Catfish

Excellent point Calderis... I did not know Brandon had said he wouldn't explore the Spiritual realm... I just can't help but think it might play more of an important role than just being the Beyond... But I digress, you are probably right as I am not as familiar with a lot of WoB...

I didn't mean rebuilding Adonalsium... I was referring to Forging from The Emperor's Soul.... I agree with you about Odium's goals being his own but I think the big bad might be taking advantage of Odium to play the long game... Agree that The God Beyond is most likely the creator of Adonalsium.... Being trapped on the outside, ehhhh I think he's quietly playing the long game too... As for the Army from the spiritual realm, it would kinda have been done before (Lord of the Rings, Malazan, Etc.) but I think BS is going to knock our socks off... With the existence of the 3 realms I think the spiritual realm will come into play more forcefully towards the end of the cosmere...

Sorry I misused the term sliver but could only think of that as a term... Maybe fractional shard... maybe like a tie that binds... I am not even sure I fully support my idea but was just trying to scratch a mental itch when it come to Hoid... There's something more there that really makes me think he's a lot more powerful than let's on...

So what if during the shattering of adonalsium, hoid received a sliver of adonalsium without any of the shardholders noticing (like embedded into him?)? It would give him not quite the power of a shard but without the changing of personality based on the intent of a shard, giving him more freedom (and could explain how he is good with other types of investiture since he's invested with a part of adonalsium). And that's why he didn't accept the shard offered to him. The sliver gave him enough knowledge to know not to take the shard to keep his individuality but also possibly the most important part of adonalsium (super stretch but bear with me). This is why the 17th shard are after him(and named the 17th shard) because they believe he is the equivalent to the "17th shard" even as a sliver. They want to find him because with that power he is impulsive and unpredictable, but also possibly has the potential to restore adonalsium or possibly hold the soul of adonalsium. This would make the 17th sharders not truly against hoid but wish to keep him from making things worse. Not really explaining this how I mean be can always edit it later.

Continuity? As an immortal omnipresent godlike entity, adonalsium would have that as part of his aspects. Would explain well as shardholders take on their shards intent. By surviving it would continue on.

So here are some random theories I have been thinking of... Odium is not the big bad of the cosmere, more likely he's a puppet like Golbez was ExDeath's puppet in final fantasy 4. I don't think the red stuff that Sazed talks about in Mistborn 2 assaulting Scadrial is Odium's doing but that of the true big bad (which I think has something to do with the scar). More likely quietly influenced the shattering but didn't achieve the intended goal as the intents of the shards didn't comply with or follow the direction that said big bad wanted. Adonalsium was not the creator of the creator of the cosmere, it was another entity. Likely the antithesis of aforementioned big bad that is possibly prompting Odium. Mistborn 4 will finish on Yolen. Going full circle, returning to where the cosmere story started. Sel will play a huge part in the cosmere after Stormlight 5 is done. (Not timeline wise but explaining unanswered questions.) Breath has more uses beyond awakening. Hoid will recruit an army from the spiritual realm. Forging Adonalsium? Well they aren't the most original but hey why not?

So am I reading too much into Suit's death? The not kandra says "you will serve in another REALM"... could it be a fake death or could he be working on another plane? Kelsier has proved that death is not final according to SH and BOM. Part of me wants to have some people that you can hate over multiple books. So my theory is Suit "lived" and went on to another plane to continue the work of odium. The explosion at the end of BOM is his reward of service, rather than a murder for getting caught.