Threnody and Yumi parallels

[Brgst13]

I think that the Shroud and Nightmares shed some light on what may have happened on Threnody.

In both places, Shadows (shades/nightmares) appear black and inky.  They also tend to attack one victim initially.  On both planets they are formed when someone dies in a particular way.  On Threnody it was by ritual (per Nazh), while on Yumis world it was by getting your Spiritual aspect sucked out by a machine.  On both planets a Shard suffered a mortal wound.  On both planets there were a small group of survivors.

What does this suggest about Threnody?

[+Oltux72]

21 minutes ago, Brgst13 said:

I think that the Shroud and Nightmares shed some light on what may have happened on Threnody.

In both places, Shadows (shades/nightmares) appear black and inky.

I am afraid I have to factually dispute that

• Shades have colored eyes
• Shades glow at night
• Shades trail whiteness at night

Nightmares basically look like the products of the Midnight Mother, not a Shade

[RedBlue]

From Chapter 17:

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“Painter,” Design continued, “I’ll try to think of something I can do, but this world of yours? It’s strange. The strangest I’ve visited—and I’ve been to Threnody. You have nightmares that come alive? Creeping out of a miasma of raw Investiture? That’s the kind of stuff you get on a planet when a god has been killed.

There are definitely parallels between Komashi and Threnody, but I’m not sure how much we can read into them. Design has seen both, and seems to consider Komashi to be uniquely weird.

I think it’s interesting that both worlds have Investiture zombies which are essentially people who didn’t pass on properly when they died, struggle to maintain a sense of self and become dangerous. The practical differences between Shades and Nightmares might be down to the differences between Ambition and Virtuosity — different Shards mean the rules are different.

[Yumiya]

On 7/2/2023 at 4:16 PM, RedBlue said:

The practical differences between Shades and Nightmares might be down to the differences between Ambition and Virtuosity — different Shards mean the rules are different.

Or not just innate differences of the shards, but differences in the causes of death. Ie Virtuosity choose to splinter.

[Nyrrix]

I was noticing a bit of a parallel between Nightblood's smoke and the Shroud. I wonder if the smoke that falls off of Nightblood is a similar to the waste substance (the Shroudn) produced by the machine as a byproduct in Hion synthesis. The substances both look like smoke and seem to defy natural laws/gravity (Nightblood's smoke falls, the Shroud seems to roil and sit on the planet). Both (the machine and Nightblood) are also manufactured Invested fabrials/devices/entities. They also have an Intent, but that Intent was ill-defined by their creators.

There could possibly be larger-scale indication for how Investing objects works (and how it fails) in the Cosmere.

[Werewolff Studios]

55 minutes ago, Nyrrix said:

I was noticing a bit of a parallel between Nightblood's smoke and the Shroud. I wonder if the smoke that falls off of Nightblood is a similar to the waste substance (the Shroudn) produced by the machine as a byproduct in Hion synthesis. The substances both look like smoke and seem to defy natural laws/gravity (Nightblood's smoke falls, the Shroud seems to roil and sit on the planet). Both (the machine and Nightblood) are also manufactured Invested fabrials/devices/entities. They also have an Intent, but that Intent was ill-defined by their creators.

There could possibly be larger-scale indication for how Investing objects works (and how it fails) in the Cosmere.

Yep, this is a great parallel to make. Another aspect to consider as well is that Nightblood's smoke and the Shroud is made up of unkeyed Investiture, stripped of Identity. Maybe that's why it's blackened as if it's decayed? Not sure about that though.

Also, relevant WOB to this:

Quote

HeatHazeDaze524

The nightmares are described as being a black, dripping ink-like substance, evaporating to smoke before disappearing. I can think of a certain talking sword that shares very similar characteristics. Is this merely a coincidence, or something we should be reading into?

Brandon Sanderson

That is not a coincidence, but I'm not sure how far you can read into it. That is not a coincidence.

Secret Project #3 Reveal and Livestream (March 22, 2022)

 

[Treamayne]

7 hours ago, Werewolff Studios said:

Yep, this is a great parallel to make. Another aspect to consider as well is that Nightblood's smoke and the Shroud is made up of unkeyed Investiture, stripped of Identity. Maybe that's why it's blackened as if it's decayed? Not sure about that though.

More WoBs:

Spoiler

Quote

Brandon Sanderson

Anyway, Nightblood is named for the smoke he leaks, and he originally had a different name when he was created. Vasher himself dubbed the sword Nightblood after he had used it to kill the woman he loved. The blackness that leaks out is actually corrupted and consumed Breaths, the ones that Nightblood leeches off anyone who draws him.

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Brandon Sanderson (edited)

A lot of people have been theorizing, could Nightblood eat an entire Shard? And indeed, Nightblood could not eat an entire Shard. That is not within his capability. In fact, one of the reasons that he leaks Investiture is: he's too stuffed full of it. There is more Investiture in the sword Nightblood than it can actually hold, it's supersaturated. And it leaks Investiture (that it's done some weird things to). But it is constantly hungry for more and constantly leaks it, but it definitely can get full for a time, and it could not eat an entire Shard.

 

So, I would say that yes; Father Machine is likely consuming and corrupting investiture in a similar way to Nightblood - and is also exhibiting the "constant hunger/constant leaking" that Nightblood exhibits - except there is no equivilent "Aluminum Sheath" to dampen the hunger.

[Underwater_Worldhopper]

17 hours ago, Nyrrix said:

I was noticing a bit of a parallel between Nightblood's smoke and the Shroud. I wonder if the smoke that falls off of Nightblood is a similar to the waste substance (the Shroudn) produced by the machine as a byproduct in Hion synthesis. The substances both look like smoke and seem to defy natural laws/gravity (Nightblood's smoke falls, the Shroud seems to roil and sit on the planet). Both (the machine and Nightblood) are also manufactured Invested fabrials/devices/entities. They also have an Intent, but that Intent was ill-defined by their creators.

There could possibly be larger-scale indication for how Investing objects works (and how it fails) in the Cosmere.

 

16 hours ago, Werewolff Studios said:

Yep, this is a great parallel to make. Another aspect to consider as well is that Nightblood's smoke and the Shroud is made up of unkeyed Investiture, stripped of Identity. Maybe that's why it's blackened as if it's decayed? Not sure about that though.

Also, relevant WOB to this:

 

They're both Corrupted Investiture made largely of people, they're essentially the same thing.