Interesting WOB

[Kramerfarve]

Sin16

Has the Nightwatcher ever changed anyone's eye color?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, she has. Good question.

Skyward Pre-Release AMA (Oct. 31, 2018)

 

Anyone think this sounds suspiciously like Hesina/Asuedan? Theories abound about Kal recognizing Asuedan’s song, and Hesina has always acted more like a lighteyes than most. It has even been confirmed that Kal has lighteyed members of his family tree. Go nuts.

[Kon-Tiki he/him]

There are easier ways to darken your eyes than visiting NW

[Void89 he/him]

Could be Hesina but I think there was another WoB where he already said that kal is very remotely related to Aesudan and didn't hear the song from her - so maybe Hesinas and Aesudans Parents were cousins or something like that...

Also the delighted expression on Hesinas face when she saw that her son was a radiant despite the fact she never really wanted him to go to war... could be definitely something there but probably not as much as implied

[CrazyRioter she/her]

I doubt very much she is or was lighteyed herself, she's probably just the darkeyed child of a mixed relationship.

The only non-Nightwacher related methods we know of changing one's eye colour is Lightweaving (which is unlikely) and those drops (which are likely expensive and hard to obtain in remote areas) and both are extremely temporary and would be hard to hide from your kid indefinitely.

[I think I am here. he/him]

I find it interesting people are interpreting this as using it to darken someone’s eyes. When I saw the WoB I immediately imagined a darkeyes wanting to make their eyes light so he can be more respected.

[ND103]

Lift. It doesn't even have to be a direct Boon or bane. It could just be a side effect of giving her her spren bond... 

[insert_anagram_here]

9 hours ago, Kon-Tiki said:

There are easier ways to darken your eyes than visiting NW

Sure but the WoB says that someone went ahead and did it anyway. 

Cool find @Kramerfarve!

I like the Hesina theory (since Kaladin was nostalgic about Aesudan's song, it could be a hint) but Redin (the bastard son of Highprince Valam of Jah Keved) also had one dark-eyed parent and that's why he had heterochromia. So even if Hesina did change her eye-color, wouldn't she risk that at least one of her three kids would somehow inherit this trait as well?

[CrazyRioter she/her]

We only know that NW changed somebody's eye colour, not whether she darkened or lightened them. Could have gone either way, really a lighteyes could want to hide from their enemies or responsibilities badly enough that they didn't mind living as a commoner, or  darkeyes could have wanted to increase their status.

Or maybe the person or people in question didn't even ask her to change their eye colour, she just did it on her own. Even if it was intended as a blessing she doesn't always give the blessing asked for. And of course, it could always have been a curse.

[equinox]

Here is a WoB that fits what @Void89 said above:

Quote

Stormlightning [PENDING REVIEW]

Is Kaladin related to Aesudan?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Yes, but it's not a close relation. A very complex system of things, but yes.

Stormlightning [PENDING REVIEW]

I was just wondering why he knew her...the melody she was humming.

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Oh, he did. That is not because they're related.

Stormlightning [PENDING REVIEW]

So it's something else?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

It's something else. I thought that was a sideways question about Kaladin's mom.

Stormlightning [PENDING REVIEW]

It kinda was, I thought maybe she hummed that and so that's why he recognized it.

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

No, good question.

Legion Release Party (Sept. 19, 2018)

"A very complex system of things..." Sounds like a very loose relationship to me. I don't believe that Hesina would be someone who considers visiting the NW. Rather, I would buy that Aesudan changed her eye color if somebody tries to sell this theory (I don't). 

[+robardin he/him]

If you're suggesting that Aesudan was originally a darkeyes who became a lighteyes by visiting the Nightwatcher, I think that's implausible. Someone marrying the heir to the King of Alethkar (she was already Elhokar's wife at Gavilar's deadly feast with the Parshendi) would certainly have to produce more of a family background check than "lookit my eyes are as light as yours" when there are ten dahn of lighteyes in Alethi society, with a very wide base of low-ranking lighteyes.

The WoB confirming that there have been people who visited the Nightwatcher to get their eye color changed is most likely simply confirming the obvious idea that, in a Vorinist society that elevates lighteyes above darkeyes in almost every social and business realm, someone darkeyed would eventually pay the NW price to switch over, as that's much easier than winning a Shardblade. What would dissuade them is the curse.

If his side comment of "good question" is supposed to suggest that this has been done by a character we've seen in the narrative, while also leaving the door open for the change actually going the other way than the obvious one, it gets very intriguing. But we may be reading far more into that angle than it warrants. (May.)

But sure, I'll play along with that, why not? We'd have to think of people who have exhibited some evidence of a "curse", who may act out of sync with their cohort group (a lighteyes who acts darkeyed, or a darkeyes who acts lighteyed), and whose comments or POVs (if any) don't explicitly go into a boon from the Nightwatcher (e.g., we already know what Dalinar and Taravangian got).

Two obvious candidates to start with, who else is there?

Narrative encountered lighteyes who may have started as darkeyes/be cursed

Graves: He's unusually sympathetic to darkeyes equality, has a darkeyed wife and half-eyed heir despite being a full Shardbearer of the fourth dahn. He could have gotten his Shards from the NW, which would count as his boon "turning him into a lighteyes" after he bonded the Blade. 
Counterargument: So what was his curse? It could have been something hidden, like Dalinar's curse, that we never got to see.
 

Narrative encountered darkeyes who may have started as lighteyes/be cursed

Lirin: Unusually disregarding of eye color, he has been commented on several times by Roshone as inappropriately carrying himself as equal to a lighteyes (granted, this is Roshone we're talking about, but still). He passed this on to Kaladin, who also has a lighteyes-sounding name, and we have a WoB that his wife Hesina (Kaladin's mother) had partial lighteyes parentage. As a darkeyes of the second nahn he has the right of travel, so his background story given in TWoK Ch 10 about how his forebears had "bought their way" up the nahn ladder could be falsified as having happened before coming to Hearthstone to be the surgeon.
Counterargument: Why would a lighteyes do this? If a darkeyes of the second nahn can be a respected surgeon, surely a "tenner" lighteyes could do just as well? Was there some reason he could not marry Hesina as a lighteyes? And what would be his curse?

Edited January 25, 2019 by robardin

[equinox]

I didn't meant to say I really believe Aesudan could have switched her eye color. I just meant that it is more believable for me than Hesina switching from being lighteyed to being darkeyed. 

I also think that we shouldn't read too much into this WoB. But the idea regarding Graves... I really can get behind that. Have to look for potential curses in coming rereads.

Lirin on the other hand... I hope not. I really would prefer if his character/his confidence has nothing to do with anything "magical".

[Void89 he/him]

Why wouldn't somebody change their eyecolor from light to dark, I can imagine only too well how you might get sick of all the 'elites', thinking they are something greater and better, if you're one of the few people thinking rational and having greater emotional intelligence than a tablespoon full.

And both Lirin and Hesina would fit into that kind of people. They even were outsiders as dark eyes so that could be their curse - never to fit in somewhere, always being outsiders not belonging to darkeyes nor lighteyes.

There is also the question why they moved to some remote village in the first place, considering their rank they would have a much easier life in the city. And more friends as well.

Sure they could have moved just to 'play' lighteyes and feeling that they are superior to all the lesser ranks, but then that entirely isn't how they act or even communicate they want to be seen.

They don't give a damnation about their rank yet it still is an issue where they live, they are outsiders yet treat everyone with kindness nonetheless... so why did they move there?

I really do think that there is a lot more to their story, if it's that one/both of them were lighteyes once or that they simply ran from something I don't know - but afaik they didn't grew up there (both of them) and nobody just moves to some remote village to feel alone between equals (usually).

Edited January 25, 2019 by Void89