LeahAstonished Posted January 10, 2021 Posted January 10, 2021 In the Rhythm of War prologue, Navani sees Kalak, Nale & Gavilar with spheres on a table between them, including the anti-Voidlight sphere. Since this doesn't seem like Nale's type of thing, is Kalak the first to discover anti-Voidlight? Has he used it in the past? When he used it, was a side effect the Shattered Plains? - Great magic was unleashed on the Shattered Plains (https://wob.coppermind.net/events/168/#e10547) - At least one Herald knows what happened on the Shattered Plains (https://wob.coppermind.net/events/41/#e7226) If so, when and for what purpose? The only two things I could find are: - The city was inhabited when the shattering happened (https://wob.coppermind.net/events/296/#e9837) - Brandon is cagey on the timeline (https://wob.coppermind.net/events/296/#e9839) The first option I see is the imprisonment of Ba-Ado-Mishram, which we know he was present for (RoW epigraph C94). But I definitely picture this more like the imprisonment of The Thrill, so I am not exactly sure how the use of anti-Voidlight that resulted in such destruction would play into that plan. Anyone have more thoughts on this? My second option is that he used it to stop the creation of a 10th Unmade. This goes with a more in-depth theory, started on this thread: [Theory] Origins of the Unmade, Sin of the Singers [discuss] - RoW Lore, Magic, and Cosmere Discussion - 17th Shard, the Official Brandon Sanderson Fansite What if the 10 Oathgate cities are Dawncities, constructed by Dawnsingers around a "Cityspren" created by Adonalsium (Honor & Cultivation then used these Cityspren as inspiration for the Sibling)? What if Odium was systematically "unmaking" these Cityspren over the course of the desolations? By the Last Desolation, Odium could have unmade 9 of the Cityspren and went to Stormseat/Natanatan to unmake the last one. But Kalak had discovered a weapon by this time and at some point during the process, once the Cityspren was invested with Voidlight, he used anti-Voidlight against it. This destroyed the Cityspren (which is why there are only 9 unmade) and sent shock waves throughout the entire area creating the Shattered Plains. 1
orbmor Posted January 12, 2021 Posted January 12, 2021 I think both parts are plausible, and I've been thinking much more about your later theory. I hadn't made a connection to Cityspren, but the Sibling clearly is okay with the title, and never refers to itself as an only child. My theory on this was that each of the Heralds had a "companion" spren, and each of these was Unmade, leading lesser spren to mimic the Heraldic spren and form Nahel bonds. But I like your theory more. I think that makes perfect sense that the Epoch Kingdoms (or Silver Kingdoms, or both, I don't have those straightened out in my head) all had a spren like the Sibling, who was then Unmade. If this is true, I wonder if Sja-anat or the other Unmade have an affinity for their old city. If so, Rae-shaephir would probably have gone home instead of to the tower. Love the theory. Hope you keep picking at it 1
LeahAstonished Posted January 12, 2021 Author Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, orbmor said: My theory on this was that each of the Heralds had a "companion" spren I have also played around with this theory, thinking that Taln's would have been the odd one out. But going with the cityspren thing, each Herald might have had a "companion" city. In WoK C19, Dalinar has a vision of Knights Radiant in the eighth heraldic epoch preparing for another desolation. At this point, the Midnight Essence has been released, I would guess this means Re-Shephir has been Unmade, but Natanatan is still standing, which in my theory would be destroyed right before Aharietiem. The Radiant notes that between Desolations, Alethela's duty is to "study the arts of war so that the others might have peace". So what if each of the 10 city had a duty that aligned with each of the Heralds, in this case I would match Talenel with Alethela. Then when the cityspren were Unmade, what if their nature corresponds to that duty. Possible combos and general order of destruction: Ba-Ado-Mishram - City: Shin Kak Nish/Shinovar, Duty: Religion, Herald: Ishar, Effect: god-like Connection Sja-anat - City: Aimia/Akinar, Duty: Secrets & Soulcasting, Herald: Battar, Effect: Transformation of spren Yelig-nar - City: Unknown, Duty: Unknown, Herald: Jezrien, Effect: Takes over people and grants all ten surges Re-Shephir/Midnight Mother - City: Makabakam/Azmir, Duty: The Law, Herald: Nale, Effect: The midnight essence copies unlawful acts Dai-Gonarthis/Black Fisher - City: Unknown, Duty: Scholarship, Herald: Paliah, Effect: Sorrow of some kind? Chemoarish/Dustmother - City: Unknown, Duty: Unknown, Herald: Chanarach, Effect: Something destructive? Moelach - City: Unknown, Duty: Healing, Herald: Vedel, Effect: Death rattles Ashertmarn - City: Unknown, Duty: The Arts, Herald: Shalash, Effect: the Revels Nergaoul - City: Alethela/Kholinar, Duty: Art of War, Herald: Talenel, Effect: Battle frenzy The 10th that was destroyed - City: Natanatan/Stormseat, Duty: Engineering, Herald: Kalak I go with a general east to west order as that is the direction of the Everstorm and would leave Natanatan last. I also am guessing that newer Unmade are more mindless than older Unmade, either because they started becoming less and less willing to be transformed or because Odium likes them mindless and was getting better at creating them that way. 5 hours ago, orbmor said: the Sibling clearly is okay with the title, and never refers to itself as an only child Sja-anat refers to the Sibling as "cousin". Edited January 13, 2021 by LeahAstonished Added cousin part 1
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