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Could Parshendi be descended from dragons?


Ripheus23

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...... has derailed this thread....

Back on track. I thought about this but I disagree that the parshendi are descended from dragons, as it's highly likely that they would age slower (if at all) and have more free shapeshifting. If you put this down to blood dilution, then there might still be some parshendi still around that haven't aged. Additionally, we see no signs of dragon steel (a metal that grows on dragons) on the parshendi, and I'm pretty sure that a dragon hybrid/descendant would have one of the aforementioned traits.

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5 hours ago, Nohadon said:

...... has derailed this thread....

Back on track. I thought about this but I disagree that the parshendi are descended from dragons, as it's highly likely that they would age slower (if at all) and have more free shapeshifting. If you put this down to blood dilution, then there might still be some parshendi still around that haven't aged. Additionally, we see no signs of dragon steel (a metal that grows on dragons) on the parshendi, and I'm pretty sure that a dragon hybrid/descendant would have one of the aforementioned traits.

I dont think that's necessarily the case, in that I could easily see that being an ability that comes with a pure-blooded dragon's higher (presumed) Investiture levels, more along the lines of the Heightening.  I also tend to think they will be a species that eats Investiture directly like the Larkin (aka Dragon Bugs), and so the Parshendi with their more normal diets would have far less dramatic Investiture abilities.  Looking at the Royal Locks as the example, the Returned have Investiture-fed Immortality and full conscious control over their physical (and I believe Spiritual) Aspects, but the genetic Hybrid of that race is a normal human with mood-ring hair; they didnt retain any of the other more dramatic abilities because connection or not they dont have any particular Power Source beyond the norm. The Royal Locks still took a lot of calories, for example.   

 

Personally, and with zero evidence, I fully suspect that Dragons will have Gemhearts, and likely Dragonsteel is going to be a literal though non-shardic) god-metal substance of pure Investiture. 

4 hours ago, HSuperLee said:

I think the parsh are supposed to be more crustation than reptilian. They also seem to exist more in the cognitive realm than most creatures, which is not a trait we've seen ascribed to dragons.

They dont necessarily Exist more in the Spiritual realm so much as they have a natural Racial connection to it,  which is both the way they can perceive the Rhythms and also the how they (and all such Rosharan natives) create a Gemheart via leakage from the Spiritual Realm.

And in general I think that the entirely ecosystem of Roshar is going to prove convergently more similar to sea-life, simply because of all the ways that the Highstorms make for an oceanic patterns, with plant-life acting more coral-like, etc.  But in the same way they call any and all feathered creatures "Chickens", I think they'll be linguistically ill-equipped to describe the difference between crustacean style exoskeletons vs Reptile, Insect, or even Metal-scaled Dragons (confirmed to be literal in the Dragonsteel sample chapters, Im given to understand).

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Additionally, we see no signs of dragon steel (a metal that grows on dragons) on the parshendi, and I'm pretty sure that a dragon hybrid/descendant would have one of the aforementioned traits.

Now, on the other hand, what about the Irali? I think I just read a WoB that was deliberately ambiguous about their heritage. 

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6 hours ago, Quantus said:

but the genetic Hybrid of that race is a normal human with mood-ring hair; they didnt retain any of the other more dramatic abilities because connection or not they dont have any particular Power Source beyond the norm. The Royal Locks still took a lot of calories, for example.

Not completely true, Vasher/Zahel mentioned at the end of warbreaker that Vivianna/Azure could do far more than just change the hair. As we see in Oathbringer, she is able to completely change her appearance to look Alethi. It might be harder for her to change than a Returned, but she still has a massive amount of control of her physical form.

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19 minutes ago, Gasper said:

Not completely true, Vasher/Zahel mentioned at the end of warbreaker that Vivianna/Azure could do far more than just change the hair. As we see in Oathbringer, she is able to completely change her appearance to look Alethi. It might be harder for her to change than a Returned, but she still has a massive amount of control of her physical form.

That's what I meant, sorry I wasnt clear: All they get is a general ability to consciously manipulate their physical traits, but the Locks cannot grant Immortality and do not get any of the other more dramatic (and more Investiture Intensive) abilities of the Returned.  I figure if that is the case for Returned-blooded, it's reasonable that Dragon-blooded might also get some limited form-changing mechanisms like their progenitor dragons but would not become Immortal (or even unusually long-lived) or gain any other racial traits that would require more than feruchemist-levels of Investiture. And all that fits pretty well with the Parshendi, especially if I am right and Dragonsteel is a crystallized Investiture like a godmetal, which would out it in a much higher tier of ability. 

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