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Multiple Shatterings and a Grudge


Dirigible

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After reading Dawnshard and seeing some of the speculation, I've come to agree with the popular opinion that UNITE is one of the Dawnshard commands. I believe UNITE is the Dawnshard that is different from all the rest--because it's been shattered. If I personally had the #1 priority of breaking a god into many pieces, my #2 priority would be making sure it's couldn't be reforged sometime in the future. Depending on how this went down it could even explain Hoid's grudge against Bavadin and Rayse.

Here's my theory: After the 16 shardholders took their power, Bavadin and Rayse suggested using the power of their Shards to destroy the UNITE Dawnshard so as to prevent there ever being a unified Adonalsium ever again (or they just went ahead and did it without consulting the other shardholders).

If a close friend of Hoid's was the holder of this UNITE Dawnshard, killed by a Bavadin/Rayse team up it would explain:

  • Hoid's implied goal of trying to bring back the dead (shown in The Traveler, though it's non-canon)
Quote

“You will not find a way to restore what you have lost, old friend,” the aged man said softly. ”It is impossible.” 

“You don’t know that. The old rules no longer hold.” The Traveler turned the pomegranate over in his fingers. ”Besides, I’ve heard of a place… It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. This isn’t about the dead… or it’s not JUST about the dead, at least.” He dropped the fruit to the ground, wiping his fingers on his riding coat.

  • His grudge against Bavadin and Rayse (from the Letter)
Quote

You have accused me of perpetuating my grudge against Rayse and Bavadin

  • Why Odium thought he killed Unity (with the help of someone else?)
Quote

"No!" Odium screamed.  He stepped forward. "No, we killed you. We killed you!"

So this theory requires that Dalinar is holding (part of) the Unity Dawnshard. The visions of golden light could be splinters of Unity passing on to Dalinar from some outside power (i.e. Nohadon).

A problem I have with my own theory is the Poem of Ista:

Quote

Taking the Dawnshard, known to bind any creature voidish or mortal, he crawled up the steps crafted for Heralds, ten strides tall apiece, toward the grand temple above.

If the Unity Dawnshard was splintered immediately after the Shattering, why are there references to Heralds and presumably that same Dawnshard? I'm not sure. Maybe this poem is prophetic, maybe the "Heralds" are not the 10 Heralds we know, but used here as a synonym for gods (maybe Shards?), maybe my theory is completely wrong!

Thanks for reading my theory. I've seen some of these ideas floating around but wanted to post my speculative timeline in case anyone finds it interesting!

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22 hours ago, Leuthie said:

Narratively, having a "shattered" Dawnshard would just be overuse of a theme. Sure, he could do it, but I hope he does something less repetitive with the Dawnshards. 

I couldn't agree more. Also, there are at least two additional hints in the books:

1. Dawnshards (plural) were used to destroy Ashyn, so there's at least one intact Dawnshard besides Change somewhere around

2. Dalinar seems to be on a mission to find the true God - and the Almighty doesn't count since he could die. The problem is, so could Adonalsium, so, unless we include the God Beyond (who will definitely not make any appearance in the books), we're out of Gods, so to speak. Dawnshards being eternal, unchangeable pieces of divinity solve this apparent contradiction

There's one terrifying realization, though - if Dawnshards cannot be destroyed or splintered, what happens if a Dawnshard is killed by Nightblood? Would Nightblood become a Dawnshard then? How powerful could it get? If Odium really holds some Shard-splintering Dawnshard, as some of us (including me) believe, it could actually become a plot point for the Arc 2

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Hi, long time no write, although I've been coming here to read theories and WoB now and then.

 

As is normal in this kind of speculative thread, VERY LIGHT SPOILERS FOR ALL OF THE COSMERE BOOKS.

 

So, one thing I've been thinking about since Dawnshard is whether the DS are one way Commands or reversible Commands. I mean, ¿can CHANGE be used only to change things or can it be used to freeze something, thus forbiding it of changing? Same with UNITY, which seems to have stuck as another DS, ¿is the DS holder able to use it to un-unity? That is, Shatter, Splinter, Dissolve. If so, then this could have been the DS used in the Shattering of Adonalsium (if only one was used and not the full load of four).

Another thing, then, more pertaining to your theory: ¿what happens to the Vessel when a Shard or DS is Splintered? We've seen what happened to A&L, Vessels can be killed, liberating the Shards. But, ¿what happens when the Shard is Splintered while the Holder is alive and well? Maybe the Vessel is still attached to the Shard and won't die, instead having their Spirit / Mind / Body fragmented with the Shard. So, it well could be that, by repairing the UNITE DS, the Vessel could be repaired as well.

So, ¿Do we think Tanavast is still out there in pieces, or gone to the Beyond? ¿Have we seen Hoid regain hope that he'll be able to bring back his friend / lover / master / whatever? I've assumed, and seen a lot other people do, that he's trying to reform Adonalsium but, ¿what if he doesn't and just wants to bring someone back? Maybe he was depressed and moping himself through the floor for a couple of milennia, then he started seeing things that started to give him ideas.

Finally, on the Gods, specially that True God Dalinar's looking for, ¿do you really think a DS or Shard Vessel would get this title? I don't know, but something in the wording of the story that Nikli tells about the DS and the Shattering suggests me that Adonalsium left the four DS deliberately, to allow mortal beings to experience the power of creation. You know, something like wanting to share that experience with ITs own creations. So, they wouldn't give automatically Ascencion (akin to Divinity) as holding a Shard would. In fact, Nikli is not in the slightest worried about the power that Rysn has now, because he knows she hasn't Ascended just by holding the DS, he thinks she can be killed just as easily as before. Of course, in Roshar there are a lot of religions and so-called gods: Heralds, Spren, Greatshells... So, maybe the true God may be even a Vessel.

 

Well, just thoughts, I like this thread anyway :)

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