Wit/Hoid... 2nd heightening?

[ColieMcG she/her]

Soooo... you know the part in Words of Radiance when Wit visits Kaladin in prison? This is what is said:

 

He hummed softly to himself and nodded. “Perfect pitch,” Wit said, “makes this all so much easier than it once was. . . .”

 

Sooooo I was doing research, on the Heightening, and if you reach the second heightening, you have the ability of perfect pitch. 

 

Question/theory: Wit has Breath. At least 200 of them, as that is what grants the ability of perfect pitch. And obviously, Wit didn't have it before, "than it once was...." is what was said. So does he? Does Hoid have at least the second heightening in breath? 

 

But yeah! What do you think?

[Guest]

He was the storyteller in Warbreaker, so getting Breath would've been easy.

Then again, knowing Hoid, he may've just sucked in Stormlight and used it like Breath (Investiture=Investiture)

[Orlion Blight he/him]

He could also have "one Divine Breath", which would make him have at least Fifth Heightening. Some such ability might also explain away his age, as the Fifth Heightening would make him "functionally immortal". 

[The Sovereign]

I doubt Hoid is returned. It has been stated by BS that Hoid is "really really really really hard to kill". In order to be returned he would have needed to die. While the 5th heightening would have made him aesthically immortal no aging, immune to sickness, etc. it doesn't make you anymore difficult to kill as demonstrated by Blushweaver dying to a knife wound.
 

With that said, I think it is very likely he has the prerequisite 200+ breaths to have acheived the 2nd Heightening.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Iron Eyes

[Orlion Blight he/him]

I doubt Hoid is returned. It has been stated by BS that Hoid is "really really really really hard to kill". In order to be returned he would have needed to die. While the 5th heightening would have made him aesthically immortal no aging, immune to sickness, etc. it doesn't make you anymore difficult to kill as demonstrated by Blushweaver dying to a knife wound.

 

With that said, I think it is very likely he has the prerequisite 200+ breaths to have acheived the 2nd Heightening. He may have even got them from Vasher/Zahel in exchange for the knowledge of Stormlight's usage which would explain why it is so new to him.

Good points, though I'm not sure if you need to be "Returned" to get a Divine Breath (though I could be missing some WoB on that, in which case...*cough*) But as you said, the Fifth Heightening would not explain all of Hoid's durability... and it could be that whatever makes him really hard to kill also makes him aesthetically immortal.

[The Sovereign]

Good points, though I'm not sure if you need to be "Returned" to get a Divine Breath (though I could be missing some WoB on that, in which case...*cough*) But as you said, the Fifth Heightening would not explain all of Hoid's durability... and it could be that whatever makes him really hard to kill also makes him aesthetically immortal.

This may be my own misinterpretation but I was under the impression that if you had a divine breath you would be returned. While giving up a divine breath to heal someone would expend the divine breath. As far as I know, you cannot actually Pass a divine breath and have it actually add to their store of breaths. This may well be my next question to Brandon.

[Titan Arum]

I recommend that you guys read this thread on whether or not Hoid is Returned. The consensus is that since he predates the Shattering, there is no need for him to be Returned. 

 

Also, only Returned have a Divine Breath, because a Divine breath is a splinter of Endowment. Normal mortals do not have any such splinter of Endowment. The Divine Breath is what makes a Returned, well, Returned. 

 

This may be my own misinterpretation but I was under the impression that if you had a divine breath you would be returned. While giving up a divine breath to heal someone would expend the divine breath. As far as I know, you cannot actually Pass a divine breath and have it actually add to their store of breaths. This may well be my next question to Brandon.

 

Iron Eyes, read all of the references to a Divine Breath on Theoryland. Here's some choice bits:

 

  SKYLER

If a returned gives away his/her breath they die right? So why doesn't Vasher die after he gives his to Denth?

BRANDON SANDERSON

They will die the moment they run out of breath to harvest. Once a week their body needs a breath in order to survive. Each Returned has one single superpowered breath. Imagine it as one breath that propels them up through the Heightenings, but it is only a single breath. It's what we speak of in Shard world terminology as a Splinter. And when the seventh day comes, if a Returned does not have another breath for his body to consume to keep him alive, his body will actually eat his divine breath and kill him. So they don't die immediately after they get rid of the breath, they're sort of put into a state of limbo where if they don't find more breath by the time that their feast day comes, then they will die. (Vasher did not give his Returned breath to Denth, just a number of normal breaths.)

Edited June 22, 2015 by Titan Arum

[SmurfAquamarineBodies he/him]

He was the storyteller in Warbreaker, so getting Breath would've been easy.

Then again, knowing Hoid, he may've just sucked in Stormlight and used it like Breath (Investiture=Investiture)

 

I don't think it works like that. It's probably possible to use Stormlight to Awaken but I doubt that it's possible to use Stormlight to gain the passive benefits of the Heightenings. 

[Titan Arum]

I don't think it works like that. It's probably possible to use Stormlight to Awaken but I doubt that it's possible to use Stormlight to gain the passive benefits of the Heightenings. 

 

I recall a WOB where he said that Vasher could use Stormlight to Awaken things but he hasn't figured it out yet. I can't find it, but I have found this WOB that shows he can use it like Breath:

 

  QUESTION

I know that there's three sorts of forms that magic presents itself in, the liquid and the solid and air. What would Breath be?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Breath is definitely like Mist, it is in the form of the air.

QUESTION

And is Stormlight the same?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Stormlight is the same. Good questions!

QUESTION

Would Vasher be able to use Stormlight in the same way that he can get Breath?

BRANDON SANDERSON

That would not be immediately easy, but Stormlight could feed Nightblood.

QUESTION

Which is why Szeth can wield Nightblood?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Eh, you'll have to see if … but yes. That could theoretically happen. You can use most of the magics on most of the planets to fuel the other magics, if you know how to do it, it is not easy.

source #4

Edited June 23, 2015 by Titan Arum

[kaellok he/him]

I wonder if the Heightenings are really a reflection of what happens with concentrations of Investiture in a person, perhaps specific to the way the magic system expresses itself.  Healing faster/being more durable is common throughout, but there's also a good bit of fighting/adventure/etc. that we see, so it'd make sense for us to see more of that.  Maybe perfect pitch is possible while holding in a certain amount of Stormlight, or burning the right metal.

 

Still, for Hoid, I think that it's because he gathered an amount of Breath needed for his plans, whatever they may be.  And however such use of magic would make him feel.