Editing User:Skaa/Shadesmar

[[File:Shadesmar (TWoK).jpg|thumb|right|text-top|300px|x200x|alt=Shadesmar|Map of Shadesmar, the Cognitive Realm]]

'''Shadesmar''' is a [[Roshar]]an{{qa ref|1108|16|Is Shadesmar a Roshar specific term?|date=Mar 13th, 2014}} word for the [[Cognitive Realm]]{{qa ref|428|10|Shadesmar is the Cognitive Realm|date=Jul, 2009}} that [[Brandon Sanderson]] sometimes uses in non-Rosharan contexts.

This article will be about the Rosharan region of the Cognitive Realm.

== Appearance ==
{{quote
| ... a place with a black sky and a strange, small white sun that hung on the horizon ... Flames hovered nearby ... Like the tips of candles floating in the air and moving with the wind ... An endless dark sea, except it wasn't wet. It was made of the small beads, an entire ocean of tiny glass spheres
| [[Shallan Davar]]{{book ref|sa1|45}}
}}

Geographically, Roshar in the Cognitive Realm appears like an inversion of the continent in the Physical Realm, with its inland seas corresponding exactly to the shape of the land of Roshar. The "seas" are made of tiny dark glass beads that represent objects that exist in the Physical Realm. When asked if this is the general rule, Sanderson said "there are places in Shadesmar that are different, and some are the same."{{qa ref|1108|17|ground/water inversion|date=Mar 13th, 2014}}

Living things manifest on Roshar's Cognitive Realm as flames. A flame vanishes when the person represented by it dies.

{{quote
| She stepped up beside the bead statue, noting for the first time the strange clouds overhead. They seemed to form a narrow ribbon of highway, straight and long, pointing toward the horizon.
| [[Jasnah Kholin]]'s first visit to Shadesmar{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}
}}

The sky on Roshar's Shadesmar is black, with strange cloud formations and a small, cold sun. The land, which corresponds to bodies of water on the Physical Realm, appear to be made of obsidian. Trees made of crystal grow on this land.{{book ref|WoR|7}}

=== The Shadesmar Map ===
The map of Shadesmar found in [[The Way of Kings]] labels several areas in the Cognitive Realm, including  regions called "Expanses" that are outside of [[Roshar]]. If you walk far enough (likely for days) in the direction of one of those Expanses, you can arrive on another world.{{17s ref|post|204063| ... but you can go to Shadesmar, walk in the directions where it says "The Realm of the Vapors" and it runs into Scadrial|date=2014-12-10}} The areas labeled are as follows:
{{columns|count=2|
*[[Expanse of the Vapors]]: This area is confirmed to be [[Scadrial]].{{17s ref|post|204063| ... but you can go to Shadesmar, walk in the directions where it says "The Realm of the Vapors" and it runs into Scadrial|date=2014-12-10}}
*[[Expanse of the Densities]]: This is a world we had seen before 2011.{{qa ref|689|34|a world you know|date=2011-11-08}}
*[[Expanse of Vibrance]]: This expanse's name was hidden behind the map's title.{{qa ref|984|3|The name of the expanse that is covered|date=May 17th, 2013}}
*[[Expanse of the Broken Sky]]
*[[Nexus of Imagination]]
*[[Nexus of Truth]]
*[[Nexus of Transition]]
*[[Sea of Regret]]
*[[Sea of Souls]]
*[[Sea of Lost Lights]]
}}


== Spren ==
:''Main article:'' [[Spren]]

'''Spren''' are [[Splinter]]s that reside mainly on the Cognitive Realm of Roshar. Each spren represents an idea or concept, and are described as ideas that gained life.

There is great variety among spren, both in appearance and in cognitive levels. Some spren are intelligent enough to build their own civilizations and live on cities in Shadesmar, while others are more like animals.{{book ref|WoR|1}} Most of these spren appear and behave differently when they transition to the Physical Realm.

== Access and Use ==
The [[ardent]]s in Roshar are aware of Shadesmar{{book ref|sa1|i|8}}, and have used fabrials that allow them to [[Soulcast]] objects through it. There are also people whose bond with certain types of [[spren]] grants them access to Shadesmar. One type of such a spren, called a [[Cryptic]], is described by [[Shallan]] as

{{quote
| a figure with a sharp, angular symbol hovering above its collar instead of a head
| [[Shallan Davar]]{{book ref|sa1|45}}
}}

For a member of the Order of [[Lightweavers]] to be granted entrance to Shadesmar, the person must have spoken enough truths about themselves to their bonded Cryptic. In Shallan's case, the Cryptic she calls [[Pattern]] no longer required truths for her to enter Shadesmar{{book ref|WoR|7}} after she confessed her darkest secret.{{book ref|WoK|70}} Pattern helps Shallan Soulcast by acting as a translator between her and the objects represented by the glass beads.

Another type of spren that give access to Shadesmar are [[Inkspren]]. These do not seem to require truths from the [[Elsecaller]]s that they are bonded to. Aside from Soulcasting, Elsecallers can also use the glass beads on Shadesmar to form various structures that can be used there. For example, [[Jasnah]] can create a raft out of Shadesmar beads that she could stand safely on.{{book ref|WoK|70}}

[[Stormlight]] (or an alternative source of [[Investiture]]) is needed{{book ref|WoK|70}} in order to control objects in Shadesmar, as well as for [[Soulcasting]]. Traveling there without sufficient Stormlight is considered to be perilous.

== Notes ==
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