Ahuri3
(paraphrased)
In which published book is Hoid the happiest?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He is the happiest when he is getting away with something. Not in the Stormlight Archive because he is nervous about Odium being there. I think he is the happiest during the Wax and Wayne series, in Bands of Mourning maybe.
thinformparshendi
(paraphrased)
I asked him if Wit was always gonna tell Kaladin a story in every book.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Wit will always tell someone a story, but it won't always be Kal.
thinformparshendi
(paraphrased)
My wife asked if we would regret naming our firstborn Kaladin (seeing as we don't yet know how Kal turns out).
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
You'll probably be very happy naming your son that.
Question
When writing Stormlight, did you get any inspirations from the Chinese Confucian system? The Azish government really reminds me of that.
Brandon Sanderson
So... Yes. Um... Chinese. 新年快乐? This is my only Chinese. [It means] Happy new year. So yes. Living in Korea for several years, I became very interested in the Confucian system. When I returned back from Korea, I studied in college about Chinese history and I found it fascinating. So the Azish are partially inspired by the Chinese Confucian system.
Question
Also a weird question, has Hoid ever had a romantic interest?
Brandon Sanderson
Hoid has had romantic interest in the past.
Question
Do you have any further plans about Moash? Will he have more screen time in Stormlight 3?
Brandon Sanderson
I have big plans for Moash, and he will actually have viewpoints in Stormlight 3. So good question!
Question
So WoR mentions a particularly bright star known as the Tear (a reference to a tear shed by somebody named Reya) is that "star" actually one of the other planets in the greater roshar system, if so is it Ashyn or Braize?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Geoffray
Is Thaidakar the leader of the Ghostbloods?
Brandon Sanderson
[Thaidakar] is a leader.
Geoffray
Are the Ghostbloods and the Seventeenth Shard working together?
Brandon Sanderson
No.
Narkac
Who is the woman on the "Voidbringer Chart"?
Brandon Sanderson
Isaac did the art. It is just a pattern. She's no character in particular.
Narkac
KR seemed to have opposite gender spren. Why is Glys male then? Is there something hidden there?
Brandon Sanderson
More naturally, the spren is opposite gender but it doesn't have to be. It's not a indication necessarily of homosexuality, but sometimes it is, sometimes it's not. More often, you'll attract spren of the opposite gender, but spren genders are very fluid anyway. You're not supposed to read anything specific into that.
Narkac
Where does the Stormlight in highstorms come from? Is there like a "rain cycle", but for the Stormlight?
Brandon Sanderson
The Stormlight in the highstorm is transferred from the Spiritual realm through the Stormfather into the highstorm.
Narkac
At the end of TWoK, in the last Dalinar's vision, he stands "in a place of smoke. He turned about, wary. The sky was dark and he stood on a field of dull, bone-white rock, jagged and rough, extending in all directions. Off into eternity". Is this place Damnation/Braize ?
Brandon Sanderson
That will be explained in Oathbringer. So RAFO.
Narkac
Can you give us a hint on the madman identity, the man everyone think he's Taln ?
Brandon Sanderson
Everyone think he's Taln!
Aleesha
(paraphrased)
Is [Brandon] fascinated by gravity ?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes he finds incredible the capacity of mass to bend space and he loves gravity that's why it is everywhere (and it is awesome).
Aleesha
(paraphrased)
Will Shai have a role in the next Elantris books?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes she will have a role in the future Elantris books or at least a cameo in them if not.
Demiandre
(paraphrased)
I wondered about Shallan's eidetic memory, and about the possibility of trapping a spren. Could a bonded spren be trapped inside a gemstone and trapped in a safe? If so, would something else - not Investiture related - fill the "crack in the soul"? Could that be linked to her memory or her need to draw before Lightweaving?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
In and about, he answered that what Shallan does isn't out of the ordinary, and it is possible to trap a bonded spren inside a gemstone.