L0N3STARR

Feeling more confident in my Hoid Cognitive Shadow theory now reading this one.

Been studying up on god metals, aluminum, silver, Adonalsium, and so on. I have many thoughts, and am going to try to make them all fit in this discussion topic. First off, Brandon has repeatedly RAFO'd questions on relationships between aluminum and Adonalsium of basically any form. He has said some interesting things about the difference between aluminum and silver. I find this WoB particularly interesting. So some theories - not necessarily related, and occasionally in conflict... Theory 1 - Is Aluminum Adonalsium's God Metal? It's been theorized a great deal, at least in WoB. My gut reaction is no. But let's discuss reasons it could be. It's found everywhere in the Cosmere, but is very rare, pre industrial revolution. If Adonalsium is or was a building block of creation and existence in the Cosmere, it would make sense that it would be found everywhere, but also that it would be rare. But it would also make sense why, post industrial revolution, it became very abundant. If you have the appropriate methodology, why couldn't you easily break things down to their most base element, the building block of creation, aluminum. Additionally, aluminum is resistant to investiture. Could this be because, at it's core, aluminum IS investiture? Reasons I don't like this theory: It seems like aluminum has almost an opposite effect, rather than providing investiture, it resists investiture. This leads to an alternate theory that I MAY like better. Theory 2 - Adonalsium and Aluminum - Opposites, Gods, and all the rest. I think this is, in my opinion, one of the two most interesting ideas I'll bring up in this post, so forgive me if I wax long. It has been indicated that there may be (or even explicitly is, depending on how you read the WoB) an opposite or opposing force to Adonalsium. Let us look at the names. Adonalsium. Aluminum (or the British Aluminium). I'm not certain it's coincidence. Maybe, pre shattering, there were two beings. Two opposing forces. Yin and Yang. Adonals (Ado), and Alumin. They were the co-creators of the Cosmere. Or perhaps, they were creators of two connected universes. A Cosmere and a Arccosmere (dumb math joke because I didn't know what the other name may be, can't find a good root meaning for "cos" that Brandon would conceivably have used). And what if Adonalsium and Aluminum are the god metals of these beings, or forces? Adonalsium is pure investiture, and Aluminium is that which resists it, or impedes it. I really like this idea. Why don't we see the metal Adonalsium throughout the Cosmere? Because it all lives in the spiritual realm, fueling the investiture of the Cosmere. And Aluminium (ralkalest, brought by meteors) is present to resist it. Sent on meteors by this other being or force. Maybe the shattering was necessary and a choice, made by Adonals and the those who were there at the shattering, to help take investiture and magics and life across the Cosmere to prepare for a coming opposition. Or alternatively, Where does silver come into play? It is not allomantically viable. It destroys investiture. So what if, rather than being at odds, Alumin and Adonals were truly yin and yang, working together to resist "the dark aether" the destroyer, the opposition, which is the progenitor of silver? You can even look at Era 1 of Mistborn being Brandon trying his hand at this. Creating this yin yang, co-creator conflict between Ruin and Preservation as a hint for things that had happened, and that would happen, across the entirety of the Cosmere. Theory 3 - Aluminum, Ralkalest, Ulidamium? Could Aluminum be the God metal of Uli Da, the vessel of the Shard Ambition? Brandon has said that the splintering of Ambition has had disturbing affects on Threnody and far reaching effects in the Cosmere. What if that's how Aluminum can be found on any planet within the Cosmere? Because when Ambition was splintered, when Odium "tore off chunks of her power" those chunks were spread across the Cosmere. And maybe there is some relationship, some alloying, or some affect or relationship between Aluminum and silver, with silver being most well understood by the Threnodites because they were the first to face and resist the affects of the death of Ambition. Theory 4 - Is Hoid a Cognitive Shadow? Now let me preface this by saying I think we have evidence that the answer is no, based on previous WoB. I brought up a theory last May that maybe Hoid had been Adonalsium, or was an Avatar of Adonalsium, which received mixed opinions, and one argument made was that a previous WoB says that Hoid was born naturally. But Brandon, we've found, can say things that are "technically" true while not being completely forthwith, and that could be the case here. This is the other of the most interesting (to me) ideas that I wanted to bring up in this post. Anyways, where does this idea come from? I read a WoB that I found very interesting... Why is this such an enormous RAFO? Maybe because Hoid IS the cognitive shadow, that which remains, of the former vessel of Adonalsium, or perhaps part of Hoid is that cognitive shadow. And we know that not every cognitive shadow is the same. Kelsier's cognitive shadow remains largely the same, however Tanavast's cognitive shadow merged with the Stormfather, creating something new. Returned are the "same" being, driven by an intent, but without recollection or memory of how they came to be where they are. So, maybe the intent, the mantle of Adonalsium settled on an apprentice, friend, child, heir, of Adonalsium to continue to advance his intent and purpose. He can move throughout the universe because he is inherently connected to it. He is driven by an intent to save the Cosmere because he took part in its creation. He knows where he needs to be, but not what he needs to do, because Adonalsium saw into the spiritual realm and saw what would be, and is pushing Hoid in the right direction, while not having a complete understanding or knowledge of what to do once he gets there.

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.