Making Sense of a WoB

[Blaze1616]

There are multiple, recent discussions floating around this Cosmere Theories board about magic system crossings, which makes me ecstatic. To me, the idea of the various Cosmere magic systems coming into contact and mingling is the most exciting prospect of Brandon's Cosmere works. As such, I've been doing some WoB read throughs focusing on magic systems and realmatics, and I cam upon this:

 

source

ZAS

After several more signings, I asked my other question. "Do people in the Comsere, besides Nalthis, have Breaths?"

BRANDON SANDERSON

"No." He then signed a person's books, then said "To elaborate a little more, that's not to say they don't have a life force, because they do. But if someone not from Nalthis were to suddenly gain the ability to become an Awakener, they could not use what they have to Awaken something. That's not to say that they can't receive breaths though."

Emphasis added.

 

Is he actually saying that Awakening can only be powered by Breath? One could not use Stormlight (the most similar investiture in my mind)? Because we know Vasher uses Stormlight instead of Breath for his weekly "meal".

 

I know Brandon has said that some "jury-rigging" would be necessary when crossing "fuel" sources, but his response here is rather definitive...

 

Other questions that I don't expect answers to, but I want to document for myself:

 

If this does in fact mean that Awakening can only be powered by Breath, is Awakening unique in that fact? Could you Surgebind with Breath, or is Surgebinding only able to be fueled by Stormlight?

 

Why can Vasher substitute Stormlight for Breath?

 

As a scholar, how can Vasher ignore these tantalizing questions?

[Incheoul]

I believe he is referring to their "life force" which is not a breath, not investiture in general.

[WeiryWriter]

Basically as I understand it, most every person in the cosmere is born with a certain level of innate investiture.  For native Nalthians a portion, or perhaps all it isn't clear, of this innate investiture is packaged in a "Breath" which can be separated from the individual, similar to how some species of lizard can detach their tails, leaving them as a Drab.  Non-native Nalthians cannot use their innate investiture to Awaken, because it doesn't have the detachment mechanism that Breath does but neither do they read as Drabs to those with life-sense.

[Blaze1616]

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks to you both!

 

And Ookla, the "spark of life" is innate investiture that each being is born with, meaning a Breath should not contain "all," but only a portion as you said.

 

source

Does Nightblood possibly rip souls out of people?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Nightblood consumes Investiture, including the spark of life.

[WeiryWriter]

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks to you both!

 

And Ookla, the "spark of life" is innate investiture that each being is born with, meaning a Breath should not contain "all," but only a portion as you said.

 

source

Does Nightblood possibly rip souls out of people?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Nightblood consumes Investiture, including the spark of life.

There's a WoB where Brandon says Drabs lack innate investiture:

 

Question

Do all the humans have innate Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

I believe that they all do. I don't think that you've seen anyone without innate Investiture yet. [Drabs] do not have innate Investiture. And on Scadrial they have the pieces of Ruin and Preservation in them. And they do have it on Roshar.

(source)

 

However, this is a subject of debate at the moment that has not yet been resolved, hence me hedging between the two.

[Blaze1616]

There's a WoB where Brandon says Drabs lack innate investiture:

 

(source)

 

However, this is a subject of debate at the moment that has not yet been resolved, hence me hedging between the two.

 

Ah. Got it. Thanks!

[Moogle]

Ah. Got it. Thanks!

 

To be clear, it's disputed because of this WoB:

Brandon Sanderson

A Lifeless. Lifeless are kinda weird, because they’ve had their soul leave, but then they’ve had a replacement stuck in, in the form of Breath, which puts them in a really weird position compared to a Drab, which has had part of their investiture ripped away, but the majority of it remains. So anyway, I’m going to give you one more. Pick your favorite.

(source)

 

This one comes from a later date, and I'm inclined to trust it more anyways - obviously, your Breath is not your entire soul (which is made of Investiture itself by WoB), or else giving away your Breath would kill you. It is, however, part of your soul. Innate Investiture might just mean "Investiture you get passively from the Shard of your planet", while everyone still has their own "Investiture" just by being sentient and alive. In this regard, calling Breath "innate Investiture" is misleading in the extreme.

 

This is somewhat contradicted by the part where it was necessary for Preservation to give up some of his Investiture to create sentient life, however...

Edited November 27, 2014 by Moogle

[Shaggai]

 

To be clear, it's disputed because of this WoB:

 

This one comes from a later date, and I'm inclined to trust it more anyways - obviously, your Breath is not your entire soul (which is made of Investiture itself by WoB), or else giving away your Breath would kill you. It is, however, part of your soul. Innate Investiture might just mean "Investiture you get passively from the Shard of your planet", while everyone still has their own "Investiture" just by being sentient and alive. In this regard, calling Breath "innate Investiture" is misleading in the extreme.

 

This is somewhat contradicted by the part where it was necessary for Preservation to give up some of his Investiture to create sentient life, however...

Most humans probably came from Yolen, or were created on their respective planets by Adonalsium. For them, Adonalsium would have provided the Investiture.