#cosmere music theory

[sailorspren]

I'm not a cosmere theories freak but I do have one theory I'm very passionate about which is that the pure tones of Roshar sound like sine wave synths! Let me explain :) I am taking "pure" to mean "consisting of only one note (and no overtones)", which is basically the definition of a sine wave. A sine wave is the representation of a single frequency with no harmonics and is considered an acoustically pure tone. Sine waves don't occur naturally - real world sounds always have overtones, in varying quantities. We can synthesize sine waves, however, and they sound like this (I played it in different pitches so you can get an idea of the timbre):

Here's a visual representation of a sine wave:

So this is what I imagine it sounds like when Dalinar opens a perpendicularity, or when singers hear pure notes in highstorms. And because the sound of a sine wave is so unnatural, it would really stand out and feel otherworldly on a planet that doesn't have modern technology - and I feel like that fits the description.

We also know that it's possible to use tuning forks to play the three pure tones of roshar and pull the matching types of light out of gemstones. While acoustic instruments can't produce a truly pure note (aka a sine audio wave), tuning forks come pretty close. They initially produce high overtones, but those fade out quickly, and then the forks keep resonating with a pure tone. It makes sense that tuning forks are the closest Rosharan humans can get to synthesizing a sine wave!

There's also the fact that Raboniel can sing the pure notes and get the lights to respond, while Navani can't. Is it just because Raboniel's pitch is more accurate, or do singers have an physiological ability to produce notes with less overtones? This is really interesting to me...

And one more fun thing to consider. You know what other instrument comes pretty close to producing a pure tone? The flute! Hoid gave Kaladin a flute... idk if it actually has any reasoning behind it but I really hope it does 😂 imagine how cool it will be if it will be used for musical magic system stuff

[sweetteaanddragons]

Stormlight Archive: Wind and Truth Thoughts and Theories

Lots of spoilers below.

Kaladin - I love the herald thing. I think it retroactively makes @nevertheless-moving's AU of Kaladin being time traveler mistaken for a herald even funnier, and it was already hilarious. I am dying to see fic where Kaladin-as-herald DOES time travel, someone DOES assume this, and they are actually correct, but not in the way they think. They start guessing historical names, and Kaladin has to go, "Well, I guess Jezrien is closest, but it's not quite like - " and everyone runs with it.

I am hoping for SO MANY reveals/interactions when he returns in the next series. I want him to go flying in to save Adolin from something in an 11th hour rescue and Adolin to have that "You're ALIVE?" moment. I want him to reconnect with his baby brother. I want Szeth to try to murder Ishar to avenge Kaladin's death only for Kaladin to have to intervene.

I love it.

Adolin - I love his arc in this book, and I love how his habit of talking to his weapons/armor has paid off such huge dividends. Slightly concerned about the firemoss; having seen what addiction did to his father, I hope he'll resist that path, but it does worry me a little.

Shallan - I'm assuming she won't manage to return in the interim between series, so this is looking like a long separation. At least she can talk to Adolin?

. . . her nausea/hand to her stomach thing is entirely understandable from emotional context, but given *tropes,* I'm kind of thinking she might be pregnant.

Szeth - I enjoyed his arc, and I loved learning he got married; I'm hoping he's very happy.

Gavinor - I'm betting his storyline and Lift's are going to be heavily entertwined in the next series since Lift feels partially responsible for him going through the rift in the first place. I'm also betting his storyline will ultimately end positively, as a counterpart to his father's tragedy.

Odium: You know that cut Hamilton song? "You have invented a new kind of stupid/a let all the animals out of the zoo kind of stupid/a you really did not think this through kind of stupid/Listen?"

Yeah, that's how I feel about his decision to recruit the Blackthorn and I am delighted.

It is 100% in character, given what he tries to do with Dalinar and Jasnah throughout the book. It is also, I think, a fatal mistake.

He has recruited the Blackthorn. A being with all the memories of his other self. A being with all the potential of his other self.

All of it. Including the bits that grew to fight Odium.

Navani is still alive. His sons are still alive. Does Odium really think they'll let this last remainder of Dalinar just . . . trot merrily off to war without trying to stop him?

Retribution ACKNOWLEDGES that the perception of Dalinar is what shapes the Blackthorn. Public perception that largely paints him as Retribution wants, sure . . . but Dalinar, prior to his death, become a tragic hero known for fighting Odium and RELEASED A BOOK WITH HIS WHOLE LIFE STORY.

Does Retribution really think he can keep that public perception pointed in the right direction forever?

The Blackthorn doesn't even make him any promises. He just says that fighting is "what I do."

He is 100% going to turn on Retribution eventually, and it is going to be glorious.

Other thoughts:

Dova is going to be a problem eventually.

I like the time bubble aspect; that'll let the events of Mistborn trilogy three play out before we catch up with Roshar.

I think the next Roshar series is going to be a massive crossover event for the cosmere.

I adored the musical chairs aspect of the final fight in Azir.

Loved the reprise of "Honor is dead, but I'll see what I can do."

(I also love the wind's little "Please don't hate me" to Kaladin.)

Definitely convinced that the overall plot of the cosmere is going to be "So we shouldn't have killed Adonalsium, now we need to put the pieces back together. This is exactly what I wanted, so I'm thrilled!

Oh! And given the emphasis in the book on the dangers of Shards turning their backs on planets and their people for too long, I think Retribution is going to find his distraction is going to cost him. He made a lot of promises in this book . . . and then did huge damage to the ecosystem and the landscape, massive psychological damage by hiding the sun, and vanished, utterly failing to enforce whatever social plans he had.

People are going to be TICKED.

Which of course provides opportunities.

Especially when the two territories NOT affected by Retribution are right there, enjoying the sun.

(Jasnah, returning for round two of debate for Fen: I can guarantee you that neither I nor any of my descendants are going to block out the sun.

Fen: Will you just let us sign the paper already?)

[novisius]

So, I'm one of those people that imagines atleast animatics in my head whenever I hear music. And as much as I love Epic the Musical, I don't feel like there is enough 'non actually the odyssey' content out there (though there is some of that content and I do enjoy it).

I have a favorite song from each saga (though they are contentious for several sagas).

So, more or less just to through it out as an idea that can be disloged from my brain, I've imagined and possess little skill to make alive, animatics which follow particular themes/fandoms I enjoy.

Troy Saga: Just A Man; MTG, more specifically my pocket realms thing I have. Someone from the Boros realm gets trapped in the Mono-Red realm and has been there for years, fighting a 'werewolf dynasty' and has finally won...but at what cost?

Cyclops Saga: Survive; Lancer. In my Dead Orbit setting, prime NHPs and all of their copies eventually find themselves in the Aunic domains where they act as godlike eldritch maths that they are. Now that only really matters for the purposes of Ruthlessness in this setting. But on the Aunic worlds, which have been changed through the warping of reality by their eldritch gods, many of their 'children' are granted mech bodies to live out an existence in. Basically, monsters exist on Aunic worlds and they are just mechs piloted by math that breaks reality. Though, this one may be similar to Toothy from Forever Winter in how it fuels itself. I mean, just imagine if 'club' actually meant 'big fuck off cannon'.

Storm Saga: Keep Your Friends Close; Cosmere (RPG). So, in the space age of my relatively homebrew cosmere setting, spren that are known across the cosmere become sort of cosmic forces (for example, a 'cosmic cryptic's' head pattern may actually just be a black hole). And a 'cosmic Honorspren' that is closer to a windspren than most Honorspren (similar to Syl) bottles up a cognitive realm storm for a ship.

Circe Saga: Wouldn't You Like; This one is a weird one, Destiny. Given the death of the witness and a recurring theme of The Guardian growing past the need for a Ghost, I imagine there comes a time where Ghosts are temporary for a rare few. And honestly, Odysseus and the crew are Eliksni who happen to be getting some temporary godliness from a Ghost to deal with a Guardian who is blocking their way. Why? :shrug: Why not?

Underworld Saga: No Longer You; Tyranny. So, time magic is a thing in Tyranny. But the prophet is not just someone who uses Time magic, but is the Fatebinder asking questions of the prophet. By the end of the song, the prophet has sent the Fatebinder to the past, completing a time loop (as the prophet had the same happen to himself centuries beforehand.)

Thunder Saga: Scylla; Now I hadn't thought on what I would even do for this, in theory I could easily double up on Lancer here, but the felt wrong in a way that I can not put into words. Instead, I chose something that came out of left field for me: Warhammer 40k. My Hive Fleet Valkyrie are proficient in space combat and rely on autonomous Genestealer Cults. The six torches are choirs on six ships lighting up to distract the Hive Fleet from the rest of the navy fleet until they can travel out of the shadow, Scylla singing here being the Norn Queen.

Wisdom Saga: Love In Paradise (I like the Aphrodite and Ares parts, I think the others were weak by comparison, fight me); Odyssey. I could do something else like Godbound, which I enjoy significantly, but man...the animatic in my head is just dark and depressing no matter how I slice it in the end anyways, so I'm sorta just avoiding thinking about Odysseus getting dragged back into the bed by a literal goddess.

I won't say btw that the ideas aren't strange or tenuous, but comment about any of them you feel like commenting on, or if you recognize one of them, or something. Or if you want to tell me how my choices are 'wrong' and 'tasteless' or 'how could you pick that one over the one that is your favorite and thus the objective choice'.

[nightskylonging]

My reactions from reading Wind and Truth

Spoilers for the whole book under here! Also for The Sunlit Man!

Post-reading notes added in red.

Day one: Prologue through chapter 61

Kaladin has come so far. I’m so proud of him.

Kaladin Renarin and Adolin brothers? Official? Please?

'He had not given up his right to take Moash to task.' Kaladin really said ‘it wasn’t my fault, and I’m going to kick his rear’ I think he can still do this? Because the Windrunners didn't get him. So when we get down to brass tacks in the back half, I think Kaladin still has a shot at facing him down.

Oh my goshhhhhh Szeth needs so much therapy. His spren needs so much therapy. Can Knights Radiant do like. A relationship break? I think they need it? This is not healthy? Well. Didn't expect it to shake out like that, but I was still right!

Gavinor is having nightmares… Branderson this had better just be the trauma, if you go the child champion route, I swear… Ha. Hahaha. This poor boy.

Wait. Kaladin has a rock in his pack. Szeth’s oathstone??? Maybe?

Aladar does make me wonder. Stakes can’t really get higher for the back half… is the second half of Stormlight societal revolution? Never mind! Stakes can get higher!

Szeth’s flashback. It kinda makes my heart hurt. Already you can see the seeds of the older version, the beginnings of that obsessiveness. But I also think it’s interesting how Szeth is living a classic fantasy story: farmboy, cast out, caught up in strange affairs in alien lands…

Ba-Ado-Mishram… the 17th Shard forum (chaos specifically) must be having a field week with this

I love that Lopen is the one to lay it all out practically. And that he’s picking up on Lift’s intensifiers

‘Dai-Gonarthis! The Black Fisher holds my pain, and consumes it!’ That’s the quote in TWOK’s death rattles, I think. Is that what happened to El I wonder? Did she consume his rhythms? I don’t know how that would work, but it might be something.

Day three’s only Adolin, Szeth, and Kaladin’s POVs… aghhh

Kaladin: the murder was bad. You can get better Szeth: ah, of course. I should feel nothing when I kill. Kaladin: *sighing*

The Well of Control? Shroud of the fragments of the dead moon??? That goes hard, but what does it mean?

Wait. What do the Shin think about sand? Is that sacred? I don’t think so, based on an earlier pebble comment.

Szeth. Nooooooo. Suicide is not the way. Bad for you. Bad for Kaladin.

OH MY GOSH I JUST REALIZED THE CHAPTER ARCHES ARE COLLAPSING

Ashyn. Something that shook even Hoid. More and more we wonder at his story…

New chapter header! A pen and a spear… interesting. Maybe Syl? She mentioned wanting to learn to scribe. Oh, Sigzil!

Oh no. I just had a horrid thought. Is this battle why Nomad is so wrecked in The Sunlit Man? Yes and no, I guess.

Okay, new thought. It’s been 460 pages and nary hide nor hair of Moash. Where is he? Is he out for this book? He did finish the last one in… spectacular fashion.

Adolin has some very deeply buried resentment to deal with methinks. Either that or he’s going to burn out. Maybe both.

Oh, Kaladin… ‘Tonight, he wrote a different story for himself. Of a man who loved music.’ This genuinely brought a tear to my eye, this and his kata dance with Syl. He made it. I made it. We made it. It’s still hard, but there is music.

… well, there’s Moash.

Did they hemalurgy him??? Because in my cosmere experience, spikes = hemalurgy

Okay. I’ve got to say, we are coming back to the roots with this book. This feels like a proper fantasy novel. Which may sound weird, but Stormlight, especially Rhythm of War, was feeling a lot more sciencey. Not a bad thing, but we’re fully back in fantasy now.

Ima be honest, I completely forgot about Venli.

A fourth moon??? That… that has to be a metaphor, right? Current theory: someone tried a satellite, and Honor smote it. Tower of Babel esque. Well, wrong about that. I still don't get this fourth moon stuff. Time to go visit the 17th Shard?

Day two: chapter 62 through epilogue

He still has the stuffed sheep…

The chapter arches are still crumbling. And now the faces are getting mixed up, usually they’re symmetrical, but 70 just has one of Wit’s faces. Opposite him is… maybe Chanarach? I went and checked the Coppermind Wiki: definitely Chana. Didn't spare time to try and figure out if the mismatched faces meant anything, though. Though this is also how I accidentally spoiled what would happen to Kaladin, which fair. Coppermind updates fast. And we all had a feeling about that, no?

Shallan doesn’t want to look at Chanarach. Are the theories right? Chana was her mother? Wait. In Gavilar’s prologue the Stormfather says a Herald died. Does the timeline match up? It might… Shallan was… twelve or so then? I’d have to go check her flashbacks.

And the Iriali are leaving. Interesting… there’s another story. A lot of stories in these interludes. Are they off to Tress's planet?

I am developing a theory. Adolin is becoming what I call a deadeye knight – a partnership with a deadeye, maybe the armor too. Doesn’t come with powers. Bang on, past me.

TALNNNNN!

The highspren names are numbers. Huh. Okay. Immediate instinct is That’s Bad, but spren are like that. Thought about it. Still don't like it.

Lift is growing! And she found Zahel!

Ah, we were all right. Shallan is Chana’s daughter. She was the Herald the Stormfather felt die the night of Gavilar’s assassination. And she was the one who broke, not Taln. Taln never broke.

Oh. We knew Ashyn was bad, that they essentially nuked the place. But. Oh.

Szeth is figuring it out! Good on him!

Full circle. The Wandersail.

I’m on chapter 116, and folks? I am stressed.

I should have known it was Ishar, with those tortured spren.

Oh, so that fourth moon stuff was pre-Honor weirdness? Seriously, what is up with this fourth moon?

Dawn of the final day. 24 hours remain. I think my timing is technically off on putting this here, but it felt wrong to put it on the beginning of day nine.

They say it’s always darkest before the dawn, but this does feel pretty hopeless.

Wit’s story! At last!

That wasn’t much of a story, Hoid.

The Wind keeps telling Kaladin ‘I’m sorry’, and that is freakin’ ominous

Sebarial and Palona got married! ¡Finalmente!

Ooh, Branderson. You went and did it. Curses. Poor Gavinor.

Heck. It’s the trolley problem

Adolin gets a Shardleg? I was right! Deadeye Knight!

Unoathed? Now that’s a name!

Ten people with Shardblades alight. The suckling child. The burdens of nine (become mine… oh Almighty release me). These are all from the TWOK death rattles.

It’s all the death rattles. Gosh, rereading those will be a punch in the gut.

From 144 on, my commentary is only screaming.

Kaladin has a herald stone. I. *screams*

Okay, some more thoughts! Not at all cohesive. I. Need to reread some stuff. The Lost Metal, for Hoid. The Way of Kings, at least the death rattles, for the gut punch. The Sunlit Man, to see what clues were there.

I love the reveal that the in-world book was written by Szeth's wife. He really does get to heal. (Way to meet your future wife though. 'hello. can you help me bury a body.')

All the pieces will come into play now. This book just expands like crazy. The back half is definitely going to require High Cosmere Knowledge, and we're moving steadily into the more sciencey side.

I uphold my mid-read statement that W&T does feel more like a fantasy novel than ROW.

My two quibbles: The writing feels a bit modern. I'm willing to excuse that as we move into the more tech-magic fusion stage of the Cosmere. Plus, that modernity will fade a bit with time, I would assume. In the future it won't read the same. I wouldn't have written it that way, but there were only a few places where my mental editor's pen came out where I really wanted to change what was written. I know a lot of other people feel this way too, and a lot more strongly than I do. The second is the overall length of the book. And this is something that I think happens to a lot of bigger authors as they go on, so it's definitely not just Sanderson. Some of this could have been trimmed down. But that's pretty common, you can see it with a lot of authors once they get big and can go back and forth with their editors more.

This sure was a conclusion, but it definitely isn't the end.

[big-moss-inc]

Ohooohoo I get to talk about my nerd shit :)

1. Climate science: really science in general tbh and also the history of science, but I'm saying climate science specifically because that's my major and its what I know the most about

2. Elden Ring: there is just so much story and worldbuilding and it goes so deep and it's so so cool and aaaaaaaa

3. Hollow Knight: this story does not go as deep in the sense that talking about the lore is less red string conspiracy board and more me sobbing about the tragedy of these little bug guys. And the music oh god the music it's so unbelievably good

4. The Cosmere: the worldbuilding in these books is so expansive and interconnected that it's genuinely so hard not to go off on a million side tangents OR grossly oversimplify things

5. Conspiracy theories and pseudoscience: kind of looping back on the first one but I am just endlessly fascinated about how these come to be and how they spread

I will tag @fancy-fangs @eldritchqueerture @ribbed-vault-heart @hongjoongpresent @jamietherelentless and whoever else wants to (no pressure obv)

Five topics tag, tagged by @jjongolese thank youu 🩷

rules: list five topics you can talk about for at least an hour without any preparation.

1. Taylor Swift, I know too much about Taylor and I have so many things to say (honorable mentions:Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat & Trisha Paytas.)

2. Hair, I can talk about coloring, hairstyles everything forever.

3. Tsunamis, I very easily fall down a wormhole.

4. Ghosts/paranormal/witches, I can go for hours.

5. Dolls, you'd have to stop me from giving the full back story of my dolls.

I tag, @simply-elegantly-kai @karetahana @hopeticket @hyuckieslove @vanillacupcakefrosting

And anyone who wants to do it.

[koravelliumavast]

Ranking classical movie music composers based on vibes

John Williams: what iconic movie soundtracks HASNT he done. Harry Potter! Jurassic Park! Star Wars! Indiana Jones! Others!!! All iconic ones and all ones that have so great musical compositions to them that are recognizable and beloved. John Williams is probably one of the most well-renowned composers today.

Michael Giacchino: I will not forgive him for the Up soundtrack. Also his superhero movie song titles have unique names and I love the one song from the Spider-Man no way home that combines all three Spider-Man themes into one song but still manages to make it a unique song.

Hans Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean. He also did the lion king and I assume some other Disney movies too. His best known works are in the DC movies but I haven’t seen those. The soundtracks are solid though.

James Newton Howard: THE HUNGER GAMES THE FRENCH HORNS & SAXOPHONES WE CAN HEAR THEM AND WE HAD THE MELODY when we played it for a band concert and the fact that it was almost 8 years ago and I remember that fact says something. Besides that he did the fantastic beasts movies. He really likes to highlight the horns and I love that.

Alan Silvestri: Avengers. His best work is the avengers. Even if you’re not a marvel person you know the avengers theme. It’s such a recognizable song that is such a good earworm. I love how he incorporated the original avengers theme into the song from endgame (portals) without giving it too much of a copycat of the theme. That song gives me chills listening to it.

Christophe Beck: ok less known but he did the Ant-Man movies and in the same vein of Michael Giacchino these titles are fun! But along with those he did quite a few of the marvel TV shows and also Frozen. Christophe Beck really likes strong motifs and themes that can be called back to later. He also likes to highlight the lower instruments.

Danny Elfham: he’s got the ‘weird ones’ the Johnny Depp Willy Wonka, Rango, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Nightmare before Christmas. But his music is really solid and fun. There’s not much else to say here.

Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein: ok so it IS two people but they’re the two who did strangers things all four years and even if you dont like the show; the soundtrack is beautifully done with a large number of callbacks to previous seasons. (Best example: Kids is the title of a song in s1. In s4 there’s a song titled Teens that uses the same motif from Kids but changed it slightly to be more grown)

Mark Mothersbaugh: ok so I only have listened to one of his soundtracks but it’s the thor Ragnarok one and I love it. He also did ofmd and yeah. I love the way the synth in Ragnarok is incorporated without making it too much in some of the more orchestral songs

Howard Shore: ok so I only know what’s from lord of the rings from him but I LOVE concerning hobbits as it fits the not concerned with the outside world, bouncy, carefree, happy vibe of the Shire so well in that song.

John Powell: so he did HTTYD and I absolutely ADORE LOVE test flight for many a reason. But mostly because of the FRENCH HORNS and the climax of the song and how it feels mildly action packed but not the sense of dread action packed but more of the carefree action packed.

What have we learned from this: super hero movies have great composers, I can talk about music theory for a long time and don’t even care if anyone is listening, I did know like 3/4 of these composers names without looking it up, and I’m the person the soundtracks are on Spotify for. Furthermore I love French horns despite never playing them and not being able to because I was a woodwind.

[demoisverysexy]

So in the stormlight Archive, the Alethi use a 10 note scale composed of 5 note quintaves, and now im wondering why people havent written anything that might give a sense for what Alethi music might sound like.

[moiraineswife]

Painrial - A Stormlight Fic

ONCE AGAIN: THERE’D BE SPOILERS FOR RHYTHM OF WAR IN THIS HERE FIC. 

TURN BACK NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK.

TURN BACK. PAST THIS POINT THERE IS NO RETURN. 

ON YOUR OWN HEAD BE IT. 

I WILL NOT BE BLAMED IF YOU KEEP READING AND SPOIL YOURSELF, I WILL NOT. 

Title: Painrial

Summary:  Set in the middle of Rhythm of War.  Navani's POV, set during one of their many scholarly research sessions. Raboniel is an ancient Fused, but she doesn't have an ancient body to match, so she's fine studying on the cold hard floor. Navani's body is less happy about this. Raboniel discovers some novel uses for her abilities to help. They're all extremely gay.

Teaser: 

No, decorum was not the problem. She was simply having a bad day. 

Her sense of propriety did not object to any of this, but her hips certainly did. And they’d recently invited her shoulders to join in the angry demonstration. How lovely.

She hissed irritably and stretched her legs out in front of her to see if that would help. It did. For precisely a minute. Then it didn’t.

Storms but she missed her painrial.

Link: ao3

Commission Link: Have me write other cosmere characters

Navani groaned softly, shifting in place on the hard floor. 

With Raboniel working beside her today, the desk had proved too confining for all of the papers, experiments, and reference books they were working with. So, at Raboniel’s suggestion, they had relocated to the floor, spreading their research around them. 

It did make it easier to organise and group information, spot patterns and connections, she had to admit. But it caused other problems. 

Navani had thought, and secretly hoped, Raboniel would be too important to sprawl on the floor with a human. She had strange ideas of propriety. 

She reminded her of Jasnah, in some ways. Though she personally didn’t seem to care much for her society’s expectations in terms of lauding her own importance, there were things she absolutely expected to give the proper presentation and respect. Appropriate use of her title, for instance. 

Evidently, sitting hunched on the floor scribbling on scrap paper was not among the things that were a slight to the Fused’s honour. 

Navani had, therefore, had no choice but to join her. 

She had been in a queen, in one way or another, for most of her adult life. She didn’t consider herself above sitting on the floor either, as it happened, especially not in the name of science. 

Being the dowager queen for some years had accustomed people to her ‘eccentricities’ which were, in fact, perfectly ordinary human things. Just things they felt one of her station should not being engaged in. That was ebbing again, in her role as Queen of Urithiru. 

Indeed, Dalinar had almost had a heart attack when he’d caught her studying on the floor once. Bless him. You’d have thought he’d walked in on her giving on the Heralds a massage with her unclothed safehand. 

No, decorum was not the problem. She was simply having a bad day. Her sense of propriety did not object to any of this, but her hips certainly did. And they’d recently invited her shoulders to join in the angry demonstration. How lovely. 

She hissed irritably and stretched her legs out in front of her to see if that would help. It did. For precisely a minute. Then it didn’t. 

Storms but she missed her painrial. 

Raboniel’s eyes flicked towards Navani and she hummed a rhythm Navani couldn’t place, but didn’t say anything. 

Conscious of the Fused’s attention, she tried not to show her weakness, to focus on her work instead. Impossible. 

The pain, coupled with her heightened sensitivity to it, was like a screaming baby. Highly distressing, and incredibly difficult to simply ignore. 

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to be still, concentrating on her breathing, which had become rather shaky and laboured. 

That didn’t work either. 

Frustrated, no longer able to care what Raboniel thought, she got to her feet, stretching. She rolled her angry shoulder, and it popped with a spasm of pain that made her gasp in spite of herself. 

“Navani,” Raboniel said from behind her, “Is something wrong?” 

Gritting her teeth, Navani forced herself to turn, bowing her head respectfully to the Fused. 

“I apologise if my lack of focus is displeasing to you, Ancient One,” she said. 

Raboniel studied her, still humming to that indecipherable rhythm. She did notice, distantly, that it didn’t sound like derision, however, as she would have expected. 

“I did not ask out of displeasure or irritation, Navani,” Raboniel said, “But out of concern.” 

Navani exhaled slowly, gripping the back of the desk chair in a white-knuckled grip, as though this would help somehow. 

“I am in pain, Ancient One,” she said, too sore, and too tired, and too storming frustrated to be delicate about it. 

Raboniel blinked and sat up straighter. Her rhythm became faster, with sharper, higher pitched beats, “Have you been injured?” she asked, sharply, “Shall I send for a healer to attend you?” 

Navani smiled wanly. Would that it were so easy. 

“Thank you, Ancient One, but no, there is nothing any healer can do for me. My own have already tried.” 

Renarin had insisted, bless him. Navani had suspected, correctly, that he would be unable to help her, but he had wanted to try. 

“This is an existing condition,” she explained, “It is not something that can be cured.” 

Raboniel cocked her head to the side, considering, “I have heard of a condition among humans that causes degradation and inflammation of joint tissues that comes with wear and age. You do not seem old enough for this, however.” 

Navani nodded, too fatigued and hazy to remark as much as she should have on the fact that Raboniel knew of arthritis, of all things. 

“The surgeons suggested this to me when my symptoms presented around ten years ago,” she explained, “They thought I might have an early on-set of the condition, though their usual treatments did not seem to help me,” she said, grimly. “Another suggested that it may be a lesser known neurological condition that causes pain but does not cause observable physical damage. Without any way to see the joints, they could not be certain.” 

Raboniel nodded, apparently considering, then, surprisingly, she got to her feet and walked over to join Navani. 

“Would you object to my examining you?” she asked, the music of her words surprisingly gentle, as if intended to put her at ease. It made it clear this was a true request, not a veiled command. 

Startled, Navani shrugged and nodded. What was the harm? Perhaps the Fused thought that she was lying. She had experienced that before. If someone could not see an injury, they assumed it was not present. 

Raboniel, already having deduced that the shoulder was a problem area, motioned for Navani to remove her havah there. She did so, easing it down off her shoulder, bearing the skin for the other scholar. 

She wasn’t sure what the Fused wished to examine. There was nothing to see. No visible sign of injury, no swelling, or redness. 

Raboniel examined the area carefully, giving her a thorough, and apparently practiced, visual inspection. Then she said, “May I touch you? I do not intend to hurt you, and I shall stop if you request it. But I have something I wish to attempt.” 

Baffled but intrigued, Navani nodded, “You may proceed,” she said. 

Raboniel laid a hand on Navani’s shoulder. Her skin was callused, like Dalinar’s, but was warm, which she had not expected, for some reason. 

Navani watched, fascinated, as Raboniel closed her eyes and hummed a strange, pulsing rhythm that steadily passed out of Navani’s hearing range, and was unlike anything she’d experienced before. 

Even as she became unable to hear it, however, she felt it vibrating through her shoulder. 

She gasped in surprise, and Raboniel faltered for a moment, blinking her eyes open, and making to remove her hand. Instinctively, Navani placed her own over it, keeping it in place. 

“I am well,” she breathed, “Please, don’t stop.” 

Raboniel nodde and closed her eyes again, continuing. She did this for several minutes, moving her hand to different places several times. 

Finally, she stopped and hummed a different rhythm that Navani could hear, one that sounded satisfied, “Your second surgeon’s hypothesis was correct,” she announced, “I cannot sense any damage to the joint itself.” 

“Sense?”Navani repeated, feeling vaguely overwhelmed. She thought she knew what Raboniel meant, but surely…

“If I touch you, and push a certain rhythm into your skin, changes in how I in turn feel that rhythm allow me to build a vague picture of things beneath the surface of your skin. 

“In doing that, I cannot detect any obvious holes or degradation to the muscle or joint. Though, I will admit, this process is uncertain.” 

“Storms,” Navani said, reeling from the implications of this. “It’s like cremlings that live in tunnels in the rocks,” she whispered, hand to her head, “They emit sounds and use how they bounce back to see without eyes. Scholars have recently made a study of it, but they considered it an exercise in natural science, only. No-one imagined it might have implications or other uses for us.” 

Raboniel nodded, humming in the way she did whenever Navani grasped a theory she was explaining, and expanded upon it. A pleased, excited rhythm. 

“It is inexact,” Raboniel said, “And imperfect. Though it is a promising avenue for exploration nonetheless, no for now it has had little testing.” 

“It’s incredible,” Navani breathed, “Truly, Raboniel.” 

For once, Raboniel did not seem to mind that Navani had forgotten her title. Indeed, she actually smiled. 

Then the expression faded a little. 

When she spoke, Navani expected her rhythm to be that satisfied one again, but it was softer, more wistful, with an almost mournful cast to it. 

“Sometimes,” she said quietly, “Sometimes I wonder what good I might have brought to this world in all my long years, had I not been made to fight this endless war. How many might I have saved had I used my abilities to heal, rather than harm? What a wonderful, impossible dream that is.” 

Navani reached out, daringly, and took her hand, the one that had been on her shoulder, and said, quietly but firmly, “It does not have to be impossible. It is not too late for that, Raboniel. You could still save lives, if that is what you wished.” 

A darkness suffused her rhythm as she replied, “I shall, Navani. I intend to end this war, and with it save thousands from the horrors I have been subjected to throughout so many Returns. But I will not achieve that through gentle words and medical innovation. 

“This war persists as each side is assured continuation. The Fused will return again and again, with mangled minds and hollowed souls echoing with the songs of hatred and pain. The Radiants will die, but their spren will bond others to fight us. 

“And we will fight. And they will fight. And on and on it shall go, as it has for thousands of years. 

“The only way for me to end it is to change the stakes. Make them real. Make them bloodier. Make death real, for both sides.” 

Navani felt a chill run through her at that, but forced her voice to remain steady as she said, “My husband, Dalinar, believed that, too. He thought the only way to win a war was to deal so much death to his enemy that they could never recover.” 

She met the Fused eyes and squeezed her hand, saying fiercely, “He was wrong. He was a monster,” Navani pressed on, determined, “He became a better man. He changed. You can change, as well, it is not too late.” 

Raboniel studied her for a long time, before she smiled wryly and said, “I have always been fond of this aspect of humans. You have such hope in the potentials of the future. You believe that things will change, that things will become better. You think that if something can happen, then it shall.” 

A distant look entered her eyes, and something dark reflected within them, something deep, and full of pain. 

“We see it differently. The future can be different from how the past has written its script. But it must be forced, it must be pushed, it must be given some reason to change. It will not do so on a whim.” 

She looked down at Navani, her eyes deep, her rhythm pulsing strongly against her. 

“You seek to be that force for me, Navani Kholin, the will that shifts me from what thousands of years of history proclaim I shall be, to the mythical ideal of what I might become that lives in your mind. I commend you for that. It takes bravery, and true grit, to achieve. But it cannot be.” 

“Why?” Navani said, a hint of desperation in her voice, “Why must we continue this cycle of death, and only escalate it? Why can it not change? WHy can you not change?” 

“Humans are fleeting,” Raboniel murmured, “This refreshes you, revitalises you, brings new ideas and new eyes to the same old song. Your husband, he was a monster for, what? Two decades? Crem that has only just fallen may still be molded, still be altered.

I have been a monster for thousands of years, Navani. 

When crem is left for centuries it becomes stone. When it is left for millenia, it becomes part of the fabric of this world. 

I am as eternal and immovable as the stones and storms of Roshar, Navani. They cannot stop blowing, their fires will not stop flaming and I? I will not stop, either.” 

Navani trembled, the weight, and power, and depth of this woman’s experiences shaking her very being. 

“Now,” Raboniel said, her rhythm becoming stronger, brisker, once again. “Is there anything I might do that will alleviate your pain so you may continue your research with me?” 

Navani paused, momentarily thrown by the sudden change in the conversation’s tone. Then she pulled herself back to level, business-like ground as well. 

“There are certain plants and medications that can dull the pain, Ancient One,” she said with a grimace. 

Raboniel cocked her head, “Then why do you make that face, Navani?” 

“They are known to dull the mind as well as the senses,” she said, “Or they have other, even less desirable side-effects.” 

Raboniel hummed, and this time she did sound displeased. “Is there nothing else?” she asked, “How did you deal with it before we arrived here?” 

Navani hesitated. Storms, what she wouldn’t give for her painrial back. But no. She couldn’t tell Raboniel of that. Painrials were too essential to the traps and plans she had simmering in the back of her mind. It would not do to reveal one so explicitly. 

Instead she said carefully, “Heat has proved an effective therapy for me in the past, Ancient One.” 

“Heat?” Raboniel said, humming to a thoughtful rhythm again. “Would you object to my touching you again, Navani?” she asked softly. 

She should have. After what this woman had just said, after what she had implied about what she had done, what she was capable of, she should have fled to the opposite end of the room and placed herself as far from her as possible. 

Yet she nodded, cautiously.  

Raboniel approached again, flexing her hand, and Navani gasped as flame engulfed her palm. A moment later they faded, but her palms retained a soft glow, like coals in a dying fire. 

She met Navani’s eyes, questioning, and Navani tentatively nodded. 

The other woman put her hands on Navani’s aching shoulder and heat from her palms, giving her the feeling of sinking into a hot bath after a full day’s hard labour. 

She shivered, relief washing through her, as her muscles instinctively relaxed, no longer taut with pain, and she trembled. 

She would have fallen, but Raboniel, anticipating this, moved a hand to support her, and Navani gripped her forearm, steadying herself as she let out a long, slow breath, and fought not to moan with how good it this felt. 

“It is helping?” Raboniel asked softly, rhythm curious. 

Navani nodded wordlessly, eyes still closed, drinking in the relief at the contact. For the moment, she forgot that the source of the heat was not one of her fabrials, but an ancient, god-empowered, immortal, voidbinding Fused and simply enjoyed it. It had been so long since she’d had any kind of relief for her pain. 

After a moment, Raboniel shifted her hands from Navani’s shoulders, down to her hips and lower back, letting them rest and soothe the aches there as well. 

This time Navani did let a hoarse moan escape her. Stormfather but she had been suffering with this all day. Raboniel hummed her reply. 

“I am glad that this brings you some relief from your pains,” she said quietly. 

“I thought you could only progress towards destruction, not relief, or calm,” Navani said, too boldly. 

“Careful, Navani,” Raboniel hummed, though her rhythm was one of warning, not fury. 

Raboniel withdrew not long after that, but left Navani feeling refreshed and energised as if she’d just drunk in a goblet full of Stormlight. 

They returned to their work, and several times more over the hours they studied together, Raboniel leaned over and pressed warmed palms against her to soothe away her aches. 

Navani tried not to think about what it meant when Raboniel’s hands lingered longer than they needed to. Or how she leaned into the touches perhaps more than she should have. Or how more than the heat from her palms flared inside Navani when skin met skin. 

Storms. 

Somehow, this may have caused more problems than it had solved… 

****

A/N: 

For anyone wondering: I wrote Navani as having fibromyalgia, because that's what I have and am therefore the most familiar with.

I wasn’t sure if Raboniel had the surge of Division or Transformation, so I kept it vague and made it gay so it worked.

Expect more content in the near future. Just as often as I remember I have stuff to post...

Comments are Delightful. I thank everyone who commented on the Jasnah/Wit piece. I am fuelled and inspired.

If there's anything in particular y'all would like to see for these two hit me up btw.

[brechtian]

I’ve been thinking about how The Stormlight Archive, despite being Sanderson’s most inaccessible series based on length alone, has one of the biggest and most dedicated fanbase of any cosmere series. While tsa is incredibly well written and unique fantasy, the same could be said for the majority of Sanderson’s writing, none of which receive as much consistent attention as tsa. I’ve come to the conclusion that the immense popularity of the series among fans and creators hinges on the very fact that it is difficult to read and requires work to be put in. When we, as consumers of media, have to put in extra effort in order to read/watch/understand something, then have that work rewarded by the piece of media being enjoyable, we feel more fulfilled than consuming a similarly enjoyable, but easily accessible, alternative. Furthermore, we don’t want the work we put in to be wasted by not having it appreciated by anyone else, so we are more inclined to create fan art, writing, music, theories, etc. So, most likely completely unintentionally, Sanderson concocted the perfect formula for large, diehard fan base of his series.

[unstoppable-mogar]

Thanks for the link @aplpaca !

That makes a ton of sense now. And by controlling society, I meant that since writing, reading, finances, science, art, music, education and such are women's work, they should be the movers and shakers. It's been my experience that any group that influences those areas would have significant power over society. Especially if you throw in theology. @rhetoricandlogic I'd absolutely like to hear your monologue on the Roshar patriarchy, I'm guessing I'll prob agree.

And thanks for the welcome :) I've read all the cosmere books, but I'm rereading the Stormlight Archive. I wanna jump into some theories!!

Hey Stormlight Archivers

Someone please explain the whole safe hand thing to me. Why would women give up one of their two most useful appendages for modesty? How are you supposed to get any science or art done with a mitten?? Is there any religious association with the left hand?

Also, why is all of Roshar not a matriarchy if women control so much of society?

Seriously, both these questions really pull me out of the narrative.

[novaraptorus]

Storms! I adore the idea that Dalinar's perpendiculariity makes one! Thats such fun & evokative imagry, soundigry?

I'm not a cosmere theories freak but I do have one theory I'm very passionate about which is that the pure tones of Roshar sound like sine wave synths! Let me explain :) I am taking "pure" to mean "consisting of only one note (and no overtones)", which is basically the definition of a sine wave. A sine wave is the representation of a single frequency with no harmonics and is considered an acoustically pure tone. Sine waves don't occur naturally - real world sounds always have overtones, in varying quantities. We can synthesize sine waves, however, and they sound like this (I played it in different pitches so you can get an idea of the timbre):

Here's a visual representation of a sine wave:

So this is what I imagine it sounds like when Dalinar opens a perpendicularity, or when singers hear pure notes in highstorms. And because the sound of a sine wave is so unnatural, it would really stand out and feel otherworldly on a planet that doesn't have modern technology - and I feel like that fits the description.

We also know that it's possible to use tuning forks to play the three pure tones of roshar and pull the matching types of light out of gemstones. While acoustic instruments can't produce a truly pure note (aka a sine audio wave), tuning forks come pretty close. They initially produce high overtones, but those fade out quickly, and then the forks keep resonating with a pure tone. It makes sense that tuning forks are the closest Rosharan humans can get to synthesizing a sine wave!

There's also the fact that Raboniel can sing the pure notes and get the lights to respond, while Navani can't. Is it just because Raboniel's pitch is more accurate, or do singers have an physiological ability to produce notes with less overtones? This is really interesting to me...

And one more fun thing to consider. You know what other instrument comes pretty close to producing a pure tone? The flute! Hoid gave Kaladin a flute... idk if it actually has any reasoning behind it but I really hope it does 😂 imagine how cool it will be if it will be used for musical magic system stuff

[demoisverysexy]

Are those quintaves pentatonic scales? I doubt they would be evenly tempered, and that would fit with a lot of musical teaditions

So in the stormlight Archive, the Alethi use a 10 note scale composed of 5 note quintaves, and now im wondering why people havent written anything that might give a sense for what Alethi music might sound like.