Difference between revisions of "Odium"

|shard=Odium

|holder=Rayse

The Shard's [[intent]], Odium, means two things: the feeling of strong hatred, and that which provokes hatred from others.{{17s ref|2383|post|42190|Some dictionaries list two meanings for the word "odium"}}

 

Over time, a person holding a Shard will be shaped to the Shard's [[intent]]. This can turn a kind person into [[Ruin|someone who just wants to destroy]]. However, Rayse--Odium's holder--was purportedly already an incredibly crafty, loathsome, and dangerous individual, even before picking up the power. A Shard's intent is mildly interpreted by its holder{{17s ref|1729|text=A holder's personality, however, does get to filter the Shard's intent, so to speak.}} (for example, the idea of [[Preservation]] could be interpreted in a number of ways, and the Shard's holder helps determine this), so Odium is probably being interpreted in the darkest, most dangerous way possible. Odium is a force of pure hatred which is held by a man who can--and will--use that power to the most terrible end.

 

Odium intends to do this to every Shard and be the only Shard left, effectively making him unstoppable and giving him free reign in the entire cosmere. And, Odium appears to have no trouble with killing former acquaintances to progress its goals.

 

{{theory}}

Perhaps unique to known Shards, Odium has figured out a method to kill a Shard's holder without destroying himself. Compare this to [[Preservation]], which in order to defeat [[Ruin]], had to kill herself to do so. While that may be particular to Ruin and Preservation's circumstance of being perfect opposites, there is no evidence of Shard death aside from Ruin and Preservation, and Odium's power. How Odium accomplishes this is a mystery.

Odium's other known ability is his power to Splinter Shards. This appears to require the opponent's Shardholders to already be dead before Odium can Splinter them. It is unclear if any Shard can Splinter Shards, or it is especially unique to Odium.

 

On [[Sel]], Odium's influence is omnipresent: he Splintered Devotion and Dominion, the only Shards on that world. [[Seon]]s and [[Skaze]] are both Splinters, so in a way, Odium caused their existence.

 

Odium may be the cause of the [[Herald]]s being tormented after dying in the Desolations.

 

*The mere mention of the word Odium makes [[Syl]] hiss.{{book ref|twok|46}}

 

 

{{quote|"I am... I was... God. The one you call the Almighty, the creator of mankind." The figure closed his eyes. "And now I am dead. Odium has killed me. I am sorry."|[[Honor]] to [[Dalinar]].{{book ref|twok|75}}}}

Odium reigns, the voice said more softly.|The voice in the storm to [[Kaladin]].{{book ref|twok|46}}}}

 

{{theory}}

 

{{quote|Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns.|Way of Kings, epigraph 11.{{epigraph ref|sa1|11}}}}

Odium may be the one referred to as the Broken One. This quote mirrors how the voice in the storm talked to [[Kaladin]] and said "Odium reigns".{{book ref|twok|46}} The "sixteen" surely indicates the sixteen [[Shard]]s, and indeed there are three Shards on Roshar. However, it is peculiar that if three reigned, why is Odium (presumably one of the three) referred to so strangely as the "Broken One" here? It is possible to say that indeed Odium is one of the three mentioned rulers and as to why he is called the broken one it can be said that while Odium ruled along with the other two shards he was still solid and "whole" in the sense that he was of physical form, But as indicated by Wit he is more of a force than a living being so this Broken one status we can say is him becoming this force

 

It has been theorized that Odium is much better at seeing into the future than [[Ruin]] was. It is postulated that a Shard's skill in seeing the future is directly related to their intent and the mindset it gives them. Under this theory, the reason Ruin was very bad at seeing the future is that he always desired to destroy immediately, and so, he was focused on the present much more than [[Preservation]], who had to think much more long term to fulfill his intent.

 

Odium has shown much craftiness and planning, so he probably is significantly more adept at seeing the future than Ruin. It isn't clear in this theory just how good Odium is at future sight--it is entirely possible that Preservation and especially [[Cultivation]] are still superior to Odium in this regard. Still, if Odium is better at seeing the future than Ruin, that already makes Odium a much bigger threat than Ruin ever was.

 

 

It has been suggested that Odium is the cause of the [[Thrill]], a lust for battle the [[Alethi]] sometimes feel.