Could Shallan have a gemheart? (Theory)

[Marabout]

I’ve read a number of threads with different theories and this idea came to me.

One theory out there is that Shallan is the Herald Chana’s daughter.

It has been confirmed that Heralds can reproduce but that the procedure is somehow different.

Another theory I have seen is that Heralds may have gemhearts.

If the above two theories are correct it leads to some interesting possibilities.

What if Heralds have gemhearts and reproduce by a form of Mitosis, in other words by splintering their gemheart.

Then Shallan would have a gemheart … and there are some fun possibilities of what may be Inside the gemheart.

Some have theorized that there is an Unmade on the Davar household or lands.  What if Shallan has been carrying an Unmade this whole time?  It would explain how Spren and Unmade seem to react differently to Shallan.  

People have wondered where Chana is.  Did Chana go to Braize and break again?  What if instead of returning to corporeal form on Roshar, she entered Shallan’s gemheart?  We’ve had explanation and resolution of Veil but Radiant is still sticking around.  What if Radiant is not just modelled off of Chana as some have theorized but actually Is Chana?

Be gentle, it’s my first theory!

 

[bmcclure7]

2 hours ago, Marabout said:

I’ve read a number of threads with different theories and this idea came to me.

One theory out there is that Shallan is the Herald Chana’s daughter.

It has been confirmed that Heralds can reproduce but that the procedure is somehow different.

Another theory I have seen is that Heralds may have gemhearts.

If the above two theories are correct it leads to some interesting possibilities.

What if Heralds have gemhearts and reproduce by a form of Mitosis, in other words by splintering their gemheart.

Then Shallan would have a gemheart … and there are some fun possibilities of what may be Inside the gemheart.

Some have theorized that there is an Unmade on the Davar household or lands.  What if Shallan has been carrying an Unmade this whole time?  It would explain how Spren and Unmade seem to react differently to Shallan.  

People have wondered where Chana is.  Did Chana go to Braize and break again?  What if instead of returning to corporeal form on Roshar, she entered Shallan’s gemheart?  We’ve had explanation and resolution of Veil but Radiant is still sticking around.  What if Radiant is not just modelled off of Chana as some have theorized but actually Is Chana?

Be gentle, it’s my first theory!

 

Or Chana a horn eater they have gemhearts

[Elegy he/him]

Interesting theory, especially the Radiant part!

the main argument against it: Gemhearts are a distinctly Rosharan phenomenon. The Heralds, however, were humans from Ashyn, so they definitely didn't have gemhearts when they were born. They would have to have had them transplanted at some time. But if that's the case, there would have to be a reason for that. I don't have an idea what that reason could be. Sure, they could bond spren more easily that way, but they didn't need to bond any of those since they had the honorblades already.

57 minutes ago, bmcclure7 said:

Or Chana a horn eater they have gemhearts

Similarly, Chana isn't a horneater because she's from Ashyn, she's one of the very first humans to come to Roshar. Horneaters are offsprings of Parshendi and humans (those from Ashyn that Chana belonged to), so those only started to exist a long time along the line between then and now. Chana is way older than the very first horneater

[Marabout]

Good point.

The Fused seem to need hosts with gemhearts so maybe the Heralds returning from Braize would as well.  Or if not “hosts” maybe the bodies that manifest need a sort of anchor for the investiture and that would explain the need for gemhearts (we’ve seen the investiture will fade away in certain vessels).

I know humans were used in OB but this didn’t seem to be a stable procedure and required intervention from an Unmade and Odium.

 

[Elegy he/him]

17 hours ago, Marabout said:

Good point.

The Fused seem to need hosts with gemhearts so maybe the Heralds returning from Braize would as well.  Or if not “hosts” maybe the bodies that manifest need a sort of anchor for the investiture and that would explain the need for gemhearts (we’ve seen the investiture will fade away in certain vessels).

I know humans were used in OB but this didn’t seem to be a stable procedure and required intervention from an Unmade and Odium.

Well it seems that Heralds don't possess bodies of existing people, although that was what it was like in Way of Kings Prime (I removed a Mistborn Secret History spoiler from this WOB):

Quote

Questioner

How do the Heralds come back? As Cognitive Shadows, how do they a physical body?

Brandon Sanderson

That system will be explained in the coming books, so that is a RAFO. I'm gonna dig into it pretty deeply. It's relevant for multiple reasons...

In the original version, Taln ended up in someone else, like they would get a body from someone else, which was part of fueling the "Is he crazy, is he not," because people were like, "I recognize this guy!" I don't use that system anymore.

Questioner

That's what I was wondering, because the Fused--

Brandon Sanderson

They use something kind of more like the Fused in the original draft, it's not that process anymore.

Skyward Chicago signing (Nov. 16, 2018)

 

[Marabout]

After another read through, I’ve modified my theory…. 

My theory of how Heralds return is that they enter an undifferentiated chrysalis and then pupate and emerge with a fully grown body.

I started this theory because I believe that Shallan has a gemheart containing her mother or an Unmade.

So consider…. The Herald returns to Roshar and enters the gemheart of a fetal state chrysalis then pupates.  The process takes roughly a year (there seems to be a gap between Taln returning to Roshar and his appearance).

To reproduce, a Herald imbues or creates a chrysalis (it has been confirmed that they can have children but not in a normal way).

If Shallan is the daughter of a Herald, she would therefore have a gemheart.

That gemheart likely contains her mother’s investiture (manifesting as Radiant) or one of the Unmade.

I think that the chrysalis theory makes sense given how “Roshar” it all is.  There has been a lot of discussion about chrysalis and pupation in the books including drawings.

Plus I think it would be funny if the Heralds and Shallan are glorified chulls.

[Halyo_Alex he/him]

1 hour ago, Marabout said:

After another read through, I’ve modified my theory…. 

My theory of how Heralds return is that they enter an undifferentiated chrysalis and then pupate and emerge with a fully grown body.

I started this theory because I believe that Shallan has a gemheart containing her mother or an Unmade.

So consider…. The Herald returns to Roshar and enters the gemheart of a fetal state chrysalis then pupates.  The process takes roughly a year (there seems to be a gap between Taln returning to Roshar and his appearance).

To reproduce, a Herald imbues or creates a chrysalis (it has been confirmed that they can have children but not in a normal way).

If Shallan is the daughter of a Herald, she would therefore have a gemheart.

That gemheart likely contains her mother’s investiture (manifesting as Radiant) or one of the Unmade.

I think that the chrysalis theory makes sense given how “Roshar” it all is.  There has been a lot of discussion about chrysalis and pupation in the books including drawings.

Plus I think it would be funny if the Heralds and Shallan are glorified chulls.

I'm not sure i buy it, but take my storming upvote for the comedy of the thought.