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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}{{spoilers|book=sa3}}{{attention}}
{{quote
|It's not a game, no matter how the stories try to put it. The [[Nightwatcher]] doesn't trick you or twist your words. You ask a boon. She gives what she feels you deserve, then gives you a curse to go along with it. Sometimes related, sometimes not.
|[[Av]]{{book ref|sa1|i|7}}
}}
== Mechanics ==
It is mentioned in passing by [[Dalinar]], who explains how he gained something but lost all memories of his wife by striking a deal with a powerful [[spren]] known as the [[Nightwatcher]].{{book ref|sa1|61}} Dalinar sought the Nightwatcher to end the pain he was feeling after accidentally causing the death of his wife, [[Evi Kholin]]. When he finally went to the Nightwatcher, he asks to be "forgiven", much to the confusion of the Nightwatcher. Eventually, [[Cultivation]] comes out and erases his memory of Evi. She describes it as "pruning" his memory, so he can grow and heal. She mentions that his memories will eventually return. He has no memory of killing her or anything involving her, although he is aware she existed. Additionally, when someone mentions her name, all that he hears is "[[Brightness Kholin|''Shshshsh'']]". It is revealed that the returning memories were part of his curse, that he would remember how she had died.{{book ref|sa3|114}}▼
To gain a boon and a curse from the Old Magic, a person has to seek the [[Nightwatcher]]. Anyone is allowed to seek a single boon from the Nightwatcher. To do this, the person must first travel to the [[Valley]] in the west, where the Nightwatcher resides. After finding the Nightwatcher, the person may request a boon. In very rare cases, a boon and curse can be given by [[Cultivation]].{{wob ref|9601}}{{book ref|sa3|114}} The precise phrasing of the request does not appear to make a difference, however, since the Nightwatcher bestows a boon that she feels the person deserves.{{book ref|sa1|i|7}} The Old Magic can be given to any sentient species, including ones not from Roshar.{{wob ref|9517}} A person's boon and curse stay with them for life and will stay with them if they leave Roshar.{{book ref|sa3|111}}{{wob ref|9517}} The boons and curses are limited in a particular manner.{{wob ref|1258}}
=== Boon ===
[[Taravangian]], king of [[Kharbranth]], asked a boon of the [[Nightwatcher]]: 'The capacity to save this world from destruction.' It claims he was given that capacity and, with it, created the [[Diagram]]. The Diagram is a combination augury and plan written in a language created by [[Taravangian]] himself for the purpose which laid out how he could save [[Roshar]]. The curse that came with his boon is indicated to be that he is not always in possession of such capacity, and that his compassion for the results of the decisions he makes varies conversely with his level of logical reasoning. Some days he is as dull-minded as a [[Parshman]] and brought easily to tears as he realizes decisions he makes may bring death to innocents, while on others he is more intelligent and able-minded than the greatest scholar but regards everything he is ordering done with cold logic and an eye for the bigger picture of Roshar.{{book ref|sa2|i|14}} As yet, he has had only one day of perfect mental capacity and he constantly wishes for just one more chance with such capability.{{book ref|sa3|i|5}} The change in intelligence and compassion will still happen even if Taravangian is awake and conscious in the middle of the night.{{wob ref|11390}}▼
The Nightwatcher claims to have the ability to grant almost any physical request one might ask of her, though just because she can does not mean she will give what is asked for. She claims to be able to give many things such as renown, wealth, skill, the ability to swing a sword and never tire, beauty, followers, even glory. She even claims she can give a person physical possessions such as spheres, gemstones, [[Shardwielding|shards]], or a [[Nightblood|Blade]] that bleeds darkness and cannot be defeated.{{book ref|sa3|114}} The Nightwatcher does have trouble with extremely nebulous requests relating to human emotion.{{book ref|sa3|114}} The Nightwatcher is also capable of changing a person's species.{{wob ref|date=2018-7-21|10470|Idaho Falls signing}}
=== Curse ===
The precise wording of her request is unknown, but [[Lift]] believes that "she was supposed to stay the same, and the world was supposed to change around her."{{book ref|edgedancer|1}} Lift interprets this to mean that she shouldn't age, which does not appear to be the case. The boon and curse are unknown, but Lift's abilities to physically touch [[Wyndle]] and to digest food into [[Stormlight]] are apparently related to one or both of these.{{book ref|wor|i|9}} Wyndle supposes that she is partially stuck in the Cognitive Realm.{{book ref|edgedancer|4}}▼
Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible to avoid the curse by carefully phrasing a request--or even to predict the curse that the Nightwatcher will bestow.{{book ref|twok|i|7}} Interestingly, it does not appear that balance is carefully maintained through an individual blessing and curse--often, highly visible curses are the result of relatively minor boons. The curses can be quite thorough, however--in one case, a man lost all feeling in both of his hands until the day he died. Whether these curses follow some cosmic justice, or are merely the result of a capricious spren, is unknown.
== Know Users ==
{{for|:Category: Old Magic}}
;Lift
▲The precise wording of her request is unknown, but [[Lift]] believes that "she was supposed to stay the same, and the world was supposed to change around her."{{book ref|edgedancer|1}} Lift interprets this to mean that she shouldn't age, which does not appear to be the case. The boon and curse are unknown, but Lift's abilities to physically touch [[Wyndle]] and to digest food into [[
;Dalinar Kholin
▲
;Taravangian
▲[[Taravangian]]
;Av's family
[[Av]]'s brother's boon is unknown, as he was too embarrassed to share what he asked for. As a curse, both his hands became numb.{{book ref|twok|i|7}} Av's father received a heap of good cloth, which he sold to keep his family from starving during the lurnip famine.{{book ref|twok|i|7}} As a curse, he sees the world upside down. The rest of Av's brothers also went, as well as his mother. According to him, most of them regret their curse.
== Development ==
Brandon built the Old Magic into [[The Stormlight Archive]] because he felt that at a certain point he wanted there to be a contrast to rule-based magic systems. He wanted there to be a primal magic that didn't really adhere to the rules, one that couldn't be anticipated. Brandon felt that it was vital to include so that he didn't overexplain everything in the books. Characters, in some ways, can be giving wish fulfillment, but even that can turn on its head because of the Old Magic as it doesn't give people what they think should have gotten.{{wob ref|8615}}
== Notes ==
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