Killing the Fused

[ConfusedCow]

           At Thaylen City Odium threatens to kill a fused but doesn't.  Why doesn't he kill any of the fused?  Many of them are insane, dangerous, useless, and others are worse then useless.  They are exhausted and rebelling against him, Leshwi, Rabonial in her own way.  Why doesn't he make more fused as he intends to do to Dalinar? If Odium was optimizing his armies he would let go of worn souls and create new fused, based on merit or service. 

           Odium is bound in some way.  I believe he created something similar to the oath pact with the fused.  Perhaps he promised that if they served him faithfully they would rule Roshar again.   Perhaps creating more fused leaves him vulnerable in some way. 

    What are the implications? Could Dalinar exploit this agreement? Destroy them by surrendering? 

[NameIess]

This WoB explains why Odium didn’t kill Leshwi or the others:

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Striker_EZ

Why didn't Odium take the Investiture away from the Fused that rebelled against him at the end of Rhythm of War? At the end of Oathbringer, Odium tells one Fused that questioned him that he could take "that which gave [the Fused] life." So why didn't he do that to Leshwi and the others?

Brandon Sanderson

This is actually an excellent question. Odium, in his previous incarnation-- we'll see how he acts now-- part of the driving force of Odium is this kind of belief, mistaken or otherwise, that Odium represents all emotion, and strength of emotion, and basically the Passions in lore. Rebelling against him in the way that they did is actually in line with Odium's personal directives. The Vessel may not like it, in fact the power may not like it, but at the same time, there's a part of both of them that acknowledges, this is what they set in motion, and this is an appropriate use of the agency of the agents they chose. And so, unilaterally destroying those who turn against him is actually not an Odium thing. It's more an Honor thing than it would be an Odium thing. It's just not in line with how Odium acts or thinks, even though it's possible and there's threats and... That's not saying Odium wouldn't do it. But acting like Honor is not something Odium would necessarily want to do.

YouTube Spoiler Stream 4 (June 16, 2022)

[+Child of Hodor]

On 7/14/2022 at 10:53 PM, ConfusedCow said:

           At Thaylen City Odium threatens to kill a fused but doesn't.  Why doesn't he kill any of the fused?  Many of them are insane, dangerous, useless, and others are worse then useless.  They are exhausted and rebelling against him, Leshwi, Rabonial in her own way.  Why doesn't he make more fused as he intends to do to Dalinar? If Odium was optimizing his armies he would let go of worn souls and create new fused, based on merit or service. 

           Odium is bound in some way.  I believe he created something similar to the oath pact with the fused.  Perhaps he promised that if they served him faithfully they would rule Roshar again.   Perhaps creating more fused leaves him vulnerable in some way. 

    What are the implications? Could Dalinar exploit this agreement? Destroy them by surrendering? 

I also think the Fused and Odium made a deal. He’d alter them to stick around and help them retake their homeland if they agreed to serve him.

Odium is saying IF that Fused doesn’t do as Odium says then the Fused is breaking the agreement and Odium can kill him permanently,

Odium liking conflict with explains why some Fused who rebelled aren’t killed. It doesn’t explain why he doesn’t kill the insane Fused that are useless and make new Fused. Like the one that just stares into space and smiles that Venli met in OB isn’t doing much to help the war effort. Recycle that investiture into a new Fused. 

I don’t think Odium can. The catatonic Fused aren’t breaking their agreement to serve Odium they just aren’t very useful for anything. As long as they still serve, even in a diminished capacity, Odium can’t prema-kill them directly. 

Then again New Odium has El perma-kill the Pursuer indirectly. Odium may have wriggle room or there may not be a binding pact after all.