[Theory] The Sleepless Reformation of Adonalsium

[+GreyHive]

Hello all,

I just finished listening to the Old Cosmere Theories Shardcast from last year. I've got a theory cooking in my head and could use some help validating or poking holes in it!

Theory: The Sleepless will be the mechanism to reform Adonalsium and will be the primary antagonist against Hoid in the endgame of the Cosmere

Supporting Evidence:

• A vessel picking up a shard requires a sapient being in the Physical Realm.
  • The Sleepless are sapient beings in the Physical realm.
• A vessel must have sufficient Connection to a shard to hold it.
• A being can be Connected to multiple shards. *
• Connection can be tied to an area (ex. Shardworlds) in the Physical Realm. This can cause beings that are heavily invested to be "stuck" in a specific location. *
  • The Sleepless are Cosmere aware and have the ability to world hop.
• Connection can be inherited. * 
• The Sleepless can selectively breed hordelings for a purpose. *
• The Sleepless bodies are thousands of hordelings, sharing a single mind. *
• There is an underlying theme of Identity and self-perception in the Cosmere. A table does not think of itself as multiple pieces of wood or nails. It sees itself as a whole. 
  • Hordelings have the ability to separate from the hive mind to operate autonomously, presumably changing their self-perception and Idenity in their spirit web. *
  • They can even lose contact Cognitively. *
  • Sleepless reproduce by forming multiple beings from their existing horde, meaning (presumably) all Sleepless are ancestors of a single original swarm.
  • Through a mental link (presumably in the Cognitive Realm) they can communicate with other swarms.
• The Sleepless will play a very important role in Mistborn Era 4 *
• Hoid will be a main character in Mistborn Era 4 *
• Hoid's goals are unclear, but he may wish to reform of Adonalsium. Another entity doing so may interfere with his goals.
  • A Hoid/ Sleepless race to collect shards could be a major plot point towards the end of the Cosmere.

In plain English: I believe the Sleepless, over thousands of years, will spread across all of the shard worlds, adapting to the local geography, cultures, and magic systems. Independent swarms with be Connected with the local investiture and shardic intent, and when the time is right, they will take up the power of each shard. Once possessing all of the shards, the Sleepless (communicating via their mental link) will re-identify as a single entity, pulling together all of the aspects and powers of Adonalsium.

This, IMHO, is the most elegant way to overcome the barriers of a human or dragon reforming Adonalsium, namely geography and Identify.

Other facts that seem connected, but I don't know what to do with:

• The first Sleepless swarm to come to Roshar were said to look like spiders. * Could this play into the Spirit Webs?
• The Iriali's religion of a single entity breaking into smaller parts to have diverse experiences, only to one day reunite. They are aware of the Sleepless. *
  • In this way, the Sleepless thematically match the shattering of Adonalsium.

Known contradictions:

• The Coppermind says once a vessel ascends, they lose connection with their former species. 
  • This is lowercase c connection. I disagree with the interpretation of the WoB, as question was more about classifying the vessel.

 

Bonus Theory: Kelsier will inhabit a Sleepless body and will be that primary antagonist in MBE4

Supporting Evidence:

• The Ghostbloods have a Sleepless aligned to their cause.
• Kelsier is bound to Scadrial.
• Kelsier is known as the "Lord of Scars".
• Sleepless, when imitating humans, have lines along their body where the hordeling intersect, appearing as either scars or tattoos.
• Kelsier and Hoid have had conflicts. Hoid considers him very dangerous. *
• The Set are said to have a longer timeframe for their goals
• The Set are aligned to Trell (presumably Autonomy)
• The Sleepless have a long timeframe, taking hundreds of years to selectively breed to meet their needs. *

 

Bonus Theory: Autonomy now, or in the future, will be held by a Sleepless (maybe Patji)

Supporting Evidence:

• Autonomy is referred to with male, female, and non-gendered pronouns.
  • The Sleepless can present themselves as male or female and use non-gendered pronouns.
• Autonomy has many avatars on many planets
  • The Sleepless are present on multiple planets
• Autonomy has been known to appear in various forms
  • The Sleepless have the ability to change form by configuring different sets of hordelings
• Patji (linked to Automony) is a shard of Adonalsium *
• Patji (the island) has locations named after body parts (ex Eye of Patji, Patji's fingers)
• Sleepless hordelings have been known to get as big as buildings. Perhaps they could continue to grow to the size of islands.

Known contradictions:

• Brandon was explicitly asked if Bavadin is a hive mind or an Amian, to which he said no. *
  • This question was about Bavadin, not Autonomy. Bavadin's coppermind page lists them as the original and current shard of Autonomy, but the citations don't appear to confirm this.

 

PHEW! That was a lot. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, both confirmative and constructive. 

Edited December 5, 2021 by GreyHive
Poor wording of Hoid's potential desire to stop a Sleepless from assembling the shards

[+GreyHive]

Questions I'd ask Brandon if given the opportunity:

• Can Sleepless swarms re-constitute if they choose to identify as one being?
• Would a hordeling, born on Nalthis, whose swarm had been there for generations and whose Identity is linked to the location, and holds a Connection with Endowment,  be born with a Breath?
• If a Sleepless were to hold a shard and a hordeling were to break away, would it be a Sliver? An Avatar? A Splinter?

[Frustration]

Brandon has implied that it would be difficult for a Sleepless to be a vessel. 

[+GreyHive]

Interesting! Where do you see that?

The only thing I can find in the Arcanum says that when asked if Sleepless can hold shards, he responds that non-humans can and have been shards. Certain (unspecified) sapient creatures cannot be. *

[Gderu]

Why do you assume Hoid is opposed to the formation of Adonalsium? The prominent theory is that he wants to reforge it by becoming Connected to every shard. Why do you assume the sleepless want to reforge Adonalsium? I could argue they might see the value in splitting the power into multiple parts, much like they do to themselves.

Can you explain why you believe Hoid and the sleepless would opposed and on these specific sides?

 

[Frustration]

1 hour ago, GreyHive said:

Interesting! Where do you see that?

The only thing I can find in the Arcanum says that when asked if Sleepless can hold shards, he responds that non-humans can and have been shards. Certain (unspecified) sapient creatures cannot be. *

I said implied, he mentions  that some cannot, with potential workarounds, which might not be relevant to sleepless but does have that implication. 

[+GreyHive]

Ah @Gderu very good questions.

I didn't articulate this well, so I'll revise my original post.  I believe Hoid would oppose someone or something else reforming Adonalsium, before he accomplishes his goal.

We don't know a lot about the motivations of the Sleepless. (Speculation)  As a hive mind, they may wish to attain the mind expansion ascending offers.

Plausible?

[+GreyHive]

@Ookla the Frustrated understood!  I just want to make sure you hadn't seen something more explicit. 

Do you think the theory is plausible?

[Frustration]

Just now, GreyHive said:

@Ookla the Frustrated understood!  I just want to make sure you hadn't seen something more explicit. 

Do you think the theory is plausible?

I won't say I have any hard evidence against it. So on a non-meta level it's possible. 

On a meta level I think the Sleepless don't have the set up for something like that,  but the ending of the Cosmere is still a few decades away, so it's doable. 

[TrulyTragic]

personally, i feel the sleepless were suppose to thematically mirroring the Adonalsium shattering event as a world-building element, not as a foreshadow for a plot point, even for later stage.

otherwise i found no major draw back nor error in your theory, neat work, it seem legit enough as far as head cannon goes though it didn't convinced me. (and i think the linking of hoid/kelsier conflict to sleepless/hoid is a bit stretching it)

[+GreyHive]

TLM update here for spoiler reasons.