Honor's Splintering

[OmenZero]

Hello, I'm new here but I've had a very tenuous theory about Honor's splintering that has been brewing in my mind as I reread the stormlight archive.

It is said multiple times in the books that towards the end of Honor's life he condemned the Radiants to eventually destroy Roshar and at least once was said to have seemingly focused more on the actual oaths themselves and not necessarily what they meant. My hypothesis, based on the timing of his death (after Aharietiam but before the Recreance) and the above, is that Honor was able to be splintered because the Oathpact was broken. It would make considerable sense given that the Honorblades are, as far as we can tell, splinters of Honor and the Heralds are likely either entirely splinters or Invested enough by Honor that he would be affected by their choices. Even more, while we don't know exactly how the Investiture of it worked, something like the Oathpact (capable of holding back Odium in many ways until certain conditions were met. I base this on the fact that we don't see Odium's direct influence until Oathbringer which is after the Return begins, and given that we know powerful entities on the Voidbringer side can't enter right away it stands to reason that Odium is at least limited in some capacity from direct influence until the Return has begun for some time.) would likely have to involve Honor's influence or Investiture in some way. It is, after all, an oath and made by his chosen wielding splinters of his power.

This, of course, does not explain the actual battle or some such, though I wouldn't be surprised if the Shattered Plains was involved. (It feels too neat to assume that is why they're shattered in the first place, but given how little we know, the possibility is not ruled out in my mind.) But I believe this theory would provide a step forward in understanding both why Honor changed at the end of his life and how he was able to be splintered at all and perhaps, even, why he decided to start divesting himself of his various responsibilities (i.e. creating Honorspren) towards the end of his life.

 

What do you guys think?

[+Oltux72]

Preservation also became mentally unstable. Odium killed Ambition, Devotion and Dominion without an oathpact being involved.

The only thing we know, by direct admission, to be a fatal risk to a Shard is breaking ther own word. That killed Preservation. However, the example of Ruin showed that killing a Shard is possible without that precondition.

I am afraid you reduced a general problem to a smaller problem without justification. The problem is explaining how Odium killed Ambition, Devotion, Dominion and Honor.

[Quantus]

This WOB implies that he might have had Help, which always seemed like the simplest explanation to me, if not necessarily the most likely.

 

Quote

 

ericth

What is Odium's edge. Vin and Ati killed each other but Rayse has downed 3 shards and survived. Was it skill, ability, numbers or possibly un-dispersed power?

Brandon Sanderson

Some combination of the above.

Words of Radiance Los Angeles signing (March 5, 2014)

 

 

 

[Eternal Khol]

8 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

. That killed Preservation.

But Brandon said that Pres never actully broke their pact. Just exploited a loophole