3,207
edits
Difference between revisions of "Shard"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Undo revision 150892 by Niser Resin (talk) This is not what the wob says
LadyLameness (talk | contribs) (Undo revision 150892 by Niser Resin (talk) This is not what the wob says) Tag: Undo |
|||
| (31 intermediate revisions by 17 users not shown) | |||
|
It is possible for Vessels to be separated from their Shards without dying or Splintering the Shards they held.{{wob ref|120}}{{wob ref|6587}}{{wob ref|14278}} If this happens, then after the Vessel's death, it is able to resist the pull into the [[Beyond]].{{msh ref|6|8}}
A mentally ill Vessel can affect the
== History ==
| [[Aona]] <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Sel]]
| ''[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Emperor's Soul]]''
|{{wob ref|783}}{{wob ref|4679}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Skai]] <small>(deceased)</small>
| [[Sel]]
| ''[[Elantris (book)|Elantris]], [[The Emperor's Soul]]''
|{{wob ref|9990}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Sazed]] <small>(formerly [[Leras]], [[Kelsier]], and [[Vin]])</small>
| [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''
|{{wob ref|5599}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Sazed]] <small>(formerly [[Ati]])</small>
| [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''
|{{wob ref|5599}}{{wob ref|5984}}
|-
| [[Autonomy]]
| [[Bavadin]]
| [[Taldain]]; avatars on<br />[[First of the Sun]] and [[Obrodai]]
| [[Taldain]]▼
| ''[[White Sand]]'', ''[[Sixth of the Dusk]]''
|{{wob ref|5599}}{{wob ref|
|-
| [[Ambition]]
| ''[[Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell]]''
|{{au ref|threnodite}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|40}}{{wob ref|8398}}
|-
| [[Sazed]]
| [[Scadrial]]
| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''
|{{book ref|mb3|82}}
|-
| [[Invention]]
{{quote
|Some men, as they age, grow wiser. I am not one of those, for wisdom and I have always been at cross-purposes, and I have yet to learn the tongue in which she speaks.
|[[Hoid]] possibly implying the existence of another Shard{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}}
}}
There remain two Shards that have not been named, nor referred to explicitly in text.
One of these two Shards has an intent similar to Wisdom or Prudence.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}} [[Hoid]] and this Shard
At one point, there was an unknown Shard that does not inhabit a planet.{{wob ref|4441}} Since then, however, the Shards [[Ambition]], [[Invention]], [[Mercy]], [[Valor]], and [[Whimsy]] have been revealed; it is unclear if any of them are this Shard. Similarly, at one point there was at least one unknown Shard that had been Splintered by Odium,{{wob ref|1357}} though the Splintered Shard Ambition has been revealed since then.
In addition to these unknown Shards, Harmony believes there are Shards that are hidden to him that are encroaching on Scadrial.{{epigraph ref|sa4|
== Powers and Abilities ==
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]]. Shards do not appear in the Cognitive Realm like other entities (such as a bead on Roshar).{{wob ref|14026}} 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 cosmere is assigned to one Shard or another, a Shard cannot truly command all of it at once.{{wob ref|8605}} As such, while powerful, Shards are not omniscient, omnipresent,
A Shard's power can be temporarily diminished, either by assigning it to living creatures (such as people or [[spren]]), or sending it back to the Spiritual Realm (e.g. burning [[atium]]). Moreover, Shards are, as powers, bound to follow higher rules; a deal, once made by a Shard, cannot be broken, and they must absolutely obey the rules that govern them.{{book ref|sa3|16}}
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.
==== Movement ====
Shards are capable of appearing in various parts of their own Invested worlds instantaneously.{{book ref|mb3|76}} They can also travel to other planets by willing themselves to do so.{{epigraph ref|sa1|21}}{{wob ref|5526}} However, when a Shard Invests its power in a world, it's bound to it and will have difficulty leaving the system it
==== Communication ====
Shards have several ways of communicating with people. Some Shards can speak directly into the minds of others, while others can listen.{{book ref|mb3|48}} A Shard can also communicate with a person directly through dreams or visions, and even take on a physical form -- a puppet of sorts, serving as a Physical outlet for communication.{{book ref|sa3|57}}{{book ref|sa3|114}} While the use of visions and speaking directly into a mind are limited to a single person, a puppet can be seen by many people.{{book ref|sa3|115}}
A Shard can also communicate directly with [[Cognitive Shadow]]s
==== Mind Capacity====
Upon Ascension, the [[Vessel]]'s mind will be greatly expanded, allowing a far greater capacity to think than a mortal could.{{book ref|sa4|114}} A Shard is capable of bilocation -- being present in several places at once -- within its sphere of influence.{{msh ref|1|1}} As moments can pass like years to a Shard, they can also appear to think far faster than normal minds. Fundamental understanding of the cosmere, to the point of [[axi]] and anti-axi, also comes as a result.{{book ref|sa4|65}} They seem to possess flawless memory, with no obvious upper limit, as [[Sazed]] is able to absorb the tremendous amount of knowledge in his [[metalmind]]s.
However, contrary to what many believes, Shards are neither omniscient nor omnipresent. They can only appear at limited places at once, and can be distracted, deceived or surprised. It is also possible to block a Shard's senses away from a certain area.{{ref|text=Metal can block the sight of [[Ruin]]}} They are incapable of breaking a formal contract, at least not without seriously wounding themselves.{{book ref|sa4|112}}
==== Creating Sapience ====
While not all magic systems in the cosmere are directly tied to a Shard, Shardic presence greatly influences the shape a magic system takes. On a [[Shardworld]], magic forms as a result of the interactions between a Shard's power, [[Realmatic]]s, the world's natural inclinations and, in some cases, even genetics.{{wob ref|6072}} For this reason, the exact function magic performs will not always be related to the Shard's nature -- for example, [[Surgebinding]], despite being powered by [[Honor]], is capable of manipulating [[Division]], which controls separating things. However, how the magic is ''obtained'' is tied to the Shard.{{wob ref|4032}} [[Hemalurgy]] demands that a person be destroyed, in line with the intent of Ruin, while Surgebinding demands forging bonds.
Shards are capable of tampering with Investiture that does not belong to them.{{book ref|sa4|epilogue}}
==== Futuresight ====▼
{{theory}}
{{quote
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, although as a general rule they see further than non-Shards.{{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}}
Both [[Preservation]] and [[Honor]] describe seeing the future as not one set path, but a tangled web of linked possibilities, as well as the circumstances necessary to bring them about, with some being more likely than others. As a result, predicting the future is not a straight forward process, and is not equally useful to all seers. Upon Ascension to [[Odium]], [[Taravangian]] realized that there are possibilities of future that Rayse had not seen, implying the
It is theorized that a Shard's intent may be tied to its proficiency with
== Forms and Subdivisions ==
}}
The raw Investiture of a Shard can take distinct forms and states. As a solid, the Investiture is metallic, and is thus sometimes referred to as a '''[[God Metal]]'''. Examples of
Shardic power is the most potent as a liquid.{{wob ref|6072}} It typically coalesces in one place on a planet, forming a '''[[perpendicularity]]'''. A perpendicularity represents a tremendous amount of power, enough so to pierce all three Realms, allowing people to slide between them.{{au ref|Drominad}} Examples of such perpendicularities are the [[Well of Ascension]], the [[Pits of Hathsin]], or the [[Devotion's Perpendicularity|Lake]].
{{for|Splinter}}
A Splinter is a fragment of a Shard's power, similar to how a Shard is a fragment of Adonalsium's power. Unlike Slivers
Splinters can be comprised of the Investiture of one or more Shards.{{wob ref|6454}} Examples of splinters include the divine [[Breath]] of the [[Returned]],{{wob ref|4486}} [[Aon]]s within [[seon]]s, and [[spren]].{{wob ref|3017}} It is possible to create a new Shard from splinters of multiple other Shards, though it is much more difficult than it sounds.{{wob ref|14145}}
| |||