Marabout Posted July 2, 2023 Posted July 2, 2023 I think we are being lured into a false sense of security by the lovably goofy Pattern. But he’s described as different than other Cryptics, even in the way he moves. The other Spren don’t seem to trust the Cryptics. They aren’t considered Evil per se but seem quite capable of plotting from the shadows. So consider this… The Cryptics have been seen lurking around at least two rulers. Elhokar everyone is aware of, but I think that they were also trying to get Taravangian’s attention. Shallan sees them and sketches them when trying to sketch the King. We all assume that they were only interested in Shallan but I wonder… They are planning a takeover… secret invasion style.. all will learn to run in fear at the sound of their humming! 2
Treamayne Posted July 2, 2023 Posted July 2, 2023 1 hour ago, Marabout said: I think we are being lured into a false sense of security by the lovably goofy Pattern. But he’s described as different than other Cryptics, even in the way he moves. The other Spren don’t seem to trust the Cryptics. They aren’t considered Evil per se but seem quite capable of plotting from the shadows. So consider this… The Cryptics have been seen lurking around at least two rulers. Elhokar everyone is aware of, but I think that they were also trying to get Taravangian’s attention. Shallan sees them and sketches them when trying to sketch the King. We all assume that they were only interested in Shallan but I wonder… They are planning a takeover… secret invasion style.. all will learn to run in fear at the sound of their humming! Interesting conspiracy theory, but also remember that she accidently drew them when trying to sketch Kasbal too. I don't think a cryptic would have been drawn to Taravangian - they seem to prefer those who lie to themselves - he was always transparent with himself (and just lied to everybody else). 1
alder24 Posted July 2, 2023 Posted July 2, 2023 9 hours ago, Marabout said: I think we are being lured into a false sense of security by the lovably goofy Pattern. But he’s described as different than other Cryptics, even in the way he moves. The other Spren don’t seem to trust the Cryptics. They aren’t considered Evil per se but seem quite capable of plotting from the shadows. So consider this… The Cryptics have been seen lurking around at least two rulers. Elhokar everyone is aware of, but I think that they were also trying to get Taravangian’s attention. Shallan sees them and sketches them when trying to sketch the King. We all assume that they were only interested in Shallan but I wonder… They are planning a takeover… secret invasion style.. all will learn to run in fear at the sound of their humming! Nah, they're just drawn to lies people tell themselves. They don't desire to conquer anything and their reputation is mostly a stereotypical exaggeration of past events and persona. They also travel in groups - they chose future Radiants based on a committee and accompany their soon-to-be-bonded comrade from CR - that's why there is a "crowd" of Cryptics around Elhokar and Shallan. Spoiler Questioner What lie could draw a Cryptic to Elhokar? Brandon Sanderson The lie that he lived with for many years: that he was a good king... He started to finally confront it. Skyward Atlanta signing (Nov. 17, 2018) Spoiler Questioner You've said before that Tien was on the track to becoming a Lightweaver, before he, you know. What lie was he telling that was attracting a Cryptic? Brandon Sanderson That's a very good question. Tien was hiding a lot of belief that he was not a good person. That people didn't want to be around him, and things like this. He was hiding a lot of that, and he knew that people saw him as a burst of sunshine, and he didn't ever want them to not see him that way. That was really hard on him, as it is on a lot of people who are like Tien. Questioner 2 But did he like rocks? Brandon Sanderson He really liked rocks. The fact that he never got to meet Rock is... and throw a bucket of water on him! Dragonsteel Mini-Con 2021 (Nov. 22, 2021) Spoiler quantumshenanigans Why do Cryptics have such a bad rap among other spren? The contrast between what spren think about Cryptics compared to how they come off to the reader is hilarious. They're these utterly guileless beings who never try to fight anyone or conquer anything in Shadesmar, and who literally can't lie without audibly buzzing. And yet other spren talk about them as if they're Machiavellian geniuses bent on dominating everyone else. Brandon Sanderson I love that you picked up on this. There's a couple things going on here. One is, the Cryptics are just kind of their own weird little club. I mean, all of the various different spren are, to an extent, but the Cryptics are one of those that are extra. You know, that word, extra. They're extra. I had to cut a scene that was very fun, that would explain some of this, but you get a bit of it. I reused some of the same concepts in Rhythm of War, when Shallan around a lot of them. They can get to be a bit much, and because they will start talking in numbers and in mathematical formulas, they often seem like they're planning something, when in reality they're just not quite getting what's going on in the same way. And it's kind of this, when you meet somebody that you don't quite get, sometimes you assume things about them. That said, there have been some very smart, very dangerous Cryptics in the past, and spren have long memories. So the reputation isn't entirely unearned, but it is perhaps too liberally applied as a stereotype to an entire race-- that never happens-- when a small percentage of them might have earned this reputation individually. YouTube Spoiler Stream 4 (June 16, 2022) Spoiler ccstat In Shallan's drawings during the course of The Way of Kings, she sees multiple Cryptics. Were there other Cryptics accompanying Pattern in those drawings? Brandon Sanderson Yes. ccstat Were they approving of Pattern's choices. Brandon Sanderson Yes. The Cryptics are much like what is happening with Lift, where there is more of a conscious effort on their part. As opposed to what is happening with Syl or Jasnah where there is hesitance. What the Cryptics are driven to do is in part because of what a few of their members have been experimenting with. Firefight Atlanta signing (Jan. 24, 2015) 2
boolamoo Posted July 5, 2023 Posted July 5, 2023 While I'm not sure I'm on board, one point I've not seen mentioned is that in the deathrattles we have someone seeing Cryptics. Were they there for the victim or somebody else like Taravangian? No telling, but they could reasonably be after people in positions of power.
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