The two panels depict the same things in different art styles. What can we see in looking at these glyphs? Well, there seems to be 10 primary glyphs. There were 10 heralds, and each of the heralds aligned with an essence/power (also seems to be a tie in with soul casting elements). You also have the so-called "Symbol Heads" that have ties to Shadesmar, which has a link to the power of soul casting, which works with elements/essences.

Okay #1: Now, there was that little interlude scene where the two researchers, on the island, where measuring flame spren. If you recall, when the researcher defined the size of the spren by writing it down, the spren remained constant. The written parameter shapes/binds/defines the spren until that parameter is erased.

Okay #2: (Spoiler to Elantris) We have seen Sanderson playing around with the idea of glyphs, power, and definition before. In fact, it is the central mystery behind his first novel, Elantris. The power was derived from that land, which was defined by a massive glyph. The secret to why the power had left those changed was that the land had changed (through a massive earthquake that caused a massive trench) but the defining glyph had not changed. When Raodin recognized this and adjusted the glyph to include the trench, the power was again defined and returned.

Okay #3: I think that these glyphs are somehow defining/channeling/shaping the 'magic' of this world. Are they representative of different shards? Are they defining elements of a single shard? Are they binding something? We don't know enough about this yet. However, it's a safe bet that those glyphs are very important and that they ARE power.

Eh? #1: As to what the smaller, corollary glyphs might represent, I have a bunch of possibilities but no concrete clues.

Eh? #2: The background art for both panels are interesting. The front seems to represent some sort of stylized chasm fiend with two central glyphs and eight glyphs bounding them. The back panel has the two central glyphs encased in a big gem (could be a gem heart?) and everything else in the clouds and connected by lightning.

What exactly are the Great Storms? Why are the Parshendi seeking out gem hearts? Are the parshmen really enslaved voidbringers? How did humans do that? By defining them as slaves? With glyphs?


So there you go, some of my thoughts.