[XIcy Hot Patchx]

Does one gain certain powers or something when becoming an Ascendant? Also, is it the same thing as a god?

[Silencer]

The actual nature of ascendancy is vague - very vague. Even the discussions I've had about it with people 'close' to SE tells me that it's an unfixed concept.

Ascendancy is born of power. Or experience. Or of certain actions. Godhood is born of worship, and while all gods are probably ascendants, not all ascendants are gods. So no, they are not the same thing.

One could argue that ascendancy grants the bearer advantages - disease resistance, more ability to take damage...though whether this is the case for all ascendants is not clear. Perhaps ascendancy just allows a greater store of personal power - whether magical, or of willpower, or something else is unclear.

All that can really be said is that all ascendants are people you don't want to mess with. Because they will usually mess you up. Some become gods, some don't. Some reject godhood. Some are physically powerful, others magically, others...without any clear definition of either as their major forte.

This is one of those topics that's really hard to pin down - plenty of evidence for a variety of views, but no solid consensus one way or the other.

[MTS]

Silencer's pretty much nailed it on the head. We don't really know what makes an Ascendant, and I don't think we ever will, unless SE decides to flesh it out for some reason. Paran has some interesting speculation on the topic in BH, about how Ascendancy might be

Spoiler

sheer strength of will. "A mortal punches someone and maybe breaks the victim's nose. An Ascendant punches someone and they go through a wall. Now I don't mean that literally - although that's sometimes the case. Not necessarily physical strength, but strength of will. When an Ascendant acts, ripples run through...everything". So an Ascendant can be someone who has the propensity to effect things, like Oponn with the push/pull dynamic. He also likens Ascendancy to a probability distribution, and "peaks" of potential - that is, get enough people together, eventually enough pressure will build and a mountain will rise, and an Ascendant will be the metaphorical peak. This could be due to continual betterment and competition, or any number of reasons, but it does put an interesting spin on the whole thing.

^^^ Not really spoilers, but this is the MoI forum, so I'm just making sure.

This post has been edited by Mappo's Travelling Sack: 30 May 2009 - 04:51 AM

[Soletaken Peach]

It seems an ascendant quite literally 'ascends' past the chains of mortality. Take Shadowthrone and Cotillion for example; though, in their case, it is... "hinted" that they took seize of a warren, meanas, a spawn of a greater [older/elder] warren. The tiste edur's warren, from which we learn more off in the later book(s) "Midnight Tides".



Some others seem to be born into the role of ascendants.

[Red King]

As i've seen, the others have definatly stated what it is and Silencer talked about how it can happen, and how its not really set in stone. I personally picked up from Ascendancy as something that doesn't happen often, but does happen enough to keep the balance set. They talk about Rake ascending (Subtly I believe) through drinking dragons blood and being the the first born. Caladan Brood, no clue on that guy, i believe its through experience and some other things but I have no real idea. While others go through different process to reach it and achieve different states of power. Its all very fasinating and is now making look up all the forms of ascendancy that people see in SE's work.

- Ultor