Dakhor Magic

[The Grumpy Elantrian]

We saw, in Elantris, the Dakhor monks with twisted bones and bodies due to the warping resultant of their magic. I assumed that the symbols twisted in their bones were the Dakhor equivalent to Aons, but we saw very little of their magic aside from it's enhancement to the Dakhor monks' bodies and their ability to counter or negate Aons.

Do we know whether there is more to Dakhor magic than this? Is one able to create magic similar to AonDor as the Elantrians can? Or is it a more passive application of the Dor?

Thanks in advance for your input. 

[Calderis]

The bone runes are their version of it, and while some of it is more passive, it's not just that. 

Dilaf's disruption of the Aons wasn't merely a touch thing. He broke Raodens illusions at range. 

[The Grumpy Elantrian]

20 minutes ago, Calderis said:

The bone runes are their version of it, and while some of it is more passive, it's not just that. 

Dilaf's disruption of the Aons wasn't merely a touch thing. He broke Raodens illusions at range. 

Indeed he did. But he didn't seem to have to draw an Aon or anything similar. So does that mean that Dakhor doesn't require AonDor like drawings or is it that it can do more than just that?

[Calderis]

56 minutes ago, The Grumpy Elantrian said:

Indeed he did. But he didn't seem to have to draw an Aon or anything similar. So does that mean that Dakhor doesn't require AonDor like drawings or is it that it can do more than just that?

It does still require them. Their equivalent of Aons are the runs that are inscribed into their bones. 

The same way that an Elantrian can make a metal plate with an Aon inscribed on it that they can activate at a touch, the Dakhor monks can reuse the symbols in their bones again and again. 

It's more limited in that they can only use powers that they have gained after rituals and sacrifice, so they are less immediately versatile, but they have no need to draw their symbols again and again. Any power they've been granted is simply available to them at need. 

[The Grumpy Elantrian]

8 minutes ago, Calderis said:

It does still require them. Their equivalent of Aons are the runs that are inscribed into their bones. 

The same way that an Elantrian can make a metal plate with an Aon inscribed on it that they can activate at a touch, the Dakhor monks can reuse the symbols in their bones again and again. 

It's more limited in that they can only use powers that they have gained after rituals and sacrifice, so they are less immediately versatile, but they have no need to draw their symbols again and again. Any power they've been granted is simply available to them at need. 

That's a benefit of Dakhor over AonDor then. But do we have any confirmation that this is the way Dakhor works?

[Calderis]

2 minutes ago, The Grumpy Elantrian said:

That's a benefit of Dakhor over AonDor then. But do we have any confirmation that this is the way Dakhor works?

All of Sel's magics are form based. 

Aons, Forgery and Bloodsealing are all fairly straightforward. Dakhor has the runes in the bones, which you can see glow beneath their skin when used. ChayShan is less obvious, but it's a motion form. The martial art movements incorporate the form into them. 

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mistlepro

my question was Aona/Skai Shards shattering the event we saw the aftermath of in Elantris? Or a further final apocalypse?

Brandon Sanderson

The events in Elantris happened many years before The Way of Kings. That’s all I’ve said for now.

mistlepro

But I thought the monks of Dakhor and the ChayShin(?) were all AonDor related? The energy familiars are related to Skai?

Brandon Sanderson

What the Dakhor did accessed the Dor, but it was not AonDor—they weren’t using Aons, but different symbols.

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Brightlord Maelstrom

When a Dakhor monk leaves his homeland do his bones still give him his abilities? Is it only the creation that's location-dependent or is it also the ability that's location-dependent?

Brandon Sanderson

The further you get away, the weaker the power the bones will give you will get. It's way better than Elantris at bringing the power with you. That's where it is in the notes right now, I have not written the second book, I could totally change that.

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Windrunner

Why does Scadrial, which has two Shards, only have three manifestations of investiture, (Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy) but Sel, also with two Shards, has five manifestations of investiture (AonDor, Dakhor, ChayShan, Forgery, and Bloodsealing)?

Brandon Sanderson

Sel's magics are much more regionalized than Scadrial's. Each area has its own manifestation, but they're all actually the same magic. So really there is one magic on Sel--much as Windrunning and Lightweaving on Roshar are kind of different magics, but also kind of the same.

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