Argent
One thing I can't figure out - Newcago's name is obviously a short of New Chicago. So is there anything Babilar stands for? The "Babyl-" part is obviously from Babylon, but I can't think of anything for "-ar"... Babylon Restored > Babylo-R > Babylor > Babylar kind of makes sense, but it doesn't make me happy.
Peter Ahlstrom
Babyl-R (say the letter name).
Peter Ahlstrom
So, Brandon confirmed in the preface to this version [of Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell] that Hoid is definitely not there.
However, I wouldn't rule out the person I thought was Hoid actually being someone else important.
Peter Ahlstrom
The involved [cosmere] planets are actually in a rather small star cluster, much smaller than a dwarf galaxy. This star cluster is within a galaxy.
Peter Ahlstrom
By the way, Brandon originally wrote the prologue to The Alloy of Law soon after finishing The Alloy of Law and he meant it to be the prologue to Shadows of Self. Then he decided that The Alloy of Law needed a better prologue than its current chapter 1, which was originally the prologue.
BotanicaXu
What is a sparkflicker?
Peter Ahlstrom
It’s like the steel part of flint-and-steel.
BotanicaXu
So a sparkflicker is a fire-maker? Herdazians use their stone fingernails to start fire?
Peter Ahlstrom
Yes
BotanicaXu
Do they wear sparkflickers as an ornament?
Peter Ahlstrom
Yes, but it’s also practical.
BotanicaXu
This “deep implication”, is it that Herdazians are related to the Parshendi (aka they have Listener blood)?
Peter Ahlstrom
Yes.