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The Shard of Odium is even harder to control than [[Ruin]].{{wob ref|
{{sidequote
=== Ancient History ===
==== Creation and initial killings ====
Odium was created at the [[Shattering]],
{{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}}
Although Odium was successful in these initial conflicts, he was weakened and severely wounded by them.{{book ref|sa3|16}}{{book ref|sa4|114}}{{wob ref|16584}}
==== Battle with Honor ====
Next, over seven-thousand 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
{{sidequote
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}},
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}}
{{for|Taravangian#History|the history of Odium's second Vessel prior to his Ascension}}
Later that day, Taravangian managed to get Szeth and Rayse to come to him at the same time. When Rayse pulled him into a vision, Taravangian grabbed [[Nightblood]]'s Cognitive aspect and stabbed Rayse with it, killing him. While he had been doing this, Szeth had stabbed him with his belt knife, but just as he died, Taravangian Ascended to become Odium.{{book ref|sa4|113}} His previous [[Old Magic]] afflictions seemed to vanish as soon as he Ascended, giving him both emotion and intelligence in far greater amounts and he possessed all the power of the Shard. Taravangian realized that Rayse had been sliding towards oblivion for a very long time, as he had been severely weakened by his previous battles, especially against [[Honor]]; Rayse had been enslaved by the power he wielded.{{book ref|sa4|114}} Rayse's body appeared in the place of Taravangian's, although it was so damaged by Nightblood that Szeth was unable to tell the difference.
Some time later, when [[Hoid]] was walking the hallways in Elhokar's palace, Taravangian confronted him. When he asked Hoid what he would have done in Taravangian's place, Hoid realized that there was a new Vessel, and was unable to hide his terror. Taravangian then tampered with the Breaths that Wit was using to contain his memories, and retried the whole encounter, this time pretending to be Rayse much more effectively.{{book ref|sa4|epilogue}}
== Influence ==
== Trivia ==
* Odium is only of the only five characters who have spoken in <span style='font-variant: small-caps'>small-caps</span>, the other four are: [[Sylphrena]],{{book ref|sa2|84}} [[Cultivation]],{{book ref|sa3|114}} and [[Dalinar]],{{book ref|sa4|107}}{{book ref|sa4|108}} and the [[Stormfather]].{{book ref|sa1|46}}
* Odium's original name was Hatred; Brandon changed it because, in his words, it was "too on-the-nose", while the name Odium brought the Shard a step closer to Passion.{{wob ref|12312}}
* The mere mention of the word Odium makes [[Syl]] hiss.{{book ref|sa1|46}}
* 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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