Difference between revisions of "Sleepless"

Hordelings are usually about the size of a finger,{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} but they can be as large as a fist{{wob ref|11672}} or sometimes as large as a building.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} Hordelings on Roshar often resemble native creatures known as [[cremling]]s simply to make them less noticeable to casual observers; they can take other forms.{{wob ref|3346}} The [[Yelamaiszin|first swarm]] to come to Roshar originally had spiderlike hordelings; the swarms breed their hordelings to resemble local fauna in order to blend in.{{wob ref|14317}} The hordelings of each Sleepless are not all identical, and often serve specific purposes.{{wob ref|1543}} For example, because [[Arclo]] tries to pass as a human, many of his hordelings have protrusions on their backs that resemble human parts such as skin or eyeballs; he is also able to speak with a passably human voice.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} However, individual hordelings cannot shapeshift, so the nature of a Sleepless body is usually visible upon close inspection.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} Sleepless therefore tend to cover their "skin" when possible, or use the appearance of older skin or tattoos to obscure their true nature.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} or tattoos{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} to obscure their true nature.

Hordelings can be specially bred to enhance specific capabilities of a Sleepless, such as a heightened sense of smell or increased memory capacity, although this process takes some time.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} [[Nikli]] notes that it took three hundred years to breed hordelings that could imitate human fingers.{{book ref|sa3.5|18}} Over the course of many generations, some have even managed to breed hordelings that are able to mimic the powers of a [[larkin]].{{wob ref|12658}} Specialized hordelings can convincingly mimic inanimate objects.{{book ref|sa4|64}} There is a limit on both the total mass and number of hordelings a Sleepless can have at any given time,{{wob ref|12043}} but the maximum number would definitely allow a Sleepless to become much larger than human-sized,{{wob ref|11672}}{{wob ref|11953}} up to the size of a [[santhid]] corpse{{book ref|sa3.5|8}} and possibly even larger. Because they can continually create new hordelings to replace any that are lost, the personality of a Sleepless can live forever, as long as not too many of the hordelings are destroyed at once.{{wob ref|3885}} Swarms on planets other than Roshar would breed their hordelings as needed to imitate whatever life forms are native to that world.{{wob ref|14317}}

In practice, hordelings function as a "hive mind",{{wob ref|1543}} but they are not technically one entity.{{wob ref|11869}} Hordelings have the ability to separate from the main body to act as remote agents while maintaining their mental link with the rest of the horde.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} Certain circumstances could lead to a hordeling being split off from the group and forced to act independently.{{wob ref|11869}} For example, a hordeling that is physically too distant from the others can lose contact with the main mind, and this would affect its [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] aspect.{{wob ref|11603}} A hordeling could be affected by a [[Hemalurgic]] spike, but it would disconnect it from the hivemind.{{wob ref|3319}} The Sleepless are not able to split their consciousness between the Cognitive Realm and the [[Physical Realm]].{{wob ref|11869}} They can also form multiple humanoidsapient bodies at once (for example, imitating two humans at the same time), but it is difficult and risks making the split permanent, unintentionally creating a new Sleepless. This is made easier if the bodies are not engaged in intelligent tasks at the same time.{{wob ref|14314}}

Sleepless are able to reproduce, but "reproduction" for them has a variety of connotations. They can breed specific hordelings for specialized purposes over time and can also exchange hordelings if needed in order to improve their genetic diversity. They can even crossbreed hordelings with other species such as various cremlings and the [[lancer]].{{wob ref|14349}}{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} Creating a new Sleepless involves splitting off a subsection of an existing swarm, which subsequently gains independence over time; the Sleepless term for this process is becoming "Separated".{{book ref|sa3.5|6}} A swarm becoming Separated is not always intentional.{{wob ref|14314}} Newly independent swarms retain the genetic adaptations of their "parent" swarm and are able to fine-tune the evolutions of their hordelings to even greater effect.{{book ref|sa3|19}} Arclo refers to the other swarms on Roshar as its "siblings".{{book ref|sa2.5|18}}

All Sleepless have the abilities granted by their unusual physiology, including shapeshifting, adaptive evolution, and effective immortality. It is also impossible to imprison a Sleepless through conventional means.{{book ref|sa3.5|10}} Sleepless have used [[Surgebinding]] in the past and may use it again in the future.{{ref|text=[[Oathbringer#Cover Synopsis|''Oathbringer'' cover synopsis]]}}{{wob ref|14336}} Arclo is able to easily kill two of [[Nale]]'s [[Skybreaker]] apprentices and tells [[Lift]] that it would not have been possible for them to kill it.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} Sleepless would have nothing to fear even from someone as powerful as a Herald, and the Heralds knew to leave their kind alone.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} Sleepless have more resistance to [[Soulcasting]] compared to humans for various reasons.{{wob ref|13201}} They are also fluent in most, if not all, human languages.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}}

The Sleepless are exceptionally [[cosmere]]-aware. At least some Sleepless have had the power of [[Worldhopper|Worldhopping]];{{wob ref|12222}} Arclo tells Lift that it once traveled to a land she will never visit.{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} They have some relationship to the [[shardShard]] [[Cultivation]] and another unnamed group in the cosmere.{{wob ref|9476}} They are aware that some [[Unkalaki]] are [[Sighted]] and that they guard [[Cultivation's Perpendicularity]].{{book ref|sa3.5|15}} They hold secrets about the power of the [[Dawnshard]]s and the [[Shattering of Adonalsium]], and they have passed this information down to their "younger" members.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} They refer to [[lancer]]yn and [[larkin]] as "Ancient Guardians" and believed that protecting the [[Akinah Dawnshard mural]] was important to the fate of the entire cosmere.{{book ref|sa3.5|18}}

Most Rosharans (other than Siah Aimians) do not know that the Sleepless exist, with thea few notable exceptionexceptions. At least some Iriali have been aware of them{{wob ref|14397}} and the [[Unkalaki]], who call them the "Gods Who Sleep Not", andeven have some understanding of their hordeling abilities.{{book ref|sa3.5|10}} Neither [[Dalinar]] nor [[Lift]] seem to have even heard of beings with the powers of the Sleepless prior to talking to Hoid and Arclo, respectively.{{book ref|sa1|54}}{{book ref|sa2.5|18}} However, a few folk tales about them persisted over the years, and [[Jasnah Kholin]] was aware of these tales through her scholarly research. She assumed that they were myths, until she began hearing credible stories about similar creatures,{{book ref|sa3.5|9}} possibly including Lift's interaction with Arclo. Even then, Jasnah could not fully believe such beings existed until meeting one in person.{{book ref|sa4|64}} Although [[Vstim]] passed this information about Sleepless on to Rysn, she did not rule out some form of [[Lightweaving]] to explain her early observations of Nikli's shapeshifting until seeing its powers up close.{{book ref|sa3.5|9}}{{book ref|sa3.5|15}}

Sleepless, or Dysian Aimians, existedexist on othermultiple planets in the [[cosmere]]{{wob ref|11778}}{{wob ref|12657}} and are known to have traveled between them.{{wob ref|12222}} Their original planet is unknown, but they are not native to [[Yolen]].{{wob ref|14342}} [[Hoid]] wasis the only person known to use the term "Dysian," and the source of the term is unknown.{{book ref|twok|54}} All known Sleepless on Roshar descended from a single swarm currently named [[Yelamaiszin]].{{book ref|sa2.5|6}} Most of the cosmere's Sleepless live on Roshar,{{wob ref|12657}} but unrelated swarms exist on other worlds.{{wob ref|14301}}

=== ModernWar Rosharof Reckoning ===

The Sleepless appearappeared to be guarding several secrets from humans, including something that Dalinar seekswas seeking but "must not know".{{ref|text=[[Oathbringer#Cover Synopsis|''Oathbringer'' cover synopsis]]}} An unnamed Sleepless learned of [[Vazrmeb]]'s plan to sail the ship ''[[First Dreams]]'' to [[Akinah]] in Aimia; it posed as a [[Reshi]] cook and joined the crew, later poisoning everyone else on board to protect the island.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} It refused to divulge any of Akinah's secrets to [[Kaza]] even as she was dying, telling her that doing so could result in the "ends of worlds".{{book ref|sa3|i|4}}

=== Confirmed sightingsSightings ===

=== Unconfirmed sightingsSightings ===

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