Rosharan system
| Rosharan system | |
|---|---|
| |
| Shards | Honor, Cultivation, Odium |
| Notable Planet(s) | Ashyn, Roshar, Braize |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“Roshar (which--characteristic of the dominant confidence of its people--is the name of a planet, a system, and the main continent on the planet) is a busy place. As empty as the Scadrian system seems, this one always feels crowded to me. ”
The Rosharan system, also known as Greater Roshar, is the name given to the planetary system containing the planet called Roshar.[1] It comprises thirteen planets, three of which are inhabited, as well as the usual asteroid belt, and three moons for a total of sixteen orbital bodies -- an important number in the cosmere.[2]
![[2]](#cite_note-Starchart_roshar_color.jpg-2){kind=link}
The Sun[edit]
The centre of the system is situated a large sun around which all of the planets orbit.[3] Though it is smaller than UTol's sun.[4]
Planets[edit]
The Greater Roshar system is composed of three terrestrial planets and ten gas giants, divided by the asteroid belt. From the sun, the planets in the system are:
Ashyn[edit]
Ashyn is the closest planet to the Rosharan system's sun.
While there are humans inhabiting this planet, a global cataclysm at some point in the past has forced most of its inhabitants to flee to Roshar, while the remainder lives in floating cities in the sky and in small areas of habitability.[1][5][6] The cataclysm was likely caused by overuse of Surges by Ashynites, and has left the surface highly volcanically active. There is a known manifestation of Investiture on Ashyn, based around Surge-granting diseases, but no known Shard.[7] In Rosharan mythology, Ashyn is referred to as the Tranquiline Halls.[8]
Ashyn has a notable axial tilt, allowing it to experience seasonal variation.[9]
It is visible in the sky from Roshar.[10]
Roshar[edit]
Roshar is the second planet is the eponymous planet of Greater Roshar. The Shards of Honor and Cultivation can be found here. Roshar features a single supercontinent, also called Roshar, on which its inhabitants live. Its semi-major axis is such that it has an orbital period of approximately 1.1 years.[11][12][13][14]
Roshar has a surface gravity or approximately 0.7g, and a radius of approximately 5663 kilometres, just under 0.9 cosmere standard.[1][15] The planet has a substantial atmosphere, and has a partial pressure of oxygen that is higher than standard cosmere.[1][16]
Roshar has no axial tilt.[9] It has a solar day of twenty Rosharan hours, and rotates around five-hundred times every orbit.[17]
Three moons, Salas, Nomon, and Mishim, orbit the planet in unstable, highly eccentric orbits.[2][18][19]
The majority of the Rosharan System's sentient lifeforms lives on Roshar.
Braize[edit]
Braize is the third planet from the Rosharn system's sun.[10][2] It is a cold planet, perhaps outside the habitable zone. While no humans live here, there do exist self-aware Splinters that inhabit either the planet or its Cognitive manifestation.[1] Braize is where the Shard of Odium resides.[6] In Rosharan mythology, Braize is referred to as Damnation, and is where Rosharan Heralds returned to between Desolations.[20]
The land is cold, barren, and inhospitable to all biological life;[10] it is constantly swept by winds.[10] Its atmosphere is much thinner than Roshar's.[10]
Like Ashyn, it is visible in the sky from Roshar.[10]
Gas Giants[edit]
Beyond the asteroid belt are ten gas giants. These outer planets, which are designated by Vorin numerals, are Jes, Nan, Chach, Vev, Palah, Shash, Betab, Kak, Tanat, and Ishi, in order of increasing distance from the sun.
The existence of ten of these, and the relation it has to the importance of 10 to Honor and the Rosharan System, is currently unknown.[21][22]
The Rosharan gas giants have a minor presence on Shadesmar, which indicates that they are uninhabited.[1][23][24] None of these planets have known moons or ring systems.[2][25]
Astronomy[edit]
In the greater Cosmere, the Rosharan system lies between Taldain, Scadrial, Nalthis and Sel, and is the closest to the latter. It is one of the stars in the Knight constellation.[26][27] In the Cognitive Realm, Shadesmar is surrounded by four Expanses; the Expanse of the Vapors leads to Scadrial, the Expanse of the Densities leads to Sel, and the Expanse of Vibrance[28] is believed to lead to Nalthis.[29] It is currently unknown which planet the Expanse of the Broken Sky leads to.[30]
![[26]](#cite_note-Cosmere_constellation_map.jpg-26){kind=link}
![[30]](#cite_note-Shadesmar_.28TWoK.29.jpg-30){kind=link}
Inhabitants[edit]
The Rosharan system is inhabited by several sentient species. This includes humans on both Ashyn and Roshar; Singers, Siah Aimians and the Sleepless on Roshar; and a vast number of sentient spren. Braize also contains a large population of Cognitive Shadows of Singers, called the Fused, who migrate to Roshar during Desolations.
It is likely that Roshar saw several waves of human immigration, as the Iriali may be later arrivals than other Rosharan humans.[31]
History[edit]
The Rosharan system was created prior to the Shattering, and was crafted directly by Adonalsium about 12 to 13 thousand years before the True Desolation.[32][33][34][fn 1] The system was created for a specific purpose.[19] The Rosharan spren Stormfather and the Singers likely predate it as well.
After the Shattering, the Shards Honor and Cultivation settled on Roshar, becoming the gods of Singer people. Humans initially settled on Ashyn, but following the destruction of its environment around 7000 Rosharan years before the True Desolation,[35][36] migrated to Roshar, and were granted the land that comprises modern Shinovar. The Shard Odium arrived on Roshar alongside them, and while the Singers believe it to be the human god, the exact relation is unclear.[37]
Honor trapped Odium in the system by unknown means, and the shard settled on Braize. However, when the relationship between humans and Singers deteriorated to the point of war, Odium took the Singers under his wing, creating the first Fused and starting the cycle of Desolations, periodic invasions of Roshar.[38] During that time, Honor was killed by Odium, but his pact with Odium, along with the Oathpact that governs the Desolations, prevented Odium from leaving the system.[39]
For over 4500 Rosharan years since Aharietiam,[40] the Rosharan system has enjoyed a period of relative stability, although this ended with the start of the True Desolation.
Mythology[edit]
Several of the Rosharan system's celestial bodies have legends associated with them.
The planets[edit]
Ashyn, though not known by that name to Roshar's inhabitants, is likely the Tranquiline Halls, the mythological homeworld of mankind in the Vorin creation myth. Rosharans believe that after death, they will fight to reclaim them from the Voidbringers, and that this is where the Heralds departed to following the Aharietiam. Braize, on the other hand, is a known name for Damnation, the place where, in Rosharan myths and legends, Voidbringers live. In Vorin cosmology, Damnation is the afterlife for particularly wicked souls.[41]
The moons[edit]
Many Rosharan cultures personify the three moons as semi-divine beings. In Shinovar, they are known as the Three Sisters, with Salas being the First Sister, Nomon the Second Sister, and Mishim the Third Sister. In Natanatan, Nomon is considered to be male.
A particular myth from Natanatan concerns the latter two moons and the local queen, Tsa. In the story, Mishim (characterized as young and impulsive) wishes to experience human pleasures, and attempts to persuade Tsa to swap places with her. Tsa eventually relents, agreeing to take Mishim's place for one night. However, Mishim fails to return before dawn, and fears that Tsa will tell her older siblings about the ruse. The following night, she attempts to go back, only to find out that Tsa enjoys her time in the night sky too much to switch back. While Mishim manages to convince Tsa to return, nine months later the queen gives birth to a blue-skinned child. Mishim realizes that she's been conned, and Tsa wanted to visit the night sky all along, as she wished to lay with Nomon.[42]
The legend serves as an explanation for the Natan people's unusual skin tone.
Notes[edit]
- Footnotes
- ↑ Whether this refers to standard years or Rosharan years is currently unclear.
- References
- ↑ a b c d e f g Arcanum Unbounded - The Rosharan System#
- ↑ a b c d Map of Roshar system
- ↑ Words of Radiance Philadelphia signing
— Arcanum - 2014-03-21# - ↑ Yumi and the Nightmare Painter chapter 35#
- ↑ The Sunlit Man chapter 2#
- ↑ a b SpoCon 2013
— Arcanum - 2013-07-10# - ↑ Words of Radiance Chicago signing
— Arcanum - 2014-03-22# - ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 17#
- ↑ a b A Memory of Light Seattle Signing
— Arcanum - 2013-02-12# - ↑ a b c d e f Rhythm of War chapter 80#
- ↑ Salt Lake City signing
— Arcanum - 2017-12-16# - ↑ Stormlight Three Update #4
— Arcanum - 2016-10-04# - ↑ /r/Stormlight_Archive
— Arcanum - 2017-09-21# - ↑ Word of Peter - 17th Shard post
— Arcanum - 2014-01-25# - ↑ JordanCon 2018
— Arcanum - 2009-04-21# - ↑ DrogaKrolow.pl interview
— Arcanum - 2017-03-17# - ↑ Bands of Mourning release party
— Arcanum - 2016-01-25# - ↑ Miscellaneous 2014
— Arcanum - 2014-02-06# - ↑ a b Stuttgart signing
— Arcanum - 2019-05-17# - ↑ Oathbringer chapter 121#
- ↑ Arcanum Unbounded San Francisco signing
— Arcanum - 2016-11-30# - ↑ Rhythm of War Preview Q&As
— Arcanum - 2020-10-07# - ↑ Arcanum Unbounded Chicago signing
— Arcanum - 2016-12-06# - ↑ General Twitter 2016
— Arcanum - 2016-11-28# - ↑ Isaac Stewart r/Stormlight_Archive AMA
— Arcanum - 2019-10-01# - ↑ Cosmere constellation map
- ↑ Miscellaneous 2017
— Arcanum - 2017-06-01# - ↑ Rithmatist Omaha signing
— Arcanum - 2013-05-17# - ↑ FanX Spring 2019
— Arcanum - 2019-04-19# - ↑ Map of shadesmar
- ↑ Arcanum Unbounded Chicago signing
— Arcanum - 2016-12-06# - ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 66 epigraph#
- ↑ Emerald City Comic Con 2018
— Arcanum - 2018-03-01# - ↑ JordanCon 2021
— Arcanum - 2021-07-16# - ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 14#
- ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 111#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 111#
- ↑ Prelude to the Stormlight Archive#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 57#
- ↑ The Way of Kings prologue#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 3#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 67#
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