How did humans survive on Komashi?

[Firespir]

More specifically, why weren't humans in the present consumed by the machine?

The text says that only some lucky people "those far away" survived the initial outburst. But those did eventually come closer, by the time if the frame story they were living practically on top of Torio, providing multitudes of juicy targets.

The book also mentions that after the humans were eaten the machine moved to the more potent spirits, so is the assumption that it was a one time feast of humans and whoever dodged it was finw afterwards?

But that makes no sense since the moment Hoid arrived it tried to take him tio. Of course he's closer to a spren than a human in some senses so might that be it?

Except Design wasn't consumed and she's literally a spren, a a splinter similar to the hijo. Plus the whole reason behind the incident is that the machine makes no difference between the human and spirit souls.

I am so confused.

[Through the Living Heir he/him]

The Father Machine syphons by Connection, which means that it can only steal the souls from people related to Virtuosity, either by proximity, worship, artistry, or friendship. Design is not related to that shard, and wasn’t syphoned, but Hoid knew Virtuosity’s vessel and thus had a connection. Ironically, people without a good relationship with the god of their world were spared from the apocalypse. 

WoB: 
https://wob.coppermind.net/events/518/#e16178 

[Firespir]

Yes, that makes sense now, thank you.

However, wouldn't newly formed artists, especially a prodigy like Nikaro, be connected to Virtuosity retroactively. Similar to "Honor is not dead so long as it lives in the hearts of men."? Even if they don't actively worship it, the intent behind creating art surely alligns with the shard's own intent.

Edited June 21, 2024 by Firespir

[alder24]

8 hours ago, Firespir said:

Yes, that makes sense now, thank you.

However, wouldn't newly formed artists, especially a prodigy like Nikaro, be connected to Virtuosity retroactively. Similar to "Honor is not dead so long as it lives in the hearts of men."? Even if they don't actively worship it, the intent behind creating art surely alligns with the shard's own intent.

That's not the same as having a piece of your soul made out of Virtuosity investiture, granting the Father Machine that strong Connection it could have used. While over hundreds of years those nomads that survived on Komashi would likely be getting closer and closer to Virtuosity, eventually having their soul draw from and be made out of her investiture, the Father Machine drew investiture from people only for the initial activation period and stopped doing that after it got strong enough to drew from the Spirits. Humans are no longer at risk. 

Similarly Rosharans have their soul made out of investiture of primarily 2 Shards, Scadrians have their investiture made entirely out of Ruin and Preservation's power, Nalthians are infused with Endowment's investiture etc, people on Komashi were invested with Virtuosity's investiture. Rosharans literally have a piece of Honor in their souls.

Hoid on the other hand was recognized by the Father Machine as Yoki Hijo (because of how invested he was) and it tried to trap him in and continuously remove his memories, just like it did with other Yoki Hijo.

[Quantus he/him]

1 hour ago, alder24 said:

That's not the same as having a piece of your soul made out of Virtuosity investiture, granting the Father Machine that strong Connection it could have used. While over hundreds of years those nomads that survived on Komashi would likely be getting closer and closer to Virtuosity, eventually having their soul draw from and be made out of her investiture, the Father Machine drew investiture from people only for the initial activation period and stopped doing that after it got strong enough to drew from the Spirits. Humans are no longer at risk. 

Similarly Rosharans have their soul made out of investiture of primarily 2 Shards, Scadrians have their investiture made entirely out of Ruin and Preservation's power, Nalthians are infused with Endowment's investiture etc, people on Komashi were invested with Virtuosity's investiture. Rosharans literally have a piece of Honor in their souls.

Hoid on the other hand was recognized by the Father Machine as Yoki Hijo (because of how invested he was) and it tried to trap him in and continuously remove his memories, just like it did with other Yoki Hijo.

Side note, but I think that's true for Scadrians and Nalthians but dont think that is the case with Rosharans (or Sel or Taldain, etc), since unlike the other examples the Shards in question didnt not personally create those Human populations with their post-Shattering Power.  

 

 

Quote

 

Questioner

Is there like a Cosmere-significant reason why, on Scadrial, the Investiture is hereditary, but that that doesn't really seem to be the case on any of the other worlds?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes there is, but it has to do more with the fact that on Scadrial, human beings were directly created by Ruin and Preservation. And most of the Cosmere worlds you've seen don't have that same sort of aspect. It is the case on Nalthis, but it's not the case on Roshar, it's not the case on Taldain, it's not the case on Sel. And so because of that instance, that's how I'm kind of working, that changed the way people interact with magic directly. But there is some wiggle room there for me. But that's your answer, that's the actual... there's.. I'm not hiding anything there, there is wiggle room. What I'm saying is don't extrapolate that that has to happen every time that the Shards were directly involved in the creation...

JordanCon 2021 (July 16, 2021)

 

 

 

 

[alder24]

4 hours ago, Quantus said:

Side note, but I think that's true for Scadrians and Nalthians but dont think that is the case with Rosharans (or Sel or Taldain, etc), since unlike the other examples the Shards in question didnt not personally create those Human populations with their post-Shattering Power.  

Yes, I was writing it with that WoB in mind, that's why I didn't say Rosharans have souls made only out of investiture of Honor and Cultivation. For that reason they probably contain a whole spectrum of Shardic investiture in their soul, but the trio of local Shardic power most likely dominates their spirit web composition - the entire Rosharan system is saturated by their investiture, Navani was able to hear Honor's pure tone from deep within her. Rosharans have a piece of Honor in them, but that's not the only piece and because their ancestors likely predate the Shattering (they weren't created by any Shard) their souls most likely contain small pieces of every Shard, with Honor, Cultivation and Odium's investiture dominating over the rest and being the mixture that makes up their innate investiture. At least that's my view on this, we don't know precisely what their soul is made of (unlike with Nalthians and Scadrians) - Brandon didn't tell us.

Spoiler

Questioner

On all the cosmere worlds, it seem as if-- do all the humans have what you call innate Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

Let's see...

*thinks*

I believe that they all do. I don't think that you've seen anyone without innate Investiture yet.

Questioner

Because when they don't have Breath anymore, they would get Drabs, and those don't have innate Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

They don't have innate Investiture. And on Scadrial they have the pieces of Ruin and Preservation in them. And they do have it on Roshar.

Questioner

Which Shard is that?

Brandon Sanderson

You'll have to read and find out. *gives card*

So yes, I don't think you've seen any worlds where they don't.

Words of Radiance San Francisco signing (March 6, 2014)