Questioner
What's the range influence of a Shard's power in the cosmere?
Brandon Sanderson
Ahh, it varies.
Michael
Have you decided whether it'll be Dalinar, Szeth, or Eshonai as the focus of Stormlight 3?
Brandon Sanderson
Nope, I’m writing Calamity right now, and when I’m done, and I’m, the first thing I will do is go to Stormlight 3, and I’ll start writing on the flashback sequences for all three and decide which one matches the best.
Jason
What's the favorite title from my books?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, I would say brightlord is my favorite. I really like how brightlord works.
Smolderwolf
Do worldhoppers in the cosmere teleport between planets, or physically travel the space between?
Brandon Sanderson
Both are possible.
Andrew
Can [you] tell [us] when [we] will see Cohesion and Tension Surges? Will [we] see it in Stormlight 3?
Brandon Sanderson
You are unlikely to see very much of it at Stormlight 3. That is dealing more with characters on the, in the back five, but you will probably see a little bit of it.
Questioner
In transitioning from Merin to Kaladin, was there any plot sacrifices that were particularly difficult for [you]?
Brandon Sanderson
No. I had been disappointed enough in the way that Merin turned out in the original draft of The Way of Kings, that transitioning to someone more vibrant and more interesting in Kaladin really didn’t feel like a sacrifice to me.
Jason
Can kandra absorb living matter, non-organic matter?
Brandon Sanderson
They do absorb living matter, but it’s more what can they eat. So, chasmfiend carapaces, they probably couldn’t digest.
Questioner
What happens if a kandra eats Nightblood?
Brandon Sanderson
That would be bad for them.
Questioner
Does the Iriali religion relate to the Shattering?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm going to RAFO that.
Jason
What can we expect from Dark One, specifically what kind of magic system?
Brandon Sanderson
the magic systems in Dark One, focus on, right now, on a person who can steal people’s souls and use them to make magic objects, mixed with an electricity type world, where the ground is electrified, and animals, plants and animals, have an, a symbiosis with electricity, like you’ll see a tree that has a Jacob’s ladder going up it, or you’ll see ah, a beast that uses spittle like a taser, that should be the next book that I work on for Random House after the Steelheart trilogy, so we will see.
Questioner
Is there a formula on Nalthis for Breath consumption per Awakening? For example, how many Breaths does it take Vivienna to Awaken a scarf?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, I have that in my notes, it’s been a long time since I’ve written on that book, yes, there was a formula for me and I will use it when I write the sequel.
Questioner
Besides the confirmed Knights Radiant at the end of Words of Radiance have we seen any characters that share the same orders with the current knights?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh boy, you’re putting me on the spot. N-n-n-n-n-n-n-yes you have. Yes. You’ve seen, I think you’ve seen several actually, but, yeah.
Questioner
Does First of the Sun have a Shard or a Splinter?
Brandon Sanderson
First of the Sun does not have a Shard. First of the Sun is one of these planets that was created, in the cosmere I’m considering a low magic planet, not under the direct influence of any Shard.
Andrew
Will White Sand still be considered an adaptation, or will it be considered canon, the canon version of its content?
Brandon Sanderson
Right now I’m declaring the White Sand graphic novel to be the canon version of its content. We will see how that goes, but that’s what I’m planning right now.
Jordan
What’s the status on White Sand graphic novel?
Brandon Sanderson
It’s going very well, we have pages of it turned in, I don’t know I think it’s still a year away, but it’s, it’s looking really good.
Andrew
Does Allomancy work the same way when someone has left the planet?
Brandon Sanderson
Uhhhhhhhm, generally... yes.
Smolderwolf
Do [you] have an ultimate ending in mind for the cosmere?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes I do!
Questioner
What is Perfect State about?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, Perfect State, is about, the question I had was, what if the best way to make the most people happy in the univ- in the world was to create for every person their own individualized simulation, so they basically could live a fantasy novel. You, you’d take them when they were a baby, put them in this simulation, it’s kind of like, you know, The Truman Show, where something like this, except the whole world is designed to be awesome, so that they could have a wonderful, cool life, and, what would that be like? Less you know, like, manipulating them, or, ruining their life, or you know, putting them into a simulation to, to control them, and more, here’s you get to be the most important person in the world and grow up that way. So yeah, that, that’s kind of the premise.
Questioner
Are the character’s ages given in Stormlight Archive Rosharan years, or Earth years?
Brandon Sanderson
They’re Rosharan years. So, people are actually, it’s a little bit off from our, our world, a Rosharan year is 500 days, but the hour, the days are a little shorter, anyway they end being like when, when S- when Kaladin’s age is mentioned, in our world, he’d be a few years older.
Questioner
If you, Brandon Sanderson, as a person were able to be gifted just one set of powers from any of your book series what would you have and why? How would you use them? Save the world? Become a tyrant?
Brandon Sanderson
I would probably pick *slight pause* Channeling from The Wheel of Time. No, I’d just be Doctor Manhattan. Sorry, he’s like all powerful, right? How would I use them? I would hope that I would save the world, and not become a tyrant.
Jason
Can one give the Command, “divide and do thing X”, for Awakening? How many Breaths would it take to do something like a straw mannequin, how small could you get the pieces, how would you retrieve the Breath?
Brandon Sanderson
I’m afraid I would have to pull out my notes. I mean I wrote that book a few- 2006, and so we’re nine years away from me writing that magic system. I, I have it all in the notes, but I can’t off the top of my head rattle it off for you. People use Awakening so infrequently now in the cosmere, it’s just on the one planet with the occasional worldhopper, that I just go to my notes and get it out when I need it.
Questioner
If Allomancy works once the planet is left, does that mean that the FTL travel will have the vessels carrying a portable Shard? How will the energy of that Shard affect things where they travel to?
Brandon Sanderson
You're just going to have to get a real RAFO on that one, 'cause that book is a long ways away.
Questioner
What’s the most dangerous non-Shard thing in the cosmere?
Brandon Sanderson
Nightblood’s up there, Hoid is up there, but not deadly dangerous, a different type of dangerous, yeah no, what we know of, right now, those, those are in the running. Chasmfiends, chasmfiends are pretty nasty. Whitespines are a little more nasty probably. The… the Unmade are pretty nasty. Yeah. There’s a couple of mercenary troops that you haven’t met yet that are really quite, quite dangerous, I would list them as well.
Questioner
At this point, who do you think would win, Vin or Szeth?
Brandon Sanderson
That’s a tough one. I’d, at the height of their power? Vin probably.
Questioner
When Szeth Surgebinds, frost forms on his clothing. Why?
Brandon Sanderson
Ehhh, I’ll get around to talking about that eventually.