Brandon's statements on Harmony's power, and a theory

[Shivertongue he/him]

...and then being unable to separate them, or at least not easily as per Harmony.

 

Exactly. I don't think he's afraid of Harmony or of any other combined Shards, he's just afraid of it happening to him. I'm too tired to find the quote, but Brandon said something along those lines at some point, about Odium not wanting to "taint himself."

[The Count he/him]

This is good stuff...

 

There has been some speculation recently that both Honor and Cultivation are Splintered on Roshar....

 

Could they be undergoing a process of mingling on Roshar in the form of new Spren?

 

The implications are pretty huge....

[Cheese Ninja he/him]

It seems like when a Shard gets killed and Odium forcibly Splinters the power of the Shard, a few different things happen.

 

1. The Shard can't be picked up by anyone.

2. The Shard's power is diffused across the area it was Splintered.  This is most noticible in the Cognitive Realm, which is why Shadesmar is more dangerous on Sel.

3.  Splinters created by the Shard pre-death serve as release valves for its power.  In Sel, this is limited to Seons and Skaze, which are few in number.  In Roshar, this is mostly occupied by the Spren, which are much greater in number and form, and so Shadesmar isn't nearly so dangerous there.

4.  The Shard could be put back together, but it isn't easy, and has yet to be achieved in the series.

 

I could see Dominion and Devotion become a bit like merged background noise after they had both been Splintered.

 

I'm wondering about whether Cultivation is Splintered as well.  Honor's words in WoK seems to imply that she was still alive when he died.  Then again, we've also been told that spren are of both Cultivation and Honor, and I would think the spren's characteristics would be different if only half of their progenitors had been Splintered, because of their release valve nature for Shardic power, and that half of the spren would be behaving differently from the other half.

[Dros]

I'm wondering about whether Cultivation is Splintered as well.  Honor's words in WoK seems to imply that she was still alive when he died.  Then again, we've also been told that spren are of both Cultivation and Honor, and I would think the spren's characteristics would be different if only half of their progenitors had been Splintered, because of their release valve nature for Shardic power, and that half of the spren would be behaving differently from the other half.

 

I'm beginning to wonder that same thing. For these reasons:

 

• Honor stated in his final vision that Cultivation was (past tense) always better at seeing the future so his vision might not be as accurate. If Cultivation was still around...why wouldn't Honor just ask her what the future held and relay that to Dalinar?
• Plant life, etc. has retreated to the lands of the Shin and it seems to be the only place where the land can be cultivated. That, by itself, can go either way. Maybe Cultivation is alive and that's her last stronghold? But taken with everything else, at the very least it helps build the case that the influence of Cultivation, as a force, is waning.
• The epigraph that says: "Three of sixteen ruled, now the Broken One reigns!" Most speculate that the Broken One refers to Odium. So, this epigraph is saying two of the Shards, at least, are out of commission. And even if the Broken One refers to Cultivation...that probably means she's been splintered.
• Honor said in his last vision that he should have known Odium would come for him...that line has always vexed me. Perhaps, he should have known because Odium just whacked Cultivation?
• Shardholders buying the farm seem to be the overarching theme of the Cosmere at the moment.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Shardholders buying the farm seem to be the overarching theme of the Cosmere at the moment.

And naturally cultivation would be the expert at that. I see.

[CabbageHead he/him]

I'm beginning to wonder that same thing. For these reasons:

 

• Honor stated in his final vision that Cultivation was (past tense) always better at seeing the future so his vision might not be as accurate. If Cultivation was still around...why wouldn't Honor just ask her what the future held and relay that to Dalinar?
• Plant life, etc. has retreated to the lands of the Shin and it seems to be the only place where the land can be cultivated. That, by itself, can go either way. Maybe Cultivation is alive and that's her last stronghold? But taken with everything else, at the very least it helps build the case that the influence of Cultivation, as a force, is waning.
• The epigraph that says: "Three of sixteen ruled, now the Broken One reigns!" Most speculate that the Broken One refers to Odium. So, this epigraph is saying two of the Shards, at least, are out of commission. And even if the Broken One refers to Cultivation...that probably means she's been splintered.
• Honor said in his last vision that he should have known Odium would come for him...that line has always vexed me. Perhaps, he should have known because Odium just whacked Cultivation?
• Shardholders buying the farm seem to be the overarching theme of the Cosmere at the moment.

The Cultivation related quote from the past was in present tense: 

 

The figure squinted at the horizon. “I cannot see the future completely. Cultivation, she is better at it than I. It’s as if the future is a shattering window. The further you look, the more pieces that window breaks into. The near future can be anticipated, but the distant future… I can only guess.”

 

On the whole Shin thing, I agree that it is likely a stronghold of Cultivation. Especially when you consider that, from the little we know, it appears that farmers, the cultivators, are the most hightly esteemed members of the society. But I think that this has been the status quo for a great amount of time; there is some evidence the highstorms have existed throughout Roshar's history, back into the days of legend and myth, a long time before Honour was killed. If that is the case, plant life then would have been adapted to the environment then as now.

 

Finally, on the quote "Three of sixteen ruled, now the Broken One reigns!", I would find it quite easy to imagine that that could apply in circumstances where 1 of the 3 ruling parties is removed. There are many, many brilliant and wonderful people in this world who will retreat into their shells when they feel threatened, and will only come out when they are protected by their friends. Those friends might be in awe of them, but not be in the least bit intimidated by what their friends fear. When their support is gone, those people will hide away, and the third party they felt intimidated by will reign.

[+HoidIsAwesome he/him]

Is it just me or when I think of Cultivation I think of Gaia or Mother Earth of Roman/Greek legends? Anyone else?

Edited April 29, 2013 by HoidIsAwesome