Cultivation is the Shard in the Silence Divine

[Tempus]

I've been lax in making theories lately, and missing posting them, so I figured I'd knock out a random theory that has been rattled in my head before I head to sleep. Without further ado...
 
 

Cultivation is the Shard in the Silence Divine

Or at least she used to be

 

 
Premise
 
There is an upcoming Sanderson novel named the Silence Divine. This planet has no Shard^[1], and yet has an active magic system that requires you to perform it. This is the sort of magic system corresponding to a Shardic Investiture^[2]. Shards are required to invest themselves consciously^{[citation needed - I know it's out there]}, and are reluctant to do so. Thus, some Shard must have invested in Ashyn (the planet the Silence Divine takes place on)^[4], in order to produce an actively invested magic system.
 
 
Hypothesis
 
The Shard that invested themselves on Ashyn is Cultivation.
 
 
Evidence, Data, and Deductions
 
Ashyn requires a Shardic Investiture
 

Based on the reading from the Silence Divine, magic on Ashyn works as follows. You gain a disease, and for as long as you have the disease you gain a magic power. Magic users are termed incubators. The powers we've seen in the reading include prophecy, flight or hovering, healing, among others.

 

According to Brandon, worlds without shards have magic that you interact with, but not that you perform^[2]. These examples on Ashyn are clear examples of magic you perform, and share similarities to other magic systems in the Cosmere. Such magic systems require a Shardic Investiture to be powered. Thus induction suggests that Ashyn has indeed been invested.

 
 Cultivation fits Ashyn's Investiture
 

There are a few points that support Cultivation as being related to Ashyn. In the reading, Ashyn is noted to be a planet with ash and magma - a fitting name. Ashyn is described more clearly as a barren world with fertile patches^[4]. On Roshar, we note that there is an area that is heavily fertile and safe to an extent from the ravages of the Highstorms - Shinovar. It is very possible that a magmatic planet could support life only through intervention of a Shard such as Cultivation, in a process that parallels the unusual and suggestive area on Roshar.

 

In addition to the parallel of terrain oddities that is suggestive, Cultivation fits the magic on Ashyn very perfectly in terms of Shardic Intent. In fact, bacteria are a tiny form of life. When studied, bacteria are cultivated, causing them to multiply. A bacterial solution is thus called a culture. The specific tie from bacterial infections to Cultivation is suggestive, though certainly not definitive.

 

A third similarity between the magic of Ashyn and Cultivation lies with the Nightwatcher. The Nightwatcher is a spren on Roshar suspected of being related to Cultivation (mostly for lack of better options). The Nightwatcher grants a boon, and also gives a curse^[5]. This again parallels the magic on Ashyn, where disabling yourself with a disease grants a benefit of using Investiture. 

We have Precedent of Cross-System Interactions
 

An obvious issue is that if Cultivation is currently on Roshar, then how can she be powering the magic on Ashyn? Luckily, we have precedent. Odium is noted as being located on Braize, another neighbouring planet in the Roshar System^[6]. In addition, we know that Odium is able to direct his power not only to other planets in the system, but indeed across the Cosmere^[7]. Words of Radiance show us that not only is Odium capable of doing all that, but he is also capable of splintering himself to produce spren on Roshar.

 

All these facts demonstrate the capability of Cultivation investing herself on Ashyn at the same time as providing spren and possibly other magical influence on Roshar. Indeed, it has a certain symmetry that the three planets in the Roshar system could each be home to a different Shard, despite their interest in Roshar proper.

 

 

Conclusion
 
Given the above facts and suggestions, it is entirely possible and indeed plausible that either prior to her arrival on Roshar, or at some point during the history of Roshar that Cultivation Invested herself upon Ashyn.
 
The implications can be very interesting - Cultivation may be weakened by this, or it may affect the amount of Investment she has placed on Roshar. It may have implications for theories of Intent Meshing or Balance magics if Cultivation is not fully invested in Roshar as well.
 
 
 
References

Q:  Can you tell us which Shard is with [The Silence Divine]?
A:  This is a world that does not currently have a Shard.

 

Q:  Does the Shadows for Silence take place in the Cosmere?
A:  It does, it takes place on a planet called Threnody. There is no shard on that planet however. The magic is more something you interact with, not something you perform because there isn't a shard there.

 

 

 

Q: Is that Shard on The Silence Divine? 
A: Oh, you mean Ashyn. Ashyn is mostly barren with small fertile patches

 

The Way of Kings:
"Doesn't work that way," Av said. "It's not a game, no matter how the stories try to put it. The Nightwatcher doesn't trick you or twist your words. She gives what she feels you deserve, then gives you a curse to go along with it. Sometimes related, sometimes not."

 

A: Odium's presence is felt on Roshar, but he is on Braize, the 3rd planet in the system.

 

Q: Given that we now know that Odium can 'make it possible' for people to use magic that draws on him on other planets, has he done this anywhere besides Roshar?

A: Odium has been active on all other planets, including several we haven't seen yet.

 
 
       Notes:
In the past, a variety of theories have been presented regarding the Silence Divine. This one is notable for several reasons; previous theories believed there to be a Shard on Ashyn as there was evidence for such, previous theories were not aware that Roshar was limited to three Shards and believed mistakenly there were four, and lastly previous theories all posited the existence of a further Shardic intent rather than using an existing one.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Tempus

[Swimmingly]

I'd argue that you interact with magic on Ashyn rather than perform it, for reasons I'll make clear when it isn't 4 am.

[Tempus]

I've considered that argument, Swimmingly, but I just don't buy it. Remember that when Brandon talks about 'magic' he is not specifically referring to 'a magic ability powered by a single investiture shard'. Surgebinding he calls ten magic systems, or just one big magic system. He also calls many, many other things on Roshar magic.

 

If you read Shadows for Silence, it becomes more clear - in Shadows for Silence, the 'magic' that happens is just a property of the Cosmere. Specifically, it's cognitive shadows without any Invested Intent to shape them. No one can 'use' magic there, or gain it.

 

By contrast, the abilities seen on Ashyn in our admittedly short snippet are very clearly things that can be used - the old lady is demonstrated using her ability in the description, the narrator refers to the incubators as if the abilities they grant to others are used for job purposes, and depending on how you read the little girl she might have something going on too.

 

However, even if they aren't in 'control' of their abilities so to speak, and they are simply passive abilities gained whenever they are ill like a bacteria operated feruchemist (which is not supported by the reading at all), they still closely resemble other active Shard Invested magic systems. And no other planet demonstrates bacteria related or physical organism granted abilities.

 

So yeah, I don't buy it. 

[SmurfAquamarineBodies]

Good theory. One that admittedly has been going around my head as well. The main difference being that I have been thinking that it was a splinter of Cultivation, rather than Cultivation powering the system from Roshar.

My theory was that when Honor was Shattered/Splintered?, Odium also attacked Cultivation and instead of destroying her, Odium was only able to Splinter Cultivation into two or three pieces with Cultivations Shardholder surviving the attempt. One for Ashyn and one or two Roshar.

Is it possible, do we know, for a Shard to be Splintered into pieces but with the Shardholder surviving the Splintering?

[Aether]

You should also consider the context of that WoB, Swimmingly. He was talking specifically of Threnody, where the inhabitants do not seem to be able to access any magical system at all (id est gain magical abilities), but are limited to interacting with it (id est affect it only indirectly).

[PorridgeBrick]

There's actually precedent for worlds without shards having complex magic systems based on internal parasites. Sixth of the Dusk has the same sort of thing, with birds ingesting aquatic parasites and gaining powers varying from an anti-mind-reading cloud (which, now that I think about it, is very much like copperclouds, and may be identical Realmatically) to visions of possible future deaths, depending on one's actions (which, even more interestingly, is rather like Electrum. I might have to think about this more). It's also pretty likely that the rest of the fauna's strange powers come from the same parasitic sources, and from that the possibility that humans themselves may have interactions with the parasites. If so, then that's pretty much the exact same as the Silence Divine: contract parasite -> magic powers.

[Tempus]

I'm afraid I haven't read Sixth of the Dusk - I was under the impression it wasn't released other than the tiny sample chapter? Direct me, good sir!

[PorridgeBrick]

All we have of it is the sample chapter. There's also a Writing Excuses episode where it's actually brainstormed iirc, which is where the aquatic parasites info comes from.

[b4dave]

if overall the overall concept of cosmere magic = something resembling mitochlorians, I'm out

[Swimmingly]

I'm sure the concept will pop up in a case or two, but not as a base-level thing. Midichlorians, I never had a real problem with. There has to be a reason some people are stronger with the Force than others. Microorganisms work fine.

[Haradion Drogon]

I think people's problem with Midichlorians was that the concept is completley the opposite to the spiritualism of the Original trilogy. As someone who grew up with both the Prequels, Originals, and EU, I don't have much of a problem with them...

[Aether]

Also, remember that we almost have no information on the planet of Sixth of the Dusk. For all we know, there might be a Shard there. On Threnody, on the other hand (the planet of Silence), we have confirmation that there are no Shards.

[PorridgeBrick]

Also, remember that we almost have no information on the planet of Sixth of the Dusk. For all we know, there might be a Shard there. On Threnody, on the other hand (the planet of Silence), we have confirmation that there are no Shards.

 

There are almost certainly none, however, seeing as it's all something he brainstormed pretty recently in a Writing Excuses episode, and I doubt there are any Shards left unplanned by that point. And he's also said there are only ten core Shardworlds, which again Sixth of the Dusk would not be part of.

[Tempus]

We only know eight of the 'core shardworlds', as far as I'm aware. It's entirely possible Sixth could take place on one of the remaining two core shardworlds, in the same way that TES took place on Sel.

[PorridgeBrick]

We only know eight of the 'core shardworlds', as far as I'm aware. It's entirely possible Sixth could take place on one of the remaining two core shardworlds, in the same way that TES took place on Sel.

 

But he brainstormed the magic system for it during the Writing Excuses episode too. All the core Shardworlds must have established magic systems by this point. It only worked for TES because Sel's magic is regionally restricted, something he's not exactly going to repeat again.

[Tempus]

 

But he brainstormed the magic system for it during the Writing Excuses episode too. All the core Shardworlds must have established magic systems by this point. It only worked for TES because Sel's magic is regionally restricted, something he's not exactly going to repeat again.

 

I don't necessarily agree, PorridgeBrick. Sanderson wrote Dragonsteel, and is gonna change it. He wrote Aether, and an entire planet and magic system, and those got changed. Mythwalker also had an entire planet and magic system - again, changed completely. Mistborn Prime, Final Empire Prime, also changed. TES was written long after Elantris, and yes it fits there, but it's not the only planet we've seen with magic subdivided (stares hard at Taldain). Most of those are non-canon works now, and I think that that is relevant. Brandon will change things as he goes along in order to improve them, and he doesn't necessarily have every system completely nailed down to the ground yet.

 

In fact, were I Brandon, I would give myself room to innovate. He knows he likes to come up with new ideas and develop them, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a few worlds floating out there 'empty' or with just a brief framework to give himself the freedom to imagine and invent.

[GreyPilgrim]

To the topic in general: I have also sort of theorized this a couple of times, under the same general reasoning you used, Tempus. I think it is a very solid, well-evidenced theory.

 

As a related, but decided less solid or well-evidnced idea, I have also thought for a while that, since there are three Shardworlds in the Greater Roshar system as well as three Shards, that each originally resided on one: Honor for Roshar, Odium for Braize, and Cultivation for Ashyn. I have a mini-theory that Ashyn was the Tranquiline Halls and Braize always Damnation. Odium was unable to drive all humans out of the Tranquiline Halls (Ashyn), resulting in the people still there now. That would also mean that Cultivation made humans in the Greater Roshar system, which sort of makes sense because she cultivates life. Most people disagree with this in general, however, believing Braize to once have been the Tranquiline Halls before Odium Odiumized it into Damnation, but hey, it's always fun to have a different theory! All the better for discussion (argument).

 

All that said, basically, I espouse this theory.  (I mean literally, I love it. I want to marry it.  )

[WeiryWriter]

Brandon has said that Sixth of the Dusk takes place on a minor shardworld, it isn't going to have a Shard.

[Aether]

Brandon has said that Sixth of the Dusk takes place on a minor shardworld, it isn't going to have a Shard.

We still do not know exactly how he differentiate between lesser and greater Shardworlds, though. First of the sun (the name of the planet) might very well have a Shard, but one that is inconsequential to the rest of the Cosmere.

I think t likely that it does not have a full shard, but Brandon has as of yet not given any indication either way.