Letters from the Cosmere - Thoughts on Harmony

[TheBlueShifting]

It has become clear that Harmony will become a large player in the Cosmere, and could actually be tied to the eventual fate of the 16 Shards, or what is left of them. It's good to reflect on just what Harmony is and how little we actually know about his motivations, capabilities, or the eventual role that he will play. He is already under attack, and this could only be the beginning. Here is the most recent "Letters from the Cosmere" where Elsric defines what Harmony is and explains his connection to the Shard: 

 

 

Transcript:

My Dearest Kassar,

 

By the time you get this, I will be gone. Before we set out for Scadrial I wish to establish two new mine sites. In order to maintain our estate while we are away I plan to reveal the other locations so that the company can continue to grow. I plan to be back within the month when we will depart. Our last conversation has been on my mind as of late. I feel that my inability to speak earlier was a disservice. I am not sure I can share all that I need to tell you. Perhaps after you have read these words I will have mustered the courage necessary to share my inner most turmoil’s. A lot happened to me on Scadrial, and I must admit I at nervous at the realization that we will soon be returning to that place. I fear you will feel lesser of me. I do not want to cast a shadow over us during this trip, but it is time I told you the truth. For years now I have been in the service of a being known as Harmony, a man who took up the power of a God and saved my life.

Harmony is a kind of god, much like the beings of Cultivation and Odium. In fact, these three all are fragments of a far older power the came before them. While each piece behaves differently and independently, their power all came from Adonalsium. Harmony is unique, as far as I know, because he is a more recent wielder of Shardic power. More interestingly he is the combination of two formally separated and opposing powers. Ruin and Preservation were a shard pair that founded Scadrial. They worked together to create the life and humanity that lived on the planet. In the end however they were opposed to each other’s Intent which inevitable led to a preverbal deadlock conflict. The planet and the people who lived there were nearly the casualties of this conflict which was only resolved when the Shard bearer of Preservation purposefully ignored her intent and destroyed the mind of Ruin while destroying her own mind. The Hero of Ages, Preservations great gamble, then reached out and took hold of both Ruin and Preservation.

I was there that day, watching as the world burned and thousands died. Scadrial was already a brutal and desolate place, and during those final years it was little more than a husk too hostel to live on. Ash choked the ground and the sun baked the planet from above. It was a kind of Desolation, orchestrated by Ruin as he sought to fulfill his driving purpose to break down the Cosmere piece by piece. Even from the Cognitive Realm, the destruction was very real. I had resigned myself to my fate. And then there he was, like a pillar of light that enveloped the planet in an embrace. Harmony shaped the world, returning it to what it had once been. The land was molded and shaped like clay. The three realms seemed to melt together, and suddenly I was standing on a land unrecognizable. He was there with me through it all. Somehow he knew who I was and why I was there. Even though he was creating a new world, he had the time for me. Well, I imagine his existence was not bound by physical location, at least not as we understand it. When I left that world, I assumed that would be the end. Apparently, Harmony kept an eye on me because when he wanted more information, they quickly sought me out.

Harmony has servants who he uses to keep tabs on his world and to reach out to others. These are the Kandra, shapeshifters who take the forms of men by using their bones. They are immortal, as far as I know, and can receive direct instruction from Harmony. In fact, the man who stopped by the mansion last year was one such being. That was when I received the call to return to Scadrial. I am not sure why Harmony contacted me to begin with, when he has servants who can spy on the rest of the Cosmere for him, but perhaps it has something to do with the nature of Harmony.

It is easy to think that Harmony is simply both Preservation and Ruin, much like how I have a right arm and a left arm that are similar, yet opposites working together. But if my studies into the nature of Shards is correct, then Harmony is actually something else. The Shards are no longer separate powers, but one. They have blended into a new alloy to create something new. This means that Harmony has the abilities and understandings of both Ruin and Preservation, and yet he has his own powers and influences that are independent of the powers from which he is derived. He also is somewhat of a powerhouse, wielding twice as much raw power and energy as the other shards that have been documented.

From here we can see the potential orgin of the current conflict. Odium proved to be a vicious and heartless Shard. Granted the mind of the being who took up the shard must be practically obliterated by the Intent of Hatred. If you trace the macro events in the Cosmere, it becomes clear that Odium set his sights on dominating the Cosmere by eliminating those with the power to challenge him. I would be surprised if Harmony is not the manifestation of everything Odium fears. Harmony is most likely the most powerful being in the Cosmere. It is not surprising to hear that things are not all well back on Scadrial.

Before the Kandra found us here on Nalthis, I hadn’t heard from them for years already. Considering how often they had been checking in up till that point, I had started wondering if something had happened. Before we were contacted, I had already resigned myself to return to Scadrial. It seems that something has changed and Harmony is under threat by some unknown power. Naturally, the Kandra are worried, and it turns out that I have had the most experience out in the Cosmere with other Shards. They have requested that I make my report and attempt to aid in their investigation.

Considering what we have just survived, I feel that we cannot ignore this plea. It is clear to me that the mishandled wielding of godly power can cause untold levels of death an destruction. It is infuriating to see that intelligent beings took up such power for themselves and then turn it against each other and the people of these worlds. Harmony is perhaps the best there is of the Shard holders. His very nature is restraint and balance, and is the only power in the Cosmere I feel I can truly rely upon. Despite my growing mistrust of these Shards, I will not abandon Scadrial to be destroyed yet again. The things I saw over those last years of the old Scadrial… left me scared and broken. If my knowledge can help prevent that from happening again… well… it’s worth the effort.

If there is to be a grand future to the Cosmere, Harmony is sure to be a focal point of what will come. Given our potential limitless lifespans, I wonder if we will see the end of the Shard holders. I am not sure what would be best for the Cosmere as a whole, but I am content to work with the servants of the one Shard I feel we can trust. I will do my best to prepare you for our integration with the Skadrian people. Hopefully, we can blend in a little better than I did on Roshar.

 

Until we speak again,

Elsric

[King Cole]

Wait, what is this?

[TheBlueShifting]

50 minutes ago, King Cole said:

Wait, what is this?

This is a part of my fan series, Letters from the Cosmere. It's a way to explain Cosmere topics and theories in a fun way that is more accessible than the wiki while also making it easier to avoid spoilers. 

 

The information is shared in letters written by the worldhopper Elsric who is a character I created with some help from Brandon. I picked the idea to him before I started. He gave me permission and helped craft the character with me. There is a link in the video description to my first episode where I share the story in greater detail. 

[King Cole]

Cool! I thought this was extremely good

[Landis963]

I wonder if Kassar is Rosharan or Nalthian.  

Also, I think I have enough evidence to piece together what happened on Elsric's first worldhop.  When the Catacendre was happening, he'd probably taken refuge inside the Pits of Hathsin.  Whatever remnants of the power had regrown over the year or two since Kelsier destroyed the Pits, coupled with Harmony's ascension, probably opened the door wide enough such that when Elsric wanted to escape the doom he was certain was coming, he was able to pass into the Cognitive Realm.  However, he would have died there if not for other worldhoppers' prior preparations, namely the boats and the liquid Investiture needed to keep them afloat.  So while he was taking refuge in one of those boats, and taking in the show of the Catacendre (as SH showed those changes were clearly visible to denizens of the Cognitive Realm), Harmony showed up.  

[TheBlueShifting]

On 7/3/2017 at 10:16 AM, Landis963 said:

I wonder if Kassar is Rosharan or Nalthian.  

Also, I think I have enough evidence to piece together what happened on Elsric's first worldhop.  When the Catacendre was happening, he'd probably taken refuge inside the Pits of Hathsin.  Whatever remnants of the power had regrown over the year or two since Kelsier destroyed the Pits, coupled with Harmony's ascension, probably opened the door wide enough such that when Elsric wanted to escape the doom he was certain was coming, he was able to pass into the Cognitive Realm.  However, he would have died there if not for other worldhoppers' prior preparations, namely the boats and the liquid Investiture needed to keep them afloat.  So while he was taking refuge in one of those boats, and taking in the show of the Catacendre (as SH showed those changes were clearly visible to denizens of the Cognitive Realm), Harmony showed up.  

I love the reasoning! Naturally, I won't give much information but I will say I find your reasoning about the availability of the Pits interesting. But Harmony was able to find him quite easily. He was much faster at adapting to the power than Vin was. I've actually been wondering if she was aware of and visited the people who died while she was in charge of the power. I mean she could have, but I'm thinking she was far too focused on Ruin and Elend to think about it much. 

[Landis963]

17 hours ago, TheBlueShifting said:

I love the reasoning! Naturally, I won't give much information but I will say I find your reasoning about the availability of the Pits interesting. But Harmony was able to find him quite easily. He was much faster at adapting to the power than Vin was. I've actually been wondering if she was aware of and visited the people who died while she was in charge of the power. I mean she could have, but I'm thinking she was far too focused on Ruin and Elend to think about it much. 

There's only two perpendicularities on Scadrial, both were drained by the end of WoA.  The pits have the dual advantage of regrowing faster and being reliable enough to worldhoppers that infrastructure for ease of use was already in place (by WoB).  Also, I suspect it's much easier to use the Pits by accident, than it is to use the Well under similar circumstances.  

As for Vin, I don't believe she's the type to take the time for that walk with the dead.  Not when, as you said, there were bigger fish to fry in the Physical Realm.  

[TheBlueShifting]

On 7/7/2017 at 9:39 AM, Landis963 said:

There's only two perpendicularities on Scadrial, both were drained by the end of WoA.  The pits have the dual advantage of regrowing faster and being reliable enough to worldhoppers that infrastructure for ease of use was already in place (by WoB).  Also, I suspect it's much easier to use the Pits by accident, than it is to use the Well under similar circumstances.  

As for Vin, I don't believe she's the type to take the time for that walk with the dead.  Not when, as you said, there were bigger fish to fry in the Physical Realm.  

You are very right about the 2 perpendicularities on Scadrial. Between the two, the pits were the only functional ones. I recall that Hoid said that the Well was dangerous, probably because of the presence of Ruin. It also seems that in general, it can be almost too easy to pass through a perpendicularity if you happen to encounter one. Sadly most who cross over don't survive...