Editing Seon

{{lifeform
|image=Seon Box and Ala by Connor Chamberlain.jpg
|type={{tag+|Splinter}}s of [[Devotion]]
|abilities=Flight, immortality, enhanced senses, instantaneous communication to and through other seons
|sapient=Yes
|world=Sel
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Stormlight Archive]], [[Mistborn Era 2]]
}}
{{update|mb7}}
{{quote
|You look at things as a human, young master. You see rank and distinction; you try to order the world so that everything has a place either above you or beneath you. To a seon, there is no above or beneath. There are only those we love. And we serve those we love.
|[[Ien]] to [[Raoden]]{{book ref|Elantris|16}}
}}

'''Seons''' are sapient magical beings that originate on [[Sel]]. They are [[Splinter]]s of [[Devotion]]{{wob ref|5991}} who serve human masters.

== Appearance and Characteristics ==
Seons take the form of floating orbs of light, each with a glowing [[Aon]] at their core for which they are named.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|elantris|part=ars}} They are described as "small"{{book ref|Elantris|2}} and "melon sized".{{book ref|Elantris|2}} Seons have control over the level of their brightness,{{book ref|Elantris|17}} and they often pulse while speaking or laughing.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} The light of seons has a mother-of-pearl iridescence, at least in the [[Cognitive Realm]],{{book ref|sa4|20}} and it can be difficult to discern their Aons through the light without close examination.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|Elantris|32}} The general appearance of seons is similar in the Cognitive and [[Physical Realm]]s;{{book ref|sa4|115}} however, this may not have always been the case,{{wob ref|8663}} and is likely related to the unusual history of the [[Dor]] on Sel and its effect on Selish magic systems.{{wob ref|14644}}{{wob ref|14522}} Seons are tangible, although they weigh very little; they cannot pass through solid matter and can therefore be imprisoned.{{wob ref|7816}}{{book ref|sa4|115}} [[Hrathen]] believes that seons need to sleep.{{book ref|Elantris|12}}

There is only one seon for each Aon, and they intrinsically know what their Aon means.{{wob ref|14410}}{{wob ref|14959}} Each seon has an individual personality. Seon personalities are very similar to those of humans and they are able to convey emotions easily; they may even have superstitions.{{book ref|Elantris|2}} They are generally agreeable, but can sometimes suffer negative psychological effects from stress or abuse.{{wob ref|2068}}{{book ref|sa4|115}} Raoden and Sarene each note that their seons are incredibly wise.{{book ref|Elantris|5}}{{book ref|Elantris|10}}

Known seons tend to have soothing voices. [[Ashe]]'s voice is described as "deep" and "sonorous", with well-enunciated words.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|thoe}} [[Ien]]'s voice is "indulgent",{{book ref|Elantris|16}} [[Dio]]'s is "melodious",{{book ref|Elantris|45}} and [[Riika]] needs [[Mai]] to tell her a story when she goes to sleep.{{book ref|thoe}} However, [[Opa]]'s voice is formal and unemotional, which [[Sarene]] notes as unusual, particularly compared to seons in [[Teod]].{{book ref|Elantris|32}} It is not clear if seons have a gender, but some of them sound masculine while others sound feminine.{{book ref|Elantris|12}}

{{image|Sarene and Ashe by Séverine Dumagny.jpg|width=250px|side=right|[[Sarene]] and [[Ashe]]}}

=== Bonds with Humans ===
Seons can form bonds with individual humans. The human does not have to be an [[Elantrian]]. They love their masters and act as loyal companions and advisors.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} The bond works through [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] [[Connection]]{{wob ref|10049}} and has similarities to the [[Nahel bond]] on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|3488}} The seons are bound only by love and are not obligated to serve.{{wob ref|1965}} The bond typically makes the seon and its master very close. Raoden sees [[Ien]] as more than a servant or even a friend; he sees him as the embodiment of his god's love.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} A seon could theoretically abandon its master,{{wob ref|893}} but how and why this could happen is not known; [[Hrathen]] views seons as heresy and is shocked upon learning that [[Wyrn (title)|Wyrn]] [[Wulfden the Fourth]] uses them. He uses his seon as a necessary tool to achieve higher goals, hating it and keeping it in a box, but it is always ready and willing to serve him when called upon.{{book ref|Elantris|12}} Unlike the Nahel bond, the bond between seons and humans has not been shown to give either party any new abilities.

The bond can be Passed from person to person.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} The Passing is initiated when the seon's master instructs it to form a bond with a new person,{{book ref|Elantris|34}} but the mechanics of the change in bond is not clear. Passing can occur even if the human is an infant.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} It is not uncommon to keep a seon in the same family for hundreds of years.{{book ref|Elantris|5}}{{book ref|Elantris|34}} Raoden believes that the seons inherently need to serve and that they would seek out a new master if theirs suddenly died.{{book ref|Elantris|34}} In some cases, it appears that seons can be assigned by an authority figure; Wyrn gives one to Hrathen{{book ref|Elantris|12}} and Raoden gives two seons to [[Dashe]].{{book ref|thoe}} Unbound seons are quite rare.{{book ref|sa4|115}}

== Powers and Abilities ==
As [[Splinter]]s of a [[Shard]] of [[Adonalsium]], seons are a sapient form of [[Investiture]] and possess several magical qualities. They are immortal.{{wob ref|3885}} They generate their own light and have control over their brightness, to the point that they can become nearly invisible.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} They move by floating and seem to be able to change their speed and altitude quickly.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} They can even reach speeds that are faster than a galloping horse.{{book ref|Elantris|29}} They are able to mimic human speech and mannerisms, which they may have perfected over time.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} Their senses are superior to those of humans.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} They have an innate sense of direction and can point the way to any place they have ever been.{{book ref|Elantris|32}}{{book ref|Elantris|62}} They cannot be harmed by conventional means.{{wob ref|7439}}

They are able to link to each other over long distances to allow their masters to communicate instantly. This ability seems to function similarly in the [[Physical Realm]] and the [[Cognitive Realm]], and seons are therefore one of the few ways to instantaneously communicate between the realms.{{book ref|sa4|20}}{{book ref|sa4|115}} They can temporarily transform into a three-dimensional image of the person speaking on the other end of the link.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|Elantris|12}} The image shows only the person's features and not anything else in their surroundings.{{book ref|Elantris|2}} It is not clear if they can transform for any other purpose.

Although [[Sel]]ish magic generally does not function properly away from Sel,{{wob ref|6164}} seons are capable of traveling to another planet.{{wob ref|736}} Their ability to leave the planet is somehow related to the unusual properties of Investiture on Sel, and does not necessarily apply to similar magical beings.{{wob ref|14522}} The [[Ghostbloods]] were able to bring at least two seons to [[Roshar]], including [[Ala]].{{book ref|sa4|115}}

== Cultural Role ==
[[Ashe]] noted that Elantris was once "overflowing" with seons{{book ref|Elantris|2}} and that nearly all Elantrians had one.{{book ref|thoe}} After the Reod, seons became increasingly rare as more of them went "mad".{{book ref|Elantris|5}} They remained common enough that some people in larger cities still ignored them,{{book ref|Elantris|23}} but Ashe mentioned that many people had become wary or even fearful of seons, since they associated them with the fall of Elantris.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} This attitude was more prevalent in Arelon, the presumed source of seons, than it was in Teod.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} 

Many people in [[Fjordell]] did not believe that seons existed,{{book ref|Elantris|2}} or that they were "heathen magic" that should be shunned.{{book ref|Elantris|12}}

After Elantris was restored and Raoden and Sarene became king and queen, seons were once again seen as desirable in Arelon.{{book ref|thoe}}

== History ==
=== Creation ===
Seons were created by the Splintering of [[Devotion]], a [[Shard of Adonalsium]].{{wob ref|7103}}{{wob ref|4679}} [[Odium]] traveled to [[Sel]] and killed both [[Aona]] and [[Skai]], the [[Vessel]]s of Devotion and [[Dominion]].{{wob ref|7103}} After they were killed, the power of their Shards was left in the [[Cognitive Realm]] and formed the [[Dor]].{{wob ref|1625}} The seons were bits of Devotion's magic that became sapient.{{wob ref|3885}}{{au ref|sel}} They had counterparts formed from Dominion's magic known as the [[skaze]], and there were some similarities between the two groups.{{au ref|sel}} The presence of the uncontrolled power of two Shards made the Cognitive Realm on Sel extremely dangerous, as the seons and skaze did not provide an adequate "release valve", unlike the [[spren]] on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|4129}}

The people of [[Opelon]] and [[Teod]] did not know the true origin of the seons. The most common assumption was that they were created by Elantrians through AonDor,{{book ref|Elantris|12}}{{book ref|Elantris|34}} despite a lack of documented proof. Raoden realized that this might be inaccurate, and planned to continue researching the origin of seons.{{book ref|Elantris|63}} The seons themselves had some awareness of their origin,{{wob ref|3024}} but they were not known to have shared this information with any humans.

{{image|Elantris HU1 Cover Art.jpg|side=right|width=300px|Seons floating aimlessly after the Reod}}
=== The Reod ===
The [[Reod]] had a significant effect on the magic used in Arelon, including seons. The Reod disrupted the Elantrian connection to the Dor and corrupted the [[Shaod]].{{book ref|elantris|1}} Seons of Elantrians lost their thinking capacity, wandering aimlessly and silently within the walls of Elantris.{{book ref|elantris|4}} These seons usually avoided people{{book ref|Elantris|28}} and their movements were lazy and sometimes wobbly.{{book ref|Elantris|10}} The change in the seons of Elantrians was caused by the Reod's effect on the Connection to their masters.{{wob ref|1267}}{{wob ref|10049}} Infrequently, a mad seon might show some unconscious recognition of its Elantrian master, but only through classically conditioned actions, not communication.{{book ref|elantris|10}}{{book ref|elantris|16}} Additionally, if closely inspected, the [[Aon]] of a seon who had lost its master to the Shaod would appear patchy and incomplete.{{book ref|Elantris|16|p|174}}

Seons that were not bound to an Elantrian were unaffected by the Reod. During this time (and possibly earlier) [[Wyrn (title)|Wyrn]] [[Wulfden the Fourth]] used seons to communicate with his [[gyorn]]s, an embarrassing and closely guarded secret.{{book ref|Elantris|12}} It is not known how Wyrn and the [[Derethi]] obtained their seons.

Upon the restoration of Elantris's magic, the mad seons recovered their sanity and returned to their former state.{{book ref|Elantris|63}} However, they were unable to remember the time that passed{{book ref|Elantris|63}} and they may have been fundamentally changed by the experience.{{wob ref|7182}}{{wob ref|9561}}

=== On Roshar ===
{{quote
|I'm … supposed to stay. I’m not supposed to talk. To you. To anyone.
|[[Ala]], to [[Shallan]]{{book ref|sa4|115}}
}}
Around 1167, Shallan used an unknown seon. However, she did not have it by 1172.{{book ref|sa4|30}}{{book ref|sa2|73}}

The [[Ghostbloods]] were able to bring at least two seons to [[Roshar]] through unknown means. [[Ala]] was kept in captivity and given to [[Shallan Davar]] inside of a special cube for use as a communication device with [[Mraize]], who possessed an unknown seon. Ala, who seemed traumatized by the Ghostbloods, was eventually freed by Shallan with assistance from [[Kalak]].{{book ref|sa4|115}} [[Hoid]], who was also on Roshar during this time, possessed his own unknown seon that he used to communicate with [[Pattern]] through Ala.{{book ref|sa4|78}} After Ala was released, Hoid informed Shallan of the nature of seons and the rarity of finding one that was not bound to someone. Ala then remained with Shallan.{{book ref|sa4|115}}

== Similarities to Other Splinters ==
===Spren===
Seons have many similarities to the spren that live on Roshar. They are both [[Splinter]]s and essentially "the same thing",{{wob ref|9432}}{{wob ref|15938}} but there are some differences that would not make them interchangeable.{{wob ref|6928}}{{wob ref|141}} Unlike spren, seons can leave Sel and do not change appearance in the Cognitive Realm; these differences are somehow related to the unusual state of the [[Dor]] and Sel's "odd" magic systems.{{wob ref|14644}}{{wob ref|14522}} Seons are not as common as spren, as they are limited to a single individual for each Aon.{{wob ref|14410}} Both entities can bond with humans, and the Nahel bond with a spren can theoretically be Passed like a seon bond.{{wob ref|885}} Like spren, seons can turn into [[Shardblade]]s if they have something to pull them more into the [[Physical Realm]].{{wob ref|6197}} They can also not be killed by a Shardblade.{{wob ref|15944}} Seons could be used to build a [[fabrial]], and the nature of the Aon in the seon would influence what kind of fabrial could be made.{{wob ref|12918}}

===Skaze===
Seons are closely related to the [[skaze]] that are also found on Sel.{{wob ref|2233}}{{wob ref|5540}} They are both sapient Splinters, with the skaze being of [[Dominion]] rather than [[Devotion]].{{wob ref|4547}} Like seons, skaze could theoretically be used to create a [[Shardblade]] or build a [[fabrial]].{{wob ref|6197}}{{wob ref|12918}} They each appear as floating balls of light and possess unique humanlike personalities. However, skaze glow with a dark, almost "negative" light and are surrounded by a ring of symbols, rather than having one at their center. They also exhibit personality traits like sarcasm that have not been seen in seons,{{book ref|Elantris|part=postscript}} and could even be considered "evil".{{wob ref|2233}}{{wob ref|5540}}

Although the origins of both seons and skaze are unclear, they are categorized together by the scholars of [[Silverlight]]{{au ref|sel}} and were likely created under similar circumstances. The skaze are influential in [[Fjordell]]{{wob ref|4641}} and are not commonly seen or even mentioned in Arelon or Teod. 

== Notable Seons ==
{{for|:Category:Seons|a complete list of seons|Category:Seons}}
* [[Ashe]]
* [[Ien]]
* [[Hrathen's seon]]
* [[Dio]]
* [[Ala]]
* [[Dao]]

== Trivia ==
* Seons were inspired by a series of paintings by {{a|Michael Whelan}} called ''Passage''. Brandon saw the paintings in high school and wrote a story involving balls of light, which later became the seons.{{wob ref|1965}} The paintings can be seen on Michael Whelan's [https://www.michaelwhelan.com/gallery/personal-visions/passage/ website].
* In an earlier draft of ''Elantris'', seons possessed the ability to 'complete' their Aons a single time, creating the effect that their Aon represents in AonDor while killing the seon. Ien targeted this ability on Dilaf, 'healing' him; since Ien's Aon was still incomplete, this turned Dilaf into a fallen Elantrian.{{wob ref|2234}} Brandon used some elements of this mechanism in ''[[Warbreaker]]'' with the [[Returned]]'s ability to sacrifice their [[divine Breath]].{{wob ref|6724}}
* The origins of seons and their connection to AonDor will be explored further in a sequel to Elantris.{{wob ref|7816}}

== Notes ==
<references />
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{{demoted|mb7|exemplary=yes}}
{{Elantris}}
[[Category: Seons| ]]
[[category: AonDor]]