All Rosharans once like the Shin?

[CosmereQuestioner]

So I was thinking it over, what if all of the people and races on Roshar were once like the Shin?

At some point the highstorms came, (it's possibly a perpendicularity, which means it may have come post shattering with Honor); the highstorms changed the world enough that the other races had to adapt (maybe were helped along with this process by the shards or some other powers).  

The Shin and their land was protected from the storms via the mountains, and didn't have to change like the rest of Roshar.

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

I believe that Sanderson has confirmed somewhere that highstorms existed on Roshar before the shattering...

But I'd agree that the traits in most Roshar inhabitants are very likely a response to the highstorms, yes.

[CosmereQuestioner]

Ah, I have now read the appropriate WoB relating to the Highstorms predating the shattering.  

Why would there be 1 race like those from Yolen amidst the rest of the world? I still wonder if all the races of Roshar were once like them.

[quadbox]

Not the only odd thing about the shin and shinovar.  As has been observed elsewhere, shinovar seems to have an entirely different ecosystem complete with species that dont natively exist on roshar.

I've seen it theorised elsewhere that shinovar has somehow been transplanted whole from another world

[Mistform]

I feel it is rather Earth-centric of us to believe that the Shin are the original humans. But what traits? Big eyes and balding? That is just them being white people. Everyone else (Including the Iri (who are not native to Roshar, which gives some support to your idea) have epicanlithal folds (asian eyes)) but we have those here on Earth without Highstorms, which makes your theory very weak. Also why do we think the Shin are like those on Yolen? We know the Iri are not native to Roshar, shouldn't they be the more likely candidates?

[CosmereQuestioner]

Hehe big eyes and balding are white people traits? 

Either way I've done more looking into it, and the Shin are not similar to the people of Scadrial (which were based off the yolen) so that theory doesn't work anyways. The rest of the land of shinovar with its chickens, parrots, horses, grass etc., was what led me to this way of thinking though, not some racial bias.

[Mistform]

Well I think white people are more prone to balding and wrinkles, that's why we think people of other races are younger than they are. Some chinese groups get dark spots on their face with age (at least my relatives) but unless you know that you wouldn't use it to judge age. As for the being white thing, the in book art makes the Alethi look pretty white (the eyes could be subtler than I imagined I guess).

Hoid telling the bunny story does indicate that the Shinovar environment is "normal" or common or Yolish.

[+Extesian he/him]

On 16/04/2017 at 10:40 AM, quadbox said:

Not the only odd thing about the shin and shinovar.  As has been observed elsewhere, shinovar seems to have an entirely different ecosystem complete with species that dont natively exist on roshar.

I've seen it theorised elsewhere that shinovar has somehow been transplanted whole from another world

Just some clarity on this point, this was asked after that theory was discussed.

Quote

QUESTION

This is a yes-no-RAFO question. Did Shinovar originate on Roshar?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yeah. Mhm.

 

[quadbox]

Lol...  how characteristically evasive

[Jondesu he/him]

On 4/18/2017 at 7:58 AM, CosmereQuestioner said:

Hehe big eyes and balding are white people traits? 

 

Brandon has said that their eyes are only big in comparison to the other Rosharans, who have the epicanthic folds, so the Shin would actually probably look pretty normal to us.  I don't think they're all bald by any means, either, that's either something about Szeth or the Truthless perhaps.