Difference between revisions of "Shard"

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[[File:Fuzz by Matthew Johnson.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|<center><small>by {{a|Matthew Johnson}}</small></center> [[Preservation]] splintering]]
{{quote
The body of a god—or, rather, the power of a god, since the two are really the same thing.| Ruin and Preservation inhabited power and energy in the same way a person inhabits flesh and blood.|multiline=y▼
| Ruin's consciousness was trapped by the Well of Ascension, kept mostly impotent. That night, when we discovered the Well for the first time, we found something we didn't understand. A black smoke, clogging one of the rooms.<br />
| [[Sazed]]{{epigraph ref|mb3|14}} ▼
Though we discussed it after the fact, we couldn't decide what that was. How could we possibly have known?<br />
▲The body of a god—or, rather, the power of a god, since the two are really the same thing. Ruin and Preservation inhabited power and energy in the same way a person inhabits flesh and blood.|multiline=y
▲| Sazed{{epigraph ref|mb3|14}}
}}
 
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 '''godmetal'''. Examples of godmetals are [[atium]], [[lerasium]] and the alloy of [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]] that forms [[Shardblade]]s. Godmetals typically have properties within the [[Metallic Arts]], regardless of what Shard they're aligned with.{{wob ref|6072}}
A Shard's power can take many different forms, related to the three [[Realmatic Theory|realm]]s: the Physical, the Cognitive, and the Spiritual.{{wob ref|4445}} All are extensions of the Shard's power, and in ''[[The Hero of Ages]]'', sometimes referred to as the body of the Shard.{{epigraph ref|mb3|14}}
 
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]].
In its Physical form, it can appear as a solid, and does one specific thing.{{wob ref|6072}} On Scadrial, a Shards' Physical essence was a metal, and these [[god metals]] each performed a specific effect within the Metallic Arts. Yet, as evidenced by the god metal atium, the physical essence of a Shard can be used by magic systems created by other shards. For example, Atium, Ruin's "body", could be burned by a mistborn or atium misting, both of whom use magic created by or based on Preservation.
 
As a gas, the Shardic power can take on a number of different functions. Examples of Investiture in gaseous forms include [[Breath]], [[Stormlight]], and Preservation's mists. All can serve as fuel for magic. In both [[Awakening]] and [[Surgebinding]], gaseous Investiture is, in fact, the primary source of magic, but even in systems that use other substances, like [[Allomancy]], gaseous Investiture can serve the same purpose.{{wob ref|6072}}
In its liquid form, it is most potent.{{wob ref|6072}} The [[Well of Ascension]] is one such pool of a Shard's power, and as it was formed from Preservation's own mind, the liquid essence of a Shard is said to be related to the Cognitive aspect. Many Shards have such a [[Perpendicularity]]. Ruin's is located below the [[Pits of Hathsin]].{{wob ref|5525}} [[Raoden]] encounters a Perpendicularity, where [[Hoed]] can go to relieve their pain.{{book ref|Elantris|60}} That Perpendicularity is theorized to be Aona's.{{cite}}
 
It is not clear what the gaseous form of Shards (the Spiritual power) do in general, but the mists--the power of Preservation--are able to fuel Allomancy as if working as a metal.{{wob ref|6072}} The black smoke that was found in the chamber before the Well of Ascension was Ruin's corresponding "mist".{{epigraph ref|mb3|14}} [[Stormlight]] powers the surges and the fabrials.
 
There are further subdivisions of Shards: Slivers and Splinters.
 
=== Sliver ===
{{for|Sliver}}
 
A Sliver is a human intelligenceperson who has held the power of a Shard, and then released it.{{wob ref|4540}} ThereThis is"stretches" a certainperson's threshold[[spiritweb]], ofnoticeably poweraltering wherethem. oneThere wouldis besome consideredgrey aarea Sliveras ofto Adonalsium.how Everymuch personpower onone [[Scadrial]]needs hasto ahave bitto ofbe theconsidered powera ofSliver; Preservationhowever, buta theyperson arewho notdirectly technicallyhandled Slivers.Shardic Though therepower is somethe greymost areastraightforward inexample. whatThe it[[Lord meansRuler]] toand be[[Kelsier]] awould Sliver,both individualsbe whoconsidered haveSlivers, directlywhile held[[Elantrian]]s theand power[[Returned]] ofwould a Shard are usually termed Sliversnot.{{wob ref|4499}}
 
The [[Lord Ruler]] held a bit of Preservation at the [[Well of Ascension]] and let it go. This altered him, and that residue of a Shard inside him was what scholars would term a Sliver. After Vin gave up [[Preservation]], she was considered a Sliver, as was Kelsier by the end of the [[Mistborn trilogy]]. Elantrians are not slivers.{{wob ref|4499}}
 
=== Splinter ===
{{for|Splinter}}
 
ItSplinter is unknowna what the exact definitionfragment of a SplinterShard's ispower, but the term seemssimilar to refer tohow a specificShard kindis ofa fragment of a ShardAdonalsium's power. Unlike Slivers of [[Cognitive Shadow]]s, aSplinters Splinterdon't hasgenerally neverhave a beenPhysical humancomponent.{{wob ref|4541}} LerasiumThey andoften atiumhave a mind of their own, despiteseparate beingand condenseddistinct essencesfrom that of their Shards,parent areShard.{{wob notref|10089}} Splinters.They Onecan distinguishingform factorin oftwo adistinct Splinterways: iseither thatby theythe oftenShard havebeing ansplintered intent(killed), separateor fromby theirthe Shards'Shard directly splitting off splinters of itself.{{wob ref|100894129}}{{book ref|sa3|108}}
 
The divine Breath that [[Returned]] hold (a Splinter of [[Endowment]]){{wob ref|4486}}, the Aon within a seon (a Splinter of [[Devotion]]) and [[Spren]] on Roshar (Splinters of [[Honor]]){{wob ref|3017}} are examples of Splinters. Splinters did not appear in ''[[Mistborn (series)#Era 1|Mistborn Era 1]]''.{{wob ref|4541}}
 
Splinters can be comprised of the Invetiture 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 not clear how Splinters are formed, though it appears a Shard can actively create one. Endowment seems to be able to form them at will for Returned. [[Odium]] traveled to Sel and Splintered [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]].{{article ref|The Letter}} Since [[Odium]] killed [[Tanavast]],{{book ref|twok|75}} the Vessel of [[Honor]], Honor is Splintered.{{wob ref|9810}}
 
== Relationship with Magic Systems ==
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