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{{shard info
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|status=Whole, conjoined with [[Preservation]]
|slivers=[[Ati]]
|splinters=None{{wob ref|3020}}
|perpendicularity=[[Ruin's Perpendicularity]], [[Pits of Hathsin]]
|magic=[[Hemalurgy]], [[Feruchemy]]
|residence=[[Scadrial]]
|books=[[Mistborn Era 1]]
}}
{{quote
|This force was time infinite. It was the winds that weathered, the storms that broke, the timeless waves running slowly, slowly, slowly, to a stop as the sun and the planet cooled to nothing. It was the ultimate end and destiny of all things. And it was angry.
|Kelsier{{msh ref|2|1}}
}}
'''Ruin''', also known as '''Herr''' in [[Southern Scadrial]], is one of the [[Shard]]s of [[Adonalsium]].{{book ref|mb6|22}} Its original [[Vessel]] was [[Ati]], but it's currently held by [[Sazed]] alongside [[Preservation]], forming [[Harmony]].{{wob ref|4115}} Ruin's [[Investiture]] is typically associated with the color black.{{wob ref|3031}}
== Intent ==
{{quote
|Death is necessary. Every clock must wind down, every day must end. Without me there is no life, and never could have been. Life is change, and I represent that change.
|Ruin{{msh ref|4|4}}
}}
Ruin is the embodiment of entropy and decay; it seeks change, so that all may age and pass.{{wob ref|4130}} It is not inherently evil, as without change there can be no life, but its destructive actions are often contrary to life existing peacefully.{{wob ref|10203}}{{wob ref|7950}} This approach to Ruin as simply inevitable decay is largely due to [[Ati]]'s original kind nature, as he deliberately channeled Ruin towards a more peacable state. In other hands, the Shard would've been a far more destructive force.{{wob ref|10334}}
It is the polar opposite of [[Preservation]] -- a relation most other Shards don't have.{{wob ref|5518}} Since the [[Final Ascension]], Preservation has tempered Ruin's intent, which also makes it difficult for anyone holding [[Harmony]] to take direct action heavily favoring one side or the other.{{book ref|mb5|7}}
== Associated magic ==
{{image|Steel Inquisitor Matthew Johnson Inktober2018.jpg|side=right|width=250px|[[Steel Inquisitor]], a person altered by [[Hemalurgy]]}}
=== Hemalurgy ===
{{for|Hemalurgy}}
Ruin fuels [[Hemalurgy]] -- one of the three Metallic Arts on [[Scadrial]], and a unique one among them in that it can be used by anyone anywhere, provided they have the appropriate tools and [[intention|Intent]].{{wob ref|6312}} It allows for removing a portion of a person's [[spiritweb]] and grafting it onto someone else with a metal spike, essentially stealing an attribute or power and giving it to another. Various attributes can be stolen, from physical qualities such as strength or senses to magical powers, like [[Allomancy|Allomantic]] abilities, and even foreign magic systems like [[Surgebinding]].{{wob ref|12018}} What attribute is stolen depends on the metal used and the placement of the spike.{{file ref|Hemalurgy table.jpg|text=Hemalurgy Table}} By transplanting powers and qualities, Hemalurgy can be used to effectively create new species; examples of such creatures are [[kandra]], [[koloss]] and the [[Steel Inquisitor]]s.
People who are pierced by Hemalurgic spikes can hear Ruin's voice in their head. Moreover, Ruin can also subtly manipulate the emotions of spiked individuals, and slightly alter their perception of certain things without them being aware of it. The more spikes pierce a person, the more holes in their spiritweb, which in turn allows for easier control as well as greater susceptibility to emotional Allomancy. For example, humans with one spike are only subtly affected by Ruin, whereas koloss, which are humans with four spikes, are under direct and absolute control of Ruin. Three spikes or less do not enable complete control of a person.{{book ref|mb6|27}}
=== Feruchemy ===
{{for|Feruchemy}}
[[Feruchemy]] is a [[Metallic Arts|Metallic Art]] created by both Ruin and [[Preservation]]. Unlike Hemalurgy, it is inheritable; a person has to be born with the ability to use it.{{wob ref|5269}} Like Preservation's own magic, [[Allomancy]], Feruchemy grants sixteen separate powers for each of the base metals, as well as additional abilities for every [[God Metal]].{{file ref|Feruchemical table.jpg|text=Feruchemical Table}} A person can store an attribute of themselves in a piece of metal called a metalmind, diminishing it in themselves, and tap the stored attribute, increasing it in themselves -- for example, store strength to become weaker, then tap it to become stronger.{{book ref|mb4|part=ars}}
Which attribute can be stored depends on the metal used. A person can be born a Full Feruchemist, allowing them to use all powers, or a Ferring, letting them use only one metal. The base sixteen metals are divided into four categories: physical, which store attributes of the body, cognitive, which store attributes of the mind, spiritual, which store attributes of the soul, and hybrid, which store attributes related to bodily processes, like health or energy.{{file ref|Feruchemical table.jpg|text=Feruchemical Table}}
===
Ruin's power can sometimes manifest in a gaseous form as black mist, though it's unclear whether it has any magical effect. Its appearance does, however, signal Ruin's presence, and is how much of Ruin's power appears in the [[Cognitive Realm]].{{book ref|mb3|82}} This mist is present at the Well of Ascension upon Vin's discovery of the well, and a similar manifestation appears after [[Ati]]'s death before [[Sazed]] takes up both shards.{{epigraph ref|mb3|14}}{{book ref|mb3|82}} After the Final Ascension, black mists are sent forth by Harmony alongside Preservation's white mists.{{book ref|mb6|11}}
=== Atium ===
{{for|Atium}}
In solid form, Ruin's power appears as the metal [[atium]], named after the original Vessel. Like all God Metals, atium has its uses in the [[Metallic Arts]]. In [[Allomancy]], it allows the user to see a few seconds into the future; in [[Feruchemy]], it can be used to store youth, and through [[compounding]], it permits near-agelessness. As a [[Hemalurgic]] spike, atium can steal any power, including those of other magic systems, though it must first be refined.{{file ref|Hemalurgy table.jpg|text=Hemalurgy Table}}
Atium burns incredibly quickly; even a relatively large bead lasts for only about two minutes.{{book ref|mb2|40}} Prior to the [[Final Ascension]], the metal could only be found in the [[Pits of Hathsin]], which surrounded Ruin's [[perpendicularity]]; a lake with black sheen, originally high in the mountains, near the [[Well of Ascension]], though it was moved underground by [[Rashek]] during his reshaping of the planet.{{book ref|mb1|33}}{{wob ref|5786}}{{wob ref|5525}} Production there ceased when [[Kelsier]] destroyed the crystals that atium grew from.{{book ref|mb1|32}} Post-[[Catacendre]], atium can no longer be formed, though remnants from before [[Ati]]'s death still exist.{{wob ref|6242}}
=== Direct intervention ===
Despite its destructive intent, Ruin is capable of, together with Preservation, vast acts of creations; among others, [[Ati]]'s partially responsible for creating the planet [[Scadrial]], and has worked together with [[Leras]] to fill it with living, thinking creatures.{{book ref|mb3|57}}{{au ref|Scadrial}} This grants him additional abilities within the world -- he can read and alter any text not written in metal, and even alter the landscape itself, prompting volcanic explosions and earthquakes.{{epigraph ref|mb2|1}}{{epigraph ref|mb3|48}} Ruin also lets the Vessel take on appearance and voice of different people, and lets him speak into the minds of others, though they must be either mentally unsound or pierced by a [[Hemalurgic]] spike to hear Ruin's voice.{{wob ref|7719}}{{book ref|mb3|45}}
== History ==
{{for|Ati#History|the history of Ati prior to becoming Ruin}}
=== The Deal and Betrayal ===
The [[Shard]] of Ruin was created on the planet [[Yolen]] at the [[Shattering]] of [[Adonalsium]], along with fifteen others, and taken up by [[Ati]].{{msh ref|3|2}} He, along with [[Preservation]]'s Vessel [[Leras]], departed the planet, and eventually wound up in an empty star system.{{au ref|Scadrial}} Originally, the two Shards were balanced there -- though they could create by working together, neither would be happy with the end result.{{epigraph ref|mb3|53}}
Eventually, Preservation's desire to make sapient creatures prompted him to offer a deal to Ruin. Together, they could create [[Scadrial]] and fill it with living beings; by endowing them with sapience, Preservation would give up part of himself. In doing so, he left himself weaker than Ruin, which formed the basis of their agreement that Ruin would be allowed to destroy the world some day.{{epigraph ref|mb3|54}}
However, Preservation broke the terms of the deal by sacrificing his mind to create a prison for Ruin, preventing him from destroying the planet. Furthermore, in an attempt to balance the two Shards, he sequestered away a portion of Ruin's power by condensing it into the metal [[atium]].{{epigraph ref|mb3|55}}
{{image|The Well of Ascension by Eleonor Piteira.jpg|side=left|width=250px|[[Vin]] sinking into the [[Well of Ascension]], freeing Ruin}}
=== Plotting Escape ===
{{quote
|'Giving the power up’ is a stand-in for giving the power to [Ruin]. The powers would interpret that as me releasing him. My power, accepting his touch back into the world, directly.
|[[Leras]]{{msh ref|2|3}}
}}
==== Alendi ====
Ruin's prison, the [[Well of Ascension]], had a fatal flaw: every thousand and twenty four years, the [[perpendicularity]] would fill, requiring someone to take up the power. Were that person then to release it, Ruin's prison would vanish, letting him out; only by using the power themselves could that person, dubbed the [[Hero of Ages]], keep Ruin trapped.{{msh ref|2|3}}
Despite being imprisoned in the Well, Ruin could still affect the world in minuscule ways, and thus began to plan for exploiting this fatal flaw to free himself. His initial scheme was to use [[Alendi]], chosen by the power of the Well, and convince him, through altering the [[Terris Prophecies]], to free him. However, a [[Terrisman]] named [[Kwaan]] realized Ruin's alterations. He sent his nephew, [[Rashek]], to try and stop Alendi from reaching the Well.{{epigraph ref|mb2|55}} Rashek eventually killed Alendi and took the power for himself, becoming [[the Lord Ruler]] and perpetuating Ruin's imprisonment.
==== Kelsier and Vin ====
Undeterred, Ruin began working on another idea, timing it with the Well's next call, a thousand years later. His plan was two-pronged: first, to ensure that Rashek would be killed, thus opening the way to the Well for others; second, to create someone who would enter the Well and release the power. For the first, he manipulated [[Kelsier]], a [[skaa]] [[allomancy|Mistborn]], with fabricated tales of the so-called Eleventh Metal, [[malatium]], convincing him that it would be the key to defeating the Lord Ruler; which, in a way, it turned out to be.{{epigraph ref|mb3|24}}
For the second, Ruin picked a perfect pawn: another skaa Mistborn, a girl named [[Vin]] with an insane mother and an infant [[Allomancer]] sister. Speaking to the mother, Ruin caused her to kill the younger daughter and fashion a Hemalurgic spike out of her, then pierce Vin with the spike.{{epigraph ref|mb3|74}} Vin, unaware of this, eventually started wearing the spike as an earring and refused to give it up due to Ruin's influence, thus letting him subtly manipulate her.{{epigraph ref|mb3|75}} He did so mostly through the voice of her deceased brother, [[Reen]].{{book ref|mb3|54}}
Eventually, the Well filled again, and Vin entered its chamber. [[Kelsier]], now a [[Cognitive Shadow]] and up to speed on Ruin's plan thanks to [[Leras]], attempted to stop her from releasing the power.{{msh ref|2|3}} To no avail, though -- Vin did so, and freed Ruin.{{book ref|mb2|58}}
=== Destruction upon Scadrial ===
{{image|Ruin by zoethatcher.jpg|side=right|width=250px|Ruin in the [[Cognitive Realm]]}}
{{quote
|I have come to claim what was promised me. The only point in creating something is to watch it die.
|Ruin{{book ref|mb3|57}}
}}
Once free, Ruin immediately set out on his plan to destroy [[Scadrial]]; however, his power locked in [[atium]] still diminished him enough to equal him with Preservation, and so he could not simply make it vanish in an instant. He tried to amend it by sending people out to find the missing atium stash.{{epigraph ref|mb3|47}} At the same time, he began killing all Scadrians. [[Ashmounts]] would erupt much more frequently, causing the omnipresent ash to fall more heavily and lava flows to endanger several towns.{{epigraph ref|mb3|48}} Earthquakes also became much more common, and started appearing in more places; while they used to be practically unheard of in the [[Dominance|Inner Dominances]], they began to appear there frequently.{{book ref|mb3|36}}
Prompted by [[Ati]]'s inherent need to gloat, Ruin began appearing to both [[Vin]] and [[Kelsier]] to boast about his achievements; it was those meetings that allowed the two to realize that Ruin was a person, and not merely a force.{{book ref|mb3|57}}{{msh ref|4|4}} However, Ruin was also manipulating people to sow further chaos -- he took control of the [[Steel Inquisitor]]s and the [[koloss]] to create more of both.{{book ref|mb3|prologue}} He also arranged for [[Penrod]] and [[Spook]] to have Hemalurgic spikes to make sure he could use them. This would make [[Luthadel]] and [[Urteau]] too disorganized to mount a defense, requiring Vin and [[Elend]]'s attention.{{book ref|mb3|42}}{{wob ref|7973}} Though Ruin's scheme in Luthadel was successful, he ultimately failed in Urteau thanks to both Spook's force of will and the intervention of [[Kelsier]].{{msh ref|6|5}}
{{image|Harmony by Elisgardor.jpg|side=left|width=300px|[[Sazed]] ascending to [[Harmony]]}}
=== Achieving Harmony ===
{{for|Sazed#History|the history of Sazed prior to becoming Ruin}}
{{quote
|You think this was your plan? It was [Preservation]'s. His all along. You created the thing that can kill you, Ruin.
|[[Vin]]{{book ref|mb3|81}}
}}
Seeking to fight Ruin, Kelsier, now the temporary vessel of [[Preservation]], sought a way to pass the power onto Vin, whom Leras pointed out as its intended recipient. After freeing Spook from Ruin's influence, he told him to send a message to her written in metal, telling her about what was going on.{{msh ref|6|6}} Ruin, knowing what Kelsier was planning, sent [[Marsh]], one of his Inquisitors, to kill the messanger and read the text out-loud, thus letting Ruin know what had been written. However, that was part of Kelsier's plan -- as Marsh found out what was going on, he managed, in a moment of lucidity, to tear the earring out of Vin's ear, letting Kelsier bestow Preservation upon her.{{msh ref|6|7}}
After her Ascension, Vin clashed with Ruin a few times, though she was never able to overpower him, as at the time, the two Shards were far too balanced.{{book ref|mb3|80}} The tipping point, however, came during the [[Battle of Hathsin]]. There, Ruin, through the [[koloss]] and Inquisitors it controlled, sought to find the atium cache. At the same time, [[Elend]] and his armies, their [[Allomancy]] boosted by Vin, confronted Ruin's forces on the surface. Eventually, the stash turns out to be empty -- Elend had used all the atium with his mistings during the fight. At the same time, [[Marsh]], under Ruin's control, managed to kill Elend, and taunted Vin about it. Mourning, Vin, now free from all ties to the world, attacked Ruin directly. The collision between two equal and perfectly opposing forces killed both Vessels.{{book ref|mb3|81}}
This end of Ruin was Preservation's plan all along. Leras had held Preservation for so long that he was bound by its intent, and could not kill or destroy anything, not even Ruin.{{msh ref|2|3}} And so, he arranged to have the Shard pass on to a new Vessel, who would not be so strongly bound by the Shard's intent and thus would have more freedom to use its power.{{book ref|mb3|81}}
However, the planet was still dying, and thus Preservation's plan reached its conclusion. [[Sazed]], present at the battle though not directly participating, saw the two powers and took up both of them, mixing them together into [[Harmony]]. With them, Sazed reconstituted the [[Scadrial]] that had existed before the Lord Ruler’s Ascension. {{book ref|mb3|83}}
{{for|Harmony#History|the subsequent events}}
== Influence ==
{{image|Vin by ToastSamurai.jpg|side=right|width=250px|[[Preservation]], [[Harmony]] and Ruin}}
{{quote
|You make our religion all about you. They hardly remember the truth any longer.
|Leras to Ruin{{msh ref|1|2}}
}}
Ruin's influence is omnipresent on [[Scadrial]]; he was one of the planet's creators, and all things and living beings upon it are partially of him.{{au ref|Scadrial}}. Later, he manipulated its people and texts to arrange for his own freedom. He's also responsible by proxy for the planet's miserable state during [[Rashek]]'s reign, as the Lord Ruler's changes were partially prompted by his desire to oppose Ruin.{{epigraph ref|mb3|18}} Later, it was Ruin's destruction of the planet that caused [[Sazed]] to pick up the two powers and return Scadrial to its prior state.{{book ref|mb3|82}}
Unsurprisingly, Ruin features in a number of Scadrian religions. The cult of the [[Lord Ruler]] feared the [[Deepness]], an ancient enemy that Rashek defeated at the Well -- though that was a misinterpretation of [[Preservation]]'s snapping [[mist]]s.{{epigraph ref|mb3|81}} The religion of [[Trelagism]], from Scadrial's [[Classical Scadrial|Classical]] period, spoke of two gods, Trell and Nalt, who were each other's brothers and enemies.{{book ref|mb1|2}} The Terris religion likewise preaches about Ruin and Preservation.{{book ref|mb3|75}} In the present times, the [[Southern Scadrian]]s worship the Jaggenmire, a combination of Ruin and Preservation; within the Jaggenmire, Ruin is known as '''Herr''', and is described as both the brother and the husband to the other half, Frue -- he puts things into motion, while she makes them stop, and the two must work together to create life.{{book ref|mb6|22}}
Ruin's influence extends, however slightly, to other [[cosmere]] worlds. [[Hemalurgy]] has been used on other planets, albeit subtly.{{wob ref|2749}} Additionally, [[Nightblood]] contains Ruin's [[Investiture]].{{wob ref|10902}} How it got involved in the sword's creation is unclear, though it's likely due to the [[Command]] that made it being about destruction.
== Quotes ==
{{for|Ruin/Quotes|a list of quotes from Ruin}}
== Trivia ==
* Ruin originated in the trunked novel ''[[Aether of Night]]'', where he was known as '''Decay'''.{{wob ref|11236}}
* In ''[[wikipedia:Magic: The Gathering|Magic: The Gathering]]'', colors, Ruin would be pure black.{{wob ref|11057}}
* [[Odium]] was convinced that Ruin would implode.{{wob ref|15137}}
== Notes ==
{{
{{Mistborn|
{{cosmere}}
[[es:Ruina]]
| |||