Roshar Origins

[Maffu17]

Adonalsium arrived while Roshar was lush and green and invested the highstorms, and presumably a shardpool. Eventually the local fauna evolved concepts of thought (primitive Listeners) and the Investiture (Stormlight) began to manifest as Spren (no Stormlight in Shinovar = no Spren). The Listeners and Spren developed with each other, the Spren becoming their gods and the forms were discovered.

 

The Shin couldn't have evolved within Shinovar it seems likely they arrived by Shardpool and found their way there, probably with the intervention of the Listeners, it could be they were seen as intruders and exiled into a godless land for which the Listeners had no use. Once settled Stone Shamanism took control of their species essentially trapping them in Shinovar and they developed like any normal culture would without the intervention of Spren. It's possible the founding fathers of Shinovar created Stone Shamanism as a way of stopping the Shin from straying beyond their borders and thereby incurring possible destruction by the Listeners.

 

All other human life arrived later, it seems the Shin never mixed so the new humans never settled in Shinovar and were forced to survive outside in the Highstorms. Judging by the diversity of humans such as Theylan eyebrows or the golden Iri hair, it's likely the humans came from a variety of worlds, one of which also brought the Ryshadium.

 

The Spren began to favour humans(see Listener songs below), maybe the humans had a more developed and subtle mentality leading to more defined Spren which to them is essentially evolution. (Ever see a Listener exhibit schadenfreude?) Ultimately the Listeners turned away seeking more odious forms and this probably began all the trouble which eventuated the Oathpact. 

 

 

Listener Song of SprenEdit

9th Stanza

The spren betrayed us, it’s often felt.

Our minds are too close to their realm

That gives us our forms, but more is then

Demanded by the smartest spren,

We can’t provide what the humans lend,

Though broth are we, their meat is men.

 

40th Stanza

The betrayal of spren has brought us here.

They gave their Surges to human heirs,

But not to those who know them most dear, before us.

’Tis no surprise we turned away

Unto the gods we spent our days

And to become their molding clay, they changed us.

 

 

It's hard to stop theorising once you start isn't it, i'll leave it there because i've covered a lot of ground and there are already enough holes to hide a few dozen Chasmfiends. Hopefully with some criticism we can find some nuggets of truth. Butcher my ideas at your leisure