Investiture and Identity

[Silverblade5 he/him]

This isn't a theory. This is just an idea I came up with recently that I thought I'd though to the real theorists here. Also, this might go better in the Mistborn section, but since this had Cosmere level applications, I decided to put it here.  With that out of the way, if someone had a sample of a foreign form of investiture, then, through a combination of storing/tapping investiture and identity, would someone be able to modify their spirit web to allow access to said form of investiture?

Edited October 7, 2015 by Silverblade5

[Argent he/him]

For the record, it's investiture. We are not into dudes who invest.

[Kurkistan he/him]

Apparently Feruchemical duralumin lets you change your "Connection" to allow better access to a new planet's magics.

[Ari he/him]

Yeah so far the only use we've speculated for Identity is that it might let you access another person's metalminds, for tapping if you're a full-fledged Feruchemist, or for Compounding purposes if you're a Twinborn with Feruchemical identity.

 

It's possible it could have other uses as well, for instance, perhaps the property of Identity is what makes someone a Knight Radiant, or the holder of a Seon, so if you could hack with the magical systems enough to somehow "tap" someone else's identity, you could perhaps borrow their Spren or other being of sentient investiture.

[Silverblade5 he/him]

Yeah so far the only use we've speculated for Identity is that it might let you access another person's metalminds, for tapping if you're a full-fledged Feruchemist, or for Compounding purposes if you're a Twinborn with Feruchemical identity.

 

It's possible it could have other uses as well, for instance, perhaps the property of Identity is what makes someone a Knight Radiant, or the holder of a Seon, so if you could hack with the magical systems enough to somehow "tap" someone else's identity, you could perhaps borrow their Spren or other being of sentient investiture.

Yes, but if you tap identity for a place, wouldn't that make your spirit web compatible, say, giving you a nalthis identity, and along with that, the ability to use breath? Or maybe if we through connection into the mix...

[natc]

I believe anyone can use breath actually. Normal people just don't have a detachable one at birth, like Nalthians. If you can find donors you'll be fine.

[Silverblade5 he/him]

I believe anyone can use breath actually. Normal people just don't have a detachable one at birth, like Nalthians. If you can find donors you'll be fine.

Ok, but what about access to the Dor? Would a combo of identity, connection, and investiture tapping be enough to hack the spirit web without using hemalurgy?

[Ari he/him]

Ok, but what about access to the Dor? Would a combo of identity, connection, and investiture tapping be enough to hack the spirit web without using hemalurgy?

 

We don't know. The Dor is even trickier as it's regionalised within Sel, not just to people on the same planet. We haven't seen many of the spiritually-related powers on screen, and probably won't until Brandon's ready to get into the Cosmere-related implications of them.

 

Also, while you could definitely collect Breaths on Nalthis, arguably you wouldn't be able to use them to Awaken unless you had performed some complex spiritual hackery, or worked out how to spike someone hemalurgically to steal their Awakening. (Likewise, it's possible you wouldn't get the heightenings) You might be able to use them as investiture for other magic systems, but that would probably still require some degree of spiritual hackery. Hoid alludes to not having perfect pitch in the Stormlight Archive, so he suggests it's at least possible for someone from another planet to achieve Heightenings, but who knows exactly how he did it?

[aon he/him]

Also, while you could definitely collect Breaths on Nalthis, arguably you wouldn't be able to use them to Awaken unless you had performed some complex spiritual hackery, or worked out how to spike someone hemalurgically to steal their Awakening. (Likewise, it's possible you wouldn't get the heightenings) You might be able to use them as investiture for other magic systems, but that would probably still require some degree of spiritual hackery. Hoid alludes to not having perfect pitch in the Stormlight Archive, so he suggests it's at least possible for someone from another planet to achieve Heightenings, but who knows exactly how he did it?

I'm pretty sure Brandon has stated that someone from a different world can be given a Breath, and that they would be able to use Awakenings. The closest quote I can find is "21st March 2014, WoR Signing Table Q&A (Verbatim) Brandon Sanderson: So Awakening is not a magic, then? Awakening's a science? Because anyone can Awaken if they get the breath." But I think there was a more detailed one.

The unique thing about the people on Nalthis is that they are born with a breath, and having no breath makes them a Drab (Where someone from another planet who naturally doesn't have a Breath, isn't a Drab)

Also Hoid says that it is easier to play an instrument now that he has perfect pitch (so alluding he has reached the Second Heightening).

[Ari he/him]

I'm pretty sure Brandon has stated that someone from a different world can be given a Breath, and that they would be able to use Awakenings. The closest quote I can find is "21st March 2014, WoR Signing Table Q&A (Verbatim) Brandon Sanderson: So Awakening is not a magic, then? Awakening's a science? Because anyone can Awaken if they get the breath." But I think there was a more detailed one.

The unique thing about the people on Nalthis is that they are born with a breath, and having no breath makes them a Drab (Where someone from another planet who naturally doesn't have a Breath, isn't a Drab)

Also Hoid says that it is easier to play an instrument now that he has perfect pitch (so alluding he has reached the Second Heightening).

 

 

I thought Hoid said it's easier to play a flute when you have perfect pitch? I suppose you could take that either way. (as "I currently have 2nd heigtening" or "I used to have it and miss it")

 

Are you talking about #38 from this report?

 

 

Kurkistan

BioChroma:

Do Breaths inherently possess the ability to interpret and carry out commands, or does the Awakener need to impart that decision making ability on Awakened objects?

If the Awakener does need to impart the decision-making ability, then does Awakening consist of an Awakener copying a portion of his/her Cognitive aspect (as determined by his/her visualization and verbal Command) onto the Cognitive aspect of the object being Awakened, with Breath then providing the "juice" for the object to actually follow its Command: powering both physical motion and "cogitation" based upon the copied Cognitive aspect?

-If so, is that copying what drains color?

Brandon Sanderson

You're very close here.

 

That could be interpretted the way you want, although I'd definitely be wary with answers like "you're very close." That can mean that part of the theory is good but there's a mistaken assumption, or it can mean that everything that's been said is correct but they haven't figured out all they need to yet.