newsletter spoilers Lift's Boon

[Stormgate]

So, in the recent newsletter from Sanderson, we get Lift more or less saying what she asked of the Nightwatcher. 

Spoiler

To remain the same while the world changed around her.

I have thought about this, and come to the conclusion that Lift is essentially immortal, unaging. She has, after all, been ten for three years.

Now, in the Cosmere, there are few ways to truly get immortality. Being a Returned on Nalthis could count, but it requires having a largeish piece of a Shard given to you, and has a requirement for constant replenishment of non-Divine Breaths. Being a Feruchemist and Mistborn, as well as plenty of atium, can grant immortality for a while, but becomes harder as your actual age becomes more unlike your appeared age. There must be a better solution, or else many worldhoppers would be piles of dust.

By traveling in the Cognitive Realm, you seem to be unaffected by the passage of time. I propose that the Nightwatcher put Lift partially into the Cognitive Realm in order to accomplish permanence. This can also explain how she can touch spren, as they are apparently tangible and potentially dangerous in the Cognitive Realm (cite the currently non-canon scene where Jasnah goes to the Cognitive Realm after "dying")

I'm not sure how she can metabolize food into Stormlight, perhaps some effect of being between worlds, or somehow related to her bane. However, I have figured out how being unchanging can be accomplished.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Stormgate

[Blightsong]

37 minutes ago, Stormgate said:

I have thought about this, and come to the conclusion that Lift is essentially immortal, unaging. She has, after all, been ten for three years.

I had a Sinar guess but this line blew my mind, take and upvote.

[Erunion]

Not the throw a wrench in your theorizing, but Lift just had her first period, so that means she's hit puberty and is definitely growing up - evidence:

Spoiler

Quote

“Is this about what happened to you?” Wyndle asked. “I don’t know a lot about humans, but I believe it was natural, disconcerting though it might appear. You aren’t wounded.”

Lift shaded her eyes. The wrong things were changing. She was supposed to stay the same, and the world was supposed to change around her. She’d asked for that, hadn’t she?

Had she been lied to?"

 

 

Sanderson is pretty subtle about it, but that's pretty clearly a reference to menses - specifically her first menses. So she is changing; she is growing up. And it appears that she did ask to NOT change, but isn't quite getting what she expected to get. 

 

However, I COMPLETELY buy the idea that she's been shifted partly to the cognitive realm, and it's entirely possible that it will give her longevity/functional immortality. 

However, it seems that her body knows she's supposed to grow up first, at least part of the way. 

Edited July 8, 2016 by Erunion
Put newsletter spoilers under spoiler tag

[ParadoxicalZen]

Perhaps, it is her cognitive self that cannot change, as I think from all the boons/banes we've seen on screen, they've all been cognitive related.

[yafeshan]

This is a great idea.It makes more sense in weird Lift case

[Sam Script]

Quote

“Is this about what happened to you?” Wyndle asked. “I don’t know a lot about humans, but I believe it was natural, disconcerting though it might appear. You aren’t wounded.”

Lift shaded her eyes. The wrong things were changing. She was supposed to stay the same, and the world was supposed to change around her. She’d asked for that, hadn’t she?

Had she been lied to?"

Where does this paragraph come from??? I don't remember that it appears in WoR.

[Doc12]

2 hours ago, Sam Script said:

Where does this paragraph come from??? I don't remember that it appears in WoR.

Hey Sam, its from the newsletter Brandon sent us, which included an excerpt from Edgedancer.

On that note, @Stormgate, shouldnt you mention that this a newsletter exclusive post in the title? Not everyone here subscribes to the newsletter I mean, you did tag it, but make it a bit more explicit, perhaps.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Doctor12

[Pathfinder]

Yeah my impression was that she wasn't changing mentally, but the rest of her still ages. That was the twist from the nightwatcher. She expected her physical as well as the rest to never change, but its just her mind. Which is why she still acts immature. Now don't get me wrong, a 13 year old certainly isn't the paragon of maturity, but everyone seems to be confused by her age level of maturity vs her physical maturity. 

[Stormgate]

4 hours ago, Doctor12 said:

Hey Sam, its from the newsletter Brandon sent us, which included an excerpt from Edgedancer.

On that note, @Stormgate, shouldnt you mention that this a newsletter exclusive post in the title? Not everyone here subscribes to the newsletter I mean, you did tag it, but make it a bit more explicit, perhaps.

I changed it.

[maxal]

On 7/8/2016 at 11:19 AM, Pathfinder said:

Yeah my impression was that she wasn't changing mentally, but the rest of her still ages. That was the twist from the nightwatcher. She expected her physical as well as the rest to never change, but its just her mind. Which is why she still acts immature. Now don't get me wrong, a 13 year old certainly isn't the paragon of maturity, but everyone seems to be confused by her age level of maturity vs her physical maturity. 

I agree with this statement. It does echos my own thoughts. She asked to remain the same, to never change, just to have the world change around her. It is obvious to me, Lift has issues with growing up: she wants to remain a child, forever. She refuses to age herself and her thoughts upon running away from the palace where "they were trying to change her". She implies it has been done to her, before. Therefore she asked for it to never happen again. Basically, she asked to be Peter Pan, but oaths are nebulous. She got to stay the same, mentally, not physically. It probably account for her immaturity which made her hard to read, for myself. I supposed accepting to grow up will be part of her character arc, the one she will get through her occasional interlude up until we meet her again in the second half.

Edited July 9, 2016 by maxal

[Erklitt]

1 hour ago, maxal said:

I agree with this statement. It does echos my own thoughts. She asked to remain the same, to never change, just to have the world change around her. It is obvious to me, Lift has issues with growing up: she wants to remain a child, forever. She refuses to age herself and her thoughts upon running away from the palace where "they were trying to change her". She implies it has been done to her, before. Therefore she asked for it to never happen again. Basically, she asked to be Peter Pan, but oaths are nebulous. She got to stay the same, mentally, not physically. It probably account for her immaturity which made her hard to read, for myself. I supposed accepting to grow up will be part of her character arc, the one she will get through her occasional interlude up until we meet her again in the second half.

Thanks for this, I thought I was the only one having a little trouble with Lift, everyone seems to love her so. Funny: in our likes I think we are very different, but after Moash this is the second 'dislike against the rest of the world' we share. (I use 'dislike' here in a very broad sense, a 'not being complete sold out to her' rather than any real dislike)

[maxal]

6 minutes ago, Erklitt said:

Thanks for this, I thought I was the only one having a little trouble with Lift, everyone seems to love her so. Funny: in our likes I think we are very different, but after Moash this is the second 'dislike against the rest of the world' we share. (I use 'dislike' here in a very broad sense, a 'not being complete sold out to her' rather than any real dislike)

I have stated a response into the Events and Signing thread about the new Lift excerpt. I had to admit I was not as enthusiasm as others about it. While I'll admit it certainly will offer undeniably interesting world-building elements (just by virtue of not happening in Alethkar), I was not convinced by Lift as a main protagonist. I liked her interlude in WoR because I found it refreshing and different, but I am dubious about a whole book featuring her as the main character. She worked for me because she was a side arc, but as a major one, I have my reserves. I find her too scattered around, not coherent enough, gliding from one place to the other without a definite plan or a purpose and getting out of hot spot simply by being lucky.  

I don't think I need my characters to be logical and rational at all times, as illustrates by those I do favor which wouldn't be described in such ways, but I do prefer when there is an underlining logic behind a character's actions. A plan, a goal, something, not just bouncing around on stuff without even thinking there is a tomorrow. In this respect, the Lift excerpt made me think of the Wayne chapter in BoM where he wants to buy a gift to Ranette. It basically featured doing a bunch of incoherent actions who through sheer luck, ended up with the desired result which was completely ridiculous to me as why not buy the thing to start off with? Still, I like Wayne, in a general manner, but this chapter illustrates why I wouldn't want to read a book from his perspective. Lift gave me the same impression: she is a fun character, but I am not sure she works as a main character, not as she is now. Lift and Wayne have their own logic, but it isn't one which makes sense, to me, hence my issues.

This being said, there are probably going to be other aspects of the novella I'll be able to enjoy, though I have started to wonder what it was with me and main protagonists... Why can't I prefer them?

For the rest, we can't disagree on everything. Talk long enough with people and you are bond to find something you both have in common. So while we cannot love the same characters, we can dislike the same. 

[Patrick Star]

I actually think that this confirms how long Radiants live.

There were some theories flying around a while back that Radiants were not able to die of age (there was some radiant who lived through a bunch of desolations, forget the name/order).

So I think that Lift's boon may actually be her bond with Wyndle, as it will keep Lift from growing old (but not OLDER, if that makes sense).  This would also explain why Wyndle was told to bond Lift.

Although, I would find it hilarious if the boon was just that she retains the mind of an immature pre-teen for life

[happyman]

3 hours ago, maxal said:

I have stated a response into the Events and Signing thread about the new Lift excerpt. I had to admit I was not as enthusiasm as others about it. While I'll admit it certainly will offer undeniably interesting world-building elements (just by virtue of not happening in Alethkar), I was not convinced by Lift as a main protagonist. I liked her interlude in WoR because I found it refreshing and different, but I am dubious about a whole book featuring her as the main character. She worked for me because she was a side arc, but as a major one, I have my reserves. I find her too scattered around, not coherent enough, gliding from one place to the other without a definite plan or a purpose and getting out of hot spot simply by being lucky.  

I think you should read that interlude again.  Lift is very good at lying, and while she does it to lots of other people, her main target is herself.  It took me a while to realize what her real motives were, but when I did, the whole thing snapped into place for me.

Also, she is a very good person at heart.  It's remarkable, really, just how good she is at hiding that from everybody.  She's mostly random in her words, not her actions, which tends to confuse folks.

Edited July 9, 2016 by happyman

[maxal]

1 minute ago, happyman said:

I think you should read that interlude again.  Lift is very good at lying, and while she does it to lots of other people, her main target is herself.  It took me a while to realize what her real motives were, but when I did, the whole thing snapped into place for me.

Also, she is a very good person at heart.  It's remarkable, really, just how good she is at hiding that from everybody.

This is an interesting though happyman... I sincerely want to love Lift because she sounds like a great character, so perhaps I need to put myself into the right mind frame and to find the one angle I would be able to appreciate her the most.

I had a half-theory once stating all Radiants were terribly self-centered and while they were capable of doing great things for others, they still saw to themselves, a lot. I was not sure where I was going with it, but you gave me an additional clue.

[happyman]

13 minutes ago, maxal said:

This is an interesting though happyman... I sincerely want to love Lift because she sounds like a great character, so perhaps I need to put myself into the right mind frame and to find the one angle I would be able to appreciate her the most.

I had a half-theory once stating all Radiants were terribly self-centered and while they were capable of doing great things for others, they still saw to themselves, a lot. I was not sure where I was going with it, but you gave me an additional clue.

The key, as usual with Sanderson characters, is to ignore (a lot of) what she thinks, and almost all of what she says, and look at what she is actually doing.  Lightsong is a similar character this way, but wittier and more constrained.  But the basics are there.

[Doc12]

Quote

 Lift hissed, then coated her entire self in power.

She sliced through the wind, enveloped by strength. Air slid off of her, as if it couldn’t find her. Even the sunlight seemed to melt off her skin. She was between places, here but not. No air, no ground. Just pure motion, so fast that she reached grass before it had time to pull away. It flowed around her, its touch brushed aside by her power.

since we're talking about Lift in the newsletter here, anyone notice this potential power? When we see things, light hits bjects and reflects off them to our eyes. What I saw here was sunlight not hitting her. This means, potentially, EdgeDancers could make themselves invisible by rendering themselves unable to be hit by light!

Feel free to correct my science or agree. Just a theory

[Stormgate]

2 minutes ago, Doctor12 said:

since we're talking about Lift in the newsletter here, anyone notice this potential power? When we see things, light hits bjects and reflects off them to our eyes. What I saw here was sunlight not hitting her. This means, potentially, EdgeDancers could make themselves invisible by rendering themselves unable to be hit by light!

Feel free to correct my science or agree. Just a theory

I can neither confirm nor deny the plausibility of that theory. However, it is interesting enough to warrant an upvote.

[nervousnerd]

I have also struggled with Lift. But I think it is mostly that when we are away from the main conflict, I find myself just wanting to get back to it.

I think she will be an interesting character though. This is especially true since Edgedancers were the most "articulate and refined" of the orders. I think their spren change them and I hope her boon does not stop this change. The possibly of an articulate and refined thief interests me.