Suit and the Men of Gold and Red: Serving In Another Realm As A Cognitive Soldier

[teknopathetic he/him]

So, right before when Suit died, Suit was told by a faceless immortal that "You may serve in another realm". Now in the Lost Metal we see that Autonomy has an army of spookily human-seeming soldiers serving as an army in the Cognitive Realm. Could autonomy be using some of her servants as material for creating an army? As Suit was exploded by a bomb, it must be his cognitive or spiritual spect if so. 

So possible theory: Autonomy stitches human souls into her bodies of Gold and Red similar to other entities in the Cosemere (Roshar and Nalthis) 

Here is a WOB about it that leaves this unclear. This is from before 2018 and quite a while before The Lost Metal, but I thought I would share it. 

Quote

 

QUESTION (Before 2018)

When Wax's uncle gets blown up and [?] says "you will serve us in another realm", is that a [truth?]

BRANDON SANDERSON

Wait wait, who says that?

QUESTION

With Suit, the end of Bands of Mourning? He gets blown up...?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Oh right, right...So, yeah, that is not specifically answered on purpose. That is meant to be more ambiguous, it may not even be a true statement.

QUESTION

So their deity doesn't pick which souls -

BRANDON SANDERSON

I'm not saying yes or no, I'm just saying, don't take what they say as law, as the actual state of things. It may just be a belief on their part.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by teknopathetic

[+Oltux72 he/him]

I am afraid I have to ask the obvious question. Why? What is in it for Autonomy to go that convoluted route instead of just hiring, equipping and training soldiers?

Yes, you could have an army of Cognitive Shadows in Shadesmar. For one thing they do not need to carry supplies. But in this case she wants to invade a planet. They need a physical body. So what is the advantage in that you now need to recruit two people, whom you have to kill, which is not great for recruitment? When Edwarn was or wasn't recruited, his body was blown to bits, so it can hardly be reused in that manner.