The Timeless Shadowblazes and Inception

[MasterK-Bob he/him]

I'm pretty sure that the Shadowblazes have some ability to perceive time that we don't, but they also don't understand linear time, so a lot of what prompts the decision to come or not and bond to a human involves whether or not they can sense that the human does have a future as a Rithmatist. There are obviously some elements to this that non-random even from our perspective but I think the reason Joel drew a shadowblaze is that he does have a rithmatic future, but not an "ordinary" one, bonded with an ordinary shadowblaze. The shadowblaze sensed this when Joel touched it and withdrew, and perhaps already sensed something different from other Rithmatists to be in the first place and that's why it came more hesitantly than apparently with other Rithmatists, but nevertheless did come. This is my current operating theory. I think it's better than something with the coin or something with Joel's attitude. I suspect something must have been similar with King Gregory when he became the "first rithmatist", since obviously he was able to know what the lines did without being told, almost like he bonded with an entity more like a good version of a forgotten than an ordinary shadowblaze. We'll see.

Edited November 10, 2024 by MasterK-Bob

[Treamayne]

1 hour ago, MasterK-Bob said:

I'm pretty sure that the Shadowblazes have some ability to perceive time that we don't, but they also don't understand linear time, so a lot of what prompts the decision to come or not and bond to a human involves whether or not they can sense that the human does have a future as a Rithmatist. There are obviously some elements to this that non-random even from our perspective but I think the reason Joel drew a shadowblaze is that he does have a rithmatic future, but not an "ordinary" one, bonded with an ordinary shadowblaze. The shadowblaze sensed this when Joel touched him and withdrew, and perhaps already sensed someone different from other Rithmatists to be in the first place and that's why it came more hesitantly than apparently with other Rithmatists, but nevertheless did come. This is my current operating theory. I think it's better than something with the coin or something with Joel's attitude. I suspect something just have been similar with King Gregory when he became the "first rithmatist", since obviously he was able to know what the lines did without being told, almost like he bonded with an entity more like a good version of a forgotten than an ordinary shadowblaze. We'll see.

I saw from your Intro post that you are familiar with the Cosmere. Were you aware that Rithmatist was originally a Cosmere work, and that Chalkings, Shadowblazes, etc. were all conceived as Spiritual Realm entities. So, it's fairly confirmed that they are non-linear time entities.

 

Spoiler

Quote

Questioner

I really wish the Rithmatist books was on a Shardworld where...

Brandon Sanderson

It started as one... I just decided I didn't want to canonize Earth into the cosmere, it was too much.

White Sand vol.1 Orem signing (June 29, 2016)

 

We don't know that King Gregory learned the use of Rithmatic Lines just because of his bond - but I agree it may be possible that there is another entity that creates similar-but-distinct bonds.

[MasterK-Bob he/him]

22 hours ago, Treamayne said:

I saw from your Intro post that you are familiar with the Cosmere. Were you aware that Rithmatist was originally a Cosmere work, and that Chalkings, Shadowblazes, etc. were all conceived as Spiritual Realm entities. So, it's fairly confirmed that they are non-linear time entities.

Thanks Treamayne! Yeah I did see this! I am so bummed that Brandon keeps bumping the sequel here. I almost wish I was an expert on pre-Columbian Meso-American and South American cultures so I could advise him. If it was on Ancient Middle Eastern Cultures, I would try to get the gig myself (well I don't know that I'm a real Assyriologist! Just a dude with a Masters in Ancient Semitic languages and a PhD in world religion focused on the Bible and Ancient Middle Eastern Mythology. But there must be an Andeanist or Meso-Americanist Sanderfan who could do the gig!