Hoid the Storyteller

[Hoid17th]

Hey, anyone else notice that in Chapter 32 of Warbreaker, Hoid uses black and white sand? The black sand turns white when he puts it with the white sand. Wondering if this has to do with the Breaths that Lightsong holds, Hoid himself, or if maybe this is another coincidence like the letter 'shash'.

Another thing is how he describes his learning of storytelling, which Siri ascribes to him attempting to be dramatic. "I learned it many, many years ago from a man who did not know who he was, Your Majesty. It was a distant place where two lands meet and gods have died. But that is unimportant." This is, I believe, one of the few times we ever definitively learn something about Hoid from something other than WoB/Stormlight Archive. And even from SA, we don't know how much is fact and how much is fiction.

So, any thoughts?

[AonDoor]

Another possibility is that it's from Taldain. Maybe Hoid has the ability to transfer investiture somehow.

[Honorless]

The scene in question:

Quote

“Then we begin in the distant haze,” the Storyteller said, bringing up another hand, letting powdery black sand drop from it, mixing with the sand that fell from the first hand. As Siri watched, the black sand turned white, and she cocked her head, smiling at the display.

Yeah, that does seem to be white sand from Taldain

As for this bit: ""I learned it many, many years ago from a man who did not know who he was, Your Majesty. It was a distant place where two lands meet and gods have died. But that is unimportant." We do have a short story the Traveler set on Yolen, a few snippets from the Liar of Partinel and a few chapters from Dragonsteel. You can find out a fair bit if you look around. Stuff's compiled here: 

 

[Hoid17th]

Thanks for the link Honorless! I did consider if it was from Taldain, but I was just wondering how he changed the black sand back to white. On Taldain, the sand must be in the light of that sun for 4 hours for the sand to become white again, after being drained. It could be that the sun on Nalthis is somehow different and the sand reacts differently to this light than it's home light, similar to Superman on Earth. Or, as AonDoor said, it could be that Hoid is somehow transferring Investure.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Hoid17th
Editing name

[Honorless]

3 hours ago, Hoid17th said:

Thanks for the link Honorless! I did consider if it was from Taldain, but I was just wondering how he changed the black sand back to white. On Taldain, the sand must be in the light of that sun for 4 hours for the sand to become white again, after being drained. It could be that the sun on Nalthis is somehow different and the sand reacts differently to this light than it's home light, similar to Superman on Earth. Or, as AonDoor said, it could be that Hoid is somehow transferring Investure.

Stormlight spoilers, books 3 & 4 (latter under another spoiler box inside the spoiler box) and some mild White Sand spoilers as well

Spoiler

In Oathbringer, we see Hoid's White Sand or rather black sand, get recharged via proximity to Shallan's Lightweaving.

Spoiler

In RoW, Navani notices that Stormlight and the light given off by Stormlight are different. The light is more like Investiture radiance.

I suspect that is what Taldain's sun outputs: Investiture radiation. So while it takes sand four hours to recharge via sunlight, just being near a Lightweaving was enough to recharge quite a bit of the sand. (And do note that Lightweaving itself takes noticeably less Investiture than Windrunner Lashings, as we see in the Kholinar and Shadesmar storyline in Oathbringer)

 

 

[Zoey]

On 12/17/2021 at 7:56 PM, Hoid17th said:

Thanks for the link Honorless! I did consider if it was from Taldain, but I was just wondering how he changed the black sand back to white. On Taldain, the sand must be in the light of that sun for 4 hours for the sand to become white again, after being drained. It could be that the sun on Nalthis is somehow different and the sand reacts differently to this light than it's home light, similar to Superman on Earth. Or, as AonDoor said, it could be that Hoid is somehow transferring Investure.

This is due to the fact that the large sun on Taldain is very highly Invested, and so is the light that comes off of it. The sand turns white due to becoming Invested. 

Spoiler

As is quite explicitly shown and stated in Rhythm of War

(Same spoiler-source as what Honorless posted)

 

So he could still have it turn white via introducing it to Investiture. 

[Hoid17th]

Ahhh, thanks Zoey! I missed that part - I initially assumed that the sand itself was Invested and the sun was a catalyst. The sun being highly Invested makes more sense, however, explaining the Investure transference Hoid must have been doing. May the winds bless you, both Zoey and Honorless (my lord)!