What's up with Ulaam?

[MasterK-Bob he/him]

Why does Ulaam want all sorts of body parts? I think he's a kandra right, but can't kandra make all human organs and tissues besides bones? What's the benefit of a kidney or a liver except to learn to copy them? Also why does he keep himself grey and corpselike?

 

Maybe this is all answered. I'm only halfway done but I couldn't get this out of my head

Edited January 7, 2023 by MasterK-Bob

[AquaRegia he/him]

I think I can answer without giving anything important away - yes, he is a kandra, and we don't learn the answers to any of your other questions.

Enjoy!

[Tglassy]

Hoid, the Narrator, mentions offhand about "They got weirder when Sazed released them".  So I guess at some point, Sazed lets them go off to do whatever they want.  And, well, if YOU weren't tied to any particular look and were free to pursue whatever you wish, then I'm sure after a few centuries you'd be all kinds of eccentric as well, lol.  

[Knight Oblivion]

Ulaam does say that his cold skin and lack of heartbeat are adaptations to lower his required caloric intake. Even calls his "method" efficient.

 

I'd assume his other unique features for his appearance are largely also for efficiency in his eyes.

[RaeTheRaven]

Everyone needs a hobby I guess. 

[HavingTheHasHoidAPurpose?]

It seems he is collecting the most optimally functioning organs he can find. It seems he is very interested in human anatomy and organ function, and even comments on how he needs tress' remarkable brain, etc. He also suggests that he might be looking to figure out how to let humans function similarly to him, lacking a heart, and consuming fewer calories. 

So presumably he is trying to get the most detailed understanding of human biology in the cosmere, and/or upgrade himself, or others

[Treamayne]

I thought that Ulaam's appearance was because (Sel)

Spoiler

Prior to release by Harmony, he was imitating a Dzhamarian from the Rose Empire (like Weedfingers in The Emperor's Soul)

I actually bit off on thinking that was his origin until it became obvious he was a Kandra

[GeoMantrix]

Spoiler

He could be a kandra wearing Dzhamarian bones.  This struck me as I was listening to Emporer's Soul last night.  Especially with the monster he keeps in his drawer with all the faces. 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by GeoMantrix
add sentence.

[Lidolas he/him]

I figured it was mostly to be a living organ donor to his crew.  The more real organs he can study, the better he can produce.

[RaeTheRaven]

Would that even work? There's a question I never thought I'd think about. But would organs made by a kandra be compatible with humans? I feel like they probably wouldn't. They'd probably get rejected.

[HavingTheHasHoidAPurpose?]

Im pretty sure if a kandra has a bit of your blood, they can craft a new organ from your own dna and cells, making a perfect organ donation

[Zapata]

1 hour ago, HavingTheHasHoidAPurpose? said:

Im pretty sure if a kandra has a bit of your blood, they can craft a new organ from your own dna and cells, making a perfect organ donation

That's how MeLaan healed Marasi that time in Bands. The real question is what Ulaam's healing concoctions are. Forton's potions, perhaps? Or liquid kandra juice?

[RaeTheRaven]

14 hours ago, HavingTheHasHoidAPurpose? said:

Im pretty sure if a kandra has a bit of your blood, they can craft a new organ from your own dna and cells, making a perfect organ donation

Hmm... as a geneticist that rubs me slightly the wrong way, but I'll accept it. xD

[HavingTheHasHoidAPurpose?]

22 hours ago, Ookla the Observant said:

That's how MeLaan healed Marasi that time in Bands. The real question is what Ulaam's healing concoctions are. Forton's potions, perhaps? Or liquid kandra juice?

Maybe some sci fi stem cell mumbo jumbo

[HSuperLee]

13 hours ago, RaeTheRaven said:

Hmm... as a geneticist that rubs me slightly the wrong way, but I'll accept it. xD

This is why kandra have bothered me for years. If they can replicate genetic material, shouldn't they be able to use that genetic material to produce all kinds of cells, including bone and hair? I get that it takes a long time to make that stuff, but kandra are immortal, and I can see numerous benefits to being able to control every stage of development of bone growth to achieve specific results.

[cometaryorbit]

Yeah their inability to make bone/hair (slowly) is really unexplainable if their shapechanging is purely biological.

[RaeTheRaven]

2 hours ago, HSuperLee said:

This is why kandra have bothered me for years. If they can replicate genetic material, shouldn't they be able to use that genetic material to produce all kinds of cells, including bone and hair? I get that it takes a long time to make that stuff, but kandra are immortal, and I can see numerous benefits to being able to control every stage of development of bone growth to achieve specific results.

Also, if they can make nails, why can they not make hair? Makes no sense. 

[+Harrycrapper]

I just figured he liked how they taste. Kandra love rotten meat, and given that he seems not to care how off-puttingly non human he is, he just eats what he likes.