Parallel to Stormlight

[telofson13]

Did anyone else notice that after Yumi stacks the rocks the first time, she is described the same way that the people in the city of Kasitor in Iri are described after every day when Cusicesh the Protector disappears (I don't have the exact quote on me, but I know it takes place in The Way of Kings, Interlude I-5)?

Quote

"It didn’t happen, though each request took longer to fulfill, each spirit longer to persuade, as they grew more detached from her performance. Plus, each request took a little…something from Yumi. Something that recovered over time, but in the moment left her feeling empty. Like a jar of citron tea being devoured spoonful by spoonful."

Yumi & the Nightmare Painter, 33-34

Knowing that Yumi is a cognitive shadow here and that parts of - or entire, in the case of the father machine - spirit-webs can be ripped from living beings, is Sanderson suggesting that the Protector is acting in this way? For what purpose? To gradually power up a larger fabrial? I'm aware of the theory that Adonalsium intentionally designed Roshar pre-Shattering and that the planet/solar system itself may very well be a massive, cosmic fabrial so I'm curious as to whether we're seeing the way that the fabrial is gaining its power is through this arrangement with the Protector & the Iri.

[Treamayne]

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10 hours ago, telofson13 said:

Did anyone else notice that after Yumi stacks the rocks the first time, she is described the same way that the people in the city of Kasitor in Iri are described after every day when Cusicesh the Protector disappears (I don't have the exact quote on me, but I know it takes place in The Way of Kings, Interlude I-5)?

Knowing that Yumi is a cognitive shadow here and that parts of - or entire, in the case of the father machine - spirit-webs can be ripped from living beings, is Sanderson suggesting that the Protector is acting in this way? For what purpose? To gradually power up a larger fabrial? I'm aware of the theory that Adonalsium intentionally designed Roshar pre-Shattering and that the planet/solar system itself may very well be a massive, cosmic fabrial so I'm curious as to whether we're seeing the way that the fabrial is gaining its power is through this arrangement with the Protector & the Iri.

Here's the Way of Kings quote:

Spoiler

They called it by name, Cusicesh, the Protector. Some worshipped it as a god. Most simply accepted it as part of the city. It was unique. One of the few types of spren he knew of that seemed to have only a single member.

But what kind of spren is it? Axies wrote, fascinated. It has formed a face, looking eastward. Directly toward the Origin. That face is shifting, bewilderingly quick. Different human faces appear on the end of its stumplike neck, one after another in blurred succession.

The display lasted a full ten minutes. Did any of the faces repeat? They changed so quickly, he couldn’t tell. Some seemed male, others female. Once the display was finished, Cusicesh retreated down into the bay, sending up phantom waves again.

Axies felt drained, as if something had been leeched from him. That was reported to be a common reaction. Was he imagining it because it was expected? Or was it real?

I think that the verb here - leeched - is particularly notable. My mersonal theory at this point is that small amounts of innate investiture are "taken/given" in these transactions since the feeling is described similar to how a (nascent) Radiant feels after running out of Stormlight. You don;t realize you are getting a boost until that bit is gone and you feel drained for the lack of the investiture boost.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Treamayne