Can the Old Magic be used on Spren?

[Darth_Hel]

Sja-Anat is showing with Glys and now others the ability to modify True Spren which she couldn't in the past. So far, Dalinar and Taravangian were major parts of her plan that she used the Old Magic to cultivate, but Renarin seems to be one of the most important. It seems interesting that Cultivation wouldn't have used the Old Magic to cultivate Renarin's path in some way. Could Sja-Anat have went to the Nightwatcher and been granted a boon/curse by Cultivation herself? Sja-Anats new abilities seem like they could be Cultivation linked, allowing her to help sentient spren change their paths. Also, letting some children die so that others may live seems a Cultivation type approach. If its possible, a long view of Cultivation's plan could mean she helped link BAM to the Parsh and cause the False Desolation leading to everything happening now, but mainly curious if she could be responsible for Sja-Anats boosted abilities. 

[Stormtide_Leviathan]

Now there's a theory I haven't heard before. Huh. That's a very cool idea.

[Honorless]

Wow, I can't believe I didn't notice the parallels between the Nightwatcher and Sja-Anat!

[Turtle373]

The old magic works on singers and on people not native to Roshar, so I can't see a reason for it not working on sentient spren. I think it's possible that Sja-Anat's new ability comes the Old Magic, and if it is then here's an interesting thought, what's her curse?

I don't think Ba-Ado-Mishram's ability to connect to the singers came from the Old Magic though. I think it was just something that had never needed to be done because the heralds always eventually broke and let Odium/Voidspren/Fused out, but when Taln wouldn't break BAM tried something new and it worked. Personally I prefer the theory that BAM is Odium's bondsmith spren, for lack of better term, and was able to connect to all the singers and give them voidlight and forms of power. Which is very similar to what we see the Stormfather do except he is only bonded to Dalinar. 

[Darth_Hel]

27 minutes ago, Ookla the Turtle said:

The old magic works on singers and on people not native to Roshar, so I can't see a reason for it not working on sentient spren. I think it's possible that Sja-Anat's new ability comes the Old Magic, and if it is then here's an interesting thought, what's her curse?

I don't think Ba-Ado-Mishram's ability to connect to the singers came from the Old Magic though. I think it was just something that had never needed to be done because the heralds always eventually broke and let Odium/Voidspren/Fused out, but when Taln wouldn't break BAM tried something new and it worked. Personally I prefer the theory that BAM is Odium's bondsmith spren, for lack of better term, and was able to connect to all the singers and give them voidlight and forms of power. Which is very similar to what we see the Stormfather do except he is only bonded to Dalinar. 

The best I could come up with is that she can boost sentient spren now, but her curse is perhaps that she has less overall control. The need for it to be their choice instead of something she can just do.

[Stormtide_Leviathan]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Turtle said:

what's her curse

Do we have evidence that she was rebellious before this? Maybe her curse was feeling guilt for her past actions. Odium does have a tendency to take that from people so they could act without remorse

[Kingsdaughter613]

On 12/7/2020 at 5:29 PM, Ookla the Turtle said:

The old magic works on singers and on people not native to Roshar, so I can't see a reason for it not working on sentient spren. I think it's possible that Sja-Anat's new ability comes the Old Magic, and if it is then here's an interesting thought, what's her curse?

I don't think Ba-Ado-Mishram's ability to connect to the singers came from the Old Magic though. I think it was just something that had never needed to be done because the heralds always eventually broke and let Odium/Voidspren/Fused out, but when Taln wouldn't break BAM tried something new and it worked. Personally I prefer the theory that BAM is Odium's bondsmith spren, for lack of better term, and was able to connect to all the singers and give them voidlight and forms of power. Which is very similar to what we see the Stormfather do except he is only bonded to Dalinar. 

Looks like you and I agree on BAM. I wonder if she had a Bondsmith though.

It almost seems from this theory that Sja-Anat could be becoming the Odium/Cultivation version of the sibling, giving yet another reason for why Sja-Anat calls the Sibling ‘cousin.’

[Stormtide_Leviathan]

15 hours ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

It almost seems from this theory that Sja-Anat could be becoming the Odium/Cultivation version of the sibling, giving yet another reason for why Sja-Anat calls the Sibling ‘cousin.’

We call it "corrupting" but she does seem to disagree with the term. I could definitely see what she does as an extension of cultivation's intent