Happy Thursday, Cosmere Chickens! Are you ready for some CRAZY ODIUM ACTION? I sure hope so, because Dalinar’s clearly not, poor guy. We’ve got a LOT to cover (though not quite as much as last week thankfully), so let’s dive in, shall we?
Reminder: We’ll be discussing spoilers for the entirety of the series up until now. If you haven’t read ALL of the published entries of The Stormlight Archive (this includes Edgedancer and Dawnshard as well as the entirety of Rhythm of War), best to wait to join us until you’re done.
In this week’s discussion we also discuss some things from various other Cosmere books in the Cosmere Connections section, so if you haven’t read it, best to give that section a pass.
Heralds: Battah (Battar). Elsecallers (Transformation, Transportation). Wise/Careful. Role: Counselor.
L: My guess for this one is that Battah’s here because Dalinar is doing his best to be wise and careful.
Icon: Kholin Glyphpair.
Epigraph:
Roshar will be united in its service of the greater war. —Musings of El, on the first of the Final Ten Days
Chapter Recap
WHO: Dalinar
WHEN: 1175.4.10.4 (Note: For the “when” notations, we are using this wonderful timeline provided by the folks at The 17th Shard.)
WHERE: Emul
RECAP: Odium meets with Dalinar, and a deal is struck…
Chapter Chat—Odium
He pushed open the door to his house, stumbled through, and entered a vast golden field.
The ground shimmered as if infused with Stormlight. Dalinar pulled to a halt and turned around. The doorway was gone, the doorknob having vanished from his hand. The sky was a deep reddish orange, like a sunset.
He was in a vision. But he hadn’t heard the highstorm hit.
P: And so it begins, the final bargaining to agree to terms for the Battle of Champions. Odium likes to do this sort of thing when his opponent is tired and possibly not in the right state of mind to be making such momentous decisions. Tricksy old god.
L: Old age and treachery beats youth and skill everyday, as my dad used to say.
He appeared different from when Dalinar had last seen him. He still resembled a wise old man with a grey beard cut to medium length. A paternal air. Sagacious, knowing, understanding. Only now his skin was glowing in places, as if it had grown thin and a light inside was seeking to escape. The god’s eyes had gone completely golden, as if they were chunks of metal set into a statue’s face.
P: Well, that’s not at all creepy, is it? ::shudder::
L: Creepy? Nah, not at all.
“Our Connection grows, Dalinar,” Odium said. “Stronger by the day. I can reach you now as if you were one of my own. You should be.”
“I will ever and always be my own,” Dalinar said.
P: You cannot have his pain, and you cannot have his soul. Well… hopefully.
L: …Or will he?
P: ::whimpers::
“You think I fear humanity?” Odium said. “Humanity is mine, Dalinar. All emotions belong to me. This land, this realm, this people. They live for me. They always have. They always will.”
P: His arrogance is astounding. And T’s is no less astounding.
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Untethered Sky
L: I do wonder about this. Even if he did bestow emotion upon humanity (a questionable claim), what of free will?
All this time, he’d been asking what a god could possibly fear, but the answer was obvious. Odium feared men who would not obey him.
He feared Dalinar.
P: Rayse may fear Dalinar, but that’s not going to do Dalinar much good in the long run, I don’t think. Because I don’t believe that Taravangian fears Dalinar.
L: Not in the slightest. Which is terrifying.
“Tell me, what do you think of a human bearing the weight of a god’s powers, but without that god’s restrictions?”
“The power will bind you eventually, as it has me,” Odium said. “You don’t understand a fraction of the things you pretend to, Dalinar.”
L: Interesting. I had assumed that Dalinar was referring to Ishar here, but Odium seems to assume he’s talking about himself…
P: I read it the exact same way, that Dalinar was talking about Ishar. Though he could have been playing with words to make it seem as if he were talking about himself.
“I cannot break my word,” Odium said, the heat increasing. “I basically am incapable of it.”
“Basically?” Dalinar pressed. “What happens, Odium, if you break your word.”
“Then the contract is void, and I am in your power. Same, but reversed, if you break the contract. You would be in my power, and the restrictions Honor placed upon me—chaining me to the Rosharan system and preventing me from using my powers on most individuals—would be void.
L: Basically?
P: Yeah, that’s not at all disconcerting, is it?
I am not going to break my word. Because if I did, it would create a hole in my soul—which would let Cultivation kill me.
L: This feels awfully “evil villain speech revealing all his weaknesses” to me.
P: Before I kill you, Mr. Bond…
A willing champion from each of us and a fight to the death. They will meet on the top of Urithiru.
L: If this doesn’t wind up being Kaladin and Moash I’ll eat one of Wayne’s hats.
P: If it does end up being them, and Kaladin wins, I will owe Brandon a big ol’ high five. But I don’t know that even Odium could convince Moash to fight Kaladin, because he thinks that Kaladin can’t be killed.
L: I wouldn’t put it past Kaladin to find some way around Dalinar’s “I must be champion” thing. That sort of self-sacrificing heroism is what he LIVES for.
The Fused must go with you, locked away again, as well as the spren that make Regals. No more forms of power. No more Voidspren.” The light pulsed inside Odium and he turned his eyes back toward the horizon.
“I … cannot agree to this.”
… Singers can adopt Regal forms powered by the Everstorm. The Fused are free now; they can be reborn without my intervention. The Oathpact could have imprisoned them, but it is now defunct. I am literally unable to do as you ask, not without destroying myself in the process.”
P: Methinks that Odium doesn’t like talking about things he cannot do.
L: Awwwww poor baby.
“In exchange for you giving up one thing you wanted, I will give up one in turn. If I win, I will give up my grand plans for Roshar. I will leave this planet for a thousand years, and abandon all I’ve worked for here. I give you and the singers freedom to make your own peace. Freedom for you, and freedom for me.
L: This seems to be way, way too good of a deal. I don’t trust it. Thankfully, neither does Dalinar.
P: It’s definitely a trap. I just hope that we can pull out a winl despite Odium’s crem bargaining.
Besides, if Honor had died to trap this god here on Roshar, Dalinar had to believe the Almighty had done so for good reason.
L: If Odium gets free run of the cosmere, you just know that eventually he’ll be back. And even if he isn’t… Dalinar’s not the type to let millions of unseen and unknown innocents on other planets die just to save his own people. He’s the type to always look for another way.
P: He’s definitely no Taravangian, to sacrifice the many for the good of the few.
“Why delay?” Odium asked. “I know my champion. Do you know yours?”
“I do,” Dalinar said.
L: The tension builds.
P: I just hope Dalinar did the right thing in agreeing. I’m sick, thinking of things going wrong. I’m so bummed that we don’t have the beta yet!
Odium, I intend to be my own champion. I’ll have died if you win.”
L: ::sigh:: Of course. Dalinar never would ask someone else to fight in his stead if he could help it. It’s just so… him.
P: And he showed his hand. Perfect gif, BTW.
Oaths Spoken, Powers Awakened
“You are a god. You hold vast powers, yet they bind you as much as they free you.”
L: I find it very interesting that he’s directly calling out Sanderson’s second law of magic: “Weaknesses, limits and costs are more interesting than powers.”
Cosmere Connections
“Cephandrius,” Odium spat. “Ever the rat. No matter where I go, there he is, scratching in the wall. Burrowing into my strongholds. He could have been a god, yet he insists on living in the dirt.”
L: Reminder (in case you needed it) that this is Hoid/Wit’s true name. (At least, we think it is. Who knows with him.)
P: That’s the truth. Never know if anything Hoid says is the truth. Yet I still adore him.
“I need soldiers. For the true battle that is coming, not for one people or one miserable windswept continent. A battle of the gods. A battle for everything. “Roshar is a training ground. The time will come that I unleash you upon the others who are not nearly as well trained. Not nearly as hardened as I have made you.”
L: This is why I think the eventual fusion of him and Taravangian makes so much sense. Their thinking is shockingly similar. The needs of the many…
P: And he almost makes sense, which makes him all the more terrifying.
“The other foolish kingdoms of men can keep fighting if they wish, but your people and mine will begin preparing for the true war: the one that will begin when the gods of other worlds discover the strength of Surgebinding.”
L: I’m imagining how the powers of Scadrial and Roshar would mix and it’s terrifying me. Twinborn are already scary enough!
P: Seriously. We don’t need an all-powerful villain.
“And you will give your soul to me. You, Dalinar, will join the Fused. You will become immortal, and will personally serve me. Bound by your oaths. You will be the one I send to the stars to serve my interests in the cosmere.”
L: …okay, not gonna lie, I kind of want him to lose because I really want to see Dalinar serving as a Cosmere diplomatic envoy. Can you imagine him having to deal with Kelsier?
P: While I think he’d be awesome at it, considering the way he united the nations, I couldn’t bear to see him under Odium’s thumb.
We’ll be leaving further speculation and discussion to you in the comments, and hope to join you there! Next week, we’ll be back with chapter one hundred thirteen, in which Taravangian meets an old “friend.”
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Lyndsey lives in Connecticut and makes magic wands for a living, as well as working as the costumer for two of her local Renaissance Faires. If you enjoy queer protagonists, snarky humor, and don’t mind some salty language, check out book 1 of her fantasy series. Follow her on Facebook or TikTok!
Hello Thanks to the two of you, as always.
Ummm, somehow I don’t think that Odium would use the blackthorn as a diplomatic envoy as much as a military leader leading the surgebinders against all. In fact, you already qouted Rayse saying the same.
I wonder what Todium is going to make of this deal.
Sorry guys but I’m not sure why you see odium will send dalinar as a diplomat, when everything we have seen of odium has been trying to make him a monster; think morash but with the strength and power of the Blackthorn
My guess is that Renarin has to be one of the champions. We’ve seen that his proximity to an event blocks Odium’s ability to predict futures spiraling out from that event. This duel is shaping up to be a major lynchpin in Cosmere history, so preventing Taravodium from reading the future arising from it may be vital to stopping him.
Maybe Todium will turn to Ishar? Ishar is certainly “confused” about which side is who and what. Moash is sort of down for the count at the moment. Being blind would seem to limit his fighting ability but I have no idea what this battle of champions would entail. Could be it isn’t all swords and hand to hand combat but more of a spiritual battle to the death of the soul.
I’m a little confused about what would happen if void light disappeared. Don’t Navani and the Sibling need that as well as life light and storm Light?
OK this is probably not a Sanderson way but… Rayse was killed. Why would Todioum be constrained by something that Rayse did?
@6 Steven
I believe the Shard of Odium is bound by the agreement. It doesn’t matter who currently holds that shard.
Dalinar doesn’t have access to a shard blade, and I can’t see him coercing the Stormfather into becoming one for this battle. So I theorize that Dalinar will either borrow Nightblood or that Sezth will be his Champion. I’ve also heard a theory about Odium’s Champion that I won’t repeat here. He will choose someone Dalinar loves. Someone Dalinar is unable to follow through with killing. However, if Szeth becomes Dalinar’s Champion this will be quite the test for him and a culmination of his ark-to kill or not to kill for the greater good.
Cephandrius is a nickname, too. Greek cephalon, head. Greek andros, man. “Head man.”
@Zodda:
Since it’s a duel to the death and we know Renarin makes it to the Back Five, that guarantees his side a win as soon as he is named. See below for my current crazy theory. @marblecal, it also deals with your idea in #9.
Pardon me as I refuse to do the Anne Elk sketch from Monty Python.
OK, my theory is: Odium names his champion. It doesn’t matter who it is. Say it’s Oroden.
Dalinar’s perfect counter: he names Oroden as his champion.
Say Dalinar makes Taravangian his champion. Now, for Odium to win, Taravangian has to die. Would T. fight and win, thus binding Odium to Dalinar’s terms, or allow himself to be killed, thus leaving Odium with no Vessel? Assume the latter. There’s one person present at the Contest of Champions who has (as quoted above by our hosts) a strong Connection to Odium … Dalinar Kholin. He picks up Odium, and now has both that and the remains of Honor.
This actually does not make any sense. The champions have to be willing, that’s the whole point. Dalinar can’t just name anybody he wants to be his champion, that champion has to be willing. It’s the same reason Odium can no longer just make Dalinar his champion.
@10 Carl an interesting theory but I think that makes it too much like the ending of Mistborn series 1. Than you have two characters with two shards with conflicting powers. Before the lost metal it would have been interesting to see a human conflict with two active shards, but now it would seem rather deritivite, especially since we now know that Harmony’s story is not actually ended yet.
@10 Carl
This leads me to wonder what Hoid’s role was in the Shattering. Was he the leader? Was it his idea, either to Shatter or how to do so? Or, was he the equivalent of a high priest?
I have to wonder: what happens if the champions tie?
But I’m also worried that todium will talk dalinar into forfeiting, with talk of all the good they could do with this totally-not-evil power.
@RogerPavelle: in the preview chapter of Hoid’s origin (not canon), he is obsessed with vengeance, FWIW. Mr. Hoid is not all flowers-and-puppies-and-kisses.
@14 Carl
I’m unclear what you are referring to or where to find it.
#14 RogerPavelle: sorry, it made perfect sense in my head. I was commenting on your #13, where you speculated about Hoid’s role in the Shattering. I can definitely see him holding a grudge against God and just deciding to eliminate Him.
@16 Carl
I understood your comment, but don’t know what book/story/extract you referred to. Where can I find the preview chapter you reference, and which book is it from (Dragonsteel, Liar of Partinel,other)?
In terms of the contest of Champions:
Dalinar is the best killer. Unlimited stormlight.
Adolin is the best duelist. Almost has a living blade.
Kaladin the best Soldier. Has living blade+plate.
So who would win between the three of them? Adolin has almost been keeping up without stormlight.
I would be surprised if the Clash of Champions is a simple sword fight. I believe it will be a mental battle that will take place in the Cognitive Realm; or at least not a single sword/shardblade duel in the Physical Realm.
Whatever it is, it is probably going to end up being a true gut punch.
But I actually think the idea of Dalinar having to take up Odium’s shard could be on to something, even if it seems derivative, because it seems like the story is moving in the direction of unification in general so…it stands to reason that there could be more situations similar to Sazed’s out there.
Of course, it probably won’t be that simple/straightforward ;)
@RogerPavelle,
I believe it’s in the Liar excerpt.
@winston: ever notice that no Bondsmith is ever seen to directly kill anyone, not even Ishar wielding his Honorblade? Notice that the Stormfather explicitly refused to become a Blade? I don’t think Dalinar would be a good choice for a fight to the death right now. (Ishar says he killed Szeth’s father, but I think he’s either delusional or lying.)
I do not think Clash of Champions will be a physical battle, per se, but a battle of wills.
I like the idea that it will take place in the Cognitive (or perhaps even Spiritual) Realm, and perhaps, might manifest as a physical battle to those who watch it (if anyone can).
I do not think TOdium wins, but will likely find a way to circumvent the imposed restrictions in the back 5 (maybe with the help of another shard) to set up the final confrontation for Stormlight.
I also think this confrontation will be the path to Dalinar’s full ascension. The concept of DOdium is also interesting to me, but I do not think the story is going in that direction.
I am disappointed in Dalinar. He did exactly what he criticized Taravangian for doing. Making a deal that sold out a significant portion of the world. Odium will still have Jah Keved, Iri, Rira, Babatharam, and Marabethia. I doubt Brandon will end the first arc with Dalinar losing. He would give his soul to Odium, and require the nations that fight Odium to accept a truce (or at least a pact of non-aggression).
@AndrewHB: Dalinar and Taravangian are mirrors and have been from the beginning of the series, if you look closely. They even both had Cultivation modify their personalities. (Note, also, that the Blackthorn actually surprised Cultivation, who is canonically very good at futuresight. Was baby Renarin already preventing clear futuresight of Dalinar, even before he bonded? I just thought of that.)
I hope I live long enough (probably 25 more years) without dementia to see what Cultivation’s plan actually is.