Shallan's Mother Revealed | Stormlight Archive Secrets & Easter Eggs #2

[@passdoutcouchpotatos]

Another hint, is that one of the first Shallan flashbacks STARTS with a description of the Dustbringers. Literally Shallans mother is the herald of the dustbringers. One of the Brothers is also a huge fan of burning things, just like a future dustbringer may be

[@tordurhansen333]

Breaking things. Or more specifically, destroying things. Which still is very relevant to Dustbringers

[@molliethomas2585]

I don't think that her brother will be a Dustbringer. That Order's oaths center around being responsible with power, and, right now at least, he really doesn't fit that bill.

[@astr0868]

@@molliethomas2585 than it would make sense that the oaths are something that he would need to overcome. to gain power, he would need to deal with his irresponsibility and breaking things tendency

[@jessicapatton6523]

I am so glad someone else spotted the ‘the world ended and Shallan was to blame’ line. I noticed it when I was checking if the Shallan flashback lined up timeline wise with the feast just after the W&T prologue came out, and I actually screamed when I saw that line. If this theory turns out to be correct that will go down as one of the best instances of foreshadowing hidden in plain sight in history.

[@dkizzle3135]

From rereading WOR recently, it seems very likely that the entire Davar household is under the influence of an Unmade. In Shallan's flashback chapters there is frequently reference to a "darkness" sitting over the house, influencing all the brothers and Shallan's father. It's most likely tied to what Shallan refers to as her mother's "soul" in her father's room - perhaps this is actually where the Unmade haunting their family lives?

[@king_dot]

I can definitely see that being the case, though with souls being an actual physical thing in the cosmere I wonder if it’s something more. Like maybe her mother bonded the unmade making it part of her soul or that was actually her soul.

[@pharaoh9000]

EXCELLENT VIDEO! I, too, believe that Shallan started this most-recent Desolation. I think it's gonna be one heck of a mind-blow for her when she walks up to a meeting of Heralds and sees her mom standing there alive. I am reunion-ready!! Since the death of Shallan's mom was at the root of Shallan's breaking, it'll be interesting to see what happens when/if her mom turns up "fine", which will challenge Shallan's many source of guilt.

[@king_dot]

Yeah that interaction would be crazy, could be like the Kaladin-Tien moment in RoW for Shallan though not sure if it would go as well considering it has the potential to cause even more guilt.

[@pharaoh9000]

@@king_dot "...it has the potential to cause even more guilt." Holy crap, I hadn't thought about that. 😳

[@teknopathetik7986]

Such an amazing job! What made me post about the Davar-Mom theory on 17 Shard years ago was noticing how strongly Shallan believes that her mother's soul was placed into the safe in the Davar household, and how strongly she, and possibly her father, can perceive light escaping from the location. Shallan's father reacted lightening quick to place an allegedly re-summonable item into a safe, which has never ever made any sense to me What did make sense to me is that Shallan was originally correct about a soul being placed into the safe, but was eventually convinced by Pattern that she must be wrong. This is a twist on what usually happens with Shallan and her secrets; this one we actually knew she knew, and we saw her become confused about what actually happened. Usually Shallan is crazy and has to uncover the truth, but this time Shallan knew the truth and everyone convinced her, and the reader, that she is crazy. Pattern convinces Shallan that it was just a shardblade placed in the safe, but then we learn that Pattern was not actually there at the time of the incident and is not a first hand witness. Add to this that after the safe incident, Shallan goes to talk to her spren in the garden really truly makes the logic behind shard-safe seem pretty ... nonsensical since Shallan doesnt consider for even a second that her spren might not be found there. And why would Lin think that placing a shard-blade in a safe would accomplish anything at all? Who does that benefit and why would he even think it might work when shard-summoning is common knowledge? If we assume for a minute that the shardblade did go in the safe, was Lin thinking the safe would somehow block resummoning? In terms of foreshadowing a safe like this existing, we have seen items like the seon box. As well, another herald seems to know that herald-souls cant be locked into a gem forever somehow, and maybe he learned this from Chana's research on the safe? As for Chana's soul, perhaps the soul slowly leaked out of the safe over time, or perhaps someone finally opened the safe and let the soul out and it was able to return to Braize. I think Lin knew to at least try to put the soul in the safe after his wife's death, and over the years Lin worried that he could see the light slowly leaking out as a glow and what that might mean for Roshar. And i think part of what drove Lin more crazy was that he had helped kill a herald for his daughter, and now felt pressured to try and become as powerful as possible to be in a position to do something about what was coming. unfortunately he was a wretched man by this point, possibly was under some sort of curse-like condition from an unmade, and was not up to the task in any way. Why Chana would have married such a man also begs quite a few questions. Was he always this bad, or did he at one time possess something attractive or useful beyond his low-radar position as a minor lord in a rural area? Also, great job as always! I always put on your cremling cast as soon as an episode comes out! Keep up the great work!

[@NataliaPunko]

But, as far as Lin knew, only Shardblades with gems attached could be bonded and thereby resummoned

[@teknopathetik7986]

@@NataliaPunko interesting point. But seeing as he saw Shallan summon the blade, he probably assumed it either had a gem or that Shallan could summon hers at will since she was a radiant.

[@박경택-h3p]

@@teknopathetik7986 Could this be connected with how shallan accessed a seon box when she was younger?

[@teknopathetik7986]

It would make sense. We know Shallan's parents fought a lot about Shallan's future. My guess is that Chana made Shallan in a special way, and that she was going (maybe was already) to experiment on Shallan in some meaningful way regarding the oathpact. @@박경택-h3p

[@thebladeoflight]

Chanarach is mentioned in a Kaladin chapter at least once though, but in a context, in which she could possibly be a metaphor for Shallan as well...

[@Cosplaythefamilyway]

That first sentence in the first flashback! Shivers everytime

[@anthonycollis9770]

In Words of Radiance chapter 65 (when Shallan goes back in to the room where she killed her mother to console Malise who had just been hit by Lin). She says that she goes back 'Into the Place' (I cant remember the quote exactly). I thought it's a bit weird to capitalise place... Maybe it is capitalised because a herald died there?

[@julianmendezibarra8186]

I thought the second theory was canon. In my mind Nale send Helaran to go after Amaram thinking that he is the radiant due to him being close to Kaladin.

[@LostinDiscovery]

It's most likely an attack on the Sons of Honor/Amaram but when researching I couldn't find confirmation from Nale or any other Skybreakers so I suppose there's a little room for conjecture.

[@CosmereFinatic]

Always glad to get a notification from you brother. Great video as always. Got a quick theory to throw out into the hive mind. Harmony has been the only shard outside of Roshar that has been contacted as far as we know about the status of the planet. Could Harmony be a surprise guest star in Book 5? Possibly a last hope sort of situation could involve him?

[@keniafarias9576]

POSSIBLE spoiler for Mistborn era 2…….. Not sure of the timeline but as seen in era 2 mist-born… Harmony is not well… it’s becoming more of discord. So if this is the case you want this shard to stay away from Roshar

[@Raziel767]

First five SA books happens before Mistborn era 2. So, presumably, Harmony is still "fine" @@keniafarias9576

[@nikvernon4251]

I've been steadily catching up with the podcast and I'm excited to get into the discussion as we get closer to book 5! To add on to the last point, we know that the Herald's madness is not strictly due to their long lives but it is magical and I think its "enhanced" the same way most, if not all, of the Devar's are. Since they are directly Connected to Chanarach, I think they are partially afflicted by the same effect

[@aaronh3347]

I'm still not 100% sold on the Shallan's mother reveal, it seems too simple and small scale of a reveal when Brandon likes bigger flashier world altering reveals. I can't imagine him giving away the entire game in a free sample chapter in the first couple chapters of the 5th book. It just feels like a red hairing..... I mean red herring. There is certainly more to Shallans mother than we know, and maybe I'm wrong and it does end up being exactly that. But something just feels off about the theory, the same way something felt off about the fake stormfather theory after the book 4 sample chapters started rolling out.

[@LostinDiscovery]

I suppose we'll find out soon! Something funky is definitely happening.

[@박경택-h3p]

I killed her... I caused all of this... It's all my fault.....

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Super fun!

[@brianhealey5297]

Thank you!

[@angelicaboudreau8739]

This is awesome. I'm trying to get my son to catch up, and with this video, you have helped me convince him. Thank you, and keep up the good work. 🎉

[@LostinDiscovery]

That's so cool to hear, thank you!

[@brettskinner1416]

I am rereading wok in preparation for wind of truth

[@bencefreytag3279]

I get it why it would be belivable tha Shallans mother was a herald, but how can a Shardblade kill a Herald? I mean, isn't the whole purpouse of the dagger Moash used on Jezrien is to kill Heralds? How can a simple Shardblade do that? And why would a Herald dieing cause the desolation to return? Taln didn't break, and we know from the Rythm of War Venli flasbacks that the voidspren used a backdoor to make a "bridge" between Braize and Roshar. I just dont understand what a Heralds death(one who gave up the oathpackt) has to do with all this.

[@bencefreytag3279]

@kaziksmolski3429 yes they could return from death for the cost of returning the desolation, but that was bc of the oathpackt, wich only one person didt break, and Taln also did not break on Braize. I'm pretty sure after breaking the oathpackt, Chanaranach and other Heralds would no longer be able to return from death. They wanted to capture Jezrien thats why they used that dagger, but they killed him accidentaly. If Shallans mother was indeed a Herald then killing her would have no effect on the Desolation.(Although there are hints that the Heralds are still connected to the oathpackt in some miniscule way)

[@teknopathetik7986]

It might be that the Shardblade hit something in Chana. Lin outs something into the family safe and maybe that was a gem or something like that? Pattern convinces Shallan that the item was a shardblade, but Shallan remembers it as being her mother's soul. Since Pattern wasnt actually present at the event, I think Shallan was right and that her mother's soul-gemstone was put into the safe. @@bencefreytag3279

[@passdoutcouchpotatos]

Another discovery while reading wor, when shallan confronts taln and he confronts her for being a surge binder the first thing she thinks of is MOTHERS SOUL.

[@Bronimin]

Everyone swears by the heralds. Kalek's breath, Stormfather, Taln's toes, Jezrien's golden crown. Shallan swears by her mother's soul

[@tordurhansen333]

I dont remember where i picked it up, but i got the sense that Helaran was there for a budding Radiant yes, but not Kaladin. Either its one we don't know of or its the one that was revealed pretty late, to avoid spoilers. I will try to find the reference I'm thinking of

[@7nage]

This feels like a spoiler. Well done!

[@tjrumer6740]

I’d really recommend to turn the music down so we can hear you speak.

[@curtiswfranks]

Their family is so deeply messed up.

[@connorslocum9327]

👑King👑

[@tonykuriger573]

Noice.