#and then maybe dalinar can repair the bond

[muchfandomfeels]

What if the final ideal somehow requires the radiants and sprens to break their bond

[wandering-harpist]

I always found the art of Kintsugi, to repair a broken piece of pottery by filling the cracks with gold reminiscent of the Nahel Bond. 

I didn’t have any gold leaf, but maybe I can do proper paintings of this little series one day.

For now, have these sketches of the Radiants with their spren, Kaladin and Syl, Shallan and Pattern, Dalinar and the Stormfather (who cannot possibly fit onto this tiny page), Renarin and Glys, Jasnah and Ivory,

more beautiful for having been broken.

[mistralrunner]

Running Reads Oathbringer: Interludes and Part III.I

Time to jump back into liveblogging!

Spoilers for pages 555-605 below!

You know as nervous as I've been not knowing what Taravangian is up to, I really don't feel like going back to his twisted pov right now

At least with Venli there's hope of possiblyspren!Eshonai

Also where are Szeth and Nightblood?

It's nearly halfway through the book why can't they get pov

Kaza gets visions? I am concerned

What are they storming doing. No pun intended

Twisted face? Soulcaster?

We're finally going to learn more about Aimia yes!!!

There's yet another storm though beyond Everstorm and Highstorm?

"Closer and closer to oblivion" yeah friendly reminder that soulcaster fabrials are concerning and makes me wonder if Regrowth fabrials would also have dark side effects

Slowly becoming smoke? That's almost even more chilling than the stonelike thing mentioned before

You can soulcast pieces of an object when more proficient? Huh. Although casting air to anything is technically always a piece of an object so I guess those ones are automatically proficient?

Soulcasters start being able to see into Shadesmar?

So they see nothing beforehand?

Hmmm...being drawn into another world, another will reinforcing her own, something commanding and powerful attracted by her request for aid, so powerful spren are involved in soulcasters?

I wonder why there’s limited modes to a soulcaster, is it related to the spren involved?

Tricky to try to make generalizations from this cause it’s uncertain how ordinary Kaza is for a Soulcaster

Ooh soulcasters came from Akinah

Of course they did

Hey a shadow stretching in the wrong direction like Jasnah's from the WoR prologue!

The Shadesmar sun is where dying souls stretch toward maybe?

Well all the sailors not breathing is concerning

Is that odd cremling a larkin?

So the royal family keeps a soulcaster/tool weapon and she was forced to become slave to it and sacrifice her life in a way yikes

I did not see that coming with the cook well played ensuring everyone ate

Tattooed face I should have known like Axies

"There are those who could pull secrets from your soul, and the cost would be the end of worlds."

I am concerned

And disappointed we didn't really learn much about Aimia apart from Soulcaster connection

Oh no Taravangian's smart today I'm scared this is going to be disturbing

Nope Malata is Diagram I'm sad

I was rooting for you

Kind of praying for double agent but not counting on it

I want to like the Dustbringers just cause they're the maligned group but if they follow the Diagram and division alas

I forgot that there are no record/cd players so when Taravangian asks for music he actually gets a live children's choir singing outside his room while he plans atrocities

And here we go with the eugenics thinking preventing "stupid" people from reading although frankly that's foolish cause reading can improve one’s mind but I guess if your goal is a bunch of elites and a mindless serving class

Seriously the singing children is this eerie juxtaposition

Pfft the “Dalinar paradigm” is such an amusing name

What effect is Renarin having (although I'm proud he is a wild element the Diagram can't predict)

I'm concerned about the contingency plan

...

Wtf

Those poor children

"The monster you sometimes become"? Adrotagia he is generally already acting monstrous this is merely a step further

I guess it's comforting that at least the Diagram will resist him going too far for a certain definition of too far

Well the Listeners used the gemhearts to help grow food right? I think?

It is interesting that plants can photosynthesize stormlight, or something like it

Sad backstory still murder Taravangian

"Now he'd save the world. Well, the part of the world that mattered."

Yeah, not good

Hey Diagram do you think you should really be following the plans and agenda of a guy who is in favor of wantonly killing kids and eugenics? Like sure he predicted the future but if the big plan was by a guy even more morally terrifying than this one don't you think that might be a problem

Yeah I figured that was the plan, let Dalinar do the work of arranging the coalition then usurp him

Nooo why is the Dustbringer spren being sent for evil spying I want the Dustbringer to be a good guy

So the endgame is negotiate with Odium for a piece of the world at the cost of the rest I'm sure that's not going to backfire horribly

"Only one man would be strong enough to make that sacrifice"

Again with the "Some of you may die, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make" mentality

So Voidbringers do have gemhearts?

Also Venli, I'm suspecting trap. Just saying. You were used. You have a horribly inflated sense of self importance.

Eshonai help us here

"You must embrace it...you have to want it." Nope definitely not a trap nope totally innocent

The Everstorm is just ash and thunder without rain?

Stormfather font?

She's still bonded to a Voidspren unfortunately

Ah yes they've been possessed and a couple are the crazed ghosts lovely

"This corpse"? Oh ouch

So the Voidbringers essentially have an eternal ruling class minus some shifts due to rulers going insane

"See passion and forgive this child" well seems they've bought into the Odium relabeled as passion thing

You know I keep thinking about beauty products labeled passion and it's really amusing

Just imagine the Voidbringers spritzing gentle perfume into the air

"It's Passion...by Odium"

“A new fragrance suffused with the sweet Thrill of vengeance”

Ah Venli you finally realize your error

Too late

Ah confirmation the possession isn't reversible, stapling souls to new corpses yikes

The Cosmere has quite of bit of body horror and stapling investiture to corpses doesn't it

Oh dear what is Odium planning for Venli

Assuming it is Odium but given Odium seems to like using a warm, ancient, paternal voice

As romantic as the resurrected with a life partner for thousands of years in an endless battle you hope to win is, you’re doing so by destroying others including ironically another romantic couple

Ugh Venli that is not a good thought process

Okay Venli is protecting the hopefully Eshonai spren there's hope

but really Venli you are a horrible person

Part III!

What shall the epigraphs be this time

Hurrah we're back to Kaladin pov although I'll miss the Bridge Four povs

Part one feels like ages ago

Oh yay it's the musical gem library!

So Stonewards are self sacrificing?

Yeah the Stormfather whimpering is really disconcerting

Having the example of Ruin makes me wonder exactly how omniscient Odium is 

Ooo the potential for city hopping without going through Urithiru

Dalinar: Oh by the way Kaladin you're a landowner.

Deathbend river though doesn’t seem like the best labeled real estate

Kaladin's busy training the Windrunners he really doesn't need the responsibility of landlord as well

So Dalinar has a connection to each of the three Rosharan Shards. Odium from his dependence on the Thrill, Cultivation through his deal with the Nightwatcher, and Honor through bonding the Stormfather. Feel like that is going to be significant.

Yeah the downside of the Alethi being in the Shattered Plains or Urithiru-they were storming easy to conquer for a martial nation. Admittedly the Kholinar riots didn't help.

I love Thaylen city already this is my aesthetic...except it's horrifically in ruins

I'm sad about this city

Aww these gems are records of people's lives, records of people being people that's really heartwarming

Huh wonder why this chapter is called Bondsmith

I want to go on this tour

"It was a pity to see several statues with the faces broken off"

Will we ever solve the mystery of miss art defacer from that one interlude who’s probably Khriss

Heh Dalinar wants to go on the swords tour instead but I feel those would be well guarded from the Blackthorn especially

Huh uncertain Everstorm effects definitely would mess with planning and precautionary measures but I wonder if there's something more cunning going on with targeting

Also a storm of burning embers ouch

How is Shinovar doing I feel like the Everstorm really should be a problem for them

Ugh Taravangian is here too bleh

I love Queen Fen

Dalinar there are other options than punching people

Dalinar: I have a plan!

Navani: Does it involve punching people?

Dalinar: I have no plan.

Ironic that Taln's temple has the cave in

Or intentional huh

Dalinar I don't think this is how diplomacy works

Well that is extra

Especially the bit with shoving in the sword further

That was pretty cool but yeah making people fear you as some sort of quasi immortal being with eldritch magic not great

The spren of the temple is in pain?

Ohhhh

We're going to see full Bondsmith abilities

Radiance used for civilization and healing, not terror

Repairing buildings damaged by war and storm that is one useful skill I love this

Wonder if any other orders can do that cause that’s really helpful and Bondsmiths are so few

Yes thanks for remembering you have a magical healer

"My son does the more important work" yeah Renarin appreciation!

But the magically rebuilding a city including symbolic parts

Aaaaa

"Once the soul grows accustomed to the wound, it's much harder to fix" I kind of knew that but only thought of it in the extreme identity case, and didn’t consider recently dealt wounds might be easier to heal than several day old wounds cause you’d think the healing process would have started and it would take less energy to finish

Huh Dalinar almost got a communication Connection?

Yeah person talking into the recording gem I'm worried about Truthwatchers too

Who is on the infiltration team?

Ah Skar and Drehy for the Windrunners I'm so proud of Skar

I'm concerned that they can't wear Plate even if it wouldn't be great for subterfuge

Summonable Plate will be lovely when we get it

Who is the maidservant? Ishnah?

Kaladin, Shallan smiles because of unhealthy coping mechanisms

Syl stop it not a healthy match

You don't need romance to be happy Syl

I am really concerned about the wrongness in Kholinar

Of course it's right by the Oathgate