Difference between revisions of "Cryptic"

|image=PatternShallan's bySketchbook Joshua- CarrencaCryptics.jpg

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]], [[Yumi and the Nightmare Painter]]

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

[[File:{{image|Shallan and Cryptic.jpg|thumb|right|250px|<center><small>by {{a|Petar Penev}}</small></center> [[Pattern]] following [[Shallan]] in the [[Palanaeum]] ]]|side=right|width=250px}}

| 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 Bondbond]]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 Bondbond worked.{{book ref|sa2|75}}

Cryptics were one of the first spren groups to begin bonding humans again in anticipation of the [[True Desolation]]. Among others, they sent [[PatternTestament]] 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 havehad been following Shallan for some time prior to her re-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}}

| 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}}

[[File:{{image|Elhokar mirror.jpg|thumb|right|280px|<center><small>by [[User:Sheep]]</small></center> Cryptics watching over [[Elhokar]] ]]|side=right|width=280px}}

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 Bondbond entirely alone. Rather, they accompany the would-be Lightweaver from Shadesmar, observing them and their buddyingbudding bond.{{book ref|sa1|29}}{{book ref|sa1|58}} It's possible that the decision of who to bond is made by a comitteecommittee among them, rather than by individuals.

* 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 CrypticCryptics's heads are not [[glyph]]s, but it is possible that readers would recognize them.{{wob ref|4133}}