#the fused

[dontworryaboutdeath]

The Fused don’t appear to *choose* to return, like even the ones who are too insane to care for themselves still return. They have the potential to have all the world weariness of Tolkien’s elves combined with a special sauce of being non-volitional body snatchers.

[unremarkablelunacy]

@moash @foiazoli , I didn't want to derail your post with my comments. I WAS going to comment on Moash and compare with other characters (gonna have to come back to that at a more reasonable hour) , but I got sidetracked by this:

The crystal spike thing definitely seems like experimental hybridization of hemalurgy and Roshar-type Investiture. I think that those involved weren't really sure what would happen, but the suggesting that they were hoping for an ideal cross between an Inquisitor and a Fused seems probable, now that you mention it. If I recall correctly, being spiked once lets Ruin influence (or other Shards, depending on spike material, ex trellium), and multiple spikes gives Ruin more direct control than whatever Odium has done to create the Fused (they have power because of him, but are coerced more than compelled to obey). Ruin could also influence the mentally ill.... I wonder if spiking could allow Odium direct control over the mad Fused, so they could be put to use hunting Radiants the way Inquisitors hunted Mistings?

Also, I wonder if they were also looking for a way to pin bodies to souls, so Odium's underlings (the Fused, etc) wouldn't need new bodies every Return. Additionally, would multiple spikes counteract a Shardblade's ability to cut the soul free of the body, and thus prevent it from being drawn back to Braize or to the Beyond?

Spiking the Fused could give them more Voidlight capacity, give Todium greater control, reduce the need for new adult Singer bodies (though they might retain the ability in case the spiked body gets too damaged?), and seriously handicap the effectiveness of the Shardweapons used to fight them. I think Todium would love all of that. We might be seeing lots of spiked Fused in the back 5.

[chill-reading-books]

This is important, and it speaks highly of El's insight that he noticed it both now and previously.

[magenta-somethings]

hey, question. could a fused become a knight radiant? like. is there anything stopping them from saying the words & bonding with a spren (not counting any reservations the fused and/or spren might personally have)? venli had both stormlight & voidlight, right? would whatever odium did to have them be reborn & bound to braize get in the way? they're definitely mentally ill enough at least

[irithyllians]

some lady leshwi sketches 🤍❤️🖤

[theviviiddreamer]

So I’ve been thinking a bit more on the Singers design. Specifically the Forms of Power and Warform. (Maybe a bit of workform?)

So they always mention how the emotions of humans are on their face, and this seems a bit strange to them. I’ve always associated it with sort of a limited mobility in the face. So one thing lead to another, and it got me thinking that what if the carapace actually included the entirety of the upper jaw.

This would make it harder for them to express themselves with their face, and would then have to heavily rely on those rhythms to emote. I think there is some flesh there so they arent like completely made of bone, and can make limited expressions, but nothing like humans can. 

I am thinking there are exception to these in cases like mateform/dullform and some other common forms. But still most of their expression would stay in their lips rather than their eyes as they still have a carapace skull plate, it is just thinner and smaller so it allows the flesh to move a bit more human-like.

[butwhybother]

There are reincarnations, sort of, in the Cosmere. Some combination of body, soul, or memory gets to live again.

On Scadrial, Kandra can reanimate bones and give a very good approximation of personality and memory.

(I am not sure what to say about Kelsier.)

On Nalthis, the Returned get re-born into their body (which go through some changes), but don't get to keep their memories. Their memory is not totally gone, but it's mostly inaccessible.

On Roshar, the Fused get to keep their memories but need new bodies. It looks like they won't get to keep their personality and memory forever, though.

Also on Roshar, the Heralds die and come back, keeping both their memories and appearance. But their sanity seems to be disintegrating.

Editing to add what @dalenthas pointed out: a very recently dead person's soul can be stapled back to his body.