Black sphere

Black sphere
World of Origin	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

This article's title is uncanonical and a fan created one, because an official term or name has not been made yet.

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Gavilar Kholin, the former king of Alethkar on Roshar, possessed several unusual black spheres. Gavilar had access to an unknown number of these spheres.

History

Gavilar gave a sphere to Eshonai on the day of his assassination and told her to give it to the Five after a conversation about Parshmen, Parshendi, and their gods. The sphere given to Eshonai was described as having a dark yet faintly violet glow that she seemed to believe was Voidlight.

Later that day, Gavilar gave Szeth a similar black sphere at the end of their fatal duel. The sphere given to Szeth was described as small, crystalline, tied to a chain, and glowing with a black light that Szeth had not seen before. Gavilar said that Szeth must take the sphere so that "they" would not get hold of it; it is unclear to whom he was referring. Szeth later hid the sphere in Jah Keved and has not yet retrieved it.

Both of these spheres contained the same thing.

Other mentions

At the Battle of Thaylen Field, Dalinar Kholin trapped the Unmade named Nergaoul in the King's Drop ruby which subsequently glowed with a dark, bizarre light. Navani Kholin said it reminded her of a sphere that Gavilar had. Navani did not appear to be aware that there was more than one sphere; she also believed that Gavilar "made" the sphere she saw.

A Bav worker named Took claimed to have stolen a similar sphere from the Nightwatcher. Although Took was Szeth's master for a time, he was unlikely to have known about Gavilar's spheres.

Speculation

This page or section deals with theories or speculation.

Please read carefully and note that this is not necessarily canonical.

Readers have theorized that Gavilar's spheres contain either Voidlight or an Unmade.

The size, shape, and glowing properties of the spheres are similar to common Rosharan polestones that can hold Stormlight. Additionally, the dark violet glow has been seen when the Fused use Voidlight; Eshonai also seems to recognize the glow as Voidlight based on knowledge passed down through Listener songs.

The Urithiru gem archive contains references to a historical Bondsmith named Melishi who planned to capture an Unmade using a perfect gemstone to deny the use of Voidlight and Forms of Power. A "strike team" (presumably of Knights Radiant in support of Melishi) was subsequently sent to imprison Ba-Ado-Mishram, whom the Radiants believed to be the source of Voidlight. Gavilar seemed to have some knowledge of these events, including the fact that it was possible to capture powerful spren in a gemstone and that the Unmade were the source of the Forms of Power, and he sought to release them. After Dalinar captured Nergaoul in a large perfect gemstone, it then glowed with a dark light, similar to the light of Gavilar's spheres. Meridas Amaram was able to bond with Yelig-nar by swallowing a small smokestone, and a glowing dark violet gemstone was later visible inside his body as the Unmade took it over. Although Gavilar had multiple spheres and they are not confirmed to be perfect, it is possible that they somehow contain Ba-Ado-Mishram or another Unmade.

Brandon has not explicitly confirmed what the black spheres contain. He has said that the sphere's light is different from Stormlight, related to Odium, and that "it is what the third book (Oathbringer) implies it is." He has stated that the two main theories about what the spheres might contain are both valid based on what he has revealed in the text.

Notes

This page is probably complete!

This page contains most of the knowledge we have on the subject at this time.
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