Posted November 24, 2019 (edited) So where do the the Returned return? Lightsong died in the sea, I assume he did not Return deep in the sea? Did Llarimar somehow manage to get his body out? I doubt that... Did he just appear on the ship? In some random location? Somewhere that was important to him? Do the Returned return to their own body or like the Heralds (& possibly Kelsier) do they get a new body? Their Divine Breath is a Splinter, so a new body is possible... Edited November 24, 2019 by Honorless 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2019 I don't have my copy on hand but I believe Lightsong's (or Stennimar's to be precise) body was fished out of the water with his niece's but he couldn't be revived. When Llarimar tells him the truth he speaks of Stennimar's body changing on the deck of the boat. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2019 Didn't he end up helping her reach the rope but not managing to do so himself and drowning? And it was during a storm so they couldn't have retrieved his body 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Honorless said: Didn't he end up helping her reach the rope but not managing to do so himself and drowning? And it was during a storm so they couldn't have retrieved his body The most significant question is how long the delay between when the body dies and when it returns is. As the scene is described: Quote He fell silent for a moment, then he looked up. “And then you died. Died rescuing my daughter. That’s the girl you see in your visions, Lightsong. The description is perfect. She was your favorite niece. Still would be, I assume. If you hadn’t . . .” He shook his head. “When we found you dead, I lost hope. I was going to resign my position. I knelt above your body, weeping. And then, the Colors started to glow. You lifted your head, body changing, getting larger, muscles growing stronger. “I knew it at that moment. I knew that if a man like you were chosen to Return—a man who had died to save another—then the Iridescent Tones were real. The visions were real. And the gods were real. You gave me back my faith, Stennimar.” So it implies his body was later found. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, Honorless said: Do the Returned return to their own body or like the Heralds (& possibly Kelsier) do they get a new body? Their Divine Breath is a Splinter, so a new body is possible... Their own bodies, the Divine Breath is essentially stapling their Cognitive and Spiritual selves to the Physical body. Quote Argent When you say that the Returned are cognitive shadows, are they shadows of the people they were pre-death? In other words, is Lightsong Llarimar's cognitive shadow stapled to his body with a Divine Breath? Brandon Sanderson Yes, they are. (The evidence in the books is Lightsong obtaining some of the memories his pre-death soul had.) Footnote: It’s likely that “Llarimar” is supposed to be “Stennimar”Stormlight Three Update #6 (Jan. 20, 2017) Edited November 24, 2019 by Weltall 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2019 3 hours ago, Honorless said: Didn't he end up helping her reach the rope but not managing to do so himself and drowning? And it was during a storm so they couldn't have retrieved his body Dead bodies float. After the storm ended they may have found it while looking for him. Either way they seem to return to their bodies. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 31, 2019 Thanks guys! Special thanks to @Ixthos for the extract, I'd missed it completely. I thought it was an intentional omission on Brandon's part and had so many theories as to why, oh well! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) What I want to know is whether or not returning has to do with the cognitive anomaly on the nalthis map. My theory is that nalthians only return while the orbit is in the area of the cognitive anomaly. I don't know why but i feel like the scholars weren't originally made of returtend, but just researches who figured out how to force it. I re-read warbreaker a month or 2 ago and distinctly get that impression. especially from the fact that vasher wasn't originally named after the returned pattern, and neither did any of the others. i feel like it's totally out of left field and totally wrong, but i also can't shake the theory, y-know? Edited January 7, 2020 by Domo4448 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 7, 2020 3 hours ago, Domo4448 said: What I want to know is whether or not returning has to do with the cognitive anomaly on the nalthis map. My theory is that nalthians only return while the orbit is in the area of the cognitive anomaly. I don't know why but i feel like the scholars weren't originally made of returtend, but just researches who figured out how to force it. I re-read warbreaker a month or 2 ago and distinctly get that impression. especially from the fact that vasher wasn't originally named after the returned pattern, and neither did any of the others. i feel like it's totally out of left field and totally wrong, but i also can't shake the theory, y-know? I think that Nalthians would notice if Returned only came about at certain times of the year, and have a festival or watch or something assigned during that time. But there doesn't seem to be that sort of pattern to people Returning. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 7, 2020 5 hours ago, Domo4448 said: What I want to know is whether or not returning has to do with the cognitive anomaly on the nalthis map. My theory is that nalthians only return while the orbit is in the area of the cognitive anomaly. I don't know why but i feel like the scholars weren't originally made of returtend, but just researches who figured out how to force it. I re-read warbreaker a month or 2 ago and distinctly get that impression. especially from the fact that vasher wasn't originally named after the returned pattern, and neither did any of the others. i feel like it's totally out of left field and totally wrong, but i also can't shake the theory, y-know? Hello again! You might like this topic a lot if you haven't already found it: 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 8, 2020 11 hours ago, Honorless said: Hello again! You might like this topic a lot if you haven't already found it: Haha That is as good a guess as any!! 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 9, 2020 (edited) On 1/8/2020 at 1:50 PM, The Traveller said: Haha That is as good a guess as any!! I think you wanted to quote Domo's comment there, not mine Edited February 9, 2020 by Honorless 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites