Hello

[Pinpoint]

Hello everybody, I got a bit tired of bieng on the outside and decided to jump into the inside. I'm excited to discuss theories and other Sanderson information.  

 

Here's a little thought I had. When Adonalsium shattered 16 smaller and less balanced shards were created. So what happens when those less balanced shards are splintered? Maybe they leave several smaller powers or abilities that can be absorbed by mankind. Maybe that’s what happened on Sel. When Devotion was splintered by Odium maybe it left little pieces that can be absorbed. That could be what the Shaod is. It could be  little pieces of Devotions power. It makes a lot of sense to me that if the whole (Adonalsium) acts that way when it splinters, the part (the different shards) would act the same way. Hopefully that makes sense.

Any thoughts?

Edited October 15, 2013 by Pinpoint

[Argent]

Glad to see our flock grow - welcome! As a means of welcoming you, allow me to bash on your theory  

 

Well, only partially. I think there is merit to your idea, but I think I want to take it in a slightly different direction. The following analogy came to mind. We can think of Adonalsium as a molecule composed of 16 distinct atoms (of unique elements), where those atoms are the equivalent to the 16 Shards. Furthermore, each one of those atoms is composed of a number of a number of even smaller particles - Splinters in Cosmere terminology. It's not a perfect analogy, of course (subatomic particles come in many different flavors, while Splinters - as far as we know - are unique per Shard; that is to say, each Shard can have many Splinters, but they all fall within the same "group," e.g. Aons), but I think it works well enough. And, similarly to the elementary particles, there is a point in the division of Shardic power where we can no longer form anything sentient. To grow your idea further, I think that Splinters might be the smallest "unit of Shardic consciousness," and if you were to break them further (Adonalsium was Shattered, Shards are Splintered, but how should we describe the destruction of Splinters?), you'd get pure energy Investiture. 

[Pinpoint]

bash my theory? but it's flawless!

 

Thanks for clearing that Adonalsium was shattered and shards are splintered. It will be very helpful to know that terminology.

Nice analogy too. It makes a lot of sense.

Do you think the Shaod could be a splinter of devotions power? if Aons are splinters of Devotion do you think that the power to manipulate them originates from the same place?

[Argent]

I am not entirely sure what you mean by the Shaod being a Splinter. Splinters are essentially sentient pieces of power. Seons (though they are kind of a bad example, since its their Aons that are the Splinters), Honorspren, Divine Breaths (another proof that I stuck at simplifying definitions...) - they are all chunks of power. The Shaod... maybe the thing that causes it, the thing that - for the lack of a better term - infuses (Invests?) the people of Arelon is a Splinter. Without further research this sounds plausible.

[Pinpoint]

oops, I got mixed up about splinters. thanks for telling me. I'm still not very Sanderson savvy

[Argent]

Takes time

[cem]

bash my theory? but it's flawless!

 

Thanks for clearing that Adonalsium was shattered and shards are splintered. It will be very helpful to know that terminology.

Nice analogy too. It makes a lot of sense.

Do you think the Shaod could be a splinter of devotions power? if Aons are splinters of Devotion do you think that the power to manipulate them originates from the same place?

Splinters in Sel are the Aons at the center of Seons and the Skaze which we haven't seen in Elantris or TES. If Shaod is caused by Splinters being Invested in people, Brandon never told us. But I don't think that's likely. Truth be told, we don't know what causes the Shaod or how the people taken are chosen.

 

Though, that is the way it works in Nalthis. The Returned are Invested with Endowment's Splinters which are called Divine Breaths. So it's not a bad theory. Just wrong world.

[Argent]

Potentially wrong world. We still don't know whether a single Shard produces only one kind of Splinters. It's possible - though I admit not highly likely - that Aona was Splintered into proto-Seons and something else; something that, when accepted (bad word, implies voluntary acceptance; follow the spirit, not the letter of this idea) by a living Arelish person, turns them into an Elantrian.

[cem]

Sure, potentially wrong world. That was what I meant when I said this:

 

If Shaod is caused by Splinters being Invested in people, Brandon never told us. But I don't think that's likely. Truth be told, we don't know what causes the Shaod or how the people taken are chosen.

[Pinpoint]

Truth be told, we don't know what causes the Shaod or how the people taken are chosen.

Hmmm someone is going to have to try and come up with a solid theory on how the shaod works and where it comes from. I know there are several already but none make total sense. interesting that the divine breaths are splinters. I had no idea. Thanks for the info Cem and Argent, and thanks for the warm welcome.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Pinpoint