work on a game for Square-Enix, but I don't know if it is this one or not. (I think, looking at it, that the one I was asked to work on might have been different--but it's hard to say, because titles of games and even gameplay changes around a lot during development.) Unfortunately, I had to say no, as I'd already agreed to other things. Forspoken looks cool, though.
Kalanit Taub
Any Wax and Wayne short stories/novellas planned?
Brandon Sanderson
Not currently, I'm afraid. This series started life as a short story, though, so who knows.
EagleTiger32
At one point a seon is described as speaking with an odd rhythm.
1. Would someone on Roshar recognize that rhythm, and
2. Could a seon reproduce the tones Navani discovers in Rhythm of War?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, they are speaking with an odd rhythm. This is... You are close but not quite there.
Questioner
Will Harmony make Mistborn to continue the power legacy?
Brandon Sanderson
There's your RAFO.
Questioner
Teft is one of my husband's and my favorite characters.
Brandon Sanderson
I'm sorry.
Questioner
I was wondering if we would get to see him again.
Brandon Sanderson
Well, you can read the books again! If I write the Lopen story that's supposed to go between books 1 and 2, then he would appear in that book. So it is possible that you will see more of Teft, but you are not going to see, you know.
Questioner
So, the Diagram was basically created to help Taravangian figure out if he was having a bad day or a good day, kind of?
Brandon Sanderson
That's not one of the reasons they were founded, but that is certainly one of their duties.
Questioner
And we found out it was because Odium helped Taravangian figure out the Diagram. Now that Todium exists, will he still have to use the Diagram and go forth with the Diagram? And how will that shape what this contest of champions is gonna be?
Brandon Sanderson
I won't tell you how it's gonna shape, but he now has access to what Odium could do, which is limited ability to see the future, and a little bit better than a lot of the Shards are at that. He could see what the Diagram was an inferior version of making, in a lot of ways. In other words, the physical print thing, the Diagram, is no longer necessary to him.
Questioner
Now that it's Todium, will he have problems with having his good days and bad days?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
There are two Shards that aren't confirmed. One I call "Concealment", which we haven't figured out about because it conceals itself from the rest of the cosmere. The other one I call Unity, that might be two different Shards later, like Harmony, that Dalinar gets. Do either of these Shards exist, or will they exist?
Brandon Sanderson
Plausible existence of one of the Shards you have talked about. The ways you are theorizing, in some of the things you're saying here, are intentional on my part, and you're following correct paths.
Questioner
Are the Ghostbloods on Roshar the same organization as the Set on Scadrial? And if not, is the--
Brandon Sanderson
*immediately hands him RAFO card*
I will tell you this. The Lord of Scars is Kelsier. Not hiding something there. I'm not being tricksy like I was with the Sovereign. You can trust that. More about that will be forthcoming in a book that might be released about one year from now!
Questioner
Szeth references birds other than chickens. When he's training with the Skybreakers, he uses an analogy that they scattered like sparrows before a hawk. So there are other non-chickens in Shinovar. Are they going to end up... Probably not being like Aviar, but are we going to see more of them in book 5?
Brandon Sanderson
You will see birds in book 5, most likely. Whether or not they are like Aviar or the weird fish, I will leave as a RAFO. But the two Aviar you have seen are not native.
Questioner
What gave you the inspiration for cytonic slugs?
Brandon Sanderson
The cytonic slugs came into existence when I started writing a short story I called The Eyes. This was a much later derivation of Defending Elysium, where I wanted to tell a story about human refugees in space who were fixing a hyperdrive that turned out to be a living thing. And most people didn't understand that the hyperdrive was a living thing, it was a secret.
I started writing this short story, and the lore was not clicking quite right. In that one, they were these glowing things. They looked like a power source, so people didn't know they were alive. The whole story didn't work, it wasn't the right rebuild of things from Defending Elysium. So I shelved that story. Sometime I'll let you guys read it. I may have put it out, I can't remember, but if I haven't I'll-- I only got two or three pages into it.
But that idea kept going in the back of my head. And eventually, when I was writing and building Skyward, I knew what I wanted was something that would look innocent, that Spensa would mistake for being the ship's hyperdrive. That would just look like it was something that's there, I like to hide things in plain sight. So putting a cute slug in... Why a slug? I don't know. I like underwater sea slugs, that just look cool. That's a cute thing I'd like to have as a pet. They're really something you can't, in our world, have as a pet. You could have it in a fish tank, but you can't get it out and play with it. What if you had one you could? So I built that as the hyperdrive and started having her teleport around, so that when you found out about the hyperdrives, you're like "it's been there all along, that makes sense!" The only thing I had to tweak from my original draft is, I realized eventually M-Bot was gonna have to have been crashed there for a long long time, so Doomslug had to be the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of the hyperdrive for that ship, rather than the actual hyperdrive.
Questioner
At the end of Oathbringer, Taravangian makes a deal with Odium about defending Kharbranth, can you please spare Kharbranth. At the end of Rhythm of War, is that still relevant? Does he still have a pact with himself?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. Excellent question, I like the way you guys are thinking.
Questioner
My question is about squires. You've confirmed that Bondsmiths, Windrunners, Skybreakers, Dustbringers, and Lightweavers all have squires. You've also said that not every Order will have them. Could you confirm whether or not another Order has them?
Brandon Sanderson
Does another Order have squires? Is there an Order we have seen that we don't know-- Yes, there is another Order that has squires.
Questioner
You can't get more specific?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, the Stonewards do have squires, usually.
Questioner
Nightblood has more Investiture than any other being, right?
Brandon Sanderson
Not every other being, but definitely one of the most highly Invested individuals that we have seen.
Questioner
So Nightblood, he was used to wound Odium. Is Odium now weaker than he was before?
Brandon Sanderson
Not in a relevant way. Technically, yes. Not in a relevant way. The amount taken, compared to how much there is, is pretty small. And a whole bunch of what happened there was focused on the Vessel, not on Odium itself.
Questioner
Could Nightblood consume Odium?
Brandon Sanderson
Nightblood would get full before consuming even the smallest fraction amount of Odium. As you saw, Nightblood kind of got full in that instance. Actually, it was with the perpendicularity, it would be similar to that. So for those who are wondering, no, you can't stab Nightblood into the planet and absorb the planet. Nightblood is really dangerous, as we've seen, but we're not talking "absorb planets" dangerous.
LeftImBorn
We have this WoB that says you can split ettmetal into atium and lerasium, but not through normal means. In Rhythm of War, we see Navani changing the forms of Light by removing the Connection to other Shards and introducing new ones. Is that the same way that you would turn ettmetal into atium and lerasium, or similar means?
Brandon Sanderson
That sort of science would possibly lead to the proper method. It is a good way to be going, but it's not exactly... Let's say there are multiple ways to do this. Some are less dangerous than others. The way you're theorizing could lead to a less dangerous way.
LeftImBorn
If you were to do that to a live, living Shardblade, which you said could be called Honor's God Metal, what would that do to the spren?
Brandon Sanderson
If what happened to... Oh, remove the Connection for a Blade like that?
LeftImBorn
And like, gave it Ruin's connections?
Brandon Sanderson
You would have a really hard time doing that, because it's an actual individual. It'd be the same as cutting off a person, which is possible, but you're talking about stuff like what a Shardblade does to a soul. So you'd have a hard time, and it would have not-happy effects on a living individual that that happened to.
Questioner
In the first epigraphs in Rhythm of War, we get Navani's lecture on the different metals, and it talks about how the different metals can do different things to fabrials. Have all of the 16 metals in Allomancy been tried in relation to fabrials?
Brandon Sanderson
No.
Questioner
Have they discovered any others with different effects?
Brandon Sanderson
Any others that she didn't talk about? I don't know. I'm gonna say no, but it's possible that there's one I'm not thinking of. Let's just say that certain people in the cosmere are very aware of this now, and are very quickly experimenting with the metals Navani is not able to get a hold of easily.
Questioner
Have you turned a person's theory into something in the book?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm sure that I have at some point... No, I know that I have. Someone asked me, for instance, they were getting some bisexual vibes from Shallan. They asked me on Twitter. I'm like "You know, I feel like I'm writing that without realizing it." So yes, I leaned into that a little bit more in the more recent book, because it felt really realistic and natural to her character. Sometimes people will ask me things like that, and I'll be like "I feel like I am doing that, or that's a direction I am going", and it happens with plots and things too. Yeah, fan interactions do influence the books, on occasion.
Questioner
Why didn't TenSoon and Vin ever meet up before she died?
Brandon Sanderson
I just could not get it into the story. I did consider trying to make it happen, and there are just too many things narratively that I was doing, and it just didn't end up working out. I don't feel terribly bad about that, because in some ways loss requires... you don't always know, and things like that. I do regret not being able to get Mat and Perrin and Rand back together, one last time in the book series. That's one I think I should've tried to stretch. I tried to go to Team Jordan and be like, "Hey we could do it like this," and they said you just can't do that logistically. But I think if I'd pushed harder, I could've found a way to make it happen. So that's one of my regrets there. I don't think I would change TenSoon and Vin, because of the nature of loss for those books, and I did try, and artistically I felt it didn't work.
Questioner
Most of the time, for Nightblood, from the point of view he is seen as male. But for the short time when Lift is talking to him, it says "she". Is that important, or is that up to perception?
Brandon Sanderson
It is up to the perception of the individual, and Lift perceived Nightblood as a she, and Nightblood doesn't care.
Kyrroti
Shards can't break oaths, and new Vessels have to follow previous Shards' deals. Ruin and Preservation made a deal. Does Harmony have to follow that deal?
Brandon Sanderson
The Ruin and Preservation deal is considered fulfilled. There's a lot of things going on in here. The way that oaths work, perception is still important. And Shards can break deals, it gives others a way to get at them. Odium could break his deal, but if he did, that's very dangerous to those who would seek to have advantage against him. I think fulfilled is the wrong term, the deal between Ruin and Preservation is broken, and no longer in force because it was broken. This does leave Ruin with more advantage in this situation, but they're the same individual, so I'm sure that's just fine! No problems at all! Everybody's doing just great.
Questioner
Is Nightblood more or less susceptible to damage and/or death when he's satiated on Investiture?
Brandon Sanderson
Satiated, he's much less dangerous. More susceptible, I would say by technicality, yes. When he's full, it's gonna be harder for him to pull in things, so all sorts of things could happen. So yes. But it's not that he's weaker, it's not like the metal is easier to break or bend, it's more that he's not as likely to suck your soul.
Questioner
So he behaves more like a regular sword.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, a little bit more. Still, for human levels of Investiture, still really dangerous to touch him. He's satiated, but if he's at 100%, and the amount of you he could eat represents 0.001%, the moment a little of that wears off, you're gone. So still would not be picking him up in most cases, just out of that, "Oh! He got a little hungry again!" But in terms of larger, grand scale Shard stuff, much safer to handle.
Questioner
I believe Trell is a vessel [avatar] of Autonomy, due to there being a character named Trell in White Sand, and Autonomy being there. I believe Kelsier gets the idea from Trell to use [avatars], and that's what he goes on to use as the leader of the Ghostbloods.
Brandon Sanderson
I think you're theorizing in interesting directions, and I would not squish that theory.
Questioner
Will we see the fate of Adonalsium's Cognitive Shadow?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. I won't even establish if there is one. Good question, but I will not say yes or no to even if one exists.
Questioner
How does duralumin affect speed bubbles?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
Obviously the Shards are the top dogs in terms of power and stuff, but Hoid seems to be his own level of dangerous. Are there any other characters as sort of rivals to his ambition or power?
Brandon Sanderson
Depends on how you want to express it. Some of the dragons from Yolen are as old and are very crafty. You could argue that the aethers, the actual core aethers, are as ancient and potentially powerful. I wouldn't put them by raw power at Shard level, but they would claim that they are. Depends on what you would think there. There are some other individuals of a similar, not as dangerous as Hoid, but on a similar level. Been around for thousands of years, investigated a lot of the magics, and these sorts of things.
Questioner
Kaladin is now learning how to counsel people on how to balance what they've had to do which is destroying things, and their desire to protect or preserve things. Will he be of some benefit to another individual who is trying to balance those two things together?
Brandon Sanderson
Someone he's been teamed up with? He could potentially be of help, depending on whether or not this individual wants help.
Questioner
Specifically is Harmony...?
Brandon Sanderson
I thought you were talking about Szeth. Could he be of use to Harmony? Maybe, in a theoretical world, I think the more people Harmony had to talk to, the better. I would say yes, but I was thinking Szeth.
Questioner
Does Demoux know that Kelsier is still around? If so, does he know about the Ghostbloods, and does he still idolize Kelsier?
Brandon Sanderson
I will RAFO that. I will say, you can assume that if he did know, he would not be as idolizing. It would only take getting to know him to destroy some of the way that Demoux views, does that make sense?
Questioner
Can you compare the kinds of compulsion that are caused by being an Epic with the kinds of compulsion caused by being a Vessel?
Brandon Sanderson
Hmm, crossing the streams here. I'd say that the compulsion of being a Shard is much much stronger, but your capacity as an individual is increased, so your ability to learn how to deal with it is also equally increased.
Questioner
Are the colors of Shards an indication of how they or their magic systems interact with Investiture? Like Ruin, Hemalurgy, Nightblood steals Investiture...
Brandon Sanderson
Not really, vaguely.
Questioner
What would a kandra look like in Shadesmar, and do they have any special abilities in the Cognitive or Spiritual Realm?
Brandon Sanderson
Not sure if I want to canonize what they would look like. I will RAFO what they look like. There is nothing that they would have as a special power over a human being in the Cognitive Realm, except for the fact that they are trained to think of themselves in certain ways. They have mental training, someone else could learn this, but they have over many centuries, this ability. And your ability to perceive yourself in certain ways is very powerful in the cosmere, and the kandra are very good at this.
Questioner
So it would less limiting than in the Physical Realm, where they have to adopt the bones and persona?
Brandon Sanderson
Here's the thing, if they went to the Cognitive Realm, they'd go there Physically, so they'd be under the same rules. There's a theoretical whatever out there that maybe, if they got killed, and their soul, and things like this, but in most cases, a kandra would go like a human would, and they'd be following the same rules. So if you got a kandra who somehow persisted as a Cognitive Shadow, they would have certain advantages over people who had not trained in perception the way they have.
Questioner
Can Wax talk to Harmony with his earring from another planet, or from another system?
Brandon Sanderson
This is theoretically possible, yes.
Questioner
A Spiritweb is composed of a bunch of chunks that are added based on certain circumstances. Could you manufacture Spiritweb patterns out of raw Investiture in such a way that, instead of cutting something from someone and grafting it to someone else, actually manufacture the chunk desired from Investiture and put it on the person?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. They don't know how, but you could. Synthetic meat, synthetic souls, possible.
Questioner
When the Inquisitors were trying to track down Vin, it said they actually followed Reen's scent. How did they do that, and why didn't they follow Vin's scent, because she was the Mistborn?
Brandon Sanderson
I believe when I was using "scent" there, I'm using it like, they knew what was going on with Reen, so they were tracking down Reen. Yes, they were trying to find Vin, but their lead was Reen. So what I believe I'm talking about there is, they wanted to get to her through him, and they had a lead on how to find him. But I'm gonna have to look at the specific context of that one, I'm afraid.
Questioner
You've said before that Tien was on the track to becoming a Lightweaver, before he, you know. What lie was he telling that was attracting a Cryptic?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a very good question. Tien was hiding a lot of belief that he was not a good person. That people didn't want to be around him, and things like this. He was hiding a lot of that, and he knew that people saw him as a burst of sunshine, and he didn't ever want them to not see him that way. That was really hard on him, as it is on a lot of people who are like Tien.
Questioner 2
But did he like rocks?
Brandon Sanderson
He really liked rocks. The fact that he never got to meet Rock is... and throw a bucket of water on him!
Questioner
Has Kelsier held a gun?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
Aww man, ok.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. He is not Batman, he’s not above holding a gun. He would call them an “inelegant weapon”, or whatever it is Obi-Wan said. “So uncivilized”, yes.
Questioner
Either way, I'm scared.
Questioner
Would Jasnah be able to handle Odium's power with her experience handling strong emotions?
Brandon Sanderson
She would be a good candidate.
Questioner
Will she become Odium?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh come on, now you're just fishing for RAFO cards!
Questioner
Nicrosil and chromium, do those have any interaction with people using Feruchemy, or other Investiture in general? Leechers or Nicrobursts.
Brandon Sanderson
Could you use those on Feruchemists? You should be able to, yes.
Questioner
Would that only work while they're tapping it?
Brandon Sanderson
If it's active Investiture, probably yes. You'd probably need it to be kinetic Investiture in order for them to do anything about it.
Questioner
Is there any meaning behind the name "Adonalsium", that we could know in the moment or find out?
Brandon Sanderson
Other than the fact that I look to real world languages for inspirations in order to evoke the right feelings... If we technically go into how these names were in the cosmere, they may not actually be those names. I'm picking names that evoke the right things to people in our world.
