Origin of the Aethers

[Thanatos]

So the Aethers insist they are not of Uncle Andy. Which is weird cause all of the Cosmere is Uncle Andy.

However... we don't know the origin of... the Fainlife.

What if the Aethers are a product or evolutionary line of Fainlife?

Another thought, what if Fainlife is the investiture of another Uncle Andy. 

Aunty Andy trying to "breed" him out. So to speak. Bit by bit. 

[Frustration]

Adonalsium is the source of all the investiture in the Cosmere so there can't be another.

However Adonalsium doesn't have to have intentionally made the Aethers so they could still technically claim to not be of him.

Additionally they could be wrong altogether.

Edited March 26, 2022 by Frustration

[Thanatos]

Intentionally made or not, the Aethers insist they are not of Uncle Andy. aka not of his investiture.

The Fainlife could have assimilated. Like Honor and Cultivation's investiture or the Dor, or Preservation/Ruin and Scadrial. 

Harmony.

How do we know Uncle Andy is not the only God. The Cosmere is a dwarf galaxy. 

We also know stars exist outside the Cosmere. 

Who owns these stars?

Who owns the other galaxies?

A shattering of a true universal God, whos Shards further shatter. 

Creating Uncle Andy as a minor Shard, who creates a dwarf galaxe called the Cosmere.

Who then is shattered.

Its Shards (aka turtles) all the way down.

[NameIess]

43 minutes ago, Thanatos said:

Intentionally made or not, the Aethers insist they are not of Uncle Andy. aka not of his investiture.

The Fainlife could have assimilated. Like Honor and Cultivation's investiture or the Dor, or Preservation/Ruin and Scadrial. 

Harmony.

How do we know Uncle Andy is not the only God. The Cosmere is a dwarf galaxy. 

We also know stars exist outside the Cosmere. 

Who owns these stars?

Who owns the other galaxies?

A shattering of a true universal God, whos Shards further shatter. 

Creating Uncle Andy as a minor Shard, who creates a dwarf galaxe called the Cosmere.

Who then is shattered.

Its Shards (aka turtles) all the way down.

That's possible, but considering this WoB:

Quote

Sweetness

Since the evil on Threnody isn't a Shard, can you tell us anything about its nature? Is it an actual being, and is it related to Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

Everything is related, in the Cosmere, to Adonalsium. Most of the magic you're seeing is a just a natural outgrowth of Cosmere-related magic, you're seeing Cognitive Shadows. The Evil is similarly related.

Words of Radiance Philadelphia signing (March 21, 2014)

If it is how things are, it probably won't matter much.

[Thaidakar the Ghostblood]

I love how you call Ado "Uncle Andy"

[Thanatos]

3 hours ago, Thaidakar the Ghostblood said:

I love how you call Ado "Uncle Andy"

Its easier than saying Adonalsium in a verbal conversation. Cause ive said it so much it transfers to written conversations.

[Greywatch]

Seems to me like the reveal of the aethers thinking that is the implication that not everything in the cosmere is of Ado. Much more exciting and interesting than the aethers just making a mistake.

[Elegy]

First off, I really hope that Sanderson not only maintains this ambiguity, but also gives some legitimate hints and evidence in favor of the Aether's position, so that there's a real discussion about it to be had. I love the idea of extra-cosmere aliens messing with the things happening in the books. It's so ominous and adds an extremely fascinating wild card to it all.

But on top of that, I think Brandon can definitely build it so that they would be invaders to the cosmere. After all, the cosmere is not the universe, it's the galaxy (well, star cluster), as explained in these WOBs:

Quote

Questioner

So, is Adonalsium limited to the cosmere galaxy? I don't think he created the universe?

Brandon Sanderson

That is a RAFO. But the cosmere is a dwarf galaxy... They don't know about that.

Questioner

Will they?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe.

Oathbringer San Diego signing (Nov. 14, 2017)

Quote

Mestiv

Cosmere is a dwarf galaxy. Does Investiture exist in other galaxies? Do those galaxies have their own Adonalsiums?

Brandon Sanderson

That is beyond the scope... that's a RAFO, but not a RAFO I'm going to answer, that is a RAFO that we are concerned only with the cosmere.

Skype Q&A (Oct. 8, 2018)

... and although Adonalsium seems to have created the cosmere, the question whether or not they actually created the whole universe beyond this star cluster will probably/possibly never be answered. We do know that there is an outside, something beyond the cosmere:

Quote

Questioner

Has anyone, Shard or otherwise, tried to leave the cosmere and will we see that on screen?

Brandon Sanderson

So far... yes, and I think yes, it's likely.

Footnote: Followup: https://wob.coppermind.net/events/379/#e13558
Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)

I think the set-up for such a thing is definitely there. And yes, there are WOBs that contradict this, as in confirming that everything in the cosmere is actually Investiture, but those aren't really recent (not as in, "written Secret Project #1 and therefore really pinned the Aethers down" recent), and Brandon changed his mind about the Aethers in several ways and has seemingly only recently truly decided what he wants to do with them (figuring out their number, deciding that there's more than one Aether world, etc.). So I think it's likely that his plan right now is that the Aether's origin will be decidedly ambiguous, despite what he said in the past.

And I'd love that. Just when I thought there couldn't be more wild cards added to the Cosmere, here we are with something that could potentially be beyond even Adonalsium and Investiture.