L0N3STARR

This is actually the quote I shared, and a big part of my point. Not "leaving him free," but rather he "gained freedom." I'll check out your theory!

I disagree. The description of Patji and the Obradai avatar both appear to be humanoid and sapient in nature, and Telsin was obviously a human. There's no reference to Telsin being a vessel of an avatar. I think that to both Brandon, and to Hoid, word choice is very important. He did not say he "maintained" freedoms, which he would have already had, were he just a man. He said he "gained" freedoms. I corrected in a comment above to say what I really meant was an avatar of Adonalsium. And we know from Telsin that an avatar can be someone who already exists. I think he was part of the shattering because he was an avatar, and after the shattering, he became unbound from Adonalsium.

No, I meant to say splinter. Based on this WOB I was thinking that splinter was basically an avatar with full autonomy: But this WOB actually shows I was thinking wrong... So more accurately, my theory would be that he was an Avatar of Adonalsium. Though he could be a Sliver, I suppose, assuming the vessel of Adonalsium has changed, or even could change. But I was more thinking that he was a being spun off by Adonalsium for an express purpose, which is why I went with Splinter, but Avatar probably makes more sense as to why he wouldn't have had his independence in the first place. However, the Dawnshard theory is probably better, assuming Dawnshards existed before the shattering.

Gained something... Gained means he didn't have it before. That means he was bound, prior to refusing a shard. My theory? Hoid either was the vessel of Adonalsium, or was a splinter of Adonalsium. More likely a splinter, since Frost is older than him. He was there for the shattering, because it was he, or rather because he was a part of, who was being shattered. Perhaps the shattering gave him his autonomy.

I really like the chart! Fun thinking for sure! I choose to believe that the 16th shared is Prudence rather than Wisdom. But like you said this is all in fun and you're not trying to call it canon. I applaud your efforts!

Good question... We know that Ba-Ado-Mishram has some power over connection, since she was able to fuel the transformations of the singers during the false desolation. I think I remember a WOB that said that when a singer changes form, they undergo a change in the spiritual realm. Likewise, maybe she acted as an intermediary for sapient spren, allowing them to transition spiritually from radiant spren manifested primarily in the physical realm to intelligent spren manifested primarily in the cognitive realm. The nahel bond must make some spiritual change that allows them to maintain sapience in the physical realm. This could also be why their physical bodies remain manifested as shardblades. They have no connection to facilitate the spiritual transition and are stuck in a spiritual limbo. Why would an unmade have that relationship with radiant spren? She is sapient and is clearly a unique and special spren. Maybe she held that role prior to becoming an unmade, and it carried over after her corruption by Odium. Maybe she was a spren that could have made a fourth Bondsmith before being unmade. So why is Maya able to begin regaining consciousness? I have a few theories. 1. Now Adolin is providing some form of connection for Maya (perhaps picking up her bond?) that is allowing her to transition, albeit clearly very slowly. This could lead to her spirit not needing to transition to perceive itself as manifesting primarily in the cognitive realm, as maybe she'll form a new nahel bond. 2. Could be some kind of reverse Hoed thing. The trauma of the severed bond breaks a deadeye's mind, and only through the care and attentiveness of Adolin is Maya's mind able to snap out of that state and allow her to become cognizant again. This doesn't mean her transition issue will be repaired by her "bond" with Adolin, just that her mind is no longer broken. 3. Reod Elantrians still had access to AonDor despite their "plug," but with significantly reduced efficacy. Maybe Maya still has the ability to rewrite her spirit slightly, but not sufficiently to fully transition. Maybe care for Adolin encouraged her to push past the "block" to make some sort of spiritual change. Or maybe those ideas are all crazy. But that's the best I've got for now. Haha

Sorry if this has already been figured out by everyone else and I'm late to the party, but I just realized reading this WOB: https://wob.coppermind.net/events/452/#e14536 That deadeyes are stuck in a transitionary state, just like Elantrians were! The influence of Ba-Ado-Mishram is necessary for spren to fully transition (or for bonds to fully be severed, perhaps) when their bonds are broken. I'm sure that others knew this and nobody else is excited but I figured something out and had to share.