#thunderclast

[onlycosmere]

Killing Thunder by Ari Ibarra

[koravelliumavast]

And you expect me to be normal about him? AFTER THIS

Actually you expect me to be normal about both of them after this?

Ok actually I take that back again. You expect me to be normal about any of these characters after Oathbringer chapter 120?

[elsefaller]

*Everstorm lightning zap*

YOU’RE LISTENING TO

*Chasmfiend screech*

REAL SINGERS FM

*Thunderclast stomping*

WHERE WE PLAY NOTHING BUT RHYTHMS, RHYTHMS, AND MORE RHYTHMS

*Shardblades clashing*

THIS IS NOT YOUR KEEPER OF SONGS’ RHYTHM

*Imagine Dragons - Radioactive starts playing*

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters in the Hunger Games

As requested by @sweetteaanddragons :)

I haven't read or watched Hunger Games, but I've picked up enough through cultural osmosis...I hope. They're kids in an arena fighting to the death, right? And it's a media circus? And there are 12 districts? And they're poor? I think I got it! Anyway, let's stick Cosmere characters in that arena and see how they do!

By the way, for the most part I'm imagining these characters in their own separate hunger games, not all together, just because I didn't want to imagine all of my blorbos killing each other.

1. Kaladin

After a kid who looks just like Tien literally dies in Kaladin's arms (note: all of the kids look exactly like Tien so far as Kaladin is concerned), Kaladin realizes that the Hunger Games are about kids dying, not about kids surviving. He decides that he has to save everyone, and quickly builds a coalition with the other tributes. They all die anyway and Kaladin wins.

He's not happy about it.

2. Shallan

Sadly, Shallan dies while trying unsuccessfully to convince a stick to become fire. Technically, I think this means the stick wins, but they give the award to some kid instead, for some reason.

3. Adolin

Adolin was doing really well until FOUR other tributes all decided to gang up on him. Even then, he fought like an uncaged tiger and very nearly survived. Nearly. (Hey, uh, most characters die in Hunger Games, right?)

4. Vin

Vin slices through the competition like a vengeful god. Emphasis on vengeful. And god. She barely even lets herself get distracted by the weird love triangle between that guy who wants to make the world better and the one who wants to burn it all down. She's too busy, like, killing everyone.

5. Zane

Zane thinks it's pretty swell to be in this killing arena killing people. What isn't swell is that Vin isn't into him, even AFTER their romantic killing spree. What gives? Anyway. Vin kills him.

6. Elend

Elend has a lot of thoughts about the sociological implications of the games. He does not have a lot of thoughts about how to sharpen a stick into a crude spear and ram it through someone's chest. (Is that what happens in the Hunger Games?) Regardless, I don't think he makes it long... Sorry, Elend.

7. Spook

Spook is a wraith. No one ever sees him coming. Or sees him at all. He keeps receiving supplies and weapons from a mysterious benefactor. At one point he starts wearing a handkerchief over his eyes and killing people by sound alone. I don't really see him winning, tbh (sorry Spook), but he is definitely a crowd favorite who makes it super far.

8. Szeth

"To kill innocent children for the amusement of distant viewers blackens my soul with a stain that shall never be removed. Oh, how I hate this. Oh, how I hate this senseless, senseless killing," Szeth thinks to himself as he constructs an unnecessarily elaborate death trap that kills his opponents horribly. "No one suffers like me," Szeth thinks, over all of the screaming.

9. Renarin

Hey remember when Renarin killed a Thunderclast mostly off-screen? Plus he has future sight. If they've got their powers in this game, then Radiant Renarin is probably taking it all. If not, well...let's not go there.

10. Vivenna

After her sister is sent as a tribute in Vivenna's place, Vivenna enters the Hunger Games anyway, determined to somehow put a stop to them. For example, she takes all the food she can find and hides it in one place so that it will be safe for everyone. She figures out how to predict supply drops to ensure that she always gets to them first. While convinced that she is the Hunger Games Breaker, she is actually the season's most notorious villain and eventually everyone bands together to kill her. Sorry, Vivenna.

11. Kelsier

Kelsier wins the hearts of viewers everywhere, mostly due to his determination to keep smiling no matter what horrors he must survive. He's, like, really good at killing people also. The Survivor, people call him. But when he is shockingly cut down and killed, his death galvanizes a rebellion against, uh, President Snow? Is that the big bad? Anyway. There's a religion about him now.

12. Ann

Oh, Ann. So excited to shoot guns. (Do they have guns?) So excited to shoot bows and arrows maybe. But she can't shoot worth a damn. She has a splendid time and hits no one. And, well, she does not win.

13. Cord

Frankly, Cord wants to win and bring glory and money (?) back home to her people, who desperately need it. I'm assuming the districts get stuff if their person wins. Cord is in it to win it. And she's awfully good with that bow and arrow...

14. Lift

Man, I don't want Lift to be in the Hunger Games! Lift thinks killing is lazy and boring! Sure, she'd be great at hiding in trees and getting food, but I definitely do not see Lift actually being able to kill anyone. Is that allowed? Will she be disqualified?

15. Tress

Tress looks at the Death Arena Whose Purpose Is Death and says, "But is anyone gonna Make Friends about it" and doesn't wait for an answer. Somehow, by the end, basically everyone IS friends. Except for that one person who really did want to kill. But she and Tress went off together and only Tress returned. So.

Basically, Tress's influence ruins the Hunger Games that year. Nobody wants the Friendship Games.

[nevertheless-moving]

relistening to Way of Kings and I love how right away we get a herald looking at a defeated thunderclast and shuddering like 'god i hate those things, they keep killing me.' adds another bit of zing to renarin's feral 1v1 victory

[nightblood-autoresponder]

Best part of reading Twok Prime is seeing how all the characters Brandon conceived for the initial version, he lets self actualize in the final draft. Shinri and Merin turn into a much more internally-motivated Shallan and Kaladin; Shallan gets to plan her own quest, anything bad said about her in childhood is proved abusive nonsense, and when she gets set up with an arranged marriage, it's to a hot prince instead of a dirty old man; and instead of jokes about Meren being a country bumpkin who's trying to model his Quest after bards' tales, Kal get the whole class struggle internal conflict plotline we know and love. Elhokar even gets his sympathy plotline in Oathbringer.

But this applies to Renarin and Jasnah especially. Prime!Renarin accepts his demotion from Elhokar gracefully and is perfectly happy being a Support Class to Meren. In Stormlight actual he actually has a problem being pushed to the side like that and gets to do crazy shit about it. He throws himself in the dueling ring with no chance to succeed, sword screaming, and gets rewarded for it by getting to the kill-thunderclasts power level a book later. He both gets his struggles with blasphemous foresight highlighted and gets a boyfriend to bear them with. Canon lets that kid shoot for the moon and get there.

And Jasnah? First of all by the time canon starts, she's set aside her most salient Prime goal of looking out for her bloodline in favor of her personal Radiant/desolation research, so there's that. She retains some self doubt but not enough to stop her acting on (killing people about) her consequentialist beliefs. But her main plots in Prime she gets married off to Amaram who is also kind of Sadeas, so she's navigating that, and she is still an atheist but her romance plot with Taln brushes close up against converting her, or making her wish she did believe in him, that sort of thing. And in contrast, in canon she suffers nobody telling her who to marry, is breaking up with her divine-touched boyfriend because he's not as committed to the relationship as she needs a long term partner to be, and has become asexual. Now THAT is atheist representation.

[taravangians-storming-balls]

Honestly the final battle in oathbringer is just movie bait. The entire battle field is covered in glowing gems. You cannot have my pain and then the perpendicularity visuals. Kaladin/Shallan/Adolin stepping out of shadesmar like it's avengers endgame. Glowing red evil amaram and Rock's big damn hero moment saving kaladin. Shallan holding hands with her alters. Renarin fighting the thunderclast. Jasnah. I could go on.

[ivebeensetonfire]

So it looks like brandosando is writing in a different direction, but before book 5 comes out I want to say my own personal head canon that I developed between oathbringer and RoW.

Adolin Kholin is absolutely a stoneward. Gregarious, kind, absolute friendly jock energy. Intelligent, but not bookish. Leads his soldiers in a personable and comradely way, not authoritative or distant like his father. Absolutely stubborn. Bullheaded. Impulsive. Hotheaded.

All hallmarks of the stoneward. And one moment solidified this theory in my head until RoW dropped: when fighting the thunderclast in OB, beaten, bloodied, and barely able to stand, what did he do? He saw the people fleeing, realized what must be done, and turned. He faced the giant bearing down on him, and fell into

STONE STANCE.

The IMMOVEABLE stance.

“Come and get me, you bastard.”

Talenelat’Elin, the stoneward herald, was known for taking impossible battles.

[kaladinstormblessed09]

Okay, now that I’m more composed I wanna give my actual thoughts on Oathbringer. This is my favourite stormlight book so far, and I’m 700 pages into RoW so please no spoilers for that. Spoilers for Oathbringer down below obviously

Oathbringer focuses a lot more on Dalinar, but I'll get back to him. Bridge 4 gets their own pov chapters. Teft struggling with his addiction, Rock with his family, Skar not being able to take in stormlight, Rlain being alone amongst people who mean well but can never truly understand what he’s going through. I love this crew so much! The side characters shine in this book. Elhokar! I ended up liking him so much in it just for him to be brutally murdered right in front of his son. Moash even kicked the child. I was sobbing, I was so upset. He had so much potential. He was becoming a better king, a knight's Radiant. All for it to be just gone. And kaladin took that failure so personally. My baby. You can't always save everyone, but this is something Kal always struggle with. Moash even had the audacity to salute Kaladin, after murdering Elhokar!

Shallan just gets better and better in every book. I love how much she's improved in lightweaving. She was making her own little movie in Urithiru. I freaking love Veil. She's going around stabbing herself and getting arrows stuck in her head saying it's just a flesh wound. And everyone is rightfully baffled at her. I love her. I really loved her scenes with Wit/Hoid. It seems to me wit has a soft spot for Shallan. I love that Shallan and Adolin are married now! I love love love Adolin. Kaladin is right. You can't not like Adolin. He's got such sunshine golden retriever energy. Also, I love that Kaladin gave Shallan boots as a wedding present. LMAO.

Jasnah is the real mvp! Her just breezing through the final battle soulcasting her enemies was so fucking cool! She’s obviously the one who has the most control over their powers. When she decides not to kill Renarin oh man I cried! In fact I cried through the entire last 150 pages!

When szeth swoops down to save Lift and uses Nightblood to kill that thunderclast? When Lift tries to save szeth from Nightblood?! So many epic fucking scenes!

Dalinar really gets his avenger endgame moment with all the radiants! So so so cool!

And now speaking of Dalinar. So, Dalinar. How do I talk about him. He's probably the best written character I've ever read. He's your classic reformed character. His flashbacks when he was in his prime, being the blackthorn was difficult to read. But it shows you why the other country leaders are scared of him. And it's a legitimate worry. Now that the whole world is at the brink of an apocalypse, and he can save people no one trusts him because of his reputation because he used to be a war monger and a tyrant. and he knows that he can just do it again. He can be the balckthorn again and unite the world forcefully so they'll listen to him. It'll be so easy for him. But he doesn't want to do that. He's not that war monger anymore. And no one believes him. It's such good story telling. But after I read what he did to the rift, and to Evi, I didn't know how to root for him anymore. How do you root for a character who has burned a whole city down killing thousands of innocent people, including his wife. how do you root for someone who killed his own wife?? That's why it was so cathartic when we got to that moment between Dalinar and Odium. Odium telling Dalinar to just give in. Give him all his pain, and that he's the one who influenced him into doing bad things. telling him not to take responsibility. I thought Dalinar was gonna give in. He was gonna become Odium's champion and Kaladin would have to fight him. but for once Kal doesn't save the day. Dalinar doesn't give in. This is the best scene in this book, which is hard to choose cause this book is filled with epic scenes. "The most important step a man can take is not the first one. it's the next one. always the next step. You cannot have my pain. If I pretend I didn't do these things it means I can't have grown to become someone else. I'll take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall I will rise each time a better man." It's about him taking accountability, acknowledging the wrongs of his past. it's about trying to be a better man. It's about forgiveness and doing better. People complain about the lengths of these books but we needed these pages to get that character development to get to this moment where Dalinar defies Odium. I love this book. this 1200 page behemoth and even than I wanted more. I’ve gone back to this sequence multiple times in the last few days. Even as I read RoW now I go back to reading that sequence. And I cry every single time.

In conclusion, Oathbringer was amazing. I can’t wait to finish RoW. Then I’ll only have the secret projects and TLM left until I’m fully caught up with Cosmere! I can’t wait!

[onlycosmere]

Shadow of the Thunderclast by Connor Chamberlain

[koravelliumavast]

Out of the main POV characters in stormlight (has more than two povs), there are exactly two who haven’t killed at least one character. (I think. I don’t have the books with me right now) Renarin and Lift.

[imonlyhereforcrem]

Way of Kings Reread Thoughts

Szeth references the Voidbringers (thunderclasts) returning the first time his truthlessness is mentioned. It’s a couple pages later that he makes the connection to Radiant powers returning. It seems more straightforward for him to have seen Radiant powers instead of a whole thunderclast but what if???

[cosmerelists]

My Top 10 Favorite Stormlight Fights...That DON'T Involve Kaladin

I wanted to do an overall “top fights” list but I found that were all, uh, just Kaladin. So Kaladin’s best fights will be saved for a future post, probably, but for now--let’s give some love for those epic fights that DON’T involve our most dramatic hero.

[SPOILERS FOR ALL OF STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES!]

10: Adolin (and Renarin!) vs. the Thunderclast [Oathbringer]

This one makes the Top 10 for me mostly because of how cool it must have been in theory...although tragically we never do actually get to see Renarin fight the Thunderclast. I mean, Adolin's part is still very cool--gotta love the one guy without Radiant powers nevertheless trying to fight a giant stone monster from ages past. And then Renarin comes and defeats it off-screen, and that is cool enough to make this list even though we don't see it.

#9: Moash vs. Leshwi [Oathbringer]

This is such a short fight, and it probably wouldn't make the Top 10 for most people...but I thought it was cool. We have Moash facing off against a Fused--one of the first Fused we ever see--with a Shardblade, only to realize that he can't beat her with that weapon, so he grabs a simple spear instead (my heart!). Then he gets lashed to the sky...but pulls her with him and stabs her in the chest. And so he kills her, and Lewshi being Leshwi, she's like, "Okay. You're legit and I like you." So kind of a cool character-building moment for both of them!

#8: Adolin & Dalinar & Elhokar vs. the Chasmfiend [Way of Kings]

This fight didn't do it for me one a first read, because frankly I didn't care that much about the Dalinar chapters in Book 1 because I was always waiting to get back to Kaladin. But upon a reread and a re-reread, I liked it much more! Like so many early fights in Way of Kings, it felt like a sort of tutorial for how the powers work, here focusing on how Shardblades and Chasmfiends Work. You get to see Adolin & Dalinar work well together despite their conflicts, and you get to see Elhokar being, well, Elhokar.

#7: Adolin’s Duels [Words of Radiance]

Except for the last one, to keep this ranking Kaladin-free! But Adolin's pre-Whitespine-Uncaged duels were also very legit. Adolin is a great swordsman, and that makes him fun to watch (well, read about). And I loved the way that he had a different way to mess with his opponent in every duel, from unhinged battery to slowly picking apart the other guy's armor. It's great to see someone good at dueling get to do what they're best at.

#6: Szeth vs. an entire party [Way of Kings]

I'm referring to when Szeth assassinated King Hanavanar of Jah Keved...while the guy was holding a big dinner party. And while this scene is a little painful to read, since Szeth slaughters everyone while crying, if memory serves, you gotta be a little impressed by the way Szeth is able to kill an entire room of people, many of whom are armed with Shardblades or half-shards. At one point he even tosses his sword away and goes hand-to-hand with people holding deadly weapons and just slaughters them all, no problem. That guy is frightening good at murder.

#5: Navani vs. Raboniel vs. Moash [Rhythm of War]

Some fights are cool because they involve visually stunning moves or epic swordplay. Some are cool because they rip my heart into a million pieces. This is one of the latter! Navani killing Raboniel is gut-wrenchingly tragic but also so cool (the Fused are impossible to kill and yet, Navani does it)...and then Moash shows up. The confrontation between Moash and Navani was an emotional beat I didn't know I needed until it was happening...and listen, I am SUCH a sucker for self-sacrifice. Raboniel grabbing Moash to let Navani escape, even after Navani killed her? I'll never be over it.

#4: Szeth vs. Gavilar [Way of Kings]

I mean, this one is a true classic. It's the first fight we see, and serves as a basic tutorial on how stormlight and Shardblades work. We have Szeth in the opening of Way of King, going to assassinate Gavilar. He lashes people and things left and right. He's on the ceiling and the walls. He's burning souls and cutting holes in the building. He's desperately fighting Gavilar in what is probably Gavilar's only cool scene in all of the books. It's just classic.

#3: Shallan vs. An Entire Army [Oathbringer]

I'm not sure this would make a "Top Fights" list for very many people, but it is one of my personal favorites. This refers to the Battle of Thaylen Field (yes, Kaladin is in the background but that doesn't count as involvement), when Shallan, Veil, & Radiant summon hordes of alters to distract the Odium-crazed army. Not only does she fend off an entire army single-handedly (holy shit, Shallan), but she does so despite the fact that it is her being killed over and over again in thousands of forms. The image of her, Radiant, and Veil holding hands as she struggles to stay conscious is incredibly powerful to me. And Jasnah goes to help! A+ fight.

#2: Adolin & Maya vs. the Tukari [Rhythm of War]

This is one of my all-time favorite fights. It takes place in Shadesmar, when Adolin runs to help Notum who is being stabbed and beaten by a group of Tukari, Not only is it a heroic fight against grossly mismatched odds, which I always love, but it also demonstrates the bond between Maya & Adolin. And when the two of them fight back to back using the kata... *chef's kiss*

#1: Dalinar vs. Odium [Oathbringer]

I'm aware that Kaladin is, like, in the background here, but the actual conflict between Dalinar & Odium does not involve him. And this isn't a physical fight--there's no clashing of Shardblades or running on the ceiling--but damn if this fight doesn't hit hard. Dalinar fights with a book and with his whole soul, and he refuses to give up his pain or to absolve himself of the guilt of what he's done. This might be one of the most powerful moments in any book, so it gets the top spot here!

What are your guys' favorite non-Kaladin fights? Let me know in the comments, if you want!

[cosmereplay]

🔥 kalarin?

🔥What I think is hot about that ship

I love matching Renarin's impulsiveness, his willingness to take on danger, and his newfound health and freedom, against Kaladin's desperate need to protect. I think it's hot that both of them revere each other a little, and I love that both need to get over it. Kaladin revering lighteyes, and Renarin revering the way Kaladin holds his authority.

But yeah the hottest part is feral horny Renarin wanting to get stepped on and calling Kaladin his Thunderclast, and Kaladin becoming absolutely flustered by it!

If you're interested, I've written about 3000 words on this subject in Nothing Left to Ruin (rated Mature).

Ask game

[journaldetruthwatcher]

I've read what I've written in horror. Shimmer has been screaming in what I assume is pain for the past three hours. The cremlings that I assume are possessed by Mistspren watch me. They stare and I hear whispers.

My mind and memories are full of holes. I know I should hate what I've done, from a logical standpoint. I know that I have ceased to be Human, I know that what I plan will cause more suffering.

I physically can't feel bad about it anymore. One of my shattered memories is of me tearing that out from myself. The empathy that prevented me from seeking answers.

If anyone finds my notes, Hemalurgy as outlined here creates a new being and tortures any bonded spren. I think my lucidity will end in the coming minutes. I am not strong enough to stop myself, and for that I feel I must apologize.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Parshendi are nothing like I remember. They use Warform, but they don't have any of the Fused or even Thunderclasts.

I feel like I've made this observation before...

As I am not technically an Ardent, I can own things, though only a small amount of things, like a low nobleman, but I have to remain in the service of a noble. So, I've found myself in the employ of one Torol Sadeas.

Regardless, I've recommended to Sadeas the strategy of expendable and mobile bridgemen. It allows for a far larger area of influence and a quicker response.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

He accepted my suggestion! Wonderful! The benefits were made up, luckily the theory seems to work well enough. Really I just wanted to scavenge from the fallen.

Sadeas has been willing to grant me my rather unorthodox requests, metals and access to the forges primarily. Though he does seem wary of me, I suppose that is reasonable, I am in a unique position as far as Ardents go.

Despite the assumption that we will be leaving in a few months, I've allowed the familial units to build homes and begin attempts at cultivating the land.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Familial units update; Attempting a small amount of regrowth on them after every high storm seems to yield results. It's taken months to be noticeable, but it is noticeable. Shimmer and the other Mistspren think that in 2...perhaps 3 generations, they will become independent similar to Humans. Disparaging yet hopeful progress. We'll get there eventually.

In other news; I've grafted on a few more traits onto myself, though, despite reinforcing my investiture and mind, I can feel myself reaching my limits. Since my body gets refined through the bond, I will see if the Mistspren can help me through my experiments with connection...but I would have to go all the way back to the Cognitive Realm, and I'm nowhere near the perpendicularity...It is interesting how some of the others around camp have begun avoiding stepping on cremlings due to the small swarm that follows me. Some of them aren't even possessed by Mistspren! Though Shimmer calls them 'cognitively weird', very scientific verbiage, thank you Shimmer. She is yelling at me not to write that joke as I wrote it and am writing this.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The old acquaintance is that Mistborn I had helped once or twice on Scadrial! What are the odds? Anyways, he made this little club and has invited me to join, incentivizing me with hemalurgic research. I obviously joined and got this little angular tattoo on my inner wrist. Though, I do have to go elsewhere for the research.

Lucky too, there were some Highspren hanging out around the camp recently and Sadeas was beginning to want answers to my 'mercy killings' of the Bridgemen, I got a bit carried away and nearly annihilated Bridge 4...

Welp, that will be his problem soon to deal with, the slave caravans are scheduled to visit in a few days, he can pick up flesh there.

[lumenflowered]

“Leave the Thunderclast to me. I have experience in hunting beasts.”

...I'm not certain what a Thunderclast is but I do certainly have experience in hunting beasts.