Difference between revisions of "Odium"

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{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|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.
|[[Dalinar]] describing Odium{{book ref|sa3|57}}
}}
}}
 
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}}
 
{{sidequote
=== Raysium ===
{{for|Raysium}}
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}}
 
=== Voidbinding ===
 
=== Spren ===
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}}
 
{{for|Unmade}}
=== Ancient History ===
==== Creation and initial killings ====
Odium was created at the [[Shattering]], whenaround theten-thousand creatoryears god,before the [[AdonalsiumTrue Desolation]], was killed by sixteen people, splitting it into sixteen [[Shards]].{{mshbook ref|3sa4|2i|1}} One of those killers was [[Rayse]], who chose for himself the Shard of Odium.{{epigraphbook ref|sa2tsm|7111}}
{{wob ref|9683}} when the creator god, [[Adonalsium]], was killed by sixteen people, splitting it into sixteen [[Shards]].{{msh ref|3|2}} One of those killers was [[Rayse]], who chose for himself the Shard of Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa2|71}}
 
At some point after Ascending, Odium went after one of his fellow Shards, [[Ambition]], as he felt most threatened by her intent. However, before he could find her, he located two other Shards, [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]], in the [[Selish system]].{{wob ref|1550}} Because they had settled together, Odium attacked them since he could argue that they were breaking the agreement the Vessels made about not being in the same system as another Shard.{{wob ref|8358}} Through means unknown, Odium killed and [[Splinter]]ed them both.{{book ref|sa1|22}}{{wob ref|2614}}{{au ref|Sel}} To prevent their remaining power from gaining intelligence of its own, he then pulled them out of the [[Spiritual Realm]] and into the [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]], creating the [[Dor]] and causing [[Sel]]'s magic systems to become location-dependent.{{wob ref|1473}} He wasn't very experienced at the time, and his countermeasure failed as the Dor did, indeed, begin to gain a measure of sentience.{{au ref|Sel}}{{wob ref|9616}}
 
After creating the Dor, Odium went on to the [[Threnodite system]], where he found and attacked his initial target, Ambition. During the fight, Ambition was dealt a grievous wound, and chunks of her power were flung across the system.{{au ref|Threnody}} Ambition managed to flee the system,{{au ref|Threnody}} but was still Splintered in a fight with Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} The Shard [[Mercy]] was also involved in at least one battle with Ambition and Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} These clashes resulted in a wound in the Spiritual Realm{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} and had "disturbing" effects that "twisted" the planet [[Threnody]] and its inhabitants.{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}}{{au ref|Threnody}}
 
==== Battle with Honor ====
Next, over 7000 Rosharan years before the True Desolation,{{book ref|sa4|14}}{{book ref|sa4|76}} Odium set out for [[Rosharan system]], seeking to kill either [[Honor]], [[Cultivation]], or both. According to the [[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}}
 
{{sidequote
|I am … I was … God. The one you call the Almighty, the creator of mankind. And now I am dead. Odium has killed me. I am sorry.
|TanavastHonor{{book ref|sa1|75}}
|side=right|size=350px
}}
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}}
 
=== Preparations ===
Killing Honor did not free Odium from Braize, and the sacrifice of the Herald [[Taln]] meant that he could not send his armies to [[Roshar]]. And so, for the next four and a half thousand years, he prepared for the time when Taln would break, allowing for one last [[Desolation]] -- the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa3|38}}
 
Odium, though severely limited by Honor's actions, was nonetheless active. He also kept a limited awareness of what was going on all across the cosmere, and was aware that Ruin and Preservation had combined to become Harmony in Scadrian Year {{date|1025|fe}}, aroundover 309 Rosharanthree-hundred years before the True Desolation.{{wob ref|7320}}{{wob ref|9869}}{{wob ref|14998}} The idea of someone taking up two Shards at once, and finding harmony between them, terrified him.{{wob ref|4437}} He therefore began formulating a plan to eliminate this threat after being freed from the Rosharan System.{{wob ref|7319}}
 
As one of his [[Unmade]], [[Nergaoul]], was still free, Odium sent him to [[Alethkar]] to facilitate the [[Thrill]] among the Alethi. Over the centuries, the battle-rage brought about by Nergaoul became normal, and even desirable to the Alethi men; this developed affinity allowed Odium to control them using the Thrill.{{book ref|sa3|115}} Moreover, the Thrill allowed Odium to groom a champion whom he could later put in command of his armies and use to release himself. In the final decades of the [[Era of Solitude]], such a potential champion appeared in the form of [[Dalinar Kholin]]. Odium focused on him to ensure he had as many hooks in him as possible.{{book ref|sa3|118}}
* In ''[[wikipedia:Magic: The Gathering|Magic:The Gathering]]'' colors, Odium would be red.{{wob ref|11057}}
* Odium is weirded out by [[Lift]].{{wob ref|12898}}
* OdiumRayse hates puppies.{{wob ref|6842}}
* Jasnah would be a good candidate for controlling Odium's power.{{wob ref|15239}}
* Odium was not in possession of a [[Dawnshard]].{{wob ref|15888}}
* Rayse was aware of [[Thaidakar]]. It is unknown whether Taravangian is.{{wob ref|16396}}
 
== Notes ==
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