Kaio
Bronze Knight of the Realm
- 221
- 3
Also pretty sure Sanderson doesn't go with convoluted powers usually so if the book mentions IQ variances then that is what we have. Powers in his books may be used creatively but always falls under the original system. Besides the story doesn't work if Taravangian had all the info from the night of the Diagram because then he would not need to make so many predictions to account for unknown variables. While he predicts there will be surgebinders he does not know who they are even though the spren around Shallan and Kaladin are involved from when they were kids/early teens even if they did not realize it. Taravangian had a lot of connections even before that night including with Gavilar. Also the only person they mention being a surgebinder in high probability is Jasnah and other parties seemed to realize she was on as well.I'm also very curious to know how Taravangian knows about Jasnah's powers, as well as Helaran Davar receiving his. Likely it's from his nigh-clairvoyant intellect. My personal theory is that on the day he did the Diagram, he received basically a snapshot of the entire world at that moment of time, and his obscene intellect let him predict the course of the future based on that massive dump of information.
Book 3: My money is on the focus being Dalinar, as far as flashbacks go, with Renarin and Jasnah tied for second. Jasnah would be the much more interesting choice, for me, given that we know so little about her progression with Ivory and as an Elsecaller, not to mention what other secrets she found out in Shadesmar that don't apply anymore.
Also I'm not sure how you are assuming Helaron was an actual surgebinder because he displayed no powers as such at any point. There was also nothing special about his blade like it being extra bright like the living spren versions.
It's also too early to call that Szeth was sent by Taravangian in the beginning. Ghostbloods are more then likely to be the cause as Gavilar himself named there leader Thaidakar as the one who was primary suspect. Since events started happening in the last decade or so that showed signs of the Desolations returning Szeth probably noticed something. His people are guardians of the Honorblades and the legacy of the Heralds themselves and are vested in believing the lies the Heralds had spoken about ending the desolations. He could have easily committed such a blasphemy without the Diagram even existing yet. Also if you remember Taravangian's reactions to Szeth confronting him he doesn't innately react but thinks back to Szeth's history and manipulates. The way he thinks is not as someone who puppeted Szeth from the start but someone who was deciding based on learned history of the man.
Sanderson is very particular in how he writes peoples reactions and it's important to take in these factors.