Difference between revisions of "Roshar"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
Some species of native Rosharan flora are edible for humans. This includes a number of fruits as well as a rice-like plant called [[tallew]], and [[lavis]], a type of rockbud that produces grain. Tallew and lavis appear to be the major ingredients of Rosharan diet, with massive farmlands devoted to them throughout the continent.{{book ref|sa1|4}} In the West, the same niche appears to be filled by [[clema]].{{book ref|Edgedancer|6}}
Additionally, there exist a number of plants with known healing properties. This includes antiseptics, such as the sap of [[knobweed]] and [[fourleaf]], as well as [[lister's oil]]; treatments for specific diseases, such as [[bitterleaf]] for epilepsy and [[bloodivy]] for the [[grindings]]; anesthetics like [[winterwort]] and [[firemoss]]; and other, more specific medicines, such as [[denocax salve|denocax]], which encourages skin healing.
By contrast, several species of plant are noted to have detrimental effect on humans. Firemoss is known to be highly addictive, and [[blackbane]]'s leaves, once dried, are extremely poisonous. Eating shells of rockbuds is similarly known to be unhealthy, although the [[Unkalaki]] are capable of eating them without problems, likely thanks to their [[singer]] ancestry.{{wob ref|930}} While not all plants are edible, some, like [[breachtree]] and [[narbin]], are grown to make fabrics.{{book ref|sa1|25}}{{book ref|sa1|45}}
Multiple native species, as well as at least one imported animal, have formed symbiotic relationships with [[spren]]. This appears to be faciliated by [[gemheart]]s, crystals that grow naturally within the bodies of those creatures.
* Larger animals on Roshar utilize bonds with [[
* The native sentient species, the [[Singer]]s, bond with a variety of spren to attain a number of forms, which alter their mental state, biological functions and appearance. While bonded, the spren remain within the gemheart.
* [[Ryshadium]]s bond with what appears to be musicspren, attaining higher intelligence and physical strength. It is, however, unclear so far whether or not they have gemhearts.{{au ref|rosharan}}
;Non-shelled animals
Mammals dwell mostly in Shinovar, though a few species have been successfully exported
;Shelled animals
The largest known group of animals on Roshar are crustaceans. Those can be of various sizes, from finger-long to four-stories-high. They are all noted as having
One of the largest crustacean family are [[cremling]]s, a group of tiny, multi-legged scavengers preying mostly on deceased animals, although they will also feed on uncovered plants after highstorms. Cremlings come in variety of colours, with different features, numbers of legs, and behaviours. While most are individuals, some are part of the [[Sleepless]] swarms, and as such share a sentient hivemind. The [[Sleepless]] cremlings are bred for particular purposes, such as imitating human body parts.
Other than the cremlings, Roshar also features a number of larger crustaceans that are nonetheless smaller than humans. This group includes predatory species, such as the [[axehound]], herbivores like [[axehind]], and near-cremling sized creatures like [[legger]]s and [[larkin]]s, as well as species that can be found on Earth, like crabs.{{book ref|sa3|63}} The larkins in particular are unusual for their flight, as well as the ability to pull Stormlight out of other creatures and absorb it.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}}
The largest family of animals on Roshar are known as [[greatshell]]s, which exist both on land and in the seas. All greatshells possess gemhearts and utilize them to attract [[
The [[
;Domestication
=== The Era of Solitude ===
{{quote
|The Voidbringers were cast back into the Tranquiline Halls. The Heralds followed to force them out of heaven as well, and Roshar’s Heraldic Epochs ended. Mankind entered the Era of Solitude
|[[Kabsal]] to [[Shallan]]{{book ref|sa1|45}}
}}
During the lead up to the [[Day of Recreance]], many events occurred which demoralized the Knights Radiant. The [[Sibling]], for some unknown reason, withdrew from [[Urithiru]] and forced the Knights to abandon their ancestral home. Many Radiants blamed this on a perceived unworthiness, including increased conflicts between the [[Windrunners]] and [[Skybreakers]], but scholars of the time disagreed.{{epigraph ref|sa3|70}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|64}} This concern extended to potential infiltration by [[Unmade]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|73}} While this was occurring, the False Desolation was coming to a close. The presumed success in imprisoning Ba-Ado-Mishram leading to the singers having their Connection and Identity ripped out of them likely influenced the Radiants.{{book ref|sa3|17}} In the midst of this turmoil, the Radiants discovered the truth about the origins of humans on Roshar. The singers had been the original inhabitants of Roshar. The humans came as refugees from their [[Ashyn|homeworld]], which they had destroyed with surges. After being taken in by the singers and given [[Shinovar]], they invaded Roshar and started the Desolations. While Honor had comforted previous generations who learned this, this time he was dying. He raved about the [[Dawnshard]]s and promised the Radiants they would destroy Roshar like they had their homeworld.{{book ref|sa3|113}}
As a result of these revelations, the nine of the ten orders decided to abandon their oaths and kill their spren. They believed that this would prevent the destruction of Roshar Honor warned them about.{{book ref|sa3|113}} At the locations they left their [[
==== The Hierocracy and the War of Loss ====
:''Main Article: [[Spheres]]''
The primary form of currency found on Roshar are spheres, pieces of gemstone encased in a sphere of glass with one side flattened to prevent rolling.{{book ref|sa1|27}} The gemstones can be any of the ten [[Polestone]]s and there are three denominations: chip, mark, and broam. The ten gemstones are organized into five value levels with some gem types having equivalent values.{{wob ref|10402}} These value levels are determined by [[Soulcasting]] properties, so diamonds, which can create quartz, crystal, and glass, have the lowest value, and emeralds, which can create grain, have the highest.{{book ref|sa1|3}} Spheres, like all gems on Roshar, have the ability to hold and leak
Because of their ability to hold
The denomination of spheres in eastern Roshar is weaker than in the west, with some people drilling holes in spheres to carry them on strings or using chunks of gemstone instead.{{book ref|sa2.5|6}}
Within [[Shadesmar]], the sentient [[spren]] have their own countries.{{book ref|sa2|1}} Among those is a [[honorspren]] state, with its capital in the city of [[Lasting Integrity]] and a number of strongholds, as well as a [[Highspren]] country, and a city-state of the [[Cryptic]]s.{{book ref|sa3|102}}{{book ref|sa2|epilogue}}{{book ref|sa2|3}} There are also free cities, such as [[Celebrant]], where various spren intermingle. This includes [[Cultivationspren]], which, though ruled by a council called the [[Ring]], do not have holdings of their own.{{book ref|sa3|102}}{{book ref|sa2.5|2}}{{book ref|sa2.5|1}} However, even the "ethnic" spren states do not appear to be strictly isolationist - for example, honorspren military ships are partially crewed by [[Spren#Mistspren|mistspren]].{{book ref|sa3|108}}
As the inversion of the [[Physical Realm]] and its supercontinent, Shadesmar is mostly composed of the sea of beads, with a number of narrow peninsulas and islands corresponding to Physical rivers and lakes.{{map ref|sea of lost lights}} As such, travel is done mostly by boat. Merchant and military ships, pulled by teams of harnessed [[
The relationship between various spren kinds appears to have its own share of political turmoil. Several years prior to the [[Everstorm]], the honorspren tried and failed to conquer the rest of Shadesmar, making the other spren unfriendly towards them. By contrast, Cryptics are generally understood to be unwilling to expand beyond their city; however, they are also widely considered to be uncomfortable company.{{book ref|sa3|47}}
|