Silus - Shard of Flame Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 I'm pretty sure that whatever the element is is related to this series. Even going off your theory somewhat, maybe it's something to do with his plans to gather the Shards on Roshar. As much as I'd like the element to be Lerasium (Mistborn vs Windrunner battle!), I don't think it's possible. The humans on Scadrial are made up of the essence of Ruin and Preservation (with just a tad more Preservation). The way Lerasium works is by increasing that level of Preservation within the person. The humans on Roshar don't have any Preservation in them at all, so I doubt it would do anything. Unless it adds in a dose of a new Shard to their system, which is more likely to throw their system completely out of whack and probably create something else entirely. Hmmm... That's not a half-bad idea, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leinton Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 With the shard collecting we don't know enough to say for sure, but we do know holding the shards over long periods changes the holder. Reasonable to assume that the guy holding the hate shard wouldn't want the love shard or even the cute puppy shard. Nonsense! Everyone wants the cute puppy shard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 With the shard collecting we don't know enough to say for sure, but we do know holding the shards over long periods changes the holder. Reasonable to assume that the guy holding the hate shard wouldn't want the love shard or even the cute puppy shard. Nonsense! Everyone wants the cute puppy shard! Would that make the humans you create with that Shard werewolves? Cuz that'd be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munin Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 It would make them werepuppies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leinton Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 It would make them werepuppies. GREATEST WORLD EVAR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munin Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 It would make them werepuppies. GREATEST WORLD EVAR. But EVERYONE would turn into puppies at the full moon, so there would be no one to cuddle the adorable little creatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted October 8, 2010 Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 It would make them werepuppies. GREATEST WORLD EVAR. But EVERYONE would turn into puppies at the full moon, so there would be no one to cuddle the adorable little creatures. Except for world hoppers like Hoid. It bet it's his favorite vacation spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munin Posted October 8, 2010 Report Share Posted October 8, 2010 It would make them werepuppies. GREATEST WORLD EVAR. But EVERYONE would turn into puppies at the full moon, so there would be no one to cuddle the adorable little creatures. Except for world hoppers like Hoid. It bet it's his favorite vacation spot. You... have won this round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_literalist Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 I'm inclined to believe that the comment about protecting it as if it were his own skin is more literal than you guys give it credit for. It might be that Hoid is somehow wearing it as an outer coating, although that may be too literal. However, I believe that if the element is indeed Lerasium, that Hoid ate it. "I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say." In fact, I might be inclined to say that Hoid somehow incorporated the element into himself anyway--whatever the element may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dros Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) I had the impression that the comment about the element being protected like his own skin was related to his comment to Kaladin that he had stolen himself. I can't remember his exact quote, but it was something like "I'm a thief, my name was the first thing I stole...the other was myself." That statement just seemed important for some reason. So I thought perhaps his statement in the letter that the addressee was probably still angry, was referring to his theft of this "element". And I'm sure his wit allows him to make a play on words with both the addressee and Kaladin. Except he's rubbing it in the face of the addressee and just kind of playing with Kaladin. I'm thinking by keeping the element in his possession the addressee could control Hoid or it wasn' ever really Hoid's in the first place, but something he had been using for quite some time (perhaps a possession of the original Hoid?). So Hoid stole it from the addressee, restored himself to whatever he was and has been avoiding the 17th Shard who has been sent to find the element and nuetralize Hoid. As to what it is? I have no clue, but I just get the feeling it's something we haven't seen yet. Edited April 23, 2012 by Droz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabbageHead Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 I suspect "the element" has something to do with the shattering of Adonalsium, and we're just going to have to wait and find out. That the name of the group searching for Hoid call themselves "The 17th Shard" is to my mind a strong indicator that we are dealing with something contemporary with the 16 shards. Was there a guiding intelligence behind Adonalsium, like there are with its shards? Could Hoid have merged with this, much like the shard holders have with their respective shards? The King’s Wit cocked his head, then smiled. Finally, he held out his hand to Kaladin. “And what is your name, my thoughtful bridgeman?”Kaladin hesitantly raised his own hand. “Kaladin. And yours?” “I’ve many.” The man shook Kaladin’s hand. “I began life as a thought, a concept, words on a page. That was another thing I stole. Myself. Another time, I was named for a rock.” “A pretty one, I hope.” “A beautiful one,” the man said. “And one that became completely worthless for my wearing it.” “Well, what do men call you now?” “Many a thing, and only some of them polite. Almost all are true, unfortunately. You, however, you may call me Hoid.” “Your name?” “No. The name of someone I should have loved. Once again, this is a thing I stole. It is something we thieves do.” Now we know that Hoid twists words, but often at the same time in an extremely literal way. Hoid here says that he stole something that began its life as a concept; and that something is now him. When he speaks of "wearing" the name of a rock, is it Hoid or "the element" speaking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_literalist Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 I suspect "the element" has something to do with the shattering of Adonalsium, and we're just going to have to wait and find out. That the name of the group searching for Hoid call themselves "The 17th Shard" is to my mind a strong indicator that we are dealing with something contemporary with the 16 shards. Was there a guiding intelligence behind Adonalsium, like there are with its shards? Could Hoid have merged with this, much like the shard holders have with their respective shards? Now we know that Hoid twists words, but often at the same time in an extremely literal way. Hoid here says that he stole something that began its life as a concept; and that something is now him. When he speaks of "wearing" the name of a rock, is it Hoid or "the element" speaking? Dangit, I had just found this last night, and was going to come post it here. I'm not quite sure what this means, but I'm becoming increasingly convinced that Hoid either has Lerasium, or he has somehow already used it. I'm not certain enough to espouse this theory, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyRioter Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Brandon said at a recent signing that "Hoid has metal he isn't supposed to have." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_literalist Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 He isn't supposed to have it because making him a Mistborn would cause the cosmere to explode with sheer awesomeness? Sounds bout right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triasmus Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Would a bead of lerasium really be important enough for Hoid to say that he's keeping it safe? I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windrunner Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 I tend to think that Hoid has lerasium, but that the lerasium is not the element. It seems almost trivial. It makes Hoid or whoever he gives it to powerful, but one bead won't change the course of history in the Cosmere. The element seems like it would be a little more special to me. I could be off base of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil_literalist Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 In that case, what if he's collecting magic from all of the different shardworlds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b4dave Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) What if the element is Szeth's oathstone. I have this feeling that it has something to do with Honor since Szeth seems fanatically honour-bound to do whoever hold's its bidding. I don't think its too ludicrous to think that Hoid could have given Szeth the oathstone to protect it from those who were following him. The last physical remnants of the Shard Honor, much like the beads of atrium and lerasium were the physical manifestations of Ruin and Preservation, given to someone it wouldn't be fun to mess with... Edited May 1, 2012 by b4dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenegadeShroom Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 I tend to think that Hoid has lerasium, but that the lerasium is not the element. It seems almost trivial. It makes Hoid or whoever he gives it to powerful, but one bead won't change the course of history in the Cosmere. The element seems like it would be a little more special to me. I could be off base of course. Although I agree that Lerasium is not the element, I reckon it's not so trivial. After all, it's the only bead of Lerasium known to exist in the whole Cosmere at this point, is it not? not to mention, being an end-positive shard magic, it can basically be used as a super-fuel for Feruchemy, and who knows what it can do with other shard magics? I don't think it should be dismessed as so trivial, to be honest. xD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windrunner Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Well for one person it may not be so trivial. But for the whole Cosmere? One Allomancer isn't going to change anything that important. It would be useful sure, but universe altering, I don't really think so. We're not sure what it does for Feruchemy yet, but even if we did, it can only help one Feruchemist, and can only contain so much of a charge.It also might not be the only bead left. Peter said that there's at least one more, which means a couple others could be floating around. The biggest thing I can see it doing is breeding more Allomancers on another world in the cosmere. But even then it wouldn't be super effective. It would take nine times as long for it to make as many Allomancers as in the Final Empire, and they would presumably be nine times less powerful. I just don't see it as that significant in the grand scheme of things, but I understand where you're coming from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dros Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Interesting fact: in Japanese philosophy there are five elements that are the basis of the universe. The five elements are, in ascending order of power, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void. It's called Ku. Kū is of particular importance as the highest of the elements. In martial arts, particularly in fictional tales where the fighting discipline is blended with magic or the occult, one often invokes the power of the Void to connect to the quintessential creative energy of the world. A warrior properly attuned to the Void can sense their surroundings and act without thinking, and without using their physical senses. The five elements are also heavily represented in japanese architecture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeshdan Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I'm going to propose that the element is the "binding matrix" (i.e. the original construct into which all sixteen shards fit to produce Adonalsium.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voidus Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Interesting fact: in Japanese philosophy there are five elements that are the basis of the universe. The five elements are, in ascending order of power, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void. It's called Ku. Kū is of particular importance as the highest of the elements. In martial arts, particularly in fictional tales where the fighting discipline is blended with magic or the occult, one often invokes the power of the Void to connect to the quintessential creative energy of the world. A warrior properly attuned to the Void can sense their surroundings and act without thinking, and without using their physical senses. The five elements are also heavily represented in japanese architecture. No, lies! the powers of the Void do not exist... *subtly reaches for a Spike* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morsk Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I think it's the Lerasium. I don't see the "inter-series" trouble in Hoid mentioning that he took the bead in Mistborn-2. That's minor compared to his reveals about Elantris; the Elantris stuff led us towards speculation about Honor being splintered. "I took magic-granting contraband from another world, and am going to do something sneaky with it," isn't going to freak out a casual reader. It doesn't mean Hoid is Mistborn. Brandon said that becoming Mistborm is what happens if you burn Lerasium "without knowing what you're doing". (I don't have the original source, but it's quoted in this post.) Hoid could have alloyed it with something from another world, to make himself a magic-user of some system we don't know yet. Or something weird with it related to "preserving" that we can't guess. If the only use for it were becoming Mistborn, I'd object on thematic grounds; Hoid as Mistborn just feels weird to me. But Lerasium having mysterious unknown properties works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triasmus Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I'd think the element is something important that can't be reproduced. that's one of the reasons i don't think lerasium is it. Sazeed could, likely, turn more of preservations power into lerasium if he wanted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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