Difference between revisions of "Cosmere"

{{spoilersupdate|mb7|tress|tsm}}

The '''cosmere''' is a fictional shared universe where severalmany of [[Brandon Sanderson]]'s books take place. As a result, books set in the cosmere share a single cosmology and underlying rules of magic, and some characters from one world will make appearances on other worlds. Despite the connections, Brandon has remained clear that one does not need any knowledge of the broader cosmere to read, understand, or enjoy books that take place in the cosmere.{{url ref|name=WhatIsCosmere|url=https://brandonsanderson.com/what-is-the-cosmere|text=What Is The Cosmere?|site=[[Brandon]]'s website}}

CurrentThe seriescore insequence of the cosmere arewill theconsist [[Elantrisof trilogy|''Elantris'' trilogy]],the [[MistbornDragonsteel (series)|''Mistborn''Dragonsteel series]], ''the [[WarbreakerElantris trilogy]]'', (andat least four eras of the [[NightbloodMistborn (bookseries)|its eventualMistborn sequelseries]]), and ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]''.{{wob Itref|13784}} The story of the cosmere does not include any books that reference [[Earth]], as Earth is not in the cosmere.{{ref|name=WhatIsCosmere}} For a complete list of books in the cosmere, see [[#Bibliography of the Cosmere|the bibliography section below]].

In the [[Physical Realm]], the cosmere is a star cluster of about 50 to 100 stars.{{wob ref|9284}} The Physical Realm is composed of fundamental particles known as [[axi]] and follows ordinary laws of physics, except when the other Realms are involved.{{wob ref|11359}}{{book ref|sa4|97}}{{wob ref|6360}} Currently, there are tensixteen known planetary systems in the cosmere, which contain a total of twelvenineteen notable planets. The cosmere is also home to other celestial objects, including several dwarf planets, gas giants, and constellations.{{article ref|Physical Realm}} At least one person has tried to leave the physical bounds of the cosmere, with unknown results.{{wob ref|13336}}{{wob ref|13558}}

When one form of Investiture attempts to co-opt or corrupt another form of Investiture, it will often produce a red effect.{{wob ref|8340}} Examples of this include the red smoke given off by [[Shai]]'s [[soulstamp]]s when she uses them to temporarily tweak [[Gaotona]]'s soul,{{tes ref|30}}{{wob ref|13830}} the red haze of [[Trell (Trellism)|Trell]] invading [[Scadrial]],{{book ref|mb6|28}}{{wob ref|13074}}{{wob ref|8345}} and the red coloring of some of the spren Enlightened by [[Sja-anat]].{{book ref|sa3|78}}{{book ref|sa3|89}}{{book ref|sa3|115}} Similarly, when some entity possesses or has a strong influence over a person, the person's eyes will often grow red, as seen with the bodies on Scadrial controlled by Trell's Faceless Immortals[[Autonomy]],{{book ref|mb6|epilogue}}{{book ref|mb7|55}} the soldiers possessed via [[Nergaoul|the Thrill]] at the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]],{{book ref|sa3|115}}{{book ref|sa3|117}} and many of Odium's servants, whose souls are corrupted by his power.{{book ref|sa4|38}}{{book ref|sa4|42}}

Since the Shattering, the Shards have been the primary source of magic in the cosmere.{{wob ref|4097}} The interactions between their Investiture and a planet give rise to Invested Arts that are far more powerful than those formed by people accessing background Investiture.{{wob ref|5269}}{{wob ref|15703}}{{wob ref|4097}}

While the cosmere has a wide array of planets, fifteenmany are currently knownof thatthem are relevantuninhabited, tonot thesignificantly broaderInvested, cosmere.or Threeotherwise ofnot thesegenerally planets—Ashyn,relevant Braize, and Roshar—are into the samebroader planetary systemcosmere.{{auwob ref|Roshar4846}}{{wob Cosmereref|15593}} planetsPlanets in the cosmere have something akin to souls,{{wob ref|4056}} likely referring to their presence in the Cognitive and/or Spiritual Realms.

The [[Rosharan system]] consists of three planets of note. '''[[Ashyn]]''' was nearly destroyed in an apocalypse long ago, though a few cities remain floating in the atmosphere.{{wob ref|8243}}{{au Anyoneref|Roshar}} withCertain abacteria diseaseon therethe alsoplanet gainsare aable to grant magical powerpowers, including the ability to keep the floating cities aloft.{{wob ref|12271}}{{wob ref|1862}} '''[[Roshar]]''' is a planet with a [[highstorm|powerful storm]] that frequently blows across the continent and where [[spren]] can cross into the Physical Realm.{{au ref|Roshar}} '''[[Braize]]''' is the prison of the [[Fused]] where the [[Herald]]s are tortured between [[Desolation]]s.{{book ref|sa3|38}}

'''[[Sel]]''', also known as '''Seol''', is a large planet with three great domains.{{au ref|Sel}} It has many magic systems, which are tied to the user's location and are accessed by creating shapes in the proper form, rather like programming.{{wob ref|1768}}

The planet '''[[Taldain]]''' is tidally locked between two stars, a blue-white supergiant and a white dwarf. The side of the planet facing the former, [[Dayside]], is a vast desert where Investiture arrives from the light of the star. [[Darkside]] faces the white dwarf, andleaving isit in perpetual twilight, and; many things there fluoresce in ultraviolet light. Its [[Shard]], [[Autonomy]], keeps the planet isolated from the rest of the cosmere.{{au ref|Taldain}}

{| class="infobox sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:1514%;" |Planetary System

! style="width:1213%;" |Planet

| ''None''

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]''

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]''

| [[Mistborn (series)|''Mistborn'' series]]

Little is known about '''[[Bjendal]]''', '''[[Mythos]]''', '''[[Obrodai]]''' and, '''[[Vax]]'''. Additionally, therethe ishomeworld of the homeSleepless, or at least one planet ofwith theno aethers,humans.{{book ref|mb7|epiloguesa3.5|418}}{{wob ref|861815873}}{{wob ref|1452014342}}{{wob which could possibly be Bjendal, Obrodai, or Vax.ref|9671}}

{| class="infobox sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:1514%;" |Planetary System

! style="width:1213%;" |Planet

| ''None''

| [[Dragonsteel (series)|''Dragonsteel'' series]] (unpublished)

| {{wob ref|5984}}{{wob ref|14885}}

The first humans lived on [[Yolen]] and were created by Adonalsium.{{wob ref|5702}}{{msh ref|3|2}} At some point, a poorly-understood and parasitic ecosystem hostile to humans, known as [[fainlife]], began to develop on Yolen. It began to spread and overtake the landscape, though the other inhabitants eventually learned how to keep it in check.{{wob ref|7825}} Plants and land overtaken by fainlife retain their shape, but turn bone-white and spill red liquid when crushed or snapped.{{wob ref|9518}} Yolen was also home to the [[Sho Del]], the fainlife equivalent of humans, and [[dragon (cosmere)|dragons]].{{wob ref|9676}} Information about fainlife remains accessible enough in the modern cosmere that [[Khriss]] was able to mention it to cosmere-aware people without need for explanation.{{au ref|Scadrial}} Prior to the Shattering, Yolen's technology was likelyBronze pre-industrialAge.{{wob ref|9882}}{{wob ref|16320}}

Most of the other planets in the cosmere existed and were named prior to the Shattering,{{wob ref|7262}} though [[#Worldhoppers|worldhopping]] was much less common at the time.{{wob ref|13219}} During this time, Adonalsium created the entire [[Rosharan system]] and grew thea supercontinent on the planet [[Roshar]]; as awell result,as the continent is shaped likeall the two-dimensionallifeforms projectionon of a [[wikipedia:Julia set|Julia set]]it.{{wob ref|9283}}{{wob ref|3953}}

Eventually, around ten-thousand years before the [[True Desolation]],{{book ref|sa4|i|1}}{{book ref|tsm|11}}{{wob ref|1355}}{{wob ref|9683}}{{wob ref|2728}} a group of people that opposed Adonalsium came together and plotted its destruction.{{wob ref|4078}}{{wob ref|2539}} This group included people of all three sapient species on [[Yolen]]: humans, [[dragon (cosmere)|dragons]], and [[Sho Del]].{{wob ref|9676}} To achieve their goal, they created a weapon{{wob ref|5602}} that utilized the [[Dawnshard]]s.{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} In an event known as the [[Shattering of Adonalsium]], the weapon was used to "undo" Adonalsium,{{book ref|sa3.5|19}} splitting it into the sixteen [[Shard]]s;{{msh ref|3|2}} the weapon was expended in the process,{{wob ref|2246}} though remnants of it exist in the Physical Realm and are responsible for Hoid's immortality.{{wob ref|10439}} As part of the Shattering, sixteen of the people who had opposed Adonalsium took up the new Shards and became the first Vessels.{{msh ref|3|2}} There was some sort of force that caused Adonalsium to shatter into the Shards that it did,{{wob ref|9956}} and the distribution of the Shards to the Vessels was not random.{{wob ref|5490}} The Shattering occurred on Yolen, though there is some "weirdness" with regard to Yolen and location,{{wob ref|11602}} and occurred all at once.{{wob ref|1292}} As a result of the Shattering, all Investiture in the cosmere became aligned with one of the sixteen Shards.{{wob ref|8605}}

After the Shattering, the new Vessels made some sort of agreement to not interfere with each other,{{epigraph ref|sa3|39}} though the exact agreement was somewhat ambiguous and the Vessels who suggested it did not make sure to get a formal oath from the others.{{wob ref|10835}}{{wob ref|13144}} Regardless, the Shards then went their separate ways. Most settled on a planet, though at[[Virtuosity]] leastchose oneto didinstead nottravel around the cosmere before eventually Splintering herself near the [[UTol system]].{{wob ref|444115530}}{{book ref|yumi|1}} Some chose to go off on their own,{{au ref|Taldain}}{{au ref|Threnody}} while others stayed together with other Shards.{{au ref|Sel}}{{au ref|Scadrial}}{{au ref|Roshar}} Around this time, [[Ruin]] and [[Preservation]] created the planet [[Scadrial]], using the non-fain parts of Yolen as a guide.{{au ref|Scadrial}}{{msh ref|3|2}} Honor and Cultivation settled on Roshar shortly after the Shattering.{{book ref|sa4|i|1}}{{book ref|tsm|11}}{{wob ref|1355}}{{wob ref|9683}}{{wob ref|2728}}

Odium's first target was [[Ambition]], as he feared that it would be a threat to him. However, while searching for Ambition, over 7700 years before the [[True Desolation]],{{book ref|sa4|14}}{{book ref|sa4|76}} he encountered the Shards [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]] on [[Sel]] and attacked them,{{wob ref|1550}} likely because he could argue they had violated the Vessel's pact to not interfere with each other.{{epigraph ref|sa3|37}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|39}}{{wob ref|8358}} In the ensuing battle, Odium successfully splintered Devotion and Dominion and killed their Vessels, Aona and Skai.{{au ref|Sel}} In order to ensure that no one could take up their Shards, he then somehow moved most of their Investiture from the Spiritual Realm into the Cognitive Realm, which made the [[Expanse of the Densities|Selish Cognitive Realm]] incredibly dangerous and the Selish Invested Arts location-dependent.{{wob ref|9616}}{{au ref|Sel}}{{wob ref|4129}}

Sometime after [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]] arrived on [[Roshar]], Odium traveled to the [[Rosharan system]].{{wob ref|9934}} Odium never intended to Invest himself in a planet,{{wob ref|227}} but, at some point, he became Invested in the Rosharan system to the point where he would now have to leave some of his power behind or forcibly tear it out in order to leave.{{wob ref|9852}} At some point while he was in the system, Honor and Cultivation used their power to trap him in the system.{{book ref|sa3|38}} At some point before this, humanity destroyed Ashyn via unrestrained Surgebinding enhanced by a Dawnshard, leaving it largely uninhabitable outside of a few patches of land, and fled the planet to Roshar with Odium around seven millennia before the True Desolation.{{book ref|sa3|111}}{{book ref|sa3|113}}{{au ref|roshar}}

As a result of being trapped in the system, Odium has since been waging a war to free himself from whatever binds him to the system so that he can continue his quest. To that end, he Splintered off pieces of his power to create the [[Fused]],{{book ref|sa3|38}} the [[Unmade]],{{wob ref|9207}} and [[voidspren]],{{au ref|Roshar}} and also Invested in the Rosharan system enough to create and grant access to Invested Art known as [[Voidbinding]].{{wob ref|1540}} When the Fused first appeared, Honor created the [[Herald]]s, who could seal the Fused on [[Braize]], though the Fused tortured the Heralds into allowing them to return to [[Roshar]]. Every time a Herald broke, a [[Desolation]] would begin and the Heralds and [[Knights Radiant]] would fight the Fused until they could be sealed on Braize again. This situation continued for millennia and the Shards remained at a stalemate, especially after nine of the Heralds abandoned the [[Oathpact]], leaving it to [[Talenel]] alone, who was better able to withstand the torture on Braize.{{book ref|sa3|38}} As a result of his past clashes with Shards, Odium has "scars that do not heal," which makes him more careful about future engagements.{{book ref|sa3|16}}

After the death of the [[Lord Ruler]], Ruin was successfully able to manipulate [[Vin]] into taking up the Well's power and then releasing it, which allowed him to be free.{{msh ref|2|3}} Once free, Ruin was unable to immediately Splinter Preservation, but brought his power to bear against what remained of Leras, slowly killing the Vessel.{{msh ref|3|2}} The [[Ire]], aware of Leras's impending death, sought to use [[Ire's orb|a device]] to [[Connection|Connect]] one of their members to Preservation and Ascend in {{date|1025|fe}}.{{msh ref|5|2}} The device, however, was stolen by Kelsier, who used it after Leras finally died, taking up the portion of Preservation's power that Leras had still been holding and preventing Ruin from Splintering Preservation.{{msh ref|6|4}}

Kelsier continued to hold that power until Vin, Leras's chosen successor,{{epigraph ref|mb3|epilogue}} had her link to Ruin—a [[Hemalurgy|HemalurgiclyHemalurgically]] charged [[Vin's earring|earring]]—removed, whereupon she began absorbing the [[mist]]s and Kelsier released the portion of Preservation's power he held, allowing Vin to Ascend and becamebecome the Vessel of [[Preservation]].{{msh ref|6|7}}{{book ref|mb3|73}} During the [[Battle of Hathsin]], Vin then sacrificed herself in order to kill Ruin's Vessel, [[Ati]].{{msh ref|6|8}}{{book ref|mb3|81}}

Approximately 4,500 Rosharan years (4,950 standard years) after the [[Last Desolation]], [[Odium]] and his servants developed the [[Everstorm]] to allow the [[Fused]] to circumvent the Oathpact and return to [[Roshar]] without [[Talenel]] breaking.{{book ref|sa3|38}}{{wob ref|14869}}{{book ref|sa4|73}} As Odium's forces grew closer to enacting their plan, Hoid began reaching out to the dragon [[Frost]] and several of the Shards, asking them to help in keeping the cosmere safe from Odium. Aside from Harmony, who had not previously been aware of the threat Odium posed, they all rejected Hoid's request as they considered Odium's binding to the [[Rosharan system]] sufficient.{{article ref|Letters}} After years of preparation, Odium's servants successfully guided the [[listeners]] to summoning the Everstorm,{{book ref|sa4|73}}{{book ref|sa4|86}}

With the advent of the Everstorm on {{Rosharan date|1173|10|10|3}}, [[Dalinar Kholin]] founded a [[coalition of monarchs]] to oppose Odium's forces and the [[Knights Radiant]] were re-established.{{book ref|sa3|96}}{{book ref|sa2|89}} Acting on the advice Honor had left in his series of visions, they pushed Odium to agree to a contest of champions so that he could be forced to leave Roshar in peace for some period of time.{{book ref|sa1|75}}{{book ref|sa3|16}} Odium eventually agreed to such a contest during the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]],{{book ref|sa3|117}} but withdrew before the terms for the contest could be set.{{book ref|sa3|122}}{{book ref|sa4|50}}

About a year later, in {{rosharan date|1175}}, Odium returned to set the terms for the contest. Ultimately he and Dalinar agreed that, no matter the outcome of the contest, Odium would remain bound to the Rosharan system and would cease hostilities against the coalition of monarchs, with only the fate of [[Alethkar]], [[Herdaz]], and Dalinar's soul depending on the outcome of the contest.{{book ref|sa4|112}} The protections specified for [[Hoid]] in Dalinar's initial, written, proposed contract also appear to be in effect.{{book ref|sa4|epilogue}} The contest is set for the tenth hour of the [[Roshar#Calendar|tenth day of the month Palah]] at the top of [[Urithiru]].{{book ref|sa4|112}}

As Autonomy's plans neared completion in {{date|348|FA}}, she trapped Harmony in a shroud that sharply limited his ability to see the future and prepared the leader of the Set, [[Telsin Ladrian]] to become the avatar Trell.{{book ref|mb7|19}}{{book ref|mb7|55}} Both of her plans for Scadrial were ultimately stopped, as [[Waxillium Ladrian]] and [[Wayne]] killed Telsin and prematurely detonated the bomb planned to destroy Elendel while [[Marasi Colms]], with help from the Ghostbloods, drained and collapsed the perpendicularity Autonomy had created for her [[men of gold and red]] to travel through, preventing them from destroying the planet.{{book ref|mb7|69}}{{book ref|mb7|71}}{{book ref|mb7|64}} Autonomy then withdrawwithdrew from Scadrial,{{book ref|mb7|74}} saying that they had proven themselves for the moment, but that they plan to return.{{book ref|mb7|epilogue|1}}

=== InterplanetaryThe TravelSpace Age ===

The cosmere sequence has a clear story that Brandon wants to tell and is fairly firmly outlined as 35 novels, plus a variety of novellas and other works, with the [[Dragonsteel (series)|''Dragonsteel'' series]], [[Mistborn (series)|''Mistborn'' series]], and ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' forming the core of that story.{{wob ref|7744}}{{wob ref|13550}} ''Dragonsteel'' will tell [[Hoid]]'s backstory and the story of the [[Shattering of Adonalsium]];{{wob ref|13550}} ''Mistborn'' will have four series, following [[Scadrial]] from the [[Final Empire]] to the development of faster-than-light travel and the interaction between the various planets;{{wob ref|9005}}{{wob ref|5343}} ''The Stormlight Archive'' will be split into two arcs of five books each and is the story of the clash between the people of [[Roshar]] and [[Odium]].{{wob ref|3380}} Generally, knowledge of the cosmere as a whole will not be necessary until ''Dragonsteel'' and the final ''Mistborn'' trilogy, which are the beginning and the conclusion respectively of the cosmere sequence{{wob ref|6868}}

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' #1

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' #2

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' #2.5

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' #3

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' #3.5

| ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' #4

! rowspan=13 |2023

* ''[[KnightsElantris ofsequel|''Elantris'' Wind2]] and Truth]][[Elantris finale|''Elantris'' 3]], the lastsequels to ''[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]]''. ofExpected theto firstbe arcwritten ofafter ''[[The Stormlight Archive]] book 5 and ''Mistborn'' Era 2 are done.{{wob ref|944213545}} Writing"In begana inperfect lateworld," 2021Brandon orwould earlywrite 2022,{{wobthem ref|15373}}around butthe hassame beentime delayedhe bywrites other''Mistborn'' projectsEra 3, andbut thethey bookmay is expected to become releasedlater inthan 2024that.{{wob ref|1574414683}}

* [[ElantrisThe sequel|''Elantris''second 2]]arc andof [[ElantrisThe finale|''Elantris''Stormlight 3Archive]], thewhich sequelswill toconsist ''[[Elantrisof (book)|Elantris]]''.books Expectedsix tothrough beten writtenof afterthe ''Theseries Stormlightoverall. Archive''In-world, book 5six andwill ''Mistborn''pick Eraup 2about area decade after book donefive ends.{{wob ref|135459442}} "InPlanned ato perfectbe world,"written Brandon would write them around the same time he writesafter ''Mistborn'' Era 3, butand theypossibly mayalso comethe later''Elantris'' thansequels thatare done.{{wob ref|14683}}

Brandon has been somewhat evasive about the order of cosmere stories, so that the timelinestimeline remains flexible for future books that he writes.{{wob ref|10273}} He has estimated that there are roughly 6000 years between the Shattering and the breaking of the [[Oathpact]], with the latter event still predating ''White Sand''.{{wob ref|3842}}{{wob ref|1355}} Although this figure is non-canonical and subject to change, Brandon has also stated that the books have mostly been released chronologically, which allows a rough timeline to be constructed:{{wob ref|10502}}

* [[Dragonsteel (series)|''Dragonsteel'' series]]{{wob ref|10502}}

* ''[[Sixth of the Dusk]]''{{wob ref|10273}}{{wob ref|15579}}{{wob ref|16524}}

* ''[[MistbornThe EraSunlit 4|''MistbornMan]]''{{wob Eraref|15579}}{{wob 4]]ref|16342}}{{wob ref|1027316524}}