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Theory: Each Shardworld has an Essence


skaa

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I like this theory a lot, save for one thing. By your logic, there can only be 10 world focuses, so after so many shardworlds we would start seeing fairly similar magic systems. Also, if this was a Cosmere-wide rule, I feel like it would follow the pattern of 16, rather than the specific pattern of 10 that Roshar has.

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I like this theory as an explanation of something that was previously arbitrary (the types of magic a planet has), but it seems to me that it would limit Brandon too much for writing new novels with new magic systems.

 

I'm more inclined to suspect that it has something to do with the 'personality' of a planet. Scadrial has a lot of metals, so the planet considers its metal its defining feature, and when Invested, this 'identity' of the planet becomes magically supercharged (as Investiture is supercharged identity or else grants identity as per my previous speculation). Sel has a lot of different types of land, so that becomes its defining feature. Roshar has a lot of gems, and Warbreaker has a lot of life (okay this is where it breaks down). This is also muddied because I don't know if resevoirs are determined by focus, or if focus is determined by reservoir, or if both are determined by the planet's identity.

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I like this theory a lot, save for one thing. By your logic, there can only be 10 world focuses, so after so many shardworlds we would start seeing fairly similar magic systems. Also, if this was a Cosmere-wide rule, I feel like it would follow the pattern of 16, rather than the specific pattern of 10 that Roshar has.

I like this theory as an explanation of something that was previously arbitrary (the types of magic a planet has), but it seems to me that it would limit Brandon too much for writing new novels with new magic systems

Yes, you're right that it does put a limit to the meta magic system. The thing is, Brandon already said that there are ten main Shardworlds. I do admit that I don't know how my theory fits those planets outside the main ten. Will Brandon reuse Essences for those? Will they have a mixture of Essences? Or something completely different? I don't know.

Edited by skaa
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I like this a lot! Roshar seems to be somehow more important than the other Shardworlds thus far: It's the single longest series set in the cosmere, Hoid is taking an active hand, and Brandon has made cryptic remarks about how all 16 Shards were at one point on the planet.

 

On a slightly related note has anyone noticed this: Expanse of the Broken Sky... Skybreakers. It seems like the sort of thing that would get noticed easily, but I only just now realized it, so maybe everyone else has missed it too? Anyway, assuming this theory is true, we can use this to link another Shardworld with its Essence.

 

And even if this theory is false, there's got to be something to that, right?

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I'm starting to really doubt this...  I mean, we know each planet has something specific that works, but the essences seem wrong.  We've seen Topography(Sel), Metal(Mistborn), Dye/Color, and Stone(really thinking about the way the Shin see things here, and how Stone does characterize Roshar well), and something involving disease or unwellness that hasn't been given space to develop(Silence Divine).  The essences are something different than the focus though, something more tied specifically with the combination of Shards...  Or at least that's how I see things.

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I'm starting to really doubt this...  I mean, we know each planet has something specific that works, but the essences seem wrong.  We've seen Topography(Sel), Metal(Mistborn), Dye/Color, and Stone(really thinking about the way the Shin see things here, and how Stone does characterize Roshar well), and something involving disease or unwellness that hasn't been given space to develop(Silence Divine).  The essences are something different than the focus though, something more tied specifically with the combination of Shards...  Or at least that's how I see things.

 

You're forgetting that the Shards also influence Investiture. It's sort of a partnership between the Shards and the Shardworlds. My theory states that the forms of Investiture we're seeing is a combination of the Shardworld's Essence and the Intents of the Shard/s occupying it.

 

By the way, here's a tidbit I just read this morning. It's from Dalinar's final vision in WoK:

"This isnt just about you either," the figure said, raising his hand into the air. A light winked out in the sky, one that Dalinar hadn't realized was there. Then another winked out as well. The sun seemed to be growing dimmer.

 

"It's about all of them," the figure said. "I should have realized he'd come for me."

 

 

Think about that for a sec. Why would Tanavast assume that Odium "coming for him" threatens "all of them"? Obviously he's not saying that he's the only one who could defeat Odium, because if so then the war is lost since he's now dead. Nor is he saying that Rayse might take the Shards of Honor and Cultivation, because we have WoB that Rayse doesn't think that way.

 

I think it must be because of where Tanavast was. Odium came for him because he and Cultivation are the Shards of Roshar. There must be something about Odium attacking the Shardworld itself that will put the other Shardworlds in danger. If Roshar really has the Essence of Lucentia, and if Lucentia really does act as a prism of sorts for all the other Essences, then destroying Roshar might lead to something really bad happening to the other Shardworlds and Shards.

 

Remember, this is Brandon's "big epic". The war on Roshar will have as big an impact on the Cosmere as the events on Yolen that lead to the Shattering.

Edited by skaa
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Grats on being a ROCKSTAR, Skaa!

 

A couple things I want to point out.  

 

First, @Skaa -- even if everything in your OP is correct, there's no need to limit it to 10 shardworlds.  We already know there are more.  But since there will be 10 "main" worlds and if your theory is correct, it's likely we'll see all 10 essences as you predict.  

 

I'm more inclined to suspect that it has something to do with the 'personality' of a planet. Scadrial has a lot of metals, so the planet considers its metal its defining feature[.]

 

Second, there's no reason to make a distinct separation between Essence, Focus, and Identity.  Perhaps the Essence is why Scadrial formed that way.  Or perhaps it formed first with metal, and therefore its Identity decided its Essence.  Do Windspren cause the wind?  I don't think it matters, here, and doesn't really impact the theory one way or the other.

Edited by Pechvarry
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Odium, Cultivation, and Honor were all on Roshar for some time. That isn't coming for him. Hell, Odium was seemingly bound there and only escaped to start killing shards when the Herald's gave up.(Hence his killing of Honor, Domination, and Devotion.) I just don't see why Brandon would tie ten essences to ten planets or really buy the idea that Lucentia is a defining characteristic of Roshar. Instead it makes far more sense that the planet's contribution is the substance that holds stormlight/focuses the magic. That's been different for each planet in a way far more distinctive than any of the other magic uses. They all seem to increase physical/mental ability. They all have some ways to manipulate objects, travel faster, etc. Roshar is important because Odium is there and can be stopped there, not because of the planet itself. Brandon doesn't seem the type for "The chosen planet" any more than he's likely to throw a real straightforward prophecy at us.(Mistborn's use of prophecy was anything but straightforward.)

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Second, there's no reason to make a distinct separation between Essence, Focus, and Identity.  Perhaps the Essence is why Scadrial formed that way.  Or perhaps it formed first with metal, and therefore its Identity decided its Essence.  Do Windspren cause the wind?  I don't think it matters, here, and doesn't really impact the theory one way or the other.

 

I disagree. I suspect if there was another metal-rich planet and a Shard invested it, the focus of that world's magic system would also be metal, which is directly at odds with this theory (which only predicts one planet having a Foil essence). This is sufficiently different for me to make a distinction between focus, essence, and identity.

Edited by Moogle
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Except for my first point: I think the flaw here is the assumption that if planets DO have essences, that there can be only one planet for each essence. If I said all dogs are brown and black and I have 2 dogs, that doesn't mean 1 is necessarily black and the other brown.

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Grats on being a ROCKSTAR, Skaa!

 

A couple things I want to point out.  

 

First, @Skaa -- even if everything in your OP is correct, there's no need to limit it to 10 shardworlds.  We already know there are more.  But since there will be 10 "main" worlds and if your theory is correct, it's likely we'll see all 10 essences as you predict.  

 

Indeed, assuming my theory is correct, it's possible that the other non-main Shardworlds also have an Essence.

 

Odium, Cultivation, and Honor were all on Roshar for some time. That isn't coming for him.

 

Um... you saw the quote I posted. He said "I should have realized he'd come for me." Are you contradicting what Tanavast explicitly said?

 

Anyway, I'm sure Brandon will surprise us all by making things a bit more complicated than I laid out, like maybe Shardworlds have-- *drumroll*-- two Essences! Or something. This was all just a fun little thought experiment that I decided to share with you all, so I'm really happy that a lot of you liked it enough to upvote. Thanks!

Edited by skaa
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  • 1 month later...

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, Aminar. :)

Anyway, I'm reviving this thread to tell you guys about an interesting find I had earlier today. On a whim, I decided to read about heralds on Wikipedia to search for possible clues about the Heralds of the Almighty. Soon I was sidetracked into reading about the fascinating world of heraldry (which is all about coats of arms). Just when I thought I've unintentionally but very thoroughly distracted myself from all things Cosmeric or even magical, especially as I found myself reading the very mundane-looking topic of tricking, when lo and behold I saw this table:

Sz%C3%ADnje%C3%B6l%C3%A9s.jpg

As you can see, the table associates heraldic tinctures/colors with tricking abbreviations, gemstones, planets, and planetary symbols. This reminded me somewhat of the table of Essences, so I went and checked what this table is about. Apparently, there was a time when heraldry became influenced by astrology and magic, and people started connecting the heraldic tinctures to the heavenly bodies, plants, minerals, etc. Some guy named Jean Courtois created a system relating each tincture to a gemstone and a planet, hence the table above.

Later on, an English knight named Sir John Ferne wrote a book called Blazon of Gentrie that had a large number of tincture associations. Below is the entry for "purpure" (the heraldic term for purple). I modernized the spellings to make it more readable, but you can find the original text here.
 

The 7th color is composed of white, blue, & red, and is called purple. It signifies in

1 - Planets. - Mercury.
2 - Precious stones. - Amethyst, Opal, and Hyacinth.
3 - Virtues. - Temperance and prudence.
4 - Celestial signs. - Sagittarius and Pisces.
5 - Months. - November and February.
6 - Days of the week. - Wednesday.
7 - Ages of Man. - The age of gray hairs, called cana senectus.
8 - Flowers. - The Violet.
9 - Elements. - Water and earth.
10- Seasons of the year - Winter.
11 - Complexions. - Phlegmatic with some choleric.
12 - Numbers. - 7. 12.
13 - Metals. - Tin.


Do you see the similarities between Ferne's system and Brandon's table of Essences? Both systems involve gemstones, virtues/attributes, numbers, and classical Elements (which Brandon has modified into his idea of Essences). We also know that there are ten important colors/tinctures associated with the Knights Radiant and the gemstones, and therefore the Essences as well.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Ferne's work (or Courtois') was the inspiration behind the table of Essences. If this is true, then it is further evidence that the Shardworlds, being the major planets in the Cosmere, are connected to the Essences.

 

(Off-topic side note: Ferne's Blazon of Gentrie also contains a part about the virtues of chivalry. Go read it and see what it reminds you of. :))

Edited by skaa
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This heraldic table is amazing, skaa. The similarities in structure and format are too close to be coincidental. You have most certainly found the origin of the essence table, and the nature of the nomenclature for the term Heralds.

 

The tables noted don't match up with Sanderson's, sadly - he didn't directly transpose. On thing I'd like to bring up though, is that in the real world, such associations turned out to be not directly related. Sanderson is well known for giving the ars arcanum writers limited knowledge. The essences could be coincidental, or could be based off of some other thing.

 

Regardless of their usefulness, those charts are a great find. 

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This heraldic table is amazing, skaa. The similarities in structure and format are too close to be coincidental. You have most certainly found the origin of the essence table, and the nature of the nomenclature for the term Heralds.

...

 

Regardless of their usefulness, those charts are a great find. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

The tables noted don't match up with Sanderson's, sadly - he didn't directly transpose. On thing I'd like to bring up though, is that in the real world, such associations turned out to be not directly related. Sanderson is well known for giving the ars arcanum writers limited knowledge. The essences could be coincidental, or could be based off of some other thing.

 

That's true. Blazon of Gentrie certainly can't be used as proof of anything with regards to Brandon's Cosmere since this is his own universe and he could do whatever he wants with it. Even if he was inspired by the medieval heraldists, he didn't have to follow their pattern. For one, there were only nine heraldic tinctures, while Brandon's system has ten. There are also some things in Blazon like the zodiac/celestial signs and the ages of man that have no clear equivalents in the Cosmere.

 

Still, I think the coincidences I've found (the number of Shardworlds, the nature of Investiture on those Shardworlds, the heraldic charts) all point (or at least nudge suggestively) towards my theory.

Edited by skaa
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Revisiting the original theory, there are some good points. But there are more things that don't quite fit, I think. I want them to fit, but they don't. I went ahead and did a list of all essence associated things (and added some that were unaccounted for):

 

Sel - Talus:

  • X Topaz
  • Bone (Dahkor, Bloodsealing)
  • √ Rock and Stone (Mountains in the location glyphs)
  • X Dependable, Resourceful 
  • X Surges of Cohesion and Tension 
  • X Symbols as Programming is official Brandon focus

Scadrial - Foil:

  • X Amethysts
  • The nails
  • √ Metal (Metallic Arts)
  • X Resolute, Builder 
  • X Surges of Transportation and Cohesion 

Roshar - Lucentia:

  • √ Diamonds (The base currency)
  •  The eyes (Spren and perception)
  • √ Crystal (Sotres stormlight)
  •  Loving, Healing (ideals fix people who are broken)
  • X Surges of Abrasion and Progression

Nalthis - Vapor:

  • X Smokestone
  •  Exhalation (Breath and awakening and commands)
  • ? Smoke, Fog (Maybe the colour auras, best I got)
  • X Just, Confident 
  • X Surges of Gravity and Division

Ashyn - Spark:

  • X Smokestone
  • The soul
  • X Fire
  • ? Brave, Obedient (maybe, because of the incubators we saw briefly in the excerpt) 
  • ? Surges of Division and Abrasion (maybe, because of mitosis)

Yolen - Blood:

  • X Garnet
  • Blood
  • X All non-oil liquids
  • ? Creative, Honest (a bit with the storytelling aspect of Hoid, but not so much with anyone else)
  • X Surges of Progression and Illumination
  • Doesn't really match the crystalline aethers or anything else we know of
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Wait, Tempus, you want every single Essence association to appear conspicuously on each Shardworld's magic system before you can accept the validity of the theory? That's a bit much, don't you think? Heck, we haven't even seen much of the magics on Yolen and Ashyn, nor have we seen the full extent of the Scadrian, Selish, Nalthian, or Rosharian magics.

Remember that the Shards themselves (or at least their Intent) also influence how Investiture manifests, so we can't expect all the Essence associations from Roshar's system to appear in other systems. I think it's enough that a Shardworld's manifestations of Investiture generally point towards a particular Essence.

(But yes, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong about Yolen. I think I'll just have to wait for new Dragonsteel info before I can make a more informed guess on that one.)

Edited by skaa
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I agree that not everything may line up obviously, or easily, especially given shardic intent involved in these matters. I'm just pointing out that maybe the essences are too expansive in some ways. For example, the associated virtues rarely match up in any way except Roshar, and that may just be coincidence. In case of Ashyn you parallel it via the surges, but the surges are not directly/precisely matched to anything else at all, and Ashyn's is a stretch.

 

I'm also concerned about things like Selish magic's programmatic symbols. It doesn't really fit the intent of either shard, or any of the known essences. And we know quite a few 'cousin' systems in Selish magic.

 

That said, I'm not discounting your theory, just pointing out how many things don't quite fit yet. If we discard or exchange some things, we might get a better understanding of the focuses. It may also be that the essences are not directly related to the focuses, despite the lovely numeric congruence. There have been troubles applying numeric shard theory in the past, no one seems to get it to stick very well. Perhaps the numeric theory needs to apply to planets instead, and essences to shards! Unlikely, just rambling now.

 

Also, I want to say Braize should get the essence of fire, since it's name sounds like cooking meat ^_^. Also red and ruby could be very evil looking, haha.

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Currently, due to a WoB from a recent signing interview, there is uncertainty as to whether Ashyn is even a major Shardworld or not, given that it might not have a Shard on it. If we get a more definitive answer (hopefully in JordanCon), then I might revise the original post.

 

@Cromptj: Maybe. But if Yolen is one of the ten major Shardworlds, then it not having an Essence would be a death blow to my theory. :(

 

@Tempus: I will concede that at this point there is still a lot of room for more evidence or counter-evidence. The theory's not very tight yet. That's okay. It gives me something else to look forward to every time a new Cosmere book comes along, something to fuel my Cosmere research via random Googling and Wikipedia-reading in search for interesting coincidences.

 

Speaking of which, here's another coincidence I've found. Apparently the gemstone amethyst (Essence: Foil, theoretical Shardworld: Scadrial) has a very interesting supposed magical property. In ancient times, amethyst was considered to be an antidote for drunkenness. This magical property is in fact what gave the gemstone its name: "amethystos" or "not drunken" in Greek. I find this interesting because, coincidentally, Allomantic vials often contain metal shavings mixed in an alcoholic drink (Wax even uses whiskey in his).

 

Again, it's not really proof of anything. Just another small coincidence to add to my list of small coincidences. :)

Edited by skaa
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I recently read some of the unpublished works - have you read any of those, skaa? If so, pop onto the chat sometime and message me, we can talk about them (in regards to this theory).

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