Difference between revisions of "Hoid"

|aliases=Wit, HoidCephandrius, [[#Known PseudonymsAliases|others]]

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

Hoid is neither the author of the [[Ars Arcanum|Ars Arcanum]], nor of the back-of-book blurb for ''[[Words of Radiance]].''.{{wob ref|2888}} He occasionally will show up somewhere, stand around for a while, realize there isn't a novel-worthy plot going on, and leave.{{wob ref|5821}}

Hoid's true personality, while also usually disguised, is more easily seen as he occasionally drops whatever part he is playing. One of his overall most noticeable traits is his sharp wit and intelligence. The characters he plays often have a penchant for jokes and mockery but when he removes the facade his personality often seems mysterious and grave.{{book ref|twok|epilogue}}{{book ref|twok|57}} If he was asked about whether he called himself a good man personality-wise, Hoid would reply with a "No".{{wob ref|1704}} Hoid is not always serious when he should be, due to how much normal human interaction bores him.{{wob ref|14988}}

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 and 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 was once a Dawnshard at some point.{{wob ref|14300}} His time holding it caused changes to his Spiritweb in a similar manner to [[Savant|Savantismsavant]]ism. These changes meant that long-term Hoid found himself unable to inflict harm on any others, as well as unable to eat anymeat sorthe ofbelieves was naturally produced (i.e., he could eat meat he believes was made in a lab or by magic).{{wob ref|14954}} His Dawnshard is in some way connected to the First Gem,{{wob ref|14355}} his eponymous topaz.

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, when he Awakened a doll, causing 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 just under the yetSecond unknownHeightening,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 seems to have a compounding effect with his Yolish Lightweaving, and seemingly allows him to circumvent the problems that he has experienced with his own illusions. 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 to 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 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 lasta bead of [[lerasium]] from the adjacent room. He later ateconsumed 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}}

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.

== Known PseudonymsAliases ==