Editing Shard

{{magic
|image=The Roshards by jurassicpencil.jpg
|related=[[Adonalsium]], [[Investiture]]
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
}}
{{update|sa4|mb7|yumi}}
<div class="navaid">This page contains information for the Shards of Adonalsium. For information regarding the armaments used on Roshar, see [[Shardblade]] or [[Shardplate]].</div>

{{quote
|The Shards are not God, but they are ''pieces'' of God. Ruin, Preservation, Autonomy, Cultivation, Devotion...There are sixteen of them.
|[[Khriss]]{{msh ref|3|2}}
}}

The '''Shards of [[Adonalsium]]''', or '''Shards''' for short, are sixteen pieces of the power of creation.{{wob ref|6072}} They are each named after a specific characteristic or ideal that represents the Shard's primary purpose or motivation. A person who has taken up the power of a Shard is the '''Vessel''' of that Shard.{{msh ref|5|2}}

The Shards are the most powerful known entities in the [[cosmere]], and for all intents and purposes, serve as the gods of the cosmere. Most if not all magic systems are related to them.

== Introduction ==
{{image|Tanavast.jpg|side=right|width=250px|[[Honor]]}}
{{quote
|Ruin and Preservation inhabited power and energy in the same way a person inhabits flesh and blood.
|[[Sazed]]{{epigraph ref|mb3|14}}
}}

=== Power ===
Each Shard is a piece of the power of creation with a specific motivation, such as to destroy or to preserve. Those fragments each began their existence with equal level of power; however, over time many have diminished, whether through conflict or by the act of Investing a world -- imbuing it with [[Investiture]]. Each Shard has its own Investiture; while a Shard can co-opt the Investiture of another Shard, that Investiture can become noticeably red.{{wob ref|8340}}

Investing in a world will produce numerous effects, most notably the creation of a magic system tied to the Shard. While a Shard doesn't have complete control over how the magic system functions or what it does, it can manipulate its mechanics to an extent.{{wob ref|6072}}{{wob ref|4242}} Moreover, the presence of a Shard leads to the formation of a [[Perpendicularity]], a well of the Shard's Investiture that pierces all three [[Realmatic Theory|Realm]]s, allowing for the existence of [[worldhopping]].{{book ref|sa3|119}} The Shard's Investiture can also manifest directly in the world in other ways; examples of such manifestations are [[atium]] and [[lerasium]] on [[Scadrial]], the [[Tears of Edgli]] on [[Nalthis]], or the many [[spren]] of [[Roshar]].

It is possible for a Shard to be broken down into multiple smaller Shards with different Intents.{{wob ref|15990}} It is currently unknown whether this has ever happened before, or how it would be accomplished.

=== Vessel ===
To function properly, a Shard requires a '''Vessel''' -- a mind to control it, belonging to a sapient creature from the [[Physical Realm]], such as a human.{{wob ref|310}} Currently, there is only one Shard held by a Dragon ([[Cultivation]]).{{wob ref|15149}} One doesn't need to be able to use Investiture in order to become a Vessel, but the ability does help.{{wob ref|4062}} What becoming a Vessel requires above all is [[Connection]] to the Shard in question, whether forged artificially or driven by a natural inclination towards the Shard's intent.{{msh ref|5|2}} Upon Ascension, a Vessel loses its connection to its former species -- for example, a human who Ascended is no longer considered human.{{wob ref|4709}} However, it is possible for Vessels to reproduce.{{wob ref|6383}}

The act of becoming a Vessel is called '''Ascension''', and causes the Vessel's body to vaporize and mind to expand.{{wob ref|6072}} From then on, the Vessel and the Shard are intertwined; the Vessel gets to set some general course of how the Shard's power is defined, and feeds off the Shard's power to remain alive, but the Shard's power is the driving force between the two. Over centuries, the Vessel's mind begins to change to fit the Shard's intent more perfectly.{{wob ref|7965}}{{wob ref|5485}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|18}} If a Vessel fights against their Shards intent, they can be left vulnerable.{{book ref|sa4|i|6}} If the Vessel were to give up the Shard, the Shard's influence on their mind would fade over time.{{wob ref|3009}}

A Shard can be killed by Splintering it, breaking its power down further into smaller pieces, called [[splinter]]s; the easiest way to achieve that is by killing the mind.{{msh ref|3|2}} The actual death of a Vessel, however, can take up to hundreds of years.{{wob ref|8144}} If the Shard is taken up before the Vessel dies completely, splintering can be prevented;{{msh ref|3|2}} if not, the power will become wild and dangerous.{{au ref|Selish}} A Shard without a Vessel will eventually gain sentience.{{wob ref|5816}} When a Vessel dies, the person's original body materializes and falls to the ground as a corpse.{{epigraph ref|mb3|56}} However, it does not age rapidly, since Shardic immortality is different from other methods like atium compounding.{{wob ref|3870}}

It is possible for Vessels to be separated from their Shards without dying or Splintering the Shards they held.{{wob ref|120}}{{wob ref|6587}}{{wob ref|14278}} If this happens, then after the Vessel's death, it is able to resist the pull into the [[Beyond]].{{msh ref|6|8}}

A mentally ill Vessel can affect the Shard's intent.{{wob ref|13090}}

== History ==
:''For the histories of individual Shards, see their respective pages.''
{{quote
|I have delved and searched, and have only been able to come up with a single name: Adonalsium. Who, or what, it was, I do not yet know.
|[[Sazed]]{{epigraph ref|mb3|39}}
}}

It is unknown what precisely [[Adonalsium]] was, though it has been referred to numerous times as the power of creation, suggesting it to be the progenitor god of the [[cosmere]]. At some point in the distant past, on the planet of [[Yolen]], sixteen people conspired to kill it, and succeeded in an event known as the [[Shattering of Adonalsium]].{{msh ref|3|2}} Some of those people were romantically involved; others were related to each other.{{wob ref|1291}}{{wob ref|2786}} All of them were mortal at some point.{{wob ref|13341}}

Following the Shattering, the power that comprised Adonalsium broke into sixteen pieces, each polarized to one particular aspect of it, such as [[Ruin]] or [[Endowment]].{{wob ref|9507}} Those pieces, each equal in power,{{wob ref|13482}} became known as the Shards. The sixteen killers of Adonalsium each took up one of the Shards, Ascending and becoming the first Vessels.{{msh ref|3|2}} Following their Ascension, each of the Vessels departed Yolen. Some settled on various [[Cosmere#Planets|planets]], while others set no roots.{{wob ref|4441}} At this time they all had an equal amount of power.{{wob ref|13482}}

Originally, the Shards made an agreement not to interfere with each other,{{epigraph ref|sa3|39}} but they did not make a formal oath{{wob ref|13144}} and many of the Shards chose not to keep to the agreement.{{epigraph ref|sa3|39}} Additionally, [[Honor]] felt he did not break the agreement by traveling with [[Cultivation]],{{wob ref|10835}} suggesting the wording of the agreement may not have been as precise as Shards like Endowment thought.

Over the millennia, several Shards have passed away, one way or another. The most common cause of death for them were actions of one specific Shard, [[Odium]], who went on a killing spree, splintering [[Ambition]], [[Devotion]], [[Dominion]] and [[Honor]] before eventually being trapped in the [[Rosharan system]] by the remnants of the latter.{{au ref|Rosharan}} The death of [[Preservation]]'s Vessel, [[Leras]], led to the power being passed between several hands before it was eventually combined with [[Ruin]] to form [[Harmony]].{{book ref|mb3|76}}{{msh ref |6|4}} By contrast, [[Autonomy]] spread, creating avatars to inhabit numerous planets, including [[Obrodai]] and [[First of the Sun]].{{wob ref|11432}}

At least one of the Vessels regrets taking up a Shard, though which one that would be is unknown.{{wob ref|11900}} There are living descendants of some of them still alive.{{wob ref|13341}} At least one Shard other than Odium has been forced to leave their planet after its destruction.{{wob ref|12759}}

== Known Shards ==

There are sixteen original Shards, fifteen of which are currently known.

While most planets have at most one Shard, [[Sel]] and [[Scadrial]] are both dishardic, hosting two Shards each.{{au ref|Selish}}{{au ref|Scadrian}} [[Roshar]], on the other hand, is the only known example of a world influenced by three Shards.{{au ref|Rosharan}}

=== Original Shards ===

{| class='infobox sortable' align=center
|- class=title
!Shard       !! Vessel   !! World    !! Books !! class=unsortable| References
|-
| [[Devotion]]
| [[Aona]] <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Sel]]      
| ''[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Emperor's Soul]]''
|{{wob ref|783}}{{wob ref|4679}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Dominion]]
| [[Skai]] <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Sel]]
| ''[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Emperor's Soul]]''
|{{wob ref|9990}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Preservation]]
| [[Sazed]] <br /><small>(formerly [[Leras]], [[Kelsier]], and [[Vin]])</small>
| [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''
|{{wob ref|5599}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Ruin]]
| [[Sazed]] <br /><small>(formerly [[Ati]])</small>    
| [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''
|{{wob ref|5599}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Odium]]
| [[Taravangian]] <br /><small>(formerly [[Rayse]])</small>
| [[Braize]], [[Roshar]]
| [[The Stormlight Archive]]
|{{wob ref|7266}}{{wob ref|5984}}{{book ref|sa4|83}}
|-
| [[Cultivation]]
| [[Koravellium Avast]]     
| [[Roshar]]
| [[The Stormlight Archive]]
|{{wob ref|10113}}{{wob ref|5984}}{{file ref|Alethi Glyphs Page 2.jpg}}
|-
| [[Honor]]
| [[Tanavast]] <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Roshar]]
| [[The Stormlight Archive]]
|{{wob ref|4229}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Endowment]]
| [[Edgli]]
| [[Nalthis]]
| ''[[Warbreaker]]''
|{{wob ref|5943}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Autonomy]]
| [[Bavadin]]
| [[Taldain]]; avatars on<br />[[First of the Sun]], [[Obrodai]], and [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[White Sand]]'', ''[[Sixth of the Dusk]]'', [[Mistborn Era 2]]
|{{wob ref|5599}}{{wob ref|9385}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|50}}{{book ref|mb7|19}}
|-
| [[Ambition]]
| [[Uli Da]] <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Threnody]]
| ''[[Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell]]''
|{{au ref|threnodite}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|40}}{{wob ref|8398}}
|-
| [[Invention]]
| ''Unknown''  
| ''Unknown''
| ''Unknown''  
|{{epigraph ref|sa4|24}}
|-
| [[Mercy]]
| ''Unknown''
| ''Unknown''
| ''Unknown''    
|{{epigraph ref|sa4|25}}
|-
| [[Valor]]
| ''Unknown'' 
| ''Unknown''
| ''Unknown''   
|{{epigraph ref|sa4|25}}
|-
| [[Whimsy]]
| ''Unknown'' 
| ''Unknown'' 
| ''Unknown''  
|{{epigraph ref|sa4|25}}
|-
| [[Virtuosity]]
| ''Unknown'' <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Komashi]] 
| ''[[Yumi and the Nightmare Painter]]''  
| {{book ref|yumi|1}}{{book ref|yumi|part=anotherepilogue}}
|-
| ''Unknown''
| ''Unknown'' 
| ''Unknown'' 
| ''Unknown''
|}

=== Hybrid Shards ===

Several of the known Shards are dead in the current time, with [[Ambition]], [[Virtuosity]], [[Honor]], [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]] all being [[Splinter]]ed,{{au ref|Rosharan}} with the remnants of [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]] having been combined together in the [[Cognitive Realm]] as [[the Dor]].{{au ref|Sel}} [[Ruin]] and [[Preservation]], on the other hand, have blended together into [[Harmony]], albeit they remain somewhat separate within this unified construct.{{wob ref|6486}} It is possible for the remnants of the Shard Honor to merge with Odium to form a new Shard.{{wob ref|13819}}


{| class='infobox sortable' align=center
|- class=title
!Shard       !! Vessel   !! World    !! Books !! Notes    !! class=unsortable| References
|-
| [[Harmony]]
| [[Sazed]]  
| [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''  
| Conjoining of [[Ruin]] and [[Preservation]]
|{{book ref|mb3|82}}
|-
| [[The Dor]]
| ''None''
| [[Sel]]      
| ''[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Emperor's Soul]]''
| Combination of the splintered [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]]
| {{au ref|Sel}}{{wob ref|2787}}{{wob ref|1533}}
|}

=== Unnamed Shard ===
{{quote
|Some men, as they age, grow wiser. I am not one of those, for wisdom and I have always been at cross-purposes, and I have yet to learn the tongue in which she speaks.
|[[Hoid]] possibly implying the existence of another Shard{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}}
}}

There remains one Shard that has not been named, but it has an Intent similar to Wisdom or Prudence.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}}{{wob ref|15500}} [[Hoid]] and this Shard may be antagonistic towards each other,{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}} though this appears to be something of a common thread in his relations with the original Vessels.{{epigraph ref|sa1|23}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|41}}{{book ref|sa2|55}} There is a Shard that "[[Survival Shard|just wants to hide and survive]],"{{wob ref|2788}} though it has realized over time that that may not be the most desirable course of action; this may be the "wisdom" Shard.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}}

At one point, there was an unknown Shard that does not inhabit a planet,{{wob ref|4441}} which likely referred to Virtuosity.{{wob ref|15530}} Similarly, at one point there was at least one unknown Shard that had been Splintered by Odium,{{wob ref|1357}} though the Splintered Shard Ambition has been revealed since then.

== Powers and Abilities ==
{{quote
|The power of ancient Adonalsium permeates him. And controls him. [[Odium]] is a force like pressure, gravitation, or the movement of time. These things cannot break their own rules. Nor can he.
|[[Stormfather]]{{book ref|sa3|16}}
}}

Shards possess incredible power -- a single Shard can easily move entire planets and alter people down to the genetic level.{{epigraph ref|mb3|4}} They exist in all three Realms, but unlike other living beings, the vast majority of their power is concentrated in the [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] and [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]]. Shards do not appear in the Cognitive Realm like other entities (such as a bead on Roshar).{{wob ref|14026}} Time matters little to Shards, and they can bend and stretch it as they wish.{{epigraph ref|mb3|17}}

Vessels also gain an immense amount of knowledge upon Ascending, more than they can process immediately. They can gain more knowledge instantaneously, but this is not automatic, and requires them to consciously gain that knowledge.{{wob ref|16293}}

As [[Investiture]] never truly goes away, a Shard has access to a functionally-endless supply of it; however, there is a finite amount that a Vessel can command at any one time. This means that while all Investiture in the cosmere is assigned to one Shard or another, a Shard cannot truly command all of it at once.{{wob ref|8605}} As such, while powerful, Shards are not omniscient, omnipresent, nor omnipotent.{{book ref|sa4|54}}

A Shard's power can be temporarily diminished, either by assigning it to living creatures (such as people or [[spren]]), or sending it back to the Spiritual Realm (e.g. burning [[atium]]). Moreover, Shards are, as powers, bound to follow higher rules; a deal, once made by a Shard, cannot be broken, and they must absolutely obey the rules that govern them.{{book ref|sa3|16}} Breaking such deals will leave holes in them that another Shard can exploit to kill them.{{book ref|sa4|99}}{{book ref|sa4|112}}

Each Shard appears particularly predisposed toward acting in line with their intent; for example, [[Preservation]] finds it nearly impossible to destroy, while it's extremely easy for [[Ruin]] to do so.{{msh ref|2|3}} This is partially influenced by the personality change brought about by the Shard.{{wob ref|6685}} However, whether intentions provide Shards with actual unique powers is unknown.

=== Individual Powers ===
{{image|Marsh Ruin.png|side=right|width=250px|[[Ruin]] commanding a [[Steel Inquisitor]]}}

==== Movement ====
Shards are capable of appearing in various parts of their own Invested worlds instantaneously.{{book ref|mb3|76}} They can also travel to other planets by willing themselves to do so.{{epigraph ref|sa1|21}}{{wob ref|5526}} However, when a Shard Invests its power in a world, it's bound to it and will have difficulty leaving the system it is in.{{wob ref|9852}} Shards can also trap each other in systems, though the precise mechanics of that are unknown.{{book ref|sa3|57}}

==== Communication ====
Shards have several ways of communicating with people. Some Shards can speak directly into the minds of others, while others can listen.{{book ref|mb3|48}} A Shard can also communicate with a person directly through dreams or visions, and even take on a physical form -- a puppet of sorts, serving as a Physical outlet for communication.{{book ref|sa3|57}}{{book ref|sa3|114}} While the use of visions and speaking directly into a mind are limited to a single person, a puppet can be seen by many people.{{book ref|sa3|115}}

A Shard can also communicate directly with [[Cognitive Shadow]]s.{{msh ref|1|1}}

==== Mind Capacity====
Upon Ascension, the [[Vessel]]'s mind will be greatly expanded, allowing a far greater capacity to think than a mortal could.{{book ref|sa4|114}} A Shard is capable of bilocation -- being present in several places at once -- within its sphere of influence.{{msh ref|1|1}} As moments can pass like years to a Shard, they can also appear to think far faster than normal minds. Fundamental understanding of the cosmere, to the point of [[axi]] and anti-axi, also comes as a result.{{book ref|sa4|65}}{{wob ref|16293}} They seem to possess flawless memory, with no obvious upper limit, as [[Sazed]] is able to absorb the tremendous amount of knowledge in his [[metalmind]]s.{{book ref|mb3|82}}

However, contrary to what many believes, Shards are neither omniscient nor omnipresent.{{book ref|sa4|54}} They can only appear at limited places at once, and can be distracted, deceived or surprised. It is also possible to block a Shard's senses away from a certain area.{{ref|text=Metal can block the sight of [[Ruin]]}} They are incapable of breaking a formal contract, at least not without seriously wounding themselves.{{book ref|sa4|112}}

==== Creating Sapience ====
Shards can use their power to create complex '''constructs''', capable of continuing their function past the Shard's death. Examples of such constructs are the snapping mists of [[Preservation]],{{wob ref|4445}} and the vision journal of [[Honor]].{{book ref|sa1|75}} Shards can also create sapient beings from their power -- this is most commonly seen on [[Roshar]], with its overabundance of [[spren]]. Many of them, like the [[Stormfather]], [[Nightwatcher]], and [[honorspren]] were created by local Shards.{{book ref|sa3|108}}{{book ref|sa3|114}}

Shards can also create '''avatars''', personas that can act independently of them.{{wob ref|13220}} Avatars can be of any gender, race, and species, regardless of the original Vessel creating them, and can be formed at a considerable distance from the main body of the Shard, with many different avatars able to exist on a single planet.{{wob ref|3974}}{{wob ref|9385}} Though a Shard can create them directly, avatars can also form without a conscious decision on the Shard's part, though the Shard is still aware of what is happening.{{wob ref|13220}} When created directly, however, they can be instilled with specific traits.{{epigraph ref|sa3|50}} Some avatars are self-aware, while others are not, although the parent Shard will always be aware. Though some would call these avatars Splinters, it is not clear whether they truly fit the definition.{{wob ref|13323}}{{wob ref|13339}}

Avatars are, in a way, considered to be Shards in their own right.{{wob ref|8606}} Known ones include [[Patji (being)|Patji]] and the [[Sand Lord]], both of [[Autonomy]].{{wob ref|8902}}{{wob ref|5876}} It is difficult but possible for someone to become a Vessel of an avatar.{{wob ref|13323}}

Shardic power is also directly related to sentience and sapience. The close presence of a particular Shard, such as [[Cultivation]], can lead to some beings developing higher levels of sapience.{{wob ref|2792}} Shardic power can also grant sentience directly -- [[Scadrian]]s are sapient due to Preservation's power within them, and [[Nightblood]]'s sapience is partially derived from his large quantity of [[Breath]]s. [[Splinter]]s can also become sapient.{{wob ref|1799}} Even the raw power of a Shard, if left alone and without a Vessel, will eventually begin to form a rudimentary mind.{{au ref|Selish}}{{epigraph ref|sa4|39}}

==== Magic Generation ====
When a Shard Invests a world, it will begin to fuel the local magic system. Each Shard can do this differently, though much of the system is dictated by the planet itself. Because of this connection to the magic, a Shard is able to directly interact with its users and provide Investiture when necessary, without the need for intermediaries.{{wob ref|6072}}

While not all magic systems in the cosmere are directly tied to a Shard, Shardic presence greatly influences the shape a magic system takes. On a planet inhabited by a Shard, magic forms as a result of the interactions between a Shard's power, [[Realmatic]]s, the world's natural inclinations and, in some cases, even genetics.{{wob ref|6072}} For this reason, the exact function magic performs will not always be related to the Shard's nature -- for example, [[Surgebinding]], despite being powered by [[Honor]], is capable of manipulating [[Division]], which controls separating things. However, how the magic is ''obtained'' is tied to the Shard.{{wob ref|4032}} [[Hemalurgy]] demands that a person be destroyed, in line with the intent of Ruin, while Surgebinding demands forging bonds.

Shards are capable of tampering with Investiture that does not belong to them.{{book ref|sa4|epilogue}}

==== Future Sight ====
{{theory}}
{{quote
|It's as if the future is a shattering window. The further you look, the more pieces that window breaks into. The near future can be anticipated, but the distant future… I can only guess.
|[[Honor]]{{book ref|sa1|75}}
}}

Shards can perceive the future, although it can be difficult for them. Some are better at it than others, with [[Cultivation]] and [[Preservation]] being noted as particularly excelling.{{book ref|sa1|75}}{{wob ref|5309}} Like all seers, Shards can be wrong about both what they see and how they interpret it, although as a general rule they see further than non-Shards.{{book ref|sa3|122}} Shardic power can also be utilized by others to perceive the future as they do: examples of this are [[atium]], as well as the visions of the [[Returned]].{{wob ref|4645}}

Both [[Preservation]] and [[Honor]] describe seeing the future as not one set path, but a tangled web of linked possibilities, as well as the circumstances necessary to bring them about, with some being more likely than others. As a result, predicting the future is not a straightforward process, and is not equally useful to all seers. Upon Ascension to [[Odium]], [[Taravangian]] realized that there are possibilities of future that Rayse had not seen, implying the future sight ability may be related to the Vessel as well.{{book ref|sa4|114}}

It is theorized that a Shard's intent may be tied to its proficiency with future sight. Preservation, as a Shard dedicated to keeping things existing, and Cultivation, a Shard dedicated to growing something in a desired form, would hold a natural interest in predicting what the future will hold which may make them more proficient with this ability. By contrast, a Shard like Ruin, which is interested only in destroying things, and Honor, about holding to one's oaths, would not have "seeing ahead" as part of their nature.

== Forms and Subdivisions ==
{{image|Cultivation and the Nightwatcher 1.jpg|side=right|width=250px|[[Cultivation]] with her daughter-[[spren]], the [[Nightwatcher]]}}
{{quote
|I'm still a [[spren]]. I’m a little piece of God.
|[[Syl]]{{book ref|sa3|91}}
}}

The raw Investiture of a Shard can take distinct forms and states. As a solid, the Investiture is metallic, and is thus sometimes referred to as a '''[[God Metal]]'''. Examples of God Metals are [[atium]], [[lerasium]], [[raysium]], and the alloy of [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]] that forms [[Shardblade]]s. God Metals typically have properties within the [[Metallic Arts]], regardless of what Shard they're aligned with.{{wob ref|6072}}

Shardic power is the most potent as a liquid.{{wob ref|6072}} It typically coalesces in one place on a planet, forming a '''[[perpendicularity]]'''. A perpendicularity represents a tremendous amount of power, enough so to pierce all three Realms, allowing people to slide between them.{{au ref|Drominad}} Examples of such perpendicularities are the [[Well of Ascension]], the [[Pits of Hathsin]], or the [[Devotion's Perpendicularity|Lake]].

As a gas, the Shardic power can take on a number of different functions. Examples of Investiture in gaseous forms include [[Breath]], [[Stormlight]], and Preservation's mists. All can serve as fuel for magic. In both [[Awakening]] and [[Surgebinding]], gaseous Investiture is, in fact, the primary source of magic, but even in systems that use other substances, like [[Allomancy]], gaseous Investiture can serve the same purpose.{{wob ref|6072}}

=== Slivers ===
{{for|Sliver}}

A Sliver is a person who has held the power of a Shard, and then released it.{{wob ref|4540}} This "stretches" a person's [[spiritweb]], noticeably altering them. There is some grey area as to how much power one needs to have to be considered a Sliver; however, a person who directly handled Shardic power is the most straightforward example. The [[Lord Ruler]] and [[Kelsier]] would both be considered Slivers, while [[Elantrian]]s and [[Returned]] would not.{{wob ref|4499}}

=== Splinters ===
{{for|Splinter}}

A Splinter is a fragment of a Shard's power, similar to how a Shard is a fragment of Adonalsium's power. Unlike Slivers or [[Cognitive Shadow]]s, Splinters don't generally have a Physical component.{{wob ref|4541}} They often have a mind of their own, separate and distinct from that of their parent Shard.{{wob ref|10089}} They can form in two distinct ways: either by the Shard being splintered (killed), or by the Shard directly splitting off splinters of itself.{{wob ref|4129}}{{book ref|sa3|108}} Under certain circumstances, a Shard may be split and each resulting piece would gain an aspect of the original Shard's Intent.{{wob ref|15990}}

Splinters can be comprised of the Investiture of one or more Shards.{{wob ref|6454}} Examples of splinters include the divine [[Breath]] of the [[Returned]],{{wob ref|4486}} [[Aon]]s within [[seon]]s, and [[spren]].{{wob ref|3017}} It is possible to create a new Shard from splinters of multiple other Shards, though it is much more difficult than it sounds.{{wob ref|14145}}

A Shard Splintered beyond recognition could be reconstructed as a different Shard, though this would require a great deal of effort and resources, such as the use of a Dawnshard.{{wob ref|16303}}

== Champion ==
It is possible for a Shard to name a "champion" when making a deal with another Shard. Becoming a champion in this way is a formal event and requires some kind of contractual agreement.{{book ref|sa4|112}}{{wob ref|15676}} Honor encourages [[Dalinar Kholin]] to try to get Odium to agree to a contest of champions;{{book ref|sa1|75}} Odium eventually agrees and attempts to name Dalinar as his champion, though Dalinar declines.{{book ref|sa3|119}} Shards outside of the [[Rosharan system]] have also had champions.{{wob ref|5286}} The Heralds are similar to champions,{{wob ref|9548}} and the conflicts between [[Marsh]] and [[Elend]] and between Marsh and [[Vin]] are an echo of this system.{{wob ref|15676}}

== See Also ==
* [[Adonalsium]]
* [[Realmatic Theory]]

== Notes ==
<references>
</references>
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{{cosmere}}
[[category: Cosmere|*]]
[[category: magic]]
[[category: Shards| ]]
[[es:Esquirla]]