3,207
edits
Difference between revisions of "Shard"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Undo revision 132525 by 162.158.255.210 (talk) Speculation
m (→Splinters) |
LadyLameness (talk | contribs) (Undo revision 132525 by 162.158.255.210 (talk) Speculation) Tag: Undo |
||
| (8 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown) | |||
|
== Introduction ==
{{quote
|Ruin and Preservation inhabited power and energy in the same way a person inhabits flesh and blood.
Each Shard is a piece of the power of creation with a specific motivation, such as to destroy or to preserve. Those fragments each began their existence with equal level of power; however, over time many have diminished, whether through conflict or by the act of Investing a world -- imbuing it with [[Investiture]]. Each Shard has its own Investiture; while a Shard can co-opt the Investiture of another Shard, that Investiture can become noticeably red.{{wob ref|8340}}
Investing in a world will produce numerous effects, most notably the creation of a magic system tied to the Shard. While a Shard doesn't have complete control over how the magic system functions or what it does, it can manipulate its mechanics to an extent.{{wob ref|6072}}{{wob ref|4242}} Moreover, the presence of a Shard leads to the formation of a [[Perpendicularity]], a well of the Shard's Investiture that pierces all three [[Realmatic Theory|Realm]]s, allowing for the existence of [[worldhopping]].{{book ref|sa3|119}} The Shard's
=== Vessel ===
There remain six Shards that have not been named, nor referred to explicitly in text. Very little is known about them.
What is known is that there exists a Shard with intent similar to Wisdom, that once sought to hide and survive, but has over time realized that this isn't the most desirable course of action.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}} [[Hoid]] and this Shard seem to be antagonistic towards each other, though this appears to be a common thread in his relations with all Vessels.{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}}▼
There exists a Shard that wishes only to hide and survive.{{wob ref|2788}} It's possible that this refers to "wisdom". There's also at least one unknown Shard that doesn't inhabit any planet.{{wob ref|4441}} Moreover, at least one unknown Shard has been mentioned as having been splintered, although this may refer to Ambition, who was unnamed at the time this information appeared.{{wob ref|1357}}
▲What is known is that there exists a Shard with intent similar to Wisdom, that once sought to hide and survive, but has over time realized that this isn't the most desirable course of action.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}} [[Hoid]] and this Shard seem to be antagonistic towards each other, though this appears to be a common thread in his relations with all Vessels.{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}}
When asked about what Vessel he would become, Brandon suggested Ingenuity, implying that it might be another Shard.{{wob ref|10288}}{{wob ref|3299}} Likewise, Prudence was suggested to be a very Shardic name.{{wob ref|13231}} However, neither Ingenuity nor Prudence have been confirmed as Shards.
Shards possess incredible power -- a single Shard can easily move entire planets and alter people down to the genetic level.{{epigraph ref|mb3|4}} They exist in all three Realms, but unlike other living beings, the vast majority of their power is concentrated in the [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] and [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]]. Time matters little to Shards, and they can bend and stretch it as they wish.{{epigraph ref|mb3|17}}
As [[Investiture]] never truly goes away, a Shard has access to a functionally-endless supply of it; however, there is a finite amount that a Vessel can command at any one time. This means that while all Investiture in the
A Shard's power can be temporarily diminished, either by assigning it to
Each Shard appears particularly predisposed toward acting in line with their intent; for example, [[Preservation]] finds it nearly impossible to destroy, while it's extremely easy for [[Ruin]] to do so.{{msh ref|2|3}} This is partially influenced by the personality change brought about by the Shard.{{wob ref|6685}} However, whether intentions provide Shards with actual unique powers is unknown.
=== Individual Powers ===
==== Movement ====
When a Shard Invests a world, it will begin to fuel the local magic system. Each Shard can do this differently, though much of the system is dictated by the planet itself. Because of this connection to the magic, a Shard is able to directly interact with its users and provide Investiture when necessary, without the need for intermediaries.{{wob ref|6072}}
While not all magic systems in the
==== Futuresight ====
{{theory}}▼
{{quote
|It's as if the future is a shattering window. The further you look, the more pieces that window breaks into. The near future can be anticipated, but the distant future… I can only guess.
Shards can perceive the future, although it can be difficult for them. Some are better at it than others, with [[Cultivation]] and [[Preservation]] in particular being noted as particularly excelling.{{book ref|sa1|75}}{{wob ref|5309}} Like all seers, Shards utilize [[Fortune]] to see ahead; and, like all seers, they can be wrong about both what they see and how they interpret it.{{book ref|sa3|122}} Shardic power can also be utilized by others to perceive the future as they do: examples of this are [[atium]], as well as the visions of the [[Returned]].{{wob ref|4645}}
▲{{theory}}
▲It has been speculated that the Shard's intent is tied to its proficiency in futuresight. Preservation, as a Shard dedicated to keeping things existing, and Cultivation, a Shard dedicated to growing something in a desired form, would hold a natural interest in predicting what the future will hold. As such, they would be particularly excellent at seeing it. By contrast, a Shard like Ruin, which is interested only in destroying things, and Honor, about holding to one's oaths no matter what, would not have "seeing ahead" as part of their nature.
== Forms and Subdivisions ==
{{quote
|I'm still a [[spren]]. I’m a little piece of God.
| |||