Blightsong
Are foci a cosmere-wide phenomenon, or are they kinda just a construction of people?
Brandon Sanderson
Elaborate.
Blightsong
A lot of people think that every magic system has foci? Is that true?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. But, I think people are finding structure in-worlds that-- how should I say this. So, in some ways, some of these questions (this isn't just this one, but in general), you can ask something like "Do alien species fit into phylum and families and things like this." Well, yes, because we come up with the definitions. Right? So, a lot of these questions, like "Do they all have?" Well, yes, because human beings have come up with definitions to define these things and lump them together under definitions... There's a lot of things with the cosmere magic... is yes, because human beings have put that weight on it. It doesn't make it less true, but, at the same time it's not like, 1+1=2 is gonna exist whether or not humankind is there to define it, whether or not something fits into a genus or a species, whether these magic systems are related. Those are human constructions that are noticing real things.
Zmann966
So, in Oathbringer, we see the Surge of Adhesion used in an interesting way, Spiritual Adhesion. Do all the Surges have non-Physical manifestations like that?
Brandon Sanderson
All the Surges do, slightly, in fact, but none of them, I would say, are as Spiritual as that.
Zmann966
What about like, Shallan in Words of Radiance with her mercenaries? So, like, a Spiritual Transformation?
Brandon Sanderson
I wouldn't say Transformation, she is seeing a little bit, glimpsing a little bit, does that make sense?
Questioner
From a certain series of books about a prison, by this one author, we learn that authors love to torture their audience. How many nights did you stay up giggling and cackling to yourself with glee over all of the things that happen in Oathbringer?
Brandon Sanderson
This is why I'm an insomniac, right? You're all gonna be miserable. A little fun thing here, when the book was going along, I thought "Maybe I should cut it after Part 3." I gave it to Karen, who's my continuity editor, and she said "If you cut it here, I will strangle you. The fans will not get a chance to do it, because I will do it."
Argent
Are there Aviar who grant Physical abilities?
Brandon Sanderson
Technically, yes.
Argent
'Cause we’ve seen Spiritual, we've seen Cognitive...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, there are.
Questioner 1
Can you tell us about Transportation? Is it like gates from Wheel of Time?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, Elsecalling? No. But-- but yes.
Questioner 1
*laughter* I meant, like, the whole-- Just the Surge?
Questioner 2
Does it go to the Cognitive Realm, is that all it does?
Brandon Sanderson
It is the power by which they created the Oathgates... So, there is a little more to it than that. But yes, it's basically-- yeah.
ShadowSgt
Taravangian. When he made the Diagram he said it was "his brightest day". Would you say that he was more towards the Cognitive realm or more towards the Spiritual realm?
Brandon Sanderson
Spiritual.
DavidB
Also, it seems to me like it would be more internally consistent if Awakened objects consumed Breath, to make all of these Breath-consuming powers in the last few chapters fit in better. So for example, if Vasher Awakened a shirt and left it Awakened and doing stuff for a day, then he might be down one-seventh of a breath when he took it back at the end of the day. (Of course, that mechanic requires it to be possible to transfer or Awaken with portions of a Breath, and if you could do that, then using the "putting the Breaths you don't want to transfer into a cloth until after the transfer" thing, you could feed the Returned by taking a tiny fraction of all the Halladren's breaths, instead of taking some people's entire Breaths and turning them into Drabs.)
Brandon Sanderson
Hum. I like that suggestion, actually. I think I'll use it. Though, what I'll do is say that if you leave the breath in for too long, one of them vanishes. If you can get them back quickly enough, however, there is no loss. That gives a bit of a better explanation of why there aren't a lot of awakened objects doing things all over the place. True, using the breath to make them would be initially expensive--but if you got a magic object that never winds down, then that might be worth the expense.
Kurkistan
When time bubbles overlap, is it multiplicative or additive? *laughter*
Brandon Sanderson
...It should be a-- whew.
Kurkistan
Should I ask Peter?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah ask Peter. We talked it all over. I'm gonna get the wrong one. I think it's additive, in fact I'm pretty sure it's additive. But let's ask Peter.
Questioner
In Secret History the Shard shows a relatively well-written foresight. Did Adonalsium have more of a pronounced version of that?
Brandon Sanderson
Adonalsium was-- I would say, yes.
Questioner
Did it have plans for after it's own--
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO...
Questioner
White Sand 2?
Brandon Sanderson
It is coming. It's not December, it's February. Amazon jumped the gun. That wasn't us, deciding on a date... It's February.
Questioner
What's your favorite Oath?
Brandon Sanderson
Probably the first one.
Questioner
Favorite Order?
Brandon Sanderson
Bondsmith.
Questioner
I was wondering if we're gonna be seeing more Axies?
Brandon Sanderson
More Axies the Collector? Yes. Just a little bit more.
Questioner
I was wondering if there was a connection between when we meet Preservation in Secret History, and the way he is, and the Stormfather. Like, is he dead yet, in Secret History?
Brandon Sanderson
There is a similarity, but-- Dying for a Shard takes a long time, in a lot of cases. So, it's similar. But the Stormfather is something different, *inaudible* remnants left over after the god died.
Questioner
So is he dead?
Brandon Sanderson
Honor is dead, yes. But, at the same time, the Stormfather is kind of his Cognitive Shadow. So-- what does "dead" mean?
Questioner
I was actually going to ask where you came up with the idea of Hoid?
Brandon Sanderson
Hoid is inspired by my desire to tell a story that spans other stories. I would say the origins of that are probably Asimov, when he made the Robots books and the Foundation books tie together. Something like that. Maybe Michael Moorcock, he had a similar sort of cross-world thing. I was reading both of them a lot right when I started coming up with that. So I would say, that's the origin of it. Stephen King has done it, but I didn't know he'd done it. I hadn't been reading him as much.
phoenix2563
Can you drop a hint about which Shard authored the first of the letters to Hoid shown in the part 2 epigraphs [of Oathbringer]?
Brandon Sanderson
You have seen their world.
Questioner
So is Lopen able to regrow his arm because he didn't identify as being a one-armed Herdazian, even though he made all those jokes?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner
If I get the Oaths tattooed on my body am I gonna regret it 'cause you're gonna put in a plot twist makes them actually evil?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, I will say that the evilness of the Knights Radiant are gonna depend on your perspective, but I don't think you would ever feel really sad because they're ideals. I mean good ideals.
Questioner
Is Hoid an avatar from Autonomy?
Brandon Sanderson
No. Good question. He is independent.
Questioner
He's human, but he's more than human? He's changed from all the places he's been?
Brandon Sanderson
Even before that he's not exactly one hundred percent human anymore. But he's his own agent. He's not an avatar of somebody.
Questioner
Someone told me that after the signing last night you said that Soulcast blood has DNA... The question is who?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a good question. That's a RAFO. So, here's... the premises I'm working on. Soulcast blood can be used for transfusion, alright? I'm not saying much more than that. At least I'm not canonizing much more than that right now. And as my understanding, it has blood type, it has-- things. When someone asked me tonight "does that mean it's human blood?" Well, that depends on the definition.
Questioner
About how many Breaths do you need to become Invested enough to be influenced by Endowment's intent?
Brandon Sanderson
On the small scale, not very many... One could argue that even someone with one is influenced a little bit.
Questioner
Significantly influenced?
Brandon Sanderson
No. But the more you get the more likely that is.
CaptainRyan
Did Odium intentionally cause direct harm to the inhabitants of Sel or was his sole focus taking down Devotion and Dominion? (Context: I'd like to know if Odium cares/has any interest in mortals or if he only has designs/plans for Shards)
Brandon Sanderson
It was all side effect. He is focused on Shards... But he does have secondary interest in mortals.
Questioner
There's a lot of situations where people hear voices or see visions, stuff like that. What would be the effect, if somebody had something like mental condition like schizophrenia or multiple personality? Because you talk about-- Because a lot of the magic is about their will, you know?
Brandon Sanderson
Schizophrenia in the cosmere is going to-- So, anytime you're seeing the future, and things like that, you're kinda glimpsing into the Spiritual Realm. That's why it happens so often, because the magic systems are the way they work, are coming down from the Spiritual Realm. Schizophrenia will make you more open to that, so you are more likely to actually see the future. But you won't be able to tell it from the things your mind is making up, which is gonna be really dangerous.
Questioner
So, what if you had, like, one personality wanna do one thing, and another one trying to do something else, would it cancel each other out?
Brandon Sanderson
Not necessarily. I mean, we're going a little that direction with Shallan, anyway. You'll see.
pfranklin51
Nale mentions that he's the only Herald that ends up joining his Order of Radiants, eventually. Are there any Radiants that joined other Orders?
Brandon Sanderson
No, good question.
Questioner
In Edgedancer, when Wyndle is talking to Lift, and he says the Ring chose him? Is that a council in Shadesmar? Or is that, like, one entity?
Brandon Sanderson
*hands over a RAFO card*
Questioner
Would a Soother be able to affect a Listener attuning a Rhythm?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, I think they would be able to.
Questioner
...Would it dampen Odium's effect on them?
Brandon Sanderson
Potentially, yes.
Questioner
If you had aluminum or silver, could someone using Gravitation or Adhesion, could they throw that? Or would they be unable to infuse it with Stormlight?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, they would be unable to.
Questioner
If a nicrosil Ferring and Misting Twinborn burned a mountain of nicrosil, would he become Harmony?
Brandon Sanderson
A mountain?
Questioner
Yeah, like, he burned literally tons--
Brandon Sanderson
No, he would not. It wouldn't work that way.
Questioner
If Elhokar had finished saying those words, what Order would he have been?
Brandon Sanderson
Lightweaver.
Questioner
The Stormfather, has he bonded with anyone else besides Dalinar?
Brandon Sanderson
In the past? Yes.
Questioner
The advanced civilization mentioned in Sixth of the Dusk. When will we see them again? And will they be interacting with Scadrial and the Stormlight Archive series?
Brandon Sanderson
It's gonna be a while before you see them make-- before you find out who they are and have them interact, because that's way in the future of the other books. But you will find out.
Questioner
How was Shallan able to bond with Pattern before she was broken?
Brandon Sanderson
She was open to him even before she went through a lot of that turmoil
Questioner
I thought everybody had to be broken in order to--
Brandon Sanderson
Well, that's their philosophy in-world. But I'm not going to say whether it's correct or wrong. I will imply that there are other means as well.
Questioner
What's the most important thing about writing a villain.
Brandon Sanderson
In my opinion, relatability. You have to see the evil in them being the evil in you, and the things that are-- See that they have something that makes them human, makes them redeemable...
Questioner
If you were to draw a Line of Forbiddance on a portable chalkboard, could you actually knock somebody overside the head?
Brandon Sanderson
It wouldn't knock them over the head, because it kinda has the magnetic repulsion sort of thing, but we will get into moving things as we go further in the series.
Questioner
So, in Sixth of the Dusk? Who are the people from the sky? Is that an R.A.F.O.?
Brandon Sanderson
It is. Someone you've seen before.
Vulcronos
Is Shallan's illusions similar to Essence Marks from Emperor's Soul?
Brandon Sanderson
Not terribly.
Vulcronos
Is Book Four still planned to be Eshonai's viewpoint?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Vulcronos
And, would she have been a Willshaper?
Brandon Sanderson
She would be the same Order as her sister.
Questioner
We know, especially in Oathbringer, that Surges can work differently for different Orders, but we've also seen the Skybreakers and [Windrunners] with flight, and the Truthwatchers and [Edgedancers], they both can do Regrowth, so is there some way that those actually work differently?
Brandon Sanderson
Each of them works a little differently for each Order. There are slight variations, but they are each drawing upon the same source concept.
Questioner
How do you pronounce Rock's full name.
Brandon Sanderson
Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor.
Cadmium
With Nightblood. Was the sheath part of its construction when he was Awakened? Or was that kinda afterward?
Brandon Sanderson
The sheath is not part of its construction. Good question.
Cadmium
So... when the intent was placed on it, was the sheath there?
Brandon Sanderson
So-- The sheath was not relevant to that. The sheath was not part of the original Awakening, and it's not part of the intent or anything like that. I'm not saying it wasn't there ready for it, but it is not part of the sword. In the same way.
Cadmium
So, at some point we'll figure out why it learned to stop once its in the sheath?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, kind of. It's a function of the sheath.
Cadmium
[Elantris] says the Shaod normally comes at night. Does it always come at night?
Brandon Sanderson
No.
Questioner
I wanted to ask about the Returned and the Fused. I haven't gotten all the way through [Oathbringer]... With the Spiritual Realm, is it very similar for how they don't return, versus the Returned coming back and the Fused staying?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, there is a similarity there, for sure.
Questioner
Is it related at all... So, a thunderclast. Is it similar to Awakening?
Brandon Sanderson
Kinda, but a little further out. You'll figure out-- that one's explained pretty well in [Oathrbinger].
Questioner
How can everyone tap nicrosil without being a nicrosil Ferring? Is that a Read And Find Out?
Brandon Sanderson
That's kind of a Read And Find Out.
Questioner
I assume the next book, probably?
Brandon Sanderson
We'll dig into that.
Questioner
When it comes to regeneration, what's the limit-- when Lift resurrected Gawx, was he actually dead?
Brandon Sanderson
He wasn't dead.
Questioner
So, you can't actually bring the dead back from the dead.
Brandon Sanderson
If you could bring someone back with CPR, you can bring them back with-- does that make sense?
Questioner
In Elantris, we talked briefly about Shuden and ChayShan... and I was wondering if you had based that on a particular martial arts?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, it's just Tai Chi was my origin for that. It's pretty obvious, but yeah.
Pagerunner
Is Nightblood like the Tzai Blows... from Dragonsteel, where he pulverizes a Spiritual aspect, and it has a result on the Physical? Is that what he does, popping into smoke?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, he is attacking directly at the spirit.
Pagerunner
Um, Dawnshards. So, they obviously predate the arrival of humanity on Roshar. Are they of Odium? Are they Odious Investiture?
Brandon Sanderson
I will RAFO Dawnshards.
Pagerunner
The letters in [Oathbringer]. Are they all three from Shards?
Brandon Sanderson
...Yes.
Pagerunner
Is the first one, is that one we know? Is that one we've seen yet?
Brandon Sanderson
They are all ones you have seen.
Pagerunner
They are all ones we have seen.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Or at least you know.
Pagerunner
Have seen or know of.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Pagerunner
Were there always slaveform parshmen between Desolations, or did that only happen after the False Desolation?
Brandon Sanderson
That, I believe only happened after the False Desolation. I have gone back and forth on that, but I think I can canonize it there. You do have to check with Peter. We had a big conversation about this a few years ago. But I'm pretty sure slaveform is a creation of the Last Desolation.
Pagerunner
Of the Last? Or the False one? ...Because, in the epigraphs, they're talking about how that one Unmade was getting in on them--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. Oh, the False? No no no...
Pagerunner
So, it was done in the Last Desolation, but it was undone somewhat in the False Desolation, and that's what we saw in the...?
Brandon Sanderson
Uh, no no no-- yeah, it is False. It is False Desolation.
Peter Ahlstrom
Slaveform happened at the False Desolation.
Paladin Brewer
In Words of Radiance, Shallan's necklace, in her flashback where she saved her brother, was made out of aluminum. Not counting Oathbringer, is that the only time we've seen aluminum on Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
No.
Paladin Brewer
Was Uli Da Ambition's Vessel?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
