You used the Julia Set as a basis for the map of Roshar; Is there any meaning beyond it, using the Julia Set? Or is more, "This is striking to me-"
The meaning is my fascination as a layman with fractals and equations. It is supposed to mean something in world; that Roshar was grown with a mathematical equation.
But not specifically that one?
Not specifically the Julia Set. You can't learn much from the Julia Set.
Do we ever get to see more of Threnody?
You should, if I can figure out when to get the Threnody novel in, it's going to be a lot of fun.
Like you said earlier you are trying to finish some things--
Before I start new things. You wouldn't see it until Stormlight 5 is done, for sure.
When you pictured Kelsier in the Mistborn Series, did you see him as a Christlike figure?
He sees himself that way, I do not.
And the church that follows up after him, is that more like *inaudible*
It is hierarchical like some Christian churches are, but it is not meant to reference any specific church. I do not personally see Kelsier as... he has a more inflated opinion of himself than I think he should have.
Your 2019 writing line up?
Stormlight 4 will take the entire year.
Do you have a single name that you use to refer to all the singers, and the listeners, and the Parshmen: that entire species?
Yeah, I usually use listener, but that's a cultural thing. So, I don't right now.
I keep struggling with what to call them as a species, and eeehhh are they all singers? I mean they aren't really all singers.
We'll settle on something eventually.
Okay, but we don't have anything right now.
Yeah.
Adolin's sword in Oathbringer, its name is Maya, which I think is cool cause that's my name, but is that-- is she going to become more important?
That is what we call a Read And Find out. No promises, I can't say either way. Can't give you spoilers.
From what I understand, Ruin and Preservation create the world together, and they created humanity as copies of the original humankind. So how did they give Allomancy to Scadrial?
Yes. So the magic systems are kind of built into the setting and the world. And there are certain natural pathways that exist, in the same way there are certain natural pathways for them to create life. Which is my explanation for why life is so similar on all the different planets, is that they're following natural pathways, and these magics are kind of the same way. For instance, Lightweaving predates the Shattering of Adonalsium. A lot of these other things are suggestive of magics that existed before that were built around Adonalsium. They weren't 100% created by the Shards, but they also do have the Shards' influence on them.
Wayne... Which order would he be in?
It would take-- He would probably fit best as an Edgedancer, would be my guess. Most of the Orders would look very strangely upon Wayne, let's say that.
If you had an AI like M-Bot with subroutines that simulate emotions, if it was written well enough, could it attract a spren?
I will RAFO that for now, I have been asked it a bunch. Let's just say, AI in the cosmere are going to be an interesting thing to explore. We will explore that.
Both the languages described in Warbreaker and The Stormlight Archive contain a letter or glyph called the shash. Is that a consequence of both languages originating from a common root language on Yolen or is there something more complicated going on?
Less complicated.
Are the Unmade and the spheres that contain them only on Roshar or are they in other planets in the cosmere?
You need to rephrase that question a little bit. Ask me again, remembering there's a big difference between the Rosharan system and the rest of the cosmere. There's three planets in the Rosharan system.
*Gestures* Particularly in these ones.
It's possible that Unmade influence and existence would extend beyond Roshar.
Can lerasium alloys grant Feruchemy?
It c--RAFO, we'll RAFO that.
Do humans with singer ancestry have vestigial gemhearts?
RAFO. Good question.
Do we know the other talents of Dusk's uncle's Aviar? Because he had three.
I don't think I've revealed those.
Is it possible to form a bond with a Threnodite Shade?
Oh like a Nahel bond, a spren bond? RAFO.
What would be your callsign in the Skyward [universe]?
Oh, my callsign? It would probably be--it's too long. "Mr. Prolific" is what they called me in college. Something like that.
Szeth Son-Son. When did his name change from Son to Son-Son.
When he was made Truthless.
Do we know the time of when he was made Truthless? How long has he been Truthless since the [Prologue]?
I know, but I'm not confident enough, because I rely on Karen so much to fact check my numbers.
Is it like a couple of years or a lot of years. Recent?
I would say recent, but that's also subjective and relative.
Because if he's lived a thousand years, then a hundred years could...
Yes, but he hasn't lived a thousand years.
So, he's lived about thirty years...
Mmhmm.
Was Vo really the First Returned?
RAFO!
Does Taravangian have any darkeyed grandchildren?
RAFO because because *sheepish laugh* I don't know for sure.
An epoch, is that a standardized set of time or relative?
It is not a standardized set of time.
So it could be variable like, when dad gets home from work til when leaves from work.
Well, that's not going to be one, but yeah... The epochs were way better defined in the original Way of Kings. I let them be more squishy.
In the original Way of Kings, like a first edition?
No, in the Prime, that I read from.
God-King versus God-King. Susebron versus Rashek, who comes out on top?
Rashek, probably.
By a lot or a little?
Well, here's the thing. I think Susebron is at the disadvantage in almost every situation.
Okay. How so?
Rashek has been alive longer. Rashek knows what he's doing. Rashek has martial training. Rashek has killed a lot of people, Susebron never has. Fewer scruples. His magic is way more combat-oriented. He can get out of range a lot easier. He has power emotional Allomancy, which Susebron would *inaudible*.
Granted, he's got so much investiture, he may be able to shrug that off. But still, I would put Rashek at the advantage.
How do puns work with all-
How do what work?
Puns, because they're speaking different languages?
Oh, yeah, the books are in translation; you have to imagine I am the translator, and what I am doing is, I am searching for something in our language that best replicates what they said in their language. That is the same thing for things like Veristitalian and stuff like that that uses Latin in our world. That's indicating it's using a similar older language in their world to build the thing. So you have to understand Wit doesn't actually say that exact pun, he says something that is a pun that I translate into English into a similar pun.
Is there anything you can tell me about the Deeper Ones?
About what?
The Deeper Ones?
No, unfortunately. If I write the Threnody novel, they will be involved a great deal, how about that?
I noticed that in the Stormlight Archive the spren act in a quantum physics-y way--
That's intentional!
Is that gonna play a role--
It will indeed play a role. It's relevant.
On Roshar, if a Herald were to die, to not-really-come-back die, would it possible for someone to take up the mantle of that Herald?
You're gonna need to read and find out, because this is the first time that happened was at the end of Oathbringer.
Because he is dead--
He is dead dead.
My other question was, has Hoid ever or would Hoid ever dress in drag?
Yeah, and he has... Multiple times!
The lighthouse guy was Ire? In Oathbringer?
Yes.
And he was the same Elantrian that they put in the Shardpool at the end of--
Yes, he is the same person.
And was he Ire before--
He was not before then.
So, I was hoping to get a confirmation on Mraize's age?
I'd probably-- Well, what did I say before?
Not sure, I was just asking the question.
Okay good, I didn't think that I had confirmed this. I'm going to RAFO it.
Like, is he older than a normal person?
I will RAFO it, yeah. Let's say though, that, though he has been off-world, he himself is a Rosharan.
A Roshar native?
Yeah.
If the Ire had managed to get Preservation, what would Ruin's reaction have been to that?
*chuckles* What would Ruin have thought about that? I don't think Ruin would have been a fan.
Would he have been able to deal with it?
Deal with it? I can see potentials where he both could and couldn't deal with it. I do not-- I don't think the Ire were one hundred percent prepared for what they were trying to do. How about that?
How strong is Endowment's futuresight in comparison to other Shards?
RAFO.
Does Khriss know the intents of the sixteen Shards at the time of the essays?
At the time of the essays, Khriss would-- Yes, Khriss would know all sixteen intents.
Can a Shard just--like, say someone is using their magic system--can they stop the power from them being able to use it?
No, that's a bit like stopping the laws of physics. So, while they can circumvent laws of physics and things like that, but if you wanted to stop someone from using magic, smiting them would be the efficient way of making that happen, if you are capable of it in the system.
We've seen, let's say, Ruin and Preservation talking to people--they have limitations on that. Do other Shards share these limitations?
There are limitations-- All Shards have some interesting limitations that we will get into as we go.
Can a Shard just smite someone? Like, "Boom, you're dead," and they die?
So, Shards can do this, depending on where they are. For instance, Odium can't, but Endowment could.
Did the Five Scholars ever speak directly with Endowment in a way that they would remember?
*thinking noises* I'll RAFO that.
Odium seems to have a bad track record when it comes to killing Shards. He was wounded versus Ambition, and he's trapped on Roshar. Yet, he's credited in killing Devotion and Dominion. My question is: was Autonomy significantly involved and would Odium have been able to do it on his own and still be okay to--
RAFO. It is dangerous to attack a Shard with one Shard. Let's say that. And a wise Shard would try to avoid that confrontation unless there are specific reasons they think they would have an advantage.
Was Felt cosmere-aware during Era 1?
Yes.
Was he directly involved in the interplanetary trade through the Pits?
He was involved. Whether directly is the right term or not I will not say.
And is he part of the Seventeenth Shard?
He has been a member of various different groups and had various different motivations over the years. I would not put him, right now, as a member of the Seventeenth Shard.
As in, like, Stormlight Archive--
As of Stormlight Archive Era: Not a member of the Seventeenth Shard. Obviously--well, I won't go any further on that.
Did the game developers for the Witcher franchise get back to you?
They never did. I didn't expect them to, though. I was not calling them out. I was specifically just saying that if somebody asked me, I would. It's not like I was...I was trying to bury that. It went way bigger than I wanted to. But I think they already knew. I have made it clear to them I'd enjoy working with them.
Does Stormlight drain faster in a vacuum?
No. Good question, I haven't been asked that before.
In the prologue to Way of Kings, when Szeth kills Gavilar, Gavilar says, "Tell Thaidakar he's too late." What's Thaidakar too late for?
*Evil laugh* RAFO. You'll find out. It's coming, not too far away.
Is the gold blade that Odium has, his equivalent of an Honorblade?
Not quite.
In Mistborn Era 1, they don't...aluminum in real life can only really be refined through the use of electricity.
You can actually get it before that. For instance, Napoleon had a set of aluminum dinnerware that he gave to the really fancy guests. If you weren't fancy enough, you got the gold. So they could get it in elemental form without electrolysis or whatever the process is. You could get it, but you couldn't make it. It was extremely rare till the modern era.
They have started to figure out that process in Mistborn, and it soon is going to become really common.
Once aluminum is dirt cheap like it is--
That changes the world a whole bunch!
Do you play those [Blizzard games]?
Yeah. They tried to get me to write for them. Back before Overwatch became Overwatch, when it was their next MMO game, Titan, they brought me in and were trying to convince me. And they were good books, but I just could not spare the time.
How did Nightblood get from Warbreaker to Oathbringer.
He was carried.
How?
RAFO! He was carried by someone.
What book will you have to read to find out?
You will find out eventually. Nightblood, the sequel to Warbreaker will include some, Stormlight books will also include some.
Me making a book about someone is not a promise they'll live until that book. So the fact that Jasnah gets book ten does not mean necessarily mean Jasnah survives until book ten.
Did Spook ever leave Scadrial?
RAFO.
Khriss and Jasnah... are they ever gonna meet, because I feel like they'd be the ultimate power couple.
They would get along smashingly, is what I feel. I won't say if they're ever going to meet or not, but I do feel that they would get along.
Can people not from Roshar bond with spren and get the Shardplate and whatnot?
RAFO. Well, okay. You don't need me to RAFO on that. You have seen someone not from Roshar bond a spren. You have seen that much happen.
We know for sure that Hoid is a Lightweaver.
Do we know that?
Hoid has bonded a spren.
Is the Sibling a Singer?
The Sibling is not, good question.
Does aluminum negate magic systems in all the--
Not exactly, but it has very weird-- it has interesting effects, how about that, in all places.
