Difference between revisions of "Hoid"

|abilities=[[Lightweaving]] <small>([[Yolen|Yolish]])</small>, {{tag+|Mistborn}}, {{tag+|Awakener}}, {{tag+|Lightweaver}} <small>([[Surgebinder]])</small>, {{tag+|worldhopping}}, [[#Attributes and AbilitesAbilities|others]]

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]], [[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Emperor's Soul]], [[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]], [[Warbreaker]], [[White Sand]]

}}{{theory}}{{spoilers|sa3.5|sa4}}{{update|sa4}}

'''Hoid''' is a recurring character in the [[cosmere]], asoriginally wellfrom as[[Yolen]]. aHoid legend rumored to have a thousand titles (most of which, he says, areis not pleasant).his Heoriginal hasname;{{wob appearedref|5882}} inbefore almosttelling every[[Kaladin]] cosmere novel, shortthe story, andof novella which takes place in that universe. Note that his real name is likely not Hoid. Inthe ''[[The Way of KingsWandersail]]'', he mentionsclaims he stole the name from someone he should have loved,.{{book whileref|sa1|57}} givingIn response to [[Kaladin]]Letters#The hisFirst fluteLetter|a and telling the story of the ''[[Wandersailletter]]''. Inasking sectionfor 2help ofin the 2ndfight [[Letters|Letter]]against from ''[[Words of RadianceOdium]]'', the author of the letter ([[Frost]]) asksasked him if Hoidhe is no longer hiding behind the name of his old master.,{{epigraph Theref|sa2|60}} likely referring to the name "Hoid". Among the original [[Vessel]]s, Hoid is likelyoften theknown nameas heCephandrius,{{msh ref|2|1}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|33}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|42}}{{book ref|sa4|112}} which is hidingone behindof his earliest aliases.{{wob ref|3985}}

When he is on Roshar during the [[War of Reckoning]] and [[True Desolation]], serving as King [[Elhokar Kholin]]'s, and later Queen [[Jasnah Kholin]]'s Wit, Hoid has the appearance of a man in his mid-30's30s{{wob ref|1705}} with deep onyx hair. He wears a stiff black coat aand carries a long thin sword at his waist.{{book ref|sa1|12}} This blade is not magically Invested but has personal value to Hoid.{{wob ref|2505}} It is a symbol of office for the King/Queen's Wit, though Hoid himself is not a skilled swordfighter.{{wob ref|896}}

Hoid does not yet have the abilities of every planet he's visited.{{wob ref|2853}} Some of his powers predate the [[Shattering]], but none of them are gained through [[Hemalurgy]].{{wob ref|6658}} Hoid is concerned about opening himself up to the influence of Shards, so he only gains access to manifestations of Investiture through more conventional ways.{{wob ref|656}} Hoid has access to multiple Invested Arts, but not an incredibly large number.{{wob ref|1044}} He is likely the most powerful non-Shard entity in the cosmere.{{wob ref|7323}} There are only a few things in the cosmere that are capable of hurting him, one of which is [[Nightblood]], and he stays far away from all of them.{{wob ref|11671}} Hoid also has an unknown [[seon]].{{book ref|sa4|78}}{{book ref|sa4|115}}

Hoid has access to an Invested Art known as [[Lightweaving]] that originates from Yolen prior to the Shattering of Adonalsium.{{wob ref|8909}} Lightweaving allows for the creation of optical and auditory illusions.{{book ref|sa2|part=ars}} This Lightweaving is much less restrictive than the later [[Illumination|Rosharan variant]],{{book ref|sa2|45}} and does not require a spren or Stormlight to function.{{wob ref|8909}} Hoid sometimes makes use of this ability in his disguises{{wob ref|5775}} although he has several ways of changing how he looks{{wob ref|5024}} including practical effects.{{epigraph ref|sa3|35}} He may also make use of it in some of his storytelling,{{wob ref|8329}} such as the pictures of [[Derethil]] and the ''[[Wandersail]]'' that Kaladin sees in the smoke when Hoid is telling him a story.{{book ref|sa1|57}}

Hoid has lived for many more years than any mortal human would be able to live.{{wob ref|4031}} This immortality is an effect of some remnant of the weapon the original sixteen Vessels used to kill Adonalsium and may also be related to, the Dawnshards.{{wob ref|10439}}{{wob ref|14300}} Additionally, Hoid has not actually experienced all those years,{{wob ref|6585}} instead making use of some time-dilation technique that may render him somehow unconscious or unaware.{{wob ref|4083}} However, Hoid does not have the ability to travel backwards in time.{{wob ref|37}}

As a Yolish man, Hoid was not himself born with any [[BioChromatic Breath]].{{wob ref|3212}} However at some point Hoid has gained access to enough BioChromatic Breath to bring him to at least the Second Heightening.{{book ref|sa2|59}} This means Hoid has at least two- hundred Breaths, which grant him the ability to recognize unsupressed Breath auras and judge about how much breath another Awakener has, as well as perfect pitch.{{book ref|wb|epilogue}} That is not to say that Hoid may not have reached a higher Heightening, just that the second Heightening is his minimum power level.{{wob ref|4655}} Hoid's level of skill with [[Awakening]] is still unknown, as he has only made use of it on one known occasion, Awakeningwhen he Awakened a doll, to allowcausing it to walk.{{book ref|sa3|epilogue}} This makes it difficult to ascertain his knowledge of Commands or complex Awakenings. Hoid's level of control over Investiture does allow him to suppress his Breath aura, making it difficult to notice by others. However, there are various methods of detecting Investiture that could circumvent this suppression.{{wob ref|3437}} Hoid's perfect pitch does aid him in tuning instruments and making music.{{book ref|sa2|59}} Additionally, holding Breath has allowed Hoid to somehow outsource some of his memory to said Breath. RecentAfter loss[[Odium]]'s destruction of a partsome of histhese Breaths hasin resultedorder into himwipe havinghis memoryshort-term gapsmemory, thehis extentlevel of whichBreath beingwas asreduced ofto yetjust unknownunder the Second Heightening,resulting andin losinga hisloss of perfect pitch.{{book ref|sa4|epilogue}}

Hoid has bonded the [[Cryptic]] [[Design]], which grants him access to Surgebinding.{{wob ref|10746}} While the enhanced reflexes and healing permitted by Stormlight will likely be less useful to Hoid, the [[Nahel bond]] allows him to access the surges of [[Illumination]] and [[Transformation]].{{Book ref|sa3|epilogue}} This allows Hoid to [[Soulcast]], transforming one type of matter to another by persuading its Cognitive aspect as well as Lightweaving, which grants him the ability to create visual and auditory illusions. This Rosharan Lightweaving mayseems to have a compounding effect with his Yolish Lightweaving, and likelyseemingly allows him to circumvent the problems that he has experienced with his own Illusionsillusions. Although Hoid's Ideals are unknown, it may eventually grant him a [[Shardblade]] and [[Shardplate]]. <!-- Out of all of the orders of the [[Knights Radiant]], [[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweaver]] was his first choice, as Lightweaving matches him very well and he's quite familiar and experienced with it. Having full access to Lightweaving is a fulfillment of a long, long quest for him.{{wob ref|10755}} -->

Hoid traveled to [[Sel]], likely making use of [[Devotion's Perpendicularity]] in [[Arelon]]. Hoid spoke to the [[skaze]], and seems to have made some sort of agreement with them hinging on his desire to become an Elantrian with the restoration of [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]].{{book ref|Elantris|Postscript}} Hoid disguised himself as a beggar, wrapped in bandages. He helped [[Sarene]] smuggle weapons into [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]].{{book ref|Elantris|58}} Following the restoration of the city by Raoden, Hoid traveled to the Pool to meet a skaze. He removed his bandages, hoping to find himself transformed into an Elantrian, but the transformation had not occurred. The skaze ridiculed Hoid for his failure, but Hoid expressed his joy that secrets still remained unknown to him and then entered the Perpendicularity and transitioned to the [[Cognitive Realm]].

Hoid returned to Sel several years later, and found himself a position in the court of Emperor [[Ashravan]] in the [[Rose Empire]] as the Royal Fool. He allied himself with the [[Forger]] [[Shai]] in her attempt to steal the [[Moon Scepter]], an artifact that allows for the translation of the various symbols of Selish Investiture. He arranged for her to be caught after she'd left the Gallery with the Scepter, later using her duplicate to steal the scepter for himself. Hoid stealsstole the Moon Scepter in order to interprethelp Selhim magictranslate andbetween tovarious helpsymbols himand gain access the magics on Sel.{{wob ref|12146}}

Around a year later, Hoid returned to Scadrial, traveling through Scadrial's subastral, riding on the back of a [[Cognitive Shadow]] to the Well of Ascension, Preservation's Perpendicularity.{{msh ref|2|1}} He was using an oar coated with a strange glowing substance connected to the substance drunk by members of the [[Ire]].{{wob ref|200}} He encountered the Shadow of Kelsier, who asked for help returning to the Physical Realm. Hoid told him that there was nothing to be done, but he challenged Kelsier to an insult battle, with the prize being the true answer to one true question. Kelsier instead threatened Hoid. Hoid attempted to enter the pool, but Kelsier attacked him. Hoid easily overpowered Kelsier and caused him serious pain, but not permanent injury. Hoid then transitioned through the Well and stole the last bead of [[lerasium]] from the adjacent room. He later ate the lerasium and became a [[Allomancy|Mistborn]].{{wob ref|12210}} When Kelsier spoke of the incident to Preservation, Preservation spoke briefly on Hoid, calling him Cephandrius. Later, Kelsier told [[Khriss]] and [[Nazh]] about his meeting with Hoid, and they seemed distressed to know that he had arrived and stolen a bead of lerasium.{{msh ref|3|2}}

===== WarThe Way of ReckoningKings =====

{{image|Wit-Fool by taratjah.jpg|side=leftright|height=300px|Hoid, in his Wit persona}}

When Waxillium Ladrian walked up the path to KelsinaKelesina's mansion to attend a [[Kelesina Shores' party|party]] with [[Steris Harms]], Hoid climbed out of the bushes, startling Wax.{{book ref|mb6|11}} Wanting to reveal Kelsier's resurrection and identity as the Sovereign,{{wob ref|1727}} Hoid looked for an opportunity to pass on the unsealed metalmind. He asked Wax for a few clips.{{book ref|mb6|11}} Steris noticed Hoid's cologne and asked him if he was wearing cologne. Hoid was startled by her observation and claimed that he had been drinking perfume, as it had quite a kick. Steris told him that that was unhealthy and Wax advised Hoid that he should leave the private grounds. Hoid agreed but claimed that it was his property and again asked for coins. Wax gave him a banknote and told him again to leave the grounds. Hoid claimed it was far too much and that he wished to give Waxillium change. As Wax walked away, Hoid threw the coin at Wax's head, who caught it in midair. A groundsman then noticed Hoid and tried to chase him off. Hoid laughed and escaped back into the bushes again.

* Midius{{book ref|sa3|121}} is a name Hoid uses in an unpublished work; when Ash and Kalak use this name, they are probably referring to Hoid.{{epigraph ref|sa4|84}}

The names of the [[Worldsingers]], a group of storytellers on Roshar, and the Conclave of [[Worldbringers]], the leading body of the original [[Terris]] religion, are strikingly similar. Brandon has stated that this is not a coincidence.{{wob ref|3656}} Some believe that Hoid is a common root to both of these organizations, one of which, the Worldbringers, was very [[Realmatic Theory|Realmatically]] aware.{{wob ref|1253}} There may be also a connection between the Worldsingers and the Dawnsingers, due to similarity of names.

* HoidsHoid's quest may be "To make that which once was."{{wob ref|9218}}