Rainbow Shards on Scadrial

[Bromo_Sapien]

So I've been mulling this theory over for a few days now and decided to post it to get some feedback. After rereading BoM, I think I've talked myself into Leras and Ati being gay lovers on Yolen (and pre-contract breaking on Scadrial).

I first thought of the idea when the Allik mentioned that that Southern Scadrians believed that Ruin and Preservation were married. Now that in an of itself doesn't say much; they could very easily be just plain wrong. However, the more spitballing I did, the more it made sense:

·        Despite going against both of their Shardic intents, Leras and Ati created life out of nothing, literally combining pieces of themselves to create a new human. They are the only ones to create their planet wholesale. Doesn’t this fit with the idea of a gay couple, who could never have biological children of their own, finally being given the ability to create life themselves, literally mixing parts across all three realms of each person?

It also appears as if Leras still cares about Ati, despite the war between them. Leras frequently appears at Ruin's prison, and not merely to speak to Kelsier. The first time he comes, he doesn't even acknowledge Kelsier, just stares into the Well and paces back and forth. Indeed, Leras describes his betrayal of Ruin as death; I always assumed that referred to how he knew he was weaker than Ruin now (and it could still mean that to an extent) but it could also refer to the literal betrayal of the person you love the most, a death of the soul, so to speak.

Finally, and probably weakest, we have only seen three planets with multiple Shards: Scadrial, Roshar, and Sel. On Roshar, we have a confirmation of the two shards being lovers. On Sel, it's more tenuous but I believe they were lovers as well. IIRC, there was a recent WoB where he said that Odium splintered D+D early because he was more worried about them than all but Ambition. Why would he be most worried about two people with opposite Shards; we saw how that would play out with L+A. He could have simply left them alone and they would have inevitably attacked each other eventually. There had to be something that united them enough to make him think they wouldn't attack each other: love. Also, when asked about the relationship between Aona and Skai in February of last year, he gave a RAFO as opposed to a denial. So we have three dishardic planets, one of which is confirmed to have lovers, one of which it makes sense that the two were lovers, and Scadrial, where the two people literally created life by mixing their essences, their cosmeric DNA, so to speak.

·        What if Leras and Ati were married in their Yolen days and wanted to stay together after the Shattering? They created a home and children and lived well together for awhile. However, the Shards began to change them drastically and separate them. As Hoid says, “Ati was once a kind and generous man.” Ati descended into Ruin until Leras felt he had to betray his lover in order to protect their children. That leads us to the Well and Rashek and Vin releasing him, etc. etc.

[SpeakoftheDeval]

what if they constantly bickered (partly because of clashing ideologies) and neither would admit their feelings for each other but they still liked doing things with each other. Then the rest of the original vessels began referring to them as married jokingly and somehow the southern scadrians heard about that (maybe from Hoid), turning that into religion. Have I mentioned that my life will be complete only when I read dragonsteel?

[Yezrien]

This feels very plausible. I imagine becoming shardholders was the tragic end to an epic romance -- with the 'kind and generous' Ati agreeing to undertake the burden of Ruin, a dangerous and destructive shard, only so long as his true love, Leras, takes Ruin's opposite, to keep him in check. They sacrifice their love to keep Ruin from rampaging across the cosmere.

[Oversleep]

5 hours ago, Bromo_Sapien said:

IIRC, there was a recent WoB where he said that Odium splintered D+D early because he was more worried about them than all but Ambition.

That's actually another way around: Ambition was number one on Odium's hit list but he hasn't found it until he have already dealt with Selish Shards:

Quote

Argent

So, did Rayse choose those Shards because--

Brandon Sanderson

He went after Ambition first, but didnt find Ambition until after going after Devotion and Dominion. But Ambition was number one on his hit list.

Argent

Was it because of the Shard or because of the Vessel, or the person.

Brandon Sanderson

In this case it was the Shard primarily. He was afraid that this was a Shard that would rival him. But, he then got trapped in the Rosharan system.
source

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by Oversleep

[soyperson]

I'm down for the idea, but, then, who was Senna?

[Fezzik]

Preservation said: "Oh, Senna ... I'm losing this place. Losing them all ..." when Kelsier was comforting him after the slaughter that was the Siege of Luthadel. Senna sounds like, if not a former lover, a close confidant like Syl to Kal.

[Yezrien]

1 hour ago, john203 said:

Preservation said: "Oh, Senna ... I'm losing this place. Losing them all ..."

If I recall, that's the only mention of that name, and it's not much to go on.

Senna could easily be a friend or a family member, or even a god that he worshipped (before he became one). To me, it sounds like he's apologizing, like he's failed to keep a promise. Almost like Senna was a mentor whose guidance he's failed to live up to.

[Vissy]

He may have been talking to his knife.