Theory: rithmatists bind shadowblazes like radiants bind sprens

[king of nowhere]

Yes, I know that rithmatist is not cosmere. it's just an analogy.

Still, i think it's a good explanation for a lot of stuff. rithmatists see the sort of graffiti man, the shadowblaze, when they are incepted. regular people do not. 4everything indicates that joel should have been a rithmatist, and he sees the shadowblaze, but it run away from him, so joel do not become a rithmatist. I'm drawing the following conclusions:

1) shadowblazes are some kind of creatures, possibly similar in some way to the spren (call it convergent evolution)

2) they can bond humans, giving them the power of rithmatics

3) for some reason, the binding can only happen in the chamber of inception (or almost only; gregory III got his rithmaticcs from somewhere else). there the children are brought, and the shadowblazes decide whom they want to bind

4) there is something about joel that is scaring away the shafdowblazes. maybe some kind of possession, maybe he's already bound to something else (how does he get so good at math anyway? the kind of calculations he performs should at least take some time; maybe it's a supernatural influence like shallan's memories?)

 

I further predict that in the sequel, joel will either discover some new power, or find a way to become a rithmatist.

[PorridgeBrick he/him]

I agree that this is very likely. We know that the Rithmatist was originally a Cosmere novel, and the concept of spren-like beings, living ideas that can be bound to, is a recurring element in magic systems (Spren, Seons, Skaze, Awakened objects).

[Swimmingly he/him]

But because it's not Cosmere, Brandon didn't need to follow the already loose internal roles

[king of nowhere]

oh, i was forgetting: it was said the number of rithmatists is fixed, and one cannot be incepted before an old one dies. so it appears there must be a fixed number of shadowblazes, at least a fixed numbers available for bonding. maybe joel was supposed to be bound but the quota was already filled.

[Curiosity he/him]

I agree that this is very likely. We know that the Rithmatist was originally a Cosmere novel, and the concept of spren-like beings, living ideas that can be bound to, is a recurring element in magic systems (Spren, Seons, Skaze, Awakened objects).

 

It also struck me that there is a similar element to the Cognitive perception of Rithmatic lines. The lines cannot have power unless one draws them with the correct intent.