[Elantris+OB spoilers] Saolin

[BlueWildRye he/him]

In Elantris, there is a location known as the Pool, also known as Devotion's perpendicularity. We see the Elantrians toss their Hoed in there, where they seem to dissolve in the water. However, we know that is not quite the case, as Riino, the first Hoed we see thrown into the Pool, is actually appears in Oathbringer as the lighthouse keeper in Shadesmar, and is a member of the Ire (although as far as I know he isn't in Mistborn: Secret History). Anyways, this got me thinking about the other people who "dissolved" in the perpendicularity, specifically Saolin. Do you guys think he's still alive, and if so, where?

[Heilven he/him]

I think it's entirely possible that he is not alive. Unlike Riino he had no experience with realmatics or being an Elantrian, and we don't really know what it's like for Elantrians in the Selish subastral. It's also entirely possible that he is alive, but as far as I'm aware we have no clue if he's up to anything. Maybe we will seem him again, but maybe we just won't.

[Treamayne]

2 hours ago, BlueWildRye said:

In Elantris, there is a location known as the Pool, also known as Devotion's perpendicularity. We see the Elantrians toss their Hoed in there, where they seem to dissolve in the water. However, we know that is not quite the case, as Riino, the first Hoed we see thrown into the Pool, is actually appears in Oathbringer as the lighthouse keeper in Shadesmar, and is a member of the Ire (although as far as I know he isn't in Mistborn: Secret History). Anyways, this got me thinking about the other people who "dissolved" in the perpendicularity, specifically Saolin. Do you guys think he's still alive, and if so, where?

Brandon has RAFOed Saolin's fate:

Spoiler

Nextorl

Well, in Elantris, we saw two people get in the Shardpool, right? We saw Riino, who we later saw in Oathbringer, and we saw Saolin- the warrior. Will we see him again? Like, will we see a cameo?

Brandon Sanderson

It is possible that you will, but I will have to RAFO it. You'll have to wait to see.

ICon 2019 (Oct. 15, 2019)

We do know that at some time after the events of Elantris, New Elantrians (Non-Ire) learn how to use the Perpendicularity (Grump in WoK is Galladon in disguise in the Pure Lake), but we also know that Hoed did not know how to make use of the Perpendicularity at the time of Elantris, and correctly changing Realms via a Perpendicularity requires Intent. 

There are valid interpretations both ways - Saolin may have been destroyed by the Dor, or the same voice Raoden hears when he enters the pool may have helped guide Saolin to survive. . . 

[Isilel]

I have wondered since the ret-con of this pool into a perpendicularity whether post-Reod Elantrians got restored once they found themselves on the other side. After all, the incomplete transformation was due to the Dor not being able to reach through Arelon any longer after the landscape changed. But once the Hoed  were in the  Cognitive, they were surrounded by the Dor, so should have been restored. OTOH, the Dor are also supposed to be like a plasma storm and very dangerous. So, maybe it was a bit of a luck of the draw whether people would get destroyed or not, depending on the movement of said storm.

[BlueWildRye he/him]

Well, Riino was restored, we know that for certain.

[Treamayne]

1 hour ago, BlueWildRye said:

Well, Riino was restored, we know that for certain.

Yes. But Riino was also an experienced Elantrian before the Reod and would likely have known both how to transition, and how to survive the Dor in Sel's Shadesmar.