Shardic Intent

[+TheFoxQR]

Now there we can speculate.

The Shard does have an effect on the Vessel. Eventually, all the Vessel can think of is enforcing their Interpretation on the world. Shards erode the mind over time.

However, this is a gradual process, and Vessels retain significant freedom of action closer to their picking up the Shard.

There's WoBs on this on the Arcanum. You're looking for Harmony's ability to act, and if Sazed is beginning to be influenced by his powers by New Era 2.

[ThreeTimesAllOnPurpose]

Interesting, I'll have to take a look at those. There's clearly a reason that Sazed was able to hold two opposing shards, since Adonalsium managed to hold 16 of them. I'd imagine that Harmony is most interested in preserving the cycle of life, which includes ruin and destruction as a necessity, but preserves itself through the rebirth of new generations. 

Holding something so powerful as a piece of a god probably erodes the user's mind pretty quickly. Of course, most vessels have held their Shards for much longer, but the combined power of two probably would speed up the process for Sazed. 

I think the most natural conclusion from all this is that Shards determine the magic system of a world, not the vessel, since Scadrial remained unchanged when Sazed became a Vessel. 

Or maybe that's not how it works. Honor sort of invented surgebinding through the Oathpact, right? Then the Nahel bond naturally replicated that afterwards. But he must have invented the system by using his splinters to create the honorblades. 

[bxcnch he/him]

On 6/19/2019 at 7:12 PM, ThreeTimesAllOnPurpose said:

Interesting, I'll have to take a look at those. There's clearly a reason that Sazed was able to hold two opposing shards, since Adonalsium managed to hold 16 of them. I'd imagine that Harmony is most interested in preserving the cycle of life, which includes ruin and destruction as a necessity, but preserves itself through the rebirth of new generations. 

Holding something so powerful as a piece of a god probably erodes the user's mind pretty quickly. Of course, most vessels have held their Shards for much longer, but the combined power of two probably would speed up the process for Sazed. 

It might also slow down the process instead, since Ruin and Preservation are opposing each other, like he's being pulled in two opposing directions.