What would have happened if the Dawnshards had combined?

[JohnnyKaizen he/him]

In WaT, we get the scene where Wit and Rysn end up in the same room together, and the Dawnshards want to slam together violently (which we then get some description of how "pink mist" is incoming) and Wit/Hoid (doing what I think it the coolest single thing I've seen him do to date) commands the Dawnshards "No." and the stop and he leaves.

At the time, I focused on the novelty of the meeting, of what almost happened, what the meeting might mean for Rysn and Wit/Hoid in the coming Eras, but what I didn't think of was, what would the two Dawnshards become if they had merged? We've seen Sazed take on the name of Harmony and Taravangian take on the name Retribution. Would the two separate Dawnshards merge and similarly take on a new command derived from the two? And if so..what is all 4 of them combined? What is the command of Creation?

[RedBlue]

I have no idea what a merged Dawnshard would look like, but I suspect they might have once been one single whole thing that got broken into four pieces, presumably by Adonalsium.

The term Dawnshard is highly suspect. Shards of … what? Dawn? As in, some kind of metaphysical concept of, I dunno, creation or beginnings?

[Ashbringer he/him]

So on one hand - the Dawnshards being something that you need to need to put together to Create, like how Ruin and Preservation could only create together, is interesting... but also the 4-shard theories and Invention/Virtuosity make me think that Create could be a Dawnshard in and of itself.

[JohnnyKaizen he/him]

12 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

So on one hand - the Dawnshards being something that you need to need to put together to Create, like how Ruin and Preservation could only create together, is interesting... but also the 4-shard theories and Invention/Virtuosity make me think that Create could be a Dawnshard in and of itself.

Same. So what would be a command higher than, or more complete than, Create? That’s what’s got me stumped atm.

[Corgen]

42 minutes ago, JohnnyKaizen said:

Same. So what would be a command higher than, or more complete than, Create? That’s what’s got me stumped atm.

I'm thinking something like "cause, effect and process" because that already includes the concepts of existence and change and may also include the concept of creation.

[Qianweilian He/him]

2 hours ago, JohnnyKaizen said:

So what would be a command higher than, or more complete than, Create?

It could be something to do with humanity. We have change, exist, maybe something to do with emotions and some other dawnshard.

[JohnnyKaizen he/him]

On 3/1/2025 at 10:28 AM, Qianweilian said:

It could be something to do with humanity. We have change, exist, maybe something to do with emotions and some other dawnshard.

You know, I'm starting to think Experience might be it.

[TheStormcrafter he/him]

On 2/28/2025 at 8:32 PM, JohnnyKaizen said:

and Wit/Hoid (doing what I think it the coolest single thing I've seen him do to date) commands the Dawnshards "No."

Imagine just saying "no" to one of the most primal and powerful forces in the cosmere.