Difference between revisions of "Akinah Dawnshard mural"

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The '''Akinah Dawnshard mural''' is a muralsupernatural piece of art in the undersea caverns of [[Aimia]] whichon housed[[Roshar]]. theIt Changehoused a [[Dawnshard]] forrelated ato timeChange.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}
 
==Location==
The mural is located in a small room in a network of caves underneath [[Akinah]]. The room also contains [[Shardplate]] and [[Soulcaster]] [[fabrial]]s, and it is adjacent to a large chamber containing [[lanceryn]] skulls.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} The island and the caves have been protected by the lanceryn and then the [[Sleepless]] for millenia. Few (if any) mortal beings were aware of the mural's existence until [[Rysn]] and [[Cord]] found it during the [[expedition to Akinah]].{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}
 
==Appearance==
The mural is described as "grand" and "incredible". Circular in shape, the muralit depicts a sun beingexploding shatteredinto quarters and then further shattering into sixteen near-symmetrical pieces. Inlays of gold foil throughout the mural make it seem to glow on its own rather than merely reflecting outside light. Red foil inlays trace the outer lines of the mural to create depth and give definition to the pieces. SurroundingParts of the shattered sun isare asurrounded formby ofwritten ancientcharacters, writing,artistically stylized to be art itself by curlingcurl around the outside of the mural. The writing is not [[Dawnchant]] or any other language known on Roshar.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}
 
The [[Sleepless]] are able to detect the presence of the Dawnshard in the mural, seemingly using specialized hordelings to do so.{{book ref|sa3.5|18}}
Circular in shape, the mural depicts a sun being shattered into sixteen near-symmetrical pieces. Inlays of gold foil throughout the mural make it seem to glow on its own rather than merely reflecting outside light. Red foil inlays trace the outer lines of the mural to create depth and give definition to the pieces. Surrounding the shattered sun is a form of ancient writing, stylized to be art itself by curling around the outside of the mural.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}
 
==History==
The provenance of the Akinah Dawnshard mural is unknown. Humans are thought to have used at least one Dawnshard to devastate [[Ashyn]] before settling on [[Roshar]],{{book ref|sa3|113}} but the details of this event have been lost.
 
According to [[Unkalaki]] songs, the Change Dawnshard came to Roshar through [[Cultivation's Perpendicularity]] in the [[Horneater Peaks]].{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} At some point, the Dawnshard became the mural. It is unclear how this happened, but the mural itself was not mundane.{{wob ref|14315}}
 
The mural predates the functional extinction of the [[lanceryn]] that occurred during the [[Scouring of Aimia]].{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} It likely predates the [[Recreance]] since Nikli mentioned that the Aimians of the [[Heraldic Epochs]] had kept many secrets with the assistance of the [[Knights Radiant]].{{book ref|sa3.5|9}}
 
===Discovery by Cord and Rysn===
When the ''[[Wandersail (1174 ship)|Wandersail]]'' made landfall on Akinah in late {{rosharan date|1174}}, [[Chiri-Chiri]] followed [[luckspren]] underwater; after escaping the Sleepless, Rysn and Cord did the same. They found themselves in a network of caves without any apparent exit, and tentatively explored them. When Rysn saw the mural, she was strongly drawn to it, while Cord barely seemed to notice it.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}
 
Rysn seemed to feel both heat and emotions radiating from the sun in the mural. She believed it was not angry about the event that was depicted, but she had some difficulty discerning other emotions that it was projecting. The mural called to her, putting pressure on her mind and even speaking to her directly about Chiri-Chiri and the Sleepless.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}
 
Rysn turned her attention away from the mural, but felt it getting increasingly warm; it seemed to loom over her. When she looked at it again, it told her to "CHANGE", and she accepted it.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}} Although she initially felt that the [[Command]] ''wanted'' to merge with her, she later realized that it did not have a will and that she had made the choice to accept it.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} Light streamed from the mural into Rysn's eyes and then consumed her. When this process was completed, the mural was simply a piece of art, and Rysn had become the Dawnshard.{{book ref|sa3.5|16}}{{wob ref|14315}}
 
When [[Nikli]] discovered Rysn and Cord, he did not immediately realize what had happened to the mural. After a brief discussion, he noticed that something was wrong, and his hordelings quickly confirmed that the Dawnshard was no longer in the mural.{{book ref|sa3.5|18}} The Sleepless had no idea that it could have been absorbed by a human.{{wob ref|14375}} Although Nikli was enraged, Rysn and Cord managed to cut a deal to ensure their safety, and they agreed to never speak of the mural to anyone.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}}
 
==Speculation==
{{theory}}
* The mural appears to depict the [[Shattering]] of [[Adonalsium]]. Although there are known to be four Dawnshards and sixteen Shards, withBrandon eachhas [[Shard]]been beingintentionally representedvague asregarding piecesthe layout of the shatteredmural sunand what it could mean for the relationship between the two.{{wob ref|14307}}
* Since [[Rysn]]the (givenDawnshard heris extensivethought travelsto acrosshave come to [[Roshar]] withthrough a [[VstimPerpendicularity]]) is unable to recognizeand the writing on the mural, there is anot goodin possibilityany thatknown theRosharan writing predates the [[Dawnchant]] or even comes from a planet other than Roshar.language,{{book ref|sa3.5|1619}} it could be a language that originates off-world.
 
==Trivia==
{{image|Cosmere symbol.svg|side=right|width=50px}}
*The mural bears some superficial similarities to the [[cosmere]] symbol. They are related in the sense that they follow the same general design principles.{{wob ref|14356}}
 
== Notes ==
<references />
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