Odium, Desolation, and Recreance

[ShadowsFell]

I wonder if one of the important Shards on Roshar might actually be named Desolation, instead of,  or in addition to, Odium.   In the preview chapters for WoR, there are several instances where characters (mainly Darkness) refers to Desolation coming.  Not "a" desolation, not "the" desolation, but Desolation, as in a proper-noun type entity.

 

So, maybe Odium has evolved to Desolation, ala Harmony=Ruin+Preservation?   Or Desolation is another Shard in the Greater Roshar area, coming to team-up?

 

Curious as to what everyone's thoughts are.

 

*****

 

EDIT:  Thanks for the feedback!   I posted below (http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/5897-odium-or-desolation/#entry94384) with an updated theory, and updated post title from "Odium or Desolation?" to "Odium, Desolation, and Recreance"

Edited February 5, 2014 by ShadowsFell

[Aminar]

Desolation as a noun makes sense, like Ragnarok.  Beyond that Odium means hate, making him want to cause desolation. Desolation as a shard is too similar to Ruin though.  And neither Honor nor Cultivation are likely to be Desolation.

Sorry, this one doesn't quite make sense.

[Quiver]

Desolation kind of fits the etymology of Preservation or Cultivation. I suppose it could be possible; Hoid described Odium as the most terrifying of the shards, but we know he isn't the most powerful of them. He might be a more insidious character, directing Desolation where to strike like a dog.

 

I suppose, as well, that Desolation could be considered the opposite of Adonalsium, so if it isn't a Shard, it might be the force responsible for the Shattering to begin with.

 

That said, I don't really buy into this. At the moment, while having a walking personification of an apocalypse might be cool, Aimar is right; Brandon kinda already did that with Ruin. There are ways to twist it, of course, since this would be a case of another shard directing someone's intent, but right now, unless you could find some quotes that refer to the Desolation in that regard, it seems unlikely.

 

(Unlikely, but interesting, so have an upvote.) 

[A Joe in the Bush]

I can't Find Where, But Brandon Sanderson has said Before that Odium will not Combine with other Shards. He had the Perfect Chance when he Killed Devotion and Domination, but he just Splintered them. Mr. Sanderson has also said that Odium, Honor and Cultivation are the only 3 Shards active On Roshar.

 

When they Capitalize Desolation, they are referring to The Final Desolation. An Event.

Good Thinking though.

[daniel4165]

I think it just means what it means. Desolation as in it's just a term which they use to describe the past horrors that happened on Roshar. A cool theory, but I think it's unlikely!

[ShadowsFell]

Thanks for the feedback!    Some very good points were made, especially considering the similarity between Ruin and Desolation ... it does make sense that Desolation as a Shard would be too similar to what Ruin was.   It was also mentioned that there are only three Shards on Roshar, namely Honor, Cultivation, and Odium.

 

@The Only Joe, thanks for that!  Do you, or anyone else, have a direct link for Brandon saying Odium will not combine with other shards?  Excellent point, though, that he had the chance when he splintered Devotion and Domination.   Its possible, though, that he chose not to join with them because it may have altered his personality in ways he did not want.

 

I will point out, as well, that there is a currently unamed shard on Taldain, a planet in Greater Roshar system:  Unknown (Bavadin's Shard), who was mentioned in The Letter.    I think it is possible that this shard could be periodically working with Odium to cause havoc.

 

****************************

 

So ... all that being said, I'm going to adjust my theory a bit.   I got to thinking about what Desolation really means, as a word, and Odium.  Odium, as already stated, is "general or widespread hatred or disgust directed toward someone as a result of their actions" (Google "define odium").   Desolation is defined as "a state of complete emptiness or destruction" (Google "define desolation").

 

I now posit that Desolation is the result of a Roshar equivalent of a World War, caused by hate (Odium) between Rosharian peoples.  When "Desolation is coming" is mentioned, I take it now to mean "world war causing causualties bordering on extermination is coming".  By extension, "True Desolation" could mean absolute destruction of the sort where EVERYONE dies.  This would fit with Dalinar's vision of an Everstorm devouring everything, with everyone dead.

 

This World War type of concept would fit, I think, with the Recreance.  What if, as was mentioned elsewhere, the "good guys" Surgebinding and bonding with "Good spren" leads to the "other side" (Voidbringers) upping their game, which causes more Surgebinding and bonding, which causes the other side upping their game more....   More specifically, what if for every Knight Radiant-type person bonded to a spren, the "bad spren" increase in numbers or strenght?  For example, if Syl gets stronger, maybe there is an equivalent buildup on the other side to equal it out (i.e., red-eyed spren that were mentioned in the flashbacks).   It would fit with Darkness/Nalan killing Surgebinders/KR-potentials as a way to prevent Desolation.

 

So, the Recreance could be the KR breaking the bond and walking a way as a means of forcibly lessening the "good spren" in the world to cause a drop in "bad spren", to prevent or delay another Desolation.

 

Maybe we need a little bit of Harmony to balance all the hate .

 

Sorry it was so long or if it was posted elsewhere, hopefully it makes sense.  So, in summary:

 

-- Desolation = mass death / wasteland / post-World War type conflict

-- True Desolation = complete, mutual genocide of all peoples

-- Increase of "good" Surgebinders = Increase of red-eyed spren and Voidbringers

-- Recreance = KR way of sacrificing their Spren in order to force a rebalancing and reduction of red-eyed / bad spren

Edited February 5, 2014 by ShadowsFell

[Elbereth]

That does indeed make more sense. In fact, that's very plausible. The part about the Recreance is similar to some of the ideas we've had before for the cause of the Recreance, I think, but that is a bit different. Very logical.

[WeiryWriter]

I will point out, as well, that there is a currently unamed shard on Taldain, a planet in Greater Roshar system:  Unknown (Bavadin's Shard), who was mentioned in The Letter.    I think it is possible that this shard could be periodically working with Odium to cause havoc.

 

Taldain is not in the Greater Roshar system.  The three shardworlds are Roshar, Braize, and Ashyn (The Silence Divine world).

[ShadowsFell]

Taldain is not in the Greater Roshar system.  The three shardworlds are Roshar, Braize, and Ashyn (The Silence Divine world).

 

Noted, thanks for the correction, apparently my information source was incorrect or (more likely) I was misremembering.  Good thing its a moot point, since my updated theory doesn't rely on that .