The Heralds and the Shards

[Cammac]

I theorized on a post in another thread about the Heralds, Odium and the unmade. Basically I think that originally they were heralds of odium, excluding Taln, bonded to splinters of odium. In Oathbringer during a Dalinar flashback when hes drinking with Jezrien, hes asked which of the unmade are in his head. Following this Jezrien speaks these words, 

"We let them in. We attracted them, befriended them, took them out to dance and courted them. It is our fault." 

These bonds were then broken or "unmade" to seek Honor thus creating the unmade we currently see.

When the Helalds took up their powers and the oathpact, we know that Honor made the blades. Was it cultivation who granted to power to bind the fused to Braize?

Uncertain for Taln yet but the 10 Heralds have become the 10 fools, was this a boon and bane deal from Culltivation? Before they broke the oathpact they were all tired and scared but no indication of being crazy. So the boon was the power to trap the fused. The curse to either be tortured physically on braize, or mentally on Roshar.

Alternatively, the heralds becoming the 10 fools is an inherent trait of Honor, from the amount of his investiture (possibly a little intent included) given to them. Honor can be both good and foolish, it can be what's right and just, it can be an excuse for your own misguided sense of pride and longing for unequivocal respect. The idea of following your oath no matter the cost, even if circumstances change, is rather foolish. Plus towards the end its said to be all honor himself was interested in.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 3, and your own crazy theories on the subject.

[RShara]

I don't think that they would have been bonded to Splinters of Odium. We know that Odium doesn't like to invest or to create Splinters, and only did so on Roshar because he's trapped. So I think it's unlikely he would have given the Heralds his power.

[Cammac]

15 minutes ago, RShara said:

I don't think that they would have been bonded to Splinters of Odium. We know that Odium doesn't like to invest or to create Splinters, and only did so on Roshar because he's trapped. So I think it's unlikely he would have given the Heralds his power.

I did consider that at first, but the more I thought about his chance of splintering a shard power couple the more I thought he'd have to take risks. He needed to make them over invest themselves to make his move, what better way than a war to save their chosen planet and people. Honor and Cultivation were already heavily invested in Roshar, if not Ashyn aswell. Odium just needed them to go that extra mile.

[RShara]

He didn't need to Invest in order to Splinter Devotion, Dominion, or Ambition. So I can't think of a really good reason why he'd need to Invest in Ashyn to Splinter Honor and Cultivatin, esp, since they weren't even nearly as invested on Ashyn as they were on Roshar.

[Cammac]

3 minutes ago, RShara said:

He didn't need to Invest in order to Splinter Devotion, Dominion, or Ambition. So I can't think of a really good reason why he'd need to Invest in Ashyn to Splinter Honor and Cultivatin, esp, since they weren't even nearly as invested on Ashyn as they were on Roshar.

I think the investing would have been done when first arriving on or preparing to go to Roshar. As far as we know, the other shards he splintered weren't working together like Honor and Cultivation are/did, hence the risk he would need to take. They were a couple after all.

[RShara]

I'm pretty sure Devotion and Dominion were working together, too. Otherwise, why would they settle on the same planet?

[Cammac]

36 minutes ago, RShara said:

I'm pretty sure Devotion and Dominion were working together, too. Otherwise, why would they settle on the same planet?

Ruin and Preservation didnt work together, not in the end anyway. The vessels of Honor and Cultivation were a couple, possibly with child. I think their bond would be stronger than any other cohabiting shards.

I'm clinging on for dear life on the this theory, I havent got many straws left to grasp at 

[Rushu42]

3 hours ago, RShara said:

I don't think that they would have been bonded to Splinters of Odium. We know that Odium doesn't like to invest or to create Splinters, and only did so on Roshar because he's trapped. So I think it's unlikely he would have given the Heralds his power.

Odium might not necessarily have had to Splinter in order to make some deal with the Heralds. We see him bargaining with Taravangian, after all. I think that Odium could easily have been involved in the human's flight from Ashyn, for example. They made some sort of deal with him that allowed them to leave, and possibly gave Odium greater access to Roshar in the process. It would explain their status as the first Voidbringers. At some point, they switched their allegiance to Honor, and the Heralds could have led this movement.