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[OB] Ba-Ado-Mishram and the creation of the Parshmen


Syldaras

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I believe that Ba-Ado-Mishram was in part responsible for the creation of the Parshmen, as they are known to modern Rosharans. Her description in *Hessi's Mythica* reads, “She is said to have been keen of mind, a highprincess among the enemy forces, their commander during some of the Desolations.”

Then, looking back to the Epigraph of Ch. 80, a Knight Radiant records, “Ba-Ado-Mishram has somehow Connected with the parsh people, as Odium once did. She provides Voidlight and facilitates forms of power. Our strike team is going to imprison her.”

My theory is that prior to Odium’s arrival on Roshar, Cultivation employed Ba-Ado-Mishram as a coordinator, or possibly originator of the Singer’s unique ability to transform by bonding Spren in their Gemhearts.

Odium found their connection to Spren an easy in. As his Shardic Intent is of Hatred and passion, any person with a living invested splinter of emotional investiture bonded to their Gemheart is an easy target for him. Something about Odium’s banishment to Braize impairs this direct ability, but Odium plays the long game ALMOST as well as Cultivation. He corrupted Ba-Ado-Mishram, using her connection to the Parsh as a convenient middleman in his plans. 

Then we have the next Epigraph.

“We are uncertain the effects this will have on the parsh. At the very least, it should deny them forms of power. Melishi is confident, but Naze-daughter-Kuzodo warns of unintended side effects.”

I believe the Knights Radiant strike team were successful in their attempt. Ba-Ado-Mishram was imprisoned, and cut off from the Parsh. This left them without control, mindless, and so complete was her hold on them that they had not the wherewithal to return to their songs to find their people again. 

Unwittingly, the Knights Radiant created the perfect slave race. It is entirely within human nature (sadly) to see this resource and exploit it. Thus the Parshmen as they are known to modern humans on Roshar. They are described as “without songs” and behave as nearly mute subordinates merely content to do as they’re told. 

The moment this stuck was, oddly, unrelated to the Parsh. I was puzzling over something in Part 3 of Oathbringer. It was the description of the Palace Guards in Kholinar. They were described as “Human, but *wrong*”. One of them ran Shallan through without warning, expression, or reaction, in the middle of a sentence. Their actions were ordinary, but too much so. They had no emotion, no passion. They had given it to Odium. 

I believe there were not three but FOUR unmade in Kholinar that night. Ashertman, Heart of the Revel is obvious. As is Sja-anat, Keeper of secrets, seen in the mirror and later conversing with Shallan. Yelig-nar bonded with Aesudan and destroyed her. But among those three, each an Unmade with a clearly defined power-set, I see none who could cause this behavior amongst those in the palace. I see two possibilities:

1) They are now of Odium. 

This is most ambiguous, and sadly a bit likely, given Brandon’s penchant for giving us just a few pieces at a time. It is entirely likely that their behavior is simply that of Men who, like Moash, have succumbed to his siren call, “It is my fault, you need not bear this burden”. Thus their passion is lost to Odium and with it their will

2) Ba-Ado-Mishram is breaking her captivity somewhere in Kholinar (Her prison possibly involving the Windblades? That’d be fun) and turning the humans of Kholinar into slaves. 

The similarities in their behavior are just too stark for me to dismiss. I see humans acting as mindless slaves in an environment that should be driving them to madness, and I look for a reason. I think it’s Ba-Ado-Mishram.

 

 

Now that it’s written, I’m less convinced of the Kholinar connection, but moreso on the Parshmen connection. Tell me what you think?

Edited by Syldaras
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Good point, but given how little we know about how Splinters work, I’m not sure that alone invalidates the theory. Odium regularly corrupts investiture of other shards, with the prerequisite red glow as a tell-tail, so is there anything that prevents splinters of Cultivation becoming Splinters of Odium?

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I would tend to agree with Syldaras here.  My thought was something a long the lines that they became so reliant on what Ba-Ado-Mishram was providing when it was ripped away it broke them.  My guess/thought was that the parshmen had a significant piece of their spirit web broken or torn out when their connection was broken it prevented them from reclaiming even basic forms.

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4 hours ago, dbulick said:

I would tend to agree with Syldaras here.  My thought was something a long the lines that they became so reliant on what Ba-Ado-Mishram was providing when it was ripped away it broke them.  My guess/thought was that the parshmen had a significant piece of their spirit web broken or torn out when their connection was broken it prevented them from reclaiming even basic forms.

Yeah I think that's the prevailing theory at the moment across the Shard. :)

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For reference: if you take all the epigraphs from the same drawer, you get this:

Quote

Something must be done about the remnants of Odium's forces. The parsh, as they are now called, continue their war with zeal, even without their masters from Damnation.
A coalition has been formed among scholar Radiants. Our goal is to deny the enemy their supply of Voidlight; this will prevent their continuing transformations, and give us an edge in combat.
Our revelation is fueled by the theory that the Unmade can perhaps be captured like ordinary spren. It would require a special prison. And Melishi.
Ba-Ado-Mishram has somehow Connected with the parsh people, as Odium once did. She provides Voidlight and facilitates forms of power. Our strike team is going to imprison her.
We are uncertain the effects this will have on the parsh. At the very least, it should deny them forms of power. Melishi is confident, but Naze-daughter-Kuzodo warns of unintended side effects.
Surely this will bring - at long last - the end to war that the Heralds promised us.

Don't tell anyone. I can't say it. I must whisper. I foresaw this.

Check here for more about Gem Archive.

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