An odd theory on the nature of a Desolation

[Lerson]

Hello there. New poster, but long-time lurker. I have been mulling this theory over since shortly after the first time I read Way of Kings, but now I feel as if I have enough potential supporting evidence to at least warrant posting it.

 

So, my theory essentially revolves around Odiumspren- or the lack thereof- and Voidbinding. The initial start of my theory was when I read that Odium has not invested himself in Roshar as heavily as Cultivation or Honor. My confusion then was that if Voidbinding is a thing, which it appears to be, would it not be less powerful than Surgebinding which is powered either by Honor, who has heavily invested, or both Honor and Cultivation (more likely, given recent information) who themselves are both said to have invested more heavily than Odium. I do not claim to be an expert on realmatic theory or shardic magic systems, but it stands to reason that Surgebinding would be stronger than Voidbinding, though even if my logic here is flawed, it was only the instigator for the theory and not the meat of it.

 

QUESTION:
Is there an odiumspren?

BRANDON:
You will find out what there is.

 

So. Surgebinding power is granted through the Nahel bond in most cases, the bond between human and spren. Szeth appears to be an oddity, but I find it unlikely that he is representative of Voidbinding given his similarity to Kaladin's powers. If he is a voidbinder, it means that voidbinding is the same as surgebinding minus a spren, which seems unlikely simply from a storytelling perspective, nevermind anything other than that.

 

So how does one become a voidbinder? We don't have any information to go from here other than to make vague guesses, but some of the information we've obtained from readings of Words of Radiance have caught my eye. Namely, Eshonai's interlude. We learn within it that the Parshendi bond with spren to enter different forms- war form, mating form, etc. They are also terrified of their 'gods' returning. So, with Jasnah's theory that the Parshendi are actually the voidbringers, I get to the thesis of my theory:

 

A desolation is not an event where Odium sends his monsters out into the world to fight humanity A desolation is where Odium temporarily invests himself further in the world, creating a propagation of Odium's spren. Hatredspren, murderspren, liespren. The parshendi are either inadvertently or forcefully- perhaps by the Unmade- bound to these spren, creating horrible Voidish parshendi. Furthermore, humans form a Nahel bond with these spren, creating further forces of Odium.

 

I don't have a lot to substantiate this theory, and there are holes. We have seen spren that could arguably belong to Odium- fear, anger, rot- but I write that off in that Odium is partially invested, just not fully. Further, another initial progenitor of this theory is my curiosity as to the difference of Ruin and Odium. Both at face value seem like they would be about destruction- we do know that Odium is going around splintering the other Shards, and we know he is responsible for Desolations. But I think Odium's destruction is more subtle, about corruption. Look at the ideals upheld by the Alethi- they seem to stand for honor, but are in reality incredibly dishonorable (see: Sadeas, Amaram) and experience an odd form of bloodlust (The Thrill). As well, the Heralds we think we have seen seem to have been corrupted into twisted forms of the ideals they uphold. Look at the Alethi reaction to the Way of Kings, derision. Further, Cultivation herself seems to have been warped into something distinctly un-Cultivation, the Nightmother.

 

I think Honor's insistence to Dalinar that he prepare for the Desolations by making people uphold the ideals and whatnot is not purely because that would make more soldiers to fight, but because it would prevent Odium from having more soldiers under his command as well. Odium, while not fully invested, uses the investment he does have to subtly corrupt and warp ideals so that once his spren become unleashed upon the world, the more easily obtained mindstates of anger, hatred, deceit and lust are even more prevalent within the populace than it would be normally, causing mass destruction as terrible people gain the powers of the Voidbinders and the Parshendi whose minds are dominated by their relation to their spren begin to go on a rampage across Roshar.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Lerson

[marianmi]

Creating spren would result in a weakening of the shard.

Also, power is basically not lost, just transformed, so with Tanavast dead, Honor would find another "host". However, Odium has found a way around that. I believe that way is splintering + locking the splinters.

Splinter Honour in many spren, and encourage fabrial making. The shard's power will be trapped there, and would not regenerate at the shardic pool. The entire heralds thing also might have been a cunning plan of Odium - splinters that have now betrayed the shard intent (by betraying their oaths they lost their honour), locked away in 10 powerful but warped humans. With 9 of them gone this way, Odium was then able to shatter what was left of Honour into more splinters, Tanavast the human died, and there was not enough power left to be considered a "shard of Ado". The entire gemheart hunt  around Roshar would also be a part of Odium's plans somehow, to fuel fabrials.

[marianmi]

PS: voidbringers hold stormllight perfectly, gems hold stormlight perfectly => I would say voidbringers are tied to gemhearts.

[Argent]

Technically gemstones, even the gemhearts don't hold Stormlight perfectly, just really well. Still, it's possible that there is a strong connection. I wouldn't discard the chasmfiends' "final form" either.

[Shardlet]

First off, Welcome, Lerson.  Glad to have you with us. 

 

Secondly, this is a very good theory.  It is the best discussion of Odium that I have yet seen.  The only significant hole I see is that we know that Odium is invested to some significant degree.

 

Phoenix Comicon

When one of the shards, like Odium, move from world to world in the cosmere, does their presence, like the metals they leave behind and their magic, leave with them?

 

Umm... Odium never really settled on a planet.  He is now settled on Roshar and his magic has permeated things.  Leaving would be very difficult for him.  It would either involve leaving behind some of his power or ripping that out, which would be a difficult process.  So yes it is very tough to leave.

 

So, some tweaking may be in order, but many of the ideas you have presented resonate with me.  All in all, an excellent introduction.