Confirmation - Adonalsium was a living being

[imriel452]

I finally received my copy of Bands of Mourning today, having asked for information on Adonalsium (IN my copy of Firefight it was revealed that there was a failed plot to kill Adonalsium which failed)

 

The Inscription reads:

 

"Adonalsium shattered because he was killed."

 

We now have confirmation that Adonalsium was a living being, and was male. 

It sounds as if there were several attempts on His life...

 

What is the current info on the Weapon and the other plots? Can we start to tie things together? Particularly with M:SH revealing so much?

[Yata]

Wow great news, we may exclude a Divine suicide now.

[Curious Anamaximder]

You are awesome!!!

[Weltall]

What is the current info on the Weapon and the other plots? Can we start to tie things together? Particularly with M:SH revealing so much?

Haven't read Secret History yet but assuming it didn't somehow come up there, we've recently learned that Odium is aware of the weapon created by the anti-Adonalsium faction. here

[Chaos]

No Secret History spoilers outside of the Secret History board until February 9th, as stated in the spoiler policy on the top bar.

Putting spoiler tags is not sufficient.

As others say, Secret History may be relevant. Discuss it there. Violators will be placed in mod queue.

[imriel452]

Apologies, Chaos! No issues or spoilers intended!

[Edgedancer]

Wow great news, we may exclude a Divine suicide now.

Unless randon meant "he was killed by himself" and is borderline trolling.

 

On an at least somewhat helpful note, this also pretty much confirms that Shard shattering works at least somewhat differently than the Shattering of Adonalasium. After all both Vin and Ati died, yet their Shards were perfectly fine afterwards.

[Shardbearer]

The shards for Vin and Ati were only fine because someone was able to quickly take up the power. They probably would have shattered if not for Sazed.

[Argent]

The shards for Vin and Ati were only fine because someone was able to quickly take up the power. They probably would have shattered if not for Sazed.

 

I don't know. Everything I've read suggests that Splintering requires somebody to perform the action. Either another Shard, or perhaps the about-to-be-Splintered Shard. I don't think Splintering is what happens when a Vessel dies, not by default.

[Edgedancer]

The shards for Vin and Ati were only fine because someone was able to quickly take up the power. They probably would have shattered if not for Sazed.

Still, that would imply that it is not the act of dying that causes the splinterring but the power being in a state where it isn't controled. Yet the quote at the start of this implies that the death of Andonalasium caused his splinterring directly. Otherwise a wording like "Adonalasium shattered because his power was no longer controled" or something like that would make more sense.

[Yata]

Maybe Adonalsium himself dying Splintered his power to avoid someone else to held it.
Or maybe the "Status" of Adonalsium's power required some kind of "balancing" from his Holder and when He died, simply the power can't remain a whole.

[Ari]

Haven't read Secret History yet but assuming it didn't somehow come up there, we've recently learned that Odium is aware of the weapon created by the anti-Adonalsium faction. here

 

Without giving away anything on this issue or any other... you should absolutely read secret history.

[DreamEternal]

Still, that would imply that it is not the act of dying that causes the splinterring but the power being in a state where it isn't controled. Yet the quote at the start of this implies that the death of Andonalasium caused his splinterring directly. Otherwise a wording like "Adonalasium shattered because his power was no longer controled" or something like that would make more sense.

Perhaps because it took something greater than a human to control the sum of all shards, so the power conveniently divided into sixteen smaller, more manageable parts.

[Weltall]

Without giving away anything on this issue or any other... you should absolutely read secret history.

 

Oh, I intend to.  Got it downloaded in Kindle and everything but I want to finish BoM first and I've only just started on it.

[imriel452]

Weltall, Bands of Mourning is by far my favourite Sanderson book (and I have read ALL of them) - then I read Secret History.

 

I was a beta-reader on WoR, and I stopped in shock at the reveal with Sazed and Nin.

I have laughed, I have cried, I have experienced every emotion possible.

 

And I had all of them when I read Mistborn: Secret History.

[WeiryWriter]

Wow, I did not expect this to be answered this soon.  Two questions though, what's the exact question you asked and would you mind posting a picture of the inscription?  (These will both help with future indexing)

[imriel452]

 

My personalization request was thus:

 

To Adam the Lightweaver (I was a proofreader on WoR, with acknowledgement in the book (very proud moment when i read that!), and when I meant him for the Sheffield, UK signing for Shadows of Self (I dressed as Wax as well which was a lot of fun!) he gave me a Lightweaver pin as a thank you)

 

& either:

 

Info on Hoid and the 17th Shard that will impact upon future Cosmere events

Info on why Adonalsium shattered

Information on a Shard not yet seen

 

The fact that Brandon gave us such a big hint suggests a lot about the other two things I asked...

 

[Chaos]

Apologies, Chaos! No issues or spoilers intended!

You were not the intended audience of my post, as I have hidden the offending post. Your post is fine.

I get that long time members might be confused as this spoiler policy is different, but it's like, on the top bar of the site. It's been there all week. I'll be sure to use flashing lights and pop-ups to get it through people's heads next time.

Sigh.

Anyway, this post is especially cool Thanks for sharing! It is pretty cool to see your name in the book, isn't it?

Edited February 1, 2016 by Chaos

[imriel452]

I didnt even know I would be in it - I had to put WoR down for a few moments to process it! I have had a few good titbits from Brandon over the years (The Identity of Blunt and the fact that there were previous plots to destroy adonalsium that failed)

[Steelheart]

On 2/1/2016 at 11:56 AM, Argent said:

 

I don't know. Everything I've read suggests that Splintering requires somebody to perform the action. Either another Shard, or perhaps the about-to-be-Splintered Shard. I don't think Splintering is what happens when a Vessel dies, not by default.

 

Especially when you take into consideration the WoB that Cultivation "has seen a Shard Splintered, and has learned from the experience" (not the actual Wob, but close). 

Basically, she saw Honor get Splintered, and can now can defend herself from Odium better than before

[+Extesian]

On 02/02/2016 at 3:56 AM, Argent said:

 

I don't know. Everything I've read suggests that Splintering requires somebody to perform the action. Either another Shard, or perhaps the about-to-be-Splintered Shard. I don't think Splintering is what happens when a Vessel dies, not by default.

A couple of quick points (sorry if it's a necro). Shards definitely don't automatically splinter when the Vessel is killed.

Quote

QUESTION (PARAPHRASED)

So what happens when Shards die?

BRANDON SANDERSON (PARAPHRASED)

Well, it depends on how long the Shardholders have held the Shard. After they dies, the Shard is often able to continue acting, a kind of "Cognitive shadow". For example, the mists were able to continue doing what Preservation wished in helping out Vin and snapping people. With the Stormfather, he is that Cognitive shadow, and he's semi sentient. It's that power, but no one is actually holding it. We also see this on Threnody.

Well, in that example I guess Honor was splintered but Preservation wasn't.

And in terms of trolling

On 02/02/2016 at 3:02 AM, Edgedancer said:

Unless randon meant "he was killed by himself" and is borderline trolling.

There's this

Quote

COGNIZANTASTIC

Was Adonalsium Shattered by an external force?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Adonalsium was not Shattered by himself, herself, or itself. (impish smile)

And great stuff @imriel452, can't believe I only just saw this post!

[Vissy]

Or perhaps Adonalsium's power had always been split into sixteen parts, and it was only Adonalsium who could hold them together. Perhaps the Sixteen Shards are the way things are "supposed" to be.

[+Extesian]

16 minutes ago, Rob Lucci said:

Or perhaps Adonalsium's power had always been split into sixteen parts, and it was only Adonalsium who could hold them together. Perhaps the Sixteen Shards are the way things are "supposed" to be.

Hmm we do have this from a couple of years ago though.

Quote

QUESTION

If Adonalsium shattered with intent, will he always shatter to the same shards?

BRANDON SANDERSON

It is plausible that he could shattered in a different way.

QUESTION

So it could've been different Shards?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes, that's plausible.

 

[Farnsworth]

Adonalsium had so many different intents within himself that it is plausible that his being alive was the only thing keeping them together. His life was spent in constant effort to keep all the different intents together.

In other words, if a vessel is killed, the shard stays together because it only has one purpose. When Adonalsium died, he split because his power repelled other aspects of his power. If Sazed were to die, maybe Ruin and Preservation would split.

[Argent]

34 minutes ago, Figberts said:

Adonalsium had so many different intents within himself that it is plausible that his being alive was the only thing keeping them together. His life was spent in constant effort to keep all the different intents together.

In other words, if a vessel is killed, the shard stays together because it only has one purpose. When Adonalsium died, he split because his power repelled other aspects of his power. If Sazed were to die, maybe Ruin and Preservation would split.

Or, you know, he was like a human in this regard - complex and with many different emotions.