Could Hoid...?

[Hoids Imaginary Friend]

It's been a while so I may be miss remembering but...

I was thinking how in Sunlit man we found out Sig was briefly a Dawnshard (WaT; Exist), previously held by Hoid and presumably still is. 

In Sunlit we learn the Dawnshard passed on several gifts or abilities to Sig even though he no longer holds it..

Like being able to consume any investiture and hold it or convert it to a stable way similar to breaths, with an incredible upper limit - I'm thinking the upper limit is ascension.

It's a safe guess to assume Hoid has these gifts and more considering he's most likely still a Dawnshard.

Theoretically; Hoid could tap into his Elantrian powers, such up as much Dor as he wants and convert it to this stable investiture.

So as of Tress, Hoid could be metaphorically sitting on a tonne of investiture, more than enough to Exist-Dawnshard teleport, and he could easily top up as needed...

Right?

Edited September 7, 2025 by Hoids Imaginary Friend
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[Treamayne]

40 minutes ago, Hoids Imaginary Friend said:

It's a safe guess to assume Hoid has these gifts

Not a safe deduction. Hoid cannot Skip (that's why we see him using Perpendicularities). We do not yet know why Zellion can. WoB.

Spoiler

Questioner

Is there a specific reason as to why Hoid cannot Skip, but Nomad can?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, there is a specific reason for that. I'll get into it someday. Let's just say the Skipping started because of a certain event, that probably I won't write a book to talk about, but you will get an answer to that someday I hope. So it's a RAFO, but a RAFO with a little bit of a promise.

Dragonsteel 2023 (Nov. 21, 2023)

 

[Clarkmon22 He/Him]

9 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Not a safe deduction. Hoid cannot Skip (that's why we see him using Perpendicularities). We do not yet know why Zellion can. WoB.

  Reveal hidden contents

Questioner

Is there a specific reason as to why Hoid cannot Skip, but Nomad can?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, there is a specific reason for that. I'll get into it someday. Let's just say the Skipping started because of a certain event, that probably I won't write a book to talk about, but you will get an answer to that someday I hope. So it's a RAFO, but a RAFO with a little bit of a promise.

Dragonsteel 2023 (Nov. 21, 2023)

 

He can still theroretically use his other powers to fuel whatever the dawnshard gave him, right?

[Treamayne]

33 minutes ago, Clarkmon22 said:

He can still theroretically use his other powers to fuel whatever the dawnshard gave him, right?

Maybe, but we see Wit using metal for his Allomancy in WoR. We do not know if he can even convert or genericize investiture like Nomad. The only thing we do know they have in common is the inability to physically injure others (which Hoid does not mind, but Nomad calls a Torment). It's possible some or many of these effects only occur after the Vessel no longer holds the Dawnshard. We just don't yet have enough information, in my opinion, to conclude what effects they will both share, or how those effects wll be expressed.

Spoiler

Brandon Sanderson

Let's talk about the Torment for a second. Hoid would not call what has happened to him a Torment. Hoid, by holding a Dawnshard, was made permanently unable to cause physical harm to other beings. Eating meat makes him nauseous (if he is somehow able to eat it, and a lot of the times he just can't). That is because of the nature of the Dawnshard that he held actively warping and changing his spirit. He would not name it this. Nomad has named what has happened to him, a Torment. This is not a term that you can universally apply as a magical aspect of something. This is Sigzil saying "this terrible thing happened to me". And indeed what is happening to Sigzil is on a level beyond what happened to Hoid. So therefore perhaps other arcanists would say, "Yes, these are an aspect of holding a Dawnshard and Torment is the right way", but that word is loaded. That word has meaning, and someone is naming it this. You are not gonna run into a large set of people- there are only four Dawnshards- and you're not gonna run into a large set of people that have held one, so there may be no consensus even in-world to what these are called, and if they are Torment or blessings or what they are. Holding a Dawnshard will warp your soul. It's so much Investiture, it is so powerful, that you cannot hold one even briefly without it having a permanent effect upon you. 

Secret Project #4 Reveal and Livestream (March 29, 2022)

 

[Clarkmon22 He/Him]

2 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Maybe, but we see Wit using metal for his Allomancy in WoR. We do not know if he can even convert or genericize investiture like Nomad. The only thing we do know they have in common is the inability to physically injure others (which Hoid does not mind, but Nomad calls a Torment). It's possible some or many of these effects only occur after the Vessel no longer holds the Dawnshard. We just don't yet have enough information, in my opinion, to conclude what effects they will both share, or how those effects wll be expressed.

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Brandon Sanderson

Let's talk about the Torment for a second. Hoid would not call what has happened to him a Torment. Hoid, by holding a Dawnshard, was made permanently unable to cause physical harm to other beings. Eating meat makes him nauseous (if he is somehow able to eat it, and a lot of the times he just can't). That is because of the nature of the Dawnshard that he held actively warping and changing his spirit. He would not name it this. Nomad has named what has happened to him, a Torment. This is not a term that you can universally apply as a magical aspect of something. This is Sigzil saying "this terrible thing happened to me". And indeed what is happening to Sigzil is on a level beyond what happened to Hoid. So therefore perhaps other arcanists would say, "Yes, these are an aspect of holding a Dawnshard and Torment is the right way", but that word is loaded. That word has meaning, and someone is naming it this. You are not gonna run into a large set of people- there are only four Dawnshards- and you're not gonna run into a large set of people that have held one, so there may be no consensus even in-world to what these are called, and if they are Torment or blessings or what they are. Holding a Dawnshard will warp your soul. It's so much Investiture, it is so powerful, that you cannot hold one even briefly without it having a permanent effect upon you. 

Secret Project #4 Reveal and Livestream (March 29, 2022)

 

So does it warp their Intent to match it's own as well?

[Treamayne]

5 minutes ago, Clarkmon22 said:

So does it warp their Intent to match it's own as well?

I'm not sure beings have Intent the same way that Investiture does, but the Dawnshard's Intent certainly seems to affect what constraints inhibit the Dawnvessel (or former Dawnvessel).