Shardpool Locations

[semper_sursum]

"Shardpool is a non-canon termused to describe a liquid essence of Shard. It is characterized by a Shard's Cognitive aspect." - coppermind.net/wiki/shardpool

 

From what I can tell, for every Shard, there seems to be a Shardpool. I don't think I've seen a list, however, of the "known" Shardpools. Here's a list of Shardpools and their locations from what I can theorize. Feel free to give your thoughts and/or additions.

 

 

Nalthis (Warbreaker)

Shard: Endowment

Shardpool: Beneath Hallandren? (Something to do with the Tears of Edgli?)

 

Scadrial (Mistborn)

Shards: Ruin, Preservation, [Harmony]

Shardpools: Ruin: Dark lake beneath the Pits of Hathsin || Preservation: The Well of Ascension || Harmony: N/A (Not one of the original Shards, and relatively new)

 

Sel (Elantris, The Emperor's Soul)

Shards: Devotion, Dominion

Shardpools: Devotion: The Lake (The Pool) || Dominion: Swamps of Dzhamar

 

Roshar (The Stormlight Archives)

Shards: Honor, Cultivation

Shardpools: Honor: Emerald Pools (Horneater Peaks) || Cultivation: The Purelake

 

 

[Tempus]

The pool in Elantris has a WoB that it's "not what we think it is". We have absolutely no confirmation at all on Dominion's shardpool. Honor's shardpool is likely, but not confirmed either. The Purelake is pure, baseless speculation.

[Observer]

Harmony seems to have a Shardpool in the form of the vented Atium he needs to get rid of to say even on both ends. A for Cultivation's Shardpool, Purelake doesn't have that odd, glassy quality that most have. Everybody seems to just see water, making me think that we have it wrong. The Cultivation pool is in the peaks, creating a rich spot for life. Honor's Shardpool is probably the one we haven't seen yet.

[Asperity he/him]

Do we have even confirmation that each Shard has a pool?

[Moogle]

Ruin's Shardpool was, I believe, originally a metallic black lake (see the alternate ending to WoA on Brandon's site), but it got moved to the Pits of Hathsin and turned into a bunch of little puddles. I'm not sure on this, though.

 

Do you have a WoB on Dominion's Shardpool? I must have missed that one.

 

Shardpools tend to be in mountains, so I don't think the Purelake is anyone's Shardpool.

 

As to the Horneater Peaks, emerald is a color associated with Cultivation, not Honor. Honor is blue (like Syl) in all likelyhood. The Purelake sounds more like Honor (life is messy, not pure like 'ideal' emotions, which are what Jasnah associates with Honor), and even then I'm not so sure if it's his Shardpool. I'd honestly expect Honor's Shardpool to be in the exact middle of Roshar in some mountains. (Hey... isn't Urithiru in the mountains in the middle of Roshar?)

Edited April 2, 2014 by Moogle

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

Honor's Shardpool could well be in Urithiru. That would actually make perfect sense. I really don't see any evidence for the Purelake being a Shardpool; as Moogle said, most seem to be in mountains, and the size of the Purelake seems to really deny its being a Shardpool. Despite it being a fan term, the "pool" aspect of "Shardpool" is based on the fact that all we have seen to this point is just that: a pool. Brandon's penchant for consistency and rules seems to indicate that all Shardpools would be relatively similar.

 

What I wonder, however, is about Odium's Shardpool. He is Invested on Roshar as well, despite currently being on Braize. I would guess that that means his pool is also on Roshar. Have we any evidence as to where that could be?

[Moogle]

What I wonder, however, is about Odium's Shardpool. He is Invested on Roshar as well, despite currently being on Braize. I would guess that that means his pool is also on Roshar. Have we any evidence as to where that could be?

 

At a guess...

 

“Don’t know ,” Lift said, strolling to the door. “Ain’t never been around my people.”

“You’re not from the islands?”

“Nope. Grew up in Rall Elorim.”

“The . . . City of Shadows?”

“Yup.”

“Is it—”

“Yup. Just like they say.”

...

Lift felt terror, panicked in a way she hadn’t known for years, ever since her days in Rall Elorim.

 

It's at the northwestern tip of Roshar, and it's smack dab next to a bunch of mountains. It's possible there's some of Odium's influence leaking from it.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Moogle

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

Rall Elorim definitely seems a good candidate!  The mountains are a good indicator, and it being the "City of Shadows" makes it ominous enough to have some relation to Odium. 

[Observer]

Knowing the rumors that would come about for a place called the City of Shadows, I can't help but wonder if that's where Odium stashes his toys when playtime is over. I'm willing to bet the Unmade have at least one of their number influencing the place at all times as a best-case scenario, especially if it's flashback-worthy.

[PorridgeBrick he/him]

Harmony seems to have a Shardpool in the form of the vented Atium he needs to get rid of to say even on both ends. A for Cultivation's Shardpool, Purelake doesn't have that odd, glassy quality that most have. Everybody seems to just see water, making me think that we have it wrong. The Cultivation pool is in the peaks, creating a rich spot for life. Honor's Shardpool is probably the one we haven't seen yet.

Most of the theorizing on there being a Shardpool at the Purelake isn't that it's the Purelake itself, but rather underneath it. We know from Ishikk that before every highstorm all the water in the Purelake disappears to a place beneath the lake through holes in the lake's floor. There doesn't seem to be much natural explanation for this, so possibly the Shardpool beneath could be what recedes, and the water merely fills the gap. It's nothing confirmed, but the overall weirdness and placement of the Purelake makes it a very plausible candidate for being effected by a Shardpool.

Ruin's Shardpool was, I believe, originally a metallic black lake (see the alternate ending to WoA on Brandon's site), but it got moved to the Pits of Hathsin and turned into a bunch of little puddles. I'm not sure on this, though.

Do you have a WoB on Dominion's Shardpool? I must have missed that one.

Shardpools tend to be in mountains, so I don't think the Purelake is anyone's Shardpool.

Oh, that isn't canon anymore? I could have sworn Alendi's journal mentioned a metallic lake as well.

Nope, I'm afraid. As good a guess as any, though.

But do we know that's a hard and fast rule? After all, Endowment's Shardpool seems to be somewhere underground and leaking into the Hallendren jungle.

What I wonder, however, is about Odium's Shardpool. He is Invested on Roshar as well, despite currently being on Braize. I would guess that that means his pool is also on Roshar. Have we any evidence as to where that could be?

Actually, I'm willing to bet it is on Braize. I'm sure he has a large amount of control over where his pool is, and it doesn't seem to me that Odium would want his power on another planet where someone could possibly grab it. I expect somewhere on Braize there is a zealously guarded cave where Odium's stashed his pool.

Edited April 3, 2014 by PorridgeBrick

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

Actually, I'm willing to bet it is on Braize. I'm sure he has a large amount of control over where his pool is, and it doesn't seem to me that Odium would want his power on another planet where someone could possibly grab it. I expect somewhere on Braize there is a zealously guarded cave where Odium's stashed his pool.

If the Pool is on Braize, which we now know is Damnation, I wonder if it has anything to do with it. Does Odium use his Pool to torture people? I don't actually believe that myself, but it would be cool.

Also, that's an interesting idea about the Purelake. I wonder then, where does the Pool recede to?

[PorridgeBrick he/him]

If the Pool is on Braize, which we now know is Damnation, I wonder if it has anything to do with it. Does Odium use his Pool to torture people? I don't actually believe that myself, but it would be cool.

Also, that's an interesting idea about the Purelake. I wonder then, where does the Pool recede to?

I'm thinking into the Spiritual or the Cognitive. It's kinda like how as the physical storm goes along, it picks up stuff– rocks, plants, sediment, etc. So here, the Spiritual aspect of the storm picks up some of the Shardpool's power and drags it along with the storm.

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

Very cool idea! Take an upvote!

[Moogle]

Oh, that isn't canon anymore? I could have sworn Alendi's journal mentioned a metallic lake as well.

 

It does, but I think the metallic black lake was moved with the Pits of Hathsin by TLR and it become little puddles as opposed to a lake. Again, not absolutely sure. I recall a WoB, but can't find it.

 

 

But do we know that's a hard and fast rule? After all, Endowment's Shardpool seems to be somewhere underground and leaking into the Hallendren jungle.

 

It's not a hard and fast rule, but the vast majority of Shardpools we've seen have been in the mountains.

• The Well was originally in the Terris mountains.
• Ruin's Shardpool was also there.
• Devotion's Shardpool was in the mountains by Elantris.
• Cultivation's (probably) is in the Horneater Peaks.

Endowment's is really the only confirmed one that's not been.

 

I think the quote about Urithiru being placed in the location "nearest to Honor" is suggestive. I agree that the Purelake is a very likely place for a Shardpool as well, though.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Moogle

[Lurthemir he/him]

Also, that's an interesting idea about the Purelake. I wonder then, where does the Pool recede to?

Since the pool recedes before every highstorm it might be possible that the Stormfather would use the pool's investiture to invest a highstorm. Therefore draining the power and creating a vacuum for the lake to fill.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Lurthemir

[Herald of Harmony he/him]

If I remember correctly, in Way of Kings there was a section that was talking about Urithiru that said that even though people wanted it to be built in Alethela, for some obvious reason it couldn't be. So they built it westward, "in the place closest to Honor." That could mean that Honor's shardpool is located at or around Urithiru.

[Arook he/him]

It does, but I think the metallic black lake was moved with the Pits of Hathsin by TLR and it become little puddles as opposed to a lake. Again, not absolutely sure. I recall a WoB, but can't find it.

 

 

It's not a hard and fast rule, but the vast majority of Shardpools we've seen have been in the mountains.

• The Well was originally in the Terris mountains.
• Ruin's Shardpool was also there.
• Devotion's Shardpool was in the mountains by Elantris.
• Cultivation's (probably) is in the Horneater Peaks.

Endowment's is really the only confirmed one that's not been.

 

I think the quote about Urithiru being placed in the location "nearest to Honor" is suggestive. I agree that the Purelake is a very likely place for a Shardpool as well, though.

I don't believe that the pool the Elantrians go to die is a shard pool it has none of the characteristics of the one shard pool we have seen. It is more likely to be some kind of entity created by devotion or maybe even the elantrians on account of the fact that it talks to the person in it. If it was a shard pool Raoden would have been able to draw it in considering how in tune with the Dor he is.

[ninch he/him]

@arook, that's what he said to me about the pool, that it's not what we think. The only real shard pool we've seen is preservation's right? It fills with power because there is no one to take up the power and use it or  Was I reading that wrong?

[PorridgeBrick he/him]

WINDRUNNER

Why does Devotion's Shardpool act so differently from Preservation's?

BRANDON SANDERSON

For similar reasons to why the Dor acts so differently from Preservation's essence...

[Observer]

Shardpools seem to be places were Shardic power leaks out, even if the Shard themselves don't want it to. If they want, they can pull the power back in, but it'll always slowly leak out. The Well is Preservation's, and every 1024 years it becomes loud enough for a powerful Seeker to hear and powerful enough to attach itself to any human and remake the world. The Pool in Elantris looks exactly like the other Shardpools we've seen, so I feel inclined to believe that it's just a different of Intent and possibly broken Shards.

 

EDIT: Semi-ninja'd by PB.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Observer

[Robot Aztec]

 

Ruin's Shardpool was, I believe, originally a metallic black lake (see the alternate ending to WoA on Brandon's site), but it got moved to the Pits of Hathsin and turned into a bunch of little puddles. I'm not sure on this, though.

It gets chapter in Hosue of Ashes if you drink Ruin controsl you

[The Ja he/him]

Do we know if Honor actually has a shardpool since it's been splintered?  The only other splintered shardpool we've seen is Devotion's, and we have WoB that it's "not what you think it is".

[CCQ]

Nalthis (Warbreaker)

Shard: Endowment

Shardpool: Beneath Hallandren? (Something to do with the Tears of Edgli?)

 

In Mythwalker (Warbreaker Prime which is for sure not cannon) the Demon Kings prison was beneath the palace.

 

Also in Aether of Night they have a pool in Saeris Va.

[+Harrycrapper]

This is just a thought but Honor seems to be associated with stone and in Shadesmar the purelake is a mountain. Maybe it's Honor's shardpool? Also as to the WOB about devotions shardpool I think he might have been refering to the people who don't know alot about shardpools and just assumed its a suicide pool where elantrians go to die?