Would Vin have been Harmony?

[Cerberus]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:42 AM, Letryx13 said:

Ok, so I've been listening/reading the mist born books in preparation of the lost metal, and something occurred to me.  According to TSH, the reason that Sazed was able to take up both Preservation and Ruin at the same time was because he was balanced between both. Tindwyl's death instilled a sense of acceptance of death within him, which allowed him to take up Ruin, while still wanting to maintain life, allowing him to take up Preservation. The balance he represents between both is what makes him Harmony.

I remember reading a WoB that stated that if Kelsier had managed to take up both Preservation and Ruin, he wouldn't have been Harmony; he would have been Discord.  Sazed represents the balance between the two Shards, while Kelsier would represent the conflict between them.  Based on their respective personalities, I think this makes a great deal of sense.  But what if Vin had somehow managed to take up both Shards? She was both a destroyer and a preserver, something THOA makes perfectly clear, which seems to me to be another type of balance that could allow someone to take up both shards. 

Does anyone know if there is a WoB on this? It seems like the kind of question someone would have come up with a while ago.  I don't think Vin would have been Harmony or Discord, although Harmony seems much more likely than Discord.  The way she talked about life and growth just before she killed Ruin makes me think Vin would have been something like that. Maybe Life.  

What do you guys think?

I think she could have been, she has a great understanding of both preservation and ruin as you said. I actually think she would have had an easier time of it than Sazed did, but Sazed had to be the one to take up the shards in the end as only he had the knowledge required to fix the world before everyone died.

[Letryx13]

3 hours ago, Cerberus said:

I think she could have been, she has a great understanding of both preservation and ruin as you said. I actually think she would have had an easier time of it than Sazed did, but Sazed had to be the one to take up the shards in the end as only he had the knowledge required to fix the world before everyone died.

Yeah, I have to agree with you there.  At that point, only a keeper would have had the knowledge to save Scadrial. Ruin's work was too far gone to stop otherwise.  And I agree that Vin feels like a good balance between the two.

[Radium he/him]

I think Nurture might be a suitable Shardic name if Vin had taken up both Ruin and Preservation. 

It usually boils down to the intents of the Shards, but nurturing something usually involves changes and acceptance in that change, but still preserving what had come before. 

Just my little throw away thought.

[Captain Coffee]

I'd like to think that Vin could have merged them in Protection, which encompasses both Preservation and Ruin. Kelsier could eventually get to that too. I think Sazed could eventually, but it will take him longer because he is more chill

 

[Mistchemist16]

I’ve actually considered one other possibility for merging Preservation and Ruin, though the circumstances are trickier. By taking on the role of Hero of Ages and saving the world, that act would define the new Shard. As such, it would be called Guardian or something similar.

In a way, it’s also more complimentary in a few ways. First, the addition of Ruin means the new Shard wouldn’t be obsessed with preventing any change as long as the big picture is intact. Second, the destructive intent of Ruin is channeled into Preserving that which the Vessel cares about. Which could carry interesting implications, though it would be easy to become overly protective and start destroying everything.