Difference between revisions of "Odium"

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]], [[Mistborn Era 2]]

{{spoilersupdate|mb7sa4}}

|It was the scream of a thousand warriors on the battlefield. It was the moment of most sensual touch and ecstasy. It was the sorrow of loss, the joy of victory. And it ''was'' hatred. A deep, pulsing hatred with a pressure to turn all things molten. It was the heat of a thousand suns, it was the bliss of every kiss, it was the lives of all men wrapped up in one, defined by everything they felt.

'''Odium''' is the [[Shard]] of [[Adonalsium]] {{nosnippet|originally held by [[Rayse]]}}, and currently held by [[Taravangian]].{{wobepigraph ref|7266sa1|19}}{{book ref|sa4|113}} Unlike most other Shards, which typically pick a single world and settle there, Odium has been traveling freely throughout the [[cosmere]] for a long time, deliberately refusing to [[Invest]] himself anywhere. He is responsible for the deaths of at least four Shards -- [[Ambition]], [[Devotion]], [[Dominion]], and [[Honor]].{{au ref|Roshar}}{{au ref|threnody}}{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} In the present, he's confined to the planet [[Braize]], but his influence can be felt on the entire [[Rosharan system]].{{wob ref|9847}}{{book ref|sa4|83}} Odium’s [[Investiture]] is typically associated with “burning” gold or violet-black colors,{{book ref|sa3|57}} though it is also often red, the color that signifies corrupted Investiture.{{wob ref|13074}} His overall motif is red-gold, although gold is his "real" color.{{wob ref|13074}}

The Shard of Odium is even harder to control than [[Ruin]].{{wob ref|1514715172}} The word "odium" means being subjected to hatred and contempt as a result of a despicable act.{{url ref|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odium|text=Definition of Odium|site=Merriam-Webster Dictionary}} However, interpretation of the Shard's intent is not as simple. [[Frost]] claims a straightforward definition: that it is God's own divine hatred.{{epigraph ref|sa2|71}} Rayse himself, however, claims that he's Passion, a Shard of emotions, in particular excessive emotions.{{book ref|sa3|57}}{{wob ref|15736}} Upon Ascension, Taravangian grappled with the vicious urge to destroy and burn.{{book ref|sa4|114}} Many of his [[splinter]]s, the [[Unmade]] compel people to give in to powerful sensations - [[Ashertmarn]] compels people to revel mindlessly, and [[Nergaoul]] inspires exultation in battle.{{book ref|sa3|84}}{{book ref|sa3|115}} On the other hand, the overwhelming amount of emotions inspired by Odium are hateful, among them the aforementioned [[Thrill]] and the [[Singer#Rhythms|Rhythms]] of Odium-derived [[singer]] forms.{{book ref|sa2|i|11}} Moreover, Odium's influence sometimes promotes apathy rather than passion, as his followers are encouraged to give up their pain and sense of guilt.{{book ref|sa3|78}}{{book ref|sa3|118}}

[[Rayse]] has a tendency towards self-deception, and apart from him, everyone understands Odium as being the Shard of hatred.{{wob ref|9507}} While it's possible for a Vessel to influence a Shard to an extent, Odium's declaration of being Passion should not be taken at face value.{{wob ref|12312}} It has been noted that while Odium claims to be Passion, that passions other than hatred, such as love, are absent from the emotions inspired in his followers.{{book ref|sa4|83}}

Apart from the issue of the Shard's nature, Rayse desired to become the sole god of the [[cosmere]].{{epigraph ref|sa4|33}}{{book ref|mb7|20}}{{wob ref|5489}} Whether this is due to the Vessel or the Shard is unknown.

Raysium is a [[God Metal]], a physical form of Odium's raw power. It is gold-white in color and its ability to conduct investitureInvestiture has many applications in fabrial technology.{{book ref|sa4|84}}

Despite his reservations about [[Invest]]ing into a planet, Odium has created numerous [[spren]] in the Rosharan system, known collectively as [[Voidspren]].{{book ref|sa2|81}} Some of them are intelligent, and capable of autonomous thought in the Physical Realm despite not being bonded to a living creature, in contrast to most spren of [[Honor]] or [[Cultivation]].{{book ref|sa3|17}}{{book ref|sa3|i|3}} Others are as mindless as ordinary emotion or nature spren. [[Singer]]s can bond the latter to become [[Regal]]s, taking the spren into their [[gemheart]]s to gain forms with supernatural abilities ranging from speaking all languages, to summoning lightning.{{book ref|sa2|81}}{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}

Fused are [[Cognitive Shadow]]s of singers bound to Odium. This grants them numerous benefits, chief among them the ability of resurrection by taking over the bodies of their living kinsmen. During the [[True Desolation]], this can occur when the [[Everstorm]] passes over singers who have been mentally primed to let something into their [[gemheart]]s.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} How this bonding happened before the Everstorm existed is unknown. Odium is able to take away their immortality.{{book ref|sa3|118}}{{wob ref|15736}}

Next, Odium set out for [[Rosharan system]], seeking to kill either [[Honor]], [[Cultivation]], or both. According to the Eile[[Eila Stele]], he was brought by the humans from another world, and the singers considered him a human god. It can be assumed that Odium was crucial in the breakdown of the relations between the two species.{{wob ref|8808}}{{book ref|sa3|111}} Eventually, for unknown reasons, a swap occurred, whereupon singers came to worship Odium while humans began serving Honor and Cultivation. Both sides created their own immortal armies - Odium, the [[Fused]], and Honor, the [[Herald]]s.{{book ref|sa3|38}}

|TanavastHonor{{book ref|sa1|75}}

Honor fought Odium with assistance from Cultivation,{{wob ref|2729}} and the two bound him to one of the system's planets, [[Braize]], and somehow also prevented him from acting directly against most individuals on Roshar.{{book ref|sa3|38}}{{book ref|sa4|112}} Honor additionally crafted the [[Oathpact]], which would use the Heralds to imprison Odium's forces on Braize along with their master.{{book ref|sa3|38}} However, Odium was a much better fighter, and [[TanavastHonor]] was killed,{{wob ref|8560}}{{book ref|sa1|75}} though he inflicted a deep wound on Odium.{{book ref|sa4|114}}

Odium, though severely limited by Honor's actions, was nonetheless active. AsHe onealso ofkept hisa [[Unmade]],limited [[Nergaoul]],awareness wasof stillwhat free,was Odiumgoing senton him to [[Alethkar]] toall facilitateacross the [[Thrill]] among the Alethi. Over the centuriescosmere, theand battle-ragewas broughtaware aboutthat byRuin Nergaouland becamePreservation normal, and evenhad desirablecombined to thebecome AlethiHarmony men;in thisScadrian developedYear affinity{{date|1025|fe}}, allowedaround Odium309 toRosharan controlyears them usingbefore the ThrillTrue Desolation.{{bookwob ref|sa37320}}{{wob ref|1159869}}{{wob Moreover,ref|14998}} theThe Thrillidea allowedof Odiumsomeone totaking groomup atwo championShards whomat heonce, couldand laterfinding putharmony inbetween commandthem, ofterrified his armies and use to release himselfhim.{{wob Inref|4437}} theHe finaltherefore decadesbegan of the [[Era of Solitude]], suchformulating a potential champion appeared in the form of [[Dalinar Kholin]]. Odium focused on himplan to ensureeliminate hethis hadthreat asafter manybeing hooksfreed infrom himthe asRosharan possibleSystem.{{bookwob ref|sa3|1187319}}

Throughout his existence, Odium has had profound effect on the [[cosmere]] and several of its [[Cosmere#Planets|planets]] in particular. He has been called the most frightening and terrible of all Shards, and with good reason.{{epigraph ref|sa1|19}} He has a wish to become the sole god in the Cosmere, and to that end, he has gone around the Cosmere Splintering, or attempting to Splinter, all other Shards.{{epigraph ref|sa4|33}}{{book ref|mb7|20}}{{wob ref|5489}}

* Odium might currently have an alliance -- or, at least, an understanding -- with [[Bavadin]], the holder[[Vessel]] of [[Autonomy]], although he was considering double-crossing her after dealing with Honor and Cultivation.{{wob ref|15137}} He's also allied with a cosmere power other than her.{{wob ref|2263}}

* OdiumRayse hates puppies.{{wob ref|6842}}

* Odium was not in positionpossession of a [[Dawnshard]].{{wob ref|15888}}