Non-Endowment Returned?

[Hmmm lies she/her]

So I was thinking about the time Sazed (as Harmony) offered to put Elend and Vin back in their bodies, after fixing up their bodies. If he had done this, I wonder if this would be similar to making a Returned, and if so, what piece of Investiture would be glueing the Cognitive Shadow to the body? Also if so, would all Shards be able to do this, or just some? I theorize that Ruin can, but not Preservation, since Kelsier pins his Shadow to a body by using a Hemalurgic spike, which uses Ruin's power.

Theories on this?

[alder24]

6 minutes ago, Hmmm lies said:

So I was thinking about the time Sazed (as Harmony) offered to put Elend and Vin back in their bodies, after fixing up their bodies. If he had done this, I wonder if this would be similar to making a Returned, and if so, what piece of Investiture would be glueing the Cognitive Shadow to the body? Also if so, would all Shards be able to do this, or just some? I theorize that Ruin can, but not Preservation, since Kelsier pins his Shadow to a body by using a Hemalurgic spike, which uses Ruin's power.

Theories on this?

Every Shard can do it. Leras simply didn't want to give Kelsier a body because he was reluctant to even make Kelsier into a CS for various reasons (like using his power to make one would weaken him compared to Ruin, his power was preoccupied with resisting Ruin and his mind was gone - it was the Well that made Kelsier into a CS, not Preservation directly). But yes, Harmony could have turned Elend and Vin into Cognitive Shadows if he wanted, but also could have reconnected them with their bodies without making them CS - just like Szeth was revived without becoming a CS. I think Sazed would choose not to make them into CS.

[Quantus he/him]

As far as what it would look like from a Realmic and/or Investiture sense, it's hard to tell.  Endowment literally just carves a massive chunk of Shardic Investiture and makes them, and the nature of Endowment makes it a pretty clean "No Strings Attached" state but requires regular fuel.  Heralds are another example but that was a much more specific Pact with lots of different Conditions, Connections, and goals.  It seems like they are sustained through the Oathpact itself but it's entirely possible that it's sustained by the ambient Investiture on Roshar and/or Braize or some such renewed Fuel.

Preservation would probably just Connect them to the Shard permanently for the Power in a unique sort of Lerasium-esk effect.  Ruin magic seems to prefer cannibalizing something existing instead of providing something new, so it could be anything from a Spike to staple Power directly, to a useful Blockage like what led to Kandra, or even a Vampire that sustains itself by sucking Feruchemical traits from sapient victims (instead of eating Breaths).  I like that last one best for Harmony, personally.