[OB] Let's talk Rlain

[Stark]

11 hours ago, The One Who Connects said:

Neuter is a rather nonnegotiable term.

It is.  But at the same time, the Alethi were breeding the slaveforms.  Which would be male neuter and female neuter.  Similarly the listeners were procreating over the generations before they rediscovered mateform, while in dullform.

 

So while neuter is a rather non-negotiable term, and should be a hard stop, if that were the case, they would have all died out within 100 years of the last desolation.  The other options are that there a a select few forms that can mate, but it is easiest in mateform, or all forms can mate, but it is easiest in mateform... It is the only way for the species to have been able to survive the dullform/slaveform years.

 

We do have some tangential proof of this, when Sah tells Kaladin of how his daughter's mother was sold, because she was a good breeder, while they were in slaveform.

 

So mateform cannot be a hard stop for procreation.  If malen and femalen are asexual, then there have to be a selection of forms that are male and female - mateform, dullform, slaveform and likely a few others.

[Calderis]

5 hours ago, Stark said:

It is.  But at the same time, the Alethi were breeding the slaveforms.  Which would be male neuter and female neuter.  Similarly the listeners were procreating over the generations before they rediscovered mateform, while in dullform.

It's not only mateform. 

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/100/#e3400

Quote

RenegadeShroom

You said earlier that Parshendi are primarily asexual, does that extend to all Listeners -- parshmen, and those descended from Listeners, like Horneaters and Herdazians -- or is it just the Parshendi?

Brandon Sanderson

Most Listener forms are asexual, but several forms are different, including slaveform. Horneaters and Herdazians are not, as a rule, though there are higher instances of asexuality among them.

uchoo786

I was actually wondering about how Parshmen would reproduce if they are only in slaveform? I thought one had to be in mateform in order to reproduce?

Also, could Horneaters and Herdazians change forms as well?

Brandon Sanderson

For the first, mateform is not the only form capable of producing--any more than warform is the only one capable of swinging a sword. The forms are specializations.

For the second, RAFO.

 

[.S.A.M.K.M]

I wonder if exposure to Rlain in his alternate forms, could lead to the alliance creating fabrials that mimic their abilities. So able to enhance human activities.