#Nale Herald

[blindradiant]

I think it’s interesting that the Skybreakers are the only order of Radiant that we know all five Ideals for. It seems like most, if not all of the other orders have to discover things as they go, but the Skybreakers have it mostly worked out, with *some* room for individual choice

The First Ideal for Skybreakers is the generic “Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination.” They call it the Ideal of Radiance

The Second Ideal is the Ideal of Justice. In Szeth’s words, it’s “I swear to seek justice, to let it guide me, until I find a more perfect Ideal.”

The Third Ideal is the Ideal of Law. This is the one Skybreakers have to follow until and unless they swear the Fifth Ideal. I’m not sure what happens if the thing a Skybreaker chooses as their Third Ideal fails before they swear the Fifth, but something Szeth says in RoW makes me think that they’d have to find something else to follow so their Nahel bond isn’t broken. Then again, Szeth’s interpretation might not be accurate, especially since he holds so strongly to rules/codes/Ideals he’s latched onto. Either way, the Skybreaker Third Ideal according to Szeth is “I swear to follow the will of Dalinar Kholin. This is my oath.” We see him grapple with that more in his RoW interlude

The Skybreaker Fourth Ideal is the Ideal of Crusade. This is where they pick a larger goal to attain, and they can only accomplish it if their spren is satisfied. For Szeth, the Fourth Ideal is “I will cleanse the Shin of their false leaders, so long as Dalinar Kholin agrees.”

Again, this is where Skybreakers are different than other Radiants we’ve seen so far. For example, Windrunners don’t know the gist of their Fourth Ideal until they’re forced against it, if Kaladin is a fairly accurate example. Skybreakers know the *idea* of what their Fourth Ideal will be, even if the *details* take form over time. I also think it’s super interesting that they can state what their Fourth Ideal will be in advance, even if it takes months, years, or even decades to accomplish whatever goal they set for themselves. In OB chapter 90, a Skybreaker Master says that they were at the Third Ideal for two decades before attaining the Fourth.

And the Fifth Ideal for the Skybreakers is the Ideal of Law. This is where the Skybreaker becomes law and Truth. Nale is the only example we have in modern times of a Skybreaker who has sworn that Ideal, and his situation is complicated, since he’s a Herald. Even in OB chapter 90, though, a Skybreaker master says that it’s been centuries since a member of their order reached the Fifth Ideal. I don’t know if Nale was the last, or if there have been a few since he reached the Fifth Ideal.

Szeth hasn’t sworn the Fifth Ideal as a Skybreaker. I theorize that he will swear it at some point, partially because it fits so well with a previous headcanon of mine. I also think it’d be super meaningful/impactful for Szeth to swear an Ideal that allows him to make his own decisions/enforce his own will. In OB chapter 106, Nale tells Szeth that he’s the first in a new order of Skybreakers. There has to be some kind of significance to that, but we don’t have all the pieces yet. Nale didn’t prevent Szeth from joining Dalinar and the Coalition after the Battle of Thaylen Field, and I wonder if that was intentional.

If one Radiant swears the Fifth Ideal in KoWT, it *might* be Szeth. I do want him to reach that point eventually, but I also worry that it could feel rushed in KoWT, especially since he said the first Three Ideals so quickly (he said the first two Ideals on the same day, and the Third like a month later lol)

I think I got off track from my original point. This post definitely ended up being longer than I thought it would.

Tl,dr. Skybreakers are unique as far as I can tell/remember, and the fact that their Ideals are broadly laid out ahead of time makes for some interesting possibilities. And I also included Szethposting, because of course I did

[purple-egg-yolk]

Not sure what chapter specifically for spoilers but I’m on chapter 76 so pre that. Below the cut as usual

Szeths spren is such a snitch. Bro was confronted with character development opportunities and said, “Nope+ L+ I’m telling dad.”

And now we get the absolute worst chaperone for his crusade. Thanks spren. Love you bestie.

[eliseliedl]

More Stormlight Archive (The Cosmere RPG) by the amazing Petar Penev

[just-cosmere-fan]

[thekinglemingle]

LIES!

[catcas22]

If that Stormlight movie ever sees the light of day, they really should get him to play Nale.

[theskyweshare]

Moash should be a shybreaker. (And not cause of justice is blind thing. His blindness should just be blindness. An injury not a punishment)

Teft was although a friend. Was an enemy combatant.

Yes he is vindictive. His greatest flaw is that he is gullible. He is loyal until he isn't.

And he seems to get betrayed by every ideal he swear.

But in the end. He didn't, as much got betrayed by people, as much as he got betrayed by the institution.

There was simply nothing he could do once the law was thrown out the window. And vengeance is just another face of justice.

So having him as a skybreaker who is devoted to an ideal and at the end becoming law itself seems a better arc. And having been on side of the vengeance he can judge better. And unlike nale, Moah isn't a machine. He wants to be but he isn't. He understands compassion and forgiveness.

He is one of my favorite characters. It would be interesting to see whom he chooses as his third ideal.

Alternatively.

He can be an awakened radiant (corrupted) As he is shunned by both human and singer. Seems like he would fit within the awakened truthwatchers. And purely cause it be funny. He hated renarin. Or hated the idea of him.

But renarin is such a sunshine boy if anyone can make moash see past his hateded its renarin.

He should not be dead. He should live and learn and grow and grow old.

Not as a cautionary tale but as a reminder that we can make better choices.

[escargay28]

Incredibly funny that every single time Kaladin Stormblessed is presumed dead and/or defeated he just comes back more immortal and more un-defeated…

Anyways, which Herald do we think is going to fall in love with him? My vote is on Nale

[asteroidfieldgame]

If Gavilar Had Survived a Little Longer

Gavilar: Tell Thaidakar he's too late!

Szeth: I don't know who that is

Gavilar: Restares? Sadeas?

Szeth: My masters are...

Gavilar: Don't tell me, I want to guess. Was it Nale?

Szeth: You mean Nin? No.

Gavilar: Taln is mad that I want to take his place?

Szeth: Stop guessing Heralds

Gavilar: I've got it! The stormfather! I knew he was lying!

Szeth: You're insane.

Gavilar: Elhokar or Dalinar making a play for the throne?

Szeth: No

Gavilar: Navani's really mad that I yelled at her?

Szeth: Is there anyone in your family you don't suspect of killing you? It wasn't them.

Gavilar: I don't suspect Jasnah. Was it Taravingian? He seems to be up to more than he lets on.

Szeth: Don't be silly, I would never work for him.

Gavilar: Is the king of Jah Keved so scared of our alliance with the Parshendi that he’d have me killed?

Szeth: How do you have so many enemies but still have more than you think? My masters are the Parshendi.

Gavilar: That doesn't make any sense!?

Szeth: RAFO

Gavilar: ...Take this sphere and tell my brother he must find the most important words a man can say.

Szeth: Dying requests are sacred in my culture, I will do as you ask.

Gavilar: Wait! As my dying request can you instead kill everyone else I guessed except my family members?

Szeth: ...Okay not that sacred.

[onlycosmere]

The Kickstarter goes live tomorrow!

When Brandon Sanderson began working with Brotherwise Games on the first adventure for The Stormlight Roleplaying Game, he considered how it could help him fix holes in the narrative of his bestselling fantasy series. He settled on a mystery from the first Stormlight Archive book, The Way of Kings, that will have big implications for the fifth book in the series, Wind and Truth, which will be released in December.

The Stormlight Archive is set on the planet Roshar, where 10 heroes known as Heralds spent millenia protecting humanity with the help of highly magical swords dubbed Honorblades. All of them abandoned their duties except Taln, the Herald of the Common Man. Despite Taln’s best efforts, the forces of the vengeful god Odium have returned. Taln was left maddened by his ordeal and soon after he first appears in the books, his Honorblade goes missing. Its whereabouts remain unknown.

“The adventure is answering that question,” Sanderson told Polygon. “What happened? Where did it go? What’s going on? And you get to be part of the story. We were looking for an adventure you could do that would intersect with the canon of the books in an interesting way, and allow you to fill in a hole yourself.”

The Kickstarter for the d20-based game goes live on Aug. 6 along with a beta preview of the rules and a first level adventure meant to walk players and game masters through the setting and core mechanics. The hardcover Stonewalkers Adventure, where players encounter Taln and learn what happened to his honorblade, will be released in 2025 along with the Stormlight Roleplaying Game Handbook and World Guide.

...

Players will hunt for Taln’s honorblade across Roshar, from the Shattered Plains where much of The Way of Kings is set, to the magical forest of the goddess Cultivation, where bold souls can receive both a boon and a curse. There are a mix of dungeon crawls, puzzles, chase scenes and prison breaks. As they choose how to approach the problems they face, player characters will be able to attract the attention of spren, spirit-like beings who can bond with like-minded people to bestow them with incredible abilities. Completing the mission can allow them to join the newly re-founded ancient order known as the Knights Radiant.

...

The PCs can meet major antagonists from the books, including the twisted Herald of Justice Nale and the traitorous General Meridas Amaram, and learn how the talking sword Nightblood first featured in Sanderson’s 2009 book Warbreaker wound up on Roshar. As they move through key moments from the series, like the emergence of a raging storm that brings Odium’s most powerful lieutenants back to the world, Sanderson welcomes players to reshape his narrative.

...

“There’s a lot of cultural details being filled in, but at the same time, we dig a little bit further into what each order of Radiants’ oaths, spren, and motivations are,” Sanderson said. “There’s some new stuff there that I think fans will really enjoy.”

[blindradiant]

I’m wondering about the Heralds’ relationship with their associated Radiant orders. Like obviously Nale has had a lot of influence over the Skybreakers. He’s the Herald of that order, a Skybreaker himself, and the only living one who has sworn the Fifth Ideal. Modern Skybreakers are the way they are largely because of Nale’s direction and enforcement of the order’s structure and methods.

But what about the other Heralds? Have any of them been involved with the Radiants at all, or do they try to forget? Does it depend on the Herald?

I don’t know if Jezrien was aware enough to be involved with the Windrunners before Moash killed him. We know pretty much nothing about Chanah and Vedel. I wonder what they think about modern Dustbringers and Edgedancers. Same with Pailiah and the Truthwatchers. I kind of think Ash would have absolutely no interest in being associated with the Lightweavers, and would actively try to distance herself as much as human(ish)ly possible. Batah and the Elsecallers??? Kalak is another one who I think would try to avoid any reminders of the past. Taln has been locked on Braize for 4500 years, and is now in no shape to be involved with the Stonewards. And we’ve seen how Ishar treats Dalinar.

I just think there’s a lot of potential to see how Heralds who aren’t Nale might have guided their Radiants at various points over time

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters, what's your source?

This post is fully inspired by this one, where "Source: just a gut feeling" was tagged by @taravangians-storming-balls as "#adolin most of the time." So true.

So how would other Cosmere characters respond if you demanded their source?

Adolin: Source? Just a gut feeling!

Dalinar: Source? Visions from the Almigthy.

Lirin: Source? The Wisdom of the Heralds.

Kelsier: Source? A mysterious rumor, but one which I happen to know to be true.

Taravangian: Source? Only the smartest guy I've ever been.

Nale: Source? The laws of this land.

Yumi: Source? Well, uh, just Liyun if I'm being honest...

Yumi: ...Is that bad?

Elend: [eyes gleaming as he pulls 5 books out of his bag] You may be sorry you asked!

Navani: Source? You can consult my experiment log.

Raboniel: Yes, consult Navani's experiment log. I have it right here.

Navani: Please stop stealing my experiment log!

Marasi: Source? Well, it's a fairly long story, but I have my case notes right here.

MeLaan: Source? Me! I'm, like, thousands of years old probably.

Allrianne: Source? Please! Search your feelings, you know this to be true.

Allrianne: (Just a little Rioter joke, tee hee.)

Hoid: Source? Why, you of course! You lend your own meaning to my tales.

Jasnah: Source? As in, just one?

Jasnah: Bah, only amateurs use a single source.

Steris: And that's why I have these FIFTY sources!

Szeth: Source? The ancient wisdom of my people.

Szeth: Wait--no. The words of whoever holds my oathstone.

Szeth: Wait--no. The local laws.

Szeth: Wait--no. Whatever Dalinar says!

Szeth: Phew! Finally nailed it!

Adolin: ...

Szeth: What?

[seirei-bh]

I need to talk about Sylphrena and Renarin as individuals and their evolution in Wind and Truth

Syl and Renarin are among my favorite Stormlight characters since the first book, but in WaT posts almost every mention I've seen of them has been in regards to ships, so I'm going to put that topic aside because I want to highlight here how much I've loved them in this book as well for their evolution and roles.

Warning! FULL SPOILERS Wind and Truth below!

Syl is -too often- a character VERY underrated both in the books and in the fandom, not being appreciated enough except just as a "cute pixie" or "Kaladin's spren", something that makes me sad since I think she doesn't get the recognition she deserves, but in WaT she really stands out as an individual woman. And I love that so much! We see her becoming more self-aware, wanting to not only live for Kaladin but live for herself, she becomes a scribe and learns to write by her own efforts, because it's something she really likes, she finds a hobby and a dream. She also actively helps Szeth in one of his tests and she is the one who discovers the hidden trap, where we get a chapter from her pov. This book shows us a Syl who is smart, funny, witty, strong-willed, and also shows us very healthy and positive interactions of Syl with Kaladin and other individuals like Adolin and Shallan at the beginning, and then with Nightblood, Szeth, Nale. And in the end… she becomes the Queen of the Sprens! why is NOBODY talking about this??! And she also gets a physical body properly (I was afraid she would do it suffering from an experiment by Ishar, but no, it was thanks to the 5th ideal), so she can live in the physical world as she wished. Syl matures, grows, figures out who she wants to be and helps people who need it, while also learning to be an individual with her own personality and dreams. It's true that the character developments in the Shinovar storyline that stand out are those of Kaladin and Szeth, but we can't forget that Syl has also had her own: we see Syl as a member of Bridge 4, as a scribe, as a co-therapist, as a warrior (in spirit), and as a queen. And I'm very happy for her.

I hope that after WaT more people start to value Syl, and that those who hate a certain ship and have feared/hated Syl -without her deserving it- for that possibility in past or future, can value how beautiful and healthy the dynamic and bond between Kaladin and Syl is regardless of that, and how amazing is Syl as individual character, since Syl's scenes in this book are beautiful and heartwarmings. And I can't wait to see her in future books, to know what her role as queen of the spren will be like and how she will also help the heralds alongside Kaladin. After seeing how Kaladin and Syl summoned the Honor-spear together in the Oath, I now wonder if it will be possible for both of them to be able to summon a spear individually, so could it be possible that we see them fight together side by side in battlefield?? That would be amazing.

Now Renarin, he was always a character that caught my attention, I found him mysterious and interesting, and I've been very happy seeing how in each book and especially in WaT, he has become a much more self-confident person, someone braver, stronger, smarter, and who has managed to find his place in the world, both within Bridge 4, and in his family and also, little by little, about what he wants in the future: a world of peace where singers/listeners and humans can live together in peace and understand each other. And also that he wants to be free to love whoever he wants, and to be radiant, erudite, and he has the courage to free Ba ​​Ado Misharan and to decline to be king at the end and instead opt for an egalitarian government and shared government (it seems that it will be a mix between a republic and a democracy, perhaps). His relationship with Rlain is beautiful (but I'll talk more about them in another post <3), and that bond between them has helped them grow too, I also really liked how his friendship with some members of Bridge 4 develops here, especially Drehy, and with Shallan as a family, who supports him in his decisions. I'm looking forward to seeing the future Renarin, wiser, more self-confident, as a ruler and how he will try to form a coexistence between singers and humans, and of course to see him married to Rlain! I want to see what will happen with Ba Ado Mishram and I want to see that Renarin who faces his visions with courage and reason, as he has done in this book.

In conclusion: I LOVE MY BABIES SYL AND RENARIN AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM!

[therealsoulking]

The regular part of the Kaladin/Nale fight feels like a DM bullshitting up a boss character when it turns out the player's stats/luck are too good.

-Alright, I passed the Charisma roll for dropping our Stormlight, so I'll use Syl as a spear with a *rolls dice* 24, does that hit?

-Oh, it would hit a normal person, but Nale activates his *Herald speed* evading and countering, unarmed strike for 30

-What the fuck

-Alright, you fall prone, he picks you up by the ankles and slams you into the monastery wall a few times, deals about 120 damage

-That's my entire Shardplate defense???

-Oh, but suddenly, Wit's flute starts playing, all on its own!

[swordgorl]

Wind and truth is an insane book and in the post-conclusion buzz I'm going to try and get out all my thoughts. And I mean All of them

General thoughts: How the fuck did Brandon manage to balance 3+ character povs per chapter for majority of an entire book that huge and keep them generally interesting and engaging? This book didn't quite reach the heights of others in the series but maintained a strong level of consistency. Character arcs were concluded satisfyingly. The ending is truly a rollercoaster in ways most sanderlanches, the sheer number of resolved plot threads is incredible.

Kaladin: I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Kaladin taking Jezrien's place. The more I think about it the more I think I like it. I liked his soup and his fluting, and I'm interested to see him return as a herald, having ten years of helping the others, I'm very curious to see how they read in the second arc (this will be a common point). His swearing the fifth was a little anticlimactic honestly, I wish he'd done a little more with it. The implications with the armor spren were interesting, I wanna see what that's about.

Dalinar: A fucking madlad. Interesting to see his continual bullheadedness catch up to him again. Gavinor being the enemy's champion was completely unsurprising but Dalinar's solution was compelling. I'm a bit disappointed his bondsmithing wasn't a bit more relevant in the climax but eh. Also fucking ooft with the blackthorn he accidentally gave form to lmfao. His relationship with Honor was interesting and I'm glad he went down fucking Taravangian's whole plan

Shallan: Glad she got more closure! Her mother being Chana feels like such a minor revelation all things considered, I can see why Brandon didn't really bother to keep it a secret. I'm sad to see Veil and Radiant taking more of a back seat, as I really enjoyed the Three's dynamic in RoW, but I'm glad they're not completely gone. The games with Mraize and Iyatil were clever. I wonder what she's gonna be up to for the next decade while stuck in shadesmar.

Szeth: Continues to be the funniest character. Wants more of Kaladin's shitty soup. Gets dragged into a fight in shadesmar while Kaladin's dancing with Syl. Has to be chaperoned by Nale because his highspren was a huge nerd (sorry Aux but it's true). Immediately breaks his oaths after attaining the fifth ideal before fighting the rest of the Honorbearers. The Shinovar roadtrip was everything I was hoping it'd be. Also on a serious note his becoming truthless was way more high stakes than I'd anticipated, I wasn't expecting a civil war. I hope those splinter Skybreakers have a good reason for not fucking doing anything during the war.

Adolin: He continues to be the best lad. Pushing Yanagawn to be a more active emperor is cool, and I was sad at how long Maya had to spend away from him (my favourite part of the book was her calling him a slut). Hope we get to see more of them as the Unoathed (I think that name kinda sucks ngl). Sad he never got to see Dalinar again but him reading Oathbringer is a really nice touch.

Renarin and Rlain: Finally, some good fucking homosexual behaviour in this books. I'm excited to see Renarin being more confident as well as controlling his visions better. Them breaking Mishram's prison was appropriate, and I want to see Rlain grow into his role as Bridger of Minds more. I wonder what Sja-anat is gonna do now lmfao.

Venli: Easily my favourite appearance of hers. I'm really glad the listeners took Narak, their plan to exploit the loophole was so funny. Their control of the perpendicularity is gonna be super interesting later on, I wonder if it has any special properties beyond typical Shardpools. I'm glad the listeners/willshapers will be more relevant in the second arc.

Taln and Ash: Sick fight scene. I was hoping to see them bonding radiant spren but oh well. Can't wait to see Taln in action again, and I'm curious how Ash's transition to Dustbringer occurs if she's maintaining her position as the Lightweaver herald

Navani: Nice to see her working through the last of her insecurities. She's going to wake up to a huge mess.

Lift and Zahel: I'm so fucking excited to see Lift learning under Zahel. I'd been wondering why he was actually in SA and I think this is it. Her going sicko mode was cool, I'm very happy that she's the first viewpoint for the second arc because competent Lift is gonna be so cool to read, such a compelling direction for her character imo. (Also Axindweth was a full feruchemist so I assume she had access to healing from goldminds, I assume that Lift made her burn though that instantly by tripping her which is hilarious)

Jasnah: Interesting arc! Taravangian completely undermining her philosophy means she'll begin the next arc from a new perspective, compounded by her losing Thaylen City. It was good for the "philosophy lesson" from Kharbranth was reexamined. Taravangian was at least partially right that she acts of Odium, but his expectations that she'll come to his side because of it is wrong; she'll grow instead.

Moash: Still a bit disappointed with how one dimensional he's been since RoW. Oh well.

El: He's interesting, I'm sure he'll be up to many shenanigans.

Tanavast: Bro fucked around and found out. Reading his chapters with the altered font was sick. He and Rayse really just made a mess of things both on Ashyn and Roshar. Really fucked himself with Mishram oof. Glad he got some redemption in the end.

Cultivation: Sis fucked around and found out LMFAO. I wonder if she expected Dalinar's decision, and also where she's headed.

Taravangian: He really made this book, Rayse would've been so lacklustre in comparison. As is a theme he also fucked around and found out, bro painted the biggest target in the cosmere on his back with no preparation while gloating at Dalinar. Retribution is gonna be scawy, I wonder what the plans to fight him will be, if it has much to do with Honor's growing awareness; will it spread to Odium? (Also his Dustbringers are chilling in fake Kharbranth I'm sure)

Wind, Stone and Night: Really cool to see these spren recontextualised as being so central to Roshar's history. I wonder if we'll see Wind will return to creating a Bondsmith. I'm intrigued to meet Night too.

Rysn: Hope she has a fun boat adventure and makes out with Cord on it

Sigzil: Bro had a rough time, and man is it gonna get way worse. Him meeting Aux was extremely funny.

Hoid: Can't believe this mother fucker. Fucked around and found out. Just has his dawnshard on him, I wonder if he had it before he was protected by the contract. I liked watching him get absolutely obliterated by Retribution, he deserved it.

Closing thoughts: Rollercoaster of a book, can't believe I have to wait 6 years to see what the fuck happens next. Kind of the ending I thought we'd see but certainly didn't get there the way I'd expected