#what i DESPERATELY want to see from renarin kholin

[lizardson]

nothing gets me more than when characters who spent their whole lives apologizing for their existence start to get angry instead

[thatboreddrake]

So, do y'all remember a while back I made a post about a Stormlight AU where Kaladin becomes an Edgedancer instead of a Windrunner? So that idea was bouncing around in my head, and @catcas22 and I wanted to put down some bullet points of how this would actually change the story:

Kaladin goes off to study as a surgeon in Kharbranth before Amaram comes recruiting

Roshone drafts Tien, but Lirin elects not to send word to Kaladin, as he fears that Kaladin would quit his training and return if he knew

Kaladin gains a reputation as one of the more promising surgeons in Kharbranth

Eventually, one of his patients gets transferred to Taravingian's secret Diagram project (so they can drain their blood for a Death Rattle)

Kaladin, naturally, wants to stay with them and make sure they recover

He's told to "forget about them and move on to the next patient"

He can't accept that, so he starts digging into where the patients are being transferred to (with the help of an unusually talkative spren)

He is interrupted from his investigations by a request to help heal an important foreign dignitary from a strange form of poison

His path intersects with Jasnah and Shallan while he helps Shallan recover from Kabsal's attempted assassination

Over the course of her recovery, Kaladin confides in Jasnah his worries about Taravingian, and enlists the two of them in helping him get to the bottom of it

The three of them use Jasnah's Soulcasting to break into the underground facility

Kaladin freezes when he realizes what Taravingian has been doing and desperately starts trying to heal the people who are having their blood drawn

Kaladin swears his Second Ideal in attempting to escape Kharbranth with the captives

Kaladin, Jasnah, and Shallan depart for the Shattered Plains with as many of the captives as their ship can carry

Meanwhile, in northern Alethkar:

Tien breaks in battle and tries to run away using Lightweaving (Sanderson has confirmed that Tien was some level of Lightweaver)

Tien is captured, then sold into slavery on the Shattered Plains because Amaram decides he's too much trouble

Without Kaladin there to save him, Amaram is killed by nascent Skybreaker Helaran

Helaran gets word that the Surgebinder in Amaram's army is still at large, and heads for the Shattered Plains

Now, on the Shattered Plains:

Tien ends up in the Bridge Crews on Bridge Four (because you gotta have Bridge Four)

While returning from the greatshell hunt, Bridge Four is sent to help the Kholins return to camp

Adolin strikes up a conversation with Tien, as he reminds him of Renarin in a way

Moash arrives on the bridge crews and decides he's going to organize the crews so that they can have a chance at escaping slavery

Adolin notices that an oddly intelligent windspren with a mischievous streak has begun following him around

His conversation with Tien and the rest of Bridge Four has him realize just how bad the situation is under Sadeas for the bridgemen

While considering what to do, he discovers that Tien died on one of the bridge runs

At the urging of his windspren friend, Adolin defies Dalinar's wishes and takes up dueling again, seeking to gain a chance to challenge Sadeas for the freedom of the Bridge Crews

Dalinar is furious and strips Adolin of Plate and Blade, effectively benching him for the rest of the book

When Dalinar leaves for the Tower with Sadeas, he leaves Adolin behind

Adolin refuses to stand by and takes his personal guards to follow after Dalinar, recruiting an off-duty Bridge Four to help him get there

Moash agrees, as he figures that eluding one lighteyes would be far easier than escaping the whole army

Adolin encounters Sadeas's forces on their way back and orders a double-time march to try and save the Kholinar forces if he can

He arrives at the Tower in time to see the Kholinar forces routed and swears the Second Ideal of the Windrunners in a desperate bid to save his army and his father

Moash rethinks his plan after seeing a lighteyes leap, essentially unarmed, across a canyon to try and save his men

Bridge Four establishes an escape route, but the Kholinar forces are decimated by the Parshendi

Adolin fails to find his father, who has been captured and brought back to Narak by Eshonai

Suddenly finding himself to be highprince of Kholinar, Adolin surrenders his Shardblade, which has begun to scream whenever he touches it, in exchange for the bridge crews's freedom

And that's everything that changes for the Way of Kings! I'll go more into Words of Radiance/Oathbringer later, but that's what I have for now!

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters React to Finding Fanfic/Fanart of Themselves: A Collab with Cosmereplay

As requested by anon :)

I asked @cosmereplay to collab with me on this anon's request, and happily, she agreed! Basically, I've written the fanart parts of this, and Cosmereplay has taken care of the fanfic parts since I, ah, don't read fanfic and wouldn't know the really good jokes.

1. Shallan, Adolin, & Kaladin Read Fanfic

Shallan (reading tags): Hmmm...ace Kaladin, aromantic Kaladin, bisexual Kaladin, bottom Kaladin (I'll have to look into that one later...), demisexual Kaladin, demiromantic Kaladin, dom Kaladin... Adolin: What are the relationship tags like? Shallan: Let's see... blushes thoroughly OH LOOK KALADIN/SLEEP! THAT'S SO SWEET! Oooh...Kaladin/Happiness! Kaladin: Everybody's a critic. Adolin: They just want you to be happy, Kal! Kaladin: I-I'm fine most of the time!

2. Elend & Vin Look at Fanart

Elend: Wow! Stunning! Magnificent! Vin (peering over his shoulder): Uh, Elend, I think you're supposed to be looking at art of yourself. Those are all pictures of me. Elend: Can you blame me?? I mean look at you here! Vin: I suppose I look...somewhat cool there. Elend: Ascendent, I'd say!

3. Ellista and Pai Read "Covenant" by liesmyth

Ardent Ellista: Oh you HAVE to read this one, it's the most popular Cosmere fic by kudos! Kaladin Stormblessed and Highprince Adolin are soulmates, it's so sad yet hopeful! Ardent Pai: I bet it doesn't even mention their class differences. Ardent Ellista: No it totally does! And it really gets in the way of them kissing!! Ardent Pai: Well maybe I'll take a look then.

4. The Kholin Family Look at Fanart: Part 1 (Dalinar & Navani)

Jasnah (slamming a large tome onto the table): All right, everyone. I've finished my extensive research into the fanart of our family. Jasnah: Dalinar, according to my findings, people on the internet find you (a) extremely sexy and (b) wish you to be shirtless on the beach. Jasnah: There is also extensive interest in you being strong but vulnerable in the face of Odium, which I believe goes back to point (a), your assumed sexiness. Dalinar: ... Dalinar: I see. Jasnah: Navani, the residents of the internet desperately wish to see you explore women as romantic/sexual options. Navani: ...In general, or specific women? Jasnah: Mostly Ialai and Raboniel, from what I have seen. You can see here, and here. Navani: Sure, makes sense. Dalinar: (Does it??)

5. Sigzil & Lopen Read Fanfic

Sigzil: Bridge Fourgy? Ohhh... oh no... Lopen: Well now you GOTTA read it, gancho! Sigzil: I will burn it is what I will do.

6. Hoid & Design Look at Fanart

Hoid: (huffing and harumphing) Design: Well, I think the art is nice! Hoid: (harumphing and huffing) Design: The colors are spot-on, there's some symmetry... Hoid: (muttering) I've been involved in practically every Cosmere-significant event...I tell stories with colors and magic imagery...I beat up Kelsier that one time... Hoid: But nooooo they only want to draw me in the Mare shirt with mismatching socks and sandals!!! AND TINY RED SHORTS Design: Wow, look at my boobs in this one! They're so round and shiny! Hoid: ...I feel like you are not sympathizing with me here.

7. Rushu & Jasnah read "The Princess and the Captain" by ailvara

Rushu: Your Majesty I looked into the most popular fanfic by hits and discovered it's an ongoing slowburn romance between you and, uh... well... Jasnah: Out with it, Rushu. Rushu: You and Kaladin Stormblessed. Jasnah: Me? And Kaladin?? But he's half my age! And we've done nothing but argue! Rushu (blushing): I think that's part of the appeal, Your Majesty. Jasnah: Give me that. (reading) Well if he said THAT then maybe I wouldn't have... hm... Rushu, cancel my appointments for the next hour, I need to finish this. Rushu: Of course, Your Majesty! (sotto voice) Thank goodness she still doesn't know about the Hoid foot fics...

8. The Kholin Family: Part 2 (Adolin & Renarin)

Jasnah (continuing to leaf through her large book of findings): Adolin, according to my research, the internet thinks that you are a handsome, sweet man who wishes to be with his friends. For example, here. Jasnah: It is mostly you, Shallan, and Kaladin, however you want to read that. Adolin: As...reality? Jasnah: Renarin, if you are not suffering emotionally alongside a stained glass motif, or suffering emotionally as a child alongside Dalinar, then you are with Rlain. Renarin: With him as in...? Jasnah: Yes. Renarin: ... Renarin: I thought we were being fairly subtle! Jasnah: You were not.

9. Moash & Leshwi Read Fanfic

Moash: What are the fics about me like? Leshwi: Well, you either die a violent, horrible death or you make tender love to... Leshwi: ... Leshwi: ...Kaladin Stormblessed? You know him? Moash: Ok so here's the thing

10. Moash & Kaladin Look at Fanart

Moash: Okay...I should definitely get my ears pierced, right? Moash: I mean...look at me. Look at me, Kal! Hot, right? Moash: ...Kal? Kaladin: ... Kaladin: [silently pushing this art toward Moash] Kaladin: There are a lot like this. Moash: What, of you standing? Kaladin: Smiling. Kaladin: People want me to smile, I guess. Moash: ... Moash: Well, I bet you'd smile more if I was always looking hot in earrings, huh? Kaladin: Heh, yeah, probably.

[arianwells]

@fantasmagoriam​ tagged me, so I need to tell you all about 9 characters I really liked in 2021 (thank you for tagging me). In 2021 I listened to podcasts, mostly, hence almost no art of these characters is available. Anyway! In random order!

Renarin Kholin from Rhythm of War because character growth!

I.M.O.G.E.N from Stellar Firma because I love mean AIs.

Sasha Racket from Rusty Quill Gaming. Need I say more, I love Sasha with all my heart.

Nikignik from Hello From the Hallowoods, because he’s just a funky lil creature who narrates, love that in a character.

The Queen from Deltarune. What an iconic character. Everything about her is perfect.

The Mechanisms. Yes, all of them, I don’t care (psst listen to the Mechanisms)

Dani from the Haunting of Bly Manor. :’( Dani.....

Shivers from Disco Elysium (I replayed DE in 2021 too, of course) because BE VIGILANT. I LOVE YOU.

Shadowheart from Baldur’s Gate 3 because there’s a depth to her character I desperately want to see more of in the main game.

I want to tag @mirawhat​ @pibblepunk​ @orc-sign-language​ @celsidebottom​ and @icebluecyanide​ and @tobitenkit  but also feel free to ignore this!

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 5)

whhooooooo there’s still so much left, but I’ve come so far?? I’M !! THERE IS SO! MUCH! HAPPENING! IN ! THIS! BOOK!

Part 5 encompasses pages 326-394 (previous parts)

INTERLUDES 1

fucking. Venli? really? I don’t want to be in her head. I don’t want to know.

anyway! NEW PEOPLE FIRST:

“Puuli the lighthouse keeper” I LOVE THEM ALREADY

“Kelek himself had broken apart the land in the middle of a storm” I...Kelek? really? are you sure? Aren’t most of the Heralds busy being...not here?

Listen, Alyx told me that we’d seen all ten Heralds somewhere over the course of the series so far, and armed with this knowledge I have squinted at every single new character like “are YOU a crazy person who is sort of a god? are YOU a crazy person who is sort of a god?”

I’m pretty sure none of them have been crazy people who are sort of gods.

But I’m keeping my eyes peeled anyway.

I RELATE TO THIS ARDENT LADY BECAUSE I, TOO, WOULD LIKE TO BE LEFT ALONE IN PEACE AND QUIET AND VERY VERY LONELY SOLITUDE TO READ MY SMUT FIC.

“What was that you’re studying?” “Important works.” Obviously. Trashy romance novels are the HEIGHT of important works.

ROSHARN LINGUISTICS IS REALLY COOL.

it’s a trashy romance novel; of COURSE there’s a sequel.

tbqh, Venli, I’m not sure what you expected. “You should be taking orders from me.” Uh huh. Sure. You summoned a hatesprean that your people literally went dullform to escape, and you didn’t think you were going to be ordered around by it?

YOU KNEW YOUR GODS WERE EVIL WHY DID YOU THINK THAT SUMMONING THEM WOULD SAVE YOUR PEOPLE

nooooo

Eshonai please. don’t be dead. you’re the best of them, just...don’t

aaahhh

wow, that’s. a lot of information okay. um. Spren of redemption? yeah, I’ll believe that when never. The parshendi ANCESTORS? are in charge?? in charge of what? the spren? the voidbringers? the changes? the storm?

also Venli is KIND OF AN ASSHOLE and I mean, we knew this already but this kind of power-hungry selfishness is. really unfortunate in a person.

ooh. different spren? save Esh please? maybe? I LIVE IN HOPE.

PART TWO

what

BRIDGE FOUR gets a pov?!!!!!!??! MY BOYS!!!??!?!?!? AAHH

BHAHAHAHA I ALWAYS FORGET HOID’S REAL NAME IS A STUPIDLY RIDICULOUS STAR WARS NAME I Love it

how come we don’t get Navani’s reaction to her daughter just magically appearing back from the dead

I want the Navani-Jasnah reuinion scene. I’ve been robbed of good mother-daughter content.

“Storms. She was perfect.” Every. time. I love it. I love how super bi Shallan is and how desperately in love she is with two very different Kholins. What a good.

god bless Jasnah “Every Moment is a Teaching Moment if You Try Hard Enough” Kholin

you know, I’m also been robbed of Jasnah and Hoid’s Road Trip Adventure. I’m sad.

omg it’s so weird for Jasnah to be the one who’s a step behind.

AAHH JOINT VISION TIME YO this’ll be fun

oooohh the Stormfather does care. he has an imagination and everything.

bahahaaha Dalinar. How many times has he witnessed all these visions and he’s still a doofus when it comes to fitting into them.

OOOHH SUMMONING ARMOR THAT’S COOL!! Can they do that nowadays?? 

“they moved on all sixes” like yeeeeppp right, most stuff on roshar has six legs but that’s a wild variation on all-fours and suuuper jarring for a sec

hi, yeah, I love Fen a lot. petition to keep her.

also her assuming that Dalinar was working with the Voidbringers: not unreasonable considering the last few months of him possibly going crazy or not. like...she’s got reasons to be suspicious.

OMG THE ART FOR THE HEADER FOR BRIDGE FOUR AAAAAHHHHHH

SIGZIIIIILLLLL omg. Having panic dreams about messing up tests. I love him???

he’s SO OFFENDED THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO QUEUE I LOVE IT

hold on I’m changing my queue tag to “I’m Azish, I know how to queue”

BLESS. AFRO!SIGZIL

LOPEN EATING BREAKFAST ON THE CEILING WHAT A NERD

I HAVE MISSED THESE ROWDY BOYS

“Where was Teft? They actually listened when he gave orders.” MY BOYS ARE DUMB NERDS AND I LOVE THEM

what’s the “other thing”? Where does Teft disappear to? what is happen. why does Kaladin not know about it, but Sig does?

dear. god. I’m.

of course he does morning push ups. without his jacket on.

I’m

hhhnnnnngggggggggg

#priorities

I LOVE MY DUMB BOYS

LOOK AT THEM ALL GETTING MARRIED AND COURTING AND GETTING LUNCHES DROPPED OFF BY THEIR WIVES AND LOOK AT THEM BEING REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL LIVES AND I’M SO PROUD OF THEM THEY’VE COME SO FAR I LOVE THEM

also I adore that the only "problem” about Drehey being gay is that Sig thinks he’s gotta fill out forms, and that the indication is that in Azir, the forms go both ways. That’s. so refreshing and lovely and. Good job, Brandon! I’m so. this is A Good.

“Master Hoid” is a fucking hilarious juxtaposition of terms.

Kaladin’s desperate insistence that they won’t lose any more people is endearing and also terrifying because you just know someone is going to die and he’s going to be so upset and I’m going to have to drive back to Utah to yell at Brandon personally for making my boy suffer.

Can Lyn join Bridge Four? If we’re recruiting, can we recruit her?

BLESS. TWO SENTENCES LATER “How would you like to join the Windrunners.” GOOD YES EXCELLENT

me, anytime they even mention Moash: *long keening noises of despair and pain* 

Kaladin didn’t teeeeellll theeeemmmmmm he didn’t tell them what Moash did he didn’t tell them Moash hecked up and betrayed them he didn’t want then to be mad or to hate Moash I’M UPSET NOISES FOREVER

ohhhh my god.

Kaladin. Please.

Using the royal treasury’s emerald grain reserve to practice Radianting is DELIGHTFUL and HILARIOUS and also TERRIFYING OMG I LOVE IT THAT’S PERFECT

God, I love these boys.

Evi calls Dalinar “beloved” and I’m emotional

He doesn’t deserve her.

oooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

He didn’t kill the kid.

He didn’t--I... I doubted him. I thought--so caught up in the Thrill, I just ASSUMED, BUT here were the seeds. The idea that the Blackthorn wasn’t quite as horrible as he could have been. Which makes the changes later so much more plausible.

god, she’s so proud of him. I love her?

Gavilar can fuck right off, tbh, oh my god.

YAASSS, ROCK POV OMG

LUNAMOR

THAT’S SO PRETTY

“I want everyone on this plateau glowing like they swallowed a lantern.” that there’s a decent David Charleston metaphor.

WHERE! IS! TEFT! I’m so worried about him.

I love that they salute Dabbid.

I love them.

I love Bridge Four. I’m not sure if you guys know this about me.

LOPEN PLEASE. “Did you stick yourself to the ground?” “All part of the plan, gon.” IS IT THO, DARLING?

KALADIN TRYING TO TEACH HOBBER TO BREATHE IN STORMLIGHT SO HE CAN HEAL HIS LEGS IS SO GOOD KALADIN IS SO GOOD I’M

crying

“I now have to either promote him or push him off the side of the plateau.” “Promote him? to what?” “Airsick lowlander. Second class.”

HELLO, FRONDS, I DON’T KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE, BUT I! LOVE! BRIDGE! FOUR! SO! MUCH!

I...they saved the bridge.

I love that Rock bows to and respects even the spren he can’t see. Also I get the feeling that no one really ever sees Glys, except Renarin. Which makes...sense, in a weird way? I guess...’cause they are both so quiet and reserved. Or we assume Glys shares that with Renarin. It seems right though, if that’s true.

Also, Rock making work for Renarin, just so he can be included, which is all he wants is A Good. Rock is an extremely observant fellow, once he puts his mind to it, isn’t he?

Rock is really, really good at making people feel better. And he knows exactly what people need. Skar is a teacher, so he gives him the opportunity to teach. Renarin needs a confidence boost, so he tells him not to see himself as a flaw, but as a person. Rlain needs company, so he sends Renarin to him. He’s very good at manipulating people into making themselves feel better. It’s really delightful.

HOBBER!!!! HOBBER GOT IT!!! THEY’RE ALL JUST GIVING HIM THEIR GEMS THEY DON’T EVEN HESITATE THEY’rE JUST

I’M CRYING I LOVE THEM SO MUCH THEY ARE ALL SO DAMN GOOD

you know what, fuck Sadeas.

OH MY GOSH

OOOOOHHH

ROCK’S FAMILY!!!!! IS HERE!!! THERE’S KIDDOS!!!!!! I’M!!!!! OH MY GOSH

HER NAME IS SONG AND THEY ARE CHILDHOOD SWEETHEARTS AND I’M CRYING AGAIN

they are SO GOOD. honoring their bridge for its last run. the last one. That’s...almost incomprehensible, but YEAH! They fly now! what do they need a bridge for! (a bridge four. hah) But the still...they honor it. It saved their lives. It was all they had. Of course it gets one last run.

aahh, I love Bridge Four so, so much.

[preservationandruin]

Oathbringer Liveblog, Part Four: Chapters 93-99

Onward! Also, re-stating again--please don’t answer or clarify things that I put in here! If I want to know, I’ll look it up later, but chances are I do know and just didn’t mention it explicitly or forgot as I was typing. And there’s always the danger of spoiling something. I don’t want to deal with any of that. 

The Shadesmar Road Trip contines, we get the most heartwrenching flashback yet, Dalinar Does Not Deserve His Perfect Sons, we touch in again with an unexpected maybe-ally, Kal has a vision, Szeth plays a game, and turns out Azure, who I am in love with, gets seasick. 

We’re back to the Shadesmar Road Trip, this time with Adolin, who still feels like he’s in a nightmare. Adolin is upset that he never mastered the “sleep anywhere” strategy that soldiers are supposed to have, and thinks that Dalinar would have been able to do it. He’s also still thinking about how he killed Sadeas: 

Adolin thought again of the jolt he’d felt when ramming the dagger through Sadeas’s eye and into his brain. Satisfaction and shame. Strip away Adolin’s nobility, and what was left? A duelist when a world needed generals? A hothead who couldn’t even take an insult?  A murderer?

A good man, Adolin Kholin. Someone who cares about soldiers and horses and swords. Someone who is keeping literally everyone in this group moving and who notices when people are upset, even if they’re hiding it. Someone who is trying his best. 

He starts talking to the ghost-spren again, noting that she didn’t respond, but he usually talked to his sword without it responding, so...not that different, then. He falls into practicing a kata, one without needing a sword. Azure comes to join him, around halfway through; Kaladin joins as well. Zahel taught Adolin it--actually, Zahel definitely taught all three of them it. Azure asks where Adolin learned it, he says his swordmaster; she says the same. 

They don’t know it’s the same swordmaster, which is hilarious. 

Azure says she knows a way to get back. Her hair is back to black, and her scars seem to be fading. She says she used Cultivation’s Perpendicularity to get through them--it’s in the Horneaters’ Peaks. Supposedly, there’s another one, but it’s unpredictable and dangerous. 

Makes sense, given that Honor is, well, dead. Adolin says that Azure isn’t a Knight Radiant, and asks if she’s a herald, and she laughs, although her answer isn’t very convincing to Adolin and Kaladin. She notes that her sword doesn’t have a spren because it’s a pale copy of a Shardblade. Azure notes sheepishly that you’re supposed to look out for cryptics, but Pattern seems to take that as a compliment. 

And then there’s a loud screeching, and Azure’s like. Shit. Gotta move. 

We get a drawn page, about Vorin wines. It’s annotated again; apparently the writer has had milk more intoxicating than Pink wine, Auburn wine is closest to grape wines, Sapphire is made of fermented lavis and tastes most like whiskey, winespren are supposed to be rare and look like bubbles, but the writer sees them all the time, and their only note on Horneater lager is “responsible for that embarrassing tattoo of mine.” 

That’s incredible. 

Another flashback. To Dalinar, seven years ago, rifling through drawers looking for wine. He thinks people have taken it, but my money is on him having drank all of it again. He notes that he and Gavilar went on a hunt, found “those strange parshmen” and that Dalinar had felt like his old self--and that he hated his old self. 

He barely heard the rap on his door as he flung coats out of the wardrobe. When he looked over, he saw two youths standing there. His sons. Angerspren boiled around him. Her hair. Her judgmental eyes. How many lies about him had she stuffed into their heads?  “What?” Dalinar roared.  Adolin stood his ground. Almost seventeen now, fully a man. The other one, the invalid, cringed down. He looked younger than his...what....twelve years? Thirteen? 

he doesn’t even fucking use Renarin’s name or know his age. 

THE URGE TO PHYSICALLY MANIFEST ON ROSHAR AND FISTFIGHT THE BLACKTHORN INCREASES EXPONENTIALLY EVERY TIME HE MENTIONS RENARIN HOLY SHIT DALINAR DOES NOT DESERVE HIS PERFECT SONS

Fortunately, Adolin has his shit together enough to back-sass his drunk father. Dalinar yells both of them out of the room, and then collapses. 

A hand fell on his shoulder. “Father?”  “Adolin, so help me--” Still kneeling, Dalinar turned, then cut off. It wasn’t Adolin, but the other one. Renarin had returned, timid as always, his spectacled eyes wide and trembling. He held something out.  A small bottle. “I...” Renarin swallowed. “I got you one, with the spheres the king gave me. Because you always go through what you buy so quickly.”  Dalinar stared at that bottle of wine for an endless moment. “Gavilar hides the wine from me,’ he mumbled. “That’s why none is left. I...couldn’t possibly...have drunk it all....”  Renarin stepped in and hugged him. Dalinar flinched, bracing as if for a punch. The boy clung to him, not letting go.  “They talk about you,” Renarin said. “But they’re wrong. You just need to rest, after all the fighting you did. I know. And I miss her too.”  Dalinar licked his lips. “What did she tell you?” he said, voice ragged. “What did your mother say about me?”  “The only honest officer in the army,” Renarin said, “the honorable soldier. Noble, like the Heralds themselves. Our father. The greatest man in Alethkar.” 

First of all, a twelve-year-old is using his allowance to buy alcohol for his neglectful father who, most of the time, only calls him “the invalid.” 

That’s heartbreaking enough. And second, it shouldn’t be Renarin’s job to defend Dalinar! Dalinar is being a horrible father, to Renarin specifically, and dealing with that, rationalizing it--I think a lot of kids have done that, although not to the degree that Renarin has had to, and doing that--making excuses, even in your own head, for your parents and how their behavior hurts and breaks you--that’s exhausting, shattering, self-esteem-destroying work. I’ve done it, I know. 

Third of all, Evi never told the boys anything bad about Dalinar, and Dalinar flinches away from Renarin’s hug like he’s scared of affectionate contact, which also hurts. 

I’m not saying that Dalinar is a monster. In some ways, he is, but in this moment he’s more pathetic than anything else. But that doesn’t change the fact that my sympathy in this moment is with Renarin, a boy who literally used his allowance--given to him by his uncle because his own father is habitually too drunk to do it--to buy alcohol for his father. 

Hell, Dalinar gets angerspren looking at his sons. What Renarin is doing here is very, very brave. 

Oh, Almighty. Oh God. Oh God, please...I’ve started to hate my sons. Why hadn’t the boys learned how to hate him back? They should hate him. He deserved to be hated.  Please. Anything. I don’t know how to get free of this. Help me. Help me... Dalinar wept and clung to that youth, that child, as if he were the only real thing left in a world of shadows. 

At least he knows how utterly far this has gone, how desperate it really is. They haven’t learned to hate him because--despite their current self-esteem issues and doubts--they’re good men. 

But God, thinking about the way Renarin is making excuses for Dalinar to everybody in this scene hurts me. 

Epigraph, on Yelig-nar, the one that Aesudan has apparently bonded: 

Yelig-nar had great powers, perhaps the powers of all Surges compounded in one. He could transform any Voidbringer into an extremely dangerous enemy. Curiously, three legends I found mention swallowing a gemstone to engage this process. 

That explains why there was a crystal-like thing shining in Aesudan’s chest. She fuckin ate a crystal to get power from Yelig-nar. 

Over to Kal on what I will keep calling the Shadesmar Road Trip. Apparently the shrieks are coming from angerspren, and the pools that they are in the physical plane are just their drool. Kaladin admits that it’s probably his frustration that is drawing them. He also thinks, to himself, that he’s clinging to anger because it’s better than “the darkness.” 

Depression, anxiety, the thought that something bad is always around the corner. God, it’s a fucking mood. He’s trying so hard to avoid falling back into the numbness where he became someone he hated. Also, we get something interesting about Syl: 

“Where did you live? When you were young, on this side?”  “It was far to the west,” She said. “A grand city, ruled by honorspren! I didn’t like it, though. I wanted to travel, but Father kept me in the city, especially after...you know...”  “I’m not actually sure that I do.”  “I bonded a Knight Radiant. Haven’t I told you of him? I remember...” She closed her eyes as he walked, chin up, as if basking in a wind he could not feel. “I bonded him soon after I was born. He was an elderly man, kindly, but he did fight. In one battle. And he died...” 

Syl used to be the spren for another Radiant. She says that she lost herself when she lost him, but soon after that was the Recreance, and the fact that she didn’t have a bond meant that she survived. The Stormfather, thousands of years later, found her and took her home. 

Suddenly, how protective he is of her makes sense. He thought she died once, found her broken, tried to protect her. She left anyway, sneaking out of the city to go to the physical realm as a windspren. 

And then they find what they’re looking for--a lighthouse. 

Over to Navani! She says that every person brings their own chair as they meet for the first meeting of monarchs. Dalinar, apparently, just tried to bring a stool and she had to talk him out of it. He asked Navani to lead the meeting, and she’s worried about him. 

She’s also trying to convince him that Adolin and Elhokar escaped safe. Well. Adolin did. Oh, god, she just finished mourning Jasnah. Navani doesn’t deserve the news that Elhokar is dead. 

At least bridge four can always raise a mood: 

Bridge Four piled into the room after them. Many had brought simple seats, but the Herdazian had stumbled onto the lift with a chair so grand--inlaid with embroidered blue cloth and silver--it was almost a throne. 

FUCKING HELL LOPEN

Bridge Four had, characteristically, taken the news of their leader’s potential fall with laughter. Kaladin is tougher than a wind-tossed boulder, Brightness, Teft had told her. He survived Bridge Four, he survived the chasms, and he’ll survive this. 

I’m pretty sure Bridge Four is 99% positive Kaladin just. Can’t die. I mean, he was strung up in a highstorm, and that was only the tip of the iceberg of things that should have killed Kaladin Stormblessed. 

Also, we get that Bridge Four swaps the Honorblade between themselves to “be unpredictable.” I love them. 

JASNAH ACTUALLY DID BRING A FUCKING STOOL OH MY GOD WHY ARE SHE AND DALINAR  LIKE THIS

Ialai comes and doesn’t carry her own chair because fuck your Kholin rules. Who’s to bet that, like her husband before her, she is woefully incorrect about the genre of book she’s in? Petty Alethi politics don’t matter anymore. 

At least Amaram is off in Thaylenah. 

The Radiants--like the little Reshi who was currently outeating the Horneater bridgeman, almost as if it were a contest. 

Nice to see that Lift is here and in fine form. 

SEBARIAL AND PALOMA JUST DIDNT BRING CHAIRS AT ALL. Sebarial backsnarks Navani and she considers how utterly, utterly possible it would be to just fucking throw him off of Urithiru. 

Never change, Sebarial. 

We get that Navani’s mother probably had dementia of some sort--lucid on some days, not on others. 

Oh fuck, Ialai is talking. She’s like, wow, where should we invade first??? 

THE TIME FOR INVASION IS OVER, IALAI. FUCK OFF. 

And everyone just goes with it. Navani decides to start adjudicating tasks. The Azish viziers to give them codes of interaction and protocol to follow. The Thaylens to decide trade. The Alethi generals to help reclaim lands that are needed, and fortify existing settlements. Navani cuts off Ialai, who’s angling to talk about warmongering, to suggest concentrating on defenses; Dalinar agrees. 

Navani is thinking about she needs the Blackthorn and I’m just thinking--no. No, you don’t. You need Dalinar Kholin; you need the man who you fell in love with, you need the Bondsmith. 

You do not need the Blackthorn. 

Another epigraph: 

Of the Unmade, Sja-anat was most feared by the Radiants. They spoke intensively of her ability to corrupt spren, though only “lesser” spren--whatever that means.

Interesting. And yet, she tried to help them. Ask my son. What did she mean by that? Who is her son, who she was speaking about? 

(Please, as with all of my questions, don’t actually answer these) 

Kaladin is remembering again--some of the slaves who got caught as he was trying to lead them to freedom. Now,  in Shadesmar, he’s scouting ahead to see what’s in the lighthouse. Also, apparently what look like streamers in the physical realm with anticipationspren are, actually, tongues. Great. 

Well, Kal finds the lighthouse keeper--an old Shin man--and totally fails at staying stealthy. Pattern and Syl are chatting, bonding. 

“So,” Syl said, sitting on a rock nearby and swinging her legs. “I’ve always wondered. Does the world look weird to you, or normal?”  “Weird,” Pattern said. “Mmm. Same as for everyone.”  “I guess neither of us technically have eyes,” Syl said, leaning back and looking up at the glassy canopy of their tree-mushroom shelter. “We’re each a bit of power made manifest. We honorspren mimic Honor himself. You Cryptics mimic...weird stuff?”  “The fundamental underlying mathematics by which natural phenomena occur. Mmm. Truths that explain the fabric of existence.”  “Yeah. Weird stuff.” 

Adolin gives Shallan a backrub and she threatens to kill him if he stops. I’m...so glad that Adolin is canonically basically a cuddlebug. It’s so good. 

Shallan asks Adolin’s opinion of Azure and he gives a fucking opinion of her fashion sense i’m going to scream I love Adolin Kholin. He points out, though, that clothing says a lot about people, which he’s right about. Also I love that somehow the colors aren’t right for her skin, given where she comes from. I guess when every color gets super-saturated, matching subtle shades to your skin can get a bit difficult....

Shit. They found a corrupted gloryspren coming that way. 

The Shin man in the lighthouse thinks Kaladin’s come for a fortune, because this is the Rii oracle. Isn’t...isn’t Rii an Aon? Could that be related? I have no idea. What the fuck even is Shadesmar (I know what Shadesmar is don’t @ me) 

Anyway Kaladin touched a sphere full of light and “felt himself get carried away by the storm” so that’s great, thanks for that Kal. 

Back over to the gang running into a corrupted gloryspren. Oh, Sja-anat is talking through it!

The corrupted gloryspren landed on Shallan’s arm. Odium suspects that you survived, a voice said in her mind. That...that was the voice of the Unmade from the mirror. Sja-anat. He thinks something strange happened to the Oathgate because of our influence--we’ve never managed to Enlighten such powerful spren before. It’s believable that something odd might happen. I lied, and said I think you were sent far, far from the point of transfer.  He has minions in this realm, and they will be told to hunt you. So take care. Fortunately, he doesn’t know you’re a Lightweaver--he thinks you’re an Elsecaller for some reason.  I will do what I can, but I’m not sure he trusts me any longer. 

It seems like Sja-anat is really trying to help them. I like her more and more. Anyway, it also seems like Shallan’s Elsecaller ploy actually worked. Although more worryingly it means someone in Urithiru might be feeding information to Odium. 

I’m staring directly at Amaram, although I know that’s unlikely, but listen, I hate him. 

Kaladin sees Dalinar kneeling on the storm, with nine shadows around him, and knows that Dalinar is in huge danger. Shit. 

He sees a vaguely familiar city, with a wall and an ocean beyond, but it stops. Apparently, you can only see shit if you’re invested, and the “shin” man is, in fact, Selish; he says “merciful Domi.” 

Canned food exists in Shadesmar. I wonder--is it imported from Scadrial, or have other cultures picked it up? 

Adolin talks about Rathelas. 

“Rathalas was where my mother was killed,” Adolin said. “Assassinated by rebels. Her death drove my father into a fury. We almost lost him to the despair.” He shook his head, and Shallan rested her hand on his arm. “It’s...not a pleasant event to think about. Sadeas burned the city to the ground in retribution. My father gets a strange, distant expression whenever someone mentions Rathalas. I think he blames himself for not stopping Sadeas, even though he was mad with grief at the time, wounded and incoherent from an attempt on his own life.” 

Oh god I knew he didn’t know the truth but having it confirmed hurts even more. He thinks Sadeas gave the burn order. 

Anyway, the place Kaladin drew was Thaylen City. He thinks they could use it to get back. 

Fuck Amaram is in Thaylen City. 

Shit. 

Well, hopefully he’ll be gone by the time Kaladin and company get there, I say, knowing that’s almost certainly not going to happen and that Kaladin will interact with Amaram. 

I’m also realizing how many characters we don’t like or trust know the truth about Rathalas. Ialai almost certainly does. Navani does not. Amaram was there, so he does. If the wrong person tells Adolin about that---shit. That could be really bad. 

An interesting point from the Mythica: 

Sja-anat was often regarded as an individual, when others--like Moelach or Ashertmarn--were seen as forces. 

Explains why Sja-anat is the one making contact now. She can think for herself. 

Anyway, Szeth is heading out with some other Skybreaker squires. They’re having a test of martial competence. They’re...essentially going to be playing paintball. I’m going to shit. 

And Szeth is actually having fun, for once! I’m so glad. He deserves to have fun every once in a while. Although he immediately feels guilty for feeling happy. 

Nightblood has apparently forgotten that Denth--well, VaraTreledees--is dead. Then again, Nightblood’s grasp of death is...nebulous. 

Anyway, Szeth is just like. I’m the fucking assassin in white. I’m not losing this paintball game. 

Unfortunately, he’s the clear near-winner,  so they’re ganging up on him. Unfortunately, he over-exerted himself, and runs out of Stormlight and gets hit by like 60 pouches of color and then falls into the Purelake. 

He still won, though--because the rules say whoever has the least marks on their uniform wins, and his was washed off in the Purelake. 

NALE’S BACK!!!

He says that he’s going to tell them--all of them--the two “greatest secrets” he knows, before Szeth bonds his spren. 

We get a sketch of a mandra, which seems to be a huge beautiful eel-like beast of burden in Shadesmar. 

Another interesting tidbit, I think we have the spren who gives the Thrill: 

Nergaoul was known for driving forces into a battle rage, lending them great ferocity. Curiously, he did this to both sides of a conflict, Voidbringer and human. This seems common of less self-aware spren. 

Kaladin woke up last, which worries him--it’s a sign that he’s slipping back down, again. We get that the owners of the ship are called lightspren, but they’re commonly called Reachers, and look like humans with bronze skin. 

Syl actually--looks human, here. her dress is red, her hair is black,  and her skin is tan, like Kaladin’s. Kaladin is talking with Ico, the captain. 

Syl is pouting because they won’t let her ride one of the mandas that pull the ship. She’s very put out about this. 

“Horses are bad enough. I’m not about to get onto something that doesn’t even have legs.”  “Where’s your sense of adventure?”  “I dragged it out back and clubbed it senseless for getting me into the army.” 

Turns out her skin and hair are a Lightweaving, because she doesn’t want rumors of a travelling honorspren spreading,  so she’s hiding as human. 

Syl is still trying to matchmake Kaladin and Shallan. We also get a mention of Tarah, who we heard about in the first book, I think--here we get that she left Kaladin. 

Oh, Kal. 

Also, we get that Azure is completely awful on ships. 

Also, looks like the mandras might be related to the arrowhead spren that Shallan imitated as Swiftspren--she notes that she’s seen them around things that fly or are too big for their mass. Also they die too far from human population centers, and sometimes they “drop,” possibly into the Physical realm. 

I want to ride a mandra now, I’m with Syl. 

Shallan is also having trouble drawing, sometimes. That’s not good. 

“I had a splinter once,” Shallan noted. “It eventually got out of hand.”  “You...you did not just say that.” 

You can just feel Kaladin going through the stages of grief in response to that pun. 

Shallan says that Azure is interesting because she’s mysterious and Kaladin indignantly protests that he’s mysterious. Also Shallan’s comments on Azure are just a tad bi. 

Bi Shallan being canon is still the best thing. 

He notes that being around Shallan is nice, but not in the same way as either of the women he’s been in love with. it’s different. That bodes well for both my “Kaladin and Shallan have a mutually healthy and supportive friendship” and “please god no love triangle” desires. Unfortunately,  he praises her ability to repress things, which to him sounds wonderful, but... isn’t. Whoops, Kal, you fucked that one up. 

[preservationandruin]

Words of Radiance Part 2, Part 2

I swear to god I am not intentionally replicating Homestuck’s act structure with the parts here. 

Shallan gets serious, Kaladin fights someone else with his powers and falls off a horse, Sadeas is Sadeas, and Adolin starts losing friends. 

Continuing on with Part Two, the listener song epigraph mentions decayform, which “destroys the souls of dreams” and sounds horrifying. Needless to say, it’s one of the forms from the old gods. Anyway, Shallan is talking with Gaz, in part about why he deserted. She gets the details from ground-level about how the lighteyes started fighting not to win, but for sport. She also has started being witty around them, which is hilarious. Vathah still hates her, and she’s doing her best not to let it get to her. Also: 

“If you don’t mind me saying, Brightness. You have quite the clever tongue on you!” 

“I’ve never actually had someone’s tongue on me,” Shallan said, turning a page and not looking up, “clever or not. I’d hazard to consider it an unpleasant experience.” 

“It ain’t so bad,” Gaz said. 

They both looked at him.

“He shrugged. “Just saying. It ain’t...” 

GAZ. 

Also, Shallan thinks for a moment of trying to get Sadeas on her side, which uHHH SHALLAN NO. Pattern also mentions that Voidbringers have their own spren, from Odium. And we also get that Tyn assumes that Shallan is some nobody pulling a con, which...is wrong. Tyn’s assumptions about Shallan really come back to bite her. 

Smokeform is stated to be “though crafted of gods, it was by Unmade hand,” which implies a distinction. Also, Kaladin needs to get on a horse and is completely perplexed by this. He doesn’t trust horses, which...might be fair. I like Jenet, the stablemaster--she’s very frank about everything. And she reacts to Adolin showing up by throwing rocks at him. It gets him to go away and is also lowkey hysterical. Kaladin also just goes to the horse and is like, okay, neither of us want to do this, i understand that. 

Also, Adolin decides to taunt Kaladin again, pointing out a much more feisty horse, and Kaladin--knowing this is a bad idea--goes over to try to ride it. Unsurprisingly, he’s knocked on his ass. He’s very amused by all of it, actually. 

An interesting listener fragment, ending with “Our gods were not who shattered these plains.” Then who did? I still have a theory that it’s where Honor died. Also, confirmation that the plains were deliberately shattered. 

Over to Adolin, in a fight on the plateaus. Jakamav is there as well. I still only see that guy as a fratboy. Also, Eshonai is there, and Adolin wants to fight “him.” Eshonai instead tries to arrange a meeting with Dalinar--the one that ends up ill-fated when she takes stormform too soon. We also hear about when Renarin summoned his blade, him having one of his fits. Also also, Adolin comments that this plateau “almost looks man-made”--it probably is an old ruined building, covered in centuries of crem. Jakamav basically tells Adolin they’re not friends until Adolin’s reputation improves again, and Sureblood shows off a little to cheer Adolin up. Renarin also specifies that he didn’t have a fit, and Adolin notices that he’s not wearing his glasses. Renarin also says that he needs to be ready, because something is coming--Adolin accurately connects that to the numbers on the walls. 

More Shallan flashbacks. We get that Shallan’s homelife is getting worse and worse, and that she finds solace in the gardens. She wants to leave and find “a place away from the shouting.” Helaran keeps visiting and giving Shallan drawing supplies--does he know she’s a Radiant? Possibly. We also get that when she thinks of what happened, she goes blank again, staring at the wall for an indefinite amount of time. We also get how broken the family is--Jushu gambles and drinks, Balat sets fires, and Shallan dissociates whenever she thinks of what happened when she was eleven. 

Tyn and Shallan are talking in the present day, teaching Shallan accents and such. She also gives Shallan eyedrops that can darken your eyes--something Shallan might not need with her surgebinding, but still useful. Also, the boots scene. They’re so lucky Rock wasn’t one of the bridgemen they encountered--he would have seen through it in a second. The others are still skeptical. Still funny, but also still uncomfortable--another little way Shallan overlooks how she’s a lighteyes and the amount of clout and fear that connotes in darkeyes. 

“hopefully she wouldn’t run into those particular soldiers again” Oh, Shallan...

A Sadeas viewpoint. He’s still basically living on the Thrill alone. And he still doesn’t understand why Dalinar traded the Blade--he assumes it was to try to slow Sadeas down instead of, uh, being a decent human being and rewarding good men. The thing that gets me about Sadeas is that he just doesn’t get it. He notices that other soldiers are more competent than his men, gets irritated, and then puts no effort into positive reinforcement or into discipline. Also, we get that Parshendi used to try to surrender, but the first time they tried it Sadeas killed all of them, turning the war into a bloodbath. Thanks, Sadeas. 

Also, Sadeas still hasn’t realized anything about the bridgemen--he thinks they’re lying on the ground and sleeping while better men died, not, uh, being exhausted from being run like animals while malnourished. Also, Sadeas says that he knows Amaram is a ruthless bastard, which is true, and Amaram starts pulling his self-important horseshit. 

Sadeas is just so oblivious. He thinks everything works in one set way and doesn’t consider that people might have motivations he doesn’t understand. We also get some of the cause of his frustration--he’s getting old, he’s dying, he’s desperate for that to stop happening. Also, here we get the fact that contrary to what Dalinar believes, Sadeas doesn’t care about Elhokar--if Alethkar is going to be “strong” Elhokar’s going to have to die. 

...Eerie that that’s the same logic that almost wins Kaladin over, later. 

Also my brain just barfed “Sadeas voice: Make Alethkar Great Again” at me and I’m fucking dying. Also, we get that Sadeas can read Adolin well--it takes him a moment, but he notices that Adolin is faking not taking the duel seriously and letting himself take hits so that he can surprise people. Unfortunately for Sadeas, turns out later that he can’t read Adolin quite well enough. Also, Sadeas here admits that even if Dalinar was behaving the way Sadeas is--if Dalinar was what Sadeas in theory wants him to be--Sadeas would kill him anyway. That’s what gets it--this is the moment it becomes blatantly clear it’s not about Alethkar, it’s about power. 

Shallan is geeking out about plants. She also does a drawing for Gaz, drawing him as the people he saved saw him. A lie, but also not a lie. She’s getting good at this. One wonders what she’ll be able to do in the Alethi court proper--used right, she could be a great ally to Dalinar, if she can show the nobles what they would be like if they were united. Interestingly, she also draws a woman bringing down a hammer and chisel on a stone body’s face--she may have just drawn Shalash, despite knowing nothing of what she was doing. That’s very interesting. Tyn also says that Shallan needs a dose of realism. Tyn, just because Shallan blushes at the thought of lewd jokes doesn’t mean she hasn’t murdered multiple people before. We get this line: 

“How can you be so certain I’ve never done things like this?”  “Because you’re not broken.”  “Maybe I’m faking.” 

She is faking--faking so well she’s fooling herself, sometimes. Also, Tyn gives her some advice about the betrothal and how to make it work. 

Kaladin leads his troop of patrollers back and has stew, looking at the stars--there are moving stars called starspren, apparently, and I’m taking mental notes about the astronomy of Roshar--and Kaladin notes that something’s weird about the air. Also, we get Rock shooing away an ardent that’s probably Nazh. Back to Shallan, we get her and Tyn bantering more--including bringing up that sometimes Shallan might have to go with both hands bare for a con, which Shallan is scandalized by. We also get the news that Vedenar is in chaos because the king, his heir, and multiple highprinces were killed by Szeth. Thanks, Taravangian. 

Kaladin has another dream where he is the storm, and talks with the Stormfather, who accuses Kaladin of planning to kill Syl and “leave her corpse to wicked men”--the Shardblades. Kaladin denies it, but he’s already started. We also get “He comes for you, little traitor. I am sorry.” and a second storm rising made of red lightning--Odium is showing up. Kaladin is very spooked. 

Back to Shallan, where Pattern is freaking out too. This is the highstorm where some Parshendi bond stormspren, isn’t it. That would make sense for the amount of panic that is happening with people--and then Szeth shows up. Elhokar, understandably, is losing his shit. Dalinar is also upset-- “I’m not asleep at the table this time, you bastard. You’re not taking another one from me”--and he, Adolin, and Kaladin engage Szeth. Dalinar of course assumes Szeth was after Elhokar. Kaladin also realizes that Szeth has windrunner powers. 

And Kaladin gets stabbed by a Shardblade--and heals it later. Which is supposed to be impossible, and probably is, if you’re not a Radiant. Dalinar manages to barehanded catch a Shardblade--which is badass--and Kaladin tackles Szeth out a window and into a highstorm. The listener song implies that a listener might be able to surgebind--Radiant Eshonai please Brandon I will do anything--and Kaladin fights Szeth, telling Szeth he’s a windrunner. Szeth doesn’t believe him. We get Szeth’s breakdown--They named me Truthless--and he demands to know if all of “them” are back, to which Kaladin answers yes. Szeth runs, and Kaladin collapses. 

Kaladin also notices that Adolin noticed that Kaladin’s arm was stabbed, and fails to say that he’s a Surgebinder--is too much of a coward to say it in front of Elhokar and Adolin. 

Back to Shallan, she learns that Tyn was supposed to assassinate Jasnah Kholin. And the associate Tyn is talking to mentions Shallan and gives a description, meaning that Tyn now tries to kill Shallan. 

And Shallan stabs Tyn through the face with her Shardblade. “Difficult things. Yes, I believe I told you. I’ve learned that lesson already. Thank you.” And she also takes the conversation Tyn had, learns she worked for the Ghostbloods, and arranges a meeting with them. Again--the trip without Jasnah let Shallan come into her own a lot, and learn valuable con art skills. And that’s the end of Part Two! Adolin is suspicious of Kaladin (rightly), Shallan is almost at the Shattered Plains and has a meeting with the Ghostbloods arranged and also killed someone again, Kaladin has destroyed Szeth’s worldview, and Sadeas is scum.