Is Shinovar a safe-haven from the Dessolations

[Moist_von_Lipwig]

Hello Sandersonians! while perusing some of the topics on here an idea came to me, so I'm going to share with you all. I apologize if this has been covered before.

 

My theory is thus. I am starting to believe that Shinovar is a kind of safe-haven, a fortress if you will, for when the final Dessolation/Everstorm comes. A place to safeguard the races of Roshar and to allow them to endure the coming trials. Here is some of my thinking behind this.

 

Shinovar is protected from the Highstorms : Shinovar is at the far west of the continent of Roshar, and is surrounded by a large mountain range that breaks the fury of the Highstorms. This provides Shinovar with natural barriers, that would help protect against both Invading armies, and a calamity such as the Everstorm.

 

Shinovar is particularly fertile, and the Shin place emphasis on food production: With the culture of Shinovar placing so much emphasis on farming and food production. And with a environment tailored to producing vast amounts of food. Shinovar would likely have large stocks of food, a resource which can quickly become scarce during times of large scale war, an is invaluable for mounting an effective resistance. This would allow Shinovar to house large numbers of refugees and large armies.

 

The Shin seem to retain more ancient knowledge than other cultures: Szeth's existence would suggest that the Shin stone shamans have a knowledge of surgebinding that has been largely lost in other cultures. Knowledge that would no doubt prove useful when fighting the Voidbringers.

 

Shinovar has a curious absence of Spren: I am unsure if this point would support of discount this theory. This absence of spren could be an advantage, we know there are some 'evil' spren, and it could be argued that the voidbrigers themselves are spren. Though this would also mean the absence of good spren like Syl.

 

Shinovar may be 'the place nearest to Honour': In the tWok there is a quote stating that 'Urithiru was placed to the west of Alethela, in the place nearest to Honour'. While there are many places west of Alethela, Shinovar is a strong possibility. If Honour is indeed in the west of the continent, it would make sense to make your stand against the voidbringers here, where Honour's power would be strongest.

 

*Small spoiler from Words of Radiance*

Cultivation likely has strong ties with Shinovar: In the released WoR chapters, we know that "Cultivation, the god worshipped in the West, is a female deity that is an embodiment of nature and nature spren." Again, if you were to face Odium and the voidbringers, you would want to do so in the place where he has the least influence, and the other shard have a stronger influence.

 

So that is some of my thinking behind my theory. Shinovar is vastly different from the rest of Roshar, and I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to find out it was intended as bastion to fight the dessolations from. Thought I am still unsure on how much I like the validity of this theory, I think it has some merit.

 

Thank you for reading such a long post. Thoughts everyone?

Edited January 22, 2014 by Moist_von_Lipwig

[Aleksiel]

Possible. That would explain why they consider warriors to be of the lowest rank since they never needed them. May be there is something more than geographic location that protects them from highstorms and it provides protection from Desolations as well, something stopping the Voidbringers from entering Shinovar. It could have something to do with why stone is sacred to them.

 

Edit: I think this quote by Szeth supports your theory:

Holding his breath, he clung to the Stormlight. He could still feel it leaking out. Stormlight could be held for only a short time, a few minutes at most. It leaked away, the human body too porous a container. He had heard the Voidbringers could hold it perfectly. But, then, did they even exist? His punishment declared that they didn't. His honor demanded that they did.

 Looks like his elders (probably?) didn't believe in Voidbringers which indicates Shinovar never faced them.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Aleksiel

[hoser]

I like the thoughts about Shinovar as haven, bastion and granary. 

 

I struggle with the idea of Urithiru in Shinovar for the following reasons:

• Urithiru was the Radiant base and meetingplace of kings.  I don't think kings want to meet in another king's kingdom.  Shinovar was one of the Silver Kingdoms. 
• I imagine a more central location on the continent.
• Radiants seem like they should be based in a place that gets stormlight. 

But I know nothing.  It will be fun to find out.

[Tarion]

It really reminds me of the setup on Scadrial,

 

where the Lord Ruler had prepared hiding places and supplies for the "end times".  Stockpiles of food and knowledge, protected from the elements and agents of the "bad" Shard.  

 

And I really can't tell if that's an argument in favour of it (I.e. "The author obviously like the idea") or against ("He wouldn't do the same thing twice").  

Edited January 23, 2014 by Tarion

[Moist_von_Lipwig]

Possible. That would explain why they consider warriors to be of the lowest rank since they never needed them. May be there is something more than geographic location that protects them from highstorms and it provides protection from Desolations as well, something stopping the Voidbringers from entering Shinovar. It could have something to do with why stone is sacred to them.

 

Edit: I think this quote by Szeth supports your theory:

 Looks like his elders (probably?) didn't believe in Voidbringers which indicates Shinovar never faced them.

 

The wording in that quote is interesting. How could Szeth's punishment, assuming his punishment is to be truthless, be related to the Voidbringers? But if his 'honour' demands that they do exist, clearly Szeth knows something about them. As for the Shin not needing warriors, I kind of envisage it as the rest of the nations training warriors to fight the Voidbringers, while the shin concentrate on providing resources for the armies and a place for them to fight from.

 

I like the thoughts about Shinovar as haven, bastion and granary. 

 

I struggle with the idea of Urithiru in Shinovar for the following reasons:

• Urithiru was the Radiant base and meetingplace of kings.  I don't think kings want to meet in another king's kingdom.  Shinovar was one of the Silver Kingdoms. 
• I imagine a more central location on the continent.
• Radiants seem like they should be based in a place that gets stormlight. 

But I know nothing.  It will be fun to find out.

 

I see what you mean with regards to Urithiru. From what we've heard about it, it seems its not in any 'normal' location. Shadesmar seems to be a popular theory as the location at the moment. But I'm not so sure that the case either. I don't think we have enough to go on for this, besides that it was west of Alethela, which isn't very specific.

 

An interesting point about the stormlight. Has there been any confirmation on whether there is any stormlight in Shinovar? I know the storms are almost completely blocked by the mountains, but I think they still had some effect on Shinovar. Though if there is no stormlight, it might explain the lack of spren. Perhaps they need stormlight to survive?

 

It really reminds me of the setup on Scadrial,

 

where the Lord Ruler had prepared hiding places and supplies for the "end times".  Stockpiles of food and knowledge, protected from the elements and agents of the "bad" Shard.  

 

And I really can't tell if that's an argument in favour of it (I.e. "The author obviously like the idea") or against ("He wouldn't do the same thing twice").  

 

I forgot about that in Mistborn, I see the similarities. I suppose it's possible he'll do a similar idea in a different way. Good catch though.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Moist_von_Lipwig

[Pinpoint]

If Odium can't get to Shinovar through armies or Highstorms, he will infiltrate it from the inside through political corruption or possibly truthless? I am pretty sure the Shin are going to have an important role in desolation. I am pretty sure that they aren't peaceful. 

[Shardlet]

Shinovar has a curious absence of Spren: I am unsure if this point would support of discount this theory. This absence of spren could be an advantage, we know there are some 'evil' spren, and it could be argued that the voidbrigers themselves are spren. Though this would also mean the absence of good spren like Syl.

 

I am unsure of this.  The only word we have on this (that I know of offhand) is Rsyn's comment on her first trip to Shinovar.  She comments also on the verdantness of the land.  However, in much of what we've seen of the rest of Roshar, such verdancy only is readily apparent after a storm when there is water and crem to be had.  In these times, there are many spren easily visible.  But, these times are also a time of particular activity and change.  That life is always there, it is just not particularly active.  So, Rysn seeing all the verdant greens would naturally expect there to be an abundance of spren since she associates the display of life with the appearance of spren.  But, it is a normal day and there are no apparent spren like she would expect.  She therefore, understandably, concludes that Shinovar doesn't appear to have spren.