ChickenBonanza

On the binding of pure-Investiture beings to planetary bodies. WAT stuff below.

Beings of pure Investiture, such as Spren or Cognitive Shadows, often find themselves ‘stuck’ on planets. This can happen for a variety of reasons, by my reckoning.

First, in Wind and Truth, the contract which bound the Shards to the Rosharan system also applies to beings of their component energies, such as the Spren. This agreement prevented all movement from the system, such that a Radiant wishing to leave would break their bond to their spren in the process of doing so.

However, the breaking of this pact would not allow for spren to leave freely inherently. Why? Because their Shards would still be Invested in the Rosharan system. The source of their Invested form tied spiritually to a physical area.

However, Investiture beings with physical bodies, like Returned or the Heralds (debatable on Heralds. They have physical bodies, but derived completely from Investiture. I’d lean towards yes, but perhaps not. Their existence being hinged entirely to Honor’s transformation of them mighty affect this) would be able to leave freely, as their Investiture is tied a physical medium, free to move. Kelsier’s difficulty in leaving Scadrial causes issues with this interpretation, of such an issue still exists while is soul is spiked into a physical body.

Without the Shard which comprised their essence Invested on a planet, pure-Investiture beings face no restrictions. This would apply to Spren at the end of Wind and Truth, as well as the Seons and Skaze. (Devotion and Dominion are no longer Invested on Sel, if they ever were. Their infinite essence has been shoved into Sel’s Cognitive Realm.)