Theories in progress

[Voidus]

QUESTION

So Ruin and Preservation combine. When Odium slays the Shardbearers, why doesn’t he absorb the enemy Shards?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Because that would actually change the way he views the world. The Shard would actually start to influence him, and could actually ruin who he views himself as being. So instead of combining them all, his goal is to destroy them all and be the only one left at his power level.

Hmmmm...I thought the longer one held a Shard, the more the will of the Shardholder comes on line with the Shard's Intent. Like Hoid said (paraphrased): "Ati was a good and decent man and you saw what happened to him."

That's true, but the intent of a Shard is also filtered by what your perception of it is, Ruin didn't send inquisitors around to smash pottery or something, he interpreted the Intent of 'Ruin' in a reasonably long-term fashion. So I believe that Odium could be doing something similar, taking time to destroy the other Shards (Which on Roshar requires the Desolations) and then later applying his Intent onto the whole cosmere.

[Dros]

Thanks for the quote; I had totally forgotten about that last line. Points to the Voidus!

Occam's Razor might be in play on Roshar after all. Odium wants to destroy all the Shardholders there and, in the meantime kill as many other Shardholders as he is able. The Desolations weaken his enemies on Roshar enough that he can do so.

So, if a Shard splinters, can it ever be put together again? Or is it Humpty Dumpty all the way. I guess Odium thinks it's not possible. I wonder if Hoid thinks it's possible? I wonder if Shards on other planets are aware of the threat?

[hoser he/him]

Thanks for the quote; I had totally forgotten about that last line. Points to the Voidus!

Occam's Razor might be in play on Roshar after all. Odium wants to destroy all the Shardholders there and, in the meantime kill as many other Shardholders as he is able. The Desolations weaken his enemies on Roshar enough that he can do so.

So, if a Shard splinters, can it ever be put together again? Or is it Humpty Dumpty all the way. I guess Odium thinks it's not possible. I wonder if Hoid thinks it's possible? I wonder if Shards on other planets are aware of the threat?

from the interview database:

Interview: Oct, 2012

17th Shard Q&A (Verbatim)

Chaos: Is Splintering a Shard permanent?

Brandon Sanderson: No.

If Odium knows that they can be unsplintered, he must still think it worthwhile. If it takes active interactions to unsplinter a Shard, then depopulating a planet might still be effective.

[Dros]

from the interview database:

If Odium knows that they can be unsplintered, he must still think it worthwhile. If it takes active interactions to unsplinter a Shard, then depopulating a planet might still be effective.

I guess that all starts to fit together then. Even after he splinters a Shard, he's got to remain vigilant that someone else doesn't pick it up. I imagine the best way to do that is to literally destroy everything...like with an Everstorm or a True Desolation that leaves nothing behind.

Hoid does not approve and wants to get back at Rayse (and Bavadin too) anyway, the 17th Shard doesn't want him to interfere even if Odium is killing Shardholders, and humankind is caught right smack in the middle.

Dang, I was hoping there might be an Anti-Shard or something running around.

[The Count he/him]

I guess that all starts to fit together then. Even after he splinters a Shard, he's got to remain vigilant that someone else doesn't pick it up. I imagine the best way to do that is to literally destroy everything...like with an Everstorm or a True Desolation that leaves nothing behind.

Hoid does not approve and wants to get back at Rayse (and Bavadin too) anyway, the 17th Shard doesn't want him to interfere even if Odium is killing Shardholders, and humankind is caught right smack in the middle.

Dang, I was hoping there might be an Anti-Shard or something running around.

What if the destuction of Roshar is personal and not directly tied to the Shardic intents.

If Tanavast and Rayse were (for example) political rivals before the shattering, then once Rayse picked up the Odium shard, the hateful intent turned this into a drive to destroy everything that his old rival loved and stood for.

Hence the destruction of Roshar and everthing Honor had built there.

In that light, the Final Desolation is not about increasing the Shardic intent (there are plenty more planets in the Cosmere for that) but persecuting a personal vendetta by the Shard Holder.

[Dros]

What if the destuction of Roshar is personal and not directly tied to the Shardic intents.

If Tanavast and Rayse were (for example) political rivals before the shattering, then once Rayse picked up the Odium shard, the hateful intent turned this into a drive to destroy everything that his old rival loved and stood for.

Hence the destruction of Roshar and everthing Honor had built there.

In that light, the Final Desolation is not about increasing the Shardic intent (there are plenty more planets in the Cosmere for that) but persecuting a personal vendetta by the Shard Holder.

Good point, that might very well turn out to be the case.

[happyman he/him]

What if the destuction of Roshar is personal and not directly tied to the Shardic intents.

If Tanavast and Rayse were (for example) political rivals before the shattering, then once Rayse picked up the Odium shard, the hateful intent turned this into a drive to destroy everything that his old rival loved and stood for.

Hence the destruction of Roshar and everthing Honor had built there.

In that light, the Final Desolation is not about increasing the Shardic intent (there are plenty more planets in the Cosmere for that) but persecuting a personal vendetta by the Shard Holder.

There is a point against this, in that in Dalinar's last vision, Honor told him that is wasn't just about him, but about all of them. He was a bit vague, but it suggests there is more going on than just a vendetta.

However, there is the very real possibility that Honor discovered it wasn't just about him "relatively" recently. In this case, there could have been a real vendetta that Odium used to cover his deeper plans. This would mean that, to keep up the ruse, Odium would have focused on Honor as a way of distracting the other shards from his plan.