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WoT Interview Database
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Interviews: WOR-University Bookstore
Summary:
Entries
36
Date
Mar 8th, 2014
Type
Paraphrased
Location
Seattle, WA
TourCon
WOR
Reporter
Jerich, Trickonometry
Links
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1
Jerich (17th Shard)
Is the Hoed from Elantris similar to the state of a shard blade?Brandon Sanderson ()
(slightly paraphrased, because I am writing these from memory): Similar, but probably not exactly in the way you are thinking. It is kind of like two diseases caused by different bacteria. Both are caused by bacteria, but they are not exactly the same.Footnote
This is referring to shardblades that are dead spren.Tags
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2
Jerich ()
Is it possible then to reawaken a shard blade if that blade is wielded by someone who speaks the oaths of a Knights Radiant?Brandon Sanderson ()
(Thinking)...Yes, but it would be extremely difficult. The spren in a shardblade are not trapped in a state of mid-transformation like the Elantrians. They are stuck in an agony cycle after having a significant portion of their consciousnesses ripped out of them. The Nahel bond is what allows Spren to think on material plane and that has been torn away. It would be like having a data jack installed and then having someone come up to your head and rip it out of your head.Tags
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3
Jerich ()
So you would basically have to replace the part that was lost to wake them up?Brandon Sanderson ()
Exactly.Footnote
This is a follow up question. See link for previous questions.Tags
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4
Jerich ()
Are the Skybreakers kind of like the MPs of the Knights Radiant?Brandon Sanderson ()
Hmm... (Thinking) ... Yes. That is actually a really good analogy.Tags
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5
Jerich ()
Are there radiant orders that would take someone like Adolin even after what he does at the end of Words of Radiant?Brandon Sanderson ()
Brandon: I am not going to say whether or not Adolin will become a Knights Radiant, but yes, there are several orders that would be very happy with what he did. Me: Like the Skybreakers or Dustbringers? Brandon: The Skybreakers would probably not want him because he broke a law, but there are other orders that would think he completely did the right thing and be very happy with him. Trickonometry (who was waiting in line behind me): Like the Dustbringers? Brandon: (Didn't say anything but looked up at him, smiled and half nodded)Footnote
This question refers to Adolin's slaying of Sadeas.Tags
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6
Trickonometry ()
What would happen to the function of a magic item if it were to be taken from one world to another?Brandon Sanderson ()
An invested object theoretically would work, but they may not work exactly the way they are supposed to.Tags
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7
Trickonometry ()
Would you be able to tell me anything about how Vasher lost Nightblood to Nin?Brandon Sanderson
A: (Brandon gives a knowing smile) "Wait, who?" Q: Okay... What can you tell me about how Zahel lost Nightblood? A: Oh ZAHEL! Well... I can't say much about that right now, but you'll get all of these questions answered in the book "Nightblood" in the future.Tags
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8
Trickonometry ()
We've now seen that the Syl-Blade can change shape to meet Kaladin's needs. Is there a limit to the size that Syl can become?Brandon Sanderson ()
As for the size, she can get up to about the size of a human.Tags
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9
Trickonometry ()
Okay, and is Syl limited to only weaponry, or can she take on the shape of other objects?Brandon Sanderson ()
I'm gonna have to RAFO that. Though, to be fair, you have been seeing Syl change forms since the beginning of the books into many non-combat forms, so...Tags
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10
Trickonometry ()
We've now seen that the Syl-Blade can change shape to meet Kaladin's needs. Is there a limit to the size that Syl can become?Brandon Sanderson ()
As for the size, she can get up to about the size of a human.Tags
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11
AhoyMatey ()
Are larkin and lanceryn one and the same?Brandon Sanderson ()
There's a little bit more than just [being] one and the same, but in some ways they are.Footnote
These are both fauna of Roshar.Tags
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12
AhoyMatey ()
Do all greatshells have spren?Brandon Sanderson ()
In order to survive with the science that I built, the greatshells almost all require some sort of spren to keep them from collapsing. (I suspect greatshells in the water may not require them.)Tags
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13
AhoyMatey ()
Did Adonalsium deliberately shatter itself?Brandon Sanderson ()
Hmmm, good question! RAFO! -
14
AhoyMatey ()
Why didn't Kaladin's brand heal if Lopen can regrow an arm?Brandon Sanderson ()
It comes down to how one views oneself. It is the answer that you think it is. So really what that's saying is Kaladin sees himself as branded.Tags
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15
AhoyMatey
Does Shardplate use a spren?Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO.Tags
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16
AhoyMatey
Can Glys, Renarin's spren, be a box?Brandon Sanderson
The box is not his spren.Tags
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17
AhoyMatey
Is a Desolation caused when a Herald breaks under torture?Brandon Sanderson
This person is asking the right kinds of questions.Tags
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18
AhoyMatey
Who's Nazh? The person who retrieved Shallan's notebook...Brandon Sanderson
You have seen him before.Tags
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19
AhoyMatey
Why does Urithiru not have hallowed stones?Brandon Sanderson
That'll be answered eventually. It's cultural, not magical.Tags
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20
AhoyMatey
Why does Lift feel that Darkness isn't a real person?Brandon Sanderson
Because Lift is an interesting person who has her own perspective on the world.Footnote
Darkness is presumably the herald known as Nale.Tags
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21
AhoyMatey
Is there anything that I should have asked that I didn't?Brandon Sanderson
Probably not... Do you know if anyone has figured out the hidden things in the map of Roshar?Tags
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22
AhoyMatey
I picked up the Easter Eggs for Mraize being a Worldhopper. It was actually the sand that did it, having been fortunate enough to read White Sand.Brandon Sanderson
Now there's something odd about that sand. What color is the sand in WoR?Tags
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23
AhoyMatey
Are the Parshendi at the village the only Parshendi there are? Besides the parshmen?Brandon Sanderson
The Parshendi as a people were all at Narak. Barring any scouts and things like that. That doesn't mean that there might not be any other Parshmen out there that have bonded spren, but they would not have been part of this nation – any more than if you found another human that they may not necessarily be American.Tags
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24
Ness
Has Rock always been a third son?Brandon Sanderson
No (85% sure)Tags
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25
Ness
Are the pools on the Horneater peaks Shardpools?Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.Tags
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26
Ness
Any hints on the chapter 84 code?Brandon Sanderson
There is a key in the book.Footnote
http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/6762-chapter-84-decoded-epigraph-message/ - this was a puzzle that was decoded. The chapter 84 epigraph: 1118251011127124915121010111410215117112101112171344831110715142541434109161491493412122541010125127101519101112341255115251215755111234101112915121061534 decoded as: Hold the secret that broke the Knights Radiant. You may need it to destroy the new Orders when they return.Tags
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27
JamHeretic ()
Would the powers of a magical object change if it went to a different world?Brandon Sanderson ()
It is plausible that they will, but most likely is that they don't work right. Most of them will not.Tags
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28
JamHeretic ()
Why are Ryshadium cooler than regular horses? I suspect a spren bond.Brandon Sanderson ()
There is Investiture involved.Tags
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29
JamHeretic
Can you tell me who the Herald is for the Truthwatchers?Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, sorry, good question.Footnote
The coppermind wiki lists Paliah as the Herald of the Truthwatchers.Tags
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30
JamHeretic
How about one of the surges?Brandon Sanderson
I am RAFO'ing the Truthwatchers entirely.Footnote
The coppermind wiki lists the Truthwatcher surges to be Progression and Illumination.Tags
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31
JamHeretic
Can you go into healing a bit more?Brandon Sanderson
Regrowth in the books - Healing is an aspect, Regrowth is ??,Tags
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32
JamHeretic
Is Vasher the swordmaster-ardent?Brandon Sanderson
(coy) I have no idea why you would ask that. Zahel the swordmaster-ardent was in the 2002 WoK by a different name and it blew my assistant's mind when he looked back in the original draft. It was ALL PLANNED.Tags
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33
JamHeretic
When do we get to officially get to know what's going on in the Cosmere?Brandon Sanderson
All of my epic fantasy books are connected with continuing characters. That's a way off, and that's because I don't want people to feel like they have to have read all my previous books to enjoy the series. It should be about the characters. Eventually I will write one that's a mashup, but we're not there yet. I'll be very upfront about it when I do it. For now it's just easter eggs.Tags
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34
JamHeretic
How do you pick names?Brandon Sanderson
It really varies based on the book. I'm often picking a linguistic paradigm. Alethi - there are two separate paradigms because I like linguistics to be messy. Usually based on symmetry being holy, so they'd pick names one letter off from symmetrical to avoid hubris. Also suffix - like Kaladin is Kalak (Herald) + din which is a suffix, all of them mean things, like the old Hebrew names have "born of" or "comes through". Stick that on and drop the last letter. Dalinar, Elhokar, all of those have suffixes - nar, kar.Tags
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35
JamHeretic
What would happen if Alcatraz tried to wield Nightblood?Brandon Sanderson
They would get in a long conversation about random things and the book would just be those two having a discussion, and then the entire world would break probably.Tags
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36
arbron
How long has Zahel been slumming it on Roshar?Brandon Sanderson
For quite a long time, on this planet he can get something quite easily that is much harder to get where he came from.Tags
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