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Welcome to the Museum of Cryptics Please follow our guide through Cultivation's perpendicularity. Once on the other side, kindly refrain from touching the petrified lifeforms, as the disease may spread. Follow the guide, and keep a quick pace, as you may have to run from angerspren at some point in the journey. If you are still alive once you have entered the building, present your passes to the Admittance Officer and enjoy your visit.

So I’ve been bouncing this idea around for a while, and finally decided to type it up. So we know that Pattern bonded Shallan when she was younger, to the point that she could summon her shardblade (to kill her mum). After this she regresses somehow, possibly due to her self-forgetting stuff. Another example we know much less about is Tien, Kaladin’s younger brother. We don’t know a lot about what he did in Amaram’s army, but it is implied that he had reached a point in his Ideals that caught the attention of the Skybreakers enough that Nale felt he needed to be eliminated. I personally think he was at the first Ideal, but have little proof to back that up. So: what are the common threads in these two young lives? My theory: not their own lies, but the lies of those around them. We know that (Pattern at least) Cryptics are very curious about humans. Lyrin was hiding the gem theft, and we know that this caused a lot of strife in Hearthstone. Shallan’s mother was involved somehow with the Skybreakers before her death, and Lin was dealing with political issues (or was that just after Shallan’s mum died?) as well as dealing with debts. Also maybe the Ghostbloods. We know that Pattern is interested in the lies of people besides Shallan. Shallan and Tien are both “the light” of their respective households. The Lightweavers have been described as the “spiritual sustainers” of the Radiants. They are both artistic, and very curious about the world around them. If Cryptics are the spren of natural forces and the laws of nature, the interests of the spren and the knight would align in this. A few other parallels I don’t think are relevant: Shallan and Tien each have depressed older brothers. They are both interested in the creatures around them. They like gentle rains. Please point out anything that I’ve missed!

I have a theory regarding how truespren make it back into roshar the first time. This theory came about as a result of the scene where Shallan had to draw Pattern before he could manifest. That seemed odd to me that she had to do that when none of the other new Knights have had to do something similar. I think it has to do less with her drawing him, and more with the amount of creationspren she attracted doing so (the quote says hundreds of creationspren were drawn to her at that time.) My theory comes from an assumption that each true spren type has their own "squires" so to speak. Cryptics have creationspren, Honorspren have windspren, Cultivationspren have lifespren, the Bondsmith spren have gloryspren. ( I posit that there has to be a sufficiently large amount of these "squire" spren in an area to punch a whole between the Cognitive and Physical realm "big" enough for these true spren to come through. For Syl, that mean there needed to be enough windspren, say in a windy area like barren plains or when fighting with a spear, which has been stated to generate windspren. For Pattern, Shallan had to actually be creative enough to draw enough creationspren to allow pattern to fully manifest, rather than poking through like most spren do. Idk, what do you think. I think this theory has holes, but its going somewhere.

Does anyone know about where in Tien’s timeline Pattern started bonding with Shallan? I’m trying to figure out if Tien’s potential Cryptic came through to the Physical Realm after Pattern or before.

This isn't a real theory. Rather, sort of a musing that I'd like to hear other thoughts on. [This is in reference to the WoB stating that Tien was on the way to becoming a Lightweaver.] We know that Cryptics are fascinated by lies, perhaps initially drawn to their prospective Radiants by them. Shallan has powerful personal truths to give Pattern. Hoid offers extremely juicy secrets. Elhokar, living in the shadow of two warlords and with a dangerous, corrupted spouse and volatile kingdom, well, it makes sense that he has deep lies and profound truths to admit. So what about Tien? Sweet, kind, joyful Tien. I imagine he was more aware of his family's situation than they maybe gave him credit for. But what sort of lie was he living that would have been strong enough to put him on the (admittedly aborted) path to being a Lightweaver? Just interested in hearing other thoughts and theories, crackpot or otherwise.

So I hopped into this thread and it got me thinking. The "death rattle" in question, which I don't believe is truly a rattle, involves a "patient" getting a glimpse of the Cognitive Realm and there just happens to be a a cryptic there watching. At least that's my understanding of the "head of lines" comment. I see two possibilities. 1: The person who the diagriamists recorded at this moment was being considered to become a Lightweaving. 2: The Cryptics are watching the Diagriamists, or at least the death rattles. I lean towards option two for the following reason. In tWoK, before Shallan soulcasts and fakes suicide, she observed the Cryptics through her drawings. At the time, I reasonably assumed that she was why they were there. Why though, would someone already bonded to a Cryptic require so many Cryptics to observe them? If my thinking is correct she doesn't. They came to see her because she is already bonded to one of them. She's a curiosity that they couldn't ignore. The timing of their appearance could be explained through them feeling Patterns reawakening and wanting to witness it, but their purpose in Kharbranth is to observe the Death Rattles. Shallan's interactions with Pattern have shown us that the Cryptics are scholars of a sort. The interactions of one of the unmade, on a regular basis, essentially being harvested to update and maintain the Diagram would be a pretty fascinating source of information for them. So if this is going on, is it just the death rattles, or are they interested in Taravangian and the Diagram as a whole? Thanks @retrorocket1 and @Andy92 for drawing my attention to that little tidbit.

What is a Worldhopper? They are select individuals who have learned how to travel between the different Shard worlds in the Cosmere. The most likely way that these individuals do is is by sinking into shard pools and emerging in the cognitive realm, where the minds of men connect across the vastness of space. This allows for people to walk from world to world, assuming they can do so in safety. Hoid is a perfect example of a worldhopper, although there are others. There are also other, less known ways of entering the Cognitive realm. Who know what will become of worldhoppers. Transcript: This letter is more of a journal entry than a field report. I had started to wonder if I would ever see another messenger. I know that travel across the Cosmere is difficult and dangerous, but it’s been years. Your call back is… troubling at best. However, I will not disguise the fact that your abrupt silence was causing me to consider returning anyway. Needless to say, the Cognitive Realm may be a home to dreams and ideas of men, but some of those dreams are nightmares come with some serious teeth. The philosophers of the various worlds often discuss the dangers and natures of ideas among a population. Naturally they were making references to the fickle hearts of men in times of transition and stress. Individuals such as you and me know that the dangers of ideas are real in the Cognitive Realm. There is nothing more terrifying than the realization that one slip, one misstep or encounter with a powerful cognitive being and your life can be snuffed out like a candle in the wind. I once practically lived among the shadows of the cognitive realm, and now that I have returned once again, I find myself fearing that abyss. Although you may understand the traversing of the Cognitive realm in an academic sense, I doubt you truly understand the strange and fascinating perils that reside here. Roshar is of itself particularly dangerous, for the Spren here are far more powerful than their diminished counterparts in the physical realm. Here they are a horde, most are more like forces of nature rather than beings of intellect. They move and act, bound by their nature and intent. I have been warned by the whispers of the cryptics of the dangers their fellows present. One should not travel the Cognitive realm lightly here. On the other hand, the spren are fascinating to converse with. The cryptics in particular seemed to enjoy my company, something about the lies I tell. I found that they themselves were hard to ply for information, but if you listen carefully you can decipher meaning in their circling words. They remind me of politicians if I am honest, perhaps that is why I felt I could follow their logic better. It was almost like being with family again. I have seen the powers of Investiture here on Roshar that create holes or perpandicularies in the cognitive realm. This is most fascinating because until now, I had assumed that the only points where someone could pass from the physical world into the Cognitive real was through locations of condensed Investiture. Shard Pools, as they are called, are points on the various worlds where the raw power and investiture of a Shard collects and condenses. So far I have found such pools on each of the worlds I have visited, for I could not have traversed there without them. Yet there are old stories and new whispers that claim that some of the Knights Radiant can send themselves physically into the Cognitive Realm without using a shard pool. I also believe that the Oath Gates that I’ve used to travel great distances in an instant also operate by traversing the Cognitive Realm but how this works is still a mystery to me. I wonder if someday everyone will have access to the Cognitive Realm. I have a…unique background and with concentration, I can pass through a perpendiculary with relatively safely. The issue is, I don’t know if just anyone can survive this process. I have never tested it, fearing what would happen if the concentrated power would harm or kill others. The concentration of pure Investiture is so great that it effectively dissolves the boundaries between the physical and cognitive realms. Perhaps like so many things in the Cosmere, using the Shard pools in this way is more about Intent, rather than physical limitation. Sadly, the ways of these pools are far exciding my understanding. One of the many reasons why I am hesitant to use them is rooted in the knowledge that I understand almost nothing about the mysteries of shard pools, except that they can carry me between realms. Even so, I know there are others who use these pools for the very purpose I do. As I have written to you before, Hoid is a master of traversing the various worlds via shard pools. In fact, I think that the only way he can be reasonably tracked is watching the points where he can travel. However, he is far too crafty to make it that easy to catch him. Independent of our little organization, the 17th Shard is the only operating group of Worldhoppers that I know of for sure. They seem to see themselves as a policing force, attempting to keep some kind of balance and observing the actions that are happening across the Cosmere. Like I have said before, they are no longer fond of me since I set foot and integrated myself among the people of Roshar. They seem to feel that these peoples are far too easy for an outsider to manipulate. Although they have sought me out, I have hidden myself well and make sure not to draw attention or meddle in things other than behind the scenes. Besides, subtlety is often a more powerful tool in making things happen. Let the heroes take the spotlight. Instead I move people into places they need to be, funds where they are most advantageous, and building structure and wealth where there is chaos. Where some wield knives or armies, I wield politics, information, and influence. I sometimes feel ashamed of the distinct advantages my skills and knowledge allow me. Yet doing nothing, as my pursuers would wish of me, would go against all that I have become. Never again will I sit back and watch the world burn beneath me. I have been given too many gifts and understanding to just let myself wander away. I will watch, and I will nudge when I feel it will be of greatest benefit. I am not a man to make history, just a man who wants things to run as smoothly as possible. Regardless, I have kept an eye out for these 17th shard peace keepers, they will not get in my way for long. There must be others out there that traverse the worlds beyond their home. The only possible exception would be travelers from Sel. Sel is nearly impossible to visit, and very dangerous at that. Well, all the Cognitive Realm is dangerous for the physical bodies that walk the dark paths. But Sel is far more so even than Roshar. Yet I have a feeling that if travelers haven’t been able to leave as of yet, they someday will find a way. At the moment, only a small number of people know that Worldhopping is possible. But as the peoples of these worlds grow, it becomes more and more likely that others will eventually learn of the secrets of the shard pools. Will we one day see networks of interdimensional highways connecting the peoples of the Cosmere? Will worlds ever push to expand their borders, seeing opportunity in the lands of beyond? With there ever become a time where I become so well know, that I can no longer blend in with alien societies? The future of worldhopping is as unpredictable as the people who practice the art. It is amusing how often we cross paths, seeing how large the Cosmere is. But I feel that many of us are drawn to large and pivotal points in the narratives of the Shard worlds. In fact, as I make my way back to my homeland, I wonder if Hoid or the Scholar have already traveled there. I never thought I would return, but what is more surprising is the fact that I think I am ready to return. After failing my family, knowing they died because I was not strong enough to protect them, I thought I could never face the world that let them die. Yet, dare I say, my travails on Roshar has shown me that through despair and failure, we often learn and gain the strength that we lacked when we were younger. Your report was cryptic at best. Your long silence had me believing that our communications were being intercepted or lost somehow. Disturbing thoughts, that remind me of darker days. In fact, I wonder what forces could be out there, continuing to conspire against us. Perhaps this is why I was called in the first place, to stand and recognize the signs of corruption as they manifest. If the danger you implied is caused by a fallen Shard… well, I just hope I am not too late. I look forward to meeting in person once again, if anything I can’t wait to see the look on your face to see the backlog of reports you now need to sift through, you could make a book out of them I’m sure. I also bring a gift from Roshar, something that might make these reports easier to manage in the coming years, assuming we can keep the gemstones charged. Until we meet again, Elsric Please remember, anyone can submit art for this series, so if you want to share anything, please message me and we can get it in there!

Sorry if this topic was already covered..... buuuuut; What exactly are cryptics? Meaning what form of spren are they? They don't seem to be Cultivation spren. So what are they the cognitive representation of? Longshot answer: Maybe Cryptics are the spren of lighteyes. Jasnah does describe them as the lighteyes of Shadesmar. Also Syl calls them liespren and Kaladin is always going on about how much the lighteyes don't keep their word.

So, Elhokar talks about how "they watch him from mirrors" "symbols, twisted, inhuman" So he's seeing cryptics. This could mean several things: #1 Elhokar is becoming a Lightweaver. #2 His blade is the Lightweaver honor blade, which the Cryptics are interested in #3 other reason the cryptics are watching him/ability to see spren otherwise. #4 ….He is insane. Any thoughts?

Honor and Cultivation deteriorated into Honor Spren as well as Lie Spren. Wha...???? Does that mean that lies are an integral part of cultivation? In order to build something, you have to deceive someone? Or, is lying an integral part of honor? Yin Yang, balance in all things. Without lies, there is no honor. Or is it both? To build something you have to have honor and to grow your honor, you must reject your lies?

So, this is actually a rather small post, but I feel it is important. Kaladin, as far as we've seen him, seems very honorable, always doing the right thing, and never really breaking the rules. He seems a bit too honorable, and he attracted an Honorspren. WoR spoiler This seems a little too similar to be a coincidence. Are the Nahel-bonding spren attracted to those similar in personality to them? Or, and this is an interesting thought, do they manipulate the person they plan on bonding to and change their personality, their intent? Syl confirms that she was following Kaladin since before he even joined Amaram's army, around the time he volunteered to go with his brother to defend him. Seems honorable. WoR spoiler

So, after reading the latest chapters here. I believe the conflict between the Honorspren and Cryptics is quite obvious (correct me if I'm wrong). That they are in conflict on whether or not they should bond with humans again. It is stated in chapter 3 of WoR: And this in chapter 6: Which implied that the cryptics CHOSE Shallan (I believe that Pattern found Shallan at a young age and followed her, observing her - then had the other cryptics follow her to see if they approved, that is why she saw tons of them the months before she entered shadesmar - but this is neither here nor there.) This implies that the cryptics are actively trying to bond with KR candidates - at least I think that this is what this implies. And lastly, we have this from Syl in chapter 9: She was forbidden to come, but she came anyways. Also, she is the ONLY honorspren who has come. It must have been a big deal, because she clames she disobeyed the stormfather: (*note* I belive this helps add some weight behind the theory that the Almighty and Stormfather are two seperate entities) I believe this creates a solid argument, pick it apart if you can!