Specific questions(s) about the Kholinar palace guards in Oathbringer (contains minor spoilers)

[IKilledAdonalsium4Free]

Hello -- I was curious about what characteristics of the Unmade at Kholinar influenced the guards to behave as they did.  -- Specifically: The palace guards who are weirdly statuesque/robotic and yet simultaneously have lost their grip on reality and have become dangerous, as Shallan discovered. 

The 3 Unmade that are present *don't appear to be responsible* - i.e., none are known for inducing the specific effects described above.

I searched on Reddit and there is a related thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/Cosmere/comments/1ermtg7/kholinar_and_the_unmade/) but it has no specific, explanatory answer(s).  

 

[Treamayne]

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42 minutes ago, IKilledAdonalsium4Free said:

Hello -- I was curious about what characteristics of the Unmade at Kholinar influenced the guards to behave as they did.  -- Specifically: The palace guards who are weirdly statuesque/robotic and yet simultaneously have lost their grip on reality and have become dangerous, as Shallan discovered. 

The 3 Unmade that are present *don't appear to be responsible* - i.e., none are known for inducing the specific effects described above.

I searched on Reddit and there is a related thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/Cosmere/comments/1ermtg7/kholinar_and_the_unmade/) but it has no specific, explanatory answer(s). 

I don't think we have a definitive answer for that yet. It is implied that many are simply following the Queen's orders (such as the CaptainLord that questions Veil) while the others are implied to have been "consumed" by Ashertmarn. Presumably, after the Unmade is "done" with a reveler, they become something like a corrupted version of the Parshmen (without Identity or Connection) if they survived.

OB Ch 73:

Spoiler

“Did you know anyone in the Palace Guard ranks?” Kaladin asked. “Are any of the men in there still in contact with families out here or anything?”

Beard shook his head. “I got close a little while back. I heard voices, Kal. Whispering to me to join them. The highmarshal says we have to close our ears to those. They can’t take us unless we listen.” 

WoB (Sunlit Man Spoilers removed):

Spoiler

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, there is a relationship. It just kind of built on some basic, fundamental cosmere principles. This power feeding a little bit on even your own sense of Identity and Connection and things like this, as the power consumes it, and kind of starts to turn you into a spren a little bit, is what's happening there.

<snip>

But on the same fundamental principle. And this is what lets the Unmade kind of just take over a person, quickly consume them, and then move on.

Dragonsteel 2023 (Nov. 21, 2023)

Since Ashertmarn is rioting emotions to draw people in, those that survive would, presumably, have had their emotions, identity and connection consumed and become little more than robots.

Warbreaker Spoilers:

Spoiler

Lifeless are also without Identity and Connection, since the Awakening gives the corpse a Fake Soul, which would account for the Guard being similar to the way the Lifeless City Guard are portrayed in Warbreaker.

Alternate possible theories are:

• Similar, but done by Yelig-Nar from the Cognitive Realm, feeding on the guards before Bonding to Aesudan (no direct evidence this is possible)
• Sja-anat "corrupting" (enlightening) their Cognitive identity the way she would a lesser Spren without permission (also no direct evidence)
• They gave their emotions to Odium (presumably at the Queen's order), but more completely than Moash ever had.

Hope that helps

[Lighteyed Lieutenant he/him]

I guess our only remaining canidates that would make any sense would be Chemoarish (who we know almost nothing about) and Dai-Gonarthis. D.G. is said to be able to 

Quote

"have some ability to cause emotional pain and suffering"

This could support the above theory that 

Quote

• They gave their emotions to Odium (presumably at the Queen's order), but more completely than Moash ever had.

Since D.G. could have pushed their emotional state over the edge. 

[Treamayne]

8 minutes ago, Lighteyed Lieutenant said:

I guess our only remaining canidates that would make any sense would be Chemoarish (who we know almost nothing about) and Dai-Gonarthis. D.G. is said to be able to 

This could support the above theory that 

Quote

• They gave their emotions to Odium (presumably at the Queen's order), but more completely than Moash ever had.

Since D.G. could have pushed their emotional state over the edge. 

I'm noticing on the OB reread that Ashertmarn has an aspect of taking emotions as well. OB:

Spoiler

Ch 78:

Quote

She reluctantly let herself be pulled along. It was probably best to do a round of the platform anyway. However, not long after starting, she began to hear the voice.

Let go.
Give up your pain.
Feast. Indulge.

Embrace the end.

<snip>

The dark mass pulsed and throbbed. Black veins as thick as a man’s leg ran from it and melded with the ground nearby. A heart. It beat an irregular rhythm, bum-ba-ba-bum instead of the common ba-bum of her own heartbeat.

Give in.
Join the revel.

Ch 84:

Quote

Give it all to me, the voices whispered in Shallan’s mind. Give me your passion, your hunger, your longing, your loss. Surrender it. You are what you feel.

Shallan swam in it, lost, like in the depths of the ocean. The voices beset her from all sides.