Are Breaths Unique to People From Nalthis

[Ceradis]

I read a WoB about how Vasher can stay alive much more easily on Roshar, presumably because he uses stormlight as a substitute for Breath, and I started wondering if Breath is something that only people on Nalthis are born. That seems to make sense considering that there aren't awakeners all over the different shardworlds; however, aside from the AonDor the forms of investiture we've seen aren't location dependent. Does this mean that awakening is location dependent in that you can only, for the most part, acquire Breath from people who are natives of Nalthis?

[+Extesian he/him]

There are a couple of separate issues here. Vasher, as a Returned, needs to consume one Breath a week to live, to keep him, as a Cognitive Shadow, stapled to his physical body. It seems that can be any Shard's investiture as long as Vasher can access it.

Awakening is a specific use of kinetic investiture and it requires Endowment's investiture (unless some hack is used). However, Breath is actually the easiest magic system to gain access to. Breaths can be transferred to anyone and with those Breaths they can awaken (if they know how). It is not location dependent because it uses investiture from the user, not from an external source (like allomancy does). It's end-neutral.

And yes, only Nalthians are born with Breath and that makes them more Invested than the average person in the Cosmere. But if they give away all their Breath and become a drab they're actually less Invested than the average Comerean.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Extesian

[The Sovereign]

Breath's are unique to Nalthis. With that said they are not location dependent. Anyone can be given Breath(s) and can give them away once they have them. The reason people from Nalthis are born with Breath is because they are born with some of Endowment's investiture in them. If a Nalthian native had a child off world with a non Nalthian, their child could be born with breath.

 

Quote

 

INTERVIEW: Aug 19th, 2015

SpoCon 2015

SHARDLET

If a Scadrian allomancer had a baby with a Nalthian (and the baby was born on Nalthis), could the baby have an original Breath and also be a Natural allomancer?

BRANDON SANDERSON

It could happen, the baby would have a bit of Preservation and a bit of Endowment.

TAGS

allomancy, breath, hybrid,

 

 

 

Quote

 

INTERVIEW: Dec 17th, 2011

Alloy of Law Signing Report - Zas (Paraphrased)

ZAS

After several more signings, I asked my other question. "Do people in the Comsere, besides Nalthis, have Breaths?"

BRANDON SANDERSON

"No." He then signed a person's books, then said "To elaborate a little more, that's not to say they don't have a life force, because they do. But if someone not from Nalthis were to suddenly gain the ability to become an Awakener, they could not use what they have to Awaken something. That's not to say that they can't receive breaths though."

TAGS

cosmere, realmatic theory, warbreaker, awakening, breath,

 

@Extesian ninja'd me 

Edited July 20, 2017 by The Sovereign

[Tsidqiyah he/him]

Magic systems are not location dependent (except for AonDor) BUT they are Shard dependent. Breaths are unique to Nathis as that is the world where Endowment is invested. while anyone from any world can obtain breaths (HOID!) awakening on other worlds appears to require a hack. I haven't followed that line much so I am sure someone else has more information on non-Nathsians  awakening and awakening on other worlds.

The "location" dependent nature of breaths (must be on Nathis) is more an issue of Connection then of location. in order to be born with a breath you must have that Connection to Endowment. so the follow up question is: Will a child born of Roshar (or Sel, etc.) to non-drab Nathsian parents have a breath?

 

EDIT: Ninjaed by The Sovereign

Edited July 20, 2017 by Tsidqiyah

[The Sovereign]

6 minutes ago, Tsidqiyah said:

awakening on other worlds appears to require a hack.

To expand on this; Awakening on other worlds using a different form of Investiture (such as Stormlight) requires a hack. Awaking on other worlds using Breaths would not.