Are the Fused ageless?

[+Oltux72 he/him]

That is, are they immortal in the same sense as the Heralds or will they age and eventually succumb to that and become disembodied spirits?

[Quantus he/him]

Interesting question!

I would call the mental degeneration a form of "Age" in the sense of inevitable degradation that makes their existence finite.  But the fused are possessing an otherwise normal body, unlike the Returned or Heralds (as far as we know). I have no idea if the body continues to age at it's previous rate, theoretically forcing a long-lived fused to trade in bodies as the singer ages out of usefulness, or if the Fused possession (that affects their physical forms in the skin patterns at least) stalls the body's aging processes.  

Edited October 21, 2021 by Quantus

[Dunkum he/him]

2 hours ago, Quantus said:

Interesting question!

I would call the mental degeneration a form of "Age" in the sense of inevitable degradation that makes their existence finite.  But the fused are possessing an otherwise normal body, unlike the Returned or Heralds (as far as we know). I have no idea if the body continues to age at it's previous rate, theoretically forcing a long-lived fused to trade in bodies as the singer ages out of usefulness, or if the Fused possession (that affects their physical forms in the skin patterns at least) stalls the body's aging processes.  

I would guess Fused are more heavily invested than a normal Singer, so possibly that would at least slow down their aging some.  though probably not on the level of the Returned, so unlikely to stop it altogether.  but that is all guesswork

[Trusk'our he/him]

17 hours ago, Dunkum said:

I would guess Fused are more heavily invested than a normal Singer, so possibly that would at least slow down their aging some.  though probably not on the level of the Returned, so unlikely to stop it altogether.  but that is all guesswork

Actually, does holding investiture of any type grant longevity, or is it just bio-chromatic breath?

[StanLemon]

On 10/22/2021 at 9:16 AM, Trusk'our said:

Actually, does holding investiture of any type grant longevity, or is it just bio-chromatic breath?

That's a good question. 

I'd venture to say yes* with that asterisk. Investiture in general is good for living things. Helps plants grow, keeps people healthier than they should be, etc. Breath is essentially a mass of Investiture and it takes 2000 of them to stop aging all together. That's a lot of it in a single person. 

My guess is that while Breath is probably more efficient at it, anyone with a large enough amount in their being would slow or stop their aging

[Proletariat]

It would make sense. Both the Returned and the Heralds are splinters stapled to dead bodies, and in the case of the Fused a singer dies and the cognitive shadow inhabits the remains.

[Honorless he/him]

The Fused inhabiting a Parshendi body seems to change the body so it's possible, I guess. That's a really good question.

[Meg]

On 10/21/2021 at 9:28 PM, Oltux72 said:

That is, are they immortal in the same sense as the Heralds

IMHO yes, because both kinds of entities are Cognitive Shadows.

Though, being "immortal" is, as we at the latest post Rhythm of War (actually already since Oathbringer) know, not really immortality.

Quote

or will they age and eventually succumb to that and become disembodied spirits?

Now I'm confused. Do you ask about the bodies the Fused snatched from singers?

Insofar I have no idea.  

Edited October 26, 2021 by Meg
Hit "return" what sent the empty answer. / Second edit: immortality