How was Shallan able to bond with Pattern before she was broken?
She was open to him even before she went through a lot of that turmoil
I thought everybody had to be broken in order to--
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.
What's the most important thing about writing a villain.
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...
If you were to draw a Line of Forbiddance on a portable chalkboard, could you actually knock somebody overside the head?
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.
So, in Sixth of the Dusk? Who are the people from the sky? Is that an R.A.F.O.?
It is. Someone you've seen before.
Is Shallan's illusions similar to Essence Marks from Emperor's Soul?
Not terribly.
Is Book Four still planned to be Eshonai's viewpoint?
Yes.
And, would she have been a Willshaper?
She would be the same Order as her sister.
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?
Each of them works a little differently for each Order. There are slight variations, but they are each drawing upon the same source concept.
How do you pronounce Rock's full name.
Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor.
With Nightblood. Was the sheath part of its construction when he was Awakened? Or was that kinda afterward?
The sheath is not part of its construction. Good question.
So... when the intent was placed on it, was the sheath there?
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.
So, at some point we'll figure out why it learned to stop once its in the sheath?
Yes, kind of. It's a function of the sheath.
[Elantris] says the Shaod normally comes at night. Does it always come at night?
No.
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?
Yeah, there is a similarity there, for sure.
Is it related at all... So, a thunderclast. Is it similar to Awakening?
Kinda, but a little further out. You'll figure out-- that one's explained pretty well in [Oathbringer].
How can everyone tap nicrosil without being a nicrosil Ferring? Is that a Read And Find Out?
That's kind of a Read And Find Out.
I assume the next book, probably?
We'll dig into that.
When it comes to regeneration, what's the limit-- when Lift resurrected Gawx, was he actually dead?
He wasn't dead.
So, you can't actually bring the dead back from the dead.
If you could bring someone back with CPR, you can bring them back with-- does that make sense?
In Elantris, we talked briefly about Shuden and ChayShan... and I was wondering if you had based that on a particular martial arts?
Yeah, it's just Tai Chi was my origin for that. It's pretty obvious, but yeah.
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?
Yes, he is attacking directly at the spirit.
Um, Dawnshards. So, they obviously predate the arrival of humanity on Roshar. Are they of Odium? Are they Odious Investiture?
I will RAFO Dawnshards.
The letters in [Oathbringer]. Are they all three from Shards?
...Yes.
Is the first one, is that one we know? Is that one we've seen yet?
They are all ones you have seen.
They are all ones we have seen.
Yes. Or at least you know.
Have seen or know of.
Yeah.
Were there always slaveform parshmen between Desolations, or did that only happen after the False Desolation?
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.
Of the Last? Or the False one? ...Because, in the epigraphs, they're talking about how that one Unmade was getting in on them--
Yeah. Oh, the False? No no no...
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...?
Uh, no no no-- yeah, it is False. It is False Desolation.
Slaveform happened at the False Desolation.
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?
No.
Was Uli Da Ambition's Vessel?
Yes.
Can Lift touch a Voidspren? And what would happen?
RAFO.
Why does Shallan call her father's maps strange? Are they not Rosharan?
No... They are Rosharan.
So, why are they strange?
Um-- This-- There is not really something for you-- There's not anything there.
Why do only the Terris have the sDNA for Feruchemy?
That's a RAFO, too.
Was it necessary that Adonalsium split into sixteen Shards, or was it happenstance?
I will RAFO that one.
Would the number or intents have been different, if there were more or less people?
That's all wrapped up in that RAFO. Let's say it's conceivable that the split could have happened in different ways.
In Bands of Mourning, outside of Kelesina's mansion, Hoid says that he owns the place. Why does he say that?
Um, he thinks he does. He's kinda right.
Among the Knights Radiant, is there an equivalent for our engineers? Like, normal engineers?
Equivalent to engineers? Yes-- Not 100% one-to-one, but yes.
Is there any society on Roshar that actually would run the center of technology?
Not yet. Not yet.
[The arc of spears from the Way of Kings chapter headings and Allomantic symbols.] Coincidence that they look so similar?
Yes. Yep, there was no instruction to Isaac to draw those similarly.
Is Rial a worldhopper?
RAFO. RAFO. RAFO.
Kredik Shaw. Lots of towers, some are simply nothing more than lots of metal that sounds like Hemalurgy on the land. Is that?
It is meant to evoke Hemalurgy, but it is not actually Hemalurgic.
If two Shardpools were described the same exact color, like emerald, would that mean anything significant? Like, the Investiture is from the exact same source?
Not necessarily. Not necessarily.
So, when a Shardbearer, they get caught off guard, or, like, they're trying to throw their Shardblade, you know that it <quickly poofs> But yet, they can give it someone else, and it doesn't poof. I was just wondering how that works.
Mental control. It's kind of in-- it's a control thing. Some people-- I mean, you have to practice it, and things like that.
So, it takes some kind of mental control to give to someone and allow them to use it?
Yes.
But it's something they have to practice at, it's not just a--
Mmhmm.
What was-- There was something going on in the shadows. 'Cause the King mentioned seeing shadows out of the corner of his eye when Kaladin wasn't around.
That should be answered in Oathbringer. If it's not, ask me next time and I'll explain, but it is in there.
Can you say what would happen if Lift swallowed a gemstone trapping an Unmade?
...Uh, hahaha. Uh, I'll RAFO that, but that's not that there's something there, it's just that I'm RAFOing that.
I have a theory that each one of the Shards is related to a certain number. Preservation really likes 16, Honor likes 10, and Odium likes 9. Am I onto something?
Yes.
I'm just curious about Steelrunners. I have to ask, assuming they have physical limitations?
They do. We can't go Speed Force on this sort of thing. Wind resistance is still a thing, and stuff like that.
Bodily, their bodies--
Yeah. So, most magic in the cosmere will strengthen your body to let you use the magic to an extent, but-- Yeah, there's some pretty strong limitations.
If you had a steel/steel Twinborn racing a pewter/steel, would you say that the pure steel, or the pewter burning to enhance their body-- in a short race?
Who would win? Probably pewter then, at that point. I would have to have Peter-- I wouldn't do it myself, make Peter run the math, and see what he comes up with. Those are the sort of things I go to him with.
Are they able to make a Hemalurgic spike out of a god metal? Or does that not work?
RAFO. We will be releasing a Hemalurgic table before too much longer.
Is Hemalurgy directly tied to Ruin, or is that something we can expect to see other--
That is directly tied to Ruin, but you can also expect to see it elsewhere.
About the end of Elantris. When Hoid is speaking with the dark seon? I was wondering, like, what is that relationship there? Is he, like, working with them, or for them?
More alongside each other.
Is that something we're gonna see more of in the future?
Probably.
I know Peter has talked about it on-- he hinted something on one of your posts on Reddit. I obviously can't say anything, but-- Stormlight Archive tabletop RPG?
I can't-- we are working on that. Yeah, there is one in the works. We aren't gonna do a lot of talk about it until we make sure that it's prototyped, that it's going well, that the deals are all in business... But it is in the works. We had a really good experience releasing a board game for Mistborn, and this is someone else, but since it worked out so well doing it once, it's a realm we're willing to continue playing in.
I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Longshadow?
I cannot.
No quirks, personality traits, favorite kind of shirt?
RAFO.
If Death came for your soul, and he said you could keep it if you beat him in a game of your choice, what would you pick?
You know, probably just a coin flip. Because I'm gonna bet he's better than me at anything that doesn't base on random chance. So, I would choose something like that, just completely random chance.
Who would win in a fight? Lift, or Wayne?
I have trouble imagining why they would fight, but it's gonna depend on situation and who gets the upper hand.
How do koloss breed? It doesn't make any sense to us?
So... A child born to a koloss and a koloss, or a koloss and anybody else, is what we call a koloss blooded. They don't become a full koloss until they undergo the ritual and are spiked.
Okay. But also they didn't have the gender parts.
They do have gender parts.
Is Wayne the author that's writing the Allomancer Jak stuff.
No, he's not. Good question, though! Good question!
You have all these magic systems within the cosmere, <Allomancy and Feruchemy> and all that, and now they're starting to come together into one body. Do you ever worry that you're gonna treat that character where, like, they're drawing from so many systems that they're almost, like, the ultimate *inaudible*, like, they're drawing from five different magic systems and just don't *inaudible* anymore?
You know, having done The Wheel of Time, where Rand was basically a deity, I'm not quite as worried about that as I was. I don't know if that'll ever even get to that point. And it turned out that that was just fine. The thing about it is, stories always happen in the intersection of what characters can't do. And there's always something you can't do. Unless you become, like, all-powerful, all-omnipotent. So, I'm not that worried about it. I have to keep an eye on it, but I'm not that worried about it.
I'm wondering, I've read White Sand, if we're gonna see Khrissalla's *inaudible*?
Uh, yes. Probably yes.
How many of your epiphanies happened at the gym?
Quite a number, actually. At the gym or in the shower, you put things together, for whatever reason.
What is your beverage of choice?
Uh, ice water. Yep, really is. I really just like me a good-- lots of ice. Like, a big cup filled to the top with ice, and then you fill up water in it. Best stuff.
I was wondering, how many pieces of different Shards does Hoid have to collect before he is considered Ascended?
You know that's even a little bit false, uh-- not begging the question. Whichever logic fallacy is assuming that he could. Or, you are assuming that he could. Who knows if it's even possible, or anything like that.
