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{{Magic
|image=Spren.jpeg
|related=[[Shard]]s
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
}}
{{spoiler|sa4}}
{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|I am a god. [...] A little piece of one. Very, very little.
|[[Syl]] to [[Kaladin]]{{book ref|sa2|16}}
}}
A '''Splinter''' is the term for a specific type of fragment of [[Investiture]] that is ultimately derived from [[Adonalsium]].{{wob ref|10563}} These Splinters can be composed of a single [[Shard]]'s power or the Investiture of multiple Shards. They are present in many worlds of the [[cosmere]], sometimes in abundant quantities{{au ref|roshar}} or with self-aware personalities,{{au ref|sel}} while other times they are absent altogether or exist simply as a chunk of raw power guided by something else. These Splinters often possess abilities themselves or are capable of granting abilities by bonding with people.{{au ref|roshar}} Splinters are generally ageless and difficult to kill or destroy.{{wob ref|3855}} The [[spren]] of [[Roshar]]{{au ref|roshar}} and the [[seon]]s of [[Sel]]{{au ref|sel}} are some of the most well-known, although many species of Splinters can be found throughout the cosmere. The Shards [[Honor]],{{au ref|roshar}} [[Ambition]],{{au ref|threnody}} [[Devotion]], and [[Dominion]]{{au ref|sel}} have been Splintered, and therefore large portions of their power exist as Splinters.
== Nature ==
At its core, a Splinter is a significant measure of a Shard's power that has been separated from the main body of Investiture. There is a notable difference between a physical manifestation of Investiture such as [[atium]] and [[lerasium]] or a [[perpendicularity]], and a Splinter. While a Shard's power is never truly separated from itself, as it is all connected through the [[Spiritual Realm]],{{wob ref|8605}} Splinters represent power that has been released or removed by a Shard.{{wob ref|986}} Splinters tend to not have much in the way of a Physical aspect. As a chunk of Investiture they tend to be more rooted in the [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] and Spiritual Realms.{{wob ref|4066}} While many Splinters are composed of the Investiture of a single Shard, in the case of some Splinters they may actually be composed of the Investiture of two or more Shards.{{wob ref|13604}}
One distinguishing factor of a Splinter is that it may often have an intent of its own, separate from that of its parent Shard.{{wob ref|10089}} Splinters are often sentient and have an associated personality,{{ref|group=fn|name=eyes|text=While Brandon has said on one occasion that Splinters must be self-aware,{{wob ref|10563}} elsewhere he has said differently and has explicitly referred to the [[divine Breath]] as a Splinter, despite its lack of self-awareness. That, combined with the fact that [[Khriss]] feels the need to specify that seons and skaze are self-aware Splinters,{{au ref|sel}} makes it clear that a Splinter need not necessarily be self-aware.}} although that personality may be destroyed{{book ref|sa2|87}} or its body tortured.{{book ref|sa3|110}} However, they do not necessarily need a personality to be considered a Splinter. Generally speaking, a Splinter has never been a person.{{wob ref|4541}} Therefore, by the strictest definition, a [[Cognitive Shadow]] may not be considered a Splinter, by some. However, there is an argument to be made that a Cognitive Shadow is just an imprint of a once-living being on Investiture,{{wob ref|8395}} and has therefore never truly been human.{{au ref|threnody}} Generally speaking, most would consider a Cognitive Shadow to be a type of Splinter.{{wob ref|8757}} Nevertheless, Splinters and Cognitive Shadows operate by similar rules and many Cognitive Shadows may be made of an amount of Investiture equivalent or potentially even greater than a typical Splinter. Whether or not an avatar of a Shard should considered a Splinter is also a subject of some debate.{{wob ref|13323}} While some would disagree, many people in the cosmere would be comfortable terming avatars Splinters.
It is certain that all Splinters do not contain the exact same quantity of Investiture, as a Splinter may be Splintered yet again into smaller fragments.{{book ref|sa3|1111}}{{wob ref|11677}} However, it is likely that there exists some threshold below which a quantity of Investiture is not considered to be a Splinter. For instance, a [[BioChromatic Breath#Types of BioChromatic entities|divine Breath]] is considered to be a Splinter,{{wob ref|4486}} but there is no indication that the lesser Breath possessed by normal people is considered to be one. In fact, the small amount of Investiture present in sapient beings, known as Innate Investiture, is also distinct from Splinters.{{wob ref|1072}}
{{sidequote
|I have always existed. We are not 'born' as men are, and we cannot truly die as men do. Patterns are eternal, as is fire, as is the wind. As are all spren.
|[[Pattern]] explaining to [[Shallan]] the nature of spren.{{book ref|sa2|75}}
|side=right|size=300px
}}
There are a few common ways for a Splinter to come into existence, and most require the will of a Shard on some level. Perhaps the most common is that a Shard creates a Splinter by intentionally separating a bit of its power from itself.{{wob ref|9511}} This may be done for the purpose of creating some sort of synthetic race, such as the spren or seons. Another reason to create a Splinter is if a Shard wishes to prevent a soul from passing on to the [[Beyond#The Beyond|Beyond]]. They may make it into a Cognitive Shadow by either merging the Splinter with the soul or imprinting the soul upon the power, as is the case with the [[Fused]]{{wob ref|8693}} and the [[Returned]].{{wob ref|5995}} They could create an avatar of their Shard by using their Investiture and some would call that a Splinter.{{wob ref|13323}}
A Shard may also Splinter another Shard, tearing off one or many chunks of its power, typically for the purpose of diminishing it. This is a process that transcends the [[Realmatic Theory|three realms]]{{wob ref|7967}} and if a Shard is completely destroyed in this way it is said to be '''Splintered'''. Most commonly, a Splintering may happen as one titanic event that kills the [[Shard#Vessel|Vessel]] and disperses its power.{{msh ref|3|2}} Less frequently, a Vessel may be killed and then their Shard subsequently Splintered.{{msh ref|6|4}} The Splintering of a Shard may also have serious consequences in the [[Physical Realm]]. The power of a Splintered Shard may ravage a planet uncontrollably if its Investiture is not contained.{{au ref|sel}} There may be other physical effects of a Splintering, such as the formation of an asteroid belt in the system.{{wob ref|13213}} The process of Splintering is somewhat similar to the process by which [[Preservation]] stole a piece of [[Ruin]]'s body to hide from him.{{wob ref|2804}}
A Splintered Shard cannot have a Vessel while it remains in such a state, but its Splinters may be reconstituted into a full Shard via an unknown process,{{wob ref|1070}} although it will not restore the original Vessel.{{wob ref|5993}} This is not known to have occurred yet in the cosmere.{{wob ref|5147}} If a Splinter's parent Shard is itself completely Splintered, there may be some impact on any extant Splinters.{{wob ref|13381}} Whether or not a Shard can Splinter another Shard is dependent upon the amount of raw Investiture that Shard is able to make use at the time,{{wob ref|9540}} as well as its ability to leverage said power, and its knowledge of the Splintering process.{{msh ref|3|2}}{{wob ref|9616}} There are more and less efficient ways to Splinter a Shard, and it may grow easier with practice.{{wob ref|9563}}{{wob ref|9616}} Even a successful Splintering is taxing on the Shard performing it and may require some recovery by the Shard afterward.{{wob ref|9881}} In some cases, whether or not a Shard is Splintered may be somewhat vague.{{wob ref|5072}} A Shard left on its own without a Vessel may also Splinter of its own accord, although that is not the only possibility.{{wob ref|1877}}
== Vulnerabilities ==
{{image|Adolin_and_Maya.jpg|width=200px|side=right|[[Mayalaran]], a damaged Splinter, and [[Adolin]]}}
As Splinters are fragments of energy and energy is conserved in the cosmere,{{wob ref|6984}} they ultimately cannot be reduced to true nothingness.{{book ref|sa2|75}} They may be damaged sufficiently to destroy their minds, if they are self-aware in the first place. It seems one source of vulnerability of a Splinter is in any bonds it may have formed with other beings. One of the primary examples of this are the [[deadeye]]s of the [[Knights Radiant]] who break their oaths. These spren are effectively immortal, as their essence cannot be destroyed,{{book ref|sa2|75}} but they suffer physical disfigurement in the Cognitive Realm and are reduced in function.{{book ref|sa3|89}} When they are drawn as a [[Shardblade|Blade]], they experience a state of agony.{{book ref|sa2|87}} The severing of the [[Nahel bond]] rips out a portion of their soul, which is not easily replaceable.{{wob ref|6053}} However, to the astonishment of many spren, deadeye cultivationspren Mayalaran showed significant and ongoing [[Deadeye#Resurrection|rehabilitation]] during her time with Adolin Kholin.{{book ref|sa4|94}}
A bond between a human and a seon, another type of Splinter, can also be a vulnerability for the seon. Following the [[Reod]] in the ten years before the restoration of [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]], seons were in danger if their master was taken by the [[Shaod]]. The incorrect [[Aon]] acting on the human would disrupt their bonded seon as well, causing gaps to appear in their Aon, as well as a loss of any apparent sentience.{{book ref|elantris|16}} These damaged seons were known to stay close to their former masters that still lived, but apart from this they were seemingly totally unaware. Their minds were returned to them when Raoden repaired the [[Aon#Rao|Aon Rao]] in Elantris.{{book ref|thoe}}
Other vulnerabilities of Splinters appear to exist, but are less well understood. It seems apparent that if their [[Spiritweb]] is directly damaged by something like a Shardblade they may be killed,{{book ref|sa3|84}} or if their Investiture is consumed and fully corrupted by something like [[Nightblood]],{{wob ref|2681}} as is the case with the Fused.{{wob ref|10440}} Even if it is not fatal, corruption of any sort by a foreign type of Investiture can cause serious changes to a Splinter, as is the case with [[Glys]], a corrupted [[Spren#True Spren|true spren]].{{book ref|sa3|117}} Another possible vulnerability of Splinters is their ability to be trapped, perhaps most particularly those Splinters that lack a substantial physical aspect. Due to their connection to their parent Shard, Splinters often struggle to leave the location where they were created or the system that their parent Shard inhabits.{{wob ref|8757}} However, some Splinters can be even further trapped under certain conditions, such as spren inside of [[Polestone|gemstones]].{{book ref|sa3|33}} It is uncertain if all Splinters may be similarly trapped under the correct conditions.
== Abilities ==
The abilities of a Splinter depend heavily on the conditions of their formation and the purpose or lack thereof that they were created with, although Splinters may learn to behave in ways other than was originally intended.{{book ref|sa2|87}} As previously mentioned, many Splinters may become self-aware or were self-aware from the moment of their creation,{{wob ref|6538}} but some do not and it is not a requirement to be a Splinter.{{wob ref|2904}} Splinters may possess an inherent understanding of [[Realmatic Theory]].{{wob ref|9448}} One notable ability associated with Splinters is the ability to get a sense of what the future may hold.{{wob ref|4645}} This is visible across a number of different Splinters, from the visions granted by the divine Breath to the Returned{{wob ref|4483}} to the brief flashes of the future associated with [[Odium]]'s [[Unmade]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|101}} Splinters, in many cases, may form bonds with other sapient beings. Sometimes these bonds are capable of granting access to Invested Arts, such as is the case with the Radiant bond in spren, but they may be a much more simple connection, as is the case with seons.{{wob ref|3488}}
Ultimately, the full extent of abilities a Splinter may make use of remains unknown. They are often associated with [[Fortune]] and precognitive abilities.{{wob ref|4645}} A Splinter may be able to replicate Preservation's imprisonment of Ruin on a much smaller scale.{{wob ref|1028}} Splinters may serve as a sort of release valve on the power of a Splintered Shard, potentially making it less dangerous.{{wob ref|4129}} It remains an open question whether or not a Splinter may take up a full Shard itself{{wob ref|3507}} or if it would just become subsumed within that Shard.{{wob ref|310}} [[Kelsier]]'s time spent holding the Shard Preservation may give some insight into the ability of a Splinter to serve as Vessel to a Shard.{{msh ref|6|4}}
== Known Splinters ==
=== Rosharan System ===
{{image|Deathspren_by_Ashley_Coad.png|width=250px|side=right|[[Sylphrena]], a Splinter, fights [[deathspren]]}}
{{quote
|Spren are . . . power . . . shattered power. Power given thought by the perceptions of men. Honor, Cultivation, and . . . and another. Fragments broken off.
|Syl on spren{{book ref|sa2|24}}}}
Splinters are perhaps most populous in the [[Rosharan system]], residing in the form of spren and Cognitive Shadows on at least two of the planets there.{{au ref|roshar}} On [[Roshar]], Splinters most commonly take the form of spren, comprised often of some mixture between the Investiture of both [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]].{{wob ref|13604}} The Shard Honor has actually been Splintered entirely.{{wob ref|9810}} While these two Shards are most common on Roshar, self-aware Splinters left by Adonalsium remain on the planet.{{wob ref|10563}} Spren are more properly known as transformative cognitive entities,{{book ref|sa3|part=ars}} concepts from the Cognitive Realm that have gained power and sentience as people have personified them.{{book ref|sa2|1}} Notably powerful Splinters range in power from the true spren capable of forming [[Nahel bond]]s, such as the [[honorspren]],{{wob ref|3017}} to massive spren of larger importance such as the [[Stormfather]]{{wob ref|5991}} and the [[Nightwatcher]].{{wob ref|9207}} Certain objects created directly by the local Shards, including the [[Honorblade]]s, may also be Splinters.{{wob ref|6539}} While the flashiest bonds may belong to [[Surgebinding|Surgebinders]], the Splinters of this world form symbiotic relationships with many species of creatures,{{au ref|roshar}} including the [[Ryshadium]]{{wob ref|10499}} and the [[Tai-na]].{{book ref|sa2|i|3}} Splinters are also made use of in devices known as [[fabrial]]s, which require trapping a Splinter in order to create some sort of Invested device with a specific power.{{book ref|sa3|33}} The ten Cognitive Shadows known as [[Herald]]s could be considered Splinters as well, most likely created from Honor's Investiture.
Splinters of Odium are also present on that world, such as the [[Unmade]],{{wob ref|1672}} and other [[Voidspren]].{{book ref|sa2|3}} The Cognitive Shadows of ancient long-dead [[singer]]s, known as the [[Fused]], are also considered to be Splinters.{{epigraph ref|sa2|34}} Historically, these Splinters have been confined by the [[Oathpact]] to [[Braize]], a planet inhabited solely{{au ref|drominad}} by an entire ecosystem of self-aware Splinters,{{au ref|roshar}} except during [[Desolation]]s.{{book ref|sa3|38}} However, following the [[True Desolation]] and the appearance of the [[Everstorm]] on Roshar, they are present on both Braize and Roshar. It is unknown if any Splinters are present on [[Ashyn]], the third inhabited planet in the Rosharan system.{{au ref|roshar}} Splinters in this system are particularly vulnerable to the Unmade [[Sja-anat]], who is capable of corrupting Splinters with Odium's Investiture.{{book ref|sa3|97}}
=== Nalthian System ===
{{quote
|I just wish I knew if there is really something spiritual about the Returns, or if it’s all just cosmic happenstance.”
|[[Vasher]] on the Returned{{book ref|wb|epilogue}}
}}
The only known Splinters present on [[Nalthis]] are the divine Breaths{{wob ref|4486}} granted to the [[Returned]] by the Shard [[Endowment]].{{wob ref|5995}} These Splinters of Endowment are intentionally granted to the recently deceased by the Shard. Before they move to the Beyond, their souls are given a vision of the future{{book ref|wb|57}} and an opportunity to return as a Cognitive Shadow{{wob ref|4995}} to influence future events.{{wob ref|7357}} If they agree, it seems likely that a person's soul either merges with{{msh ref|1|1}} or imprints on{{au ref|threnody}} the divine Breath that returns them to life. The Splinter grants them a whole host of other abilities as well, including unnaturally long life{{book ref|warbreaker|3}} the ability to see fragments of the future when viewing art,{{wob ref|4483}} and the ability to give away their divine Breath to perform an act of healing.{{book ref|wb|12}}
It is worth noting that while he may appear as such, Nightblood himself is not actually a Splinter,{{wob ref|3586}} nor is he powerful enough to Splinter a Shard.{{wob ref|3194}} What Nightblood does is a completely separate process to Splintering.{{wob ref|3863}}
=== Selish System ===
{{image|Seon Ien.png|width=200px|side=right|The seon [[Ien]], a known Splinter}}
{{quote
|Brief mention should be given to the entities known as the seons and the skaze, Splinters of self-aware Investiture who have developed humanlike mannerisms.
|[[Khriss]]'s notes on Sel{{au ref|sel}}
}}
In the distant past, both Shards native to Sel, Devotion and Dominion were Splintered by Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{au ref|sel}} As a result the beings known as seons and skaze were formed from their Splinters; although their exact origin and manner of creation is something that is currently uncertain. The seons are considered to be Splinters of Devotion,{{wob ref|5991}} and more specifically it may be the [[Aon]]s at the heart of the seons that are the actual Splinters.{{wob ref|4679}} Seons appear as glowing balls of light with an Aon at their center.{{book ref|elantris|2}} Skaze on the other hand are formed from Splinters of Dominion.{{wob ref|4547}} They are visible as dark spheres that seem to draw in light, with a ring of misty symbols around its circumference.{{book ref|Elantris|part=postscript}} The general nature of the seons and skaze are very much in keeping with their respective Shards. Seons appear to generally have the attitude of a devoted servant to their masters and view them with great affection,{{book ref|elantris|16}} while the skaze have much more control within the confines of the [[Fjordell Empire]]{{wob ref|6167}} and are a group of some importance to the [[Dakhor]].{{wob ref|4640}} While there are some similarities to Rosharan spren, seons and skaze are far less numerous.{{wob ref|4129}} It is noteworthy while there are many Splinters of Devotion and Dominion on this world, Odium left none of his power behind on Sel when he moved on to a different system.
One uncertainty on Sel is the exact nature of the Dor. While the skaze and seons represent a small portion of the Splinters of Dominion and Devotion,{{wob ref|3184}} the vast majority of their power is contained within Shadesmar as the [[Dor]].{{au ref|sel}} While it is known to be composed of the combined Investiture of Splintered Shards,{{au ref|sel}} it is still uncertain whether the Dor itself is made up of discrete Splinters or just a generalized mix of Investiture.
=== Scadrian System ===
{{quote
|So a slow death. Ati doesn’t know how to Splinter another Shard? Or he hasn’t the strength? Hmm . . .
|Khriss on Ruin killing Preservation
}}
During the time of the [[Final Empire]], both Ruin and Preservation had no Splinters of themselves on [[Scadrial]].{{wob ref|4541}} This signifies that their [[Metallic Arts#The God Metals|god metals]], [[lerasium]] and [[atium]]--despite existing as condensed Investiture of their respective Shards{{wob ref|6072}}--are not Splinters.{{wob ref|4541}} In fact, there are no Splinters of Ruin and Preservation in existence.{{wob ref|3020}} Three and a half centuries after the [[Catacendre]], [[Harmony]] still does not have any Splinters, but that does not preclude the possibility that one day he may have Splinters of his own.{{wob ref|652}} Any potential Splinters present on Scadrial would have to be brought there from another world,{{wob ref|3020}} a notoriously tricky process.{{wob ref|8757}} However, in the event that Ruin had been successful in defeating Preservation and destroying Scadrial, he would have Splintered Preservation.{{msh ref|6|4}} Somehow, Rosharan spren have entered and are wandering around in Scadrial's [[Cognitive Realm]].{{wob ref|817}}
=== Elsewhere in the Cosmere ===
▲== Creation ==
There are other places where Splinters must exist that we know less about, as of yet. The Shard Ambition is known to have been Splintered by Odium,{{au ref|threnody}} so it stands to reason that Splinters of that Shard exist somewhere in the cosmere. A few may exist even in the [[Threnodite system]], as we know that chunks of Ambition's power were torn off there. Additionally, the Cognitive Shadows on Threnody, locally referred to as [[shade]]s, may be Splinters. Another open ended question is whether or not the weak Cognitive Shadows known to manifest on Threnody contain a Splinter or not. It is debatable whether the various avatars of the Shard [[Autonomy]], located on [[First of the Sun]] and [[Obrodai]] among other worlds, are considered to be Splinters.{{wob ref|13323}} There are some planets that only have Splinters present on the world,{{wob ref|4777}} as in the past Shards have gone to planets within the cosmere and left behind a Splinter before leaving.{{wob ref|8763}} Adonalsium also left behind Splinters on various worlds before its death.{{wob ref|10563}}
== Notes ==
<references />
; Footnotes
<references group=fn />
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