Lifeless and awakened sensation of the world around them

[DoctaDajman]

So the cloak was able to sense and react to a direct threat of the arrow. Cloth is able to grab people. Lifeless are able to distinguish between one side or another. Phantoms can distinguish between a lifeless and a person. 

Somehow all awakened items are able to sense the world around them. How specific can that get though?  

If I want to write about a bounty hunter who spends his spare time on stake outs storing mental speed into zinc minds... I fear he may miss his target exiting a pub or whatever right?  But could he have some awakened entity, maybe a straw man or a lifeless hound, watching / smelling for a specific person and then alert him when they see the target?  

 

[Trusk'our he/him]

1 hour ago, DoctaDajman said:

So the cloak was able to sense and react to a direct threat of the arrow. Cloth is able to grab people. Lifeless are able to distinguish between one side or another. Phantoms can distinguish between a lifeless and a person. 

Somehow all awakened items are able to sense the world around them. How specific can that get though?  

If I want to write about a bounty hunter who spends his spare time on stake outs storing mental speed into zinc minds... I fear he may miss his target exiting a pub or whatever right?  But could he have some awakened entity, maybe a straw man or a lifeless hound, watching / smelling for a specific person and then alert him when they see the target?  

Type III Awakened entities see in a manner closest resembling the Steelsight if Inquisitors.

It is also not outside the realm of possibility for an Awakener with exotic senses, like Seeking, to be able to extend them to their construct, or at least use that information to guide them.

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/2-jordancon-2016/#e145

Questioner

In Awakening an object when you give it the sort of Command like, go get the keys, or something. How does that object perceive the world around it? Since it doesn't have standard human senses, how does it see? How does it touch?

Brandon Sanderson

It is not--

Moderator

Repeat the question.

Brandon Sanderson

Oh… go ahead.

Moderator

The question was, how do Awakened objects actually perceive the world.

Brandon Sanderson

…The closest correlation you have to this is how Inquisitors see.

Questioner

Okay, following up on that say, someone who has-- say someone with bronze who-- a bronze Misting managed to somehow get access to Breath and Awaken would he then be able to tell that object "Hey I sense this Allomancer over there, can you find it".

Brandon Sanderson

That is not outside the realm of possibility.

This means they should have a decent amount of detail, even being able to distinguish colors and ink on paper, as Marsh learns to do this himself. They should even be able to see in the dark, come to think of it.

So, if the Awakener can impart the proper Intent of looking out for a specific person (remembering their face or other distinct features), I think that what you propose is a very plausible use for their powers.

Edited December 6, 2024 by Trusk'our

[Quantus he/him]

Lifeless are going to be a special case because they are ReAwakened people with Connections to the original Spiritweb, carry-over skills, etc. and usually have functional eyeballs, eardrums, etc.  But for them and for general Awakenings like the cloth, I'd assume it's generically based on Lifesense when at a distance, something like Steelsight but relative to Life rather than Metals. And probably a more traditional tactile sensation when actually touching something.  

Separately, WOB confirms that Nightblood can sense the Location of Vasher because he has previously Fed on his Investiture and that Connected them.  So that's one method of Connection-based tracking your bounty hunter might be able to leverage.  

[DoctaDajman]

1 hour ago, Quantus said:

Lifeless are going to be a special case because they are ReAwakened people with Connections to the original Spiritweb, carry-over skills, etc. and usually have functional eyeballs, eardrums, etc.  But for them and for general Awakenings like the cloth, I'd assume it's generically based on Lifesense when at a distance, something like Steelsight but relative to Life rather than Metals. And probably a more traditional tactile sensation when actually touching something.  

Separately, WOB confirms that Nightblood can sense the Location of Vasher because he has previously Fed on his Investiture and that Connected them.  So that's one method of Connection-based tracking your bounty hunter might be able to leverage.  

Does nightblood have to feed on them?  Or simply seeing them once is enough?  I mean I dont remember him feeding on Vivenna but he was excited she was near by and yelled out telepathically to her didnt he?  

 

1 hour ago, Trusk'our said:

Type III Awakened entities see in a manner closest resembling the Steelsight if Inquisitors.

It is also not outside the realm of possibility for an Awakener with exotic senses, like Seeking, to be able to extend them to their construct, or at least use that information to guide them.

  Reveal hidden contents

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/2-jordancon-2016/#e145

Questioner

In Awakening an object when you give it the sort of Command like, go get the keys, or something. How does that object perceive the world around it? Since it doesn't have standard human senses, how does it see? How does it touch?

Brandon Sanderson

It is not--

Moderator

Repeat the question.

Brandon Sanderson

Oh… go ahead.

Moderator

The question was, how do Awakened objects actually perceive the world.

Brandon Sanderson

…The closest correlation you have to this is how Inquisitors see.

Questioner

Okay, following up on that say, someone who has-- say someone with bronze who-- a bronze Misting managed to somehow get access to Breath and Awaken would he then be able to tell that object "Hey I sense this Allomancer over there, can you find it".

Brandon Sanderson

That is not outside the realm of possibility.

This means they should have a decent amount of detail, even being able to distinguish colors and ink on paper, as Marsh learns to do this himself. They should even be able to see in the dark, come to think of it.

So, if the Awakener can impart the proper Intent of looking out for a specific person (remembering their face or other distinct features), I think that what you propose is a very plausible use for their powers.

Yeah that was kind of my thought with a lifeless K9 or something. It would be cool if you could command them to track a scent... and being lifeless they would never tire, stop, or get distracted from their task.  

In fact I think a fun cop / detective story line may well involve a group of k9 handlers using lifeless dogs... put a vest on them and make them even harder to stop. 

 

[Quantus he/him]

9 minutes ago, DoctaDajman said:

Does nightblood have to feed on them?  Or simply seeing them once is enough?  I mean I dont remember him feeding on Vivenna but he was excited she was near by and yelled out telepathically to her didnt he?  

 

They need to have been wielded by Nightblood, to have held him and gotten the whole "Nausea or Manic Greed" test (during which he's feeding on their Investiture). Its possible that he creates a similar Connection to the people he's wielded against in a stabby way but (these days) literally nothing of them last long enough to really test it.  

[Trusk'our he/him]

1 hour ago, DoctaDajman said:

Yeah that was kind of my thought with a lifeless K9 or something. It would be cool if you could command them to track a scent... and being lifeless they would never tire, stop, or get distracted from their task.  

In fact I think a fun cop / detective story line may well involve a group of k9 handlers using lifeless dogs... put a vest on them and make them even harder to stop. 

I think Lifeless are more bound by their body's senses, but yeah, a hound Lifeless would probably work quite well. 

Vasher was able to Awaken a squirrel and give it Commands. A dog would probably be much more effective, especially if trained before death.