Difference between revisions of "Cosmere"

As a result of these difficulties, people look for other methods of travel.{{book ref|mb7|39}}{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|4}} While it may be possible to worldhop using the Spiritual Realm,{{wob ref|9307}}{{wob ref|13110}} the primary other method available is faster-than-light travel through space in the Physical Realm.{{book ref|sotd}}{{book ref|tress|60}}{{wob ref|15030}}{{wob ref|3295}} There are multiple ways to create ships that are capable of such travel;{{wob ref|15788}}{{wob ref|3453}} the Surge of Transportation and [[Allomancy]] both provide viable bases for developing ships that can do so,{{wob ref|15788}}{{wob ref|12307}} though the exact mechanics are unknown.

In total, the number of people traveling between planets probably numbers somewhere in the thousands,{{wob ref|9501}} though this may increase after the development of faster-than-light travel through the Physical Realm.{{book ref|sotd}} Some of these people are involved in the broader events of the cosmere, but many just want to immigrate to another planet.{{wob ref|12724}} There is no universal language that all worldhoppers speak,{{wob ref|1136}} though some can use [[Connection]] to speak local languages.{{wob ref|1021}} These worldhoppers drive a thriving interplanetary trade system{{msh ref|3|2|1}}{{book ref|mb7|39}} that includes the trade of mundane objects from different worlds,{{book ref|sa4|29}}{{book ref|sa4|75}}{{wob ref|8650}}{{wob ref|10807}} rare items like paintings from the [[Court of the Gods]],{{book ref|sa3|102}} and at least one courier service.{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|6}}{{wob ref|12907}} The most important commodity, however, is Investiture, though it is difficult to transport off of its home world as it is strongly Connected to that world and its Shard.{{book ref|sa4|13}}

[[Silverlight]] is a fully-functional city in the [[Cognitive Realm]] where many worldhoppers have settled down.{{wob ref|2555}}{{wob ref|3310}}{{wob ref|190}} Its population, however, also includes many people who are born in the city and spend their entire lives there,{{wob ref|2520}} including a notable group of [[Southern Scadrian]]s.{{wob ref|12733}}{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|1}} The city is home to multiple universities,{{au ref|Sel}} whose scholars possess a great deal of knowledge about the nature of the cosmere and will conduct expeditions to investigate unusual workings of Investiture to further that knowledge.{{au ref|Roshar}}{{au ref|Threnody}}{{au ref|Drominad}} At least one of those universities was founded by the researcher [[Khriss]],{{wob ref|8342}} the most knowledgeable person in the cosmere and author of the [[Ars Arcanum|Ars Arcana]].{{wob ref|5623}}{{wob ref|6873}} As a result of these efforts and playing host to interactions between societies from across the cosmere, Silverlight enjoys scientific learning and progress that is without parallel in the rest of the cosmere.{{au ref|Scadrial}} The city is also home to at least [[Silverlight Mercantile|one mercantile enterprise]], whowhose services include an interplanetary postal service that makes use of unknown Invested entities that read [[Connection]] to find the location of message recipients.{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|6}}

The [[Ire]] is a group of worldhopping [[Elantrian]]s. They existed prior to the [[Reod]] and were able to weather it, though they were off-world when it occurred,.{{wob ref|10476}} which may have played a role in allowing them to weather it. Their objectives are unclear, though they did attempt to Ascend one of their members as the Vessel of Preservation after Leras died.{{msh ref|5|2}} At that time, they were at least associated with a group whose forces were keeping the [[Shade]]s of [[Threnody]] contained in the [[Threnodite system]].{{msh ref|5|2}} They have some method of storing and transporting Investiture, which they use to sustain themselves and trade with others, such as the [[honorspren]] of [[Lasting Integrity]].{{msh ref|5|3}}{{wob ref|1542}}{{wob ref|200}}{{book ref|sa4|87}}

Most, if not all, of the [[Five Scholars]] of Nalthis were worldhoppers and are well-regarded by the cosmere-aware scholarly community as pioneers of the study of Investiture and Realmatic Theory.{{wob ref|1548}} After learning from one of the Scholars, [[Vasher]], [[Vivenna]] became a worldhopper as well.{{wob ref|8511}} [[Felt]] was involved in trade through the Pits of Hathsin and has been involved in several different worldhopping groups over the years.{{wob ref|11812}} The [[dragon (cosmere)|dragon]] [[Frost]] is extremely knowledgeable about the cosmere, but is not actually a worldhopper, as he has not left [[Yolen]].{{wob ref|3679}} The [[Sleepless]] are present on several planets across the cosmere, though most have chosen to settle on Roshar and only the Rosharan ones are capable of imitating humans.{{wob ref|12657}}{{wob ref|14312}} Additionally, there are several [[kandra]] from [[Scadrial]] who have become worldhoppers, though they were released from their contract with Harmony sometime after Autonomy's initial incursion on Scadrial.{{wob ref|5990}}{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|6}}{{book ref|tress|42}}