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At the end of RoW, Odium removes some Breaths from Hoid that contain his memories. I was wondering if he was imitating a coppermind with them, swapping out the form of Investiture, and constantly filling the Breaths with his new memories. Just a thought I had, and wondering if there is any other explanation as to how he would have memories stored in Breaths

Basically the title, do we know the extent of Hoid's restrictions on hurting living things? Hoid's Coppermind article notes that he can't harm people and cannot eat anything he believes to be meat, but I'm not sure if that's the full extent. Is his restrictions on harming living things only sapient beings - dragons, humans, singers, Sho Del, etc., or does it extend to highly intelligent entities like Ryshadium, Larkin, Sleepless, horses, dolphins etc.?At what point does it stop restricting him or would he be majorly inconvenienced if someone were to release hundreds of thousands of flies into a room he was in and he couldn't even make a step or open his mouth without endangering their fragile bodies? Alternately fill his room with hamster or kittens. Could he move when he knows he will probably kill something accidentally? Yes, there are logical extremes to this progression, but I'm not going there just yet. He can make a Cognitive Shadow (Kelsier) think they are hurting, but could he harm an Honorspren made corporeal by Ishar before they died? Can he hurt spren in Shadesmar? You acquire a Bavadium Hemalurgic spike, one of the ones that is repulsed by an Allomancer burning metals. If you were to tell Hoid that you had setup a box with the spike positioned so that if he were to burn metals it would stab a cat inside (named Schrodinger, because), would that stop him from using Allomancy? Barring a stunt like Duralumin Pulling on the spike which is dumb in so many ways. Would he need to see the cat and the setup of the box to be restricted or if he never saw the cat would he still be free to act? Ignoring Lifesense for a moment (maybe he Awakened something), would he be restricted if he believed the cat was there but you hadn't actually put Schrodinger in the box? Mostly I'm interested in the room full of flies scenario as just about anyone could set that one up with barely any specialized equipment or abilities. Thoughts?

At the end of Words of Radiance the following interaction occurs: In the following books it is shown that spren did deal with living people, if not in their own major cities. These people are almost all various worldhoppers and they are not all that numerous, but they are not non-existent. I'd imagine that Jasnah would make a disturbance regardless. There are not that many people and Jasnah is specifically a radiant. It just seems there is a contradiction, perhaps a subtle retcon. Perhaps I am misremembering and there were absolutely no interactions between worldhoppers and spren, but I recall otherwise and I have been rereading the stormlight archives over and over again recently. Still doesn't mean I cannot be wrong of course.

In Tress of the Emerald Sea it says that Hoid would have a 20% chance to kill the Sorceress, but Brandon has repeatedly said that a Dawnshard cannot harm anyone –Hoid can't even eat meat–. Has he managed to change this somehow? What am I missing?

Hey! I am currently rereading both stress and TLM on a beautiful beach in Egypt ( too much lore to digest in one go) I am drawn back to the comment where about implied that he and sixteen other people chattered Ado as they could not trust him to make his own decisions. My head cannon has always been (since Dawnshard anyway) that there would have been twenty people in total, 4 for the Dawnshard and 16 for each Shard. I am aware that Hoid was offered a shard and did not take this up. I wonder why there were seventeen people originally, did one person never intend to take up a shard? Was there an additional purpose for that person? I just think it’s random that they had one extra person lying around to take up the refused shard. I am wondering if Hoid declined the shard before they attempted the shattering but still wanted to be involved in the attempt. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated? I feel I have missed a link somewhere.

We’ve seen Hoid intentionally seek out new powers multiple times now. In Elantris he tried to become an Elantrian, in Tress he succeeded, in stormlight he sought to become a radiant, in secret history he intentionally became a mistborn, etc… Two questions. 1) why is he seeking out these powers? I don’t think it is just to become more powerful in the traditional sense. Rather I think he is messing with some realmatic theory to gain some connection to each of the 16 shards. Maybe with the intent of re-forming Adonalsium? 2) if he is trying to gain connection to all 16 shards, does becoming a mistborn connect him to both ruin and preservation or just preservation. Similarly, does becoming a light weaver connect him to both honor and cultivation or just one of them. Is becoming an Elantrian connect him to just devotion or does it connect him to dominion as well? any other thoughts on Hoids gotta catch ‘em all strategy?

Hey All! Long time lurker, first time poster, so I apologize if the formatting isn't quite right. There will be plenty of spoilers regarding the later Stormlight books and the Dawnshard novella, so please tread lightly if you haven't read those yet. After my most recent reread of RoW I noticed how much discussion there is on Hoid’s flute and it got me thinking that it must be more significant than just a simple musical instrument. Perhaps the flute is actually the Dawnshard that Hoid has had since the shattering? Before people jump down my throat, I am aware of the theorized connection between Hoid’s Dawnshard and the First Gem. However, as we saw in the Dawnshard novella, the receptacle of the Dawnshard can obviously change from items to people. So I went back and started tracing where we have previously seen or head mention of the flute. We know that Hoid has had the flute for an extremely long time when he tells Kaladin that he has carried it longer than Kaladin would believe. The way Hoid explains the flute always seemed odd to me To me, Kaladin’s confusion about this is reasonable. He probably hasn’t seen many people play the flute while simultaneously storytelling. What bugs me about the wording is that Hoid claims he “uses” it instead of simply saying that he plays it. A little later in the passage Brandon describes Kaladin’s reaction to the music The emphasis on demanding here is what catches my attention. Sure, people describe music as demanding occasionally, but perhaps there is a bit more here. After Hoid finishes the story he gives Kaladin the flute and tells him that Which I will admit, on its own, doesn’t seem all that consequential at first glance. But when I start thinking about the little that is known of Dawnshards that passage starts to take on a different meaning. We know from the Dawnshard novella that to properly use a Dawnshard, it requires both Intent and Command. So perhaps “mastering” the flute in this context Hoid is hinting to Kaladin being able to use the Dawnshard. Further, we also know that holding Dawnshards for a long-time changes people (from Oathbringer epilogue) which has obviously happened to Hoid due to his inability to hurt others. Now Kaladin loses the flute relatively quickly after receiving it from Hoid, so he wouldn’t have developed those same effects, but maybe his time with the flute in his possession did have an effect. Kaladin is only one of two known surgebinders who was able to remain awake during the occupation in RoW. I know there are completely logical explanations made in the book as to why he was able to remain conscious, but I think it is possible that this explanation is incomplete and that Kaladin’s time with a Dawnshard in his possession assisted in his consciousness. As I mentioned, there was only one other surgebinder who remained awake, Lyft, who we find out at the end of the book has had the flute in her possession from some time after the move from the Shattered Plains! We all know that Hoid rarely appears or takes action that aren’t absolutely necessary to meet his own goals (whatever they may be). He tells Dalinar himself near the end of WoR that So maybe Hoid felt it was time to pass on the Flute (which I suspect to be the Dawnshard) because he felt Kaladin and eventually Lyft would have greater need of it in the near future.

I noticed this quote on my third read of TWoK and found it of some note. This sort of touches on the fourth wall which is something that basically never happens in cosmere works-but it seems to happen here. It technically could be something else, and I'd love to hear opinions. What does this mean...? Oh, also this which has a small chance of being a fourth wall break as well (But easily could actually mean what it means when taken at face value.) Hoid just seems like the type of person to sneak in a double meaning of that sort. I don't usually suspect this kind of quote, but this in particular feels like something.

Whatever happened to his cryptic Design? We last saw them together in Stormlight 4 and I am not sure a Nahel bond can reach that far. You see no mention of them in the book. Based on the discussion in the thread the book seems to take place way after he made the bond so did he lose Design maybe during the events of Stormlight 5?

So if Hoid is an Elantrian now, can he stop glowing if he wants to? Will it be hard for him to hide? Seems like glowing uncontrollably would really change his MO. Turning someone into a rat seems like a different kind of magic from what we've seen in the Cosmere so far. Is that just a standard Elantrian ability? If so, dang, Hoid is going to be practically unstoppable wherever he can draw a big map. Hoid said that he and sixteen other people told someone "It's for your own good." I guess they were speaking to Adonalsium at the Shattering, though they could have been speaking (metaphorically) to the Cosmere as a whole. Why would the Shattering have been for Adonalsium's own good? I liked that the story wasn't just "Sometimes the princess does the rescuing." That is no longer a clever twist. The end of this story was. Will the duke's nephew still be his heir? That seems legally doubtful. Silver seems to have the ability to thwart or kill living Investiture around the Cosmere - Threnody, Roshar, and now Lumar. I want to see more types of spores and their uses. Or the aethers the spores are connected to. What was Xisis's real reason for letting Tress go? Tress mentions death himself with nails in his eyes. Those Scadrians must get around, huh?

Just a funny thought, then I got to thinking Brandon is Hoid. The collector of stories. The one that was there for the shattering but not one of the shards. Who, Travels to all the worlds and interjects as only an author would (kinda like the neverending story). Whether it is written into the books at some point or not, the two are connected for me now. What do you think? Or is it deeper, in all actuality is Brandon Sanderson really a worldhopper? That's why his books are so good. It's just history, not fantasy.

Hey guys, I've been gone for a bit but with Graphic Audio releasing version 1.5 of White Sand (I'll explain that in a moment :wink:) and me getting my tax return, I decided to grab them. So first off: Version 1.5. This may confuse some people but this is just the number I've decided to use between Brandon's Draft of White Sand and what we got in the Graphic Novel. On the page for the first Volume of the GA version of White Sand it confirms that a lot was cut in order to make the GN, whether this stuff is still canon or not someone should definitely ask Brandon one day. The Script used in the Graphic Audio version IS the original edited script for the Graphic Novel before things started having to be chopped. I decided to record some of the difference just to see how different they are. Now for the Differences, I'll try and be thorough but I probably will end up missing some things here and there. Volume 1: Kenton is shown running the whole gauntlet from beginning to end instead of picking up around the forth sphere. Unlike the Graphic Novel which makes it very hard to tell there are indeed both men and women in the Diem and they comment about Kenton throughout his trial. Khriss's story begin with her on the ship from Darkside and seeing the sun and port for the first time. We get to see some of the hostility between Baon and the soldiers due to Boan being in charge. Most of the Ceremony is the same for Kenton's sash, with the exception that after he blacks out, we cut to Khriss and company attempting to buy supplies in port as well as a guide. They discover that the language they'd been taught as Daysider is the Holy Language of the Priests. The Story matches up quite well from here up to the ambush after the marketplace. The assassin's attack and Baon's acquires one of their casters. Kenton then explains how it works to him. Before they reach the city, We see that the area around it is very lush with life surprising Khriss. Then the story switches to our favorite, Ais, who is planning to raid to capture Sherizane or their conspirators. It switches to Lokmlen who is trying to persuade his cohorts into a job. He's wanting to sneak into the Diem and steal what's there since the Sand Masters are no more. After get the others to agree, Ais and her team, with expert timing, enter and their operation. Lokmlen escapes much to Ais annoyance. The back wall then opens up and a kill squad begins to pick off the tracts. Ais rushes the wall and grabbing the arm of the of men, then proceeds to use him as a battering ram to bring down the wall. She then picks off the shocked men and takes off after Lokmlen. The GN picks up with their chase and is completely the same except for one small detail: Aarik has sheath not a sword, as he had thrown the sword away years ago. Speaking of Airik, his introduction is actually a bit different in the GA version. We meet him on a boat heading towards Kezare to mourn his friend Kenton, whom he believes was killed. He talks to himself and the Gondolier driver questions whether he should have ferried him. From here the graphic novel and Graphic audio play continue the same, right up til Kenton reaches the diem, which is confirmed to be on it's own little island seperated from the rest of Kezare. Kenton enters the Diem and spends a good while searching. Every room that he could reached, screaming at the top of his lungs before he collapses at the entrances and Dirin Finds him. Things continue the same until we reach the Judgement hall. Where we see our musician friend for the first time, singing about the current situation to no one in particular. It is noted that he has long hair similiar to Aarik and that he reminds Kenton of him. The only other remarkable difference is that Ais has a bad habit of Digging her nails into her skin as a skin of frustration which is shown in the GN version, but is very hard to pick out. The rest of the volume is the same with Kenton fighting it out with Drile, Aarik Arriving at the Diem, and Khriss paying N'teese, going to meet people and eventually learning that Kenton is a Sand Master which she is none too happy about

Hoid. The man, the myth, the guy who will insult you so you punch out his teeth so he can spy on someone. We know this man has connections to the original shards. I saw a theory that he is trying to rebuild andolism and is collecting the power of the Invested arts so he can Connect to the shard in order to hold it. So is he trying to connect to all the shards and then wait for a large event to arise where he then takes them all up to become Adolism. I also want to point out a phrase Hoid says in ToTES "I am guilty of saying that phrase to someone, sixteen people actually" How do you quote something in a dropdown? I fear I misquoted. Also, Rysn(?) (Odium) has extreme feelings of hate toward Hoid but this could just be the influence of the shard itself. Please help my thoughts are tangled up and I'm really curios about this.

Still trying to get Brandon to send out book 4 early. I loved the response to my previous post Blackmail Theory: Lift's Gifts. Brandon send me book 4 or I'll just keep reading your books and talking about how much I like them. ... Do it. Blackmail Theory #2: Hoid's Holiday "Tell me what you know, Wit. (Jasnah) I once spent the better part of a year inside of a large stomach, being digested." (WOR Epilogue, 1094). Also there was a good find of a reference to Hoid in Edgedancer from Skaa, that has him winking at Lift and then jumping into a Marabethian Greatshell's mouth. So what was Hoid doing on holiday in a greatshell's stomach? Why did he chill out there for the better part of a year? Has he been eaten by more than one nightmarish crab creature? Hoid has the skills to hide without being digested, nor is he simply crazy no matter how he may sometimes act. I suggest that he is doing what he often does, searching for rare and powerful magical artifacts. In this case perfect gemstones. The greatshells must feed on all the things littering the floor of the reshi sea, lesser greatshells, the rotting carcases of the tai na, each other. The stomach of each must be littered with thousands of undigestable gemhearts, grisely trophies of past meals. Why bother? Hoid doesn't want wealth and he can pickpocket Shallan whenever he feels like it. He wants a perfect gemstone, so he can he capture an unmade (Sja-Anat?) and add to his ever growing collection of magical artifacts. Hoid gave Jasnah a valuable piece of information, while making it look like he was giving Jasnah a bit of useless nonsense, knowing that Jasnah would dismiss it because he's a clever boy. Brandon gave us a valuable piece of information, while making it look like he was giving us a bit of useless nonsense, knowing that we would dismiss it because he's a sadist of questionable parentage.

Title says it all. We know that Hoid has a cryptic (Design). In the end of RoW, Travodium takes Hoid's Breath away to take his memories. However, we don't here about Hoid's spren. Could Design have remebered the interaction Hoid and Odium had?

If I were a movie producer wanting to dip my toe in some surefire Sanderson that would 1) have broad appeal, 2) cover a short lifespan, 3) and whet the world's appetite for all things cosmere, this story is the perfect place to start! As a movie or a 4-6 hour mini-series, the budget would need to be large, yes, but with a Princess-Bride-like appeal to all ages and the Sanderson name, very little would be as guaranteed as this deal. When done well, can you just imagine how perfectly this series could promote future cosmere stories? I picture Hoid narrating the tale on a different planet to perhaps a well-known character or species, and his facial expressions as he relays the bits about his cabinboy days - oh, please make this happen!

(New to the cosmere here). When determining the terms of the contest of champions, Odium says Hoid (Cephandrius) could’ve been a god but chose otherwise. Did 16 mortals kill Adolnasium to become the vessels of the shards we know today? Not specifically humans, but mortals, as Cultivation is a dragon. Then again, if dragons are mortal, why is Frost considered functionally immortal? Is it because he’s just really old?

I think the way Hoid edited Charlie's curse is the weakest part of the novel (beyond Hoid handwaving the actual mechanics of becoming an Elantrian). It seemed to treat Aons more like letter rather than the logograms they are. Currently I am glossing over this by leaning into the fairytale narrative aspect of the story but I hope to see better instances of this in the future with more focus on the mechanics of it.

So we know that there are many people in the cosmere who know a regrets deal about investiture, the prime people in question being the five scholars, kryss, hoid, rosharan scholars, and rosharan immortals. However I was wondering and I don’t think anyone else has asked this question, but given how much more some people know about the cosmere than rosharans(who are so far very advanced as a people in knowledge of investiture and shards of not the cosmere as a whole)(maybe cosmere literate as opposed to knowledgeable) have any of these notable people previously made this discovery, and if so have they kept it under wraps? I lean onto the idea that it’s been kept under wraps, because none of these individuals have any knowledge of anti-investiture yet. I lean on the idea personally that they would have no knowledge and that this is a brand new discovery.

….or otherwise know as the “Where in Roshar did you leave your Hoid seals?” thread. I looove the new Hoid for President T-shirt!! I’m wearing it to as many social gatherings as possible from here on out. The stickers are great and I love the mousepad. The pin is 100% going on my backpack. Laptop: I haven’t gotten Hoid anywhere yet… school starts on Tuesday for me though so I have a few plans….. But I do know if one thing that is 100% pure nonsense: Me!! So my laptop has a fine new Sanderson sticker to add to its collection Anyway, where have you left Hoid?

I bring this up because I want to know if anyone else sees the similarity between Hoid and a character from David Eddings, Belgarath the Sorcerer. They have very different backgrounds but share the same dry matter of fact sense of humour and are both wandering storytellers

I’m a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson and the cosmere. I am so enjoying Tress of the emerald sea. It is both a unique novel for Sanderson, and in keeping with his amazing imagination. I want more Hoid narrated stories he’s just awesome.

I have assembled here a WOBs, and I will also assemble them piece by piece, with the longest stretches ever, into a Hoid theory. :So, the first one:. This, I believe, tells us that Hoid is looking very much to see someone again. I will get back to this one. I have a quote from tWoK, chapter 57. I see this as him basically saying that he was originally created as a thought. "Words on a page". Forgery, anyone? Well, where could MAGIC such as forgery come from before the Shattering of Adonalsium? That's right, Adonalsium. Hoid was created by Adonalsium. I don't remember when, but sometime in tWoK or WoR Hoid tells Kaladin that he stole his name from someone he should have loved, his old master. I don't want to stretch this argument too long, but maybe his master was Adonalsium? Just consider it for me, would ya? Another WOB: He can't hurt someone. OK. But he becomes nauseous just by thinking of physical pain. Might it be so that he regrets hurting someone? Someone he should have loved? I promise, the next part will be the last. THE FINAL WOB: So we know that Hoid is collecting lots of magic systems. Magic systems are Investiture right? And where does Investiture originally come from? The shards. The shards are all parts of Adonalsium. So, if he collects all the magics, and maybe even learns to combine them he may be able to get a piece of Adonalsium. THE FINAL STRETCH: I believe that Hoid wants to see someone he's lost. He also was created by Adonalsium, so Adonalsium is kind of his "parent". If he made a mistake and killed his Parent, then he obviously regrets it. He does not want to hurt someone, as he's already made that mistake once before. He also wants to remake Adonalsium. Well, that's it- He wants to remake Adonalsium. That's why he for example, in the Epiloge of RoW Wit/Hoid is having a fight with Odium/Rayse. Odium is destroying/Killing Shards, something which makes it harder for Hoid to collect everything. Thank you for staying with me! Here's a cookie! Please feel free to tell me your thoughts.