Parshendi/Listeners are of Adonalsium

[xbauks he/him]

Note: I'm currently on my phone so I'm unable to provide sources for my WoB. I'll try to link it once I get on a computer.

As the title suggests, I think Adonalsium is the creator of the native life forms present on Roshar.

How?

WoB:

1. all 16 Shards were present on Roshar at one point in time (suggests that Adonalsium itself was present)

2. There are Adonalsium spren running around on Roshar.

3. Parshendi are NOT of Honour.

4. Parshendi were not originally of either Odium or Cultivation.

So unless another Shard came and created the Parshendi, Adonalsium is the only remaining explanation.

Feel free to rip this apart if you see something wrong with it.

[cem he/him]

Possible, though let's not throw around phrases like "only remaining explanation"; Brandon mastered Aes Sedai answers long ago.

 

In support for your theory, Stormfather calls the Listeners the "Ancient Ones" in chapter 89, while Kaladin and Dalinar are called the children of Honor.

[taveren he/him]

who is to say they didn't just evolve on their own

[Argent he/him]

I doubt they are of Adonalsium - it looks much more plausible that they have evolved naturally. Plus, we know that Adonalsium existed on Yolen - or at least was Shattered on Yolen - and its Shards took the idea of humans from there; so the one race that could have been created by Adonalsium looks like us, not like the Parshendi.

[Aminar]

I can buy that Adonalsium created Roshar as it is. Although there is some wierdness about Highstorms and what causes them given they have very very clearly shaped the planet's evolution... But I'd buy this theory.

[Argent he/him]

I have to wonder whether there were highstorms originally. There are several mentions of ancient animals that feel too Earth-like - which suggests that at some point the people of Roshar knew of those animals. So they either existed on Roshar long ago (which would imply that the highstorms haven't always been around, otherwise those animals would've be able to evolve), or the denizens of the planet were originally from another Shardworld - where those animals existed, and were brought to Roshar in the collective memory of the people. Either scenario is fascinating.

[dyring]

I have long believed the parshendi to be the original inhabitants along with the crustaceans, I thought this was the standard belief?

 

Either Roshar evolved on its own, or created by Adonalsium, can buy that. Makes sense since there are adonalsium sprens. Might well be more like that out there, the shards jumped in and messed things up

[xbauks he/him]

I have to wonder whether there were highstorms originally. There are several mentions of ancient animals that feel too Earth-like - which suggests that at some point the people of Roshar knew of those animals. So they either existed on Roshar long ago (which would imply that the highstorms haven't always been around, otherwise those animals would've be able to evolve), or the denizens of the planet were originally from another Shardworld - where those animals existed, and were brought to Roshar in the collective memory of the people. Either scenario is fascinating.

Humans are most probably not native to Roshar. Their physiology is very different and they even have myths that say that they were kicked off their planet and sent/escaped to Roshar.

You are right. I was falling asleep while writing this. There could be other explanations for the parshendi. They could have evolved naturally. I'm disinclined to believe that based on what we have seen of the rest of the cosmere. We have yet to see a naturally evolved sentient species. Even if the parshendi did naturally evolve on Roshar, I'd argue Adonalsium had something to do with their sentience. Perhaps they first bonded to Adonalsium spren to gain sentience.

*I'm all for naturally evolving sentient species, and Brandon is known to throw all kinds of opposing beliefs into his books, so it's a possibility. We just haven't got any evidence to support it is possible in the cosmere.

[AerionBFII he/him]

is the glowing figure walking the storm when Kaladin and Shallan are hiding during the highstorm a Parshendi changing to Stormform?

[xbauks he/him]

is the glowing figure walking the storm when Kaladin and Shallan are hiding during the highstorm a Parshendi changing to Stormform?

I think so. Kaladin thinks it's something alien, so it may not be parshendi. It could be something else. But a little later he mentions seeing void spren.