Paleo
Then I was wondering about the Dysian Aimians or the Sleepless. Do they reproduce at all, and if so how does it work? Like is it that one... is it asexual if they do?
Brandon Sanderson
So they reproduce, yes. But reproduction for them has a variety of terms. They can breed specific cremlings for specific purposes over time if they want to. They can also exchange cremlings if they need to, in order to improve their genetic diversity. Creating a new one is a different experience but yes. In fact, they... I've written sections, not for the books yet but where I talk about them developing and over evolving one of their cremlings to do something new.
Paleo
Okay. If they do reproduce does it require two of them or is it more like they breed enough and then they split one off.
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO for now, but the individual's consciousness is an interesting thing for them.
Paleo
Does aluminum actually store Identity or is it more like a sink so you just dump it in and it poofs away.
Brandon Sanderson
I'll RAFO that for now. Sorry, I want to get into that eventually.
Paleo
You also said... somebody asked whether there are points in Shadesmar where you could instantly travel across diametrically opposed points on a planet.
Brandon Sanderson
Right, there has to be.
Paleo
Of course, I heard topology last year in university and it's all about mappings and stuff like that and so I was wondering just how continuous - if you know math term - the mapping from like the Physical Realm to the Cognitive Realm is.
Brandon Sanderson
It's not very. You'll notice already elevation is not mapped, you can find points in the books already where someone appears closer to the sea level and things so it's not very... there's a lot of bending going on and it gets worse or more obvious the further the series goes. Not a one to one correlation, not even close.
Paleo
So it's not just that it's very compressed it actually doesn't match some things.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, no. Imagine that things in the Physical Realm are mapping to places in the Cognitive Realm but not, they're not alternate dimensions of one another that are overlapping one to one.
Paleo
On the Discord also they tried to... because the moon is always like on the horizon and they did the math and technically it's possible but it would have to change its inclination I think through one hundred degrees every turn. Is it natural or is it also maintained by...
Brandon Sanderson
It is also maintained by the system. We ran the math on that one too. It, like, the Rosharans also are not in a stable orbit but this one's even less in a stable orbit, let's just say that.
Paleo
Somebody did like the universe simulator thing and somebody ran it to Roshar and they said it crashed into each other.
Brandon Sanderson
I mean they would, we find we got like ten, no like a hundred thousand years before it happens but yeah, the moons are very not stable on Roshar, let's just say that. I'm not convinced that the continent is stable either. On geological terms I don't think... if Roshar were as old as Earth is, you would not have a continent, is what I think. Even with the crem and stuff.
Paleo
The crem isn't enough... you said before that it shifts east?
Brandon Sanderson
That's what I think, I haven't done the math but that's what my instinct says that it wouldn't be enough. But we'll leave that for people who actually run the math until they... because I do not have time to get a degree in ecological science.
Paleo
We also know that Taldain is not natural, the placement, tidally locked. It can happen naturally but it is not natural for it. You also said it was done by somebody, was it Autonomy or was it Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Paleo
In May, in Germany, you told me that... or I asked whether Wisdom was a Shard, and you said it was or something like it, and that wisdom was close to an intent of a Shard, and you also told me that it has realized that survival isn't necessarily the most important thing for it. I wanted to ask whether it has realized that over time or was it from the get go?
Brandon Sanderson
Over time.
Paleo
Okay, so then naturally, my next question: Is it the survival Shard?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Paleo
And then somebody actually came up with another good probable name. Is Prudence close?
Brandon Sanderson
Prudence sounds an awful lot like a Shard name. That's some excellent theorizing there.
Paleo
So we know that aluminum resists Investiture or blocks Investiture in some cases. Does it act like radiation protection like lead or something that actually gets deteriorated while it's resisting something or is it like, does it just interfere?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, good question.
Questioner
I read Mistborn: Secret History and you put some stuff from Elantris and I love it. In second Elantris will we see some?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, we will.
Questioner
Do you need to love writing to be a writer?
Brandon Sanderson
I think a lot of writers hate writing so I don't think it's required. I know a lot of writers who hate writing but love to have written if that makes sense. A lot of writers do love writing but a lot of writers love to have written.
Questioner
Do you think, at the end of Calamity, did Nighthawk ever get his wife back?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, he did. There's just a little bit more to that story than that answer, though.
Questioner
Is trellium, the metal that Paalm uses, an alloy of atium or any other god metal.
Brandon Sanderson
Is the metal that is being used a god metal? It is at least a god metal hybrid. There is a god metal component to it.
Questioner
Can any Allomancer burn atium?
Brandon Sanderson
Can any Allomancer burn atium? Atium, no. Asterisk but no. There is a reason why. But no, they cannot.
Questioner
Are you planning some more books along the lines of the Legion.
Brandon Sanderson
Of what?
Questioner
The Legion books.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh Legion books. I'm not planning any more Legion books right now but it's not impossible.
Questioner
Is Hoid real, or is he just a fantasy form.
Brandon Sanderson
Is Hoid real? Hoid is real in the books.
Questioner
In the books, yes. So the characters are not hallucinating him.
Brandon Sanderson
They're not hallucinating him. We're not pulling a Fight Club or anything on you.
Questioner
I was interested if, the Wax character, if he was inspired a little by Sams Vimes by Terry Pratchett.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, absolutely. Vimes had a deep effect on me as a writer so any time I'm writing a copper you'll end up with some Vimes but I'd say Wax has a little extra Vimes, so does Dalinar, Dalinar's got a bit of Vimes in him to.
Oversleep
Why do Fused accelerate slower than the Surgebinders?
Brandon Sanderson
Fused accelerate [slower than] Surgebinder's because they're expending less energy.
Oversleep
It doesn't have to do with the Braize gravity?
Brandon Sanderson
No, it does not have to do with Braize's gravity, that's a good question. That's actually a really clever way to ask.
Oversleep
Yeah, cause I thought the planet was smaller so.
Brandon Sanderson
Clever, very clever but no, it is not to do with that. You'll find other explanations but they can expend less energy, they can afford to spend less energy. They can only afford to expend a little bit of energy so that's the way to say it.
Oversleep
Okay now I have one about Shard avatars, like Autonomy's. Is it possible for one to form without the Shard's Vessel directly making it, so independent...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, it is. They would be aware of it, however. They couldn't not be aware of it, but it could arise without their direct and conscious decision to do so.
Oversleep
And the one on First of the Sun, is it by Autonomy's direct...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that is directly created.
Questioner
Before the Shattering, were people already able to worldhop from Yolen to the other planets like Roshar, and so on?
Brandon Sanderson
It was possible, it did not happen nearly on the extent that it happens now. It's possible. I would say that, I don't know if there, yeah very very very few instances.
Questioner
Lightweaving on Roshar, is it more of a Physical thing or Cognitive Realm thing?
Brandon Sanderson
Lightweaving? I would say it's a hybrid between the two.
Questioner
So there's a Physical effect, but also a Cognitive component to that?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, and then even a little bit of a Spiritual component. Lightweaving tends to involve, I'd say it's mostly Physical. Mostly you're not changing what someone's mind is, but you're actually changing light. Mostly Physical, but Lightweaving in particular has a lot like- you'll see weird things happening with Lightweaving on occasion, that are kind of a little bit of Cognitive and Spiritual influence that's happening. So keep your eyes on that. Yeah, I would say, if you're asking is light actually being changed yes, it is.
Questioner
Are the Shards ever going to be bonded like the spren?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, here's your RAFO card.
Questioner
So after Nightblood was used pretty obviously in Thaylen City does Zahel [or Vasher] know?
Brandon Sanderson
Where Nightblood is? Zahel is pretty sure where Nightblood is; Vivenna does not know. She's on the look out let's say.
Questioner
I guess it's hard to get back from Shadesmar.
Brandon Sanderson
It is. She had some plans and that didn't work out.
Questioner
I have a question for the world of Steelheart. How do the electric sockets work if everything is steel?
Brandon Sanderson
How do the electric sockets work? They needed to be rebuilt for the electric sockets to work, but you can also get down far enough where the builders, the machines, have rebuilt everything and so that wouldn't all have been turned to steel. Some of that has been dug out and reworked and rebuilt. There are some pretty crazy things that happened.
Questioner
Another friend, she wanted to know about if you ever heard about Warhammer-esque game based on your books, like the Shadow Titan for example at Quality Games?
Brandon Sanderson
I have indeed. I have considered and thought about it. Whether it will happen or not we're not sure, but I think that a Shattered Plains war game is likely at some point.
Questioner
So I wanted to know if the asteroid belts around some planets are because of Splintering of a Shard there?
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, one more time. If the what?
Questioner
Asteroids belts around some planets.
Brandon Sanderson
Are caused by the Splintering of Shards? So the Splintering of Shards has had cosmological effects; you should not assume that most asteroid belts are caused by the Splintering of a Shard.
Questioner
Yeah, you know most of the planets, I think all of the planets where the Shards were Splintered have asteroid belts. So is it like the physical manifestation of the Splintering?
Brandon Sanderson
You should not assume that all planets that have that are the result of a Splintering of a Shard but the Splintering of a Shard can have such an effect.
Questioner
So, the establishing of the Knights Radiant followed up the Surgebinders. So I had a question about Renarin - Is he closer to the modern day Radiants power-wise, or the pre-Knights Radiant Surgebinders?
Brandon Sanderson
Renarin?
Questioner
Because he's weird right?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, he is weird. Is he closer to pre-Knights Radiant Surgebinders or to modern Knights Radiant? I'd say closer to modern Knights Radiant, is what I would say... but it's a tough call.
Questioner
How behind on word goal are you right now?
Brandon Sanderson
I have like 28 working days left before the end of the year and I would have to write 5,000 words a day of each of those so I'm somewhat behind. I'm about right now somewhere around 15,000 words behind. When I get back from this tour I'll be somewhere around 35,000 words behind so I'll have to try to catch that up. We'll see, we'll see if I do it.
Questioner
*translated* In Feruchemy, if someone's existence is being in--stored in it, is it as a whole?
Brandon Sanderson
It is little pieces of Investiture filtered through their mind and their soul. *waiting for translator* You could say it's a little piece of them, but it's not the whole them.
Brandon Sanderson
I don't think there are any worldhoppers that people have missed. I think they know all of them that there are hints about. So I can just write that most people missed Felt, but that's not going to make you very happy.
Snoxcatko
Roshar--it's obviously, it is or it seems to be in the Southern Hemisphere. Is there something else in the world?
Brandon Sanderson
There are no other continents. It's not completely--it is Southern Hemisphere--but I think we inch up above the equator, don't we?
Isaac Stewart
Just a bit, just the islands. They kinda curve over the equator.
Brandon Sanderson
There are no other continents but there might be other smaller landmasses.
Snoxcatko
At the end of Words of Radiance, when Hoid met Jasnah, he said he wasn't scared of the Shardblade at all. Is that just because he has enough Investiture to heal himself or is there something else going on?
Brandon Sanderson
There's multiple reasons but you're theorizing along the right terms.
Snoxcatko
Why is Lift different in the way she processes Investiture?
Brandon Sanderson
She was created that way specifically, by ac- an "Act of Cultivation".
Snoxcatko
Okay, so she went to see Nightwatcher?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Snoxcatko
Can people from another world like Scadrial or Sel become a Knight Radiant.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Snoxcatko
Is there some like special conditions in world?
Brandon Sanderson
Nope. You just have to be chosen by the spren. So because the spren are involved then the requirements are a little different for Roshar. But to became an Awakener, you just need to get the Breath so you could pick it up on Nalthis also pretty easily.
Snoxcatko
Who's telling "Unite Them" to Dalinar because it's obviously not Stormfather nor Honor because he's hearing it even outside of the visions, right?
Brandon Sanderson
He is hearing that, that is a RAFO. You can have a RAFO card.
Questioner
Is the Stormlight Archive 4 release looking good, is it going to release next year?
Brandon Sanderson
It's looking pretty good. It depends, I wrote a little bit, worked on it here in Prague. I have to get a couple extra days snuck in, we'll see. You're going to have to watch, it will come down right to the last few days I think so we'll see. It's still possible, it's looking good but I can't promise.
Questioner
My friends would like to know if you can Awaken liquids?
Brandon Sanderson
This is almost impossible.
Questioner
Almost impossible?
Brandon Sanderson
Almost impossible, but not fully impossible, but basically impossible. Particularly if you're talking about just a liquid, not in a container, anything like that. Technically, you can kind of Awaken a dead animal, which will have some liquid in it and stuff. But if you just want to Awaken like--
Questioner
A bowl of water?
Brandon Sanderson
A bowl of water, almost impossible.
Questioner
I am wondering if Dysian Aimians are more resistant to Soulcasting?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, I would say, yes. I would say, in general for various reasons, but yes.
Oversleep
So if you spiked a Soulbearer...
Brandon Sanderson
A what?
Oversleep
The nicrosil Ferring.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay.
Oversleep
And he stored the ability he got from the spike what happens to the charge in it.
Brandon Sanderson
In the spike if he stores the ability?
Oversleep
Yeah, in the spike.
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Oversleep
Ire and their fortress on Scadrial.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Oversleep
Is it still there?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, it should be, yes.
Oversleep
Sazed is aware of it?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Oversleep
Okay, do they have on other planets?
Brandon Sanderson
They have outposts but you will rarely find something as highly well constructed as that.
Oversleep
So you have said previously that you could categorize metals in Feruchemy like 8 Physical, 4 Cognitive, and 4 Spiritual. But the Hemalurgy chart says they are Hybrid <Feruchemy> metals so...
Brandon Sanderson
So they are what?
Oversleep
The Hybrid metals.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, remember that all of these categorizations are by in-world philosophers doing their best to come up so you can decide how you want to categorize them, alright.
Yvainnie
Will Kelsier be in Stormlight Archive ever?
Brandon Sanderson
That is a read and find out, you know a RAFO? Give her a card.
Questioner
Can you tell me anything about the Elsecallers we don't know yet?
Brandon Sanderson
They should be able to get back out of Shadesmar without having to find a perpendicularity, but Jasnah doesn't know how to do it yet. She should be able to do that, she just hasn't figured it out.
Frydog42
Do we have definitive art for the Shardblades
Isaac Stewart
Nothing that's released other than what you find in the books. But we will have definitive art for some of the Blades soon. :)
eyeswulf
I wanted to ask about the process of creating in world symbology, specifically the Allomantic/Feruchemical/Hemalurgical symbols in Mistborn and the Radiant Orders in Stormlight.
Edit 1: I see you've answered some of these already. I know you just recently showed us the Hemalurgy. Symbols, so insight into that would be oh so cool.
Isaac Stewart
Hemalurgy stole their symbols from Allomancy. But in the early books, we go back in time with the symbols. First showing Allomantic symbols, then showing in Well of Ascension the symbols as they were used maybe in Terris at some point, and then we see the proto-symbols from before the Lord Ruler, and at that point, they look a lot more organic. Over time they morphed to what we see now. From the symbols in Well of Ascension, the Feruchemical symbols developed separately, but still look related to Allomantic symbols due to their similar roots. The more angular style is due to the influence of the Terris people on their development. In my mind, their visual aesthetic is punctuated with hard angles and triangles.
ArgentSun
When Nazh tells Kelsier that becoming a Cognitive Shadow is an "important rite" with "requirements and traditions", is he speaking as a Threnodite (in the context of Shades), or as a worldhopper who has seen more of the Cosmere?
Isaac Stewart
I suspect I know the answer here but would need to get confirmation.
ArgentSun
Nazh gave Kelsier his knife in Secret History, but Kelsier lost it. Does Nazh know about this, and if so - is he upset?
Isaac Stewart
I don't know.
ArgentSun
How much do you know about Nazh, and how much control do you have over what he does in the Cosmere?
Isaac Stewart
I run everything by Brandon and we discuss it, even with Nazh.
Windrunner4thIdeal
How big do you envision the eye spikes on Inquisitors? I always imagine them as massive, sticking a good five centimetres out each side and not having a nail-esque overhang at the front.
Isaac Stewart
You can imagine them however you'd like, but I do imagine them sticking out the back of the head and the front. I suspect some Inquisitors have nail overhangs like railroad spikes, but others may not.
Aether-Wind
What's your favourite Cosmere character, and why?
Isaac Stewart
Nazh, because he's basically a grumpy Scotsman with a penchant for finding very-hard-to-find things.
Aether-Wind
Well, now I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.
Do you know when (if ever) he'll end up having more of a screen (page?) presence?
Isaac Stewart
Thanks! We will see more of Nazh, if everything goes as planned. I hope you will enjoy!
NostalgicCommenter
The image for the Ghostbloods from Shallan's sketchbook in Oathbringer is different from the decal sold by Brandon Sanderson on his official site.
Which is correct?
Isaac Stewart
They're both correct. The one from Shallan's sketchbook is just sketchier.
Swahhillie
Have you gotten to depict or seen depictions of the summoning of Shardplate? Do you think it looks different per Order of KR or is it universal?
Isaac Stewart
This question is way too spoilery. :) I'm going to have to give out my equivalent of a RAFO, which is probably a Now Isaac Can't Say, or a NIX. :)
