Old Magic

The Old Magic is a manifestation of Investiture on Roshar that is known to predate spren bonds. It has a deep connection to and association with the old gods of Roshar, the Wind, the Stone, and the Night, who are said to embody the Old Magic. But it has since become synonymous with the Nightwatcher. 
While there are other unknown elements to the Old Magic, no one on Roshar has been confirmed to know or make use of it. As such, the most prevalent form of Old Magic comes in the form of boons and curses from the Nightwatcher: a person can gain a single unique ability from the Old Magic, but are also given a unique curse along with their boon, which may or may not be related. Khriss's writings in the Ars Arcanum states that it is cousin to Voidbinding.
== History ==
The Old Magic was left by Adonalsium on Roshar after creating the planet prior to the Shattering. It is embodied in the Wind, the Stone, and the Night, and from it were the eldest spren of Roshar born. When they were created by Adonalsium, they were given instructions to protect, shroud, and nurture the life of Roshar. 
Over time, the Singers began to worship the Stone and Wind, though they did not worship the Night. This would eventually lead to the Night leaving Roshar.
Bondsmiths, in the days before the modern Bondsmith spren, bonded to these old gods.
At some point, the Shards would make the Stormfather from the Wind, and the Nightwatcher from the Night. The Sibling would be made from the Stone intermixed with the Investiture of Honor and Cultivation around six thousand years before the Night of Sorrows.
Eventually, the Old Magic became culturally synonymous with the Nightwatcher, who was created from the Night.
== Mechanics ==
To gain a boon and a curse from the Old Magic, a person has to seek the Nightwatcher. Anyone is allowed to seek a single boon from the Nightwatcher. To do this, the person must first travel to the Valley in the west, where the Nightwatcher resides. After finding the Nightwatcher, the person may request a boon. In very rare cases, a boon and curse can be given by Cultivation. The precise phrasing of the request does not appear to make a difference, however, since the Nightwatcher bestows a boon that she feels the person deserves. The Old Magic can be given to any sapient species, including ones not from Roshar. A person's boon and curse stay with them for life and will stay with them if they leave Roshar. The boons and curses are limited in a particular manner. According to Lift, those who have the Old Magic have a certain "smell". Many view the Old Magic as inscrutable.
There is more to Old Magic than just boons and curses; however, there is no person currently known to make use of that.
Cultivation will sometimes intervene, and grant her own boons and curses in a far more calculated manner, and may use the Old Magic to distract from her own interference, possibly even creating the phenomenon.
=== Boon ===
The Nightwatcher claims to have the ability to grant almost any physical request one might ask of her, though just because she can does not mean she will give what is asked for. She claims to be able to give many things such as renown, wealth, skill, the ability to swing a sword and never tire, beauty, followers, even glory. She even claims she can give a person physical possessions such as spheres, gemstones, Shards, or a Blade that bleeds darkness and cannot be defeated. The Nightwatcher does have trouble with extremely nebulous requests relating to human emotion. The Nightwatcher is also capable of changing a person's species or eye color, and can alter a person's DNA or spiritweb.
=== Curse ===
Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible to avoid the curse by carefully phrasing a request--or even to predict the curse that the Nightwatcher will bestow. Interestingly, it does not appear that balance is carefully maintained through an individual blessing and curse--often, highly visible curses are the result of relatively minor boons. The curses can be quite thorough, however--in one case, a man lost all feeling in both of his hands until the day he died. Whether these curses follow some cosmic justice, or are merely the result of a capricious spren, is unknown. Many people throughout centuries have tried to find ways of dealing with their curse and a cure for them, with no successful attempts. There is no record of anyone ever having had their curse lifted.
== Development == 
Brandon built the Old Magic into The Stormlight Archive because he felt that at a certain point he wanted there to be a contrast to rule-based magic systems. He wanted there to be a primal magic that didn't really adhere to the rules, one that couldn't be anticipated. Brandon felt that it was vital to include so that he didn't overexplain everything in the books. Characters, in some ways, can be given wish fulfillment, but even that can turn on its head because of the Old Magic as it doesn't give people what they think should have gotten.
== Trivia ==
* It has been confirmed that Dalinar, Lift, and Taravangian all received their boons and curses directly from Cultivation, rather than from the Nightwatcher as is the norm. Brandon has also stated that this is of particular note, but has yet to say how.
== Notes ==
category: magic
category: magic systems
 
es:Antigua Magia