Theory of Cusicesh's Identity(spoilers for all Stormlight)

[Aon Ati he/him]

Hello 17 Shard. I have a theory about the giant spren of Iri, Cusicesh, that I haven't found anyone else propose before, so I just want to get the fandom's thoughts. I believe that Cusicesh is actually the 'dullform' of Ba-Ado-Mishrim(BAM).

The piece of information that first brought this idea to me was when I was rereading Dalinar and Navani's wedding and the Stormfather appears. After he hears the wedding vows and leaves, the soldiers around Dainar "sagged, looking suddenly exhausted.". It suddenly occurred to me that the only other spren that I could remember causing tiredness in a group of people was Cusicesh of Iri. So my interest in the spren was peaked and I wondered if it might be a spren that was capable of Connection like the Stormfather, or at least similar abilities.

All three Bondsmith spren have been accounted for so if it is a spren capable of great Connection Cusicesh would have to be something else. And that's when I thought about BAM. She was connected to almost every Singer on the planet at one point, so she has the ability. I dug a little deeper and tried to find out where her last location was. There's no definitive area of Roshar stated, but the epigraphs of Oathbringer Part 3 say that the Singers were feverishly fighting toward Feverstone keep during the end of the False Desolation, the Desolation BAM initiated. So it's possible that she would be in the area. Feverstone Keep has been theorizied to be near the Iri city of Rall Elorim. If this is correct, then the strike team that went after BAM would have attacked her in Iri.

This is where my theory falls completely into spectulation. I believe that Melishi the Bondsmith did not trap BAM in a gemstone the same way that Dalinar trapped the Thrill. I think that Melishi only trapped her mind in the gem stone, leaving behind an impotent shell. This might be why the empowered Singers became the dullform parshmen instead of Singers without access to Voidlight, matching to what happened to what was Connecting them. After that BAM, Cusicesh now, hid away in Iri; only coming out at a certain time and looking eastward, possibly towards where the sphere containing her mind is hidden.

Anyway, that's my theory. Feel free to dissect it, I'd loved to know where I'm wrong.

[Morningtide she/her]

I could see it! I totally think that there is something important about Cusicesh; this could be plausible. Good job on the evidence. 

[Green Hoodie Mistborn he/him]

I agree that something is up with Cusicesh and in the end, it will have to do with BAM in some way. 

Not sure I agree about the "dull-form" idea since there isn't anything like that for the Thrill when it gets trapped by Dalinar. But, there is something there. 

I was theorizing this morning myself that perhaps the gem that BAM is trapped inside is at the bottom of that bay and the connections that were severed when she was trapped have come together here and melded together. We know whatever was done created a "wound", so I'm thinking that the Radiant spren's cognitive aspects as well as the cognitive parts of the Parshendi who were connected to BAM when she was trapped are all drawn here like a gravity well of cognitive Connections. 

Or something. 

I think it will be key in SA5... Can't wait. 

[StormingTexan he/him]

I think this is an interesting theory and I really like the idea of a connection here. This WoB does not necessarily disprove it but I think reading between the lines he is saying Cusicesh is not a trapped spren (like the example given). I am not sure what the "something there" is though. 

 

Quote

 

ParadoxSpren

With the ardents and the flamespren, is something going on similar with Cusicesh?

Brandon Sanderson

Only slightly.

ParadoxSpren

Because he seems to be stuck in a cycle.

Brandon Sanderson

There is something there, but it's not as direct a connection as you might be making it.

Oathbringer London signing (Nov. 28, 2017)

 

 

 

[cometaryorbit]

I think that means Cusicesh's fixed time of appearance and behavior isn't specifically because of people writing down that he does that. Not sure if "something there" just means that his behavior is fixed by something, or that it's actually perception related.

[Aon Ati he/him]

Well after hearing the Dragonsteel 2023 reading this theory is a bust.