Dr. Joe Posted June 3, 2022 Posted June 3, 2022 (edited) Been meaning to ask this to Brandon directly, but then I realized I could probably just post it here and get some great feedback! Does the process of Returning affect the subject's Identity (in the realmatic/investiture sense)? If, hypothetically, a feruchemist were to store something in a metalmind, then died and Returned, would they be still be able to tap that same metalmind? Or would their Identity have changed, making them essentially "unkeyed" from it? Similarly, if a Returned became a feruchemist and stored something, would that metalmind be inherently unkeyed? Edited June 3, 2022 by Dr. Joe
Duxredux he/him Posted June 3, 2022 Posted June 3, 2022 This was asked a while back, but in the context of if an Awakener put their Breaths into an object, died and Returned, could they recover them? The answer was they could, that enough of their Identity was the same. Odds are it's the same with Feruchemy. Quote Oudeis16 If Bob the Awakener Awakened fifty straw men to dance around, then died, then Returned as FormerBob the Appropriately Named, would FormerBob be able to reclaim the Breath from the straw men in the normal fashion (once he learned the "Your Breath to Mine" Command)? Brandon Sanderson Yes. He has enough of his original Identity, and the spiritual connection would remain. sonofstannis What if he instead were reincarnated as a lifeless? Is there a way he could reclaim it then? Brandon Sanderson Lifeless have someone else's investiture replacing their own. (As opposed to Returned, who are augmented.) Depends on how much of them is left, and if they can achieve sapience again, but I'd say this is unlikely. WeiryWriter What if the Lifeless is Awakened with their own Breath? (i.e. they gave it away right before they died and the person they gave it to then used it in the Awakening) Brandon Sanderson This has happened already in the world, and it does help. -Nayrb Did this happen "on screen"? Brandon Sanderson RAFO. /r/books AMA 2015 (July 30, 2015) 2
Dr. Joe Posted June 3, 2022 Author Posted June 3, 2022 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Duxredux said: This was asked a while back, but in the context of if an Awakener put their Breaths into an object, died and Returned, could they recover them? The answer was they could, that enough of their Identity was the same. Odds are it's the same with Feruchemy. Wow, that's exactly what I was looking for, thanks! That last question is going to drive me nuts, though xD Edit: Arsteel, possibly? Edited June 3, 2022 by Dr. Joe
Duxredux he/him Posted June 3, 2022 Posted June 3, 2022 11 minutes ago, Dr. Joe said: Similarly, if a Returned became a feruchemist and stored something, would that metalmind be inherently unkeyed? This one? Sorry I missed it on my first pass. Whenever Vasher Awakens something then it is keyed to his Identity and only he can reclaim it under normal conditions. If it was unkeyed, then anyone could recover a Returned's Breaths in an object, even if it was the Godking himself that Awakened it. Presumably a Returned would still make metalminds keyed to their Identity if they became a Feruchemist.
Quantus he/him Posted June 3, 2022 Posted June 3, 2022 4 minutes ago, Duxredux said: This one? Sorry I missed it on my first pass. Whenever Vasher Awakens something then it is keyed to his Identity and only he can reclaim it under normal conditions. If it was unkeyed, then anyone could recover a Returned's Breaths in an object, even if it was the Godking himself that Awakened it. Presumably a Returned would still make metalminds keyed to their Identity if they became a Feruchemist. Awakening and it's Commands seem capable of similar things to Feruchemy (ie Storing Memories, as a known example) so I suspect it is possible to willfully store Breaths in an object in a way that leave them UnKeyed, and that there are cultures on Nalthis where that is more common, perhaps if the culture views them as a public resource rather than horded wealth. But in a nation where it serves as the primary currency, why leave your riches vulnerable when they have such a built-in and theoretically unbreakable security feature?
Dr. Joe Posted June 3, 2022 Author Posted June 3, 2022 20 minutes ago, Duxredux said: This one? Sorry I missed it on my first pass. Whenever Vasher Awakens something then it is keyed to his Identity and only he can reclaim it under normal conditions. If it was unkeyed, then anyone could recover a Returned's Breaths in an object, even if it was the Godking himself that Awakened it. Presumably a Returned would still make metalminds keyed to their Identity if they became a Feruchemist. Very good point! I wonder if it would be the same if the Returned tried to completely suppress their divine Breath, and were otherwise drab. Or would "completely" suppressing a Divine Breath just kill them outright?
Stormtide_Leviathan Posted June 6, 2022 Posted June 6, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 3:45 PM, Dr. Joe said: Edit: Arsteel, possibly? Could be, but don't forget Arsteel was a returned which means 1) it's probably unlikely anyone knew where his original Breath from when he's alive is in order for it to be used to awaken him and 2) turning him into a lifeless might already be funky since you're lifelessing a returned body and not a normal body
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