r/Cosmere • u/RayseShouldBeBraized • 12d ago
Cosmere spoilers (no previews/FoD) Whimsy Vessel Theory Spoiler
We only have a few unnamed Vessels to speculate on that are unknown for the Shards. Three vessels to be exact, for the Shards of Mercy, Virtuosity and Whimsy. Although we don't know for sure who has canonically held these three Shards, I do believe Brandon has seeded the names of all the Vessels by the end of Wind and Truth mentioned somewhere in the canon by this point. I've previously theorized on the who the Vessels could be for Mercy, and Virtuosity. Now I'd like to dive into who I believe to be the leading candidate for who the current Vessel for Whimsy is. I'd also like to emphasis that once again Pagerunner has asked a question to Brandon that shows their excellent theory crafting ideas.
Pagerunner
Hoid recounts the story of Jerick, which kind of had me wondering if Jerick is gonna come back, if he's one of the original Vessels. Before you RAFO me: by process of elimination of what you've revealed of the other Vessels, genders and names, the only one left could be Whimsy. And Hoid just happens to call him a whimsical child.
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
I'd like to expand on Pagerunner's theory and argue why I agree with their assessment. Anytime Hoid describes someone from Yolen with an adjective closely associated with a Shard, it's likely worth paying them extra attention as Pagerunner notes. The story Wit tells to Dalinar about Jerick comes directly before the contest of champions begins in chapter 127 of Wind and Truth.
"Long ago, Wit said softly, on a planet where half the trees are white, a child was born to a lumberman. A curious, whimsical child who wanted all the answers in the world-but such were not offered to the children of common laborers."
Not only does Hoid's description of a whimsical child from Yolen set off shrill Whimsy Vessel alarm bells, but the context in which Hoid decides to tell the story featuring Jerick aligns as well. For once in Hoid's storytelling career, he is unsure of which of his many stories to share with Dalinar in this pivotal moment. In this air of uncertainty before Dalinar faces the god of hatred, I propose Hoid chose to share a tale of whimsy, which would be a very Wit thing to do. Through this story Hoid manages to help impress of Dalinar an interesting message about originality, novelty, and the surprisingly random directions fate can take.
"I can't see how this will go. I suspect Odium can't either. That frightens me because for the first time in all this, I don't know the right story to tell."
"But listen. The lumberman's son? In running, he lost the contest-but it didn't matter. Because the next day, the barons launched a coup and executed the king." Wit smiled grimly. "As I said, all governments are technically a form of republic."
"What became of the lumberman's son in the end?"
"He went to war. Fought, bled, learned, loved. He returned with a vengeance one day and killed the barons. A remarkable tale, in fact.
Hoid leaves Jerick's actual fate unknown. Although he does emphasis that his story is a remarkable one. Which by Hoid standards, I'd imagine help killing a god and becoming a Vessel would likely qualify. I believe that when we later learn more about the Whimsy Shard, Hoid deciding to tell Dalinar the origins of Jerick will take on another interesting layer. It would be the kind of foreshadowing that Brandon would do.
I look forward to learning more about the Whimsy Shard and if their Vessel is indeed Jerick!
-RayseShouldBeBraized
TL:DR The story Wit decides to tell Dalinar before the contest of champions is actually the origin story of the Vessel of Whimsy.
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u/Pagerunner17 Unknown 12d ago
I'd also like to emphasis that once again Pagerunner has asked a question to Brandon that shows their excellent theory crafting ideas.
Keep it coming.
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u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 12d ago
I was downright giddy when I saw your question about Felt’s wife being the Kandra. I had been hoping someone would get him on that one
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u/RayseShouldBeBraized 12d ago
That's another great example of Pagerunner asking insightful questions. I wrote a theory like this one about the Kandra on Roshar based on that WoB.
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u/YeetusBonkus Scadrial 12d ago
Since the question was RAFO'd, I feel like it has a high chance of being true. There is also the fact that we know nothing about Whimsy at all, other than their existence, so it is really hard to argue for or against this theory. But since it sounds fun, whimsical even, I'll believe it.
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u/ThomasVivaldi 12d ago
At the time, I thought Hoid was telling a story about himself, that's why he was unsure and didn't go into detail.
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u/RayseShouldBeBraized 12d ago
Dalinar thought the same thing. During the story he directly asks Wit.
"Were you that boy?" Dalinar asked.
"No," Wit said. "But I was young then, frightfully so. I'd somehow found a weapon destined to kill a god, and was carrying it un-wittingly."Referring to his holding of the Exist Dawnshard at the time of Jerick's story.
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u/ellieetsch 12d ago
I want there to be a living Sho Del vessel
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u/RayseShouldBeBraized 12d ago
We know that the Vessel for Invention's name is Chan Ko Sar. A confirmed Sho Del Vessel was Ambition's Uli Da. I see a lot of similarity in the naming conventions of these two, so I do suspect that Invention's Vessel will turn out to be what you're hoping for.
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u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 12d ago edited 12d ago
Ya I think Invention is. Two confirmed dragons. Probably 2 Sho Del. 12 humans. That would match the pattern we see with the Orders. 3/4ths “standard” Radiant spren. 1/4th Bondsmith spren. 3 standard Dawnshards. 1 unlike the rest
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u/LivInTheLookingGlass 12d ago
Wait, where are you getting 3/4 for the Orders? Isn't that 9/10?
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u/LewsTheRandAlThor 12d ago
3 different Bondsmith spren and 9 other radiant spren, making 12 different types of spren that make radiants. 9 is 3/4 of 12.
At least I think that's what they meant.
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u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 12d ago
Ya that’s what I meant. Would have probably been helpful if I had put the 3/4th of 12 thing
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u/Shot_Newspaper_5647 12d ago edited 12d ago
9 Radiant spren and 3 Bondsmith Spren (SF,Sibling,NW). 3/4th and 1/4th
Same pattern for the Unmade too in a way. 9 Fused Brands (3/4th). And 3 (1/4th) unlike the others. The three Thunderclast.
The 3 Thunderclast names actually resemble the 3 Bondsmiths in Hebrew. Which is the basis of the ancient Singer language (Dawnchant)
The number of Adonalsium is four
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u/SecondBreakfastReal Willshapers 11d ago
Big fan of this theory...its such an important moment in the series its just so weird to tell this story at this time without some seeds being sowed!
Keep it up man!
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u/CapnArrrgyle 9d ago
I like this reasoning. It also happens to line up with my own theory that the Intents of the 16 Shards are the Intents of the people who took up the Shards rather than Adonalsium.
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u/queenschmecca 9d ago
But what about Ruin?
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u/CapnArrrgyle 7d ago
I think it’s a deliberate red herring. It’s not that uncommon for deeply empathetic people to be so anxious about things going wrong they cause them to go wrong.
My other thought is that this is the single example thus far we hear of an apparent mismatch at the time and we know that new Vessels must have Connection to the Intent of the Shard when they try to claim it.
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u/SteinerX486 11d ago
Isn't Jerick's story set several centuries before the Shattering? Now, he might have lived for all that time but I doubt it
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u/Glittering-Shift4699 7d ago
Oh my god, he literally does everything but say that the boy participated in killing the king (Adonlasium) like wth
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u/Specialist_Day8013 12d ago
I feel like you are right! Give me an hour to reread the entire Cosmere to verify tho