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Hello 17 Shard. I have a theory about the giant spren of Iri, Cusicesh, that I haven't found anyone else propose before, so I just want to get the fandom's thoughts. I believe that Cusicesh is actually the 'dullform' of Ba-Ado-Mishrim(BAM). The piece of information that first brought this idea to me was when I was rereading Dalinar and Navani's wedding and the Stormfather appears. After he hears the wedding vows and leaves, the soldiers around Dainar "sagged, looking suddenly exhausted.". It suddenly occurred to me that the only other spren that I could remember causing tiredness in a group of people was Cusicesh of Iri. So my interest in the spren was peaked and I wondered if it might be a spren that was capable of Connection like the Stormfather, or at least similar abilities. All three Bondsmith spren have been accounted for so if it is a spren capable of great Connection Cusicesh would have to be something else. And that's when I thought about BAM. She was connected to almost every Singer on the planet at one point, so she has the ability. I dug a little deeper and tried to find out where her last location was. There's no definitive area of Roshar stated, but the epigraphs of Oathbringer Part 3 say that the Singers were feverishly fighting toward Feverstone keep during the end of the False Desolation, the Desolation BAM initiated. So it's possible that she would be in the area. Feverstone Keep has been theorizied to be near the Iri city of Rall Elorim. If this is correct, then the strike team that went after BAM would have attacked her in Iri. This is where my theory falls completely into spectulation. I believe that Melishi the Bondsmith did not trap BAM in a gemstone the same way that Dalinar trapped the Thrill. I think that Melishi only trapped her mind in the gem stone, leaving behind an impotent shell. This might be why the empowered Singers became the dullform parshmen instead of Singers without access to Voidlight, matching to what happened to what was Connecting them. After that BAM, Cusicesh now, hid away in Iri; only coming out at a certain time and looking eastward, possibly towards where the sphere containing her mind is hidden. Anyway, that's my theory. Feel free to dissect it, I'd loved to know where I'm wrong.

So, if you haven't read the new KoWT interlude that was spoiled at Dragonsteel, here it is: https://wob.coppermind.net/events/522-dragonsteel-2023/#e16257 And STORMS that chapter is spicy. So, the first part entails the journey of a few minor Worldhoppers, and apart from them being taunted by Hoid and learning that another old lady is a knight radiant, nothing much Cosmere-Related happens. But then we've got Cusicesh, who appears out of the water at random, speaks to the people of Kasitor, telling them it's time to leave the planet, and opens a giant storming portal for everyone to run into. Yeah, that's right. Remember that little tidbit in Tress about the Iriali disappearing off the face of Lumar? Yeah, that's what just happened here. In fact, I'd wager that a similar thing happened on Lumar, as well as every other planet with myths about the disappearance of the Iriali. So a few questions remain: What's going on with the Iriali? How did this happen on all the other planets? Where does everyone go? AND WHAT THE SCUD IS GOING ON WITH SCUDDLING CUSICESH? Discuss.

Exactly what it says: some ideas and theories on spren I had after reading RoW Cusicesh, the Protector The Sibling is, well, a sibling of the Nightwatcher and the Stormfather. Sja-anat calls them a cousin, which could imply that the relationship between the original spren that would be unmade by Odium and godspren is similar to the one between cousin and Radiant spren. It makes sense: Re-shephir seems like a superpowered creationspren, Yelig-nar a superpowered windspren etc. If that is the case, is there a superpowered gloryspren somewhere? Cusicesh seems like an interesting candidate, given that his most pronounces feature is the face (OK, faces), something he shares with the NW and the SF The Oathgate spren OK, this is super tinfoil territory, but while reading RoW I thought about the weird potential link between Oathgate spren and Cryptics. Given their Surge, it would make sense for the Oathgate spren to have features similar to Inkspren and Reachers, right? It works for the former, but I cannot see an Lightspren features in them. On the other hand we are specifically told that Cryptics' hands come in two colors, exactly the same as Oathgate spren. Is it possible that association between sapient spren and Surges works differently for Surge fabrial spren? Thunderclasts We know that there is more to Cultvation's magic than Old Magic and ancient Stoneshaping seems like an excellent candidate. It has some decent foreshadowing, really: Singer gods ('spren, stone, and wind') mentioned in the Eila Stele, Shin reverence for stone, Cultivation being identified with Roshar itself by many people. Ancient Stoneshapers being corrupted by Odium also explains the Thunderclasts, the only Voidbringer being we couldn't match to any magic so far. Given that they are essentially twisted Singer souls, it could imply that this Stoneshaping didn't require a spren bond (unless the spren was also corrupted and merged with the Thunderclast). Could it be a genetic ability, like what the Horneater Sighted have, or maybe something granted by Old Magic style spiritweb modification? Stormstriders We now know that larkins are sapient, something that Tai-na also share to some extent - and based on the RoW ending, there's something more to the chasmfiends than we previously realized. From WoR Rysn interlude we know that Tai-na, besides the usual luckspren, also seem to bond some spen (considered their "soul" by the Reshi people) in their gemhearts. If so, this situation could extend to other greatshells, including larkins / lanceryns. It's more intuition than proof, but it seems likely that such spren would be rather huge and unique, as well as easily available in Highstorms (assuming that the bonding mechanism is shared with the Singers). I think that Stormstrides could be such spren (and maybe provide lanceryn Forms?)

Hello all, I have invested some stake in the idea that Cusicesh the Protector is the third Sibling, referred to as a sleeping "they" by the Stormfather in Oathbringer. The Stormfather refuses to divulge more information than their existence and their relation to himself and the Nightwatcher. Cusicesh is described in Interlude I-5 of the Way of Kings as a spren of great size (over 100 feet tall) with four arms and a body with a deep blue center. It* rises out of the ocean at the same time every day (7:46am, though I won't pretend to know what that means,) and looks toward the Origin for the full ten minutes of its "performance". While doing so, it rapidly changes between human faces--male and female. Axies cannot tell if there are any repetitions of the faces shown. People who have watched Cusicesh have reported feeling drained afterwards. From Oathbringer's exploration of the Cognitive Realm, there is mention of a link between humanity and the spren. If the Sibling is "sleeping" as the Stormfather said, I believe they would still need to sustain that interaction with humanity. So, everyday, Cusicesh wakes up from its pseudo-hibernation, drains some energy from onlookers to sustain itself, and looks toward the Origin with longing, bearing the faces of those it bonded with in the past, then goes back to sleep. *Though I believe Cusicesh to be the Sibling in question, my belief does not constitute as evidence for sentience in said spren, so I will use the pronouns given to me from the book for Cusicesh until I am proven correct or other pronouns are given.

Theory: Cusicesh is a spren of the Iriali god, the One I was inspired while reading this thread from a little while ago: (I also used some of the quotes/WoBs found in here, so credit goes to you guys) CONTEXT FOR THE LONG TRAIL: (you can skip if you already know abt the Long Trail, or just read for a refresher) The Iriali generally follow the religion of the One (their god... a shard? maybe... who knows?). This religion teaches that the Iri are on an interplanetary journey called The Long Trail, going over 7 different planets. Ages ago, the One decided to split itself up into different lives so that it could experience life. These people, the Iriali, are currently on the 4th planet of the journey, Roshar. When they get to the 7th planet, they will all "gather together" and become One again, new and improved with all the experiences/lives the Iriali have lead, completing the Long Trail. Every Irian is part of the One... SO ONTO THE THEORY: Descrition from Axies' interlude in WoK ~Cusicesh the Protector is described as being made up of many different faces flashing through in quick succession and Axies said that it was worshiped in by some in Kasitor... As we know, spren are living ideas, eg. a firespren is people's idea of fire that has gained form in the Cognitive Realm (and shows partially in the Physical). So what idea/s formed Cusicesh? Or in other words, what is Cusicesh the spren of? Let's look at the people who would have shaped it. (Spren's genders have been influenced by human vs singer perception, so we know that the people thinking around the spren, and their social concepts have effect on spren) Cusicesh appears in the city, Kasitor, which is Iri's second largest city. Cusicesh is considered "a part of the city" so it must have been there for a long time, under influence from many Iriali's perceptions over a long time. As a spren in Kasitor, Cusicesh has to have been influenced by the Iriali. So how does Cusicesh fit into Iriali culture??? As the One!* (*Possibly as the One! ...it makes sense to me, here's why...) So the first thing that connects Cusicesh to the One is the display of faces. The One is all the Iriali people, as Ym said to the urchin, "you and I are One". The One is genderless. Cusicesh's display includes many different people, some appear male and some appear female. All of the faces are human. So all different humans, all genders, are being combined into one form. Which is exactly the same as how all of the Iriali are meant to become One on the 7th planet, combining into One form. One of the major aspects of Cusicesh' demonstration is people feeling drained by it. Axies said it felt like "something had been leeched from him". Maybe Cusicesh is draining away the observers' experiences/investiture, to replicate how One is meant to take all of the Iriali experiences onto itself. (Yes this isn't the 7th planet yet, but Cusicesh isn't literally the One, just people's perceptions of the One. And the final "gathering" is literally the purpose of the Long Trail/their lives so it makes sense this important aspect would be a part of the One's spren) Cusicesh is also worshipped by some Iri. This could tentatively be an indication that Cusicesh was connected 'the One' religion at some point in the past. Or that it at least resonated/s with Iriali culture during their time on Roshar. (Like why would the worldhopping Iriali, some of whom were cosmically aware, worship a spren?) Also in terms of their worship, the pedestals are gold, connecting it further to the golden Iriali people. (Also also, Four pedestals/arms that Cusicesh is leaning on, maybe represent four lands so far that the One can draw experiences from...) To recap, Crusicesh must have been influenced by people because it is a spren. It's location means it has been influenced by the Iriali's perceptions. And from our limited knowledge of Crusicesh, its behaviours seem to fit with the Iriali God, the One. This theory also provides a reason for Brandon to show us Cusicesh, beyond it being the Sibling (which I don't believe), or just being cool. The Iri's perceptions of their god have created Crusicesh or at least influenced it. Honestly, I have no idea if all of this has already been said, or if there are massive holes I just don't have the knowledge to see. But I thought that this seemed plausible enough, or that this might provide something useful... tear it apart! (Or alternatively, help build and correct this theory!) PS: In order for this theory to be really solid, it would be great to find another spren of a god, for example, a spren that emobidied the Passions. (not a god-spren, like because even though he's a sliver of Honor, the Stormfather isn't believed to represent the Almighty, so I don't think he counts as a precedent.) (PPS: some baseless propositions/thoughts (if this theory proves true) Maybe all the faces are people with Iriali blood who have passed on and are going back into the One??? Maybe "eastward", the direction Cusicesh is facing, is where the Iriali homeland is, or where they last came from, or where they're going next???? idk. Cusicesh's "sapience" could come from drawing energy/investiture/cognitive presence from onlookers. The Iri are also probably giving it heaps of cognitive presence/aspect, cos Cusicesh is taking on all their ideas/reverence for their God. Cusicesh's sapience would also allow it to continue spren-ifying the One, if people have stopped heavily associating Crusicesh with the One, because now its view of itself contributes to its identity)

/u/Topsyt on Reddit posted a great theory today about Cusicesh. And I think one of the comments, by /u/statemint, rounded the theory out really well. You can see the link for the original. Cusicesh Cusicesh is a massive (100 ft tall), strange spren (supposedly) who appears every day in the Kasitor Bay of Iri. He appears at the same time (7:46 am), splashes out illusory waves of water, rapidly flashes various human faces while facing the Origin, and then submerges. He is locally known as "Cusicesh the Protector", and many worship him. Those nearby, who witness Cusicesh's display, feel "drained" according to Axies: Dai-gonarthis Dai-gonarthis, also called the Black Fisher, is only mentioned once (quote below). /u/Topsyt notes that his name (and alias) has a strong resemblance to Dagon, a pagan, Canaanite deity associated (traditionally) with fish. This follows the usual naming convention for suspected Unmade (see Moelach/Nergaoul and Moloch/Nergal). Paired with the cryptic introduction of Dai-gonarthis, there is little doubt he is an Unmade. Connection: the sea Note that both Cusicesh and Dai-gonarthis are related to the sea. Cusicesh "resides" in Kasitor Bay and splashes illusory waves of water. Dai-gonarthis is known as the Black Fisher and is perhaps inspired by a god that has connections to the sea. Connection: "draining" people Notice what the person in the Death Rattle above is saying. The speaker feels deep hurt and sorrow then calls to Dai-gonarthis. Next Dai-gonarthis "holds" that sorrow and "consumes" it. Might we say that he has "drained" the speaker's deep emotions? We have strong reason to suspect that the Unmade affect (or, perhaps, infect) the people within a certain area. Nergaoul causes the Thrill while Death Rattles are related to Moelach, and from what Taravangian says we have reason to believe that proximity to these matter. Could it be that Dai-gonarthis is an Unmade who siezes and consumes... emotions?... something from those who are nearby. This is very similar to Axies' experience with Cusicesh, who left feeling "as if something had been leeched from him". Two Interpretations /u/Topsyt argues that Cusicesh is Dai-gonarthis. There are a number of connections between the two, as we have seen. He further argues that Brandon likes to hide things in plain sight, and Cusicesh as an Unmade would be just that. There's also a notable conversation between Shallan and Pattern where Shallan (somewhat mistakenly) relates Cusicesh and Odium. A tease perhaps? /u/statemint takes another approach. The connections between the two are certainly present. But how do you explain Dai-gonarthis's... apparent weakness? Under the original theory, we can only guess. Maybe he has been weakened somehow. Maybe he is biding his time. Maybe he is having more influence than we realize. But perhaps there's an obvious answer. Cusicesh is known as "the Protector". Could it be that he is, indeed, protecting the Iriali from Dai-gonarthis? Could it be that Cusicesh is actually a spren who is holding Dai-gonarthis captive, consequently limiting the range and effect of the Unmade's influence to nearly nothing? Additional Speculation From the Wikipedia page, Dagon was sometimes viewed as a "protector". If Cusicesh is indeed Dai-gonarthis himself, this connection seems fitting. Furthermore, Dagon was also sometimes considered a judge of the dead. Perhaps this is related to the faces that Cusicesh displays? (this fits with either theory, I think) What do you guys think? See any other connections here? Anybody have additional insights on Dagon which might hint at more? If the "draining" feeling is associated with Dai-gonarthis, what do you think is going on there?

Cusicesh is so different from every spren we've ever seen that I'm reluctant to take people's word for it that it's actually a spren. Character misinformation isn't anything new (c.f. Mistborn...). "It's weird, it must be a spren!" That said, if it weren't a spren, what would it be? And if it's actually a spren, what is it a spren of?

So, this post will contain references to both WoR and WoK, though only one major spoiler, and that will be in spoiler brackets, so don't look at that if you haven't read THE ENTIRE WOR BOOK. Literally, this spoiler is from the very end and I will -not- have it ruined for someone. The rest will be tiny minor spoilers that aren't consequential to your reading. _________________________________________________________________ Now, on to the post. During the series, several spren have been encountered or mentioned that are extraordinary. I shall list them thusly. 1. Cusicesh the Protector- This spren is an enormous one that rises out of the waters in a city whose name I have forgotten every day at the same time. It then looks at the Origin and changes appearance rapidly, making those around it tired. This spren appears to be bound to this area somehow, likely due to the way it is viewed by people as being the protector of the city. 2. The Nightwatcher- This strange spren gives out boons to those that request them of her, giving out curses in return as well. Not too much is known about her except that she is responsible for the Old Magic, which is likely not magic at all, but just a strong spren's manipulation of the cognitive aspect of the world. She is likely a spren of Cultivation, as I'm sure I heard Lift's spren talking about her at some point... Reference needed. She seems to be bound to some sort of valley in the same way that Cusicesh is bound to the city, by the way she is viewed by humans. Perhaps, if they viewed her as not giving curses, then she would only give boons? This must indeed be researched eventually. 3. The Stormfather- This immensely powerful spren is a spren that appears every time a Highstorm passes. He is responsible in some way for the release of Stormlight into gemstones during this time. This spren seems somehow trapped by the thoughts of man as being confined to the Highstorm. 4. Moelach- This spren, mentioned briefly by Tanavast on page 906 of the hardback version,is apparently responsible for the Death Rattle. When nearby (range unknown) This spren causes dying people to glimpse at something, powered by their life energy, past present or future. Unlike the other spren above, this one is cable of moving about, as it is so unknown by mankind that it is not bound by their perception of it. 5. Nergaoul- This spren, also mentioned by Tanavast, is responsible for the Thrill. It is considered an ancient evil spren that Tanavast does not yet have the resources to tackle. Aka, this thing is too strong for a kingdom that leads one of the most powerful cults in the world. This makes me believe it is an Unmade or Voidspren, a spren of Odium. He, like Moelach, is not bound by man's perception of him, and can move about, as he is so unknown. 6. Lunu'anaki- This spren appeared before rock from the depths of the Horneater Peak's "Oceans". Not much is known of him, save that he is considered to be a very very powerful god. He is the god of travel and mischief, looks like a lighter skinned Alethi with white hair. Possibly not a spren at all, but it is unknown. [Edit] This is most likely Hoid.