Kelsier’s powers

[Windborn_bolder]

This might be in the wrong place

all sapient cognitive shadows we’ve seen have some external sources of investiture

The return require one breath a week 

the fused almost always have some void light

 wind and truth spoiler 

Spoiler

We know the heralds tap into the constantly rejuvenating Investiture of the Spiritual Realm through honor

as such I think the investiture that made kelsier a Mistborn is now being used to keep him as a sapient cognitive shadow.

[CoderDrag0n8 He/They]

2 hours ago, Windborn_bolder said:

This might be in the wrong place

all sapient cognitive shadows we’ve seen have some external sources of investiture

The return require one breath a week 

the fused almost always have some void light

 wind and truth spoiler 

  Reveal hidden contents

We know the heralds tap into the constantly rejuvenating Investiture of the Spiritual Realm through honor

as such I think the investiture that made kelsier a Mistborn is now being used to keep him as a sapient cognitive shadow.

He is a sliver. Did you read Secret history? He is a sliver. That is what is keeping him here.

[Windborn_bolder]

32 minutes ago, CoderDrag0n8 said:

He is a sliver. Did you read Secret history? He is a sliver. That is what is keeping him here.

Being a sliver is what keeps him from going to the beyond, But from what we have seen cognitive shadows that have body required investiture to stay in that body.

witch is where his allomancy could be.

if he got a body back without using the metallic arts, I think he would still be mistborn

Edited May 26, 2025 by Windborn_bolder

[LewsTherinTelescope]

I've moved this to the Wind and Truth + Cosmere board since you're talking about a lot more than just Mistborn.

[RedBlue]

I think the Returned are unusual in needing to consume Investiture to stay alive.

The Fused use Voidlight for Surgebinding, but Leshwi has been cut off from it and she survived. Spren, seons etc (not technically Cognitive Shadows, but made of the same stuff) don’t need to consume Investiture to stay sapient in the Physical Realm; they only need a Connection. I don’t know how the Heralds work, but I’ve never gotten the sense that they need to be continually drawing Investiture from Honor to remain functional.

I think it’s more likely that Cognitive Shadows need only a Connection to function in the Physical Realm, and the Returned can maintain their Connection by consuming Investiture periodically.