Renarin's Box

[Isla_Vezrian]

@Phaedra Yulahnis for this theory. Do we ever find out what is in Renarin's Box that he carries around with him everywhere? It could be that his spren is in the box and that is his way of hiding it? What do yu guys think?

Spoiler

Help, I can't figure out how to get rid of this

 

Edited February 14, 2017 by Isla_Vezrian

[Spoolofwhool]

1 hour ago, Isla_Vezrian said:

@Phaedra Yulahnis for this theory. Do we ever find out what is in Renarin's Box that he carries around with him everywhere? It could be that his spren is in the box and that is his way of hiding it? What do yu guys think?

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Help, I can't figure out how to get rid of this

 

Possible. I don't think a spren would need a physical object to hide themselves normally though since the other nahel bond spren we see can hide their visibility from normal people. I suppose he could be trying to prevent other KR from seeing it, but I feel like there are other methods.

In any case, judging by how people react to his mannerisms with the box, it's something he has had for a very long time, unlike the nahel bond which I think is fairly recent, so I doubt that the box is a result of the nahel bond, but he could still be using it in conjuction with the spren.

[Isla_Vezrian]

13 minutes ago, Spoolofwhool said:

Possible. I don't think a spren would need a physical object to hide themselves normally though since the other nahel bond spren we see can hide their visibility from normal people. I suppose he could be trying to prevent other KR from seeing it, but I feel like there are other methods.

In any case, judging by how people react to his mannerisms with the box, it's something he has had for a very long time, unlike the nahel bond which I think is fairly recent, so I doubt that the box is a result of the nahel bond, but he could still be using it in conjuction with the spren.

 

If I am remembering correctly, Pattern was not able to hide from the sailors like Syl is able to. But I am just now getting to rereading WoR, and that was in the beginning. I don't really remember if, as he grew in intelligence, he was then able to hide. I understand that they are from to different orders, so there may not be a basis for comparing them, in that respect. I haven't read Edgedancer but I understand there are some more examples of other Truthwatchers that one could use as an example. I believe that Pattern was somehow locked or stayed in a trunk to travel but I have no idea where that was mentioned.

[Humpty]

I thought it was because Renarin is autistic or something along those lines. Just a nervous habit.

[maxal]

Nah. Brandon told us a while ago the box wasn't Renarin's spren. It merely is a stim tool: something Brandon added to Renarin's character to make his condition more obvious and more realistic. It was done after consulting with real-life autistic individuals.

[Krandacth]

Whilst the box is not related to the spren, as @maxal says, it is important to note that Pattern is always visible, but can make himself smaller, and often disguises himself as a small bit of detailing on Shallan's dress.

Also, there is some evidence that Glys would be more similar to Pattern than Syl or Wyndle in this, assuming that both Ym and Renarin were, in fact, Truthwatchers: Ym's spren has to physically hide while Ym serves the street urchin, rather than just being invisible.  So, where has Glys been hiding? Or is this another (tenuous) clue that Glys is not the same as Ym's spren??

[Phaedra Yulahnis]

12 hours ago, maxal said:

Nah. Brandon told us a while ago the box wasn't Renarin's spren. It merely is a stim tool: something Brandon added to Renarin's character to make his condition more obvious and more realistic. It was done after consulting with real-life autistic individuals.

If I remember right, all Sanderson said was that the box itself wasn't his spren. Glys could still be hiding inside of it, right? If "truthspren" are visible like liespren then it would make sense. It's not like Renarin has a convenient skirt it could hide inside like Shallan does for Pattern.

[Itchy Savant]

@Phaedra Yulahnis yeah but renarin still wears clothes right? It doesn't have to be a skirt

Edited February 14, 2017 by Itchy Savant

[Stark]

Doesn't Renarin wear glasses?  Could this just be his glasses case?  It may be excessive for them, but as I would assume replacements might be hard to come by, it would make sense to me that he would want to protect them, and always have the case handy in case he needs to wear/remove them quickly.

 

Yes, I'm aware that it is likely something more interesting, or important than a glasses case, but it would be amusing.

[Isla_Vezrian]

24 minutes ago, Stark said:

Doesn't Renarin wear glasses?  Could this just be his glasses case?  It may be excessive for them, but as I would assume replacements might be hard to come by, it would make sense to me that he would want to protect them, and always have the case handy in case he needs to wear/remove them quickly.

 

Yes, I'm aware that it is likely something more interesting, or important than a glasses case, but it would be amusing.

If I remember right, he healed himself so he no longer needed his glasses. Why keep the box?

[Phaedra Yulahnis]

47 minutes ago, Itchy Savant said:

@Phaedra Yulahnis yeah but renarin still wears clothes right? It doesn't have to be a skirt

True, but I feel like cramming yourself into a sleeve or a pant leg would be way less comfortable than a skirt or a box. And if Renarin had the box anyway to deal with his disorder, why wouldn't Glys take advantage of it?

[Itchy Savant]

That's true

[maxal]

17 hours ago, Krandacth said:

Whilst the box is not related to the spren, as @maxal says, it is important to note that Pattern is always visible, but can make himself smaller, and often disguises himself as a small bit of detailing on Shallan's dress.

Also, there is some evidence that Glys would be more similar to Pattern than Syl or Wyndle in this, assuming that both Ym and Renarin were, in fact, Truthwatchers: Ym's spren has to physically hide while Ym serves the street urchin, rather than just being invisible.  So, where has Glys been hiding? Or is this another (tenuous) clue that Glys is not the same as Ym's spren??

Someone asked Brandon if Glys apparently secretive appearance was intentional or not. He answered Glys lack of visibility was both a product of his nature and his order which correlates with Ym's spren being shy, hiding. 

6 hours ago, Stark said:

Doesn't Renarin wear glasses?  Could this just be his glasses case?  It may be excessive for them, but as I would assume replacements might be hard to come by, it would make sense to me that he would want to protect them, and always have the case handy in case he needs to wear/remove them quickly.

 

Yes, I'm aware that it is likely something more interesting, or important than a glasses case, but it would be amusing.

I think the box is exactly what it has been said to be: a stimming tool typically used by autistic people. There is ample clues Brandon only included the scene after receiving comments from real-life autistic people advising them on how to make the character more plausible. I thus doubt it is anything else than... just a box.

[Stark]

16 hours ago, Isla_Vezrian said:

If I remember right, he healed himself so he no longer needed his glasses. Why keep the box?

He may not have healed himself.  Stormlight healing is based on your self image, which is why Kaladin still has his scars, but Lopen is regrowing his arm.  If Renarin's self image includes his need for glasses, that will not heal, and he will continue to need them.

 

But @maxal helpfully pointed out that it has been heavily hinted at being a stimming tool.  I do not know enough about Autism to be able to comment from anywhere other than a position of ignorance, so I'm going to take that bit of information as an opportunity to further educate myself.