Editing Cryptic

{{lifeform 
|image=Shallan's Sketchbook - Cryptics.jpg
|abilities=[[Nahel bond]], [[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweaver]] magic, {{tag+|Splinter}}s
|type={{cat tag|Spren}} 
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]], [[Yumi and the Nightmare Painter]]
}}
{{update|sa4|yumi}}
{{quote
|One does not war with Cryptics, as one does honorspren. Cryptics have but one city, and do not wish to rule more. Only to listen.
|[[Ivory]]{{book ref|sa3|47}}
}}
'''Cryptics''' are a race of sapient [[spren]] that dwell primarily in the [[Cognitive Realm]] of [[Roshar]]. They are sometimes referred to as '''liespren'''.{{book ref|sa2|3}}

Cryptics are the personification of the underlying mathematical truths that govern Roshar and the cosmere.{{book ref|sa3|97}} They are also one of the spren capable of forming [[Nahel bond]], granting the abilities of the [[Order of Lightweavers]].{{book ref|sa2|1}}

== Appearance ==
=== Physical Realm ===
In the [[Physical Realm]], Cryptics manifest as complex fractal patterns that are constantly shifting, slightly raised off a surface or object.{{book ref|sa2|3}} On occasion, they can also manifest as a floating three-dimensional mass of twisting lines.{{book ref|sa2|42}} Their voice has a buzzing quality, and they vibrate when they speak.{{book ref|sa2|6}} They also tend to hum a lot.{{book ref|sa2|6}}

When their cognitive bodies are forced into the Physical Realm and they die, Cryptics appear as elongated bodies with a black shell, with their heads looking like a soggy mess of black flesh, similar to intestines.{{book ref|sa4|111}} However, there is a way to make them take on a physical form in the Physical Realm, by using a complex Lightweaving wireframe attached to their Cognitive aspect as they take form in the Physical Realm.{{book ref|yumi|5}} This allows them to essentially take on any form the Lightweaver desires, though it is essentially only an imitative shell.{{book ref|yumi|17}}

=== Cognitive Realm ===
In the [[Cognitive Realm]], Cryptics take the form of tall, willowy figures in too-stiff robes that hang off them as if made from glass rather than fabric.{{file ref|Shallan's Sketchbook - Cryptics.jpg|text=Shallan's Sketchbook - Cryptics}} Above their collars, where a human's head and face would be, they have a floating symbol full of impossible angles and geometries.{{book ref|sa1|29}} Different individuals have slightly different head patterns.{{book ref|sa3|102}} These patterns are constantly changing at varying speeds, seemingly never repeating, though individual patterns will always maintain the same general "feel".{{book ref|sa4|22}} The way a pattern changes reflects the Cryptic's mood, such as speeding up for confusion,{{book ref|sa4|26}} and slowing down for shame.{{book ref|sa4|93}} Despite not having any apparent means to do so, they are capable of hearing, seeing and speaking as well as any other spren.{{book ref|sa3|97}}{{book ref|sa4|75}} Their hands appear boney and as if chiseled from black obsidian or white marble.{{file ref|Shallan's Sketchbook - Cryptics.jpg|text=Shallan's Sketchbook - Cryptics}}

Trying to analyze their patterns is known to drive people to insanity due to the way they warp space and time around themselves.{{book ref|yumi|5}}

== Abilities ==
{{image|Pattern by Caio Santos.jpg|A Cryptic in [[Shadesmar]]|side=right|width=250px}}

Cryptics have prodigious translation abilities, and seem capable of understanding any language, human or spren, with enough exposure.{{book ref|sa3|102}}{{book ref|sa2|47}} They are also adept codebreakers, a talent stemming from their in-depth understanding of mathematical patterns.{{book ref|sa2|42}} Using vibrations, they can also perfectly mimic voices and sounds.{{book ref|sa2|15}}{{book ref|sa2|54}} Cryptics are not able to inherently tell if something is a lie.{{book ref|sa4|29}}

While in the [[Physical Realm]], they can affect it in minor ways, allowing them to pick locks.{{book ref|sa2|63}} Unlike other types of sapient spren, like [[honorspren]] or [[ashspren]], Cryptics seem unable to turn invisible, meaning they have to hide in their environment to remain unnoticed.{{book ref|sa3|62}}

=== Nahel bond ===
Cryptics are one of the few spren types capable of forming a [[Nahel bond]] with humans. They grant their partner the power of [[Surgebinding]] with the Surges of [[Illumination]] and [[Transformation]], making the person a [[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweaver]].{{file ref| TWoK Front Endsheet.jpg | Surgebinding Table}} Past a certain point, a bonded Cryptic gains the ability to transform into a shape-shifting [[Shardblade]].{{book ref|sa2|34}} Cryptics are able to sense where their Surgebinder is once they start summoning their blade.{{book ref|sa4|7}} With a powerful enough bond, Cryptics are able to feel the impressions of their Surgebinder's thoughts.{{book ref|sa3|63}}

Unlike most Nahel bonds, a Cryptic bond is progressed by uttering deep, personal truths about oneself by the bond holder, with the more powerful, impactful truths deepening the bond further.{{book ref|sa1|70}} The Cryptics' particular affinity for truths extends further than that, as they are able to sense when a person is lying.{{book ref|sa3|47}}

Cryptics are also able to let their Lightweavers peer into the [[Cognitive Realm]]. For inexperienced Surgebinders, they act as intermediaries in [[Soulcasting]], relaying the words of souls to them.{{book ref|sa2|7}}

== History ==
{{image|Shallan and Cryptic.jpg|[[Pattern]] following [[Shallan]] in the [[Palanaeum]]|side=right|width=250px}}
{{quote
|There were very few survivors. The one you call Stormfather lived. Some others. The rest, thousands of us, were killed when the '''event''' happened.
|[[Pattern]]{{book ref|sa2|75}}
}}

Cryptics arose around ten-thousand Rosharan years before the True Desolation.{{book ref|sa4|i|1}} It's unknown whether the Cryptics were created deliberately by a [[Shard]], or if they arose naturally from [[Roshar]]'s loose [[Investiture]]. At some point in the past, there were some very intelligent, dangerous Cryptics, which resulted in the creation of many negative stereotypes about Cryptics.{{wob ref|15652}} During the [[Heraldic Epochs]], they, like many other sapient spren, began forming [[Nahel bond]]s with humans to mimic [[Honorblade]]s, leading to the creation of the [[Order of Lightweavers]].{{book ref|sa2|87}} During the [[Recreance]], the vast majority of the older Cryptics died, leaving none alive to remember how the Nahel bond worked.{{book ref|sa2|75}}

Over time, the Cryptics managed to recover somewhat, and by the late [[Era of Solitude]], they ruled over one of the largest cities in [[Shadesmar]], although they did not stray far from it often.{{book ref|sa2|3}}{{book ref|sa3|47}} At some point, they were engaged in some sort of political disagreement with the [[honorspren]], possibly related to the latter's attempt to conquer [[Shadesmar]].{{book ref|sa2|2}}{{book ref|sa3|47}}

Cryptics were one of the first spren groups to begin bonding humans again in anticipation of the [[True Desolation]]. Among others, they sent [[Testament]] to bond with [[Shallan]] when she was only a child in {{rosharan date|1167}}, as well as another Cryptic to bond with [[Tien]], although only the former managed to bring the Bond to fruition, after long setbacks.{{book ref|sa2|60}}{{wob ref|10278}}

A group of them had been following Shallan for some time prior to her bonding Pattern.{{book ref|sa1|29}} They also watched over [[Elhokar]], unwittingly feeding his paranoia.{{book ref|sa1|58}} They eventually sent another of their kind to bond with the king; however, Elhokar was killed before he could finish saying the [[Immortal Words#The First Ideal|First Ideal]], and that Cryptic, [[Design]], ended up bonding with [[Hoid]] instead.{{book ref|sa3|84}}{{book ref|sa3|epilogue}}

== Culture ==
{{quote
|Cryptics like to plan. They debate and watch and never '''do''' anything.
|[[Syl]]{{book ref|sa2|62}}
}}

Cryptics are not very common in Shadesmar, with the vast majority of their population living in a single unnamed city, one that enjoys some renown.{{book ref|sa2|3}}{{wob ref|16227}} Unlike the [[honorspren]], Cryptics do not have any inclination to conquer more territory, so other types of sapient spren do not war with them.{{book ref|sa3|97}} Although they have a fearful reputation among other types of spren,{{book ref|sa2|3}} they themselves are content with listening and learning.{{book ref|sa3|47}} 

{{image|Elhokar mirror.jpg|Cryptics watching over [[Elhokar]]|side=right|width=280px}}

Nonetheless, many other spren find Cryptics weird and discomforting due to their fascination with lies and their mathematical approach to everything.{{book ref|sa3|47}}{{book ref|sa3|97}} They are also known for their fondness for planning, as well as being largely passive and inactive. Once they put their mind to something, however, they commit to it.{{book ref|sa2|62}} They seem to have a significant influence on the Shadesmar politics, as when they began to bond humans again, others, like [[cultivationspren]], swiftly followed suit.{{book ref|sa2.5|2}}

They are known for enjoying lies and irony, gathering around and humming among themselves wherever a falsehood is uttered, although they don't like being called "liespren".{{book ref|sa3|47}}{{book ref|sa2|3}}{{book ref|sa4|82}} Despite this fascination with falsehoods, Cryptics themselves are bad at lying in general.{{book ref|sa4|26}} They are exceedingly honest, and it seems as though only through bonding with a human can they learn to use less straightforward ways of communication, such as sarcasm and humor.{{book ref|sa2|60}} They seem to prefer keeping together in groups rather than going off on their own.{{book ref|sa3|102}}

Cryptics as a whole are supportive of their members bonding with humans, with [[Pattern]] doing so with the approval of his peers.{{wob ref|3166}} Because of the [[Recreance]], many of them believe that such a bond is a death sentence, yet they also think that the things they could learn from humans are worth it.{{book ref|sa2|17}} Unlike most other spren, Cryptics do not leave their bonded kinsmen to navigate the Nahel bond entirely alone. Rather, they accompany the would-be Lightweaver from Shadesmar, observing them and their budding bond.{{book ref|sa1|29}}{{book ref|sa1|58}} It's possible that the decision of who to bond is made by a committee among them, rather than by individuals.

Cryptics have their own language, which consists of fast clicking sounds.{{book ref|sa4|26}} They can also speak equations in intonations, being able to communicate different Cryptics' names with the same word, Pattern. Since non-Cryptics cannot do this, the Lightweavers have had to convince them to adopt names other than Pattern.{{book ref|sa4|20}}

Cryptics consider themselves to be more of Cultivation than Honor.{{wob ref|9268}}

== Notable Cryptics ==
* [[Pattern]] (bonded to [[Shallan]])
* [[Design]] (bonded to [[Hoid]])
* [[Ornament]] (bonded to [[Beryl]]) 
* [[Mosaic]] (bonded to [[Vathah]])
* [[Motif]] (bonded to [[Ishnah]])
* [[Testament]] (bonded to [[Shallan]])

== Trivia ==
* Before their name was revealed, Brandon said "truthspren" was a reasonably accurate way to refer to the Cryptics. This is perhaps a reference to the truth they require to strengthen their bond.{{wob ref|6451}}
* If exposed to computers, Cryptics  would like them very much, though they "might be offended that the computer isn't talking back to them, because they would think the computer's a pattern and should just be talking to them".{{wob ref|10458}}
* The symbols that form the Cryptics' heads are not [[glyph]]s, but it is possible that readers would recognize them.{{wob ref|4133}}
* In part four of ''[[Oathbringer]]'', the group travelling through Shadesmar would originally encounter a pair of Cryptics in the lighthouse rather than [[Riino]]. This was eventually changed to give Kaladin a stronger motivation for travelling to [[Thaylen City]] rather than [[Cultivation's Perpendicularity]].{{wob ref|8649}}

== Notes ==
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[[es:Críptico]]