Difference between revisions of "Ati"

{{character

|image=Ruin by ML Malandrino.jpg

|abilities={{tag+|shard|Ruin}}

|titles=[[Ruin]]

|died={{date|1025|fe}}

|world=Scadrial

|books=[[Mistborn Era 1]]

}}

{{quote

|Death is not evil, Kelsier. Death is necessary.

}}

 

'''Ati''' is a human and the original Vessel of the [[Shard]] [[Ruin]], hailing from the planet [[Yolen]].{{epigraph ref|mb3|82}} He and [[Leras]], the Vessel of [[Preservation]], created [[Scadrial]] together before Leras betrayed him and trapped him in the [[Well of Ascension]].{{au ref|Scadrial}}

 

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Little is known about Ati's appearance; he has flame-red hair, and a welcoming, friendly smile. When taking on human form, he wears a robe, and has shadows moving beneath his skin, akin to spines or spider legs. They push against his form, making it pucker outwards erratically.{{msh ref|4|4}} How intense this effect is varies; it's sometimes less pronounced, and sometimes more.{{msh ref|6|1}} When speaking to Vin, Ati uses [[Reen]]'s voice, though he sounds more aged and fatherly.{{book ref|mb3|57}}

 

As a mortal, Ati was known for being kind and generous. After taking up Ruin, he fought against the destructive impulses it brought about for many years.{{wob ref|10334}} Over time, however, Ruin won out, and adapted this kindness to its own intent.{{epigraph ref|sa1|18}}

 

Presently, Ati wants to see the destruction of everything in existence. He believes that all life must end eventually, and to force it to carry onward past its expiration date is cruel. In his opinion, the destruction he causes serves a creative purpose; without death, there can be no further life.{{msh ref|4|4}}{{book ref|mb3|45}} At the same time, Ati is prideful and boastful. He seems to revel in mocking those he has defeated, and will appear in front of his victims to gloat about his victory.{{msh ref|4|4}}{{book ref|mb3|57}} This very quality is his weak point, as it often leads him to underestimating his opponents.{{book ref|mb3|81}}

 

{{image|Marsh Ruin.png|side=right|width=200px|Commanding an [[Inquisitor]]}}

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Ati is a [[Shard]] of [[Adonalsium]], making him one of the most powerful entities in the [[cosmere]]. He is immortal, unaging, and incorporeal; he fuels the magics of [[Hemalurgy]] and, in part, [[Feruchemy]].{{epigraph ref|mb3|33}} Thanks to being heavily invested in [[Scadrial]], he can alter any text other than what is written in metal, changing it to suit his needs.{{epigraph ref|mb2|1}} He can also speak to any person wearing a hemalurgic spike.{{book ref|mb5|7}} This all comes at a cost of a drastic personality change, as his mind was forced to adapt to [[Ruin]]'s intent.{{epigraph ref|sa1|18}}

 

Apart from his supernatural abilities, Ati has proven to be adept at deception, when he wishes to be. His alterations are subtle enough to trick the unaware into thinking they are still reading the original text.{{book ref|mb2|epilogue}} When appearing in person, he can easily play a role of another; most notably, he was speaking in [[Reen]]'s voice in [[Vin]]'s head for years without tipping her off to the fact that she wasn't hearing her own thoughts, and he mimicked [[Kelsier]]'s voice to [[Spook]] to drive him to serve Ruin's purposes.{{book ref|mb3|45}}{{wob ref|7719}} Despite his destructive, megalomaniacal tendencies, he is easily able to play someone kind and affable.{{msh ref|2|3}}

 

Nothing is known about Ati's origins and life prior to the [[Shattering]], other than that he came from [[Yolen]].{{wob ref|7939}} For unknown reason, he and a group of others broke cosmere's creator deity, Adonalsium, into sixteen pieces.{{msh ref|3|2}} Of those sixteen, he took up [[Ruin]], and departed alongside [[Preservation]] for an empty star system that would eventually become [[Scadrial]].{{au ref|Scadrial}}

 

{{for|Ruin#History|Ati's actions as Ruin}}

 

Following his death at the hands of [[Vin]], Ati's body reappeared at the site where the two clashed.{{book ref|mb3|82}} His [[Cognitive Shadow]] briefly manifested in Scadrial's [[Cognitive Realm]], where he was initially confused, wondering if he'd found himself on [[Vax]]. Unfortunately for him, he manifested near [[Kelsier]], who promptly decked him in the face as retaliation. With glum acceptance, Ati faded away into the [[Beyond]].{{msh ref|6|8}}

 

=== Leras ===

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It's unknown what, if any, relationship there was between Ati and Leras prior to the [[Shattering]]. The two left [[Yolen]] together, though it's unclear whether this was due to personal attachment or simply because they realized the need for their Shards to balance each other out.{{au ref|Scadrial}} However, Leras tricked Ati; first convincing him to create Scadrial together, under the pretense that he'd be allowed to destroy it later, then sacrificing himself to trap Ruin's mind within the [[Well of Ascension]].{{book ref|mb3|71}}{{msh ref|2|2}}

 

By the time of Ruin's release, the two are extremely hostile to each other. Ati is dismissive of Leras, mocking his weakness and the limitations placed on him by his intent.{{msh ref|4|4}} Leras hates how Ati used his power to twist and change their religion to worship only himself, and bemoans the change in Ati's personality brought about by the Shard.{{msh ref|1|2}}{{msh ref|3|1}} Neither Vessel is afraid of the other; Ati, because he doesn't believe Preservation is capable of opposing him, and Leras, because he's already dead and thus out of Ati's reach.{{msh ref|4|4}}{{msh ref|2|3}}

 

{{image|Vin and Ruin by EccoS.jpg|side=right|width=250px|[[Vin]] and Ruin}}

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Ati considers Vin one of his greatest agents, and has taken great pains to twist her to his purposes in order to have an appropriate tool to bring about the end.{{book ref|mb3|57}} She was selected at birth due to an unusual combination of circumstances: she herself a [[Allomancy|Mistborn]], with a [[Seeker]] sister and an insane mother whom Ruin could influence. As such, he drove the mother to kill the sister and put her power into a Hemalurgic spike that would become Vin's earring.{{epigraph ref|mb3|74}}

 

 

In the period following his release, Ruin frequently speaks to Vin, trying to beat down her spirit and ensure she would not fulfill [[Preservation]]'s plans for her. However, it's this very gloating that makes Vin realize that she's not speaking with a force of nature but a person, with very human failings. Rather than feeling defeat, she begins to hope once more that Ruin could be defeated.{{book ref|mb3|57}} Ati's final mistake with Vin is killing Elend, thinking it would push her to the depths of despair. Instead, she rallies and, freed from her last tie to the world of the living, challenges him directly, killing them both.{{book ref|mb3|81}}

 

{{quote

|You can say what you wish, but you don't own me. I am '''not''' yours.

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Kelsier first learns of Ruin's existence after his death, when he witnesses Leras scream at Ati in defiance.{{msh ref|2|1}} During the time he spends trapped in the Well of Ascension, he learns more about the Shard and even uses bits of its power to see the events happening beyond the Well.{{msh ref|2|2}} He comes to fear the possibility of its release, and tries to aid Leras in stopping Ati from breaking free, albeit to no avail.{{msh ref|2|3}} After Vin releases Ruin, Kelsier sets out to find a way to defeat it.{{msh ref|3|3}}

 

Ati himself seems to find Kelsier amusing, and Leras notes that even the man's old self would laugh at the situation.{{msh ref|3|1}} When he appears to Kelsier, it's to mock him, and assure him that his own victory is inevitable. Much like Vin, Kelsier does realize that Ati is doing so partially because he is worried that Kelsier might find a way to oppose him; however, he still find Ati's words disturbing.{{msh ref|4|4}}

 

When Kelsier returns with [[Ire's orb]], Ati once again mocks him, suggesting that it was him who inspired Kelsier's quest in the first place. Kelsier tries to protect Vin from Ruin's influence, but even after taking up Preservation, he is unable to do that until the very end, when he passes the Shard's power onto her.{{msh ref|6|1}}{{msh ref|6|7}} It's only after Vin uses said power to kill Ruin that Kelsier is able to pay Ati back for all the verbal abuse, by punching him hard enough to make the former Vessel fall to the ground.{{msh ref|6|8}}

 

* If Ati managed to give up Ruin without dying, his personality would return to something closer to the original one, though his nature as a [[Sliver]] would leave a permanent mark on his psyche.{{wob ref|3009}}

 

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{{complete}}

{{Mistborn|Era 1}}

{{cosmere}}