i’m in the details

While the level of alteration is higher than some of the others I have placed above it. The actual physical discrepancies are minimal due to the stamps not taking if they make it too different from themselves.

@Krios I have long thought that is how dragons manifest in their human forms.

@Calderis so then can we assume that emotions are tangible “things” in the cosmere?

@PelekinikeleT hey thanks it’s a funny name. As for shapeshifting altering Identity, maybe. I think in terms of the heralds “shapeshifting” or Their Identity is playing a role, but that would be a good question for Brandon.

Alright so I’m not sure if we have seen on screen a world hopper attracting spren. I’m also curious to the relationship between emotions and the cognitive realm. If you shipped some emotion spren to Scadrial would people start seeing them? If of course you transferred the connection they have to roshar there as well. I’m also curious to the nature of connection and the viewing of emotions. Like if you tapped a connectionmind could you feel someone’s emotions?

bUt iTS vOiD LiGht

Yes! I completely forgot about forging. Forger- Able to alter the features and inner workings of the body, even so far as the souls Identity, but is limited in terms of disguise to a look similar to the host due to the nature of forging. I’d place this near decendents of returned.

I’m counting any alteration to the body that has worked as a disguise as shapeshifting. That is a good point about the multiple monks required to preform it.

Just a short little opinion on shapeshiting within the cosmere, and the most powerful form of it we’ve seen (from least to most): Siah Aimians- shapeshifting is limited to adding pigment to the skin, as far as we know. Decendents Of Returned- Siri and Viv, have the ability to change hair color, as well as mildly modify their features, such as Viv adding scars and folds to her eyes. Dakor Monks- Easily forgotten about, but they have shown the ability to change facial features and body composition. This is what begins to separate the shapeshifters in my opinion. The ability to change the mass of your person as you shapeshift. Kandra- Now I know it is stated that Kandra cannot change their mass while shapeshifting, but given Ten Soon’s ability to “eat” a dog, horse, and a human. We are going to assume that is not quite true. Dysian Aimians- In truth this spot is interchangeable with kandra imo. We do not know enough about these cremlingbodied fellows to tell for sure the limit of their abilities, but they can flawlessly replicate a human body and features and can presumably replicate anyone’s faster than a kandra can and without killing them. Returned/Heralds/Cognitive Shadows- This is where we start getting into the least understood and arguably most powerful, and versatile forms of shapeshifting. Due to their nature as cognitive entities, Returned can change their features and body composition simply by thought. It is extreme enough to allow Vasher to take a significant amount of his mass away as he is in his human disguise. Heralds either highjack a body of a human and change it to match their features, or form a body out of pure investiture, which is pushing the boundaries of what I call shapeshifting but is an important magical ability. Kelsier also may posses similar abilities to the heralds. Dragons- Now the shapeshifting abilities of dragons are teetering on the edge of cannon, that said within dragonsteel prime they have shown extreme mass reduction from a full size dragon form to human. Whether this is the limit of their abilities is something I would love to discuss in the replies. I hope everyone enjoyed a refresher list of shapeshifting in the cosmere, if I missed anything, or you disagree with my list let me know!

Alright so quick conversation starter: what do we think the emotional metals have to do with the cognitive realm? We know that wearing an aluminum lines hat around your head prevents the effects, as well as burning copper, but what would happen if you tried to sooth or riot szeth? Someone who is partially in the cognitive realm. Can you affect Spren? If both you and your target are in the cognitive realm will there be a visible effect when you sooth? I’d just like to know more about the cognitive side of emotional allomancy. If there is one. Forgive the format and hastyness I am writing this in class on my phone and didn’t want to forget it!

Welp this pokes a hole then. It was just a thought, thanks for the feedback!

Seems like a tenuous connection to me. That said we have long known Magic’s in the cosmere to cause similar effects across systems, so maybe it’s the same with this nausea effect!

Alrighty so this theory does not hold much water but I have not seen it anywhere else and I would like to spark discussion. So we know from a recent wob that Ambition’s Vessel was a Sho Del. I for one had always speculated this was the case as the name seemed atypical compared to most of the vessels who have been name dropped. That said it occurred to me, whilst I reminisced on my hunt for the Sho Del shard or shards, that perhaps Aona and Skai were Sho Del by no other reason than my warped perception of their names and the fact that Rayse wanted them out of the way along with Uli Da. So the theory is that Odium is hunting the Sho Del shards for reasons unknown. I’d love to hear your thoughts and criticisms!

My gut says yes, but if that were the case I am suprised that we have not seen a shard do it when they have had the opportunity. Take Endowment for example, she could have made her returned much more powerful. And we know from a WoB that the reason Nathians began returning is due to Endowment wanting to keep up with events happening I’m Cosmere. Most likely Odium. So why not turn her returned into Proto-Shards?

I am aware of the rule against speaking of unpublished works. I am also aware that everything from unpublished works are subject to change. That said, if you want to see how a cosmere dragon looks: read Dragonsteel prime off of Big B’s website.

If you’re comparing them to an Avatar like Kelsier, I would say yes. That said in my opinion cognitive entities who were once human are different from those who were created by pure investiture like spren. So Shades and kel are the same breed whereas spren are another entirely. I like to think about cognitive entities as having diffrent forms based on how they keep themselves from the beyond. In shades case it’s Ambitions investiture (probably) and for Kel it was preservation and willpower.

I’m partial to the belief that Sazed was going to help them or was in the process of helping them and Kelsier got there in time to influence either a specific group or all of them, specifically to become a god to them.

I’d say yes. Otherwise it would have just been called a cremling and it’s odd features wouldn’t have been described. Plus: we know they like to listen in and know about important events and characters.

Hoid has access to the Yolen form of feruchemy, as well as various other Magic’s no other character has such as his enhanced “shardblade-proof” healing.

To me, without any evidence, it seems like the shifting into whatever-you-soulcast is the side affect of normal non-surgebinders channeling so much investiture. It could also have something to do with that investiture corrupting their spirit webs similar to a savant or hemalurgic creation on scandrial.

I am behind the argument that Vin coukd in theory just shred kaladin with a metal storm from a distance. This along with her emotional allomancy should be enough to garner at least 50/50 in all situations. My question is how well would kaladin fair against vin who has access to the W&W era metals. With the abilities of a Leecher, lashings would be useless, and bendalloy bubbles could be used to avoid shadblade attacks. I even believe I saw a WoB that a shardblad wouldn’t be able to enter a time bubble.

Not my point. It’s that he is invested. Anyways I stand by that his bullet blocking speed and crazy super strength win out over any and all versions of our favorite wind runner

Without Achilles it’s a close fight. Weapons match somewhat evenly and stats are similar. But Percy with the ac should be immune to the shardblade and lashings in the same way another shardblade is. The investiture or magic strength of the River Styx is higher than that of one single radiant or blade. My best power example would be the fact that gods in pjo are in some ways as powerful or more than shards and he is half god

As a huge fan of both I think I’m going to play devils advocate. Ironically. Percy is faster than we’ve seen Kaladin Perform, note that I am halfway through oathnringer so no spoilers please. But Kaladin has neve blocked bullets. Or shown the raw strength to pick up a 20 foot tall Minotaur and throw him. Just my two sense. Morals off Percy cleans shop cuz that dank blood manip. Percy should also be considered heavily invested as he is half god. And has all sorts of passive magic abilities. I’d say no lashing him easily. And riptide vs shardblade is a clash. One shouldn’t cut the other in my opinion

But I distinctly remember Kelsier in ghost-esk form being able to affect the crazy man he finds in the hotel. Without a spike. I’m fairly certain it states that the man has a cracked spirit web...but if you’re right than what made kelsier able to affect him?