AFdooda

What if this links back to the OP? A 'taboo' has to originate with someone not liking something. On one hand this could be the Truthwatchers themselves fearing the power of futuresight. It could be the Vorin religion who dislike 'Voidbinding' etc. Or perhaps it is the influence of a Shard. As a being with god like power over Roshar a Shard could influence things in some way to favour themselves. I'm looking at Odium here. He has decent futuresight skills but he would definitely know others who looked into the future would present a threat to his master plan. All three Rosharan Shards have had enormous impacts on Rosharan culture so why not a little godly tampering on Odium's behalf to make things a little easier. Make futuresight a sin in a highly religious culture and few would pursue it. This seems like a stretch but then again all the threads on the 17th seems to turn crazy after a while. EDIT: I somehow put a spoiler box with nothing in it.

@Treamayne yeah that's a much better way of justifying it.

It seems to me that both the Shards and the various mortal peoples of the Cosmere show a healthy mistrust of futuresight. After all it is a dangerous thing to look into the future as suddenly everything can change (as has been explained in Stormlight the further one looks the more things 'fragment'). Calling futuresight 'Voidish' sounds like Honor mistrusting Odium who has superior futuresight to Honor. Cultivation's views do not seem to be as shared as Honor's with the population of Roshar.

I always thought that with enough Intent, Investiture and hard work anything could be made into anything. After all, this is magic and the raw power of Investiture can be shaped to whatever one Intends. So by that logic I would have thought a 'Shardblade' or other magical device could be made of anything. Of course it would be much easier to get a god-being to just poof it into existence (e.g. spren and shardblades).

What if this ancient Truthwatcher started the taboo? We know that there was a certain amount of regret and distress over what happened to the Parsh after their forms were taken away. If this plan originated with a Truthwatcher seeing the future (something potentially mistrusted by the Radiants for a connection/vulnerability to the enemy) then perhaps looking into the future became shunned afterwards. Add in thousands of years of religious development as modern Vorinism forms and a it's easy to see how futuresight could become a taboo. Just an idea but maybe this fills a gap in someone's argument?

Perpendicularities (fun word to type) allow a connection between all three realms. Highstorms recharge with Stormlight (Honor's Light) but are not really a perpendicularity so I see where the OP is coming from. Odium and the Everstorm is special then with in-built perpendicularity capability (something I now I have always wanted ) Maybe Highstorms could contain perpendicularities opened by the Stormfather? And so maybe Odium acts like the 'Stormfather' for the Everstorm. I've never thought about the mobility of perpendicularities before!

I have two choices over the next few weeks: coursework or coursework. Hmm... I think I need a random number generator to decide. And to think that in a few more months I'll have two choices: coursework or coursework. Ah I remember the days when education was confined to school and school alone. TPBM's break has recently or so ended and they already miss it.

If the Dawnshards really are what we all seem to think they are then things will only be revealed along with the reveal of the name of another Dawnshard. We've got 'Change' but what about others? Can they all be fitted together like the Shards can be to create a 'balanced' entity such as Adonalsium. Harmony shows that even Investiture on the power level of Shards can be made to fit back together. In 'harmony' ha ha... Why not Dawnshards too? If the Dawnshards were reassembled then they would be more powerful than anything ever. After all they 'may' have been the device used to shatter Adonalsium. No wonder so many groups either protect or hunt the Dawnshards.

If Adonalsium really is a divine being from outside the Cosmere then could there be others like it? Spren form little independent entities that are aware of eachother, so do Shards, then why not divine god beings? For all we know the Shattering was meant to happen. This event allowed for the creation of a massive range of different forms of Investiture. Adonalsium's total lack of defence and the perfection in which it shattered suggests that there was more to the Shattering than a bunch of power hungry and righteous mortals seeking to do the impossible. The Shattering advanced the Cosmere massively and if Adonalsium's Intent had to be anything then it would be to grow and expand the Cosmere. Perhaps this divine being simply decided to be Shattered? Afterall, 'death' is probably a loose term for something this powerful. This links in to the idea that Adonalsium could still be around in a vague way in the Shards and all their own Investiture.

Definitely. TPBM has learnt how to touch type after years of struggling. (That's me )

@cometaryorbit According to the Coppermind it's Arabic but I'm no linguist so I can't verify that. Adonalsium's name is one that seems designed to imply an omnipotence and omnipresence. I would say that, if Adonalsium ascended to their power, this name was given to them afterwards, perhaps by the people of Yolen. Adonalsium could also refer to the Intent of the investiture. This was essentially a combination of potential Intents, the Shards, although they were melded to the point of being one being. The potential to become Shards was there, just like how we know that Adonalsium could have shattered in a different way. Thus, I believe we can apply many of the same Shard rules to Adonalsium such as that the intent of Investiture can be changed and that names are important in understanding this Intent. The name Adonalsium strongly suggests a single, god being but following the other rules of Shards then it seems plausible that a creature ascended to become Adonalsium. The fact that Adonalsium seemed to do little to defend itself from the efforts of those who sought to shatter the power suggests either a sentient being formed from Investiture, a sentient being that ascended to the power (in both cases deciding not to defend themselves) or a divine being so aloof from the world that it did not consider the threat until too late. Something important to note is that no matter Adonalsium's origin the being originally came from outside the Cosmere (Adonalsium is described as having created the Cosmere, a cluster of stars in a wider galaxy) The origin of Adonalsium seems like the kind of thing that Brandon would keep fairly ambiguous although I suppose Dragonsteel could look a little into it. Understanding the nature of Adonalsium seems to me to be important to understanding how Shards function, change and develop.

Adonalsium derives from an Arabic word Adonai meaning 'my master', so a god, of some kind. This is a real world reference although Yolen seems to show the most parallels to actual Earth without being Earth. The Coppermind also explains that Adonalsium is an anagram of 'a mind, a soul' which implies a sentience as well as Adonalsium perhaps once being a normal person(?) but this may not be intentional. This suggests that Adonalsium was more than a simple being of great investiture and so it seems safe to ascribe more radical and weird new abilities to it. It does seem perfectly possible that Dalinar is receiving messages from someone not the Stormfather. Tanavast is confirmed to have a cognitive shadow, which survives as a part of the Stormfather, although Tanavast's independence is unknown. Perhaps he is trying to provide a last bit of motivation to Dalinar in his time of need at the end of Oathbringer? Although it is also possible that Adonalsium has a cognitive shadow and seen as how Adonalsium may have a level of power we cannot comprehend then maybe it can influence a little. Pushes or pulls here and there to try to tip the balance. The confrontation between Dalinar and Odium was one that did decide the fate of Roshar, and quite possibly the Cosmere for Odium could have won the war there and potentially been freed. So the question becomes: who was the voice saying 'unite them'? The big clue we have is Rayse/Odium's fear of the whole situation and that the voice did not seem to come from the Stormfather. This leaves a few options. Tanavast or Adonalsium as I explained or maybe a 'Unity' Dawnshard that Dalinar may have come into contact with/have a connection of some kind to (we know one other Dawnshard has been on page). The voice could have been another Shard for we know that Shards invested on worlds are capable of influencing and pressuring other worlds. All of which would have been very scary to Odium as they could set his plans back not in a mortal timescale but a godly one (Odium has made reference to Dalinar and the Coalition being unable to win because Odium is an immortal Shard with all the time in the world). Bands of Mourning Spoiler: Perhaps another Shard we know little about would be interested in seeing Honor reformed and Odium destroyed? On the other hand, the voice may be Cultivation. Koravellium Avast (Cultivation) did have a relationship with Tanavast and so may have an interest in seeing his legacy of defending and caring for humanity on Roshar continued. Dalinar would seem like a good candidate for this and we already know Cultivation has made plans to support Dalinar in using his powers as a Bondsmith. Spoilers from the Stormlight 5 prologue: It seems possible Cultivation has had a far greater role in the fate of Roshar than previously known, although this is speculation. Afterall apart from drawing in certain people to the Nightwatcher in order to help them overcome hardship in the future (Dalinar and his memory loss, Lift and here Lifelight, I can't remember any others) Cultivation seems to have taken little interest in the affairs of Roshar so perhaps there are hidden plans of some kind. This voice, whoever they are, obviously has an interest in the Splintered remnants of Honor and directly spoke to Dalinar. He was also highly investing himself, even to the point of temporarily Ascending. This suggests that Dalinar could have been connected to someone/thing. So perhaps it was not even fully Dalinar saying 'I am Unity' but instead a 'bleeding over' of the plans/intent of whoever is speaking to him. This is supported by the idea that it seems unlikely that Dalinar has any future sight and it is even more unlikely he has acquired a 'Unity' Dawnshard. I'd never even stopped to think the voice and idea of 'Unity' may not originate with Dalinar! Dalinar's own power level is only roughly known but terrifying Odium seems to really push the boundaries. The idea that Dalinar has a 'sponsor' of some kind seems to fit quite well. This sponsor is putting pressure in just the right places to push Dalinar to develop his powers and come closer to potentially restoring the power of Honor and defeating Odium. It's this that makes me think Cultivation is a likely candidate or Tanavast's Cognitive Shadow. Sorry about the ASTRONOMICALLY long message but you guys presented a lot of great (and crazy) ideas!

Everyone listen to @cometaryorbit because he just said everything I did better. If Honor in the hands of Dalinar could be Unity then what changed the Shard Honor? Shards only 'change names' when the power itself changes (Ruin + Preservation = Harmony, Cosmere calculations with AFdooda). So perhaps Dalinar is connected in some way, enough, to other Shards or sources of power to change Honor? Or perhaps Dalinar would be able to alter the intent of Honor a little to make it focus on uniting things through oaths etc etc. The idea that Dalinar is seeing into his future to perhaps him holding a Dawnshard seems super possible. While we have no other evidence before or after Oathbringer of Dalinar having future sight it seems perfectly possible. The problem is though that why did Odium say 'We killed you!' If Dalinar is talking about being a Unity Dawnshard then that implies that the Dawnshards, or perhaps the Weapon to kill Adonalsium they were once involved in was 'alive' in some way. If Dawnshards are some form of investiture then perhaps this Weapon could have gained a little sentience or something?... Odium would be super terrified of any semblance of this intelligence returning as it could be intent on Shattering other Shards or equally powerful endeavours. Overall, this raises many new questions!

My grandfather is a Bob! TPBM is unbelievably excited and cannot wait for something years away.

MASSIVE POST ALERT! So it seems likely the Dragonsteel series will reveal more on the Dawnshards. The whole 'I am Unity' business and Odium's reaction seems to be intrinsically linked to the Shattering. We simply do not know what happened, although we can assume. Here's a new idea... What if another name for the sentient mind that was Adonalsium was Unity, as if the being Adonalsium perhaps 'united' the Investiture of the Cosmere into one 'super-Shard'. This massive investiture gave him the powers of creation, like any all-powerful god. We do also know that there are more 'raw' forms of magic in the Cosmere that are to do with Adonalsium not Shards. After all, there has to be some kind of story behind Adonalsium, either it was created along with the Cosmere already with all it's power or the being ascended in some way. The Coppermind says that 'Adonalsium was indeed killed' In Oathbringer we get the phrase 'We killed you!' after 'I am Unity'. Both the words 'killed' and 'you' suggest a far more humanoid sentient consciousness, if not actually human or any other sentient Cosmere species. This would match with general cosmere lore fairly well. The loss of the 'Vessel' of Adonalsium's power meant it was vulnerable and then splintered using whatever weapon was devised. The Dawnshards are the remnant although what effect they could have on a Shard I don't know. If they are the only remnant of the Weapon then perhaps they could be used to kill other Vessels and splinter Shards? Beware massive Stormlight and Mistborn spoilers: I know this is a super far out there theory but I was looking into the Shattering again because I think that is where the resolution to this discussion can be found and this cropped up.

On a side note... So at any moment a Worldhopper could spring forth from Patji's forehead or something? Weird image.

So if Dawnshards move have to move through perpendicularities in order to travel interplanetarily then it can be assumed that they are all located on Shardworlds with manifested perpendicularities. So I think that includes: Roshar, Scadrial and Sel Presumably there is also a perpendicularity on Nalthis and somewhere in Autonomy's little empire. It seems very likely then that there is a Dawnshard or two hidden away in the background somewhere on these planets. I'd also be willing to bet that one of the many shady Worldhopper organisations are searching for them.

So that depends on what Adonalsium really was. Was it a kind of super-Shard with a Vessel and everything, perhaps from the primordial abyss of the ancient cosmere or some such. Or was it a kind of force, such as Connection, but one that commanded a great deal more power? The Coppermind seems to suggest that Adonalsium was more like a Shard than a force but perhaps it made use of another force, Unity, in order to maintain it's vast power. ADDED BIT: But!!!! if Unity is a force like Connection or Identity then where is the metal for it from Scadrial and Feruchemy Metals: If we assume that these four metals store the four primary forces of the Cosmere (we'll get to Unity in a second) and there are sixteen Allomantic/Feruchemic/Hemalurgic metals which is significant because sixteen is the holy number, then where does Unity, if it is indeed a primeval force, fit in? Thus, after thinking some more, I would say Adonalsium is NOT a force, Unity, but instead like a super shard of some kind, although what that entails I have no idea.

- And thus perhaps it could be something that a Dawnshard could have control over! This removes the need for this 'Unity concept' to have an intelligence which only muddied the waters. If Unity was a great cosmere force and the Dawnshards were used to shatter Adonalsium by either destroying or severely weakening it that would explain why 'unity' is such a cosmere-wide theme. It would in fact be a fundamental force that is perhaps regenerating. The only wonky bit then is the original source of this discussion (ha ha, why!): Now this doesn't add up, how can Unity be a primeval force like Connection, and yet also embodied by someone such as Dalinar?

Looking at what @stonehand and @Morningtide have said there do seem to be connections across the cosmere. Thinking about it now there are underlying themes to do with unity across many cosmere books. This could be argued to suggest the presence of a 17th Shard, Unity, who was removed from Adonalsium, shattering it, and now seeks, as this is it's shardly purpose, to reunite all of the other 16, perhaps through any means necessary. It would certainly be a major cosmere plotline that could apply to all planets. A hidden shard trying to recombine the others. Such a thing would have massive effects across the cosmere. Damn, and I thought the idea that there was a Unity shard had been disproved!

I'm so close! Only White Sand yet eludes me. TPBM has spent a whole year reading two authors - I did, first half reading the full Stormlight Archive, then I finally got a hold of a complete, same print Wheel of Time and read that. That was my January to November this year. It is valid to call me names over this accomplishment.

Worry if there are other tiny sentient people living about my person. What would you do if you found a really big spider in your pocket?

This is a response for a friend who once fell asleep and their head just thunked down onto a table really loudly and everyone stared at them. TPBM signed up for something having no idea what it is.

@cometaryorbit has made an excellent point, after rereading the post. If taking up a Dawnshard has the same general principle as, say, ascending with a shard then the 'Unity' could not be a shard. If, again if, there is a Dawnshard called Unity or Unite or some such then it would have to somehow be on or come to Roshar. Dalinar is seeing this in the future slightly. This is backed up by the RAFO from previous comments, it would be a pretty massive story event if another Dawnshard appeared on Roshar, especially if more is ever done with Rysn and the Change Dawnshard. Dalinar, being the bondsmith who has taken up the mantle of the unofficial leader of the KR and being bonded to the spren who in turn has taken up the mantle of Honor it seems like he would be the perfect person to take up a Dawnshard to do with Unity. Going back to what I said earlier about how is Dalinar connected to each shard on Roshar it seems like taking up a unity Dawnshard would fulfil the wishes of the 'good' shards on the planet. Cultivation would end the war with Odium and Honor's legacy would survive. How another Dawnshard would come to Roshar I don't know, how did the Change Dawnshard come to Roshar? on a side note.