Difference between revisions of "Oathgate"

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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
 
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
 
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{{spoilers|book=sa3}}
 
 
{{quote
 
{{quote
 
| Within a heartbeat, Alezarv was there, crossing a distance that would have taken more than four months to travel by foot.
 
| Within a heartbeat, Alezarv was there, crossing a distance that would have taken more than four months to travel by foot.
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[[File:Stormseat Mosaic.jpeg|thumb|right|400px|[[Stormseat]]. The Oathgate platform (purple) can be seen in the bottom left of the city, with a control chamber (yellow) rising from its center.]]
 
[[File:Stormseat Mosaic.jpeg|thumb|right|400px|[[Stormseat]]. The Oathgate platform (purple) can be seen in the bottom left of the city, with a control chamber (yellow) rising from its center.]]
   
Oathgates can be found in many of the oldest cities on Roshar, such as [[Kholinar]] and [[Stormseat]].{{file ref|Oathgate Locations.jpg|Oathgate Locations}} Each of them is composed of a large, perfectly circular platform, with a round control building in its center.{{book ref|sa2|24}} The structure is typically at a higher altitude than the rest of the city, with a wide ramp leading up to it.{{map ref|Kholinar}}{{map ref|Thaylen City}}
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Oathgates can be found in many of the oldest cities on Roshar, such as [[Kholinar]] and [[Stormseat]].{{file ref|Oathgate Locations.jpg|Oathgate Locations}} Each of them is composed of a large, perfectly circular platform, with a round control building in its center.{{book ref|sa2|24}} The entire Oathgate is typically at a higher altitude than the rest of the city, with a wide ramp leading up to it.{{map ref|Kholinar}}{{map ref|Thaylen City}} In some places, the ramp is also accompanied by a staircase, although that could be a latter addition to the structure.{{book ref|sa3|100}}
   
 
=== Control building ===
 
=== Control building ===
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All but the Stormseat Oathgate have been locked up by the ancient Knights Radiant when they've abandoned the tower city.{{book ref|sa2|89}} As such, over the millennia since the [[Recreance]], their purpose has been forgotten. Many of the Oathgate platforms are covered in buildings, such as the Grand Market in [[Azimir]], or the [[Kholinar Palace]] in Kholinar.{{book ref|sa2|65}}{{book ref|sa2|89}} Others, like the one in [[Thaylen City]], have been transformed into gardens and other religious or ceremonial structures.{{book ref|sa2|58}}
 
All but the Stormseat Oathgate have been locked up by the ancient Knights Radiant when they've abandoned the tower city.{{book ref|sa2|89}} As such, over the millennia since the [[Recreance]], their purpose has been forgotten. Many of the Oathgate platforms are covered in buildings, such as the Grand Market in [[Azimir]], or the [[Kholinar Palace]] in Kholinar.{{book ref|sa2|65}}{{book ref|sa2|89}} Others, like the one in [[Thaylen City]], have been transformed into gardens and other religious or ceremonial structures.{{book ref|sa2|58}}
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[[File:Oathgate_Spren.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Oathgate spren]]
 
=== Shadesmar ===
 
{{for|Oathgate spren}}
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In [[Shadesmar]], an Oathgate is represented by a flat platform of a material akin to white marble, the size of the control building. When possible -- for example, if the Oathgate is close to the sea shore in the Physical Realm -- the Oathgate is connected with the land by a bridge of matching color.{{book ref|sa3|112}} The platform itself is watched over by a pair of enormous spren, both the size of buildings, each wearing a set of armor and holding a spear. One of the spren is white, while the other is shimmering black.{{book ref|sa3|116}}
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Those two spren enable the Oathgate to function properly, and control who can travel, and where.{{book ref|sa3|116}} They can be corrupted by [[Sja-Anat]], although so far, only the [[Kholinar]] spren have been compromised in this manner.{{book ref|sa3|87}} This does not impact their ability to work with spren of the uncorrupted Oathgates.{{book ref|sa3|115}}
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In the past, the Oathgates have been capable of transporting people in and out of Shadesmar; however, at some point before his death, [[Honor]] forbade the Oathgate spren from performing this service. As such, this function of the Oathgate is currently inaccessible.{{book ref|sa3|116}} This being said, the spren corrupted by Sja-Anat are not bound by this, and can transport people into Shadesmar, though it's uncertain if they can bring them back into the Physical Realm.{{book ref|sa3|87}}
   
 
==Location of Oathgates==
 
==Location of Oathgates==
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===Shinovar===
 
===Shinovar===
 
There is believed to be an Oathgate in an unknown location in [[Shinovar]].
 
There is believed to be an Oathgate in an unknown location in [[Shinovar]].
 
==Shadesmar==
 
[[File:Oathgate_Spren.jpg|left|150px|Oathgate Spren by [[Ben McSweeney]].]]
 
{{for|Oathgate spren}}
 
In Shadesmar the Oathgates are represented by a flat white marble platform the size of the Oathgate control building. The platform is guarded by two enormous guardian spren, one black, one white.
 
 
During the Battle of Kholinar [[Shallan Davar]] attempted to activate the Kholinar Oathgate to transport survivors back to Urithiru. Prior to the activation she saw a reflection of the [[Unmade]] [[Sja-anat]] warning her that the Oathgate was corrupted. When Shallan activated the Oathgate she and her party were transported into Shadesmar and landed on the Oathgate platform.{{book ref|sa3|87}}
 
 
After the party traveled through Shadesmar to the Oathgate at Thaylen City Shallan was unable to activate the Oathgate and the guardian spren could not be convinced to allow her to.{{book ref|sa3|116}}
 
   
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==

Revision as of 00:08, 27 September 2019

Oathgate
Oathgate Locations.jpg
World of Origin Roshar
Universe Cosmere

Within a heartbeat, Alezarv was there, crossing a distance that would have taken more than four months to travel by foot.

Among the Darkeyed, page 102[1]

The Oathgates are structures on Roshar that allow people to instantaneously teleport from one location to another.

These fabrials manipulate the Surge of Transportation. Together, they form a network of gateways with Urithiru at its center, allowing for near-instantaneous travel between all corners of the Rosharan continent, including access to the tower-city itself. They can only be operated by someone wielding a living Shardblade, such as a Knight Radiant,[2] or with an Honorblade.[3] They require Stormlight to work, with transportation of more than one person demanding more Stormlight than what the Oathgate can normally hold in its ten gemstone lanterns.[4]

Structure and Operation

Stormseat. The Oathgate platform (purple) can be seen in the bottom left of the city, with a control chamber (yellow) rising from its center.

Oathgates can be found in many of the oldest cities on Roshar, such as Kholinar and Stormseat.[5] Each of them is composed of a large, perfectly circular platform, with a round control building in its center.[6] The entire Oathgate is typically at a higher altitude than the rest of the city, with a wide ramp leading up to it.[7][8] In some places, the ramp is also accompanied by a staircase, although that could be a latter addition to the structure.[9]

Control building

The inside of the control building is richly decorated in murals both on the walls and the floor. The latter is divided into eleven sections, with the ten major ones each dedicated to one of the Silver Kingdoms. Between the first and tenth segments is a smaller, narrow section representing Urithiru.[10] The wall above has ten gemstone lamps hanging from it, with each lamp being enclosed in a metal lattice. Once they are infused, the floor begins to glow, and swirls of Stormlight start rising above the platform outside.[2][11]

Along with the lamps, on the wall there is a plate of metal, shaped like a ten-pointed star, with a slot in its center. When a Shardblade is inserted, the slot reshapes to fit its particular form.[10] This occurs regardless of whether the Blade is living or dead -- however, only the living blade will activate the keyhole, producing a low, vibrating sound. With a living Blade inside, the keyhole can be moved along with the entire inner wall to align it with one of the eleven floor sections. There, the Radiant removes the Shardblade from the keyhole. With this, the contents of the control chamber, as well as anything on top of the platform, is swapped with the control chamber and the platform of the Oathgate in the desired location.[4] The control building can also be swapped by itself, without transporting the platform.[12]

The existence of eleven lamps in each Oathgate control chamber indicates that it might be possible to transport people directly between any two platforms. However, at the present each Oathgate is tied only to one other, connecting each of the ten ancient cities to Urithiru.[12]

Locking the Oathgate

Each Oathgate can be locked from either side.[13][14] Odium appears to have a way to break this lock, which could be tied to his corruption of Kholinar Oathgate spren.[15]

All but the Stormseat Oathgate have been locked up by the ancient Knights Radiant when they've abandoned the tower city.[16] As such, over the millennia since the Recreance, their purpose has been forgotten. Many of the Oathgate platforms are covered in buildings, such as the Grand Market in Azimir, or the Kholinar Palace in Kholinar.[17][16] Others, like the one in Thaylen City, have been transformed into gardens and other religious or ceremonial structures.[18]

The Oathgate spren

Shadesmar

In Shadesmar, an Oathgate is represented by a flat platform of a material akin to white marble, the size of the control building. When possible -- for example, if the Oathgate is close to the sea shore in the Physical Realm -- the Oathgate is connected with the land by a bridge of matching color.[19] The platform itself is watched over by a pair of enormous spren, both the size of buildings, each wearing a set of armor and holding a spear. One of the spren is white, while the other is shimmering black.[20]

Those two spren enable the Oathgate to function properly, and control who can travel, and where.[20] They can be corrupted by Sja-Anat, although so far, only the Kholinar spren have been compromised in this manner.[21] This does not impact their ability to work with spren of the uncorrupted Oathgates.[15]

In the past, the Oathgates have been capable of transporting people in and out of Shadesmar; however, at some point before his death, Honor forbade the Oathgate spren from performing this service. As such, this function of the Oathgate is currently inaccessible.[20] This being said, the spren corrupted by Sja-Anat are not bound by this, and can transport people into Shadesmar, though it's uncertain if they can bring them back into the Physical Realm.[21]

Location of Oathgates

There are ten Oathgate platforms outside the plain at Urithiru. Each Oathgate transports to a location in each of the ten ancient Silver Kingdoms.

Shattered Plains

The Oathgate in the Shattered Plains is the first Oathgate that was discovered and activated by the Alethi during the Battle of Narak. The Oathgate was originally in the ancient city of Stormseat.[2]

Alethkar

The Alethkar Oathgate is located in the city of Kholinar and is attached to Kholinar Palace by a bridge. The Oathgate platform is covered in building structures.[22] The spren in the Oathgate were corrupted and instead of transporting to Urithiru, it transported to Shadesmar.[21]

Thaylenah

The Thaylenah Oathgate is located in Thaylen City. The Oathgate is located at the top of the hill city and connected by a path to the Royal Ward.

Azir

The Azir Oathgate is located in the city of Azimir. It is in the center of the Grand Market and housed under a bronze dome.[13]

Jah Keved

The Jah Keved Oathgate is located in the city of Vedenar.

Aimia

The Oathgate in Aimia is believed to have been lost during the Scouring of Aimia.

Rall Elorim

The Iri Oathgate is located in the city of Rall Elorim.

Rira

The Oathgate in Rira is located in an unknown location. Jasnah Kholin believes the Oathgate was in the City of Kurth.

Babatharnam

The Oathgate in Babatharnam is located in its capital city of Panatham.

Shinovar

There is believed to be an Oathgate in an unknown location in Shinovar.

Notes

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