General Theory of Investiture

[Brgst13]

I've been kicking this theory of how Investiture actually works, and  I  think it is time to unleash it.  This theory grew out  of the discussion on Awakening with Stormlight, and I was trying to figure out how this could work.

First, we  know that the  Cosmere has mass, energy, and Investiture.  Given that mass and energy are each composed of fundamental particles, and Investiture is given equal standing, it must also have a fundamental particle.  I will refer to this as the investon.  For this theory I will be considering investors to behave in a  similar method to photons, where they can have both a wave and particle nature, allowing them to have discrete wavelengths.

Second, Cosmere humans have a spiritweb  (sDNA) that is essential to accessing Investiture.  In order to allow an individual to access investons, this sDNA must be damaged (cracked).  Importantly, the birth planet (or  planet currently Connected to, to allow for Hemalurgy and hacking) determines the method of accessing Investiture.  For example, when a Scadrian snaps, they become an Allomancer.  When a Selian turns to an Elantran they can access the Dor.  If these powers are all manifestations of Investiture, and use the same fundamental particle, why are they specific?  I propose that Connection determines where in the sDNA the rupture occurs.  This in turn then determines which wavelength of investons the individual can access.

Thirdly, it is not enough that have ruptured sDNA for an individual to be able to utilize Investiture.  There must also be something that fills in the space in the sDNA and modifies the investon wave in a way to allow it to do work.  On Roshan this would be a  spren bond.  The particular type of spren will modify the investon wave in a certain way  in order to allow the powers for that order.  On Scadrial metals will fill this role.  On Nalthis it would be Breaths.

This theory can explain a couple of puzzling facts.  For example, why are Sel's magics so much weaker away from their home area?  First, we can assume that investons radiate from Shards.  Generally  Shards exist primarily in the Spiritual realm.  Investons then flow through the Cognitive realm to the Physical realm, where they can be stored in physical objects (gemstones, algae, metals, colors, etc.).  On Sel, however, investons begin in the Cognitive realm, which is location based.  This means that certain Physical realm areas areally more heavily  invested at a specific wavelength than other areas.  Therefore, away from the home area, there are less available investons to power AonDor, which makes it weaker.

So how could one power Awakening with Stormlight?  You would need to pass Stormlight through a medium of different density in order to  change the investon wavelength.  Once the wavelength matched that for Awakening, it would be usable. 

[The One Who Connects he/him]

The one issue I see with this is that one does not need to snap to Awaken. We have it from Brandon that "anyone can awaken if they get breath" and I don't think everyone who gets Breath will have snapped already. Especially the kids who give up Breath to the Returned. Breath Transfer still a command in awakening, and they can all use it.

I remember a Reddit WoB about there being a quantum of Investiture, but feel like it also said it was kinda funky in some way.

[Pagerunner he/him]

14 hours ago, Brgst13 said:

I've been kicking this theory of how Investiture actually works, and  I  think it is time to unleash it.  This theory grew out  of the discussion on Awakening with Stormlight, and I was trying to figure out how this could work.

First, we  know that the  Cosmere has mass, energy, and Investiture.  Given that mass and energy are each composed of fundamental particles, and Investiture is given equal standing, it must also have a fundamental particle.  I will refer to this as the investon.  For this theory I will be considering investors to behave in a  similar method to photons, where they can have both a wave and particle nature, allowing them to have discrete wavelengths.

Second, Cosmere humans have a spiritweb  (sDNA) that is essential to accessing Investiture.  In order to allow an individual to access investons, this sDNA must be damaged (cracked).  Importantly, the birth planet (or  planet currently Connected to, to allow for Hemalurgy and hacking) determines the method of accessing Investiture.  For example, when a Scadrian snaps, they become an Allomancer.  When a Selian turns to an Elantran they can access the Dor.  If these powers are all manifestations of Investiture, and use the same fundamental particle, why are they specific?  I propose that Connection determines where in the sDNA the rupture occurs.  This in turn then determines which wavelength of investons the individual can access.

Thirdly, it is not enough that have ruptured sDNA for an individual to be able to utilize Investiture.  There must also be something that fills in the space in the sDNA and modifies the investon wave in a way to allow it to do work.  On Roshan this would be a  spren bond.  The particular type of spren will modify the investon wave in a certain way  in order to allow the powers for that order.  On Scadrial metals will fill this role.  On Nalthis it would be Breaths.

This theory can explain a couple of puzzling facts.  For example, why are Sel's magics so much weaker away from their home area?  First, we can assume that investons radiate from Shards.  Generally  Shards exist primarily in the Spiritual realm.  Investons then flow through the Cognitive realm to the Physical realm, where they can be stored in physical objects (gemstones, algae, metals, colors, etc.).  On Sel, however, investons begin in the Cognitive realm, which is location based.  This means that certain Physical realm areas areally more heavily  invested at a specific wavelength than other areas.  Therefore, away from the home area, there are less available investons to power AonDor, which makes it weaker.

So how could one power Awakening with Stormlight?  You would need to pass Stormlight through a medium of different density in order to  change the investon wavelength.  Once the wavelength matched that for Awakening, it would be usable. 

An interesting approach. I'm a little fuzzy on some of the physics - what are your mass/energy analogues for an investon? Photons aren't fundamental particles of energy or mass; they're a quantized amount of light, and not all energy needs to be in the form of light.

I think you're on a good track when looking at how someone needs to be cracked to interact with Investiture and have something fill the space. I don't think, however, that the specific manner of breakage in the sDNA is what determines powers, nor does the world in question. Hemalurgy is going to be my go-to; it breaks the spiritweb in a number of different places when adding on, and each of those have a different effect. But, when a Mistborn snaps, all of those Allomantic abilities are also unlocked. A 'rupture' is necessary to interact with Investiture, but I think the specifics of 'wavelength of investeton' is accomplished simply by that: the kind of Investiture they interact with.

Same thing for planet of origin: there are multiple magic systems accessible to people born on Roshar in the same fashion (Allomancy and Hemalurgy are both genetic, and intermingle with one another by the time of Wax & Wayne.) They would need different ways to 'rupture' their spiritwebs.

I think your third point covers everything required, that the kind of Investiture that interacts with a soul determines the magical effects. The spiritweb itself is comprised of Investiture; when a piece of Shardic Investiture grafts on, it will determine the kinds of abilities that are granted. I think you need to distinguish between the Investiture that flows from a Shard and powers magic, versus the Investiture that interacts with a soul. Spren create the abilities, Stormlight powers the abilities. On Sel, the powering Investiture is weaker the farther you get away, but the enabling Investiture in an Elantrian's soul wouldn't any weaker, I believe.

When I phrase it like this, the problem I see with Awakening is this: Stormlight is powering Investiture, but Breath is enabling Investiture. Awakening uses pieces of enabling Investiture. Vasher might need to use spren, the local enabling Investiture, for Awakening.

15 minutes ago, The One Who Connects said:

The one issue I see with this is that one does not need to snap to Awaken. We have it from Brandon that "anyone can awaken if they get breath" and I don't think everyone who gets Breath will have snapped already. Especially the kids who give up Breath to the Returned. Breath Transfer still a command in awakening, and they can all use it.

There are two magic systems we've seen useable by people without Snapping: Feruchemy, and Awakening. Those are also our two candidates for worlds where the inhabitants were created by Shards, so their spiritwebs might have been designed to interact naturally with those two magics. I don't remember if it's easy to give Breath to a non-Nalthian; if it is, then that would go along with this theory, and Nalthians all come with a pre-punched hole that Breath can fit into. If there's no additional work required, then it would seem to indicate that a break in the spiritweb isn't required for every magic, only some magics.