Jujubear3589 Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 Hey, so I'm curious about something. Is eye color inherited in the world of Roshar? If so, is it ALWAYS inherited? If not, what happens if a light eyed couple have a dark eyes child and vice versa? 1
Weltall Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 (edited) Yeah, eye color appears to be inherited so that if your parents were both lighteyes you will always be a lighteyes and the same for darkeyes. When a lighteyes and a darkeyes have a child things can get wonky. The one example we know of (and according to Brandon it's the most common result) is that you're born with one light and one dark eye and you occupy a weird social niche. It's also possible for the child to take after one parent or the other, at which point their social status gets complicated and it seems like the matter would be treated on a case by case basis. There might be some more specifics in WoK where Kaladin is thinking about Laral and the children they might have but I can't check my copy right now. Edit: Welcome to the Shard! Edited March 21, 2017 by Weltall 1
Spoolofwhool Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 Children of two lighteyes are lighteye. Children of two darkeyes are darkeye. The children of a lighteye and a darkeye can be lighteye, darkeye, or heterochromia lighteye and darkeye. Genetics on Roshar are a bit different. 1
Jujubear3589 Posted March 21, 2017 Author Posted March 21, 2017 Thanks so much guys! Out of curiosity, is that mentioned anywhere? I may have missed it. Glad to see everyone is so welcoming at the Shard!
Weltall Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 Heterochromia is mentioned in Words of Radiance in Shallan's flashbacks (I recall the chapter is even named after it) and while I don't remember the chapter in WoK off the top of my head I know the topic of eye color inheritance comes up in one of Kaladin's flashbacks. 1
Spoolofwhool Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 10 minutes ago, Weltall said: Heterochromia is mentioned in Words of Radiance in Shallan's flashbacks (I recall the chapter is even named after it) and while I don't remember the chapter in WoK off the top of my head I know the topic of eye color inheritance comes up in one of Kaladin's flashbacks. The Highprince above Shallan's family had a bastard son who had heterochromia lighteye and darkeye. He appeared relatively early on in the flashbacks.
Weltall Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 @Spoolofwhool Yeah, I remember that part, it's the specifics in Kaladin's flashbacks in Way of Kings (where there's some thoughts on how the social status of children from mixed lighteyed/darkeyed parents can work) that I'm having trouble remembering.
Pattern he/him Posted March 22, 2017 Posted March 22, 2017 Darkeyes from the higher nahn can marry into lighteyed families, with light- or darkeyed children - or heterochromatic, but that's probably an abberation. Quote "You ever heard of a drakeyes becoming a lighteyes?" Naget asked. "Sure", Kal said. "It can happen, Father says. Wealthy darkeyed merchants marry lowborn lighteyes and join their family. Then maybe have lighteyed children. That sort of thing" - WoK chapter 16 and Quote How would he feel, marrying someone like Laral? He'd never be her equal. Their children would have a chance of being lighteyed or darkeyed, so even his children might outrank him, He knew he'd feel terribly out of place. - WoK chapter 25 These quotes imply some awkward social constellations with mixed couples. The first quote somewhat implies that a darkeyes married into a lighteyed family would be seen as a lighteyes and the marriage would increase his social status. The second quote says explicitly that lighteyed children would outrank their darkeyed parent, so Kaladins answer in the first quote regarding a darkeyes becoming a lighteyes might be a bit off-topic. Genetically it seems to be impossible for two lighteyes to birth darkeyed children. If that could happen, the whole caste system would be instable after all. Similar genetic quirks happen with hair color and possibly other traits (e.g Herdazian fingernails). After all, on Roshar you can find interbreeding of different species (Human, Listeners, Aimians, perhaps more?), so true breeding eyecolor certainly is one of the least strange things going on there.
The One Who Connects he/him Posted March 22, 2017 Posted March 22, 2017 (edited) 13 hours ago, Pattern said: The first quote somewhat implies that a darkeyes married into a lighteyed family would be seen as a lighteyes and the marriage would increase his social status. The second quote says explicitly that lighteyed children would outrank their darkeyed parent, so Kaladins answer in the first quote regarding a darkeyes becoming a lighteyes might be a bit off-topic. After all, on Roshar you can find interbreeding of different species (Human, Listeners, Aimians, perhaps more?), so true breeding eyecolor certainly is one of the least strange things going on there. I interpreted the two quotes as marrying into a lighteyed family would bring prestige, but you would still be a Darkeyes in their eyes. You would be at, if not above, the First Nahn via marriage, but your Lighteyed kids outrank you by virtue of them being in the Dahn system. Dahn > Nahn, regardless of the fact that Parent > Child. Basically: You're a Lighteyes for all intents and purposes, but your eyes are still dark, so you are lesser. Edited March 22, 2017 by The One Who Connects 1
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