A Theory on the Origins of the Shards and the Nature of Adonalsium

[HoidMyDrink]

Forgive me if this is discussed elsewhere...

What if the so-called “Shattering” of Adonalsium was never a literal event? What if, instead, the division of Adonalsium into distinct Shards was the result of collective belief—a metaphysical shift not brought about by force, but by perception?

Throughout the Cosmere, we’ve seen that Splinters of power often take on form, behavior, and even identity based on what people believe they should be. Their very nature is shaped by expectation. This points to a deep relationship between Investiture and thought—a reality where power bends to perception.

Now extend that principle further. If a mere Splinter can develop a personality through the influence of belief—and Honor, left to itself, can evolve distinct traits—why couldn't the same be true of all the Shards themselves? Or even of Adonalsium as a whole?

Perhaps Adonalsium was not violently shattered, but fragmented through the widespread belief that it had been. In this view, the Shards we know—Ruin, Preservation, Cultivation, and the others—are not primordial fragments from a divine explosion, but the emergent manifestations of belief. They behave not according to some original nature, but according to how people believe they ought to behave. The Dawnshards may have even played a role in shaping those perceptions, acting not as tools of power, but as catalysts of collective understanding—sculpting belief, which in turn sculpted reality.

Or perhaps Adonalsium never existed at all. Perhaps the idea of a singular divine being was itself a myth born from the need to explain the existence and nature of the Shards—a myth that became truth as people embraced it. In a Cosmere governed as much by perception as by physics, belief may not just reflect reality—it may create it.

This would mean that the greatest powers in the Cosmere operate not only through natural laws and Investiture, but through the shaping force of shared thought like the smallest forces of the Cosmere operate. The "Shattering" becomes less of a cosmic event and more of a foundational myth—an origin story accepted by mortals and immortals alike, which over time solidified into the very fabric of reality.

Could it be, then, that the Shards were not born from a cosmic crime… but from a cosmic consensus?

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

Not sure I completely buy into this, but I love the theory. That is similar to how Honor begins to gain sentience due to being left alone and amassed for millennia. Investiture does work in this way - so I could see Adonalsium existing because of common perception. However, I do not believe that the Shattering was a changing of that. The Dawnshards, while ever mysterious, don't appear to have abilities related to that. We do know that, had the Shattering gone differently, the Shards could have formed with different Intents. The fact that Adonalsium could have fought back but didn't as it would cause too much destruction leads me to believe that the Shattering happened as we have traditionally imagined it to, but still, very interesting theory. 

[Returned he/him]

The big problem this theory has to contend with is that we have living witnesses of the Shattering, and their descriptions of it seem to lean far more towards the "intentional shattering via Dawnshards" idea that is the common belief (if we can describe a belief as common when there are so few people who are aware of it but did not participate).

It's an intriguing idea, and it might blend with the events currently believed to have taken place (i.e., maybe this mechanism is somehow how the Dawnshards worked in what came to be known as the Shattering). I think it's obvious that Hoid and the original sixteen Shardholders could be lying or mistaken about what happened, but to what purpose? Are there possibilities that involve them being deceived or mistaken as well? Do you have ideas about the discrepancies between this idea and the statements from Hoid and company/WoBs?

[Jult]

I'd echo epl2. Love the idea. Especially this line:

17 hours ago, HoidMyDrink said:

In a Cosmere governed as much by perception as by physics, belief may not just reflect reality—it may create it.

I could see a scenario where something is created by pure belief in the Cosmere. We've seen things that could support this on a smaller scale. However, I don't think Adonalsium or the Shards were created in this way. In addition to the points epl2 already made, I'd consider Hoid to be a big problem for this theory. He claims to have been there for the Shattering and shows regret for choosing it. The other Vessels pose similar problems as they have memories that pre-date the Shattering. I guess you could argue that they were also dreamed into existence, but that feels unlikely; especially for Hoid.

I think this could be a good theory for the origin of other major Invested entities. Like the Evil from Threnody.

[BigBadBagsworth He/him/his]

not just one living witness - each person who took up a shard presumably helped to shatter adonalsium, plus whoever held the other three dawnshards, since shardholders with dawnshards could easily overpower other shards and take over the cosmere, if they had them. since no mention is made of any shards holding dawnshards, four people besides the main sixteen shardholders must have been onsite with dawnshards. one of those people was Hoid holding the Exist Dawnshard, but the holder of Change and the holders of the other two dawnshards were very possibly also made immortal, though that might be a specific side effect of the Exist dawnshard.

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

On 5/14/2025 at 11:03 AM, Jult said:

I'd echo epl2. Love the idea. Especially this line:

I could see a scenario where something is created by pure belief in the Cosmere. We've seen things that could support this on a smaller scale. However, I don't think Adonalsium or the Shards were created in this way. In addition to the points epl2 already made, I'd consider Hoid to be a big problem for this theory. He claims to have been there for the Shattering and shows regret for choosing it. The other Vessels pose similar problems as they have memories that pre-date the Shattering. I guess you could argue that they were also dreamed into existence, but that feels unlikely; especially for Hoid.

I think this could be a good theory for the origin of other major Invested entities. Like the Evil from Threnody.

 

On 5/14/2025 at 3:32 PM, Radon said:

not just one living witness - each person who took up a shard presumably helped to shatter adonalsium, plus whoever held the other three dawnshards, since shardholders with dawnshards could easily overpower other shards and take over the cosmere, if they had them. since no mention is made of any shards holding dawnshards, four people besides the main sixteen shardholders must have been onsite with dawnshards. one of those people was Hoid holding the Exist Dawnshard, but the holder of Change and the holders of the other two dawnshards were very possibly also made immortal, though that might be a specific side effect of the Exist dawnshard.

I don't think that is the point being made. The Shards were real people and took up the splintered Adonalsium's power like usually described, not thought into existence. It was Ado itself who was. The Intents of the Shards were the things that were shaped by common belief. 

@HoidMyDrink please correct me if I misinterpreted this. 

 

Also, I would argue that it was only Hoid and the sixteen vessels that took part in the Shattering, but that is a whole different discussion. 

[Leuthie]

Investiture drives the Cosmere. By rule, this Investiture would coalesce over time and gain sentience. This was Adonalsium. The thinking Investiture would begin to consciously drive the universe, shaping it to its will. Eventually, this shaping would go against the vision of enough people that they'd want to remove the thinking Investiture. They'd discover how, gather the bits of power and accomplish the deed. Having split Adonalsium, they could then control the pieces. Better, smarter custodians of the power.

Edited May 15, 2025 by Leuthie