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{{shardworld
|map=Threnody icon.svg
|shards=None current, Investiture from [[Ambition]]'s past presence and Splintering{{au ref|Threnody}}{{book ref|yumi|17}}{{epigraph ref|row|27}}{{wob ref|12922}}
|magic= [[Shade]]s
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|system=[[Threnodite
|books=[[Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell]]
}}
{{spoilers|tsm}}
{{quote
|Never call this land hell. Respect the land as you would a dangerous beast, but do not hate it.
|[[Silence's grandfather]]{{book ref|sfs
}}
'''Threnody''' is the
The planet is regarded as notably dangerous, disturbing, and strange, even by powerful and cosmere-aware people.{{au ref|threnody}}{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}}{{book ref|yumi|17}}
▲'''Threnody''' is the minor [[Shardworld]] that contains the [[Forests of Hell]].{{17s ref|post|107560|New planet name|date=09 March 2014}} It is the setting for the story [[Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell]]. It is a temperate world with notable features such as large forests, mountains and oceans. This planet is populated by humans, which are known as Threnodites, as well as hostile [[Cognitive Shadow]]s, referred to locally as shades. The shades can only be combated with silver, which makes it an incredibly valuable, if finite resource on the planet.
== Geography and Ecology ==
{{image|Nazrilof by Ashley Coad.png|width=350px|side=right|[[Nazrilof]] in the Forests of Hell}}
The planet itself contains two large continents separated by an ocean.{{au ref|Threnody}} There is nothing known about the larger of the two continents, although it is the original homeland of humans on Threnody.{{book ref|sfs}} It is known as the [[Fallen World]] and contains [[Homeland]]. It The smaller of the two continents is nearly entirely covered by the deciduous [[Forests of Hell]], along with rivers, some unforested mountains and caves.{{au ref|Threnody}}{{book ref|sfs}} Fortress Cities have been built in these mountainous regions, while homesteads and waystops dot the Forests themselves, connected by primitive roads.{{book ref|sfs}} Silver appears to be an abundant resource on this continent, although it still remains valuable due to its usefulness.▼
▲The planet itself contains two large continents separated by an ocean.{{au ref|Threnody}}
There are a wide variety of herbivores in the Forests including rodents, deer, birds, rabbits, and turkeys.{{book ref|sfs}} Hogs are kept by some of the inhabitants of the Forests, but they are not eaten. Due to the nature of the [[Simple Rules]], there are no predators within the Forests, if any ever existed. Anyone, predator or human that spills blood draws the attention of the dangerous shades, so any predators that once inhabited the Forests are long dead. The [[shade]]s are the most populous creatures within the Forests. These limit population growth of humans and animal species alike by restricting them with the [[Simple Rules]]. Any that breaks these rules, regardless of their intentions, will be attacked and killed. Several important plants that grow in the Forests include [[fenweed]], which can be used as a poison, and [[wetleek]]s, whose sap glows under the light of a specific type of [[glowpaste]]. There are also large fields of pale white mushrooms which grow in the Forests. The Forests themselves are said to be unnaturally quiet, particularly at night.▼
▲There are a wide variety of herbivores in the Forests including rodents, deer, birds, rabbits, and turkeys.{{book ref|sfs}} Hogs are kept by some of the inhabitants of the Forests, but they are not eaten. Due to
Several notable plant species that grow in the Forests include [[fenweed]], which can be used as a poison, and [[wetleek]]s, whose sap glows under the light of a specific type of [[glowpaste]]. There are also large fields of pale white mushrooms that grow in the Forests.
== History ==
=== Early History ===
{{quote
|The [[
|Khriss's essay on the Threnodite
}}
Little to nothing is known about the early history of Threnody.
Some level of Investiture existed on the planet before the conflict, although it is unknown whether it was a natural manifestation or if it was related to Ambition. The origin of the human population is unknown, but it predates Ambition's arrival. They populated the larger of the two continents, later known as the [[Fallen World]], building a technologically advanced culture that had developed gunpowder.{{book ref|sfs}} Threnodite explorers discovered the smaller, more heavily-forested continent on their world, which was populated predominantly by shades. The horrified explorers called the area the [[Forests of Hell]], believing the shades to be the spirits of the damned.
=== Abandonment of the Fallen World ===
{{quote
|Smiling was wasted energy. And
|[[Silence Montane]]'s thoughts on Homeland{{book ref|sfs}}
}}
Around a century
There was at least one visit onto the planet by a [[Worldhopper]].{{au ref|Threnody}} [[Khriss]] has been to the Forests of Hell and spent some time there, guided by her assisstant [[Nazh]], who is a Threnodite himself. Khriss was interested in the world and the shades, but as of yet has not had time for extended study of the world and its Investiture.▼
▲There
== Culture and Society ==
=== Race and Language ===
There appears to be little sense of importance to race or ethnicity among the modern Threnodites.{{book ref|sfs}} Some people have darker skin than others, but there
=== Religion ===
:''See also: [[God Beyond]]''
{{quote
|You can rail against the God Beyond, but it will change nothing. William was a fool and an idiot. You are better off. We are Forescouts. We survive. We will be the ones to defeat the Evil, someday.
|Silence's Grandmother on the God Beyond{{book ref|sfs
}}
Little is known about the cultures of the nations that once existed on the [[Fallen World]], as they were destroyed in their entirety.{{book ref|sfs}} The people of a place that is now simply called [[Homeland]] worshiped the [[God Beyond]], basing a religion around it. They symbolized this religion with a dagger, which was often made of silver and carved with symbols of divinity. They also made small shrines to their god. This religion
=== Fortress Towns ===
:''Main Article: [[Fortress Town]]s''
{{quote
|The smaller continent is a frontier, mostly unexplored and unnamed, with several bastions of civilization. I have visited one of the largest of these, and even it feels unfinished—set up haphazardly by refugees fleeing across the ocean, lacking some basic necessities. They focused on making it a fortress first, and a home second.
|Khriss's essay on the Threnodite
}}
The people that fled to the smaller continent did not set up nations there upon their arrival.{{book ref|sfs}} Fearing that the Evil would manage to follow them across the ocean, they instead founded several [[Fortress Town]]s{{au ref|Threnody}} in the mountains, such as [[Bastion Hill]] and [[Lastport]].{{book ref|sfs}} They focused on making these
=== Homesteaders ===
:''See also [[Forests of Hell]]''
{{quote
|Silence's thoughts on life in the Forests{{book ref|sfs}}
}}
The Threnodites who homestead the Forests of Hell are a tough, practical people.{{book ref|sfs}} They are more focused on survival than anything else, and have little time for sentimentality and emotion. The forestborn are much more at home with the Forests and the shades than the fortfolk. Most cannot afford enough silver to fully encircle their homes and lands, so they live among the shades, some may even enter their homes, and accept that the Simple Rules are just a way of life. Even the Homesteaders do not care for traveling the forests at night, but they accept that at times they will have to do so. They often live in large family groups of up to a dozen. Homesteaders wear plain clothing and eat simple foods, such as gravied venison and beer. One can often tell a Homesteader by the way they walk, in a deliberate slow pace that will not draw the shades. The Homesteaders are an independent group
Homesteaders primarily survive by farming the fertile forest clearings for grain to produce flour and other higher
=== Economy ===
As [[silver]] is the only known material capable of wounding a shade or healing the withering damage their touch inflicts, it is one of the most critical resources on the planet.{{book ref|sfs}} Homesteaders carry weapons of silver and pouches of silver dust, in case of injury. Barriers made of silver can be embedded in the ground or around a door frame to create areas that shades cannot access. These are commonly used to protect waystops in the Forest. However, once silver has been touched by a shade, it blackens and becomes ruined, useless against any future shades, making silver a precious commodity. While Threnodites make use of a coin-based currency, measures of silver form the basis of the Threnodite economy. Homesteaders grow the majority of crops and breed most livestock, which they sell back to the Fortress Towns in exchange for silver. It is implied that the silver is mined in the mountains near the Fortress Towns, giving them control of the resource. Silver prices often fluctuate, which can put hardship on those in the forests who are trying to pay the fort taxes while still having enough silver to defend themselves.
Since the Fortress Towns have such a weak grasp on the Forests themselves, they provide an ideal refuge for criminals fleeing the justice of the fortfolk.{{book ref|sfs}} As such, bounty hunting is a common occupation, especially among the forestborn. This is further incentivized by fort law, which allows bounty hunters to keep anything that belongs to the person they bring in, except for stolen goods. Famous bounty hunters, such as the [[White Fox]] and [[Bloody Kent]], have become legends and folk heroes, with elaborate stories told about their exploits and the mysterious powers they are reputed to control. Some bounty hunters work in groups, and may track a high
=== Technology ===
{{quote
|The stories of what gunpowder could do were often as fanciful as stories of the Homeland.
|Silence's thoughts on gunpowder{{book ref|sfs
}}
Before the arrival of the Evil, the people of Homeland had discovered gunpowder.{{book ref|sfs}} However
In terms of weaponry technology, bladed weapons are less common in the Forests, as they risk drawing blood.{{book ref|sfs}} This makes weapons such as war hammers uncommon. Most bladed weapons, such as spears, knives, and crossbows, are made of silver and used to combat shades. When fighting another human, Threnodites tend to make use of weapons that rely on blunt force and are unlikely to draw blood if used appropriately, such as a cudgel or a garrote. They also have developed an easy to crank crossbow that fires blunt bolts, which do not draw blood but hit hard enough to stun an enemy. In the event that spilling blood is absolutely necessary in the Forests, the desperate make use of burlap sacks that have been sealed with tar. If they can get the sack over someone's head, they can smash their skull in and as long as the blood does not reach the open air, the shades do not enrage. Overall, the Simple Rules make it incredibly difficult to kill another person, so large scale battles and wars seem nonexistent between the forts or in the Forests.▼
▲In terms of weaponry
== Manifestations of Investiture ==
=== Cognitive Shadows and Other Investiture ===
:''See also: [[Shade]]s''
{{quote
Unlike some of the other worlds where full Shards of Adonalsium are present, such as [[Roshar]] or [[Scadrial]], there is no active manifestation of Investiture that humans can make use of themselves.{{qa ref|1076|32|The magic is more something you interact with, not something you perform because there isn't a shard there.|date=6 March 2014}} The investiture on Threnody takes the form of [[shade]]s, barely conscious Cognitive Shadows of human spirits.{{au ref|Threnody}} They take the form of a translucent white figures that wander the Forests.{{book ref|sfs}} They are not innately aggressive, but respond violently to any violations of the [[Simple Rules]], which will enrage them to violence. The body of anyone a shade touches is withered and if the contact is bad enough, the person will die and occasionally return as a shade themselves. The only thing that is able to combat shades is silver. It is unknown whether or not silver on Threnody is Invested in any way. The Evil is also related to Cogntive Shadows in some way, but specifically how is still uncertain.{{qa ref|1052|22|Everything is related to Adonalsium in the Cosmere, most of the magic you're seeing is a just a natural outgrowth of Cosmere related magic and cognitive shadows. The Evil is similarly related.|date=21 March 2014}} ▼
|Threnodites, they have this phantom echo to their souls. A sort of smoky shadow that lives on after they die.
|[[Nomad]]{{book ref|tsm|13}}
}}
▲Unlike some of the other worlds in the cosmere where full Shards of Adonalsium are present, such as [[Roshar]] or [[Scadrial]],
Prior to Odium's clash with Ambition, there was some other form of Investiture already in existence, but its precise origin is still unknown.{{au ref|Threnody}} It may simply be a natural manifestation of Investiture, or it could be related to Ambition. It is uncertain whether this Investiture still exists.
=== Perpendicularities and Subastral ===
Without a full Shard currently residing on the planet, Threnody lacks a stable [[perpendicularity]],{{au ref|Threnody}} like the [[Well of Ascension]] on [[Scadrial]].{{msh ref|2|1}} This absence prevents anyone from making an easy transition between the Physical Realm and [[Shadesmar]], restricting travel on and off the world.{{au ref|Threnody}} On occasion, perpendicularities form on the planet, but they are unstable and difficult to predict. Their origin is uncertain, but it is known to be morbid, so they may be related to the shades. It is known that the perpendicularities on Threnody have some link to the fact that a Shard was Splintered nearby.{{wob ref|12922}} There are currently no details on the appearance of Threnody's subastral in Shadesmar. However, the [[Sel|Selish]] organization known as the [[Ire]] have troops on the border of Threnody in Shadesmar to prevent Cognitive Shadows, presumably shades, from escaping the subastral.{{msh ref|5|2}} The reflection of the larger continent, the place where the Evil lives, in Shadesmar is very dangerous to visit.{{au ref|Threnody}}
=== Threnodites ===
{{quote
|These people had a natural, biological ability to leech Investiture from one another.
|Nomad{{book ref|tsm|13}}
}}
Threnodites themselves may be more Invested than people from other planets, as when a Threnodite creates a [[sunheart]] the power cell contains about two hundred [[BioChromatic Breath|Breath Equivalent Unit]]s, while a native from another planet creates significantly less.{{book ref|tsm|24}}
Threnodites on [[Canticle]] are also able to share Investiture with each other, directly transferring it between them via touch.{{book ref|tsm|13}} They are not able to share Investiture with non-Threnodites unless they have Connected with them.{{book ref|tsm|24}}{{book ref|tsm|39}} Those with the ability to forcibly pull Investiture from a person rapidly could kill them, though Threnodites do not have the inherent ability to take enough to be lethal.{{book ref|tsm|13}}{{book ref|tsm|52}}
== Planetary System ==
:''Main article: [[Threnodite
Threnody is
== Notable Threnodites ==
{{for|:Category:Threnodite|a full list see}}
*[[
*[[Chesterton Divide]]: A dangerous criminal who kills the governor of Lastport.{{book ref|sfs}}
*[[Nazrilof]]
== Development ==
[[Brandon Sanderson]]
== Trivia ==
* A Threnody is a song, hymn, or poem that is composed or performed in mourning of the dead.{{wp ref|Threnody}}
* Threnody is named in memorial of someone or something
* Travelling to and from the planet is difficult.{{wob ref|3700}}
* This planet was named by [[Isaac Stewart]], who has drawn the maps in many of the books set in the cosmere.{{au ref|sfs}}
== Notes ==
<references />
{{partial}}
{{demoted|sa4|exemplary=yes}}
{{Shadows for Silence}}
{{cosmere}}
[[Category: Threnody| ]]
<set-property key="toponym">Threnody</set-property>
<set-property key="demonym">Threnodite</set-property>
<set-property key="demonym-plural">Threnodites</set-property>
[[es:Treno]]
|