The Shard Combo Chart

[UltimateArchivist]

I'm almost certain this idea has been done before, but I couldn't find anything posted here. Please note that this is a rough chart and not in any way definitive; it is a personal interpretation of how I think Shard Combination would work.

All shards within a white box are a combo I see as being plausible.

All Shards within a black box are double combos: doesn't count

Grey boxes indicate Shards that would have extreme difficulty mixing.

Pink boxes indicate Shard combos we know are canon.

Green boxes indicate Shard combos that are possibly canon or could become canon.

Blue boxes are not real Shards. They are my guess as to the sixteenth Shard and its respective combinations.

I am aware that there may be inconsistencies with my logic. This is highly opinionated. However, I thought it would be beneficial to share it. If you have any questions, ask! If you have corrections, also ask! I am here to serve.

[Experience]

Ooh, I want to do this now. Could you give the link to the spreadsheet so I can make a copy to play around with?

[UltimateArchivist]

Sure! I'll message a copy to you directly!

[SPECTRE120]

I don't agree with all of your combinations, but it must have taken a lot of effort to create all of this and it's very cool. Great job! I wonder what shards will combine in the future of the Cosmere...

[UltimateArchivist]

If there are any you don't agree with, feel free to propose ideas of your own! Yes, it was very hard to make at times; some Shard combos really stretch your creativity.

[Highprince10]

Could you send me the link to the spreadsheet also. I am very impressed and like this a lot

[Espella]

Is there something I missed that makes the Honor+Cultivation = Science combo possibly canon? Wouldn't be my first thought for their combination and I don't remember seeing anything in the books or WoBs to support that.

[UltimateArchivist]

28 minutes ago, Espella said:

Is there something I missed that makes the Honor+Cultivation = Science combo possibly canon? Wouldn't be my first thought for their combination and I don't remember seeing anything in the books or WoBs to support that.

Here we are, in RoW. I don't know what page it is, but it is the moment when Navani is bonding the Sibling, the moment when she and the Sibling find common purpose in protecting the Knights Radiant.

 

Honor's song welled up in her, and she sang it. The pillar began to vibrate as the Sibling sang Cultivation's song. The pure sound of Lifelight. The sound began to shift, and Navani modulated her tone, inching it closer and closer to...

The two snapped into harmony. The boundless energy of Cultivation, always growing and changing, and the calm solidity of Honor - organized, structured. The vibrated together. Structure and nature. Knowledge and wonder. Mixing.

The song of science itself.

"That is it!" the Sibling whispered to the Rhythm of the Tower. "My song".

 

Of this, I am fairly certain, and I am sure others can attest, but please, if I am wrong, do not let me continue in ignorance! I abhor being wrong, and would welcome correction.

[CtrlAltDepressed]

10 minutes ago, Espella said:

Is there something I missed that makes the Honor+Cultivation = Science combo possibly canon? Wouldn't be my first thought for their combination and I don't remember seeing anything in the books or WoBs to support that.

The name is not canon, but the combination of Honor + Cultivation creates Towerlight, and this shard would be the Towerlight equivalent shard. Science was chosen as the name due to the fact that the Sibling herself is a bunch of fabrials and her association with Navani was very academic. 

 

I would like to point out that the Warlight and Towerlight combinations that we have seen would not actually be the investitures of those combined shards. Those lights exist as two separate tones, instead of one pure tone as a shard would have. Since these shards are not in direct opposition like Harmony's, I think we should expect an actual combination of the shards in this instance and not another Harmony 2-in-1 situation. 

 

To respond to the post, im going to attempt to find something that works for the grey boxes.

 

Virtuosity + Dominion = Expertise

Virtuosity + Autonomy = Individuality

Honor + Virtuosity = Competition

Honor + Whimsy = Neutrality

Preservation + Cultivation = Progress

Mercy + Odium = Apathy

Mercy + Ruin = Execution

Whimsy + Devotion = Mischief

 

Trying to come up with more.....these are hard 

 

 

[UltimateArchivist]

26 minutes ago, CtrlAltDepressed said:

I would like to point out that the Warlight and Towerlight combinations that we have seen would not actually be the investitures of those combined shards. Those lights exist as two separate tones, instead of one pure tone as a shard would have. Since these shards are not in direct opposition like Harmony's, I think we should expect an actual combination of the shards in this instance and not another Harmony 2-in-1 situation. 

Very true. After all, this is very hypothetical. It's hard to take into account the fact that, like Harmonium, these are not a direct mixture of the constituent elements, but those two and something else; and Intent, a Connection, something odd we just have not yet identified. That's why it takes the Harmonium-Trellium Reduction Reaction to form Lerasium and Atium out of Harmonium.

26 minutes ago, CtrlAltDepressed said:

Trying to come up with more.....these are hard 

Now you see why I left them blank. 

Edited April 25 by UltimateArchivist

[Dofurion]

You can consider my next comment as apocryphal but at a convention that Snaderson attended in Spain he was asked that if Honor and Odium merged they would end up with an intention similar to Justice and he had answered yes.
The same person who asked the question told me this, but according to her, she couldn't get on the Copper since the audio was very bad.

[Espella]

Been a while since I've read RoW so I guess I wasn't thinking about the Sibling having a ton of fabrials, mostly I remembered the disagreement between Navani and the Sibling about modern fabrials which is why Science seemed wrong to me. I suppose thinking back that was more of an ethical concern rather than an anti-science thing.

 

23 minutes ago, Dofurion said:

You can consider my next comment as apocryphal but at a convention that Snaderson attended in Spain he was asked that if Honor and Odium merged they would end up with an intention similar to Justice and he had answered yes.
The same person who asked the question told me this, but according to her, she couldn't get on the Copper since the audio was very bad.

Justice makes sense for a lot of the same reasons War does, both fundamentally are based around the idea of bringing wrath/hatred against only those who deserve it, i.e. dealing out Odium in an Honorable fashion. I feel like the theoretical combination could easily end up as either Justice or War depending on the mindset of whoever the new bearer was and how they viewed the combination.

[UltimateArchivist]

Yes, and I do remember that when I originally started, I didn't feel like they would merge like that either. I thought Honor and Odium would make something similar to justice, and Honor and Cultivation something more like Progression, but outside influences and the phrasing in the stories led me to believe I should change the name. This is all make believe, folks. Just for fun. 

[alder24]

Just to point out, we don't call Stormlight as Honorlight, Voidlight is not Odiumlight, so why would Warlight be of War Shard when all other light names don't include the names of Shards they represent? I don't think the combination of Honor and Odium will be War. Science is more likely as the light's name is Towerlight and it does represent science as Navani said. 

[UltimateArchivist]

I cannot stress enough that this is not an exact science. This is me having fun and speculating. It does not have to be true; it was a recreational study that is completely hypothetical.

[Dreamwa1ker]

This is so cool thanks for it! Always a fun topic to theorize and debate.

My personal pick for Cultivation + Odium is Malignance. Thinking of like cancerous growth, harmful growth, unchecked growth, virulence/contagion, as well as nursing a grudge (like the loathing you put which is also a good option)

It would be terrifying if Taravangian picked up Cultivation as well.

Edited April 26 by Dreamwa1ker

[UltimateArchivist]

36 minutes ago, Dreamwa1ker said:

This is so cool thanks for it! Always a fun topic to theorize and debate

Thank you very much! it is very appreciated.

36 minutes ago, Dreamwa1ker said:

My personal pick for Cultivation + Odium is Malignance. Thinking of like cancerous growth, harmful growth, unchecked growth, virulence/contagion, as well as nursing a grudge (like the loathing you put which is also a good option)

Oh this a very good addition. It makes sense to specify a little more than loathing, a more... Cultivated Hatred. Clever!

[Aetherbound]

I'll try to fill some in.

• Cultivation + Valor = Tradition
• Endowment + Valor = Encouragement
• Whimsy + Preservation = Boredom
• Mercy + Ruin = Pity

[Highprince10]

Ambition+Autonomy=Control

Ambition+Mercy=Benevolence 

[SPECTRE120]

Instead of doom, Odium+Ruin could be nihilism (hating everything, life is meaningless, destroy everything)

Instead of retreat, Mercy+Honor could be chivalry (having honor, showing mercy on people)

instead of cruel irony, Odium+Whimsy could be insanity (hatred for no reason, being irrational, being passionate about things for whimsical reasons)

 

Edited April 26 by SPECTRE120

[CtrlAltDepressed]

6 hours ago, Aetherbound said:

• Cultivation + Valor = Tradition
• Endowment + Valor = Encouragement
• Whimsy + Preservation = Boredom
• Mercy + Ruin = Pity

 

5 hours ago, Highprince10 said:

Ambition+Autonomy=Control

Ambition+Mercy=Benevolence 

 

1 hour ago, SPECTRE120 said:

instead of cruel irony, Odium+Whimsy could be insanity

Dang these are all really good! I especially like Pity, Insanity, and Control. Fantastic.

[Sophrosyne]

Not to be reductionist or anything but I found this on reddit a while back seems relevant. (I'd post a link but ant remember this forums views on that.)

PS: Why Valor + Mercy = Intelligence?

Edited April 28 by Sophrosyne
Formatting

[RefusesToElaborate]

Hey, I want to point out something awkward and annoying.

The combination of two shardic intents may be up to the shardbearers interpretation.

I believe if young Dalinar received both those shards, he may name himself War, or Conquest.

But today, he may name it something like Judgement or Prejudice or Crusade.

[UltimateArchivist]

9 hours ago, RefusesToElaborate said:

The combination of two shardic intents may be up to the shardbearers interpretation.

I'm not entirely sure that Vessels can adjust the Intents of an entire Shard like that. In the past, all we've seen is the Vessel becoming adjusted to the Shard's Intent. It is a good thought, but I believe that seeing as it has never yet happened in-world, it cannot be confirmed. If someone does not match a Shard's Intent, they typically cannot control it very well. (For instance, Kelsier controlling Preservation.)

Thank you for your input! It is vastly appreciated.

On 4/28/2024 at 2:32 AM, Sophrosyne said:

PS: Why Valor + Mercy = Intelligence?

That... is odd. I also found that I put Discretion in two seperate places. It is clear that though I thought the Chart was ready for publishing, there are still many more problems that need addressing. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!

The Ultimate Archivist

[alder24]

9 hours ago, RefusesToElaborate said:

Hey, I want to point out something awkward and annoying.

The combination of two shardic intents may be up to the shardbearers interpretation.

31 minutes ago, UltimateArchivist said:

I'm not entirely sure that Vessels can adjust the Intents of an entire Shard like that. In the past, all we've seen is the Vessel becoming adjusted to the Shard's Intent. It is a good thought, but I believe that seeing as it has never yet happened in-world, it cannot be confirmed. If someone does not match a Shard's Intent, they typically cannot control it very well. (For instance, Kelsier controlling Preservation.)

Yes, a Vessel can influence the intent of a Shard and even change it to some extent. Different interpretations might create slightly different Shards, so different people would Ascend to different Shards. That's what Rayse tried to do with Odium, changing it into Passion. A Vessel filters how Shard's intent is expressed.

Spoiler

[...]

yulerule

Is there any connection with the thought that it's not Hatred? Because in Oathbringer, he says he's Passion?

Brandon Sanderson

He would claim that he's Passion and not Odium. But that is part of why I chose it. Hatred felt too on-the-nose, because there is quite arguably that step toward just being all Passion, and that's what he claims that he is.

yulerule

His own perception of himself, can perception, in the cosmere, can that influence?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, it can influence.

yulerule

So the Shard's Intent can--

Brandon Sanderson

Can be influenced by their perception and the holder's, yes.

JordanCon 2018 (April 20, 2018)

 

Spoiler

Necarion

Do Vessels have any flexibility in expressing the intent of a Shard, particularly if the intent is open to many interpretations?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes they do. So, the Vessel's mind and how they perceive is going to have a large influence on how things are expressed and I think all of them have some wiggle room. But there are some deterministic things that are also going to push them.  You know, holding Ruin, Harmony may not go down the same path that happened to Ati.

Necarion

So Sadeas would express Honor differently than Tanavast?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes he would.

Arcanum Unbounded San Francisco signing (Nov. 30, 2016)

 

Spoiler

Questioner

I was just wondering if a Shard's intent can change over time without changing holders?

Brandon Sanderson

Without changing holders? The holder can have a slight effect on how the-- a big effect on how the intent is interpreted, but what the intent is stays the same. So it's gonna be filtered. The way it manifests can change, and you'll see that happening, but it is the same intent. When it was broken off, it took a certain thing with it.

Salt Lake City ComicCon 2017 (Sept. 21, 2017)

 

Spoiler

Jess

The Cognitive aspect of an object is the way that the object views itself and others view it. Say the Vessel of a Shard started to view their power in a somewhat different way than when they first got that power, and the people on the planet also start to view it that way. Would the intent/mandate of that Shard be altered by that changes?

Brandon Sanderson

Within some limitations, yes. Certain Shards--certain Vessels believe it can go further than others believe it can go. But there is at least some wiggle room there.

MisCon 2018 (May 26, 2018)

 

Spoiler

m4ge

If a Splintered Shard is somehow reformed, is it possible to change the word that expresses its Intent?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, but that's a very implausible thing depending on how... so, you're getting into some weird Cosmere stuff here. Most of the ways that these different Shards could manifest could be described differently. Odium is trying very hard to describe his Shard as something different, and there's an argument there. But it depends on if you're like actually changing it or if you just want to call it something different. You could just call Odium Hatred and it's not going to change anything, but if you wanted to change Odium to mean Passion like Odium thinks that it means, then that's more difficult.

YouTube Spoiler Stream 2 (June 3, 2021)