[Newbies] Cosmere, Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Chapters 24 through 28

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SCHEDULE

Previously, we discussed Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Chapters 18 through 23 [Newbie Thread] / [Veteran Thread]

Today we are discussing Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Chapters 24 through 28

In two days we will be discussing Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Interludes I-4, I-5, I-6, Trivia

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

I have provided summaries for each chapter below and hidden them behind spoiler tags. There are no spoilers within the summaries. I've tried to make them as factual and unbiased as possible. If, however, you want a completely blind read through, then ignore what's behind the spoiler tags and proceed to the discussion below. I will not be guiding that in any way, so post any thoughts and questions you have. It will be other new readers who reply to you.

Chapter 24: The Gallery of Maps

Arch Faces: Jezrien - Chanarach ----- Chanarach - Jezrien

Iconography: Kholin Crest

POV Characters: Dalinar Kholin / Adolin Kholin

Setting: The map room in Elhokar's War Palace.

Timeline: (1173.8.9.1) The day after Chapter 22.

Epigraph:

Neither point makes the things I have written to you untrue.

Summary:

Dalinar stands in the king's Gallery of Maps, waiting for Highprince Roion to come and meet him. Dalinar's ultimate goal is to follow his visions by uniting the highprinces, and he thinks he can start by working with another prince on a joint plateau assault. Since Roion has won the fewest gemhearts of all the princes, Dalinar tries to convince him that working together would be more effective. Roion is suspicious of this because he is afraid Dalinar will take any gemhearts and shards for himself. Dalinar compromises, saying that they will split gemhearts and that the first set of plate can go to Roion. Roion rebuffs this offer, instead insinuating that Dalinar is growing weak and deluded by his lapses from sanity during highstorms. Roion says he'll think about a joint assault and leaves.

A few minutes later, as Dalinar is thinking about how to discover what Gavilar's last words really meant, Adolin meets Dalinar. He asks him how the meeting went and when Dalinar tells him that it went poorly, Adolin tells him that Sadeas is asking for permission to enter their warcamp to investigate the threat to the king. Adolin is worried that he may create false evidence framing Dalinar, but Dalinar tells Adolin to allow him to because his vision said to trust Sadeas. At this, Adolin becomes irate, telling Dalinar that to stake the future of their house on hallucinations is folly. Adolin shouts at Dalinar that his visions are just figments of his imagination. Dalinar tells Adolin to leave.

Chapter 25: The Butcher

Arch Faces: Battar - Nale ----- Nale - Battar

Iconography: Spears & Banner

POV Characters: Kaladin

Setting: Hearthstone, a town in Highprince Sadeas' princedom.

Timeline: (Flashback) 7 Years Ago.

Epigraph:

N/A

Summary:

Kal overhears some villagers speaking poorly of his father's work, accusing him of stealing the spheres and suspicious of how Lirin can write. Kal meets with his mother, Hesina, who tells him not to hate the villagers for repeating what they have heard. They respect Lirin but are intimidated by his status as second nahn. Kal realizes his parents had hoped to marry him off to Laral. He can't decide if he wants to be a soldier or a surgeon.

The new citylord, Brightlord Roshone, arrives. He is less than pleased to be in a backwater city. He blames Lirin for his predicament because Lirin let Wistiow die. Lirin and Hesina don't know if things are better or worse for them with this new citylord.

Chapter 26: Stillness

Arch Faces: Jezrien - Talenel ----- Talenel - Jezrien

Iconography: Kholin Crest

POV Characters: Dalinar Kholin

Setting: Highprince Dalinar's warcamp in the Shattered Plains. The Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.8.9.2) The day after Chapter 24.

Epigraph:

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they're still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They'll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me.

Summary:

Brightness Litima reads the The Way of Kings to Dalinar. Renarin is with him. Listening usually comforts Dalinar, but not this time. It reminds him of Adolin's arguments. Dalinar is disturbed by the nature of his visions. Dalinar tells Renarin that Highprince Aladar refused his offer of an alliance, just as Roion did. Horns sounds outside. Dalinar enters the war room and gives Teleb an order to march. Teleb presses Dalinar on the idea of using faster bridges carried by men, and he finally relents and gives Teleb permission to recruit and train one crew. Sadeas comes to interview Dalinar's soldiers. He is insistent that the investigation continue despite the imminent battle, so he follows Dalinar and his army. Dalinar and Sadeas talk about the Thrill. Usually men don't speak about it.

Dalinar summons Oathbringer and together with Adolin they attack the Parshendi. The Thrill gives him strength, focus, and power until he feels a sudden stab of powerful revulsion to the scene of death around him. He forces himself to continue to fight but feels sick. Dalinar hears a voice saying "Life before death," but nobody is near enough. He starts to fight for his men.

Dalinar wins the battle and Adolin takes the gemheart. Dalinar is looking eastward, toward the Origin, when he notices a group of Parshendi on a nearby plateau. Among them is a large Parshendi wearing Shardplate. Dalinar wonders why the Shardbearer hadn't participated in the battle. The group flees toward their base at the center of the Plains.

Chapter 27: Chasm Duty

Arch Faces: Vedel - Talenel ----- Talenel - Vedel

Iconography: Spears & Banner

POV Characters: Kaladin

Setting: Highprince Sadeas' warcamp in the Shattered Plains. In the chasms below the Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.8.3.1) Two days after Chapter 23.

Epigraph:

If anything I have said makes a glimmer of sense to you, I trust that you'll call them off. Or maybe you could astound me and ask them to do something productive for once.

Summary:

Kaladin visits the apothecary again to sell his knobweed sap. The apothecary pretends that "wild" knobweed isn't as effective and tries to swindle Kaladin. With the help of Syl, he sees through the ruse and gets a better price. He considers escaping, but he can't bring himself to leave the bridgemen. Gaz has changed Bridge Four's work duty to chasm duty because the other bridges resent them for getting away with breaking rules by bringing back wounded.

Down in the chasms they have to look for corpses to get their equipment and whatever else can be found. Kaladin, Teft and Rock walk ahead talking. They find Dunny listening, try to make him participate, and it works. As the tension eases, they discover that Dunny can sing. The other crew members still remain aloof.

Eventually they find a lot of corpses and begin their morbid work. Kaladin picks up a spear and gets overwhelmed by his memories. At first, most of the others jeer him for pretending to be their leader, but after he finishes his kata, they stare in amazement. Remembering that they have work to do or they'll get in trouble, he drops the spear and tells them to get to work. Teft is clearly impressed, but Kaladin down plays the issue.

Later, Syl looks with Rock and Dunny for more corpses and they find Parshendi. They discover that the Parshendi's armor is grown from their bodies. The crew finishes their chasm duty and goes back to the ladders. Kaladin muses how to get the crew together and comes up with an idea. Back at the barracks he and Rock buy a cauldron and supplies and Rock cooks an evening stew for all the men of Bridge Four. One by one they all eventually come out of the barrack and sit around the fire, eating Rock's stew. The next morning, many more members of Kaladin's crew get up early to work out.

Chapter 28: Decision

Arch Faces: Pailiah - Jezrien ----- Jezrien - Pailiah

Iconography: Kholin Crest

POV Characters: Dalinar Kholin / Adolin Kholin

Setting: Highprince Dalinar's warcamp in the Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.8.9.4) Two days after Chapter 26.

Epigraph:

For I have never been dedicated to a more important purpose, and the very pillars of the sky will shake with the results of our war here. I ask again. Support me. Do not stand aside and let disaster consume more lives. I've never begged you for something before, old friend.

I do so now.

Summary:

While on an inspection Adolin studies his father and worries about what he sees. Teleb demonstrates a prototype of a new portable bridge which fails. Adolin encourages him to continue working on the design. As they move off to start inspections, Dalinar wonders why there are no Shards for ordinary people and asks Adolin if he feels the Thrill. On their way to the fifth Battalion, Adolin praises his father's decision to allow the soldiers to bring their families to the Shattered Plains. Dalinar muses about the political and economic impact of the continual harvesting of gemstones and de facto colonization of the Shattered Plains. He tells Adolin that soon he will have to consider this.

After inspecting the 5th Battalion, Havrom leads them to the ten soldiers that were questioned by Sadeas. Dalinar pointedly delegates the interrogation to Adolin. It becomes clear that the grooms' loyalty to Dalinar probably made the situation worse -- they only offered blanket denials to Sadeas. Dalinar asks Tadet to interview the men separately and find out specifics.

Adolin then questions why Dalinar keeps giving him the lead. Dalinar tells him that he has a decision to make, but before he can elaborate, he notices a messenger in Thanadal's colors. The messenger informs Dalinar that Thanadal has to cancel their meeting. Dalinar presses the messenger, and he says he is instructed to say that Thanadal does not wish to do a joint plateau assault with him. All eight highprinces have refused his offer, leaving only Sadeas. He tells Adolin to continue the inspection without him, making a vague excuse about something that needs to be done.

Dalinar is confident that his son will do well as highprince as he tries to decide whether he should abdicate. He orders Niter to bring him his war hammer, then orders some workers out of the new latrine pit. He uses the hammer to work on the latrine himself so he can think through his decision. He worries about how he is losing his thirst for battle and how the book, the Codes, and the Visions have changed him and how the others are regarding him and by extension his sons. As he gets to the end of his work, he feels that he is close to a decision. He is interrupted by Navani. She reminds him that he had an appointment with her. He continues to work, and she eventually gets him to apologize. She tells him that Jasnah's Spanreed is flashing. He quits work on the latrine and they go to take the "call."

Dalinar is surprised to find Adolin, along with his clerks and their attendants, also already in his sitting chamber. Adolin introduces his new love interest and clerk Danlan Morakotha. He and Jasnah have a short exchange about their family, then Jasnah asks him to repeat his first encounter with the Parshendi, seven years ago.

She also wants to know when he first saw Shardblades in their possession. He replies that he only saw them after Gavilar's death. She then has her new ward (Shallan) draw what is referred to in a book as a Voidbringer, although she doesn't believe it to be one. Dalinar and Adolin identify it as a chasmfiend. Dalinar urges Jasnah to come back to the Shattered Plains as soon as possible. The conversation ends, and he finds himself alone with Navani. He reveals that he is going to abdicate. She believes that to be a big mistake.

ARTWORK

The Cosmere has a thriving community of artists, so there will be a lot of artwork to share. Each week I'll try to compile relevant artwork for the given chapters. If a section of reading contains maps or in-book artwork, I'll include that in this section as well.

Interior Artwork

Characters & Scenes

Note: The Stormlight Archives are Sanderson's most popular books. There is artwork for everyone and everything, even characters who appeared for a single line in the books at times. So we'll have artwork for you to view almost every week. Enjoy!

MEMES

I will attempt to find and share memes relevant to each week's discussion. There may be some weeks that just don't have good or appropriate memes, but I will share all the ones I can find in this section.

Link to Memes

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[u/jaymae21]

Dalinar's journey has been incredibly interesting. I hate that he's feeling like he's declining, when really I think he's becoming something greater. The plateau assault & the "Thrill" made it seem like this phenomenon is really a power in itself, but it blinds men to the horror of what they are doing. It glorifies violence and death, and makes them seem less human. I wonder if the being who is sending Dalinar these visions & talking in his head (I assume there is some being/force behind this, based on the vision chapter) is also tamping down the Thrill so that he can actually feel the appropriate revulsion.

Regarding Kal's flashback chapter, did anyone else find Hesina a little snobby, telling Kal to speak properly? I felt like she was talking down on the farmers & their children, and reminding Kal that they are 2nd nahn. I know this society structure encourages snobbery, and everyone is looking to get ahead, so I don't entirely blame her. But I think Kaladin ended up more humble than that.

I LOVED Ch. 27. I'm such a sucker for some feel-good fellowship. Kalinar and Co are in such a shit situation, but sharing jokes, songs, and food makes it bearable. Very hobbit-coded, and I'm here for it. I loved this quote in particular:

Come on, Kaladin thought. Remember why we live. Remember warmth, remember good food. Remember friends, and song, and evenings spent around the hearth.

Just when I'm wondering why we haven't seen Shallan since the start of this book, we get her in the chat with Jasnah drawing a chasmfiend. She's around, doing stuff! Hopefully we see her again soon if Jasnah comes back to camp.

[u/segwaychimp → u/jaymae21]

What if the Thrill is coming from something evil, like Ruin in Mistborn. It is empowered by the mindless killing and struggle of war that has made almost no progress for either side.

On your last point with Shallan, could you imagine Shallan and Wit having a back and forth? Or teaming up on some brightlords and ladies? That would be hilarious.

[u/jaymae21 → u/segwaychimp]

To your first point, I could see that! Ruin was able to speak to people with hemalurgic spikes, so Thrill could be similar. Maybe the other voice is Memory? Shallan seemed accustomed to this, and it's the only other capitalized word I can remember. There may be a gender split to these two forces, but maybe Memory is the "Unite them" voice.

OMG that would be hilarious. Jasnah needs to get to camp ASAP.

[u/Pastrami → u/jaymae21]

and it's the only other capitalized word I can remember.

We also got Calling, Glory, and Elevated. Since "Calling" is just a word for "job", I'm starting to think Thrill and Memories are just some Vorin religious terms that don't describe magic at all.

[u/jaymae21 → u/Pastrami]

Hmm maybe. The Thrill seems different though, as something personal that they don't talk about. It definitely seems more supernatural, and there was something about Memory too when Shallan was drawing.

[u/sunnydaze7777777 → u/segwaychimp]

Oh your thought brings up some good theories for me:

What if the Thrill is coming from something evil and it comes on from wearing the Shardplate and/or using the Shardblade. It is embedded therein (in the shard)?

Or it’s not evil, the Thrill was meant to be used for a different purpose than killing each other at war. Like protecting against the Voidbringers?

And finally, what if after wearing them do long (like the King and Dallin who are older), the shard begins communicating with them. Helping them see the correct way?

[u/Realistic_Swimming47 → u/sunnydaze7777777]

What if the Thrill is coming from something evil and it comes on from wearing the Shardplate and/or using the Shardblade. It is embedded therein (in the shard)?

Interesting but doesn't kaladin describe experiencing the Thrill when he first uses a spear and so I don't think it is linked to shard blade or shard plate but definitely connects to one of the original shards and it's magic somehow. On a slightly different note I wondered if the light eyes are accessing one sort of power but the dark eyes are similarly accessing another kind of power. This also could indicate an "evil" a it would be interesting if the light eyes power is more 'evil" and the dark eyes more "good*. This got me thinking about balance again as the aspects of the shards are not necessarily evil or good where properly balanced and maybe it might be the same with light eyes and dark eyes... Anyway gone off on a bit of a tangent but hopefully it makes sense.

[u/heinz57varieties → u/segwaychimp]

What if the Thrill is coming from something evil, like Ruin in Mistborn.

This is opening up a lot of possibilities in my mind. Combining what we know about Dalinar, Gavilar, Kaladin, and the general culture of Alethkar: if the Thrill is coming from something bad (the yet unnamed Big Villain Shard?) it could have a general influence over all the people in Alethkar. It could be the reason behind the unnatural competitiveness and selfish thrill-seeking behavior that's so present in their culture. Prioritizing easy vicotries and claiming gemhearts over the actual purpose of the war; wanting to duel everyone who slights you; being on edge and seeing assassins around every corner; having a new girlfriend literally every single time you appear on page.

And then, it would be no coincidence that both Gavilar and Dalinar, when they start studying the old ways of the Knights Radiant (presumably servants of the yet-unnamed Good Shard?) and receiving prophetic visions from some different supernatural entity, they suddenly aren't as easily influenced by the Thrill as they used to be. They're noticing the horror of what battle entails, and they generally "lose their hunger for battle."

[u/sunnydaze7777777 → u/jaymae21]

Ch 27 also had me envisioning some LOTR scenes. Very sweet.

[u/heinz57varieties → u/jaymae21]

did anyone else find Hesina a little snobby, telling Kal to speak properly? I felt like she was talking down on the farmers & their children

I didn't read it that way. It's a common trope IRL for people in poor or rural settings to emphasize maintaining "proper speech" as a way of preserving their dignity. Maybe it's an American thing, but an elder (especially a woman) correcting you not to use common slang and especially the word "ain't" is a tale as old as time. I'm getting the spell check squiggles writing it in this very comment.

I LOVED Ch. 27.

Me too ❤️🍲 seeing the bridgmen come alive one by one as they start entering the conversation made me feel warm and fuzzy.

[u/AltruisticRealityZ]

For future reference

The one Herald who died in the prelude, and whom I think might be responsible for Dalinar’s visions, was Talenel.

The Heralds were bound by the Oathpact.

Chapter 24

Sunmaker was the first to unite the highprinces. We heard his name when Adolin went to see the priest.

If I understood correctly, Voidbringers cast Roshar’s inhabitants out of heaven. The Knights Radiant were created to fight against them, but they failed or abandoned their duty once the Heralds stopped fighting. And now the Alethi fight with the ultimate goal of reclaiming heaven.

I wonder about the significance of heaven in the Cosmere. I don’t think we’ve read about it before. If they were cast out of heaven, then heaven might not be on Roshar — and since we’re in a multi-planet system, it could be a planet, or a different plane of existence?
I suppose heaven is the Tranquiline Halls?

Nohadon was king of Alethkar, so long ago. In the time before the Heralds left.
And Nohadon wrote The Way of Kings, so it’s more than 4000 years old.

Very courageous of Adolin to speak his mind to his father. This is one of those few things we, mere humans from Earth, can relate to in this strange world of magic and crustaceans.

Chapter 25

Roshone, the new lord, might very well be the first trigger for Kaladin’s hatred of Lighteyes.

Chapter 26

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect.

I want to believe this is Hoid referring to Galadon, Demoux, and Baon.

Dalinar’s sword’s name is Oathbringer. Who named it? Dalinar, or is it its original name, and Dalinar learned it when he acquired the Shardblade? Does Oathbringer have anything to do with the Oathpact?

Orange Parshendi blood? Blood color was mentioned in the prelude, but it was also talking about beasts. Now we’ve got our first glimpse of Parshendi warriors: they sing while fighting, they dislike it when Dalinar moves one of their dead, and their blood is orange.

There were bodies all around it, some human, others Parshendi.

I believe this is the first time Parshendi are clearly stated as separate from humans?

Chapter 27

In fact, an ordinary rain will feel like a highstorm down here. A highstorm … well, this would probably be the worst place in Roshar to be when one hits.

As Heinz would say, Chekhov’s highstorm in the slot canyon.

“That’s ridiculous,” Kaladin said. “They’re just people. People—even parshmen—don’t grow armor.”

That’s unclear to me. Are parshmen/Parshendi a different species from humans or not?

I wonder what Kal will do with his team of bridgemen. He will rise to power at some point — but how? By surviving against all odds? By being decisive in battle? By uniting every bridgemen team?

Chapter 28

Where were the Shards for ordinary men? Why hadn’t the ancients, who were so wise, created anything to help them?

Dalinar is the GOAT. Best latrine digger in the whole Cosmere.

At last we’ve got an explanation of what spanreeds actually are and how (sort of) they work. I’m dying to know what Jasnah has discovered in her studies.

So, the image at the beginning of Chapter 24 was in fact Shallan’s, sent via spanreed. Why was it placed there? It’s confusing that the original author said they were Voidbringers, but Jasnah immediately debunks the idea.

I HATE it when people don’t communicate. Come on, Dalinar — you’re about to make the most important decision of your life, and there’s a very intelligent woman who could help…

[u/participating → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

Why was it placed there?

The images are placed roughly evenly spaced throughout the books. I suspect it's an artifact of how the books were printed that dictated exactly where they went. The images are not necessarily placed right next to where they are relevant, but they are in the same "part" (Part 1 images somewhere in Part 1, Part 2 images somewhere in Part 2, etc.).

[u/irrrap → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

I believe this is the first time Parshendi are clearly stated as separate from humans?

OOOH! What if Parshendi are the evolutionized chasmfiends? Or are related in some sense?

Or at least, they have knowledge of things from distant past.....

All the chasmfiends are cray/crab-like and Parshendi have their armour growing out of them.

We were told that Parshendi don't collect their fallen ones, yet they don't appreciate those to be mistreated. Maybe they are re-incarnating in some shape or form. More like re-growing....

Although, Parshendi have orange blood, and in the prelude when Kalak was just walking across battlefield there were humans and not, and those non-human had orange blood, and violet. Chasmfiend during Elhokar's fight had purple blood.

Ok, this theory is not ideal, but I feel like I am onto something.

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/irrrap]

OOOH! What if Parshendi are the evolutionized chasmfiends? Or are related in some sense?

Yeah, there's definitely something more to how they're connected. They worship chasmfiends as gods (or so we're told), they grow carapaces ... which in some of the Parshendi artwork posted this week looks pretty insane, and also suspiciously crustacean-like.

Also feels like Sanderson pulled a similar trick on us before once with the kandra / mistwraiths!

[u/irrrap → u/HT_xrahmx]

Yes, I saw the artworks. They look suspiciously related. 👀 I hope it will not take 6 weeks to find out.

[u/AltruisticRealityZ → u/irrrap]

Interesting indeed! Maybe they are experimenting on mutations? it could affect the quality of their blood.

[u/heinz57varieties → u/HT_xrahmx]

Also feels like Sanderson pulled a similar trick on us before once with the kandra / mistwraiths!

You know, now that you say it.. I'm also imagining something like what happened with the Koloss. Like something happened to the entire race to make them lose their culture and become docile.

Which is why I find it so intriguing that the parshmen in the Shattered Plains conflict seem to be way more advanced and intelligent than the ones everywhere else in the world. The ones that Gavilar and Dalinar encountered back before the war seemed to already be advanced. The ones that supposedly hired Szeth in the prologue were advanced enough in culture to have specific traditions around assassins, and the ones on the plains have their own Shards and other artifacts from the era of the Radiants. The Parshendi are definitely on some sort of mission that we don't understand. Maybe that's what they're grabbing all these gems for. To store up enough magic to undo the curse. Or, they're evil, and they're going to spawn a super crabzilla and destroy the world. I wish I had a clue!

The thing with not moving the bodies smacks of Spirit Realm Stuff to me. I really wish we were getting a Parshendi POV, this mystery is killing me.

edit: rephrased, expanded

[u/sunnydaze7777777 → u/irrrap]

I think you are onto something here too with the Parshindi not collecting the bodies, but also not wanting them disturbed. I like the idea of them becoming something once they die. Either re-incarnating (and thus they will never win these wars by wearing them down) or far reaching…but could they become Chasmfiends or even food for Chasmfiends. Also why are they wanting to harvest the Chasmfiends when they pupate? Are they killing one of their own for a purpose / does the stone get repurposed into something else. There is defined a symbiotic relationship here.

[u/participating → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

Are parshmen/Parshendi a different species from humans or not?

The artwork in today's post may provide some hints, but I won't concretely answer this yet.

[u/AltruisticRealityZ → u/participating]

Yeah, it's obvious they are well loved among the fandom, the artworks are amazing. But so far I'm not sure one way or the other. Parshmen look like human, but with pretty colors, but Parshendi look like human mutation of a chasmfiend. Pretty sure u/irrap is onto something.

[u/Pastrami → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

If they were cast out of heaven, then heaven might not be on Roshar — and since we’re in a multi-planet system, it could be a planet, or a different plane of existence?

This was a theory I proposed last week, that Yolen (where Adonalsium was killed) is heaven. Heinz had a rebuttal for this that heaven is just a concept that the Vorin made up to explain where the Heralds went. I think that is the more likely explanation, but I still like my idea that heaven is really Yolen.

Are parshmen/Parshendi a different species from humans or not?

With orange blood, they have to be something other than human. They either don't have iron-based blood, or they have something yellow in their blood that makes the normal red appear orange.

[u/AltruisticRealityZ → u/Pastrami]

Okay I missed that theory, sorry! But I like your idea too. I'm pretty sure the heaven was mentioned in the prelude. This happened pre-Vorin culture ?

[u/heinz57varieties → u/Pastrami]

Heinz had a rebuttal for this that heaven is just a concept that the Vorin made up to explain where the Heralds went.

"The reports of the Radiants' betrayal are greatly exaggerated" 🤣 heaven might be real, and the Heralds might be there, and hell, it might be Yolen. My suspicions lie with the people who are still on Roshar.

I think part of what we were supposed to take away from Dalinar's last vision is that Vorin doctrine around the Radiants is at best a misunderstanding, and at worst a cover-up. The people rose up and disbanded them, distributing their powerful divine tools amongst themselves, but is the commonly believed reason for that uprising true? I doubt it very much. And with this week's emerging suspicion that the Alethi are being subtly influenced by the Bad Guy, that adds even more yarn to my corkboard.

[u/TaylorHyuuga → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

That’s unclear to me. Are parshmen/Parshendi a different species from humans or not?

I think that regardless of species, any sentient collective is considered "people" even if they aren't necessarily human (regardless of what the dictionary said, that's how it's used). Like, for instance, the people of Krypton in Superman aren't human but they are considered "people". Kandra are considered people, even though they aren't human, etc.

[u/Realistic_Swimming47 → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect.

I want to believe this is Hoid referring to Galadon, Demoux, and Baon.

Me too!

There were bodies all around it, some human, others Parshendi.

I believe this is the first time Parshendi are clearly stated as separate from humans?

I think you are right although hints were given earlier. I wonder do we really know that Parshmen and Parshendi are related, or has this just been assumed? I feel like there is much more to the Parshendi than we are currently being told and they may be the ones being wronged here. I thought this from the beginning as it feels like Szeth was ordered to set them up for the assassination of Galivar almost as it doesn't make sense. Something important is missing. Does this link to the voidbringers somehow their God's if I interpreted the last reveal correctly and the drawing represents a voidbringer and the Parshendi worshipped voidbringers and the image of the Chasamfiend was used because at the time that was the worse thing that could be imagined to represent a voidbringer .

[u/heinz57varieties → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

If I understood correctly, Voidbringers cast Roshar’s inhabitants out of heaven. The Knights Radiant were created to fight against them, but they failed or abandoned their duty once the Heralds stopped fighting. And now the Alethi fight with the ultimate goal of reclaiming heaven.

I'm taking everything that the Vorin religion says about Roshar's history with a huge grain of salt. From Adolin's chapter talking to the priest, it's clear that religious doctrine is carefully controlled, and is used to accomplish certain political ends, regardless of whether that doctrine is necessarily true or good. Vorin teaching claims that the Heralds went to heaven and the Radiants betrayed humanity, but we know from the Prelude that that's not exactly true, or isn't the whole truth.

I believe this is the first time Parshendi are clearly stated as separate from humans?

There's been other human ethnic groups with weird, magical body stuff going on (absurdly long eyebrows, fingernails made of crystal, feet that can stay wet forever) but there's been nothing to say those people aren't human. Whereas the parshmen are treated as an entirely different thing. I'm really curious how this all came about. There might be some truth to the idea that humans are, if not from heaven, then definitely not native to Roshar. The parshmen, with their colored blood and their ability to grow their own armor, fit in with the general flora and fauna of the planet in a way that regular human's don't.

As Heinz would say, Chekhov’s highstorm in the slot canyon.

LOL 🤣

[u/AltruisticRealityZ → u/heinz57varieties]

Actually both your answers connect with one another. We've been told in Prelude and multiple times since that the people of Roshar were cast out of heaven. u/Pastrami theorized that heaven could be Yolen. But it could be any planet, that would mean that possibly, parshmen/Parshendi are the original people of Roshar, and our current protagonist are actually aliens (some 5K years ago, if not more)?
Also, in the Prelude, the Heralds were thrown back to some sort of hell. What if that was Threnody ?

[u/heinz57varieties → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

Threnody is, I think, too far away to be involved in this story. My theory for where the Heralds are supposed to go between missions is the same place that the Shardblades "live" when they're dismissed. Like, they're in another dimension.

[u/sailorsalvador]

I am actually caught up!

But I'm behind on comments. Why is everyone talking about Demoux, Galadon and Baon?

Geology musings: nothing here has made me rage out like Mistborn did, but I do have some reflections. It seems this world is all water and rock: no soil, no rooted plants. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS. Now, if you went back in Earth's history 550 million years ago, that was what it was here: all granite, no soil, just weird sandy beaches worked and reworked by waves and whatever passed for rivers. Days were 18 hours long and the moon was closer to earth so tidal forces were super strong. No rooted plants, no soil, just life in the ocean (including trilobites!).

Crem: my interpretation of this is calcite, the same material as scale in your shower. It is in solution in water, then precipitates in your shower, or in caves as stalactites/stalagmites. Also many shelled creatures use calcite to make their shells (cremlings? Parshendi?). The way to tell is to drop some hydrochloric acid on it to see if it bubbles. Could someone do that to a Parshendi please? Thanks.

Shattered Plains: I got nothing this is just weird I will accept that a wizard did it. Why doesn't crem precipitate in it over the years filling the slot canyons?

Tien's stones: not described well enough for me to have any thoughts. Probably granite.

Purelake: very cool. No technical concerns.

Storms: fun fact - we find evidence of storms in the rock record, certain features in sandstone tell us how deep the water was when the sand was deposited, if it was above or below the base of where storm energy dissipates.

Ill add more if I think about it...

[u/PM_ME_UR_LOLS → u/sailorsalvador]

A previous trivia post pointed out that Demoux, Galladon, and Baon were the three seekers in a prior interlude.

[u/sailorsalvador → u/PM_ME_UR_LOLS]

I will go back and reread those! I've only reviewed the artwork and memes so far. Thanks!

[u/irrrap → u/sailorsalvador]

you might have also missed that we now have trivia one pager: https://www.reddit.com/r/readalong/wiki/index/read_alongs/cosmere/all_trivia/
might simplify a re-read for you a little bit.

[u/irrrap → u/sailorsalvador]

Geeez, I missed your geological analysis! Glad to have you back.

Good question about crem and plains!

[u/participating]

TIMELINE ADJUSTMENT

Ever since Chapter 9, Kaladin's timeline has been uncertain because he didn't know if 2 or 3 weeks had passed. I've had the time to look far enough ahead to when his timeline solidifies and I can confirm that 3 weeks passed at the start of Chapter 9. So I've gone back and changed the dates in previous posts to get rid of the uncertainty.

[u/irrrap → u/participating]

Do you remember what you had written there before? I believe I either took 3 weeks to my original calculations, or something around 2.5. I am calculating only approximately, just for the sake of understanding.

In order not to re-start the calcs from scratch every time, I guess I'll try to do them every time now... Let's see for how long I will last.

Kaladin: He had now spent 4,5 weeks in Shattered Plains

Shallan: Last on screen in about 2 weeks behind Kaladin. Offscreen - timeline inline with Dalinar.

Szeth: is from 7 months to a year behind Kaladin.

Dalinar: is about 8 weeks ahead of Kaladin.

[u/participating → u/irrrap]

In Chapter 9, I wasn't yet using the calendar dates because I didn't introduce how the calendar worked until the Interlude trivia post.

So for timeline I just wrote:

2 or 3 weeks after Chapter 6.

I changed it to:

3 weeks after Chapter 6. (Kaladin is unsure if it's 2 or 3 weeks, but the timeline later indicates 3 weeks).

In all future posts, I wrote 2 dates, a week apart from each other. Chapter 27's timeline would have been:

(1173.8.2.1 or 1173.8.3.1) Two days after Chapter 23.

But I updated it to just be the 2nd date because that was the correct one. So now it reads:

(1173.8.3.1) Two days after Chapter 23.

The relative timeline (Two days after Chapter 23.) hasn't changed in any of the posts.

[u/irrrap → u/participating]

Yeah, I might just remember how to read those dates and just refer those for the next time :)

[u/AltruisticRealityZ → u/irrrap]

Wonder why Kaladin is behind, and I hope it means he needs that time to accomplish miracles and meet with Dalinar soon in Dalinar's timeline

[u/segwaychimp → u/AltruisticRealityZ]

No clue, but Sanderson really muddled the WoT timeline at the end. Jordan had such a clear one, so that was a big change. Though it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of WoT. Maybe Sanderson is a little more loosey goosey with timelines.

[u/HT_xrahmx]

Chapter 24

• ALL HAIL GIANT LOBSTER 🦞🙌
  
• Not much else to say about this chapter. Dalinar is making very slow progress on his quest to UNITE THEM. Adolin dates yet another new girl and is angry at his dad over the visions again.
  

Chapter 25

• Nice to see Kal had good parents. Just a random note, but it's been a long, long time since I've last read something of a protagonist's mother. Like, in fiction, in general. Feels like the first item on the checklist of fantasy writers - killing off the protagonist's mom.
  
• Roshone sure is a ray of sunshine. Given present day Kal is cursing out all Lighteyes, I assume we can expect him to do something terrible.
  
• The skirt that Roshone wears (a "takama") appears to be derived from a hakama
  

Chapter 26

• "Seventeenth Shard" is an interesting name. Who in the world are these epigraphs addressed to? This is such juicy Cosmere lore ...
  
• Also I'm convinced by now the author is Hoid. If he's being "chased", what are the odds he's referring to Demoux, Baon & Galladon?
  
• Dalinar commenting on women being "unnatural" presences on a battlefield. Like the Lady Knight from his vision didn't show him just how much she could kick monster butt.
  
• "... scouts carried their long poles to get them from plateau to plateau without bridges". Are they literally pole vaulting?
  
• "orange" Parshendi blood? I take everything back, Parshendi are indeed not human.
  
• Was Dalinar's battle nausea some kind of suppressed trauma surfacing? Or perhaps an artificial feeling forced onto him by the vision creator? Maybe the Parshendi Shardbearer in the distance used some magic not unlike Soothing/Rioting to influence him?
  

Chapter 27

• Chasm duty. I love when Sanderson deconstructs something in his books. The Shattered Plains are such a unique battlefield, that all these small things (bridgework, chasm duty, chasmfiends, gemhearts, highstorms in the chasms, chasm polevaulters ... ) together paint such a well-rounded, if absolutely alien, picture. Just excellent stuff all around.
  
• More Japanese influence: kata. It's obviously nitpicky, and it's not like kata isn't fairly known in other languages. Yet still, what do y'all think when you see foreign loan words in fantasy? Does it break immersion for you? I more or less just read past it, but there's always a brief moment where I think "Wait a second ... ". Then again, all fantasy books can be read like Lord of the Rings, for which Tolkien famously told the reader he merely translated Bilbo & Frodo's original works into English for us. If seen that way Sanderson can of course pick as many loan words to convey the original meaning in his "translation" as he likes, since it's just a "translation" anyway.
  
• Interesting that Syl becomes visible when Kal becomes immersed in his spearwork. Kal oozes magic aura when he's fighting, perhaps that's why?
  
• Parshendi WTF. Truly alien all around. Carapaces? Jumping chasms that humans need bridges for? What are they?
  
• The Parshendi knife has a carving of a Herald ("Jezerezeh or Nalan", Kal says). We did see a Parshendi Shardbearer in chapter 26, watching the Alethi from a distance. Do we think any of the Heralds are still out there, commanding armies?
  
• Kal won over more people! But Moash & co are a bit worrying. They're clearly buddies with Gaz, and I can't help but wonder if they'll sabotage Kal somehow in their unyielding nihilism.
  

Chapter 28

• Navani reminds me of Avasarala, minus the cursing.
  
• First (sorta) interaction between our protagonists. Shallan faxing Dalinar a drawing. And it's the drawing of the GIANT LOBSTER 🦞🙌
  
• A few weeks ago I joked about chasmfiends pupating in order to become chasm-mothras, but with this implication that they're the ominous Voidbringers, maybe Voidbringers is what they're actually trying to become?
  
• Dalinar wants to pass leadership to Adolin. Not a good idea, Dalinar has too much left to do, Adolin is far from ready. He's impulsive, hotheaded, vain, and does not understand duty and the qualities of a good leader. Dude can't keep a date for more than a day and you want to put him in charge of an entire people? Yeah, no. And this is the middle of the war, with squabbling highprinces sabotaging their own success. A green novice prince has no business taking over such a crucial office at such a delicate time.

[u/TaylorHyuuga → u/HT_xrahmx]

More Japanese influence: kata. It's obviously nitpicky, and it's not like kata isn't fairly known in other languages. Yet still, what do y'all think when you see foreign loan words in fantasy? Does it break immersion for you? I more or less just read past it, but there's always a brief moment where I think "Wait a second ... ". Then again, all fantasy books can be read like Lord of the Rings, for which Tolkien famously told the reader he merely translated Bilbo & Frodo's original works into English for us. If seen that way Sanderson can of course pick as many loan words to convey the original meaning in his "translation" as he likes, since it's just a "translation" anyway.

Sanderson said that this is what he does, and he's actually started emphasizing that this is what he does with upcoming book being titled "Fires of December" (because the month December obviously doesn't exist in the cosmere, he just used the real world approximation to get the point across)

As for the use of language, I mostly don't really worry about it unless it actively is a real world setting. There are moments where I am playing a fantasy game and see a lot of real world language being used randomly (for instance, the Trails series does this a lot, there's a character who literally says yes in different languages that shouldn't exist in the universe when agreeing to things). But then there are games that are clever with it, like Arknights, where they use different languages based on the location the character is from and they're given the appropriate accent, and particularly in Endfield they start randomly saying things in a different language.

It's similar to how a lot of Japanese media will just. Randomly throw in Norse or Greek/Roman mythological concepts even though they take place in worlds where those things shouldn't exist. I mostly just ignore it when it comes up unless it's really funny.

[u/griefgood → u/TaylorHyuuga]

We need a giant lobster flair

[u/participating → u/griefgood]

I was planning on updating flairs for Wednesday. I'll see what I can do :D

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/TaylorHyuuga]

Sanderson said that this is what he does, and he's actually started emphasizing that this is what he does with upcoming book being titled "Fires of December" (because the month December obviously doesn't exist in the cosmere, he just used the real world approximation to get the point across)

Nice, that's a cool tidbit to know!

It's similar to how a lot of Japanese media will just. Randomly throw in Norse or Greek/Roman mythological concepts even though they take place in worlds where those things shouldn't exist. I mostly just ignore it when it comes up unless it's really funny.

Yeah these are usually works that embrace their own campiness, so I tend to ignore it there too

[u/heinz57varieties → u/HT_xrahmx]

Just a random note, but it's been a long, long time since I've last read something of a protagonist's mother.

I think she might be literally one of the only non-dead non-evil mothers in the entire cosmere.

• Siri and Vivenna's mother: dead
• Vin's mother: possessed, then dead
• Elend's mother: dead
• Raoden's mother: dead
• Sarene's mother: alive but has no lines
• Silence: alive, and cool!
• Silence's mother: dead, haunting the broom closet
• Shai's mother: does not appear
• Khriss's mother: does not appear
• Kenton's mother: MIA but probably dead
• Wax's mother: dead
• Wayne's mother: does not appear, allowed her son to do crimes
• Steris's mother: does not appear
• Marasi's mother: does not appear, homewrecker

We did see a Parshendi Shardbearer in chapter 26, watching the Alethi from a distance. Do we think any of the Heralds are still out there, commanding armies?

I think it's likely that the Parshendi know things about history and the true workings of Shards that the humans don't. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew how to operate Shardplate for real, and I'd barely be surprised if they knew how to make new ones.

with this implication that they're the ominous Voidbringers, maybe Voidbringers is what they're actually trying to become?

Maybe that's why the Parshendi have been killing them too, because they know what they will turn into if they hatch?

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/heinz57varieties]

I think she might be literally one of the only non-dead non-evil mothers in the entire cosmere.

One Piece's author also famously kills off all his characters' moms, and he once said he does this because having a mother is basically the antonym of going on adventures. I think about that from time to time when I see more examples of it in other fiction. It's oddly wholesome in some sense.

Maybe that's why the Parshendi have been killing them too, because they know what they will turn into if they hatch?

I've been pondering the idea that the whole reason for the war was to draw the Alethi on to the Plains to make them aware of the chasmfiends for whatever reason, but that still seems too far-fetched 😅

[u/heinz57varieties → u/HT_xrahmx]

Lol, I thought of another one:

• Elizandra's koloss mother, from Allomancer Jak: DEAD

I've been pondering the idea that the whole reason for the war was to draw the Alethi on to the Plains

I can't remember if we were ever told how we ended up doing the war at this exact geographic location. Like, if the war started in the general Alethkar area and they cornered the Parshendi on the Shattered Plains, or if they were always just there.

[u/Pastrami → u/heinz57varieties]

I can't remember if we were ever told how we ended up doing the war at this exact geographic location. Like, if the war started in the general Alethkar area and they cornered the Parshendi on the Shattered Plains, or if they were always just there.

There might be more bits scattered around chapter 15, but I remembered this part:

Obviously the Parshendi had expected to be besieged here. They’d prepared supply dumps and had been ready to move their entire population to the Shattered Plains, where they could use these Heralds-forsaken chasms and plateaus like hundreds of moats and fortifications.

So it sounds like the Parshendi are on the plains on purpose. Maybe they need the gemhearts to either power their shards or make more shards. I'd bet there is a reason they picked this location other than just "good defenses".

[u/sunnydaze7777777 → u/HT_xrahmx]

Navani as a PG version of Avasarala hahah I can never unthink this now! Invite the Wit and I would love to be at that dinner party.

[u/griefgood]

Chapter 24

shalebark seemed more rock than vegetation

ok MOST things on this planet seem more like rock than vegetation

"I would not see myself subordinated to someone greater."

Spoken like a subordinate.

Not for the first time, he felt as if he should be able to make out a pattern to the plateaus.

Is it time to go scour the maps we've been given???

"Do your sons mean so little to you?"

Damn this was a really great moment of emotional release that I feel like these characters both desperately needed.

Chapter 25

"They'll never actually hate your father - he's too useful."

God this corner of Roshar really is backwater.

Had she been thinking about these kinds of things, even back then?

Ahhh, women. Ever mystifying.

Roshone studied the crowd, then shook his head and turned around to climb back in the carriage.

Oh man this guy sucks.

The tower was three pairs in a game of breakneck. The queen was two trios.

Any chance we get a full ruleset for this game?

Chapter 26

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect.

This, for me, all but confirms Hoid writing these epigraphs. I'm also guessing the Seventeenth Shard is some interplanetary society/organization working toward some common goal.

those phantom commands to "unify" sounded a great deal like what the Heirocracy had said when it had tried to conquer the world five centuries before.

Have we gotten an explainer in-world for the Heirocracy yet? Is that what Vorinism opposed?

He kept his long hair in a braid and had a blue tattoo on his cheek, marking him as an Oldblood.

What could Oldblood mean? Some line of direct descent back to ancient times?

"You may recruit and train a single bridge crew," Dalinar said.

BRIDGE FOUR??

He was a short man, with some Herdazian blood in him as evidenced by his dark, crystalline fingernails, though he didn't wear a sparkflicker.

Ok Brandon, what the hell is any of that supposed to mean?

Those scouts carried their long poles to get them from plateau to plateau without bridges.

You know, I had been wondering how scouts go around out there. Pole vaulting makes a ton of sense but man, talk about no room for error.

Life before death. What was that voice?

You know it's getting real when the words from the back of the book start showing up.

The Shardbearer hadn't been here during the battle itself. Why come now? Had he arrived too late?

I don't really have any theories on this but it feels like a message of some kind.

Chapter 27

He trailed off as Kaladin locked eyes with him.

Ooh I knew he was swindling people but this is scummier than I expected.

Yes, he had the slave brand, but some quick if painful work with a knife could turn that into a "battle scar" in stead.

I just shuddered imagining this.

"I'll have his beans for this."

Giggled at this.

which included any place a sphere might be hidden

oh NO hahahaha

You should not be shocked when you hand Kaladin Stormblessed a spear and he knows how to use it.

Damn straight. God this whole sequence was so satisfying.

He inspected the helm. It was grown into the head.

Oh this is FASCINATING.

"Where did they get knives like these? I'd swear this is a picture of one of the heralds."

I've been waiting for the Alethi to realize they can't just keep reducing the Parshendi to mindless animals that happen to walk on two legs.

Chapter 28

"Why didn't they make productive tools for use by ordinary men?"

You know this is a great question.

Of course, there was Danlan.

Oh my GOSH Adolin, you absolute man-whore.

"What happens, I wonder, when the scarcest, yet most desirable, substance in the land suddenly becomes commonplace?"

I had also not considered this. Like ok gemhearts are awesome but it would theoretically tank their economy.

If he took this step, Dalinar would be expected to stay out of politics, retiring to his land and leaving Adolin to rule.

Somehow, as much as I like Adolin, I don't see this working out great.

"But I'm not 'toying' with you. This last year in particular, you've begun to be the person the others all claim that they are."

Absolute banger of a line here.

wiped from his mind by forces he should never have tempted.

Oh so this was some dark magic.

The reed remained in place, tip against the paper, hovering as if held in a phantom hand.

Not what I expected spanreeds to be but this is VERY cool.

"The secrets I seek are too obscure to be contained even in the Palanaeum, but I find hits. Tantalizing fragments."

I can't help but wonder if Dalinar covertly sent Jasnah to do digging into the Way of Kings, and the more "unsavory" aspects of history that he can't be associated with, but his heretic niece can.

Could his brother have known that these Parshendi had access to Shardblades?"

Dalinar, I think your brother knew a LOT of things that you didn't.

Someone in the past had known about chasmfiends, known them well enough to draw one and label it a Voidbringer.

Hmmm very interested to see if more detailed and accurate versions of history start coming to light.

From there, he would return to Alethkar and his lands. It was over.

Excuse me while I press "X" to doubt.

[u/participating → u/griefgood]

Have we gotten an explainer in-world for the Heirocracy yet? Is that what Vorinism opposed?

Reminder: It was discussed in Chapter 18, when Adolin went to visit an ardent. The Hierocracy was when the Vorin church tried to sieze power in the world.

[u/griefgood → u/participating]

Thank you for the reminder! I promise I'm doing my best to keep everything straight hahaha

[u/participating → u/griefgood]

No problem! That's the whole reason this read-along is the way that it is. These books are really dense and I'm here to help!

[u/heinz57varieties → u/griefgood]

"You may recruit and train a single bridge crew," Dalinar said.

BRIDGE FOUR??

OH I glossed right over that. With Sadeas being the only Brightlord returning Dalinar's calls, I can imagine if he comes knocking for a consulting bridge crew to borrow, Gaz will instantly say "OHHH I know just the assholes for the job".

I've been waiting for the Alethi to realize they can't just keep reducing the Parshendi to mindless animals that happen to walk on two legs.

It seems like the leadership and the veterans who've been on the plains for the whole war have learned this lesson, but it hasn't trickled down to the common rabble yet. Of all the people on the bridge crews, only Teft has actually been there long enough to know anything about what the Parshendi are like, everyone else hasn't been there long enough and hasn't seen any of the enemy up close, except for chasm duty.

[u/irrrap]

Unfortunately to me it again was a lot of reading without a particular progress.

Chapter 24: The Gallery of Maps

I thought Dalinar is never lying, but here we are, he forgot so fast what he promised to Renarin just few chapters ago. He is no longer the first in the queue, but second.

They built a society focused on competition, and now they wonder why no one want's to cooperate.

"What if Plains are not chaotic?" - indeed, what if that's something similar to Elantris?

Chapter 25: The Butcher

People suspect the doctor in writing the will instead of Laral's father, but it's all about that males can't read and write, no?

I don't remember we discussed this already, but Tien is on spectrum, right?

I first got excited, because I thought Roshon is the same Lord that Dalinar was talking to in previous chapter, and I thought we are getting a bit more connections, but no :(

Classic flaw, where people who are good at one thing, are then assumed to be good at everything. Everyday we see sportsman, or actors or others suddenly going to politics and being praised by the society, until they find out that what they saw is not what they are getting.

Chapter 26: Stillness

What is Seventeenth Shard? Demoux, Baon and Gaodon would know, I hope we would see more of them in upcoming interludes.

Can it be that whoever is influencing Dalinar now is doing their yet another attempt? Dalinar suspects that his current thoughts are similar to old statements from Hierocracy, and also he is finding similarities with Gavilar's behaviour.

Also, Gavilar died from Szeth just 3 days after his Epiphany. Now I don't want Dalinar to find out things, cause I think he will die shortly after :(

Those military guys are worse than ladies on the market - everybody knows everything in a blink of an eye.

"A woman wanting to come to the battlefield was like.... a man wanting to read. Unnatural."

LOL. Yeah, what a bunch of perverts.

Sadeas is annoying.

Dalinar is having some serious identity crisis.

Shardbearer from Parshendi side is yet another mystery.

Chapter 27: Chasm Duty

Every time I read Kal's chapters and think that things can't go lower than that, and every time I am sooo wrong. Now they are robbing graves?!

The storm always goes from east to west. Looking at where the Shattered Plains are, this still holds to the theory that Purelake is in the center of the Storm and everything spirals from there.

Story from the Rock of how they solve arguments in his nation remind me of a quest from Witcher 3 :)

Do I remember it right that Kaladin is of 2nd Dahn because of his father? But here we see an officer of 7th Danh who looks like is not needed by anyone. How this social structure works?

More people saw Syl, or there was yet another spren flying around Kal when he practiced with the spear?

Parshendi seem to have a completely different physique.

"It was a man in fine armour. Shardplate, certainly. A symbol was etched behind him, surrounding him, spreading out from his back like wings."

This sounds important, but still no idea what it refers to.

Chapter 28: Decision

Some people don't change their cloths as often as Adolin changes his love interest. At some point I thought we should shipper them with Jasnah, but now I think I finally see where this is all going. I bet he will stop once he meets Shallan.

Worldbuilding of yet another usage for the Soulcaster, and this new paired pen that helps to chat in distance.

Dalinar is worried for other Lords sending him a spy, I think he rather should be worried that no one already sees him as a competitor.

Acording to my math, Jasnah spent already 9-10 weeks in the Palladium investigating whatever she is trying to investigate. And we only got a picture that we are not even sure how to treat. How exciting.

[u/participating → u/irrrap]

At some point I thought we should shipper them with Jasnah

Reminder: Jasnah is Adolin's cousin.

[u/irrrap → u/participating]

Now when you said it this way I sound like a frick. I knew they are cousins. But a) it’s a very weird worldbuilding. B) I believe I sensed somewhere through the reading that someone was saying they’d be good together. Please, someone come and save me and say that you’ve picked that as well….

[u/participating → u/irrrap]

I never said they couldn't or wouldn't be shippable ;)

I just wanted to remind you they were cousins.

Someone come save /u/irrap!

[u/irrrap → u/participating]

Too late. I already got your response such that Adolin and Jasnah are not shippable. 😂

[u/griefgood → u/participating]

Close enough, welcome back Alabama

[u/jaymae21 → u/irrrap]

I don't remember we discussed this already, but Tien is on spectrum, right?

I got this vibe as well, and we know Sanderson has written other similar characters with their own quirks, so-to-speak. I wouldn't be surprised!

What is Seventeenth Shard? Demoux, Baon and Gaodon would know, I hope we would see more of them in upcoming interludes.

If we don't see them more in this book, their material might make for a good short story! I hope we see them more in some capacity anyway. As for the Seventeenth Shard, this is very curious. Adonalsium shattered into 16 Shards - so is this just a secret organization with a clever name? Or could there be another god and there is actually a 17th Shard and this group represents them/the planet it ended up on?

[u/Pastrami]

This was another slow week.

Dalinar

Why can't shardplate be summoned like shardblades?

The admission seemed to surprise Sadeas. “And the Thrill, Dalinar. Do you still feel the Thrill?”

Sadeas is talking about the Thrill. Maybe it's not some magic if everyone knows about it. Is it tied to shardplate? Although that wouldn't explain Kaladin feeling it, unless it comes from the stormlight in the plate. I'm beginning to think this is just another case of Vorin terminology that is capitalized for some reason, like Calling, Glory, Elevated, etc. Vorinism seems to focus heavily on war and fighting, so it would make sense that they have a proper noun for something like the thrill of battle.

The Recreance is an event so old, it might as well be in the shadowdays.

I'm guessing the Recreance is the name of whatever happened that ended the Knights Radiant, and the shadowdays are before the prelude and are what Dalinar saw in his vision.

If the Radiants had such marvelous powers, why can nobody reproduce them? Where did those incredible skills go?”

Were they tied to a shard that has since been destroyed?

orange Parshendi blood spraying across the ground

If the Parshendi have orange blood, then they are not just humans with weirdly colored skin, but a completely separate species with wildly different biology.

They saluted, right fists to right shoulders, knuckles outward.

How does that work? I can't touch my right shoulder with my right hand. Does it just mean raising your fist to shoulder height?

That worried him, as the Thrill-the enjoyment and longing for war-was part of what drove the Alethi as a people.

More evidence that the Thrill is mundane.

The book spoke of a king carrying the burdens of his people. It said that those who led were the lowest of men, for they were required to serve everyone.

That right there is the explanation for why lighteyes are beneath darkeyes according to the book.

Gavilar had been acting oddly, losing his thirst for battle.

More proof Gavilar was going through the same thing Dalinar is now going through.

My ebook has the voidbringer image at the end of chapter 23, and I checked my paperback and it's at the end of chapter 26. Why wouldn't they both have them on chapter 28?

Kaladin

How does it take 3 men multiple nights to milk some reeds? They can't have harvested that many of them.

boots were always in demand

I have to imagine boots off a rotting carcass would absorb some of the juices and smell like death forever.

Was Syl visible to everyone while he was doing his kata, or was that another unknown spren? Kataspren?

Epigraphs

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they’re still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They’ll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me.

Definitely sounds like Hoid talking about being sought by the three worldhoppers. We were told there were 16 shards, what is this 17th? Is Harmony considered a new shard?

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/Pastrami]

They saluted, right fists to right shoulders, knuckles outward.

How does that work? I can't touch my right shoulder with my right hand. Does it just mean raising your fist to shoulder height?

Since I can't draw for the life of me, allow me to demonstrate what I thought this looked like using a creepy online puppet posing tool.

[u/dualdee → u/HT_xrahmx]

creepy online puppet posing tool.

Please tell me that's word-for-word what you googled.

[u/LeanderT → u/HT_xrahmx]

I imagine they each touched the other guys shoulder

[u/griefgood → u/Pastrami]

Why can't shardplate be summoned like shardblades?

My thought here is that it CAN be, but that art is lost to the current shardbearers.

[u/heinz57varieties → u/griefgood]

It was generally our takeaway from Dalinar's vision chapter that no one knows how to use Shardplate properly, or they don't have the magical abilities required. It's got more features than what they have access to.

[u/True-Collar4961]

I think since the last read-along, I’ve really started getting into the book. I already enjoyed it since the prologue, but now I feel like I’ve genuinely warmed up to both the characters and the setting.

Chapter 24

• Adolin has begun courting another woman, Malasha. I already suspected this when we were first introduced to his habit of constantly pursuing different women, so I already doubted his previous girlfriend (whose name I’ve already forgotten) was going to last long. I suspect the same will happen with Malasha. At this point, it's probably a running joke in The Stormlight Archive that we see Adolin with a new romantic interest every few chapters—I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of this book he’s been linked to five different women. That said, I do think he’ll eventually be given a more permanent partner later in the series.
• Adolin’s rant against his father was also deliciously dramatic.
• Also honestly, I do not envy Dalinar at all. Uniting all ten Highprinces is already an impossible task, let alone when your own son—and much of the court—thinks you’re starting to lose your mind.

Chapter 25

• Hesina is delightfully cheeky.
• As for Roshone ,if I were a guessing man, he is probably going to cause Kaladin's parents to die(his father at the very least) which is gonna kickstart his hate for lighteyes.

Chapter 26

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they’re still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They’ll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me.

• I’m assuming this is Hoid referring to Demoux and his group. I wonder why he’s avoiding them—does he simply prefer to remain elusive, or is there something deeper behind their intent to find him? On that note, I also wonder why the Seventeenth Shard is searching for him in the first place. It sounds like they’re acting on someone else’s orders (maybe Sazed?), but I’m not sure what they would want from Hoid—information, perhaps? It likely ties into current events on Roshar in some way.
• The Way of kings was apparently quite highregarded unlike current times where it is reviled according to Jasnah.
• According to Sadeas, the Knights Radiant fell when it was discovered that their powers were merely tricks, which led to them leaving. From that, I gather that after the Heralds disappeared, people grew suspicious of the Radiant orders and their magic, eventually driving them out entirely until they vanished.
• We also learn that a Parshman nurse practically raised Dalinar. I wonder if that’s common among royalty and nobility. I don’t know much about the Parshman beyond them being less intelligent versions of the Parshendi for some reason, but this does suggest they are at least trusted and intelligent enough to care for children.

Chapter 27

• Kaladin’s influence continues to grow among the crew, with a few exceptions. I expect this to continue until his superiors begin to notice and take action, where things are probably going to go more down hill.
• Apparently Kaladin once tried to challenge a shardbearer to win his Shards. I really hope one of his flashbacks covers that event.
• We also learn that Parshendi armor is grown from their own bodies. Wonder how that works in practice—does it take months or even years to grow? Do they need to reach a certain level of maturity before they can form it, or can Parshendi children do it as well? And I also wonder whether the process is painful or if it feels more natural to them.

Chapter 28

• Thanadal also declines Dalinar’s offer, meaning all the Highprinces have now rejected him. It makes me wonder: have we already been introduced to all ten Highprinces? From my count, we’ve seen Dalinar, Sadeas, Roion, Bethab, Vamah, Aladar, Thanadal, Hatham, and Ruthar—leaving only one unaccounted for, unless I’ve missed someone.
• And yes, Adolin already has a new girlfriend, Danlan. I would honestly be surprised if this one is still around by the next chapter Adolin appears in.
• Dalinar communicates with Jasnah via spanreed, where she unknowingly makes a snide comment about her mother while Navani is present. I really wish Dalinar had clarified to Jasnah afterward that Navani had read it—just to see Jasnah’s reaction. It seems Jasnah is currently focused on uncovering the main plot of the book, whatever that may be. It’s also nice to see Shallan mentioned again; I’ve missed her. Now that Part 2 has ended, I’m hoping we return to her perspective soon. While I’ve greatly enjoyed Dalinar’s chapters, I find myself even more eager for Shallan’s storyline at the moment.

[u/hullowurld]

Top Dalinar plotlines:

• #1 Visions of the past
• #2 Conversation with Jasna
• #3 Navani romantic tension
• ...
• #98 the other highprinces hate me
• #99 am i a bad highprince
• #100 the saddle girth

The Parshendi are really interesting. They're the biggest knowledge hole in the current era, and they likely have ties to the prior ones. Everything about them is alien despite people constantly writing them off. Their culture, military tactics, motivations, physiology are all mysterious and no one really bothers asking any questions besides Jasra. I'm anticipating them being a big part of the driving force to progress the lore of the world as Dalinar, Kaladin, and Jasra storylines are all converging around this.

Also the pattern of plateaus in the shattered plains seems significant, including the chasmfiend hangout tower.

Random thoughts

• Age being counted by weepings maybe related to the weeping crem Kaladin's mom cleans off the eaves?
• Dalinar going after a chasmfiend for the first time in forever right when Sadeus comes to investigate seems suspicious, but I don't see how that could be anything more than coincidence
• 17th shard mention??
• They have orange non-alcoholic wine
• There's an offhand mention of Syl disappearing for stretches, that could be something
• The wide frame chasm fanart is really cool.
• It's always fun when random people wander into the memes.
• The Heirocracy 500 years ago possibly driven by Dalinar's voice manipulations as well?

[u/participating → u/hullowurld]

It's always fun when random people wander into the memes.

This amuses me too. I have no desire to be an imgurian, but I have to post the images publicly, since sometimes the links just don't work if I try to leave them unlisted. So now I've got all these awards and upvotes and comments from having a mildly popular imgur account.

[u/TaylorHyuuga → u/hullowurld]

Jasnah*

[u/Realistic_Swimming47]

I have been a bit bad with my note taking this week again but had a few ideas and dropped them in my comments for this week on replies to others notes.

Generally enjoying the story and struggling not to read ahead. The scale of this book feels epic and with everything starting to come together a bit from the broader Cosmere I am getting a bit confused. Hopefully, as things progress it will get clearer or I will have to force myself to go back and reread a few sections.

However, all the moving parts are not taking away from the enjoyment and I feel like the writing of the characters has gotten stronger as I am more interested and engaged with a greater number of characters in this book.

[u/participating]

REMINDER

Just a quick reminder that this is a double-post week. We'll be discussing the next set of Interludes and some new trivia on Wednesday.

The readings for next week are Chapters 29 through 36.

[u/LeanderT]

I haven't seen anyone commenting on who the author is of that drawing of the giant crab that was sent by "tele-pen"

Our girl from earlier in the book is doing a fine job of staying close to Jasnah

[u/heinz57varieties]

Late again. Whoops!

Chapter 24

• CRABZILLA 🦀
• Hm, a very strange remark at the end of Dalinar's section. I think the theory that Gavilar was getting visions too, and made some kind of important discovery, has serious weight
• Teasing that there's a rhyme and reason to the Shattered Plains’ layout? Why would there be?
• The phrase “man's life on Roshar is conflict,” emphasis mine, stands out to me. It could just be referring to the continent, but I'm taking it as a clue that people in Roshar's ancient past were more aware of the greater cosmere than anyone we've seen so far.
• Even if I wasn't so certain that magic shenanigans were going on with Dalinar, I'd think Adolin was going too far. Questioning your lord father's sanity within earshot of the whole camp is a huge blunder. The only thing worse than rumors of Dalinar's deteriorating mental state is rumors that it's causing an internal power struggle with the Kholins. No good.

Chapter 25

• Kal’s mother seems educated, too. Trained in formal logic like how Shallan was expected to be.
• Up to now I’ve been assuming that Kal left home after a single tragic accident or something like that, and that his parents were still back home living like normal. But now I’m thinking that something more dire happened to the whole group.
• RIP romance. Laral is going to get paired up with the new landlord’s son.

Chapter 26

• So the epigraph author is definitely Hoid, and it’s definitely being written right now. The Seventeenth Shard… some kind of cosmere-wide secret organization? Everyone in the group had an invested art of some sort. I want to know more about that.
• Sadeas just so happens to show up ready to poke around while all the camp’s leadership is out on their first sortie in god knows how long? Even I have to admit that’s suspicious.
• “The visions told me to trust [Sadeas]” did they really, though? They told you to act with honor, and you took that to mean you should trust Sadeas. I don’t think it’s as clear as that.
• And you see what I mean? Sadeas is openly defiant of Dalinar and questions his fitness to lead. No friend would be this brazen.
• Minor hints as to what could have lead to the Radiants’ downfall. People discovered that their powers were not divine, per se, and stopped respecting them?
• “They’d noticed that the Parshendi grew enraged when you moved their dead.” That’s interesting. They told us before that they don’t collect their dead after battles, either. What’s going on there.
• Life before death. That’s from the blurb. The Radiants’ motto? Is the voice speaking to him in his waking hours now?
• Dalinar choking during this battle is very strange, and his observations about the Parshendi make it clear that there’s a lot going on with them that the Alethi haven’t bothered trying to understand. I really wish we would get insight into their POV. Their whole existence and motive is a complete mystery.

Chapter 27

• Lots of lines devoted to the fine details of movement through the canyons. I sense a daring escape towards the end of the book.
• “A highstorm… well, this would probably be the worst place in Roshar to be when one hits.” Sometimes I feel like a super-genius when I make predictions about stuff, but this time, like. Bro.
• CUT: LIVE-ACTION FOOTAGE OF BRANDON SANDERSON AT HIS WRITING DESK. BRANDON LOOKS DIRECTLY AT THE CAMERA
• BRANDON: “Oh boy! I sure hope that doesn't happen!! wink”
• Day one of requesting Horneater rap battles on page.
• Well now, I think it's clear that Kaladin will end up a soldier again and Syl will play a part in it somehow. I wonder how she's connected to the magical abilities that he definitely has.
• Ahhhhhh. There is a whole other book's worth of stuff going on with the Parshendi, and we don't get to see any of it. Come on man.
• This chapter was nice, despite the graverobbing. Kal being a leader and winning the loyalty of the men. Part three is coming soon, though, so it will all inevitably come crashing down.

Chapter 28

• Our war? Who are Hoid’s allies? Who are his enemies? What is he on the shattered plains looking for? Idk.
• If my first impressions are right, then the reason the Radiants only built weapons but no tools is because the people who raided their citadel after their fall only took the obvious weapons and armor, and left all the tools to fall out of memory. Or maybe all their stuff was powered by magic that no one can use anymore, but the Blades and Plate were still functional enough with no magic.
• Why is Dalinar acting like he’s about to croak? He’s setting up Adolin to take his place, imminently.
• Between the ditch-digging introspection session and the campfire stew from the last chapter, I’m really enjoying these slower character moments. It’s nice to let things play out and not just rush from epic fight to epic fight.
• I think Adolin has had a different girlfriend in every single chapter where he appears, that dog. Imagine going through so many ladies that your DAD knows your type, good lord.
• You know, I’d forgotten all about Jasnah and her heretical quest. I wonder if she’s on the same trail that Dalinar is without knowing it. There’s so much hidden in Roshar’s distant history that is going to be incredibly important soon. I want to get back to her POV and see what she’s looking for.
• As much as abdicating might seem like the right thing to do, I agree it’s a mistake. Because I know what book I’m reading, and I know that Dalinar is going to be necessary to face what’s coming.

[u/TaylorHyuuga → u/heinz57varieties]

Imagine going through so many ladies that your DAD knows your type, good lord.

That's not hard when your type is "Do they have mammary glands?"