Dawnshards and shards

[Pandora's shard]

Hey guys!!

I wanted to post about my thoughts on what the 4 dawnshards are, and then, divide each shard into respective dawnshards, and then, go into some theories. 

Here we go!!! 

4 Dawnshards: CREATE, SURVIVE, CHANGE, DESTROY

Why these 4? 

Since these are the primal commands of creation, they must include all aspects of creation. Creation must include a cycle of "birth, survive (so that life can be experienced), change or growth, and then, death".

These 4 thoughts include the life. Life of a living thing, and if we go meta, life of planet, star, universe etc.  

So, to encompass these 4 thoughts, the 4 primal commands are: CREATE, SURVIVE, CHANGE, DESTROY

Shards related to each dawnshards:

CREATE: Invention, Endowment, Devotion, Unknown

SURVIVE: Preservation, Honour, Autonomy, Mercy

CHANGE: Cultivation, Whimsy, Ambition, Wisdom/Prudence(the shard that wants to survive) 

DESTROY: Ruin, Odium, Dominion, Valor

 

Let's explain each:

 

CREATE:

Invention:  To invent is to create something

Endowment: When one endows someone with something, they have given something to a person that did not exist earlier with the receiver (not this exact copy). So, this is a form of creation, where something that did not exist now comes into being. 

Devotion: This is a tricky one, yet it makes sense.

A mother and father show most devotion to a child, who is their creation. We are most attached to something we have created by our hard work. In fact, to show someone that we are devoted to someone, we want to create memories together, create experiences together.

Again and again, devotion as a sentiment or emotion leads to some or the other form of creation. 

Unknown: 

 

SURVIVE:

Preservation: The most direct form of not changing or surviving as it is. 

Honour: It is about following the set rules. Thus, this sentiment induces the not changing or surviving in the current state. 

Autonomy: It is the situation where anything external cannot have affect on the person or cannot impact any changes in the person. Thus, this sentiment is one of not changing, albeit this not changing is from external forces. 

Mercy: When a person shows mercy to someone, they have decided to not FORCEFULLY affect a negative change in someone. Mercy can only be shown by deciding to not change someone in situations where the other person is most prone to damage in a negative sense. So, Mercy has to be a sentiment or emotion of surviving as it is. 

 

CHANGE:

Cultivation: When change is pre-planned or as much controlled as possible, and the outcome is expected. 

Whimsy: When Change is sudden, and outcome is not much thought about. 

Ambition: We have this sentiment when we want to bring about awe-inspiring changes. This may be an internal ambition, or an external ambition, where we want to bring about change in others. But, whatever that change may be and however audacious, this sentiment is an expression of change. 

Wisdom(Prudence): This is what a series of experiences accumulate in a person, and allows the person to grow, change and be better prepared to face future situations, whether they are good or bad. Thus, Wisdom or Prudence has to be a sentiment of change. 

Why does this Shard want to survive? Because the experiences it gained from the destruction of other shards forced it to learn and change so that, it did not undergo a similar fate. 

Why has it now decided to come back and take part more actively in shard politics once again? It must have deduced from current shard actions that if it does not intervene, the current cosmere is headed towards a major destruction. 

Why is survival only tangentially related to it's intent? Because, after u have learned from the experiences of others, u want to not do the same stuff others did and die. If that means, hiding for a long time, so be it. Thus, it's hiding from all activity feels like the shards intent is survival. It is not. The intent is change related. Change brought about by experiences of others and it's own. 

 

DESTROY:

Ruin: Destruction of all matter and people as an end result. 

Odium: Passionate hate and emotions lead to destructiveness. 

Dominion: Once a hierarchy of dominance has been established, it means the person has destroyed some aspect of other person. The dominance may be physical, emotional or mental. Even in general culture, someone dominating other is seen as destruction of the one being dominated. 

Valor: It is the expression of destruction in the positive way. This destruction occurs when person has to defend themselves or others, and in situations that are not favourable. 

 

Some of my thoughts and theories about Dawnshard:

1) Novel "Dawnshard" revealed that Rysn holds the CHANGE dawnshard. I think this dawnshard has not been held by anyone we have seen onscreen other than Rysn. But, in secret project 4, Sigzil will hold this dawnshard for brief time, before giving it up. 

2) Hoid held the SURVIVE dawnshard. I think, Kelsier has held and is also currently holding the Survive Dawnshard. I think, this is the reason why Hoid was able to physically beat Kelsier. I think, this is also one of the reasons why Harmony does not want to help Kelsier in any way possible. 

3) I think Nightblood has the DESTROY dawnshard, and it was put in the sword by ENDOWMENT. The large amount of investiture has given the sword it's sentience, which again and again reverts to the one command that echoes in its sentient mind, DESTROY. 

Also, I think this action is a result of some co-politicking of ENDOWMENT AND CULTIVATION. Just look at the events.

Odium comes to Roshar. Honour binds him to the system and in turn, it's vessel is killed. Somehow, 5 people from planet of ENDOWMENT come to Roshar and get inspired by the swords of the planet.

But just look at one thing everyone neglects. In a planet where odium is trying it's best to destroy the shards, CULTIVATION's perpendicularity is so easily accessible throughout this time. We can even say that it is one of the most easily accessible perpendicularities in all of cosmere, even when another shard is trying to destroy the resident shards.

Thus, 5 scholars from Nalthis (ENDOWMENT'S planet) come to Roshar, see the honour blades, go back, try to build replicas, somehow end up creating a sword so deadly that Shard Vessel can be killed. That sword finds its way again into Roshar without the notice of ODIUM (so easily accessible perpendicularity), and somehow finds its way to Szeth, who at the right time delivers it to another pawn of CULTIVATION's game, who ends up killing ODIUM's vessel. 

Coincidence? 

I dont think so. Specially when ENDOWMENT writes this to Hoid "You must not worry about Rayse. If Rayse becomes an issue, he will be dealt with". Such confidence shows me that plans were already underway to take care of Rayse and ODIUM. 

All this makes me believe that CULTIVATION and ENDOWMENT polliticked together to achieve the killing of Rayse and change the vessel of ODIUM. And this was brought about by the one thing having the dawnshard DESTROY. The Nightblood. 

 

 

That's it guys. All my current thoughts about the dawnshards. What do you think??? 

[Frustration he/him]

Ruin is a force for Change.

And Dominion wants what they have to last.

And that's not to mention how Brandon has said that Cultivation and Ruin would be an excellent pair, and that Honor and Odium would nationally attract each other. Or that all shards have a natural secondary drive to create.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Ookla the Frustrated.

[Pandora's shard]

Cultivation and Ruin would be excellent pair because the natural end of growth or change is ruin or destroying, so that new things can ne created once again, and the cycle of life may continue. Cultivation and Ruin being good pair does not mean they belong to same primal commands. 

 

Ruin is about destruction. It's in the name. It's not about change. It's about destroying what exists now, so next cycle can restart. 

 

All shards have secondary intent to create, because all these belong to the cycle of life (create, survive, change and destroy), and thus, each lead to or contribute in one way or other towards creation. 

26 minutes ago, Ookla the Frustrated. said:

 

 

 

[Frustration he/him]

1 minute ago, Pandora's shard said:

Ruin is about destruction. It's in the name. It's not about change. It's about destroying what exists now, so next cycle can restart. 

In SH Ruin is pretty clear there will be no restart when he is done.

[Pandora's shard]

Offcourse RUIN will be clear about it. RUIN is not going to start the next cycle of creation. RUIN is all about current things getting destroyed. In isolation, this is the intent of this shard. 

 

Starting the next cycle requires other intents. 

[Chinsukolo]

On 12/20/2022 at 0:06 PM, Pandora's shard said:

1) Novel "Dawnshard" revealed that Rysn holds the CHANGE dawnshard. I think this dawnshard has not been held by anyone we have seen onscreen other than Rysn. But, in secret project 4, Sigzil will hold this dawnshard for brief time, before giving it up. 

2) Hoid held the SURVIVE dawnshard. I think, Kelsier has held and is also currently holding the Survive Dawnshard. I think, this is the reason why Hoid was able to physically beat Kelsier. I think, this is also one of the reasons why Harmony does not want to help Kelsier in any way possible. 

Sorry I've not been around here for a long time, pretty out of touch with WoBs and such.

I read Dawnshard, so tracking that.  Project 4 isn't out so wonder how this came up?   Was it a WoB or did Brandon release a part of Project 4 like an interlude or something?

Also whats the source for SURVIVE being a dawnshard? this isnt the only place i stumbled across this today.  But I cant recall it at all so would like to go read it since with multiple posts mentioning it its clearly a thing i missed.

[offer]

 

12 hours ago, Chinsukolo said:

 

Brandon realesed the first few chapters of secret projects 4 (Note that spoiling them is not allowed in this forum).

Survive being a dawnshard is just a theory - there is no confirmation for it. 

[IlstrawberrySeed]

Ruin is the name for the shard, but is the embodiment of Entropy, not destruction. 

[Frustration he/him]

Which Dawnshard is the one that's different from the others? And if they all self-protect why is Survive a Dawnshard unto itself? And what's the Dawnshard that can bind any creature motal or Voidish?

Edited January 2, 2023 by Frustration