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xnkvbo [PENDING REVIEW]

Are there any different effects on a larkin depending on what kind of Investiture it eats?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Yes, but they are not enormous.

FirstRyder

Could Aluminum be used to protect a Surgebinder from a larkin?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

havoc_mayhem

Would a larkin be able to steal Stormlight from a surgebinder wearing Shardplate? Any comments on whether Shardplate or aluminium would be more effective protection?

Brandon Sanderson

Getting through both would be relatively equal--with the problem being that Shardplate is powered by investiture, which the larkin could feed on. So aluminum is better in that specific case.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Can you tell me something about the larkin and their abilities?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

You will see something about them in the second book. Their abilities are tied to stormlight.

Questioner

[...] For the picture of all the Radiants and their surges, in the background there’s two dragons. Are those just--

Brandon Sanderson

Those are not dragons. Those are little beasties from the world. You’ve seen them before.

Argent

Larkin?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah. But you can call them "dragon bugs" if you want, that’s what Isaac called them when I described them.

Questioner

So are they just from the world, or do they have any over-reaching signif--

Brandon Sanderson

Well they have a certain ability that you may have seen in-world, which is pretty distinctive and different, and so they have a lot of mythological import. They are not widely known by most cultures right now.

William Anderson

Why are do the Windrunners, Elsecallers, Stonewards, and Dustbringers have an extra connection on the Surgebinding diagram? Why do the Edgedancer, Skybreaker, Lightweaver, Willshaper's have a broken connection on the diagram? What are the dragon type things in the back of the diagram?

Brandon Sanderson

The dragon type things are a certain animal you've seen several places in the story so far.

These connections will be explained eventually, but remember it's not the orders being connected, but instead their elemental representations. This diagram is very metaphysical, and some of the elements of it are cultural.

Questioner

Does a larkin with a... *inaudible* draw Stormlight from a Voidbringer... *inaudible*?

Brandon Sanderson

Ah! Would a larkin feed off a-- You will have to read and find out.

Sweetness

So, those things on the inside cover of [The Way of Kings]. Crabwasps, or crabdragons?

(These guys, for clarification.)

Brandon Sanderson

They range between the size of a hand to perhaps the size of a small melon. You'll find out more about them eventually. Like most things from Aimia, they're pretty odd, and are also now very rare since the Scouring.

zas678

What would a larkin do on Scadrial around a metal?

Brandon Sanderson

A larkin on Sca-- It would have to-- *pause* I'm going to RAFO that. I mean I know what it would do, but let's let you see what larkins can do more.

Lance Alvein (paraphrased)

The creatures on the inside cover of Way of Kings - we've had various discussion about what they actually are, and some people are calling them Crabwasps and other Dragonwasps. Can you tell me anything else about them, and can you pick one of the two for us to use?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

The decision for that image was made near the last minute to have Isaac make the image. It is an important symbol, and will be mentioned in detail in later books. While neither name is correct, they both could work until the official name is revealed (Brandon wouldn't pick one over the other).

Questioner

He's asking if a larkin is capable of pushing Stormlight into someone as well as drawing it out.

Brandon Sanderson

Ahhh, that's an excellent question. They actually feed on Investiture. Like some other people and things that you've seen. *laughter*

Questioner

So is that a yes or no?

Brandon Sanderson

That is more of a no than a yes. *laughter*

Questioner

So that's highly unlikely that that's how Szeth was resurrected.

Brandon Sanderson

That is correct... You did see how Szeth came back foreshadowed earlier in the books. So if you watch for it, the means by which that happens is in there.

Questioner

How early? *laughter*