Why is Arelon special?

[Oversleep]

This only dawned on me when I started thinking about Splinters - because Seons are not Splinters; the Aons inside them are Splinters. They're not quite the equivalent of spren as spren are Splinters themselves. Closer pararell is to Returned, beings with a Splinter at their core.
But I digress.

You see, there's something important, obvious and unnoticeable about Seons. Ready?

Spoiler

Every and each symbol inside them is an Aon. Let that sink in.

Spoiler

Not ChayShan symbol, a Stamp, Seal or anything. Why? Why is Arelon so special? There is also Devotion's Shardpool in Arelon... What is the link between those facts and which way does causation go?

 

Edited November 12, 2016 by Oversleep

[Eki]

Skaze have other symbols at their core, so at least Aons aren't the only ones. (Though Skaze are aligned with Dominion, of course.)

I think Seons are synthetic, created by Elantrians. I'm not sure if there's any real evidence of that, but... I got that feeling. Maybe I did read something about it somewhere.

So yeah, if they are, that would explain why they have Aons at their cores, since they would have been created by Aon users. It could potentially be possible to "hack" another type of Seon using the same underlying principles with another area's magic. Maybe.

As to what makes Arelon special... no idea. But it doesn't seem to be the only special place on the planet.

[Oversleep]

23 minutes ago, Eki said:

I think Seons are synthetic, created by Elantrians.

Raoden found absolutely zero information about creating Seons. Of course, there can also be a secret secret library somewhere else in Elantris... but I'm pretty sure that we're sure Seons were created when Devotion was Splintered - I mean, Brandon compared Roshar to Sel: "spren are far more extensive on Roshar, and provide something of a "release valve." The Seons and the Skaze on Sel are not numerous enough to fulfill a similar function".

And there's also this:

Quote

BRANDON SANDERSON (paraphrased)

Seons are remnants of a dead Shard.

source

But this really confirms it, I think:

Quote

Kogiopsis

How long before the events of Elantris did Odium kill Aona/Devotion and Skai/Dominion?

Brandon Sanderson

Same time as the origins of the Seons.

source

I'm gonna read some WoBs on Sel & Seons in the future since my search turned up far more interesting than I suspected.

Anyway, back to the topic: Seons were definitely not created by Elantrians. They were created during the Splintering of D&D.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Oversleep

[Eki]

I dunno... That they are "remnants of a dead shard" we already knew - splinters are pieces of shards, and this particular one is dead.

And I don't think we know how old Elantrians are (as in, the ancient Elantrians, from before the area was populated again). That they originated around the time of the splintering of the two shards doesn't mean someone didn't create them.

But if they were created (by natural processes or any other way) before Elantris was repopulated, that would explain why there is no information about how to create them, assuming the libraries were empty when the city was found again.

Interesting point though: The Aons inside a Seon aren't the "real" Aons anymore, since they (presumably) lack the chasm line. So maybe the actual symbol inside doesn't really matter, or only mattered initially.

[Yata]

I had actually always though that "Elantrian build Seon with Devotion's Splinter" and using their AonDor to performe this feat they "forge" the Splinter as an Aon.

But another possible explaination may be about "where the Splinter was extracted from the Cognitive", if we use as hypotesis that Seon/Skaze need a perpendicularity to change Realm, it possible that arise in the Elantris' pool forced/twisted them in the local form (or maybe the Splinters were already influenced by reside in the Arelon's cognitive and they simple spawn as Aon for this reason.

Of course this hypotesis take a defined route. if this is true, the other perpendicularity have to be in Fjordel if the Skaze have a Fjoirdel symbol at their core.

[Oversleep]

There's also the thing that symbols based on Arelon's geography is derived just how godmetals are - it's Aon from Aona, Devotion's Vessel.

[Stark]

Well, these WOBs completely shoot down my thoughts about the splintering having something to do with the Reod....  Or at least directly.

On 11/12/2016 at 7:22 PM, Oversleep said:

Raoden found absolutely zero information about creating Seons. Of course, there can also be a secret secret library somewhere else in Elantris... but I'm pretty sure that we're sure Seons were created when Devotion was Splintered - I mean, Brandon compared Roshar to Sel: "spren are far more extensive on Roshar, and provide something of a "release valve." The Seons and the Skaze on Sel are not numerous enough to fulfill a similar function".

I think I read somewhere that the Seons could use their Aon once, as a one-shot release, similar to a Returned's Breath.  Is that accurate, or am I hallucinating?

[Oversleep]

21 minutes ago, Stark said:

Well, these WOBs completely shoot down my thoughts about the splintering having something to do with the Reod

We know Splintering happened way before Reod

22 minutes ago, Stark said:

I think I read somewhere that the Seons could use their Aon once, as a one-shot release, similar to a Returned's Breath.  Is that accurate, or am I hallucinating?

You're not hallucinating - this was in the first drafts in Elantris but was written out.

[Stark]

3 hours ago, Oversleep said:

We know Splintering happened way before Reod

You're not hallucinating - this was in the first drafts in Elantris but was written out.

I must have read this in the annotations and convinced myself it was canon.  Thanks for setting me right.

[HonorIsDead]

On ‎2016‎-‎11‎-‎12 at 7:22 PM, Ookla the Sunrise Watcher said:

Raoden found absolutely zero information about creating Seons. Of course, there can also be a secret secret library somewhere else in Elantris... but I'm pretty sure that we're sure Seons were created when Devotion was Splintered - I mean, Brandon compared Roshar to Sel: "spren are far more extensive on Roshar, and provide something of a "release valve." The Seons and the Skaze on Sel are not numerous enough to fulfill a similar function".

WARNING: MINOR THE HOPE OF ELANTRIS SPOILERS

I do not believe this to be true , as in The Hope of Elantris

 

Spoiler

Ashe says to matisse: "you shall have your own seon someday, I should think, Lady Matiss"

when asked why he said that, he responded:

"Well, there was a time when almost no Elantrian went without a seon. I'm beginning to think Lord Spirit may just be able to fix this city-after all, he fixed AonDor..."

 

IMO this implies heavily that the Seons are a result of something the Elantrians do/did and that it can be replicated in the modern time, not just the once. While ashe seems uncertain he does mention in the past nearly every Elantrian had a seon, and given that the # of elantrians would have been increasing all the time, the only way for a constant supply of seons would be to be creating them some how, either as a by product or on purpose.

 

Edited December 2, 2016 by HonorIsDead

[Eki]

On 2016-12-02 at 1:32 PM, HonorIsDead said:

IMO this implies heavily that the Seons are a result of something the Elantrians do/did and that it can be replicated in the modern time, not just the once. While ashe seems uncertain he does mention in the past nearly every Elantrian had a seon, and given that the # of elantrians would have been increasing all the time, the only way for a constant supply of seons would be to be creating them some how, either as a by product or on purpose.

Elantrians do die, so their numbers weren't necessarily increasing all the time. Also, Ashe knew that there were many masterless Seons floating around the city, which would increase the chances of her getting one if Raoden really did manage to fix the city. I believe she did get one that way, actually. Lastly, "there was a time" could be very long ago.

So, yeah, I don't think there's evidence either way. I find it likely that the ancient Elantrians used recently created splinters of Devotion as the cores of Seons (making a Seon a splinter + some physical stuff around it, but the consciousness/sentience is the actual splinter). It seems odd to me that they would be created naturally, since they do have that physical "bubble" or whatever around them. Regardless, it's possible that Seons can no longer be created, if all splinters have been used/changed/developed a separate consciousness, etc. But I really don't think we can prove anything either way yet.

[HonorIsDead]

3 hours ago, Eki said:

I find it likely that the ancient Elantrians used recently created splinters of Devotion as the cores of Seons

that would make sense, as they would probably have inherited some of the intent of the original shards, that would work for both seons, who are devoted to their masters, and it would match what I have heard of skaze, as they could be splinters of dominion, influencing the the fordjel (however you spell it) to take of the world and dominate everyone, though I don't know a whole lot about skaze, so that could be wrong