Why aren't Thaidakar and Restares Interested in [Spoiler]

[ThurgreatMarshall]

Rhythm of War had some interesting revelations about the leadership of the Ghostbloods and Sons of Honor, with what I thought was one glaring omission. 

 

Restares, aka Kelek/Kalak, is a Herald and cognitive shadow with an interest in leaving the Rosharan system but can't seem to figure out how. 

Thaidakar, whether or not you think the Lord of Scars is from Scadrial, is a cognitive shadow who is looking for more information on cognitive shadow-hood and can't seem to leave this planet.

 

It seems notable that there are no major interactions between either faction and Talaxin (Zahel). After all, he's a cognitive shadow who has left his home planet on more than one occasion and has continued to exist for a significant period of time. It seems like he'd be able to help them both out. I don't recall any WoBs on the topic, but thought it was worth bringing up. 

[Blackwarder]

I think they don’t know about him. He’s been lying pretty low.

[Leuthie]

I'm sure they know about Returned. Returned are cognitive shadows, but they have a piece of Endowment grafted on them (Divine Breath). The problem with Kelek or Thaidakar leaving is that they have to stay close to the location of the Shard that created them. Kelek can't leave Roshar or the power of Honor will stay behind and he'll disappear.

Zahel and all Returned carry around that power with them.

Could this help others? I guess they could ask their respective Shards for a Divine Breath equivalent.

[extremepayne he/him]

Returned are also bound to their planet. Whatever the secret is, Vasher has figured it out.

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

8 hours ago, Leuthie said:

I'm sure they know about Returned. Returned are cognitive shadows, but they have a piece of Endowment grafted on them (Divine Breath). The problem with Kelek or Thaidakar leaving is that they have to stay close to the location of the Shard that created them. Kelek can't leave Roshar or the power of Honor will stay behind and he'll disappear.

Zahel and all Returned carry around that power with them.

Could this help others? I guess they could ask their respective Shards for a Divine Breath equivalent.

Kell is a really weird one. He was initially maintained through a continual Connection to Preservation, similar to the Heralds. Returned carry Splinters of Endowment which, for what ever reason, appears to be tied to them instead of her. (Possibly due to the nature of the Shard?)
 

Kell is a Sliver now though, which may mean he is a piece of Preservation. He’s not carrying a Splinter inside him; what he is has been fundamentally altered by what he held. There should be a way to break off the piece completely from the whole without harming him. Doing it would probably be tricky, since you could be risking dissolving his Spirit web.

Either that, or the original link is what’s actually causing him problems.

[ftl]

On 11/25/2020 at 11:39 AM, Luke Skybreaker said:

Returned are also bound to their planet.

Are we sure about that? It could be that Returned don't have much of an issue leaving, so they're not interesting for Restares/Thaidakar to research in the first place.

[signspace13 he/him]

Vasher once had pretty handy access to a sword that we have now seen cut Connections. Nightblood could be a very dangerous answer to this question for both of the cognitive shadows. 

[LordTheodore]

Mraize tells Shallan that Thaidakar has a similar affliction to the Heralds; since the Heralds and Thaidakar are Cognitive Shadows who are worshipped as Gods on their home planet, this is likely to be true. Whilst some returned are worshipped on Nalthis very few have lived as long as Thaidakar and none have lived as long as the Heralds. Hence if Thaidakar wants an understanding of the long term effects of his affliction he can't use a returned.