The Sibling and Urithiru

[Innovation]

Theory on the Sibling:

The Sibling was the “Godspren” who managed Urithiru, and was capable of a Nahel Bond to a Bondsmith. 

I believe that the Sibling is inside the gemstone column in the Urithiru gemstone archive. 

Allow me to explain why. 

So, we know that a very powerful spren can be captured in a sizable perfect gemstone. Such a gemstone could potentially be used to create a Fabrial. Both Shallan and Renarin have claimed that Urithiru is not a collection of Fabrials; rather, it is a single Fabrial.

This brings us to the gemstone column in Urithiru. 

None of the gemstones on the column look like they would be able to hold a spren as powerful as the Sibling. However, all we see is the outside of the column. On the inside, I believe there is a massive gemstone, possibly an emerald or ruby, that contains the Sibling. The gemstones on the outside of the column are likely tied together with metals to the interior main gemstone where the Sibling resides. These exterior gems hold spren are probably used by the Sibling to regulate the tower’s functions somehow. Whomever the Sibling is bonded to can request the Sibling to do something, such as increase crop production. The Sibling then activates the specific set of Fabrials in the column that controls such a function. There may be a failsafe if the Bondsmith bonded with the Sibling dies, although the Sibling could probably run the tower on its own. In addition, Renarin claims that the column is a Fabrial that is used to “be a city.” This adds to the possibility that the Sibling is inside the column, as many of the speakers in the gemstone recordings associate the Sibling with the tower itself.

One of the principles of Fabrial technology we have learned from the epigraphs is that a spren cannot inhabit a gemstone with Stormlight infusing it. It stands to reason that the reverse is true; Stormlight cannot infuse a gemstone with a spren inside of it.  Dalinar cannot infuse the column is because the Sibling is inside, as well as the other spren inside the gemstones making up the column. 

Syl mentions that Urithiru once glowed with a strange kind of light in her interlude. This could be the kind of gaseous Investiture associated with Cultivation (growthlight?), or it could be spren inside Fabrials, which sometimes glow with abnormal colors according to Navani’s prologue. Navani mentioned in Oathbringer that Urithiru has a “heart of emerald (pulp) and ruby(fire), with veins of garnet (blood).” When the Sibling is awake, perhaps these veins glow with Stormlight, Cultivationlight/Growthlight, or another color altogether. 

Another possibility is that, instead of the Sibling being inside a perfect gemstone, the Sibling was wounded somehow. To repair it, the splinters of its power were gathered and placed inside smaller gemstones and weave together with a lattice of metal. 

So then, what happened?

Before the Recreance, the Sibling withdrew. Many of the tower’s functions stopped working, prompting the abandonment of Urithiru. What I believe happened was that, a bit of time before the Recreance, the Bondsmith bonded to the Sibling broke his/her Oaths. The Sibling was too powerful to be turned into a deadeye, but was sent into a coma-like state. This “slumber” is why the tower stopped working, and hasn’t for the last 2,000 years. This aligns with what the Stormfather said when Dalinar asked about the Sibling: “you have hurt them enough!” You (a Bondsmith) have hurt (broken Oaths) them (the Sibling). None of the Gemstone recordings mention a Bondsmith breaking their Oaths, as it would be a huge blow to morale.

Where are we now?

It has been 2,000 years since the Sibling began it’s slumber. Awakening the Sibling will be a difficult task, requiring more than just zinc wires. I believe that it will require a person with a personality similar to what kind of people Bonded with the Sibling in the first place. Such a Bond will be necessary for the Rosharans to survive the True Desolation. 

What does everyone think of my theory?

Edited August 22, 2020 by Innovation

[LordTheodore]

11 hours ago, Innovation said:

Theory on the Sibling:

Before the Recreance, the Sibling withdrew. Many of the tower’s functions stopped working, prompting the abandonment of Urithiru. What I believe happened was that, a bit of time before the Recreance, the Bondsmith bonded to the Sibling broke his/her Oaths. The Sibling was too powerful to be turned into a deadeye, but was sent into a coma-like state. This “slumber” is why the tower stopped working, and hasn’t for the last 4,500 years. This aligns with what the Stormfather said when Dalinar asked about the Sibling: “you have hurt them enough!” You (a Bondsmith) have hurt (broken Oaths) them (the Sibling). None of the Gemstone recordings mention a Bondsmith breaking their Oaths, as it would be a huge blow to morale.

Where are we now?

It has been over 4,000 years since the Sibling began it’s slumber. Awakening the Sibling will be a difficult task, requiring more than just zinc wires. I believe that it will require a person with a personality similar to what kind of people Bonded with the Sibling in the first place. Such a Bond will be necessary for the Rosharans to survive the True Desolation. 

What does everyone think of my theory?

The sibling began its slumber shortly before the Recreance which was around 2000 years ago.

I suppose a Bondsmith of the generation prior to Melishi's generation could have broken his/her oaths.

[Honorless]

The Sibling being the Urithiru godspren is one of the most common theories and the one that I subscribe to. In-book, Navani thinks so too.

"one Bondsmith was in constant accompaniment of Urithiru" and "goodbye sweet Sibling" were pretty big hints. The deterioration of the tower was being linked to the withdrawal of the Sibling. Maybe the Recreance was simply the final nail on the coffin.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Honorless

[Innovation]

4 hours ago, LordTheodore said:

The sibling began its slumber shortly before the Recreance which was around 2000 years ago.

Thanks, I’ll fix it. 

[Realmatic Shadow]

On 22/08/2020 at 5:02 AM, Innovation said:

I believe that it will require a person with a personality similar to what kind of people Bonded with the Sibling in the first place.

I agree with you massively there!

Personally, I don't think Navani fits well enough to awaken the Sibling, but would still be acknowledged that, in another time, she would've been on the short-list for a bond.