Difference between revisions of "Thunderclast"
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{{lifeform |
{{lifeform |
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| − | |image=Thunderclast.jpg |
+ | |image=Thunderclast Matthew Johnson Inktober2018.jpg |
| + | |type=Animated stone |
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| + | |sapient=y |
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|world=Roshar |
|world=Roshar |
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|universe=[[Cosmere]] |
|universe=[[Cosmere]] |
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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]] |
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]] |
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}} |
}} |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | |||
| − | ==Ancient Times== |
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| − | Thunderclasts are enormous beasts made of stone. They seem to be skeletal in shape, with long limbs, and with things that resemble ribs. They have red eyes with an arrow-like head. The hand of the beast is about six feet tall.{{book ref|sa|part=prelude}} In one of his [[Dalinar's visions|visions]], [[Dalinar]] oversaw the battlefield and described creatures that could also have been thunderclasts.{{book ref|sa1|60}} |
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| − | |||
{{quote |
{{quote |
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| + | |Those aren’t stones. They’re creatures. |
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| − | |Those aren’t stones. They’re creatures. Massive creatures, easily five or six times the size of a person, their skin dull and grey like granite. They had long limbs and skeletal bodies, the forelegs--or were they arms?--set into wide shoulders. The faces were lean, narrow. Arrowlike. |
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| − | | |
+ | |[[Dalinar]]{{book ref|sa1|60}} |
}} |
}} |
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| ⚫ | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Appearance and Nature == |
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| + | Thunderclasts are enormous stone beasts, easily five or six times larger than a person, with their hands alone being six feet long.{{book ref|sa1|60}}{{book ref|sa|part=prelude}} They take a skeletal, humanoid form, with long limbs that end with spiky, clawed fingers. On their chests, they have rib-like protrusions, and there are ridges running along their backs.{{book ref|sa2|4}} Their heads are narrow and arrow-like, with glowing red eyes.{{book ref|sa2|4}}{{book ref|sa3|84}} |
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| + | |||
| + | The thunderclast proper, however, is a [[singer]] soul. The potential thunderclasts are far more powerful than their [[Fused]] kinsmen, and much more twisted, to the point where they barely resemble their species. When they desire to take on a human form, they sink into the stone and animate it, ripping themselves out in the humanoid form.{{book ref|sa3|115}} As such, they retain some qualities of the material they take on, like the color or a covering of moss or fungus.{{book ref|sa2|4}} |
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| + | |||
| + | It's possible that there are other types of [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] entities that can create thunderclasts, as a [[spren]] is also seen at one point plunging into the ground right before a thunderclast rips itself out.{{book ref|sa2|4}} |
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| + | |||
| + | == Abilities and Attributes == |
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| + | [[File:Thunderclast.jpg|thumb|right|200px|<center><small>by [[User:Sheep]]</small></center> Fighting a thunderclast]] |
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| + | Despite their enormous size, thunderclasts have no problems staying upright, and can swing their body around with incredible force, easily toppling regular fortifications.{{book ref|sa3|116}} Though brute force is their greatest strength, they're also capable of precise actions such as throwing boulders,{{book ref|sa3|83}} or carrying regular [[Fused]] in their hands without crushing them.{{book ref|sa3|116}} |
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| + | |||
| + | Although warped and twisted, thundercasts seem to retain some level of personality, enough so to answer to names and have a concrete sense of their gender. While they can obey commands, however, they do not seem capable of communicating themselves.{{book ref|sa3|117}} |
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| + | |||
| + | Despite being made of the same material as their targets, they do not crack, and it seems they cannot be destroyed by ordinary means.{{book ref|sa3|116}} There are, however, a few known ways to combat them. One is to cut them up with [[Shardblade]]s to the point where a thunderclast is no longer mobile, although this carries significant danger. A [[Truthwatcher]] can also use [[Illumination]] to banish a thunderclast, although whether this is deadly for the spirit within is unknown.{{book ref|sa3|120}} [[Nightblood]], on the other hand, can kill them for good.{{book ref|sa3|117}} |
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| + | |||
| + | == History == |
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| + | While it's unknown for how long they've been in [[Odium]]'s service, Thunderclasts date back to the [[Desolation]]s of old, even back to [[Nohadon]]'s times.{{book ref|sa1|60}} People back then knew to look out for them, and sent out hunting parties, although only [[Radiant]]s were capable of fighting them.{{book ref|sa2|4}} They were powerful enough to pose dangers even to the [[Herald]]s, with [[Kelek]] in particular dying to them several times.{{book ref|sa|part=prelude}} After the [[Aharietiam]], however, thunderclasts passed on into myths. By the [[Era of Solitude]], there were numerous stories about [[Voidbringer]]s with bodies of stone, likely as a cultural memory of the thunderclasts.{{book ref|sa1|3}}{{book ref|sa2|51}} |
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| + | Thunderclasts appeared a few times in [[Dalinar's visions]]. When he meets [[Nohadon]], he saw numerous corpses of them littering the battlefield;{{book ref|sa1|60}} when he participated in a hunt for a corrupted spren on the [[Purelake]], he witnessed one rip itself out of the ground.{{book ref|sa2|4}} However, they didn't make their proper debut in the modern era until the [[Siege of Kholinar]]. Then, at least one thunderclast participated in the main attack, easily breaking down the city wall and ruining numerous buildings in the wake of its passing.{{book ref|sa3|83}}{{book ref|sa3|epilogue}} |
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| − | In another vision, Dalinar sees a thunderclast created, as a hostile spren plunges into the bed of the Purelake and animates a thunderclast, allowing it to tear itself free from the surrounding stone.{{book ref|sa2|4}} |
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| + | In the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]], Odium called two singer souls -- [[Kai-garnis]] and [[Yushah]] -- to create thunderclasts. After Yushah broke through the wall, he sent her after the [[Thaylen Gemstone Reserve]], while Kai-garnis went assist the [[Fused]] in taking the [[Thaylen City]] [[Oathgate]]. Both were eventually taken down; Yushah is killed by [[Szeth]] and [[Nightblood]], while Kai-garnis is banished by [[Renarin]], with [[Adolin]]'s and [[Hrdalm]]'s assistance.{{book ref|sa3|117}}{{book ref|sa3|120}} |
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| − | ==True Desolation== |
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| − | Thunderclasts fight on Roshar for the first time in thousands of years during the [[True Desolation]]. Thunderclast seem to rip themselves free of stone and fight on the side of [[Odium]] and the [[Singer]]s. They are first encountered during the Battle of Kholinar. They are easily able to break the walls of the city down.{{book ref|sa3|83}} |
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| + | == Known thunderclasts == |
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| − | In the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]] two thunderclasts are created from singer spirits going into the ground and animating a certain part of it. Odium called them by the names [[Kai-garnis]] and [[Yushah]] and commanded them throughout the battle.{{book ref|sa3|117}} Both thunderclasts were eventually brought down, one by [[Szeth]] wielding [[Nightblood]],{{book ref|sa3|117}} and another by the combined efforts of [[Adolin]], [[Renarin]], and [[Hrdalm]], a [[Thaylen]] Shardbearer.{{book ref|sa3|120}} |
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| + | * [[Kai-garnis]] |
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| + | * [[Yushah]] |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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Revision as of 00:20, 11 October 2019
| Thunderclast | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Animated stone |
| Sapient | y |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“Those aren’t stones. They’re creatures. ”
Thunderclasts are stone monsters from Roshar that form part of Odium's forces.[2][3]
Appearance and Nature
Thunderclasts are enormous stone beasts, easily five or six times larger than a person, with their hands alone being six feet long.[1][2] They take a skeletal, humanoid form, with long limbs that end with spiky, clawed fingers. On their chests, they have rib-like protrusions, and there are ridges running along their backs.[4] Their heads are narrow and arrow-like, with glowing red eyes.[4][5]
The thunderclast proper, however, is a singer soul. The potential thunderclasts are far more powerful than their Fused kinsmen, and much more twisted, to the point where they barely resemble their species. When they desire to take on a human form, they sink into the stone and animate it, ripping themselves out in the humanoid form.[3] As such, they retain some qualities of the material they take on, like the color or a covering of moss or fungus.[4]
It's possible that there are other types of Cognitive entities that can create thunderclasts, as a spren is also seen at one point plunging into the ground right before a thunderclast rips itself out.[4]
Abilities and Attributes
Despite their enormous size, thunderclasts have no problems staying upright, and can swing their body around with incredible force, easily toppling regular fortifications.[6] Though brute force is their greatest strength, they're also capable of precise actions such as throwing boulders,[7] or carrying regular Fused in their hands without crushing them.[6]
Although warped and twisted, thundercasts seem to retain some level of personality, enough so to answer to names and have a concrete sense of their gender. While they can obey commands, however, they do not seem capable of communicating themselves.[8]
Despite being made of the same material as their targets, they do not crack, and it seems they cannot be destroyed by ordinary means.[6] There are, however, a few known ways to combat them. One is to cut them up with Shardblades to the point where a thunderclast is no longer mobile, although this carries significant danger. A Truthwatcher can also use Illumination to banish a thunderclast, although whether this is deadly for the spirit within is unknown.[9] Nightblood, on the other hand, can kill them for good.[8]
History
While it's unknown for how long they've been in Odium's service, Thunderclasts date back to the Desolations of old, even back to Nohadon's times.[1] People back then knew to look out for them, and sent out hunting parties, although only Radiants were capable of fighting them.[4] They were powerful enough to pose dangers even to the Heralds, with Kelek in particular dying to them several times.[2] After the Aharietiam, however, thunderclasts passed on into myths. By the Era of Solitude, there were numerous stories about Voidbringers with bodies of stone, likely as a cultural memory of the thunderclasts.[10][11]
Thunderclasts appeared a few times in Dalinar's visions. When he meets Nohadon, he saw numerous corpses of them littering the battlefield;[1] when he participated in a hunt for a corrupted spren on the Purelake, he witnessed one rip itself out of the ground.[4] However, they didn't make their proper debut in the modern era until the Siege of Kholinar. Then, at least one thunderclast participated in the main attack, easily breaking down the city wall and ruining numerous buildings in the wake of its passing.[7][12]
In the Battle of Thaylen Field, Odium called two singer souls -- Kai-garnis and Yushah -- to create thunderclasts. After Yushah broke through the wall, he sent her after the Thaylen Gemstone Reserve, while Kai-garnis went assist the Fused in taking the Thaylen City Oathgate. Both were eventually taken down; Yushah is killed by Szeth and Nightblood, while Kai-garnis is banished by Renarin, with Adolin's and Hrdalm's assistance.[8][9]
Known thunderclasts
Notes
- ↑ a b c d The Way of Kings chapter 60#
- ↑ a b c Prelude to the Stormlight Archive#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer chapter 115#
- ↑ a b c d e f Words of Radiance chapter 4#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 84#
- ↑ a b c Oathbringer chapter 116#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer chapter 83#
- ↑ a b c Oathbringer chapter 117#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer chapter 120#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 3#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 51#
- ↑ Oathbringer epilogue#