Theory regarding SP3

[Lego Mistborn he/him]

First off, this does have some spoilers for Mistborn and some SA, so if I need to put them in spoiler tags, let me know.

Alright, here goes. My thoughts have to with the nature of the two planets. In another thread someone suggested that some cataclysm caused one planet to split into the two we get now, but I figured that it was unlikely, as doing so would not leave the civilizations intact. In the comment I posted, however, I said maybe the splintering of virtuosity had to do with it. Let me explain how I think this would come about.

First, why would the planet be split? I propose that another force, perhaps whatever caused the shades on Threnody or an avatar of Odium (since we know he is trying to splinter all the shards) arrived at the planet. This force caused chaos and harm on the planet, focused around one area, and never reaching more than halfway across the planet, Over time,* it became clear that virtuosity could not defeat this force, so she decides to stop its growth, similar to what we find out Leras does to Ati.

*Edit: the force weakened Virtuosity during this time, which is what made it clear that she could not defeat it.

Now we need to know how this happens. I believe that Virtuosity decided to isolate the force, and the method she chose to use was to split the planet. The issue with this is how violent this action would be. As you may know, a habitable planet probably behaves like earth, and earth has a molten core. To split the planet, she would have to find a way to stop the core from spilling everywhere. In addition, the gravitational pull of the planet would mean that as it split, insane levels of seismic activity would occur as the two halves would basically try to rip themselves apart. This means that an awesome amount of energy, in this case investiture, is required.

This is where we get to the splintering. We can guess how much energy is needed based on Rashek and Vin's attempts to modify Scadrial. Both times they got access to the body of Preservation's power, but they were only able to make relatively small changes, in a matter of a few seconds. To split the planet, Virtuosity would extend herself so far that she is splintered.

The split of the planet has splintered Virtuosity, and so the force, while trapped on the one half that becomes Painter's world, is free to do what it wants there. Now, at this point in time, the two halves still use the magic system in the same way, but corruption is seeping in. Over time, the spirits become tained and trapped on Painter's world, but the ones on Yumi's world either remain the same or are ones freed by a combination of painting and rock stacking. By the time of SP3, the power has such a hold on the magic, that it is starting to infringe on Yumi'd world via the two halves' connection. This is what leads the spirits to call out for Yumi's help. (the halves' connection is what enables the body swap.)

Here is the source: @teknopathetic 7th reply

There you go, as I get feedback I'll edit this, so please tell me what you think.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Ta'veren Kaladin

[cometaryorbit]

17 hours ago, Ta'veren Kaladin said:

 We can guess how much energy is needed based on Rashek and Vin's attempts to modify Scadrial. Both times they got access to the body of Preservation's power, but they were only able to make relatively small changes, in a matter of a few seconds.

That's a very interesting theory.

I kind of prefer the idea that the two planets just manifested different magic systems from Virtuosity's Investiture,  rather than literally being formerly one planet, but that's mostly based on thinking it would be cool to see two planets with magic derived from the same Shard (since there's WOB that the planet affects how the magic system develops) - not actual evidence.

I do have one nitpick, though - moving a planet as much as is shown on the Arcanum Unbounded chart for the Scadrian system (apparently the original/new orbit is about twice the size of the Rashek-era orbit) is not "relatively small changes". That is a gigantic amount of energy - Scadrial is an Earth analogue, thus an Earth-sized planet in (pre-Rashek and post-Harmony)  an Earth-like orbit. The kinetic energy of Earth's orbit is actually much more than the energy needed to completely shatter the planet and throw all the pieces to escape velocity. So making that large of a change to the orbit probably is comparable to separating the planet into two.

[Lego Mistborn he/him]

1 hour ago, cometaryorbit said:

I do have one nitpick, though - moving a planet as much as is shown on the Arcanum Unbounded chart for the Scadrian system (apparently the original/new orbit is about twice the size of the Rashek-era orbit) is not "relatively small changes". That is a gigantic amount of energy - Scadrial is an Earth analogue, thus an Earth-sized planet in (pre-Rashek and post-Harmony)  an Earth-like orbit. The kinetic energy of Earth's orbit is actually much more than the energy needed to completely shatter the planet and throw all the pieces to escape velocity. So making that large of a change to the orbit probably is comparable to separating the planet into two.

My thoughts on this matter are that it would take more energy to hold the two "subplanets" together and shape them into planets of their own, all while avoiding widespread destruction on the surface, but knowing that the changes made in Mistborn were so large makes me think that Virtuosity would have to already be weakened by the power.

[cometaryorbit]

4 hours ago, Ta'veren Kaladin said:

My thoughts on this matter are that it would take more energy to hold the two "subplanets" together and shape them into planets of their own, all while avoiding widespread destruction on the surface, but knowing that the changes made in Mistborn were so large makes me think that Virtuosity would have to already be weakened by the power.

Well, shaping the halves into planets and holding them together should happen automatically due to their own gravity. But that would probably take a long time, and the process would not be survivable on the surface -- making it survivable is probably magic-y enough that I don't think there's any real way to figure out how much energy it would take.

[+Oltux72 he/him]

On 22.3.2022 at 5:47 AM, cometaryorbit said:

Well, shaping the halves into planets and holding them together should happen automatically due to their own gravity. But that would probably take a long time

Minutes to hours. The sheer mechanical force of thousands of kilometers of rock would suddenly find an outlet and part of the planetary core would be without the pressure that keeps it solid. If you really could cut a terrestial planet cleanly through the result would be spectacular and fatal.

 

[Lego Mistborn he/him]

2 hours ago, Oltux72 said:

If you really could cut a terrestial planet cleanly through the result would be spectacular and fatal.

 

And fatal... That is what I was thinking, which gives me a bit more, but not much, leeway as you would have to carefully control all of the matter to keep it from turning disastrous.

[TheLazyElantrian]

Do the nightmares arrival thousands of years before remind anyone else of Shades from shadows in the forests of hell?

[Lego Mistborn he/him]

11 hours ago, TheLazyElantrian said:

Do the nightmares arrival thousands of years before remind anyone else of Shades from shadows in the forests of hell?

This was not something that I picked up on but a lot of people noticed, and I think Brandon said corrupted investiture was going to be something in multiple systems in the Cosmere, kind of like lightweaving.

[+Oltux72 he/him]

On 24.3.2022 at 3:19 PM, TheLazyElantrian said:

Do the nightmares arrival thousands of years before remind anyone else of Shades from shadows in the forests of hell?

Actually, no. The Nightmares are much more aware of their environment and do not obey arbitrary rules. They are basically predators made from Investiture.

[Yumiya]

On 3/20/2022 at 10:55 PM, Ta'veren Kaladin said:

I propose that another force, perhaps whatever caused the shades on Threnody or an avatar of Odium (since we know he is trying to splinter all the shards) arrived at the planet.

I think that Odium is what caused the shades on Threnody. It is stated in the Arcanum Unbounded that Ambition and Odium fought in that system. During that battle, "the waves of destruction - carrying ripped-off chunks of Ambition's power - twisted both the people and the planet of Threnody". These chunks of Ambition would be pure investiture and be what allows the creation of the shades, as "A spirit infused with extra Investiture will often imprint upon that very power". 

I think it very likely that Odium, or another shard, did something similar to Virtuosity, for a couple of reasons.

1. Odium has done it before, with Dominion/Devotion, Ambition, and Honor. 
2. Threnody's star is red, just like Torio's "dominate red-orange sun" that makes the landscape "Like the result of a bloody massacre". We know that red is associated with corruption, of " an outside influence changing the Spiritual nature of the soul". This implies that something corrupted Virtuosity in a way similar to what happened in Threnody, but not in a positive sense.
3. The nightmares are reminiscent of Nightmare Essence (which was done intentionally) and to the Shades of Threnody. Both of which are related to Odium's interference and corrupted investiture.
4. The Hijo are clearly splinters, most likely of Virtuosity ( We will set aside how they came into being for now), given that Hoid called them "self-aware invested beings".  

Having done further reading, I find it unlikely that the two planets were initially one that was split. Instead, I think that Virtuosity was on both planets (maybe as a full shard on Torio, and as a self-created splinter on Painter's planet). 

1. We know from Sanderson that Virtuosity was not keen on settling in one place for too long. This means that Virtuosity moved around fairly frequently. It could have just been hopping back and forth from the 2 planets.
2. The fragmented stories about the nightmare's origins don't really feel like a planet splitting. "The nightmares had originally come from the sky." and "I watched it rain the blood of a dying god" (which I assume was a corrupted Virtuosity) and "I crawled through tar that took the faces of the people I had loved. It took them. And their blood became black ink." (Note that the nightmares were probably human once, like the Shades of Threnody). If a planet split, I image we would have descriptions of earthquakes and lava. Instead it sounds more like a corruption from ripped-off chunks of Virtuosity. 
3. Theoretically, there would need to be some Connection between the two planets. Now, this COULD be fulfilled by them originally being part of the same planet, there seems to be a large difference of Identity that makes it less plausible. If both planets contained Virtuosity, either as a Shard or Splinter, then there would be an inherent connection between pieces of the same shard. 

Counter Theory:

Virtuosity, loving creativity and artistic expression, purposely patronizes multiple planets so it could enjoy multiple forms of creative outlets.  Enter Torio and Painter's planets. Virtuosity would travel back and forth between the two (maybe more) worlds as the artistic muse struck. 

 Odium, ever on his quest to destroy other shards, locates Virtuosity. They do battle, but because Virtuosity has split their power between two planets, Odium is able to completely splinter and corrupt the main Shard of Virtuosity. These chunks of Virtuosity fall from space on to Painter's planet, creating the Shroud (which we know to be investiture) and the nightmares and perpetual darkness. Un-corrupted parts of Virtuosity fall on Torio, leaving splinters and creating the heat prevalent on the planet. Virtuosity's splinters on Torio gain self awareness as the Hijo. 

This relates to a phenomena seen on both worlds (Note that lots of this is speculative and NOT canon) :

1. Torio is the only light that can penetrate the shroud. The light from an invested world would be more likely to penetrate a mist/highstorm like manifestation of investiture. 
2. The distant Hijo that talks to Yumi is the uncorrupted fraction of the still sentient sliver of Virtuosity on Painter's planet. It wants help to be freed from the corruption and to reform the Shard (which we know is possible). 
3. The Hijo are splinters of Virtuosity that Chosen have a high Connection with and therefore communicate with. When a Chosen makes a request of a Hijo, the Hijo is dividing itself into a Investiture rich half and a Investiture poor half, like two magnetic poles. This creates opposite forces, represented in the physical realm by dualities. Light/Dark, Heavy/Light, Male/Female, etc. This in response creates a direct current of investiture that is seen on painter's world as twin lines of pure energy, the hion. There may be a location based component to this, localized to The Place of Ritual. As the Hijo's strength weakens, the bonds in the stacked stones weaken. The ability to split a Hijo is inherent in the stone arrangements. 
4. The heat on Torio is similar to in a way to the mists or highstorm. A source of investiture that strengthens those that are invested with Virtuosity. See quotes below (emphasis my own):
   1. "A furious, superheated cascade which reached forty feet at its highest—a gift from the spirits deep below. "
   2. " The stone underneath, warm and vibrant, the source of all life, heat, and growth."
   3. "Here, heat was sacred. "
   4. "People on other worlds don’t know what they’re missing; there’s a unique comfort to being able to lay down, drape a blanket over yourself, and bake in the floor’s own radiance. It was almost like the planet itself was feeding you life and strength."

I will do nightmares separately as there is a lot to unpack here:

1. Nightmares are corrupted Cognative Shadows like the Shades on Threnody. However, they differ in that they directly feed off humans instead of killing them. Nightmares seek out strong emotions, generally negative, created by the sleeping mind. More fully formed Nightmares can feed on terror from a waking mind. 
   1. "The nightmares, like many predators that fed on minds, could sense emotions and thoughts. They searched for the most powerful, raw ones to feed upon. "
   2. An interesting parallel to nightmares being interested in powerful raw emotion but seeking out what Hoid describes as creations of self punishment/hatred is how Odium names himself as Passion (strong emotion) but acts as hatred.
2. "The child had given the thing shape and substance, ripped directly out of his deepest fears." This sounds a LOT like emotional damage to a spiritweb.
3. This is reinforced further by Hoid's commentary about normal nightmares. "It fill the nooks of the soul like spilled water filling cracks in the floor. Nightmares are a seeping chill, created by the mind to punish itself."
   1. We know the "Snapping" is the process of harming the spiritweb or soul, creating cracks that investiture can enter. What if it can go the other way? Cause cracks that inherent investiture or pieces of spiritweb can be removed from, like Hemalurgical spikes, just emotional instead of physical? In this way, the nightmares gain an identity and sapience. 
   2. Nightmares are created by the mind, a source of, while negative, artistic expression of one's fears. This matches perfectly to a corrupted appreciation of art, or Virtuosity. 

I am probably missing a lot. And I have a bunch more thoughts but this might be enough of a wall of text for now. Please let me know what you think.