Difference between revisions of "Shard"

Following the Shattering, the power that comprised Adonalsium broke into sixteen pieces, each polarized to one particular aspect of it, such as [[Ruin]] or [[Endowment]].{{wob ref|9507}} Those pieces, each equal in power,{{wob ref|13482}} became known as the Shards. The sixteen killers of Adonalsium each took up one of the Shards, Ascending and becoming the first Vessels.{{msh ref|3|2}} Following their Ascension, each of the Vessels departed Yolen. Some settled on various planets, henceforth dubbed [[Shardworld]]s; others set no roots.{{wob ref|4441}} At this time they all had an equal amount of power.{{wob ref|13482}}

| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''

| ''[[Mistborn (series)|Mistborn]]''

| ''Unknown Female''

|[[Hoid]] possibly implying the existence of another Shard{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}}

One of these two Shards has an intent similar to Wisdom or Prudence.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}} [[Hoid]] and this Shard seem tomay be antagonistic towards each other,{{book ref|sa3|68}}{{wob ref|13239}} though this appears to be something of a common thread in his relations with the original Vessels.{{epigraph ref|sa1|23}}{{epigraph ref|sa3|41}}{{book ref|sa2|55}} There is a Shard that "[[Survival Shard|just wants to hide and survive]],"{{wob ref|2788}} though it has realized over time that that may not be the most desirable course of action; it is implied that this may be the "wisdom" Shard.{{wob ref|12684}}{{wob ref|13231}}

In addition to these unknown Shards, Harmony believes there are Shards that are hidden to him that are encroaching on Scadrial.{{epigraph ref|sa4|2728}} This likely refers to the entity [[Trell (Trellism)|Trell]], which is associated with one of the nine Shards that were known when [[trellium]] first appeared,{{wob ref|6261}}{{wob ref|8554}} likelypossibly Autonomy.{{article ref|Trell (Trellism)#Theories & Speculation}}

Shards can also create '''avatars''', personas that can act independently of them.{{wob ref|13220}} Avatars can be of any gender, race, and species, regardless of the original Vessel creating them, and can be formed at a considerable distance from the main body of the Shard, with many different avatars able to exist on a single [[Shardworld]].{{wob ref|3974}}{{wob ref|9385}}{{wob ref|3974}} Though a Shard can create them directly, avatars can also form without a conscious decision on the Shard's part, though the Shard is still aware of what is happening.{{wob ref|13220}} When created directly, however, they can be instilled with specific traits.{{epigraph ref|sa3|50}} Some avatars are self-aware, while others are not, although the parent Shard will always be aware. Though some would call these avatars Splinters, it is not clear whether they truly fit the definition.{{wob ref|13323}}{{wob ref|13339}}

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 forwardstraightforward 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 future sight ability may be related to the Vessel as well.{{book ref|sa4|114}}

A Splinter is a fragment of a Shard's power, similar to how a Shard is a fragment of Adonalsium's power. Unlike Slivers ofor [[Cognitive Shadow]]s, Splinters don't generally have a Physical component.{{wob ref|4541}} They often have a mind of their own, separate and distinct from that of their parent Shard.{{wob ref|10089}} They can form in two distinct ways: either by the Shard being splintered (killed), or by the Shard directly splitting off splinters of itself.{{wob ref|4129}}{{book ref|sa3|108}}