Hoid's Abilities: WoR Spoilers

[GeoffreyH]

So it may have already been pointed out somewhere else on here, but did anyone else notice Hoid slipping powder in his drink during Shallans memory when he was giving her father a message from the older brother? My first thought was that he took the Lerasium bead and is now an allomancer, and the powder was metal flakes. Thoughts?

[Roarsach]

I agree

 

from a Q&A with BS. 

 

Q: "Can you tell me what Wit put in his drink in Shallan's flashback scene?"
A: "It was something that you or I would probably not want to eat in our world, but that Wit got some benefit from eating..."
Q: "Something we've seen in the Mistborn books, perhaps?"
A: <sounding pleased> "Yes, perhaps like something you've seen in Mistborn"

[AerionBFII]

I didn't miss that! That had me speculating for a while!!
It might be a lightweaving quirk: Shallan has to draw what she light weaves? I believe Hoid has a method using sand perhaps??
But I can't imagine him drinking sand even he's not that strange haha

Brandon stated that Hoid is the most powerful character except for shard/ sliver.

Hoids abilities:

-Lightweaving from yolen. This allows him to create images of anything he likes, and even possibly change how he looks to others.
-Worldhopping Hoid is very good at manipulating Shadesmar. He can travel to any world he likes, and can even use this ability to move swiftly around a single planet and to get to otherwise inaccessible areas, like the Well of Ascension.
-Feruchemy - Hoid also has access to at least one of the Three Metallic Arts native to Scadrial.
-Limited foresight - Hoid knows where he needs to go and when he needs to be there. Feruchemy is somehow involved in this ability.
-Extremely long life and time dilation. Hoid is far older then any human could really live, and he also hasn't lived through all those years. He can move swiftly forward in time, but has not yet traveled backwards in time.
-Awakening - Hoid likely has a Breath, something that a scene in Words of Radiance seems to confirm, as he mentions how playing an instrument was easier now with 'perfect pitch' - something granted to those with the Second Heightening.
But i think what he put in his drink helps him live longer

This is all I have unfortunately.

Edited March 15, 2014 by WEZ313

[Guest Monster Energy]

Does that mean Hoid burned his Lerasium? That's the way I'm leaning. As far as I recall, Hoid did not display any Allomantic abilities burning the events of the Mistborn novels.

[Moogle]

Does that mean Hoid burned his Lerasium? That's the way I'm leaning. As far as I recall, Hoid did not display any Allomantic abilities burning the events of the Mistborn novels.

 

It's possible he burned the lerasium, but it strikes me that it would probably be far more useful Feruchemically, or as a Hemalurgic spike. Maybe he uses it on every world he travels on in a specific way to let him use the magic of that world.

[Arook]

The letter seems to imply that he has hidden the lerasium not burned it. 

[AerionBFII]

I'm leaning towards him stashing it in one of his hidey holes. I bet he collects souvenirs and pieces of that Shards magic system. He strikes me as a hoarder.

[Stormcrown]

Well, hoarder, but it would be smart.

 

He's fighting something extremely powerful, and being to grant yourself or others powers would be extremely beneficial.

 

Seems like more of a tactical move than some random quirk, and It gives Brandon some flexibility.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Stormcrown

[GeoffreyH]

I ready for Brandon to rewrite and release the series that shows hoids beginnings. When the first book of that series comes out the world won't see me for like a week. I'll be reading and rereading that book until I can quote it haha.

[AerionBFII]

I ready for Brandon to rewrite and release the series that shows hoids beginnings. When the first book of that series comes out the world won't see me for like a week. I'll be reading and rereading that book until I can quote it haha.

 

I know what you mean. Since the release of WOR and with all the rereads I've been doing i think I've ruined my social life......but it was so worth it!! 

[PorridgeBrick]

I really want to see him fight as he is now. With both Allomancy and Feruchemy, he's already at TLR level. But add in his Lightweaving, Awakening, and whatever allows him to worldhop, be immortal, travel through time, and survive decapitation, and he becomes so ridiculously powerful that even massive armies shouldn't be able to take him down. It would make an awesome fight scene, and give some cool info on how all the systems interact.

[Vortaan]

It's possible he burned the lerasium, but it strikes me that it would probably be far more useful Feruchemically, or as a Hemalurgic spike. Maybe he uses it on every world he travels on in a specific way to let him use the magic of that world.

 

This puts the line from the letter stating that he holds the element as close as his skin in a better light though. It's likely that he did burn the Lerasium, and is now a Mistborn. Compounding would probably be incredibly useful, not to mention Seeking, considering Hoid tends to be around highly Invested people.

[DoctorWh0m]

Has anyone considered that instead of either burning the lerasium or using it for Feruchemy, that he does both? He could have just cut the bead in half.

[taveren]

he took that staff in the emperors soul i think i saw somewhere that it isn't a normal staff

[GeoffreyH]

Has anyone ever asked brandon if half a Lerasium bead works just as well as a whole?

[Khyrindor]

I got all happy when I read it and I think he might have been soothing her. What makes us think that Hoid wasn't already a Mistborn and Feruchemist already? He could be protecting the bead and having the powers already...

[GeoffreyH]

Simply the fact that nothing in the cosmere books has shown a moment where he might have allomancy. Until WoR of course. Which of course, doesn't disprove anything, givin that it is Hoid we are talking about.

[Chlehrma]

The letter seems to imply that he has hidden the lerasium not burned it. 

You might say he protects it like he would his own skin...I think he burned it or possibly embedded it in his flesh to be used feruchemically-though if he is consuming metal flakes it make burning more likely. We know Hoid time travels forward. If he did burn lerasium this means he can bounce forward in time using duralumin plus cadmium--he would just have time find a safe place to hide while doing so.

[Tempus]

Brandon has suggested that if a non-scadrial native were to swallow lerasium they wouldn't necessarily gain allomantic powers. Who knows what it would do feruchemically.

[WeiryWriter]

Brandon has suggested that if a non-scadrial native were to swallow lerasium they wouldn't necessarily gain allomantic powers. Who knows what it would do feruchemically.

 

Do you have a quote for that?  That is not the impression I have received from the WoBs.

[TheArcanist]

You'd probably have to jury-rig the lerasium first. It seems like the humans of every planet have a different Innate Investiture which lets them have potential access to the magic system of their world.

[Tempus]

I was able to find this:

 

 

Lerasium overwrites Spiritual DNA. It can do some interesting things, and can overwrite your Spiritual DNA in different ways if you do it right. If a Surgebinder atelerasium, he would become an Allomancer, but Brandon implied other things could be done.

 

Somewhere else, I thought there was a quote that expanded on the latter part, which I recall being excited about because it suggested that the way power manifested was a combination of the investiture it gets from a specific shard and the sDNA of the other planet native. I recall thinking to myself 'perhaps this implies that a Roshar native who took lerasium would be able to burn gemstones of stormlight or something similar'.

 

But, since I can't find it, I'm gonna have to chalk it up to a pipe dream. =(

[TheArcanist]

Huh, how about that. No jury-rigging needed.  I wonder if there's similar examples of sDNA-overwriting materials/powers on other worlds. I imagine the ability to Return is one.

[Asha'man Logain]

Lerasium works but granting a (stronger) connection to Preservation. If a surgebinder ate non-alloyed lerasium they would then in essence gain the sDNA of a scadrian. (at least this is how I understand the text and WoBs I've read) Other magic systems are not so easy to access. Regardless of how Hoid seems to feel I think the easiest would be on Roshar. There does not seem to be any underlying sDNA needs, just a cracked soul, and following the intent of one shard or another until a spren deems you acceptable. Forgery may be next, with enough devotion (see what I did there?) to the art, practice and skill one could learn to forge in the sector of the world. Much like AonDor I assume with enough knowledge you could tamper with it to make it work anywhere.

[Vroqren]

I ready for Brandon to rewrite and release the series that shows hoids beginnings. When the first book of that series comes out the world won't see me for like a week. I'll be reading and rereading that book until I can quote it haha.

 

Do we know for sure that there will be a series dedicated to Hoid?  I was guessing (pure speculation, as Stormlight is Sanderson's master series) that the final book of the Stormlight Archive would be Hoid's, and that we would get backstory there.