Spoiler Q&A | Dragonsteel 2023

Join us for a spoiler Q&A with Brandon, live from the Dragonsteel 2023 stage! For those who weren't able to attend in person with us, we're excited to share a piece of the event with you.
Another big thing for today, the prelaunch of the Words of Radiance crowdfunding campaign is now officially live! Keep an eye out for streaming and other such teasers, along with go make an account when you follow this link: (www.backerkit....)

[@mattinpjs]

"I can't even promise they'll (Hollywood) listen to me on narrative" has got to be the most terrifying thing Brandon has ever said

[@juancamilocalvache451]

Cursed you Hollywood You haven't thought that one of the reasons why you are doing poorly at the box Office is because a lot of your narratives literally SUCKS.

[@callumengland6395]

​@@juancamilocalvache451 For real... it's so sad... Like respect the source material and you then benefit from 10s to 100s of thousands even million for someone like Brandon who will RAVE about the movies and tv shows to their friends and family

[@snozzmcberry2366]

I've been really, really, REALLY hoping that Brandon would demand veto rights as a condition for the rights to any adaptation. If that isn't the case.... If we get a repeat of Witcher, Wheel of Time, and Rings of Power with COSMERE........ I will be more devastated over that than anything else regarding any entertainment media.

[@Chexalim]

Netflix payed attention to creators on one piece, illumination did on Mario, Blumhouse did with Five Nights at Freddie's. There is more than enough success stories to show source creators with large amounts of control create good end results. It's time Hollywood as a whole realized this

[@callumengland6395]

@Chexalim and Arcane was phenomenal cause they focused on compelling characters.

[@pskarnaq73]

I'm totally gobsmacked at how deeply Brandon has thought this stuff out, and how quickly he can answer some of these questions.

[@Chuckaluckful]

Not sure why, but the transition from a tiny adorable girl to a hulking deepvoiced dude (around 30:58) who needs to bend down to talk into the mic tickles me. Cosmere fans in all shapes and sizes.

[@piano_hoarder]

Question timestamps (wording sometimes paraphrased) 2:35 - Have we met the admiral of the Night Brigade, or any relations to her? 3:21 - Is Mraize a Sleepless? 3:55 - Is Hoid secretly a dragon? 4:15 - Is Hoid able to use soulstamps? 4:44 - Is there a specific reason why Hoid cannot skip but Nomad can? 5:14 - What would happen if a Mistborn ingested anti-Lerasium (assuming they don't explode)? 5:51 - Could you use CRISPR or similar technology to artificially give someone magical powers? 7:16 - Do you have any considerations/preferences for composers in Mistborn or Stormlight show soundtracks? 8:55 - Would someone be able to use soulstamps to overcome a Torment like Nomad did? 9:21 - What's up with Canticle, the sunlight and Investiture? 10:24 - Who in the Cosmere could beat Taln in his prime? 10:51 - What can you tell us about the connection between the multiverses of Skyward and Reckoners? 13:49 - How much Investiture can Nightblood hold? 14:09 - What would happen if Hoid came in contact with Nightblood? 15:13 - Who is the dragon that Hoid dated? 15:59 - What is the name of the sword on the Dragonsteel 2023 badge? 18:16 - What spren bond to the Skybreakers? 19:06 - Would a person completely divested of Identity tapping a massive metalmind of Investiture be able to access the Surges of Roshar without oaths? 20:30 - How many different types of Aviar are there, and what do they all do? 21:38 - The Aethers in Tress aggressively take over their hosts, but TwinSoul's Aether in The Lost Metal does not appear to. How is this related, how does this work? 23:28 - In Yumi, Hoid hypothesizes about Cultivation giving us Nightmares to help cope with trauma. Does Cultivation have influence over other realms of the Cosmere? 24:02 - Was Tanavast a dragon? 24:23 - Which type of slug is your favorite and why? 25:34 - Is there a reason the Night Brigade can follow Nomad but can't seem to follow Hoid? 26:18 - Are Hoid's hemalurgic spikes feruchemical? 27:20 - What was the first Shard you thought of, and what gave you the idea for it? 29:01 - Does silver break connection or bonds? If so, is it used in the creation of unkeyed metalminds? 30:37 - Can you have multiple spren at once? 31:27 - How did capitalism develop in the Elendel Basin following the Catacendre? 32:37 - The Cinder King asks "do *men* from your planet really become gods?" Is this referring to oaths and the Radiants, or has someone from Roshar Ascended? 33:22 - Are Truthwatchers able to use the Surges of Progression and Lightweaving to make something become a better version of itself? 33:53 - Do you have any embarrassing stories you'd like to tell us? 35:43 - Is there an in-world reason the paintbrushes in Yumi are so long? 37:03 - Can a non-native to Nalthis use different forms of Investiture to Awaken objects? 38:10 - Is Lift human? 38:59 - What Oaths have Hoid sworn? 39:45 - What is the Grand Apparatus? (See question at 9:21 for context) 40:49 - Do Oaths come with the spike during Hemalurgy? Can you spike a Shard? 42:35 - Is there inherent knowledge that a person gets when they take up a Shard? 46:08 - Are there any heroes/villains/etc that you came up with for The Reckoners that you ended up not using? 47:19 - If a Feruchemist was Lashed directly upward, would increasing his weight cancel out the Lashing? 49:14 - Is there a relationship between what happened to the Cinderhearts and what happened to Amaram? 50:14 - Why did the Heralds believe they needed to leave their blades behind when abandoning the Oathpact? Did they know what would happen? 52:12 - How did Vin's earring not lose its Hemalurgic charge over the years? 54:01 - If a Leecher touched a normal person and burned both metals at once, what would happen that normal person? 55:14 - Why are the Heralds the only highly Invested beings we've seen that are affected by magical ailments? 57:43 - If a person collect all 16 Shards, would they produce/become Adonalsium? If a Shard is splintered, could it be changed? 58:40 - What work do you put into portraying controversial and heavy topics of disability and mental illness? 1:06:00 - Given that Kandra can replicate human organs, is it possible for a human and a Kandra to create a child? Would it be a Kandra, a human, or some kind of combination? 1:06:42 - Is the Sibling the middle child? 1:07:32 - Hoid mentions that Yumi can see through the Shroud "and didn't even have to burn tin." Does this mean the Mist and the Shroud are mad of the same/similar substance? And can *any* highly Invested individual see through Scadrians Mist, no matter the Investiture? 1:09:27 - Is the Night Brigade pursuing Nomad to get his Dawnshard and use it to reshape a Shard? 1:10:43 - What are the four Dawnshards? 1:11:15 -Are dragons only born through biological means or can someone become a dragon another way? Is Vasher a dragon? 1:12:02 - What is the biggest editorial change you had to make to your writing because of continuity or canon? 1:14:17 - Was Harmony lying when he told Wayne there was no way for him to escape death? 1:15:57 - Assuming you had a way to siphon a Vessel from a Shard, how much Hemalurgic metal would be required to contain it? 1:17:12 - Does Shallan unknowingly shapeshift when holding Stormlight and becoming one of her alternate forms? If so, des this affect her Identity? 1:18:09 - Please demonstrate a rude/obscene gesture on Roshar? 1:19:20 - Are Vivenna and Vasher a couple/in a relationship? Why do suppression fabrials work on all Fused but not on Radiants above the Fourth Ideal? 1:20:37 - What color are the Skyward flight suits? 1:21:28 - Can regular Threnodites on Threnody exchange heat like those on Canticle? If a Shade attacks a non-Threnodite, do they become a Shade? 1:22:10 - Are the Scadrians chasing after Aviar doing so for their own reasons or on behalf of their Shard? 1:22:40 - What does Shadesmar look like on Canticle? Is it dangerous? 1:23:01 - At any given point in the Cosmere, would Yolen always be more technologically advance than any other planet? 1:24:01 - How could Hoid use a Hemalurgic spike on himself if he had a Torment? 1:25:01 - Could a Kandra eat a dragon, in human or dragon form? 1:25:30 - Are there any other dragons on Roshar other than Cultivation?

[@gloryspren6867]

Thanks for this! heads up your 20min mark questions are written wrong.

[@Deathbanes]

absolute hero

[@danielcohen9120]

Thank you

[@aaronpaul2651]

This comment should be pinned!! Thank you.

[@OriginalAdMan]

You are doing Edonalsium's work.

[@morganmcleod939]

I can’t get over how cool of an author Brandon is. Not only having all of this information in his head but being able to articulate it so well in a couple seconds. Man he’s cool

[@deadpoolisrising]

I love how he sees some people walk away, and decides he needs to give them a more extended answer if he doesn't feel that it was satisfying enough.

[@aredfoot]

"Just wait until I get to the Grand Apparatus, you're gonna love that" Stop teasing us! But not really that is amazing!

[@Sam-kh5pb]

i hope brandon never gives in to hollywood and doesnt give up narrative control, good to hear he isnt planning to from tidbits here and on the year of sanderson

[@hansb.jaeyni8230]

I don't think he will. He's successful enough with his books he doesn't need to sell out, and I think he understands how damaging a bad adaptation can be to his reputation and legacy better than most authors. One flop and it will probably be 10 years before anyone even considers adapting another one of his books. He knows he stands to benefit a lot more by waiting for a chance at a good adaptation.

[@captain4318]

Agreed. Over the past few years I've come to realize that I don't mind waiting for things anymore. So much content coming out all the time, new books, TV show, movies, games... and then there is also a huge already existing catelogue that offers more than I'll ever get through in my life. Nothing is set in stone, but I'll willing to wait much longer for better odds on a good movie/show.

[@OrenjiArms]

"fight between a feruchemist and a windrunner" this man was cooking with this question

[@TheAgamidaex]

1:25:00 oh my god that Shallan costume is next level

[@jeffweskamp3685]

I love how one half of the costume is Shallan and the other half is Veil. That is VERY creative!

[@SlowBurnReader]

The more I participate in watching these Q&A type videos, the more I realize I know nothing behind the scenes in the Cosmere universe and need to do more research lol

[@seanhalpin87]

Just watch every video 17th shard has made, and you'll be all caught up lmao

[@watcherofwatchers]

​@@seanhalpin87That sounds good in theory, but who can actually sit through those? It's a personality conflict for me, I guess, but I just can't.

[@deathfuzz]

@@watcherofwatchers then your only salvation is the WoB's and the coppermind wiki lol

[@watcherofwatchers]

@@deathfuzz Well, there are plenty of other people highly invested in the cosmere, and they also like to talk about it. And most of those people don't grate on my nerves. Lol

[@seanhalpin87]

@watcherofwatchers that's unfortunate, because there's so much info on thst channel that would be beneficial to anyone wanting to know everything there is to know. Alternatively you can go to their site and do research yourself over there if the videos aren't your thing!

[@grantstratton2239]

Hoid having a bandoleer of Hemalurgic spikes not implanted makes sense so that he has the powers available to him (i.e. pop one in as an earing for a while while he needs it), but remember that there was a First Age Mistborn novel where one the characters being spiked was an end-of-series reveal that is an important turning point of the novel, and an entire second-age Mistborn novel written about why one of the characters removed their spikes on purpose. Hoid may be afraid of giving Harmony more access than he's comfortable with, or worse, that isn't the only Shard that weakness would apply to.

[@Florkl]

I’d even wonder if the spikes are for (temporarily) giving to other people, as even one spike lets a shard get in your head. In fact, I wonder if the book Brandon was referencing was Tress, where Hoid could have powered up the Crew.

[@roxasthegreek]

@@Florkl Or perhaps they were for Wayne in Lost metal, if he wasn't intended to get lerasium

[@piano_hoarder]

I was super lucky and got to ask a question! at 1:07:25 😄 I was literally shaking

[@박경택-h3p]

nice costume

[@sleepykookoo1140]

So I'm not the only one

[@BL4RG4N]

Thanks for the timestamps! You did a great job at your marker. That was a really cool question to ask.

[@seanhalpin87]

Two spoiler discussions in a week? Lets fucking go!

[@NextChapterYT]

Spoiler Q&A whoohoo!! 🙌🏼

[@bestintheband5114]

Waiting for the hero that timestamps all the questions

[@junipervado6781]

10:01 The "WHAT??" in the background was me at home hearing about the Grand Apparatus for the first time too

[@spencerurban1092]

Thank you all for the great questions! This was very entertaining and informative.

[@newbiesama]

7:50 I like how Disney+ has a new Percy jackson adaption and they do Listen to Rick for alot of help and the epsiodes so far have been great. So there is a change that there are more people otu there that want to listen to the Auther about adaptations

[@vincentpelletier57]

Just had a question, writing it down so that I remember it (through searching my history) for the next Reddit spoiler questions and such. Also please answer or comment if this has been discussed before. Here goes: Could gemstones be used as hemalurgic spikes (or an equivalent process)? If so, would the type of gem dictate which attribute is stolen? Would a perfect gemstone be able to hold the hemalurgic charge without loss?

[@clucl8117]

This is a good question

[@DonnyDingus]

I love how invested brandon got on spiking shards. Let the man cook

[@Jillybeanzxo]

Another upload 🥳🥳 The gifts keep on giving 🙏🎁💝

[@bestintheband5114]

It was awesome being there for this live!!

[@DJSOTO07]

I love stormlight and Mistborn

[@BartasRapowanie]

10:50 taln confirmed the number 1 certified gigachad in cosmere #canon #lore 🗿🗿🗿

[@abhiramboralkar5782]

Calling it here. Hoid somehow merged with/became Adonalsium’s cognitive shadow. He is going to put all shards together and “remake that which once was”.

[@510amy5]

My theory is that yes Hoid wants to take up a repaired Adonalsium but that in order for that to work he has to form Connections with all the shards which is why he is trying to collect all the magic systems.

[@afumvibe]

Great Q&A!

[@pabloliduena8187]

Man this is just an early Christmas gift

[@sydneysmiles4381]

1:23:03 THATS MEEE OMG

[@mndrew1]

Nutz. That last question tanked my headcannon that Lift is a dragon. Phooey.

[@stormsurge9962]

Can we talk that prime Taln is one of the strongest cosmere characters???? Now I need to see prime Taln vs the Lord Ruler

[@studiosrp8860]

Lord Ruler still would win. Just too OP. I think Taln probably is the most skilled fighter tho

[@d3a06]

@@studiosrp8860what do you mean? Brandon said he can’t think of anyone that would beat Taln 1v1. Meaning the Lord Ruler wouldn’t beat him 1v1

[@tadeogaldo4346]

Yeah, prime Vasher and Lord ruler vs Taln would be fairer though

[@studiosrp8860]

@@d3a06 i kinda took that as more of a straight skilled fight. But maybe I'm wrong. Lord ruler doesn't reallt fight fair

[@d3a06]

@@studiosrp8860 I think what he said is pretty straightforward. Anyone fighting Taln 1v1 would not win. There’s no “straight skilled fight” or otherwise. Just a fight.

[@DJSOTO07]

I love Brandon

[@newbiesama]

27:19 but wouldn't the investiture decay then? Or is it made of flesh and blood?

[@rookiecookie722]

I have a question; if a vessel has two shards, can they use one shard to launch the second shard like an arrow across the cosmere to kill the vessel of a third shard on another planet? Then swoop in and take up the three shards, then repeat

[@wyatth3915]

So shards knowing things is like intellectus from Dresden

[@coldfiresun4707]

The question around 37 minutes in, has ne wondering if Roshar is one of the oldest inhabited planets, and that the parshendi may pre-exist the shattering.

[@LORDARIES100]

flight suits are stated in the book that they're blue. when Spenca gets her pin attached

[@rougeldr]

Am i the only one that gets vibes of Grand apparatus = Death star ? LOL

[@joshhickeysmoviereviews]

46:02: It's me! Hi!

[@bestintheband5114]

The grand apparatus makes me think of hitchhikers guide to the galaxy lol

[@paralicular3927]

If hollywood is being difficult, im sure K dramas would embrace Yumi and the nightmare painter.

[@El_Diablo_12]

35:00 “hey, I was gonna eat that!” Lol

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

7:36 - if that is the case (as expected!) and really push back on THE AUTHOR having the final say, if I was Brandon I would drop the TV show for now. Go for independent creators, they will definitely give you the lead that the story deserves or just go full independent yourself. The Stormlight story doesn't need to be flashy or heavily marketed, it just needs to be done on film EXACTLY AS IT IS in the books. It will market itself.

[@studiosrp8860]

I disagree about EXACTLY like the book. Most adaptations would be boring af if they're done exactly to a book. Even moreso with Brandon-sized books. There's gonna have to be liberties made to make things flow well onscreen. Even Brandon acknowledges that.

[@harveyweir8061]

Stormlight absolutely can't be adapted 1 to 1, it will never work as a series if it tries to do the book exactly, the pacing won't work

[@TheAgamidaex]

reactions to Hoid dating a dragon! :D

[@mikelsmith6803]

What things have been done to Lift? And in what book is it mentioned? Truth warchers and edgedancers are (power wise) my favorite orders. I want to know as much as I can about Lift and besides the ahort story where she meets a sleepless I don't know about any other book about her specially.

[@jocylinfrancis930]

It’s referring to her ability to turn food into power, which seems to be unique to her

[@5quirr31]

She can run off of and generate life light due to something cultivation did when lift visited the nighwatcher

[@Idealist_Metaphor]

Pretty sure Brandon just confirmed renarin can bring in different versions of characters we have from his powers, as in if odium gets control somehow, dark dalinar vs knight dalinar

[@kaladinstormblessed9626]

FINALLY LETSGOOOOOO

[@sethcalapp4753]

I love how Xzavenus is the craziest name Brandon can think of and that's 2 letters off to someone I know in real life XD

[@duffyscottc]

Let's go!!

[@jaredmanwell442]

Anyone else notice how he almost said canticle was built for a person before correcting himself to built for a purpose???

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

40:08 THE COSMERE HAS DYSON SPHERES?! HOLY SHIT!

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

So, any theories on the identity of the mysterious dragon that dated Hoid?

[@JaleaMagnetica]

I’m so glad multiverse isn’t in the menu 🎉🎉🎉

[@michaelcopple1736]

I love spoilers. It lets me wonder how the narrative in a story builds until it fulfills that spoiled portion of the plot.

[@nickf6436]

Crazy theory of mine: Jasnah Kholin is the Shard Hoid dated. She will become the new Honor somehow you heard it here first!

[@seanhalpin87]

What evidence do ypu think you have? I've yet to see anything remotely hinting at that. Other than her mysterious ailment as a child that we know nothing about. I don't see her becoming honor, that's gonna be kaladin if he doesn't die or become a herald

[@bestintheband5114]

I think if she ever does get a shard it will be the hinted Intellect shard (hinted at in the spoiler stream on KHMD)

[@daraw3149]

you're taking this too seriously my bro, we're all just having a little fun here together ok @@seanhalpin87

[@chrishenslick5482]

Came here to say this. You beat me.

[@nickf6436]

No evidence, just a cracked theory. She def would fit in a different shard but who knows,a certain mistborn character only took 1 book to become the perfect vessel for one half of his shards.@@seanhalpin87

[@p-j-y-d]

48:16 "You would fall upward faster. But that's not how gravity works". Sorry, that's exactly how gravity works downwards. You fall with a speed FASTER (time squared).

[@TheAgamidaex]

you don't. Your mass doesn't affect your speed, it's just 9.8 m/s2

[@p-j-y-d]

​@@TheAgamidaexYou're right. I misunderstood the question. You fall exponentially faster as time passes (that's what I meant), but not even faster if you add weight. Galileo demonstrated that long time ago without feruchemy. :)

[@TheAgamidaex]

@@p-j-y-d heh, Galileo the Feruchemist would be a fun book in the series of Lincoln the vampire hunter

[@theoriginalkimerli]

I think the feruchemist would fall up faster?

[@DerricktheRed]

I've been wondering about the rude or obscene gesture. 😂

[@joshhickeysmoviereviews]

I always thought it was the middle finger

[@p-j-y-d]

Guy at 19:09 is doing Cosmere Arithmetic. He'd love Word2Vec (King - Male + Female = Queen), but that's not how it works. He's missing a step, as Brandon says. He's missing the emotional plot to structure the spiritual mumbojumbo.

[@melvinlinderoth7108]

Could someone answer me if this has WOT spoilers?

[@redmkkid]

It doesn’t

[@ikemeitz5287]

I can't believe he confirmed that Hoid Amaram is canon!

[@cambabamba4159]

Now we just need to pester him about the existence of Stormbones

[@bestintheband5114]

Time stamp?

[@ikemeitz5287]

@@bestintheband5114 4:20:69

[@Joeysaladslover]

@@ikemeitz5287have you ever said something funny?

[@whitewolf8460]

I’d certainly pay towards a kick starter for an anime in the style of Chainsaw Man or Cowboy Bebop

[@gryphonsandspears1632]

I mean in terms of men becoming gods on Roshar, Tarabangian did so like

[@zenthepoet.]

Adoooonalsium

[@anonymouslyopinionated656]

Taln GOAC confimed.

[@somedeplorable2227]

I'd rather have no on screen adaptation than have one that's been twisted and bastardized

[@Mochu_s_Junkyard]

Future me, I've put this in watch later so you watch it after reading the sunlit man

[@chrishenslick5482]

Jasnah a dragon?

[@chrishenslick5482]

Edit: last question squashed this.

[@dookieshoe2905]

Wait so hes not doing the ketek but hes still going with Wind and Truth? Ugh, Why?? Its such a weak title for a really important book. Just look at the other titles and then Wind and Truth... Why wouldnt he want a really good, strong title for this one? Im sorry, i gotta say it, it sucks!

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

You know, as someone who HAAAAAAATES "rafo" with a passion, getting a rafo card does not feel like a trophy. It feels like salt rubbed into an open wound!

[@johnsonasiziba5172]

I like Kaladin Stormblessed. Not you

[@johnsonasiziba5172]

Okay, I like you 😄

[@mohammedzawia1054]

Idc what people say, but my god the fans are so awkward.