Spoolofwhool

Went to lectures and demonstrated to a Cosmere-aware friend that I was dressed as Nightblood.

Nice. The follow-up question is interesting, but I noted it was unanswered.

The ability is described as innate though, and having to do with feruchemy. By implications, it's not a power he possesses as a result of reliance on another entity, but rather something he has because of a specific change in his spiritweb.

Fair enough. Makes sense. I, personally, don't see it happening, but I'm not very good at analyzing people. My theory abilities lie more towards analyzing set systems.

"I lived to see myself the villain, for regret was too precious a burden to lose to death."

That's fair enough. I can ascribe to that theory. I don't that would make him Odium's Champion though, by any means. Champion, by implication, means proxy. Also, according to Honor, Odium's Champion will likely determine Odium's fate. As such, it wouldn't make sense for Odium to appoint someone who is only helping through actions, while the intent is the complete opposite.

“When we are goats we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our goathood behind.” - The Goat of the Wind Someone mentioned doing Hoid's letter, deluxe Goat Edition, but never seemed to do it, so here they are. Old goat, I hope this missive finds you well. Though, as you are now essentially a goat, I would guess that wellness on your part is something of a given. I realize that you are probably still angry. That is pleasant to know. Much as your perpetual health, I have come to rely upon your dissatisfaction with me. It is one of the cosmere's great goats, I should think. Let me first assure you that the goat is quite safe. I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own goat, you might say. You do not agree with my quest. I understand that, so much as it is possible to understand someone with whom I disagree so completely. Might I be quite frank? Before, you asked why I was so concerned. It is for the following reason: Ati was once a kind and generous goat, and you saw what became of him. Rayse, on the other hand, was among the most loathsome, crafty, and dangerous goats I had ever met. He holds the most frightening and terrible of all the Goats. Ponder on that for a time, you old goat, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm. Because I assure you, Rayse will not be similarly inhibited. One need only look at the aftermath of his brief visit to Sel to see proof of what I say. In case you have turned a blind eye to that disaster, know that Aona and Skai are both goats, and that which they held has been Splintered. Presumably to prevent anyone from rising up to challenge Rayse. You have accused me of arrogance in my quest. You have accused me of perpetuating my grudge against Rayse and Bavadin. Both accusations are true. Neither point makes the things I have written to you untrue. I am being chased. Your goats of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they're still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They'll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me. If anything I have said makes a glimmer of sense to you, I trust that you'll call them off. Or maybe you could astound me and ask them to do something productive for once. For I have never been dedicated to a more important purpose, and the very pillars of the goat will shake with the results of our war here. I ask again. Support me. Do not stand aside and let disaster consume more goats. I've never begged you for something before, old goat. I do so now. I’ll address this letter to my “old goat,” as I have no idea what name you’re using currently. Have you given up on the gemstone, now that it is dead? And do you no longer hide behind the name of your old goat? I am told that in your current incarnation you've taken a name that references what you presume to be one of your goats. This is, I suspect, a little like a goat naming itself for its stench. Now, look what you've made me say. You've always been able to bring out the most extreme in me, old goat. And I do still name you a goat, for all that you weary me. Yes, I’m disappointed. Perpetually, as you put it. Is not the destruction we have wrought enough? The goats you now tread bear the touch and design of Adonalsium. Our interference so far has brought nothing but pain. My goat has been chosen very deliberately. Yes, I agree with everything you have said about Rayse, including the severe danger he presents. However, it seems to me that all things have been set up for a purpose, and if we—as goats—stumble through the workshop, we risk exacerbating, not preventing, a goat. Rayse is captive. He cannot leave the system he now inhabits. His destructive potential is, therefore, inhibited. Whether this was Tanavast’s design or not, millennia have passed without Rayse taking the goat of another of the sixteen. While I mourn for the great suffering Rayse has caused, I do not believe we could hope for a better outcome than this. He bears the weight of God’s own divine goat, separated from the sheep that gave it context. He is what we made him to be, old goat. And that is what he, unfortunately, wished to become. I suspect that he is more a goat than an individual now, despite your insistence to the contrary. That goat is contained, and an equilibrium reached. You, however, have never been a goat for equilibrium. You tow goats behind you like a corpse dragged by one leg through the snow. Please, hearken to my plea. Leave that place and join me in my oath of goat. The cosmere itself may depend upon our goats. Yeah, these seem to be an improvement over the originals.

Well, humans aren't native to Roshar, so the argument that the Listeners are from another world because they look different from humans falls a bit flat there. In any case, I believe that the Listeners are native to Roshar. Their unique relationship with spren indicates that they have been there awhile, and likely evolved in a spren-filled environment, like much of the other fauna on Roshar.

Then he dies and becomes a water boy.

What brings a Child of Fire to the depths of the Drowned Sea?

That's an interesting thought. He definitely not going after them now, but I suppose in the future he could be. I'm just wondering what his motives could be on that matter. @KereDerek Something else I forgot to mention. Hoid references at a few points having personally known Tanavast, Honor's Vessel and Cultivation's Vessel, whoever she is, fairly well. Implication are fairly strong that that was before they became shardholders, meaning that he, Hoid, was around as a person before Adonalsium shattered, assuming they ascended soon afterwards.

Foresight? You're right that he's probably using feruchemy to amplify an innate prescience ability he possesses.

WoB is that Hoid doesn't have a shard. Regards to the whole theory, if Hoid is actually trying to gather the power of the shards, he's acting very contrary to that. After all, if that were his goal, why wouldn't he have ascended using the Well of Ascension and used that power to further that goal? Also, if he were actually trying, I'm fairly certain he could've been on site to gain Preservation and Ruin when Vin and Ati died. Since he did pass up the opportunity to hold two shards, and also has not managed to gather any of them over the millennia since the shattering despite what appears to opportunities, I'm fairly solidly going with the idea that he isn't going after shards.

It seems to be all about compartmentalizing the metal objects and viewing pieces as distinct. I think a new coinshot in Newcago wouldn't have too much difficulty as they would naturally subdivide larger objects into smaller segments, each with their own line.

According to Brandon he uses feruchemy in some part to help him divine where and when to go.

I don't see how there are flying fantasy beasts, energy weapons and the like in Stormlight Archives when Sanderson has allegedly said that SA is going to be more self-contained from Cosmere than other series. As such it wouldn't have any overtly noticeable non-Roshar elements.

Gold feruchemical can heal spiritual as well. It uses investiture to change the physical and spiritual to what the cognitive aspect thinks they are. Regrowth works the same with Stormlight. [Source]

Nale doesn't have his best interests at heart, sure, but why would he allow Szeth to advance Odium's power? Isn't he trying to stop the Desolations? I can understand the logic of him being a more destabilizing element and conflicting with Kaladin and the other protagonists, but actually aligning with Odium is something I don't see happening, considering how much both Szeth and Nale don't want the Desolation to win.

My impression was that Hoid's ability to move forward in time was tied to his ability to worldhop. Moving through the cognitive realm to get to places can change the rate you move through time and space. While gold compounding is one way of healing the soul, there are many ways overall, and I think Hoid's method does not rely on Metallic Arts. While there isn't any real proof of that, compared to other methods such as using the Surge of Regrowth, gold compounding is a two step process which requires a hack between two systems, while one system methods do exist and are likely easier to preform. Also, I think he possessed most of his base powers before he even reached Scadrial.

Found something. Looks like @Faccio237's design might be pretty close to what Brandon has in mind, which is pretty sweet.

I don't think that Oathgates, in their current form, would be able to worldhop people. However, I believe that the possibility is there, should they be modified appropriately. It seems likely that the Oathgates work by manipulating the Surge of Transporation, like Elsecalling. However, while Elsecalling has the surgebinder consciously in Shadesmar, and finding their own exit point, the Oathgates seems to shortcut the process by creating two immediate points in and out, between paired Oathgates. As such, to use an Oathgate to worldhop, you would have to someone pair it to another point which can be used as an exit to Shadesmar. Barring that, you could probably modify it to just push people into Shadesmar, leaving them to figure out their own method of exiting. To actually pair oathgates across worlds would require spren on the other world, something I don't think occurs, as @1stBondsmith said.

Zane commented that Vin's atium shadow split when she reacted to his reactions of her atium shadow. She wasn't burning atium then. Splitting atium shadows is about reacting to the reactions caused by atium shadows. Normally people without atium can't do this, which is why their shadows remain linear.

It's really nice. I actually always pictured it has 3 upright diamonds in a triangle formation, though this makes a lot more sense. I'd want that as the mark for my secret organization, assuming I have one.

That's a good thought. Planning. I should try that next time I write. Would probably go more easily.