[Theory] The Broken One

[Nesh]

I wasn't sure if this should go here or in general, but I opted for here to be safe, mods can move it if I chose the wrong place.

 

I think we may have started to see the fulfillment of one of of the Way of Kings death rattles here at the end of Rhythm of War  Specifically the chapter 11 epigraph:

 

Quote

Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns

I think Taravangian might be the Broken One.  Everything that he's done weighs on his soul as he himself admits, and now he's a god.  He's reigning over the Fused.  What this might mean for Cultivation's fate I don't know.

[HoidIsAdonalsium]

I have been thinking about this Death Rattle too. The only Shard Broken right now in the Rosharan Sytem is Honor.

[Lightdancer]

18 minutes ago, HoidIsAdonalsium said:

I have been thinking about this Death Rattle too. The only Shard Broken right now in the Rosharan Sytem is Honor.

I noticed that as well. When I first heard this Death Rattle I thought it referred to Rayse-Odium. But that makes no sense. Rayse was not broken, Cultivation was still around.

I think there are two ways we can interpret "broken". The first:

On 12/4/2020 at 9:42 PM, Nesh said:

I think Taravangian might be the Broken One.  Everything that he's done weighs on his soul as he himself admits, and now he's a god.  He's reigning over the Fused.  What this might mean for Cultivation's fate I don't know.

Personal brokenness. That wouldn't be surprising in SA with so much emphasis on trauma. Cultivation is still around though. For this to be the case, I'd expect to see Cultivation die and Taravangian's "brokenness" beginning to show more strongly.

The second way to interpret "broken" would be physically broken. (Or, well... spiritual-realm broken.) Honor has been Splintered- it is broken. However, "Odium reigns", and Cultivation is still around. So here's a possible theory- Odium and Cultivation die/leave/abdicate from whatever "ruling" is, and someone reassembles Honor and ascends. Either "the Broken One" is just a sentimental epithet, or the shard of Honor still retains some damage.

Brandon has told us that the end of SA is hidden in WoK... I'd prefer it be this rather than "Oh, Stormfather! He has beaten us" or one of those cheerful rattles. Still, after the developments in RoW I'm getting more and more convinced that the solution isn't to excise Odium from Roshar. (Could "Broken One" encompass some combination of the shards? Anyways.)