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}}{{exemplary}}{{update|book=sa2}}
{{quote|And while I am your friend, please understand that our goals do not completely align. You must not trust yourself with me. If I have to watch this [[Roshar|world]] crumble and burn to get what I need, I will do so. With tears, yes, but I would let it happen.|Hoid to [[Dalinar]]{{book ref|sa2|67}}}}
'''Hoid''' is a recurring character in the [[cosmere]]. He has appeared in almost every cosmere novel, short story, and novella which takes place in that universe.
'''Hoid''' is a recurring character in the [[cosmere]], who has appeared in every cosmere novel; he was involved in events before the beginning of the published books. The subtlety of his appearances vary from book to book, ranging from him being named outright and making cosmere references to appearances where his name isn't mentioned and he's in a deep disguise. He is confirmed to be the same individual,{{qa ref|690|39}} but one who [[Worldhopping|Worldhops]] between planets. Hoid's actions and motives are mysterious, as most of his actions appear to occur behind the scenes.
Hoid was involved in the events taking place before any of the cosmere's published books begin and is the second oldest character seen so far.{{qa ref|1084|24|Who is the oldest character we know?|date=2014-8-13}} He was originally human, but has changed enough that when asked, Brandon only says "It's complicated."{{qa ref|1088|4|text=We would call him human, but he's not exactly that|date=Mar 22, 2014}} Hoid is not a [[Shard]], nor is he a [[Herald]], but something else entirely.{{qa ref|697|21}} He is very skilled with disguises, and the overtness of his involvement varies from book to book. In some, he is named outright and makes references to other events and places in the cosmere, while in others he is seen only deep in disguise, almost unrecognizable. Brandon has confirmed that all of these appearances are the same individual,{{qa ref|690|39}} but that he [[Worldhopping|Worldhops]] between planets. Hoid's motives are unknown, and most of his actions occur behind the scenes.
His particular style of storytelling in which he manipulates sand or smoke to illustrate his stories, as in [[Warbreaker]] and [[The Way of Kings]], does not originate from [[White Sand]], but from another unpublished story, [[The Liar of Partinel]].{{qa ref|590|40|Does the sand storytelling in Warbreaker have to do with White Sand?|date=2011-1-10}} His origin will be revealed in the [[Dragonsteel]] series,{{qa ref|622|135}} and so it is commonly believed Hoid is from [[Yolen]], the world of Dragonsteel and Liar. ▼
▲His particular style of storytelling in which he manipulates sand or smoke to illustrate his stories, as in [[Warbreaker]] and [[The Way of Kings]], does not originate from [[White Sand]], but from another unpublished story, [[The Liar of Partinel]].{{qa ref|590|40|Does the sand storytelling in Warbreaker have to do with White Sand?|date=2011-1-10}} His origin will be revealed in the [[Dragonsteel]] series,{{qa ref|622|135}} and so it is commonly believed Hoid is from [[Yolen]], the world of Dragonsteel and Liar. He also has a "home base" somewhere in the cosmere.{{17s ref|post|42472}}
Hoid was originally human, but has changed enough that when asked, Brandon says "It's complicated."{{qa ref|1088|4|text=We would call him human, but he's not exactly that|date=Mar 22, 2014}} Hoid is not a [[Shard]], nor is he a [[Herald]], but something else entirely.{{qa ref|697|21}}
Hoid is notneither the author of the Ars Arcanums, nor of the back-of-book blurb for [[Words of Radiance]].{{qa ref|1080|5|Who wrote the dust jacket?|date=Mar 19, 2014}} He occasionally will show up somewhere, stand around for a while, realize there isn't a novel-worthy plot going on, and leave.{{17s ref|post|104720}} ▼Hoid has a home base somewhere in the cosmere,{{17s ref|post|42472}} and he has a bead of [[lerasium]].{{qa ref|897|21}}
▲Hoid is not the author of the Ars Arcanums, nor of the back-of-book blurb for [[Words of Radiance]].{{qa ref|1080|5|Who wrote the dust jacket?|date=Mar 19, 2014}} He occasionally will show up somewhere, stand around for a while, realize there isn't a novel-worthy plot going on, and leave.{{17s ref|post|104720}}
== History ==
Very little of Hoid's historyorigin is known beyond the fact that he was present at the [[Shattering]] of [[Adonalsium]].{{twg ref|7302|0}} He knew the original [[shard|shardholders]] personally; he, was friends with Rayse,{{qa ref|1105|1|Odium and Hoid were once friends|date=Feb 15th, 2014}} and Tanavast once bought him a drink.{{book ref|sa2|epilogue}} TheHis specificsappearances ofare hislisted appearances followsbelow, but bear in mind that it is arrangedorganized by book, notseries chronologically.and Hoid'snot appearancenecessarily in [[Alloy of LawChronology|chronological]] takes place after his appearance in [[The Way of Kings]]order.{{qa ref|708|7|How long before Way of Kings is Alloy of Law?|date=Jan 2012}} He makes no appearance in [[Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell]].{{qa ref|1115|50|Is there a Hoid cameo in Shadows for Silence?|date=2015-1-17}}
=== Sel (Elantris & The Emperor's Soul) ===
*[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]] - As he often does, Hoid plays a roleDisguised as a beggar., Hehe helps [[Sarene]] smuggle weapons into [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]].{{book ref|Elantris|58}}
*[[The Emperor's Soul]] - As the Imperial Fool for the Rose Empire, he betrays [[Shai]], which resultsresulting in her capture and imprisonment.{{bws ref|the-emperors-soul-deleted-prologue-imperial-fool|Deleted prologue from ''The Emperor's Soul''|date=March 31, 2014}}
=== Scadrial (Mistborn) ===
He has appeared multiple times on [[Scadrial]]:
*[[The Final Empire]] - ToHe acts as [[Kelsier]] he acted as an's informant in [[Luthadel]].{{book ref|mb1|19}}
*[[The Well of Ascension]] - HoidHe spentspends the vast majority of his time in this book hunting for the [[Well of Ascension]]. He had been tricked by the [[Lord Ruler]]'s disguise of the true Terris homeland, so he spent much of his time in the [[Terris Dominance]], where he gotwas wrapped up in things he didn't anticipate.{{qa ref|428|58}} Hoid meets [[Elend]] and [[Spook]] encounter him on their way back to Luthadel{{book ref|mb2|56}} as the unnamed leader of the [[Terris]] refugees followingwho fled the [[Inquisitor]] attack on [[Tathingdwen]]. HeNow uses Worldhopping to arriveknowing atthat the Well beforeis Vinin didLuthadel, buthe hisWorldhops reasonsto for goingarrive there remainbefore mysteriousVin.{{qa ref|428|102}}
*[[The Hero of Ages]] - Hoid again actedacts as an informant, onthis thetime streets ofin [[Fadrex City]]. On the advice of [[Ashweather Cett]], [[Vin]] wentgoes to Hoid for information., Shebut heardfeels himuneasy hummingabout andthe for some mysterious reason she was spooked by Hoidmeeting and decideddecides not to speak to him.{{qa ref|727|24}}
*[[Alloy of Law]] - At the wedding of Lord [[Joshin Yomen]] and Lady [[Mi'chelle Ostlin]], Hoid wasis seen speaking to them, once again dressed as a beggar.{{qa ref|632|3}}
*Hoid is slated to play a major part in the forthcoming sci-fi Mistborn trilogy.{{qa ref|689|5|When will we hear Hoid's story?|date=Nov 8, 2011}}
=== Nalthis (Warbreaker) ===
*[[Warbreaker]] - He[[Lightsong]] issummons summonedhim to the [[Court of the Gods]], bywhere [[Lightsong]]. Hehe recounts the story of [[Vo]], the First Returned, explains the origin of the [[Hallandren]] God Kings, and answers Lightsong and [[Siri]]'s questions.{{book ref|wb|32}}
=== Roshar (The Stormlight Archive) ===
===== [[The Way of Kings]] =====
In a departure from his previous appearances, Hoid plays a relativelymore majorconspicuous role in the events on [[Roshar]]. Most often seen under the guise of ''Wit'', [[Elhokar Kholin]]'s court jester, he influences [[Dalinar]], going so far as to ask Dalinar if he has ever heard the term "Adonalsium".{{book ref|twok|54}} He also meetstells [[Kaladin]] and tells him athe story aboutof [[Derethil]] and the ''[[Wandersail]]''.{{book ref|sa1|57}} During the course of the story, Hoid uses a special, ancient flute called a Trailman's flute. It is also likely that he uses [[Lightweaving]] to cause the smoke from the fire to take the form of various elements from his story. In the first Interlude, [[Ishikk]] talks with three men from the [[Seventeenth Shard]] who had paid him to search for Hoid in the Purelake. These three men are [[Galladon]], [[Demoux]], and Vao (or Blunt) who is from an unpublished book. He appears again towards the end of the book as [[Taln]] arrives in [[Kholinar]].{{book ref|twok|epilogue}}
In the first Interlude, Ishikk, a man from the Purelake, spends six months being paid by three men to ask around the area after Hoid. These three men are [[Galladon]], [[Demoux]], and a third man from a book that has not been published, referred to as Vao or Blunt. These men are confirmed to be members of the Seventeenth Shard. Hoid appears again later on in the book at the very same time as [[Taln]], a [[Herald]], who breaks through the gates of [[Kholinar]] and falls unconscious after declaring that the [[True Desolation]] is imminent.{{book ref|twok|epilogue}}
===== [[Words of Radiance]] =====
Hoid again in this plays ahis minor role as Wit., Forthough he is absent for most of the book, they say he is away. In Shallan's flashback to five and a half years ago, she meets Wit, who isHoid disguised as a messenger, and he talks to her. [[Rock]] also describes an encounter with him in the Horneater Peaks and calls him ''Lunu'anaki'', the god of travel and mischief who cannot hurt man.{{book ref|sa2|46}}{{qa ref|1061|3|Hoid in Words of Radiance|date=Mar 17th, 2014}} At the end of the book, he meets with [[Jasnah Kholin]] as she exits [[Shadesmar]], offering to travel with her.
== Appearance & Personality ==
Hoid's appearance varies drasticallydramatically from book to book. He's often in disguise, which makes his true appearance difficult to ascertain. Couple this with the fact that he can most likely Lightweave his appearance in order to look however he wants, it makes it nearly impossible to know for sure what he looks like. To the best of our knowledge, his face is lined;{{book ref|twok|54}} hawk-like and arrow shaped. Hoid is tall and thin{{book ref|twok|12}} and also has a sharp nose and jaw with delicate eyebrows.{{book ref|twok|54}} He tends to cock his head to one side{{book ref|twok|57}} and has keen blue eyes.{{book ref|twok|12}} Hoid's hair is white, although he occasionally dyes it.{{book ref|twok|i|1}}
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}}
* Worldhopping - Hoid is very good at manipulating Shadesmar.{{qa ref|428|102}} He can travel to any world he likes, and can even use this ability to move swiftly around a single planet and to get to otherwise inaccessible areas, like the Well of Ascension.{{17s ref|post|42244}}
* Feruchemy - Hoid uses Feruchemy to gain limited foresight--he knows where he needs to go and when he needs to be there.{{qa ref|689|4}}{{qa ref|895|2}}
* Allomancy - Hoid retreived a bead of Lerasium from the Well of Ascension so that he could become an allomancer.{{qa ref|1013|1|Hoid has a metal he isn't supposed to have|date=Dec 18th, 2011}}{{qa ref|1047|9|Did Hoid use his bead for Feruchemy?|date=Mar 29, 2014}} Brandon has been very careful with his wording{{qa ref|1047|15|Is Hoid an allomancer?|date=Mar 29, 2014}}, so it is unclear if he used it for that purpose, but he does appear to consume metal in Shallan's flashback the same way an allomancer would.{{book ref|sa2|45}}{{qa ref|1073|1}} Brandon also said that he did it to make people act a certain way, implying that ithe was burning [[brass]] or [[zinc]].{{qa ref|1048|29|What alloy did Hoid drink?|date=Mar 20, 2014}}
* Extremely long life and time dilation{{qa ref|622|106}} - Hoid is far older than any human could really live. He also hasn't lived through all those years. He can move swiftly forward in time, but has not yet traveled backwards in time.
* Awakening - Hoid likely has a [[Breath]], something that a scene in Words of Radiance seems to confirm, as he mentions how playing an instrument was easier now with 'perfect pitch' - something granted to those with the Second Heightening.{{qa ref|949|11}}
{{theory}}
=== Hoid Wrote The Letter ===
In the epigraphs in Part 2 of The Way of Kings, there is the text of a [[letters|letter]]. Both its author and [[The Recipient|recipient]] are unknown. This letter refers to all the original Shardholders by their names and begs the recipient for aid in the struggle against [[Rayse]], holder of the Shard [[Odium]]. If Hoid wrote this letter, it offers valuable insights into his personality and goals. The author of the Letter is being hunted by the Seventeenth Shard and has set a false trail for them to follow., Thiswhich provideslines strongup evidencewell thatwith the author of the Letter is Hoid, as he is being huntedinterlude in an area far from where he really is bywhich three men who are probablysearching fromfor theHoid. SeventeenthBrandon Shard.has Italso is confirmedsaid that we "may have read that Hoid has specific beef with Rayse.," As for onlywith the Letter tellsbeing aboutthe Hoidonly havingreal aexample grudge against Rayseof this can be seen as an acknowledgement that Hoid wrote the Letter.{{ref|name=reddit-Stormlight_Archive-1a3fj0-c8veqw0}}
=== Worldsingers & Worldbringers ===
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.{{17s ref|post|22043}} Some believe that Hoid is a common root to both of these organizations, one of which, the Worldbringers, was very [[Realmatic Theory|Realmatically]] aware.{{17s ref|post|42471}}
=== Lerasium Bead & Allomancy ===
It wasBrandon laterhas confirmed that Hoid does in fact have a lerasium bead.{{qa ref|897|21 }}{{twg ref|7302|0}}{{17s ref|post|42244}}{{17s ref|post|24231}}{{17s ref|post|42244}} His original intent in acquiring the bead was to become an allomancer, but Brandon's careful wording throws into question whether or not Hoid actually used the bead for that purpose.{{qa ref|1047|9|Did Hoid use his bead for Feruchemy?|date=Mar 29, 2014}}{{qa ref|1047|15|Is Hoid an allomancer?|date=Mar 29, 2014}}{{qa ref|1048|29|What alloy did Hoid drink?|date=Mar 20, 2014}} In theThe [[letter it]] also referencesmentions thatan someone"element" which its author is keeping something safe for Hoid. ItThis iscould presumedrefer to beHoid theand his Lerasium bead that he took. ▼We know that aside from the beads of [[lerasium]] burned by the original nine [[Allomancy|Allomancers]] and [[Elend]] there is at least one more other bead somewhere in the cosmere.{{twg ref|7302|0}} We know that Hoid was at the well prior to [[Vin]] and Elend arriving there.{{17s ref|post|42244}} Also, Hoid has "metal he isn't supposed to have".{{17s ref|post|24231}} Hoid has also been confirmed to have retrieved something from the Well.{{17s ref|post|42244}} Combining all these facts heavily hint that Hoid is in possession of a bead of lerasium.
▲It was later confirmed that Hoid does in fact have a lerasium bead.{{qa ref|897|21}} His original intent in acquiring the bead was to become an allomancer, but Brandon's careful wording throws into question whether or not Hoid actually used the bead for that purpose.{{qa ref|1047|9|Did Hoid use his bead for Feruchemy?|date=Mar 29, 2014}}{{qa ref|1047|15|Is Hoid an allomancer?|date=Mar 29, 2014}}{{qa ref|1048|29|What alloy did Hoid drink?|date=Mar 20, 2014}} In the letter it also references that someone is keeping something safe for Hoid. It is presumed to be the Lerasium bead that he took.
== Quotes ==
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