Awakeners

[Iapetus the Titan he/him]

I'm not yet done with the book, but I just wanted to ask this question. Can anybody become an Awakener? I assume all you have to do is have an extra few breaths, which you can gain by buying them. but is that it? Is that all you need?

[Honorless he/him]

Buying Breaths can get you the Heightenings but it won't make you an Awakener

Quote

Pechvarry (paraphrased)

What happens when non-Nalthians come to Nalthis.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They cannot use their own soul to Awaken but could do so with obtained Breath.

Pechvarry (paraphrased)

So anyone could start Awakening once they received Breaths?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

You would probably have to jump through some hoops to Awaken (talks about systems needing rigged up to work on different planets), but anyone can benefit from a Breath. Essentially said "it's not that easy!"

Words of Radiance Dayton signing (March 19, 2014)

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Honorless

[RShara she/her]

11 minutes ago, Honorless said:

Buying Breaths can get you the Heightenings but it won't make you an Awakener

 

Brandon's walked back on that. Anyone who has enough Breaths for the Commands can Awaken. Some Stormlight spoilers here, too.

Quote

Snoxcatko

Can people from another world like Scadrial or Sel become a Knight Radiant.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Snoxcatko

Is there some like special conditions in world?

Brandon Sanderson

Nope. You just have to be chosen by the spren. So because the spren are involved then the requirements are a little different for Roshar. But to became an Awakener, you just need to get the Breath so you could pick it up on Nalthis also pretty easily.

Prague Signing (Oct. 26, 2019)

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by RShara

[LoveTheJourney]

On 2/16/2020 at 3:35 PM, RShara said:

Brandon's walked back on that. Anyone who has enough Breaths for the Commands can Awaken. Some Stormlight spoilers here, too.

 

Re-reading Warbreaker after Sunlit Man and I can see now why he walked that back.

That said, out of all the worlds in the cosmere, I've always been the most confused about Nalthis investiture. 

Edited March 16, 2024 by LoveTheJourney
Clarification

[Treamayne]

Welcome to the Shard.

7 hours ago, LoveTheJourney said:

I've always been the most confused about Nalthis investiture. 

The main thing to remember about Warbreaker (and Nalthis) is that the Manifestation of Investiture is warped by Endownment's Intent. WoB:

Spoiler

vandar10

Could someone with enough Breaths use part of them to heal himself without the help of a Returned?? Could the God King have healed himself without Lightsong with enough knowledge?

Brandon Sanderson

The nature of the Warbreaker magic is tied to the shard of Endowment, which is about giving. There are, therefore, things you cannot do for yourself.

/r/books AMA 2015 (June 8, 2015)

So, even normal Awakening is about "giving capacity" to the Awakened object, just as giving away your breath means it changes Identity to fit the Recipient. This also ties into why breath cannot be reclaimed from Lifeless, as the corse is "close enough" to life that the Breath changes to the Lifeless' Identity and no longer belongs to you. 

Spoiler

Djarskublar

I'd like confirmation/denial of a theory of mine. Is the reason people can recall breaths from objects but not Lifeless or sentient awakened objects because they no longer have the same Identity as the awakener?

Brandon Sanderson

You are on the right track.

Stormlight Three Update #5 (Nov. 20, 2016)