Odium and Trell

[Brightshade the Cunning]

I am going to start by saying this is a bit out there, and only applies if Trell is not one or more of the Shards of Adonalsium, but an outside entity of power equal to or greater than that of a shard.

I believe that Odium is working with Trell in order to conquer the Cosmere. This idea comes from an analysus of Odium's personality. Odium is filled with hatred, but this hatred is directed towards those who have enough power to challenge him. This explains why Odium is seeking to splinter the other shards, as they are the only beings of seemingly equal power to him. This also explains why Odium never went after Harmony, as Harmony would be (potentially) twice as powerful as Odium. 

This is where Trell comes in. Trell tried to take over Scadrial, but has decided to destroy it instead. This brings up the possibility that Trell is more powerful than Harmony, or has the potential to be more powerful than him, and the only reason Trell does not just destroy Harmony is the people of Scadrial, who were not in a mindset to create chaos, thus weakening Harmony.

The reason they would be working together is that Odium would likely be threatened by Trell, but Odium is cunning. A person who thinks like Odium would seek to help Trell in order to avoid their wrath, but nice their time for a moment to betray their partner without fear of loss.

Disclaimer: This is entirely conjecture based on my interpretation of Odium's personality. I also basement of my ideas off of a relatively faulty memory, which means there are almost certainly important details that would make or break this theory that I don't remember.

[DeTess]

I don't think Trell is a non-shard with shardic levels of power as it breaks much of what we know of the cosmere, which is thought to be created by adonalsium and later his shards. The sudden appearance of a god-like entity that is not of Adonalsium seems to break this understanding without really contributing anything, which is not generally how Sanderson approaches these things (I think).

[Brightshade the Cunning]

Just now, randuir said:

I don't think Trell is a non-shard with shardic levels of power as it breaks much of what we know of the cosmere, which is thought to be created by adonalsium and later his shards. The sudden appearance of a god-like entity that is not of Adonalsium seems to break this understanding without really contributing anything, which is not generally how Sanderson approaches these things (I think).

My reason for Trell's origin is the idea of opposites existing everywhere, just like in reality. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, for every push there is a pull, for every deity there is a demon. Assuming this applies to the Cosmere as well, there is no purpose in the cosmere without an anti-Adonalsium. Trell could be this being, if we assume the power levels being similar to that of God and Satan (although both extremely powerful, God is nigh infinitely more powerful than Satan) it gives a reason for the shattering of Adonalsium, to level the playing field, as well as a reason for Trell's existence outside of being a shard. Or, Trell could be a piece of this being (if it was of equal power to Adonalsium), which could have shattered to mirror Adonalsium, or Adonalsium could have shattered to balance the powers in the Cosmere.

[SpeakoftheDeval]

But Odium never had the opportunity to go after Harmony anyway?? Harmony only formed about 300 years before SA 5 and Odiums been in Roshar for millenia. Does he even know about Harmony??

I think if Odium wanted to ally himself with a Shardic level of power, then Ambition would have been a great choice, but if Odium didn't go with Ambition then he probably wouldn't go for Trell (who is a greater threat as he has the intent to conquer as shown with Harmony). As well as that its not like we know they are even aware of each other.

Anyway i like the anti adonalsium concept because it has an elegant poetry to it but it seems unlikely just because the concept of opposites is already very much exhausted, especially on Scadrial

[SpeakoftheDeval]

But Trell seems much more like an anti-Shard than an anti-Adonalsium anway

I feel like ive used anyway too much

[DeTess]

1 hour ago, Brightshade the Cunning said:

My reason for Trell's origin is the idea of opposites existing everywhere, just like in reality. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, for every push there is a pull, for every deity there is a demon. Assuming this applies to the Cosmere as well, there is no purpose in the cosmere without an anti-Adonalsium. Trell could be this being, if we assume the power levels being similar to that of God and Satan (although both extremely powerful, God is nigh infinitely more powerful than Satan) it gives a reason for the shattering of Adonalsium, to level the playing field, as well as a reason for Trell's existence outside of being a shard. Or, Trell could be a piece of this being (if it was of equal power to Adonalsium), which could have shattered to mirror Adonalsium, or Adonalsium could have shattered to balance the powers in the Cosmere.

There is some elegance to your explanation, but it works on the assumption that Adonalsium was some benevolent god that needed a Satan to balance him out. Given that the likes of Ruin and Odium where the result of his shattering, and knowing that at least some of the people involved in the shattering where decent people (Like Leras, and Ati was described as 'kind' before he took his shard) I'm not all that sure that Adonalsium was this benevolent god.

So while I can't rule out an opposite to Adonalsium, I don't think it very likely.

[Brightshade the Cunning]

4 hours ago, MadhavDeval said:

But Odium never had the opportunity to go after Harmony anyway?? Harmony only formed about 300 years before SA 5 and Odiums been in Roshar for millenia. Does he even know about Harmony??

This is what I'm talking about with things I don't remember, the timeline. However, instead of him avoiding it because of Harmony, he could have avoided it because splintering Preservation would have freed Ruin. However, leaving Scadrial alone would leave a weakened shard and an imprisoned shard. Both of which would  be of no consequence to his rule.

[Turtle373]

I've always thought that Odium was Trell and there is a possibility that Odium does become more powerful someway therefore posing a threat to harmony, maybe he finds a shard who has a intent close to his and joins with it becoming in theory as powerful as harmony