How did the Desolations end?

[OscarTheSingingHobo]

My question:  How did the desolations end?  We know that they happened again and again whenever the heralds cracked under torture, allowing the returned to flow back to Roshar.  But how did they get the genie back into the bottle? Here are my thoughts on possible ways they ended:

 

1. The desolation ended whenever one of the heralds died.  Jasnah seems to believe this theory, since she proposed that they should seek out the heralds and bump them off to prevent/end the desolation.  However, if this is the case, why didn't the heralds just kill each other or commit suicide, rather than subject the very people they swore to protect with the oathpact to genocide?  Also, if the heralds dying ended a desolation, then the returned would have no desire to kill them.  Odiums forces might try to just incapacitate and not kill them, but I image that would have been difficult, given their honor blades.   

 

2. The desolations ended when all of the returned had been destroyed before they could inhabit another singer body.  This could explain why the only desolation we have a lot of details about (the most recent one where the heralds abandoned the oathpact) ended with a huge battle.  Fight to kill all of the returned and then the heralds would go back to prevent them from showing up again.  However, if this is the case, why wouldn't odium just tell one returned to go hide in some cave somewhere and avoid detection?

 

3. There was a time limit to the desolations.  Perhaps Odium and his forces had a specific time period in which they had to accomplish some kind of goal before they were forced back.  That would explain why they might end with a huge battle, if they would be trying to push to accomplish their goals.  But then we know that one desolation lasted 11 years, so unless they time constraint changes every desolation, I doubt they would have made that distinction about 11 years if there was a time constraint.  

 

Does anyone have any idea about how these came to an end, or know of a WoB about them?

[ND103]

I'm inclined to say it's likely some kind of mix of the first and the second plus the battle of champions. The reason odium didn't make them do that is pretty easy actually. He doesn't want to continue the desolation. He wants to end the cycle. If the desolation doesn't end in victory for him, then it continuing perpetually would just leave everyone dead and no real way for him to get out of his imprisonment. He's got objectives too, and without fighting for his objectives he ain't achieving them. 

 

Not sure I've got a WOB though. So open to changing my mind if there is one. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by ND103

[+Child of Hodor]

 

Quote

"ONCE ONE BROKE, ALL TEN HERALDS RETURNED TO ROSHAR. THEY FOUGHT. THEY LED MEN. THEIR OATHPACT DELAYED THE FUSED FROM RETURNING IMMEDIATELY, BUT EACH TIME AFTER A DESOLATION, THE HERALDS RETURNED TO DAMNATION TO SEAL THE ENEMY AGAIN." OB ch. 38 Broken People

When Fused were killed they went back to Braize automatically and the Oathpact kept them from returning to Roshar immediately even when no Heralds were on Braize at the moment. Once all the Fused were killed and back on Braize the Heralds had to go back to maintain the Oathpact and maintain the seal. If none of the Heralds returned to Braize the Oathpact would eventually be broken and a new desolation would have started. 

 

Quote

 

Words of Radiance Dayton signing (March 19, 2014)

luke.spence (paraphrased)

What caused a Desolation to end? Was it just the defeat of Odium's forces? Because the Desolations start when the Heralds break under torture.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Because the Heralds can no longer be in existence. There is a certain period of time that they can be there, and after that, if they're there, they will start a new one. So the Heralds do need to leave for a Desolation to end

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

Oh. So they've got a time limit.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They do. Otherwise the Desolation will start again. What they discovered is not all of them have to. As long as one remains, the Desolation will not start again.

luke.spence (paraphrased)

So, by the nine leaving, did that actually break the Oathpact for them? Did it change the cycle of Desolations?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They have not completely broken the Oathpact, despite what they may think.

 

 

[Oversleep]

I need to update it with Edgedancer and OB info but maybe this will help:

 

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

I think Odium just felt like taking a break.