Dawnshard Rubric

[Gnmish]

This has been kicking around in my head since Dawnshard, so with the revelations of WaT, I think my Dawnshard/Intent rubric is ready!

Now that we know Hoid/Nomad's dawnshard is Exist I think it's a safe assumption that the 4 are paired basic Commands, and the only commands I can think of as basic as Change and Exist are Begin and End.

The Dawnshard mural depicts Adonalsium split by 4 then 4 again, we can assume each Intent was filtered with a Primary and Secondary Command, giving rise to 16.

Starting with the 4 'pure' Intents with only 1 command, I chose Begin: Invention, Change: Whimsy, Exist: Preservation, End: Ruin.

Then it was a matter of categorising each of the others with a primary and secondary trait, and the result is this chart.

[Atlas333]

This is a very interesting chart, but unfortunately, we can only guess on the remaining two. "Begin" and "End" are solid guesses though.

The only thing I have to add is this epigraph

Quote

Taking the Dawnshard, known to bind any creature voidish or mortal, he crawled up the steps crafted for Heralds, ten strides tall apiece, toward the grand temple above. 

— From The Poem of Ista^[29]

We know at least one dawnshard has the ability to bind "any creature voidish or mortal." The question to me is whether this is referring to the change or exist dawnshard. If it isn't then that could point to one dawnshard having a command similar to "Bind" (maybe "Connect"??)

[Texside he/him/his]

11 minutes ago, Atlas333 said:

We know at least one dawnshard has the ability to bind "any creature voidish or mortal." The question to me is whether this is referring to the change or exist dawnshard. If it isn't then that could point to one dawnshard having a command similar to "Bind" (maybe "Connect"??)

Connect immediately made me think of Connection, the concept. You might be onto something there. 

[Dofurion]

I have another interpretation:

?
『Dominion』
『Ambition』
『Endowment』
『Honor』
Exists
『Preservation』
『Reason』
『Autonomy』
『Mercy』
Change
『Cultivation』
『Ruin』
『Invention』
『Whimsy』
Feel (?)
『Odium』
『Devotion』
『Valor』
『Virtuosity』

[Gnmish]

13 hours ago, Atlas333 said:

This is a very interesting chart, but unfortunately, we can only guess on the remaining two. "Begin" and "End" are solid guesses though.

The only thing I have to add is this epigraph

We know at least one dawnshard has the ability to bind "any creature voidish or mortal." The question to me is whether this is referring to the change or exist dawnshard. If it isn't then that could point to one dawnshard having a command similar to "Bind" (maybe "Connect"??)

I would have assumed the Exist shard that Hoid/Nomad carry would have been that Dawnshard. We've seen its effect to Bind the holder to be unable to do harm. Presumably that would work on any sentient creature, Voidish or Mortal.

[BridgeBoi]

I have an interesting thought. Of the two dawn shards we know they seem to match one shard really well. For example, change matches cultivation almost perfectly and The exist shard matches preservation very well. The hypothetical bind shard from the Poem of Ista matches honor, whose oaths bind anybody. I believe that this is not coincidental . Instead, I believe at the shattering, Cultivation used the change dawnshard, Preservation used the exist one, and Honor used the bindshard. This usage influenced the shards that they chose. Thus their intent are extremely to the shard that they bore. 

[Elite01]

If it’s from the poem which takes place on Roshar it’s most likely the change dawn shard. We have not seen Rysn do much with it yet. Maybe they can bind/force people to change? Seems like kind of a stretch though