Hoid collecting powers motivations

[StormDad]

We’ve seen Hoid intentionally seek out new powers multiple times now. In Elantris he tried to become an Elantrian, in Tress he succeeded, in stormlight he sought to become a radiant, in secret history he intentionally became a mistborn, etc…

Two questions.

1) why is he seeking out these powers? I don’t think it is just to become more powerful in the traditional sense. Rather I think he is messing with some realmatic theory to gain some connection to each of the 16 shards. Maybe with the intent of re-forming Adonalsium?

2) if he is trying to gain connection to all 16 shards, does becoming a mistborn connect him to both ruin and preservation or just preservation. Similarly, does becoming a light weaver connect him to both honor and cultivation or just one of them. Is becoming an Elantrian connect him to just devotion or does it connect him to dominion as well?

any other thoughts on Hoids gotta catch ‘em all strategy?

[TheOtherDave]

Dunno, but those sound like great questions!

[Endnighthazer]

I've heard a theory that he is collecting the magic systems in order to be connected to each Shard, and then using something (maybe a Dawnshard/Dawnshards) he'll use that to massively boost his connection to them to become some sort of new Adonalsium

Don't know how much I agree with it, but I do think connection is important, especially seeing as Hoid can't use the magic systems to fight

[TheOtherDave]

21 hours ago, Endnighthazer said:

I've heard a theory that he is collecting the magic systems in order to be connected to each Shard, and then using something (maybe a Dawnshard/Dawnshards) he'll use that to massively boost his connection to them to become some sort of new Adonalsium

Don't know how much I agree with it, but I do think connection is important, especially seeing as Hoid can't use the magic systems to fight

That raises an interesting (well, to me, anyway) question: Since he can't hurt anything, just how all-powerful could he be? Would he be able to fight off an invading god? Would he be able to significantly edit or delete a planet without first relocating its inhabitants? What counts as "inhabitants"?

Edited February 7, 2023 by TheOtherDave

[lacrossedeamon]

50 minutes ago, TheOtherDave said:

That raises an interesting (well, to me, anyway) question: Since he can't hurt anything, just how all-powerful could he be? Would he be able to fight off an invading god? Would he be able to significantly edit or delete a planet without first relocating its inhabitants? What counts as "inhabitants"?

Well as we see with Ruthar he can act in ways that he knows will incite others to endanger themselves and can have others do the harm on his behalf.

[Endnighthazer]

On 2/7/2023 at 8:24 AM, TheOtherDave said:

That raises an interesting (well, to me, anyway) question: Since he can't hurt anything, just how all-powerful could he be? Would he be able to fight off an invading god? Would he be able to significantly edit or delete a planet without first relocating its inhabitants? What counts as "inhabitants"?

Thats a good point, but I think that he wants to become Adonalsium in order to bring someone back to life, and might relinquish his power or get rid of it somehow instead of playing the role of a god after he succeeds at that

[gremlin303]

This has been discussed extensively over the years and is probably one of the most important mysteries of the Cosmere. 

The motivation to rebuild Adonalsium has been brought up a lot but I never bought it before, didn’t seem like something Hoid would want.

But, TotES has changed that. He clearly seemed regretful of the decision to destroy Ado. So I’m not more onboard with the idea that he is trying to gain Connection to all the shards in an attempt to restore Big A. Perhaps out of guilt?

As for your other question. I’d say being Elantrian definitely gives connection to D&D since they make up the Dor together, and Allomancy should give connection to both Pres. and Ruin since their power is present in all 3 metallic arts to some degree. The Lightweaver one is difficult because unless I’m mistaken we don’t really know the details of how Hon. and Cult. investiture is combined to create Surgebinding. Personally, I reckon it would give connection to both. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by gremlin303

[Torero]

I still go back to that sphere-lit dinner on the Shattered plains. From memory, one of the first things he says is "Adonalsium" as a one-word sentence. I think it is at least likely that his focus is on the big union of some kind and I think he is in it for the result, considering it as good for the Cosmere, not necessarily like: "I want to become one".

Edited February 13, 2023 by Torero

[Aleph-Naught he/him]

On 2/6/2023 at 4:24 PM, TheOtherDave said:

That raises an interesting (well, to me, anyway) question: Since he can't hurt anything, just how all-powerful could he be? Would he be able to fight off an invading god? Would he be able to significantly edit or delete a planet without first relocating its inhabitants? What counts as "inhabitants"?

I think this is an interesting question as well. It may be that since he can't hurt anything, reforming all the 16 shards could create a "god" that would not be able to meddle with people the way the current shards are able to; a way to be the kind of god imagined in a mechanistic philosophy of religion: setting the universe in motion then stepping aside.

[StormDad]

On 2/10/2023 at 10:37 AM, gremlin303 said:

This has been discussed extensively over the years and is probably one of the most important mysteries of the Cosmere. 

The motivation to rebuild Adonalsium has been brought up a lot but I never bought it before, didn’t seem like something Hoid would want.

But, TotES has changed that. He clearly seemed regretful of the decision to destroy Ado. So I’m not more onboard with the idea that he is trying to gain Connection to all the shards in an attempt to restore Big A. Perhaps out of guilt?

As for your other question. I’d say being Elantrian definitely gives connection to D&D since they make up the Dor together, and Allomancy should give connection to both Pres. and Ruin since their power is present in all 3 metallic arts to some degree. The Lightweaver one is difficult because unless I’m mistaken we don’t really know the details of how Hon. and Cult. investiture is combined to create Surgebinding. Personally, I reckon it would give connection to both. 

Good point about the dor being made up of both Dominion and Devotion. I had forgotten that.

[Cheat Commando he/him]

I've always liked Hoid, considered him a good guy, despite his assurances that he isn't. However, I have to admit that when he manifested AonDor at the end of Tress, my gut reaction was, "Oh, crap," and shivers went down my spine, but not the good kind.

I think that moment indicated to me that Hoid is indeed out for himself, and he's not the lovable jokester we wish him to be. 

[Argenti he/him]

I think he's out for the greater good. So on a small scale he may Doom a planet to destruction if it furthers his goals

 

[Adamkarma he/him]

On 16/01/2023 at 3:39 AM, StormDad said:

We’ve seen Hoid intentionally seek out new powers multiple times now. In Elantris he tried to become an Elantrian, in Tress he succeeded, in stormlight he sought to become a radiant, in secret history he intentionally became a mistborn, etc…

Two questions.

1) why is he seeking out these powers? I don’t think it is just to become more powerful in the traditional sense. Rather I think he is messing with some realmatic theory to gain some connection to each of the 16 shards. Maybe with the intent of re-forming Adonalsium?

2) if he is trying to gain connection to all 16 shards, does becoming a mistborn connect him to both ruin and preservation or just preservation. Similarly, does becoming a light weaver connect him to both honor and cultivation or just one of them. Is becoming an Elantrian connect him to just devotion or does it connect him to dominion as well?

any other thoughts on Hoids gotta catch ‘em all strategy?

So answering Ur last question:

1-becoming Mistborn Connects him to Preservation only (as Allomancy is purely Preservation)

2-becoming a Lightweaver Connects him to both Honor and Cultivation as all Surges "except Adhesion" come from BOTH of them.

3-becoming an Elantrian Connects him to both Devotion and Dominion as ALL magic on Sel is Connected to both of them.

Any other thoughts: yes, he had Breaths, which are of Endiwment)

So, by simple math: Hoid is Connected right now to five Shards (Devotion and Dominion, Preservation, Honor and Cultivation) eleven more to go!!

[Argenti he/him]

2 hours ago, Adamkarma said:

So answering Ur last question:

1-becoming Mistborn Connects him to Preservation only (as Allomancy is purely Preservation)

2-becoming a Lightweaver Connects him to both Honor and Cultivation as all Surges "except Adhesion" come from BOTH of them.

3-becoming an Elantrian Connects him to both Devotion and Dominion as ALL magic on Sel is Connected to both of them.

Any other thoughts: yes, he had Breaths, which are of Endiwment)

So, by simple math: Hoid is Connected right now to five Shards (Devotion and Dominion, Preservation, Honor and Cultivation) eleven more to go!!

That we know of, I'm sure he was more magic we just dont't know about yet. 

[Koloss17 She/They]

So the only thing that makes me hesitant that Hoid is trying to reform Adonalisium is that he refused to take up a shard. Maybe that’s due to him not wanting to be limited by the shard’s intent, which I don’t know if they would even know that was a thing at the time of the shattering, or maybe that’s due to a change of heart. But as Hoid hasn’t seemed to have changed much over the course of thousands of years, he doesn’t seem like the type to easily have a change of heart. 
 

Honestly, I think he knows something that we don’t, and that it is something that will be revealed to us at a later point. I feel like @StormDad is onto something with the connecting to every shard thing. I have know clue why he would want to do that, but it seems more plausible than reforging Adonalisium in my eyes.