Could Hoid be a shell?

[Jondesu he/him]

59 minutes ago, Spoolofwhool said:

Okay. I have no idea on the matter, just what other people have been saying in this thread.

And I only know that from other threads.  That's how this works, so keep it up.

[ARARITA he/him]

I know that's a name - that is why I capitalized it   however I stand by my silly guess - and I realize it is silly

[1stBondsmith he/him]

Hoid has seen many names in the books. Among these are:

Midius on Yolen, followed by Hoid, his Master Liar's name in "The Liar of Partinel. Also named that by Hoid in WoK to two people.

Topaz- referenced by WoB, "The Letter" with Frost, and by Hoid himself "named for a stone made worthless for my having worn it".

Wit- WoK and WoR

Various other roles as seen in Elantris and head of the beggars, beggar informant in Mistborn and other small cameos including coach driver. Lots to name.

But the main thrust of the thread was if Hoid is a shell that could have been Adonalsium. I think he was not. But I think he knows or knows about Adonalsium as well as any shard, as he was part of the conspiracy to shatter it, but decided not to and swore not to interfere. (The Letter from Frost). He is now interfering. My guess is that he is not the shell of Adonalsium, but that he knows or is learning what is needed to reassemble the shards. My other guess is that he has not been "Quite Human" since the shattering, but he is doing the best he can in the state he was left in. I don't have any clue what that state is. Kelsier's path seems to indicate that there are many ways to exist and get connection, healing, immortality and power.

[Bromo_Sapien]

I've always thought of Hoid (pre-Shattering) as the D'Artagnan to the Shard Holder's Three (Sixteen) Musketeers. The Shard Holders all seem to know a lot about each other, their personalities both pre- and post-Shattering, likes, dislikes, etc. Hoid writes of them in the Letter not as godly figures but more as close friends, reminiscing over old arguments and past friendships. There seems to be the same in-fighting, romances, and shifting interpersonal dynamics that are so often seen in long-term friend groups, like when you get together with old friends you grew up with as adults. Hoid seems, at once, to be an outsider to the group (quite literally, since he is not a Shard Holder and is the only one we have met who was at the Shattering) while also knowing and liking many (or all) of them personally.