Stormlight Archive Theory 3: Deadeyes

Following up on my previous posts, this is the last of my theories about Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, posted just in time to beat Tor's serialization of the next book in the series, Wind and Truth. This time, I'll talk about the Deadeyes.

As I already described in my first theory, I believe that deadeyes were created from the corruption of the Nahel bond by Ba-Ado-Mishram, but bonding a Shardblade creates a different Connection, one that,  as we saw, can be strengthened. So the question is what were all the deadeyes doing outside Lasting Integrity.

One theory is that their presence had nothing to do with what was happening in Lasting Integrity. Their presence was due to Ishar, who was close by, perhaps accompanied by hundreds of Shardbearers (as one popular theory holds that the Shin have claimed most of the Shardblades). That seems unsatisfactory, but isn't impossible.

The honorspren thought that they came because of Adolin's trial, that there was a Connection that attracted them to see someone punished for humanity's betrayal. Since we now know that there was no betrayal, that seems unlikely, but perhaps there was a Connection there.

We know that lesser spren are attracted to Radiants, to become their armor. The bond, the Connection, draws them, and they connect to the Radiant themselves, as we see with Kaladin and the windspren.

What if this is something similar? The deadeyes, having been reduced to something less sapient, nevertheless sense the growing Connection between Adolin and Maya, and like Kaladin’s windspren or Shallan’s creationspren, were attracted to it.

I don't see the deadeyes becoming Shardplate, but I am curious to know where that Connection goes.

Stormlight Archive Theory 2: Shadesmar

This is the second of my theories for Brandon Sanderson's next book, Wind and Truth, expected out on December 6th. Since Tor is planning to start serializing the book in two weeks, I figured I should post it now:

The new Odium thinks that there is a loophole in the contest of champions that he can exploit. However, he hasn't said what it is, but if I can offer a guess. It's Shadesmar. The agreement doesn't cover Shadesmar, it's based on the Physical realm. The Fused already control much of it, including Cultivation's Perpendicularity. But now, they have a means to kill spren permanently. I predict an attempt at genocide, regardless of the result of the duel. Odium always said that he'd have to destroy the Splinters of Honor. All the Radiant spren are pieces of Honor, but especially the honorspren.  Taravagian isn't any less ambitious than Rayse was. If these Splinters had to be destroyed for Rayse’s plans, they'll likely need to be destroyed for Taravagian’s too.

Radiants can fight in Shadesmar, but Shardblades won't work, and Shardplate probably won't either.  The Stormlight which fuels their power is harder to come by,  and their spren can't hide or become tiny and mobile, meaning they’ll be more vulnerable to spren-killing anti-Stormlight weapons.

I wonder if this is the reason that Ishar is trying to pull spren into the Physical Realm bodily. Even if he had no way of knowing about anti-Stormlight, he probably had reason to know that Odium wishes to kill the spren, and may believe that bringing them into the Physical Realm would make them safer. Of course, since he's insane, he's doing it in the most horrific way possible. But it does give a purpose to his mad experiments.