Editing Devotion

{{shard info
|image=Devotion by Kyle Pearson.jpg
|vessel=[[Aona]]
|status=[[Splinter|Splintered]]
|splinters=[[Aon]]s at center of [[seon]]s
|perpendicularity=[[Devotion's Perpendicularity|The Lake]]
|magic=[[AonDor]], [[Dakhor]], [[ChayShan]], [[Forgery]], [[Bloodsealing]]{{wob ref|9830}}{{wob ref|4090}}
|residence=[[Sel]]
|books=[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]]
}}
{{update|sa4}}

{{quote
|Come. I give you release. Come. You can finally give up.
|The voice in [[the Lake]]{{book ref|elantris|61}}
}}

'''Devotion''' is a [[Shard|Shard of Adonalsium]], originally held by [[Aona]].{{wob ref|4679}}{{wob ref|783}} After the [[Shattering]], she traveled to [[Sel]] with [[Dominion]], where the two were [[Splinter]]ed by [[Odium]].{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{au ref|Sel}}

== Intent ==
As Devotion was Splintered far in [[Sel]]'s prehistory, it's unknown how precisely her intent would manifest.{{wob ref|5021}} She appears to wish to care for people and provide them safety from pain and harm.{{book ref|elantris|61}} Though not as directly hostile to each other as [[Preservation]] and [[Ruin]], Devotion and [[Dominion]] are at some level opposite to each other, yet their powers work together as the [[Dor]].{{au ref|Sel}} Devotion and [[Odium]] can also be argued to be opposite to each other.{{wob ref|830}}

== Associated Magics ==
{{image|Raoden.jpg|side=left|width=250px|An [[Elantrian]] using [[Aon]] Rao}}
=== The Dor ===
{{for|Dor}}

When Odium Splintered Devotion and Dominion, he trapped their power in the [[Cognitive Realm]] to prevent them from gaining another Vessel. Since, unlike in the [[Spiritual Realm]], location exists in the Cognitive Realm, the power of the two Shards is trapped together as a giant, polarized storm of [[Investiture]] known as the [[Dor]], which makes [[worldhopping]] to Sel very dangerous.{{wob ref|2546}}{{au ref|Sel}} 

The existence of Dor has a profound effect on Sel, as rather than a single, planet-wide magic system, the planet has numerous ones, each making its home in a particular region, all influenced in some way by both Shards.{{wob ref|9830}} An underlying similarity between all of them seems to be reliance on shape -- all forms of accessing the Dor are dependent on the user creating a specific shape, often based on the features of the land associated with a particular magic.{{book ref|Elantris|49}}{{tes ref|30}}

This tie between the location and magic also means that the user's physical position in relation to the system's home region influences the strength of the magic, and moving further away from its origin point will diminish its effects.{{wob ref|1625}}{{au ref|Sel}}{{book ref|Elantris|62}} Furthermore, in order to access a magic system, it appears one must be from the land associated with it.{{wob ref|2173}}

Magic systems using the Dor include:
* '''[[AonDor]]''' - the magic of [[Arelon]] and surrounding area; the ability to draw symbols called [[Aon]]s in the air to produce a variety of magical effects. Aons can only be drawn by [[Elantrian]]s, people raised to power and immortality through the city of [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]].
* '''[[ChayShan]]''' - the magic of [[JinDo]]; through taking specific stances and forming specific motions with one's own body, the user can access Dor for increased strength, awareness, and possibly other effects.
* '''[[Dakhor]]''' - the magic of [[Fjordell]]; through chants, the bones of a Dakhor monk are induced to change shape, which grants them abilities such as increased strength, bodily transformation, and even teleportation.
* '''[[Forgery]]''' - magic usable in the [[Rose Empire]], originating from [[MaiPon]]; accesses Dor through creation of [[soulstamp]]s, which contain a specific shape that is then imparted onto an object, rewriting its [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] aspect to change its history and, through this, present behavior and appearance.
* '''[[Bloodsealing]]''' - another Rose Empire magic, originating in [[Dzhamar]]; using human blood, Bloodsealers can create wards and animate skeletons of the dead.

=== Seons ===
{{image|Sarene and Ashe by Séverine Dumagny.jpg|side=right|width=250px|A [[seon]] with its bonded human}}
{{for|Seon}}

[[Seon]]s are magical entities somewhat common in the [[Arelish]] region of Sel. They appear as bright spheres of light about the size of a melon, with a shining [[Aon]] inside of them; each Seon has its own Aon, and is named after it.{{book ref|elantris|2}}{{book ref|elantris|part=ars}} Those Aons are [[Splinter]]s of Devotion,{{wob ref|4679}} and have at least some sense that they came from something larger and how they were created, which causes them to consider Devotion as something of a god or parent.{{wob ref|3024}}

They are extremely similar to the [[spren]] of [[Roshar]], and much like spren, they bond with humans.{{wob ref|12148}} They offer their masters unconditional love, and will be negatively affected by something happening to their humans, such as the transformation into a [[Reod]] Elantrian.{{book ref|elantris|1}}{{book ref|elantris|16}} Unlike spren, seons do not grant their bonded humans any particular abilities, but they do have magical talents of their own. Most notably, two seons can link together to allow for instant communication between their masters, with each seon taking on the appearance of the person on the other side of the link.{{book ref|elantris|2}}

Their equivalents formed from [[Dominion]]'s investiture are the [[skaze]].{{au ref|Sel}}

=== Direct intervention ===
As a dead Shard, Devotion can no longer directly intervene into the affairs of Sel; however, something still speaks to the [[Elantrian]]s who go into [[Devotion's Perpendicularity]]. It presents Elantrians with a choice to either be dissolved, effectively dying, or carry on living.{{book ref|elantris|61}}

== History ==
{{image|Devotion by zoethatcher.jpg|side=left|width=200px}}
{{for|Aona|history of the Vessel prior to becoming a Shard}}
{{quote
|In case you have turned a blind eye to that disaster, know that Aona and Skai are both dead, and that which they held has been Splintered.
|[[Hoid]]{{book ref|sa1|22}}
}}

Very little is known about Devotion, as it was splintered a long time ago. The Shard was created at the [[Shattering of Adonalsium]], along with fifteen others, and picked by [[Aona]].{{msh ref|3|2}} She and [[Dominion]], for an unknown reason, decided to strike out together to [[Sel]], where they passively influenced a number of local cultures.{{au ref|Sel}} At some point early on, [[Odium]] came along and, possibly with some assistence from [[Autonomy]], killed both Shards and [[Splinter]]ed them.{{wob ref|2614}}{{au ref|Sel}}

Once the [[Vessel]]s were dead, the remnants of the two Shards were pushed together into Sel's [[Cognitive Realm]] to prevent anyone from taking up the power or the powers themselves from achieving sentience; this created the [[Dor]].{{wob ref|2546}}{{wob ref|1473}} This plan was not entirely successful, as over time, the Dor has begun to attain self-awareness of its own.{{au ref|Sel}}

== Influence ==
{{image|Devotion by Heatherly.png|side=right|width=200px}}
{{quote
|Merciful Domi!
|[[Arelish]] exclamation{{book ref|elantris|1}}
}}

Historically, Devotion and Dominion were not directly involved in human civillization on [[Sel]]; however, the discovery of their powers drove its development nonetheless. Both were fundamental in early Selish cultures, and many traditions and religions on the planet are derived from the two of them. Among others, multiple languages and writing systems on Sel are based on Devotion and Dominion's power, with the prime example being the [[Aon]]s.{{au ref|Sel}} To this day, worship of Devotion is the primary religion of [[Arelon]], where she is known as [[Domi]]; some aspects of [[Jaddeth]] are likewise inspired by her.{{wob ref|783}} The [[Ire]], or at least some of its members, also seem to revere her, directly under her Shardic name.{{msh ref|5|2}}

Due to her early death, Devotion is not particularly influential in modern-day [[cosmere]], but her corpse, in form of the [[Dor]], has made travel to and from [[Sel]] through the [[Cognitive Realm]] highly difficult.{{au ref|Sel}} It's possible some remnant of her is still present within it, or at least within her [[perpendicularity]], [[the Lake]], as it speaks to [[Elantrian]]s thrown into it.{{book ref|elantris|61}}

== Trivia ==
* In ''[[wikipedia:Magic: The Gathering|Magic: The Gathering]]'' colors, Devotion would be green/red.{{wob ref|11057}}
* The pairing of Devotion and [[Dominion]] is somewhat inspired by yin and yang.{{wob ref|8336}}

== Notes ==
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{{Elantris}}
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[[es:Devoción]]