@@LoreoftheWorlds One could also interpret that his righteousness and kindness became twisted by Ruin's Intent. And after having Ruin for so long, he was twisted to see the ruination of things as a kind and righteous act.
That DEFINITELY shines through in the story. I don't have the book here right now, but when Kelsier talks to RUin, Ruin basically tells him "I had a deal with Preservation. I helped create all of this, so it is my RIGHT to end it. Nothing has a point without an ending"
I found it interesting that he empowers the parshmen.. perhaps a reference to biblical "righteous rage?". Obviously it's corrupted and , ahem, ruinous.. but the initial idea of helping a people overwhelmed by alien invaders strikes and as quite reasonable for the original man. Perhaps there's something of him left after all?
My personal theory about Invention involves a Word of Brandon from a while ago where he said that there’s at least one shard that isn’t tied to a planet. If Invention has the highest technology out of any shard I could see it ruling over a giant traveling spaceship or other vessel.
Something your comment made me think of- what if invention wasn't tied to a planet but instead a sun? Like invention built some sort of wild Dyson sphere - that would be super fun to explore in a theory video 🤔
@@LoreoftheWorlds interesting thought. I find it odd how we haven't explicitly seen anything from Invention yet. It does make sense that Taldain has the greatest technological advancement, given Autonomy, but Invention is the only specific Shard that would imply extremely quick technological advancement: it's hard wired into what the Shard wants to accomplish. Invention of what though?
Honor. Right or wrong, I can't help but feel my heartstrings get tugged every time I hear stories of brave souls sacrificing themselves for greater causes. Honor, inspiring such souls, and living up to the call himself, is definitely my favorite. Also, while I love, love the vessel of Harmony...my personal theory is that Harmony is the overall antagonist of the Cosmere. It's just a thing that I've noticed about Sanderson. He's a deeply religious man that is not afraid to poke at the flaws of religion...so a god that is paving his own path to hell with good intentions just makes sense. Also...I don't think Ruin and Preservation are working together inside that shard...
i think Harmony leaned a lot to Preservation's shard over the years, this is in direct opposition to his shard's (Harmony)intent, resulting in what we're seeing. I feel he needs to balance it out to actually achieve harmony, this might not bode well for Scadrial/other cosmere worlds going forward but oh well.
@@vision7media36 I just always get the sense that I should look twice any anything Sanderson has 'clearly labeled.' He has a tendency to use expectations to twist the story and surprise the readers. In a universe with multiple 'gods' if one has a power like 'peace' and one has a power like 'ambition' the only way for both to exist is for one to be coerced, destroyed, or corrupted. Thus a concept like peace, or, Harmony, can become ominous. Because their goal is to make *all* things harmonious. All the shards. All the planets. All the species. A noble goal! But..at what cost?
Something back this idea, is one of my favorite quotes in all of the cosmere. “He shall defend their ways, yet shall violate them. He will be their savior, yet they shall call him heretic. His name shall be Discord, yet they shall love him for it. “
the shard has alread started taking over in era 2, he can't even act much in era 2. I think in about a 100 years more and Sazed would become harmony only.... like there wasn't any Rayse left in Odium, similarly there wouldn't be much of our terris boy left either @@kronosDking
Now, see, Sazed might be a special case, why, a shard influences and changes the vessel’s personality, morals, decisions. But in case of Sazed, ruin and preservation both are actively trying to take control of him resulting into just neutralising each other perpetually. Sazed might just go insane over couple thousand years, being a mortal witnessing mind shattering knowledge of universe, but not because of shards.
You just blessed my night! I like cultivation the most. She seems to have effective measures in place to neutralize the most dangerous shard out there. She is like the old spymaster whose web you don't see until you're ensnared in it.
I think your description of her as a sort of spymaster makes a lot of sense - I never really thought about her in that context but it fits so perfectly with how she's been operating from the shadows and affecting change over time.
My favourite Shard is likely Harmony, as it's the first example of the mixing of Intents, and has huge implications for the Cosmere. Also, I like seeing characters from the first era books sticking around and gaining more knowledge. After that, Cultivation is really interesting, given it has a soft magic system based on its Intent. (Side note, I love how the different Shards seemingly have very different abilities-of course, on top of their base powers-based on their Intent, or even the Vessel: eg, Autonomy's many Avatars and weird Perpendicularities, Cultivation's altering and cultivating Old Magic, and Odium's capacity to take away one's pain: to absorb Passion, the emotions of all people. Its quite cool. It gives Shards more individuality on top of their magic systems and the Vessels' personalities.) I also really like the Shard Whimsy; giving light hearted fancy the power of a deity sounds really interesting for inter-Shard "politics". Imagine having to deal with a god who's sole interest is to be facetious and aloof? Invention, Ambition and Mercy are also very compelling to me. Oh yeah, how about Odium? The change in management is going to be quite interesting for the future of the Cosmere
These are some great picks! It's great how the individual shards are so unique, I agree. Also can't wait to see how odiums new manager impacts the rest of the Cosmere!
We know nothing about it but i just know my favourite shard would whimsy. A whole planet of jokesters just having the time of their lives doing whatever, just because they find it whimsical. May also be one of the most unpredictable shards because you'll never really know what will tickle whimsies fancy... Further enforcing this, one possible definition for "whimsical" is "unpredictable". So imagine a literal shard, with near infinite power, and one of the key "intents" of this shard is unpredictability. I find this concept really funny (or dare i say whimsical), but also a little scary. At least with most other shards we can know what their main intent is
I think it is interesting that the word "cultivation" not only means to prepare and care for growing things, but also to harvest them. Whatever Cultivation's intentions, I think she'll take whatever she feels she needs to achieve them.
So far I think Odium is my favorite shard simply from the amount of info we have on it in the stormlight archive so far. Harmony might become my favorite as I continue reading, but I'm not deep into that yet.
Homework assignment accepted! My favourite shard is 100% Honor. Because of the moments the Radiants have through the SA, and the honor involved in all those huge moments that just destroy me lol - It's such a perfect concept for me that this is a no-brainer :-)
@@LoreoftheWorlds I'm not sure what he's going to do here, but it IS gonna be epic thats for sure - i think there will be some attempt to reconstruct honor, not sure it will be successful though tbh :-)
In oathbringer chapter 68 page 708 if you have the paper copy, wit says to shallan and I quote “Some men, as they age, grow wiser. I am not one of those, for Wisdom and I have always been at Cross-purposes, and I have yet to learn the tongue in which she speaks.” For this line of dialogue from wit, I believe that the last shard is wisdom.
I appreciate all the money you folks raise for charity! If I were to feel charitable during this holiday season, wheres a good charity to throw money at?
@@LoreoftheWorlds Excellent question! Since we're mostly all book lovers around here, maybe donate some books to your local library or small bookstores! Get to know a local charity near you who has a large impact on your community. You can reach out to your Chamber of Commerce, and they can direct you to non-profits who work closely with schools, small businesses, and families! Can't make a donation? Sharing about what work non-profits are doing makes a huge difference!
Well, up until now, Harmony was by far my easy answer, but going forward, it has to be Odium, I am fascinated and terrified by what may happen _now_ . If you know you know.
I'm curious about Valor. The name itself makes me think of Knights, Paladins, Samurai, Spartans, Vikings, and most forms of Warrior Cultures from history. Makes me think that the power system of its worlds would be physically intensive. Probably something similar to Honor, but probable less Oath dependent and more connected to courage.
My favorite Shard is Autonomy, for a few different reasons. First of all, of the base Intents each Shard embodies, Autonomy is the one that I personally value the highest. It would, without a doubt, be the Shard I would be most suited to take up myself of the sixteen options. As almost an exact antithesis to that though, I find Autonomy's current rising status as a villain in the Cosmere super intriguing. I personally find it much more compelling to see how ideals traditionally thought of positively can cause harm in their extreme than ideals like "Ruin" or "Odium". They make powerful, scary villains, but forces like Autonomy make for a more dynamic and complex conflict in my opinion. The lore behind Autonomy is also some of the most interesting, with how Autonomy is seeding dozens of other planets with Avatars as a way of spreading her control. The fact that the fandom is only just now - within the past year - noticing hints of Autonomy that were set up as early as Elantris genuinely blows my mind. I have particular interest in the Avatar Patji, as First of the Sun is my single favorite planet in the Cosmere. But also I just... really like Bavadin so far (despite how little we've seen of them). He's a character who freely changes his gender based on what feels appropriate in the moment and is a big proponant for self-expression. They're not confirmed human, but they seem to be. And if she is, that also makes her the first non-binary human character in the Cosmere.
i like autonomy a lot because ik we'll see them later again, maybe in the next stormlight book or mistborn era three. im almost confident autonomy is behind the ghost bloods, and it'll be interesting to see what they do with other worlds
That's a good point about it being the one you most closely vibe with. In that case it's Harmony to me. It feels like my whole life is about duality and finding Harmony. I didn't have an answer before so thanks
I think my favorite shard is devotion because i like the image of a god that is by nature called to serve its people. Unfortunately for me, we cannot have nice things
@@LoreoftheWorlds My headcanon is that hoid gave his shard to a cat before deciding that might not have been the best idea and the cosmere is just his story of dealing with an unruly cat.
Um actually... WoB has it that Preservation and Cultivation are more diametrically opposed than Preservation and Ruin. 🤓 In all seriousness though, this video was fantastic! I love the animations
My favorite Shard would be one that doesn´t actually exist... yet I have this theory that at some point Odium and Honor will fuse together like Harmony did to become *JUSTICE* And just like Harmony has the potential to become Discord Justice would have the potential to become Vengance
I think Autonomy is one of the more interesting shards to me, what with the ramifications of putting unconnected avatars of themself seemingly at random throughout the cosmere. But as for favorite, for the moment I'm just gonna say Harmony. I love the inner conflict of Ruin and Preservation reflecting Sazed's inner conflict in the last portion of his arc, and it'll be interesting to see how this plays out moving forward as I've only just started Bands of Mourning. The musician in me wants to like Virtuosity and Whimsy, so hopefully we'll see more of them sooner or later.
So regarding Autonomy. I know her actions are kind of contradictory to her intent, what with investing herself in other shardworlds and not just being content in isolating Taldain. I think this action, however, is her making sure other planets do not become threats to her own and thereby a threat to her autonomy. She isn't investing on other planets to help them be autonomous is what I'm trying to say.
Autonomy definitely appears to be going through some sort of internal conflict - the vessel and the shard are clearly at some sort of odds with each other. I won't go into too much detail in that regard though, cause I'm not sure how far you've read and I don't want to spoil anything.
@@geosustento8894 oh white sand is definitely one of the least cosmere aware cosmere novels out there. No worries for any cosmere connections or obvious shard appearances.
I thought it was 17 people who shattered Adonalsium, Hoid and the other 16. He's described it as such and said he just didnt take a shard. Or am I misremembering?
@@jacobsermersheim6758 No, he definitely was an active participant in the Shattering. He was such an integral part of the operation that the other sixteen even offered him a Shard of his own, which he turned down. We already knew this from WoBs and the Rhythm of War epigraphs, but this was made even more explicit in Tress of the Emarld Sea with two notable quotes. One where Hoid says: "I was part of a secret plot to kill God" And another where he says " "It's for your own good" is one of the most insulting phrases to hear. I've heard those words. I've said those words. I've said them with sixteen other people."
@@spoonbender3062 Hoid likely didn't want a shard. That's why he's a colossal pain in the behind to all the other shards and suspect that his ultimate goal is to be the vessel of adonalsium, hence why he travels the cosmere to become invested from each shard.
@@spoonbender3062I’m sure you’ve already come to the conclusion, but… When the 16 + hoid split Adonalsium, the amount was arbitrary. They could have absolutely split it up into 17 shards, but seeing as hoid refused, they only split it amongst the 16. So, from a certain point of view, the original “16 shards” actually each had 1 whole piece + 1/16th
I was so worried about the last shard being a super secret spoiler and when I realized it was just it felt very funny cuz i totally forgot that was technichaly a new shard
Harmony is probably my favourite Shard mainly because i loved his vessel before he ascended and revel everytime he has shown up since. As for whats happening to him now i think he is trying to keep the two Shards together but i think eventually Discord will be created from him. As for the mystery Shard i think people have got it wrong its not Survival maybe more like Cowardice or Stealth watching from afar but probably not getting involved in the Cosmere until another Shard or being finds them. Just stumbled upon your channel great work!
I'll be honest, my love for Harmony's vessel is why I don't love Harmony. I think our dear old friend has been wildly corrupted by warring powers inside him.
14:47: "... Or would the Vessel have been changed by the Power somehow?" Well... Anyway, my favourite Shard is Honour, because I'm big on people (including myself) doing what they say they will do.
With Ruin and Preservation I think they go to the same world because Preservation was trying to protect the Cosmere from Ruin (who would have been more dangerous than Odium) while Ruin saw Preservation as it's biggest opponent so sought to get rid of it first, tying them into an inevitable millenias long battle.
Personally, I would be happy with holding either Devotion or Dominion from Sel, and if I could, possibly combine them both into a single Shard to get all the benefits from it. I can imagine that it would be possible, through some form of Aon Dor equation, to pull the Investiture of Both Shards out of the Cognitive Realm and Reforge them into Shards as they pass back into the Physical realm. At that point I believe the two can be Picked up by two different people, or combined into a single person. I personally think that one of the main characters in Elantris, quite possibly Raoden, might be able to achieve something like this in the future of the trilogy.
I'm going to be really happy if 'Prudence' turns out to be the name of a Shard, because I was actually the one who inspired Paleo to ask Brandon about that in the WOB.
I think Whimsy is actually the spores now instead of the kites. Brando said that originally Tress was going to have kites being the way that the ships traverse the seas.
Survival/Perseverance would overlap too much with Preservation in my opinion. Self Preservation is encompassed within Preservation, and they play with that thematically via everyone's favorite omnipresent antihero/protagonist/antagonist/whatever he is at this point My favorite shard is Cultivation. Her boons are consistently the most intriguing plot points. Plus shes a dragon which is cool, plus in that WaT interior art Cultivation got me ACTIN UP
I love your lore videos. Have you considered putting something at the top of your videos or in the notes that calls out the last book to he published. Might be helpful in the future to have that context.
Stumbled on this vid by accident. Intresting. Have only read the Misborn books so far, but have a dozen more of Brandon's offerings on the bedside table waiting for their turn. Nightblood: Given it's mere shape I would think Sanderson is pullnig a fast one by disguising a "spike" (such as the Hemalurgic Spikes from Mistborn). He does, after all, seem to like misdirecting readers (Sazed and Min's hunt for the true origins of the Lord Ruler, for example). Give the sword/spike oddball characteristics, a nebulous origin, confusing 'goals' and let it distract and dismay until the moment it's "purpose' is revealed and fulfulled... much like Stormbringer in the Elric novels.
It's gotta be cultivation, she's a dragon, she is playing the long game, and her plans are so important to the future of the cosmere, and I don't know if she's what I'd call a protagonist or antagonist, with how rhythm of war ended up. Harmony is probably the most interesting, because we know the veesel SO well, AND Whats going on with them currently, and the implications that might have on their world/the cosmere overall I wanna see whimsy the most. I think they will be terrifying
Great video, very informational and really good memory boost. I dont think you mentioned that ruin and preservation are outright said by Sazed to once have been a single shard that split.
They were once united within Adonalsium, but after the shattering, Ruin and Preservation were indeed distinct powers. At a technical level, all the shards belong together.
New to your channel.. I haven’t read all the cosmere works.. recommend you also mention the novels/content that informs the story. Eg This shard is in this story on this planet..
I'll break it down real quick for you! Mistborn: Ruin, Preservation Stormlight: Honor, Cultivation, Odium Warbreaker: Endowment Elantris (& Emperor's Soul): Dominion, Devotion White Sand: Autonomy Shadows for Silence: Ambition Does not directly appear in content yet: Mercy, Invention, Valor, Whimsy Hope this helps!
I've always thought it was weird that preservation's power was allomancy not feruchemy. Feruchemy is all about preserving attributes to store them for later, end neutral... Feels more in line with preservation's intent. Where allomancy makes more sense if it's the combined power - burn(ruin) one substance and it is transformed into power (preserved) Hemalurgy definitely fits ruin though
Spoilers were intentionally left out but I did actually film this back in August. I thought about updating it, but that's such a big topic I'd rather have a whole video talking about it. Good catch!
Harmony isn't a new Shard. It's been said by both Brandon and in the way Harmony himself speaks of the power he holds that Ruin and Preservation are both still separate Shards held by one vessel, creating a new entity, which is Harmony, which is two Shards in one being, but not combined into a new single Shard. So there are still 16 total Shards, rather than 15 now.
@@salmonofknowledge3229 Maybe, but I doubt it. I think Ruin and Preservation are a special case for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that held together, they create a sort of balance, although that balance is very difficult for Harmony to control. I think if you added another shard, it would be too unwieldy, though who knows (besides Brandon) what would actually happen in that case. I suspect we will eventually (possibly 20+ years from now) find out what happens if a single person tries to hold all the shards at once, essentially recombining Adonalsium.
Brandon has said that the shards are intermingled now to the point that if Sazed were to die, he would drop the shard of Harmony. It would take effort and intent to split them again.
@@salmonofknowledge3229 That's definitely what Sanderson is foreshadowiing, but it could be a red herring, or maybe Sazed is only a fragment of the full story needed to reunite Adonalsium (if it will ever happen at all(which I think it will))
This was unconfirmed as of the filming of this video, unfortunately. I'm gonna wait till after Stormlight 5 to see if anything else pops up then I'll probably update this
One thing, a Vessel's intent also affects the Shard's intent, it's not a one way street.... One example is of course, harmony, but also Odium and Ruin. As mentioned by our favourite world walker bard, Ruin's vessel was a genuinely good person, so while the shard is destructive in nature, it's ruin in a natural fation, Odium however, was taken by Raize, and because of this it became the menace of a shard it became... I imagine a better person taking it (like a certain someone of their dumb days) would be able to influence the shard to a less destructive course.
Some of my older videos used to get significantly less views than this, it was very disheartening hah I appreciate the sentiment though! We'll get more views soon, I have a feeling that this will be a very good year for the channel. Looking forward to it!
Technically, the direct confirmation comes from a WoB, but it was figured out by the fandom before the WoB confirmation. Prior to Rhythm of War, the theory existed that Cultivation wad a dragon for a few reasons, the main one being how the Nightwatcher is described as serpant-like. The big hints, however, came from RoW itself. When Hoid told the story of The Dog and the Dragon, he mentioned that only one dragon lives on Roshar, and that "she" tends to keep to herself and "hides her true form". He then went on to describe someone remarkably similar to what we know about Cultivation.
After catching up on Stormlight Archive up to Rhythm of War (minus the novellas), I can say that if ANY shard needs to be splintered/destroyed, it's Odium. That Shard is WAY too dangerous and Cultivation should have planned for splintering it rather doing what she did in RoW.
He's basically the strongest shard, so it'd be pretty hard to shatter him. Also remember: The shards cannot act against their own Intent. Unless cultivation dies and is inherited by someone new (Like preservation being inherited and used to destroy ruin before the personality becomes too strong), cultivation has to work through humans to achieve her goal.
Just so you know the decision was made by more then 16 people as hoid has said he denied taking a shard even though he could of, unless it means later in life
It's wierd and kind of contradictory to be honest, but allommancy is pure Preservation, while Hemalurgy is pure Ruin. I do agree that Feruchemy should be preservation and both together should be allomancy (it just makes sense - the whole point is that you need BOTH to create life).
At 2:33 you said 16... For a while I was suspecting it was actually 17 because of several things prior to the confirmation in Tress of the Emerald Sea. Mainly because of several offhand comments about how Hoid was offered the responsibility but turned it down. I realize now that this video came out before the effective confirmation in Tress.. But if you wanted to find it the reference was in the middle of chapter 56 Additionally, I think technically Honor and Cultivation splintered themselves too. The spren are often referred to as splinters and we know they existed before Odium got there. Finally, I am undecided on a favorite shard. However, I am a big fan of stamps
Daily reminder that according to Hoid's letters, Ruin was the most righteous and kind man he knew before he became Ruin
Gosh, I should have put that in here. It's so telling; by the time we meet ruin there's basically nothing of that kind man left
@@LoreoftheWorlds One could also interpret that his righteousness and kindness became twisted by Ruin's Intent. And after having Ruin for so long, he was twisted to see the ruination of things as a kind and righteous act.
I think of it as more of a sacrifice, like imagine is Rayse was ruins vessel
That DEFINITELY shines through in the story. I don't have the book here right now, but when Kelsier talks to RUin, Ruin basically tells him "I had a deal with Preservation. I helped create all of this, so it is my RIGHT to end it. Nothing has a point without an ending"
I found it interesting that he empowers the parshmen.. perhaps a reference to biblical "righteous rage?". Obviously it's corrupted and , ahem, ruinous.. but the initial idea of helping a people overwhelmed by alien invaders strikes and as quite reasonable for the original man. Perhaps there's something of him left after all?
Honor is not dead so long as he lives in the hearts of men
This guy Honors
✊✊✊✊✊
And spren
WE CHOSE!
Honor is dead, but i'll see what I can do
My personal theory about Invention involves a Word of Brandon from a while ago where he said that there’s at least one shard that isn’t tied to a planet. If Invention has the highest technology out of any shard I could see it ruling over a giant traveling spaceship or other vessel.
Something your comment made me think of- what if invention wasn't tied to a planet but instead a sun? Like invention built some sort of wild Dyson sphere - that would be super fun to explore in a theory video 🤔
@@LoreoftheWorlds I feel like a third invested sun might make them less interesting individually tbh.
@@LoreoftheWorlds interesting thought. I find it odd how we haven't explicitly seen anything from Invention yet. It does make sense that Taldain has the greatest technological advancement, given Autonomy, but Invention is the only specific Shard that would imply extremely quick technological advancement: it's hard wired into what the Shard wants to accomplish.
Invention of what though?
@@God-nw9qd invention is chilling in a black hole
@@Grux_ASG that would be pretty epic. I'm sure a Shard like that would be interested in unusual celestial objects
Honor. Right or wrong, I can't help but feel my heartstrings get tugged every time I hear stories of brave souls sacrificing themselves for greater causes. Honor, inspiring such souls, and living up to the call himself, is definitely my favorite.
Also, while I love, love the vessel of Harmony...my personal theory is that Harmony is the overall antagonist of the Cosmere. It's just a thing that I've noticed about Sanderson. He's a deeply religious man that is not afraid to poke at the flaws of religion...so a god that is paving his own path to hell with good intentions just makes sense. Also...I don't think Ruin and Preservation are working together inside that shard...
I am quite scared by what is going on with harmony, but I am near convinced that we'll see honor reforged in some sense sooner rather than later.
i think Harmony leaned a lot to Preservation's shard over the years, this is in direct opposition to his shard's (Harmony)intent, resulting in what we're seeing. I feel he needs to balance it out to actually achieve harmony, this might not bode well for Scadrial/other cosmere worlds going forward but oh well.
@@vision7media36 I just always get the sense that I should look twice any anything Sanderson has 'clearly labeled.' He has a tendency to use expectations to twist the story and surprise the readers.
In a universe with multiple 'gods' if one has a power like 'peace' and one has a power like 'ambition' the only way for both to exist is for one to be coerced, destroyed, or corrupted. Thus a concept like peace, or, Harmony, can become ominous. Because their goal is to make *all* things harmonious. All the shards. All the planets. All the species. A noble goal! But..at what cost?
@@GraveKing3473 wow....I did not think of that..... That's such a great angle to come from.
I'd totally love to see that come to play in the cosmere.
Something back this idea, is one of my favorite quotes in all of the cosmere. “He shall defend their ways, yet shall violate them. He will be their savior, yet they shall call him heretic. His name shall be Discord, yet they shall love him for it. “
I don't have a favourite shard but Sazed has got to be the best vessel
The tragic thing is, by the time a few thousand years pass, likely nothing will remain of Sazed himself, as the shards take over.
@@kronosDkingthat will be very sad, I think.
the shard has alread started taking over in era 2, he can't even act much in era 2. I think in about a 100 years more and Sazed would become harmony only.... like there wasn't any Rayse left in Odium, similarly there wouldn't be much of our terris boy left either
@@kronosDking
Now, see, Sazed might be a special case, why, a shard influences and changes the vessel’s personality, morals, decisions. But in case of Sazed, ruin and preservation both are actively trying to take control of him resulting into just neutralising each other perpetually. Sazed might just go insane over couple thousand years, being a mortal witnessing mind shattering knowledge of universe, but not because of shards.
You just blessed my night!
I like cultivation the most. She seems to have effective measures in place to neutralize the most dangerous shard out there. She is like the old spymaster whose web you don't see until you're ensnared in it.
i really like how suprised i was with her plans. good writing brandon
I think your description of her as a sort of spymaster makes a lot of sense - I never really thought about her in that context but it fits so perfectly with how she's been operating from the shadows and affecting change over time.
"Honor is dead, but I'll see what I can do."
My favourite Shard is likely Harmony, as it's the first example of the mixing of Intents, and has huge implications for the Cosmere. Also, I like seeing characters from the first era books sticking around and gaining more knowledge.
After that, Cultivation is really interesting, given it has a soft magic system based on its Intent. (Side note, I love how the different Shards seemingly have very different abilities-of course, on top of their base powers-based on their Intent, or even the Vessel: eg, Autonomy's many Avatars and weird Perpendicularities, Cultivation's altering and cultivating Old Magic, and Odium's capacity to take away one's pain: to absorb Passion, the emotions of all people. Its quite cool. It gives Shards more individuality on top of their magic systems and the Vessels' personalities.)
I also really like the Shard Whimsy; giving light hearted fancy the power of a deity sounds really interesting for inter-Shard "politics". Imagine having to deal with a god who's sole interest is to be facetious and aloof?
Invention, Ambition and Mercy are also very compelling to me.
Oh yeah, how about Odium? The change in management is going to be quite interesting for the future of the Cosmere
These are some great picks! It's great how the individual shards are so unique, I agree. Also can't wait to see how odiums new manager impacts the rest of the Cosmere!
Harmony is my favorite shard mainly because I really liked his vessel so I'm more invested.
Who is it? What book?
@@darkcow7of9 mistborn era 1 gives the full backstory but he's also in era 2 of course
@@nuclear7559 ok haven't started on mistborn yet
Invested hehe
We know nothing about it but i just know my favourite shard would whimsy. A whole planet of jokesters just having the time of their lives doing whatever, just because they find it whimsical. May also be one of the most unpredictable shards because you'll never really know what will tickle whimsies fancy... Further enforcing this, one possible definition for "whimsical" is "unpredictable". So imagine a literal shard, with near infinite power, and one of the key "intents" of this shard is unpredictability. I find this concept really funny (or dare i say whimsical), but also a little scary. At least with most other shards we can know what their main intent is
Im very interested to see what Valor's planet/magic system looks like
I think it is interesting that the word "cultivation" not only means to prepare and care for growing things, but also to harvest them. Whatever Cultivation's intentions, I think she'll take whatever she feels she needs to achieve them.
So far I think Odium is my favorite shard simply from the amount of info we have on it in the stormlight archive so far. Harmony might become my favorite as I continue reading, but I'm not deep into that yet.
Homework assignment accepted! My favourite shard is 100% Honor. Because of the moments the Radiants have through the SA, and the honor involved in all those huge moments that just destroy me lol - It's such a perfect concept for me that this is a no-brainer :-)
Do you think Honor will eventually be reforged?
@@LoreoftheWorlds I'm not sure what he's going to do here, but it IS gonna be epic thats for sure - i think there will be some attempt to reconstruct honor, not sure it will be successful though tbh :-)
Honor, because the sacrifice that's going to be required to reform that shard is probably going to WRECK the vessel.
In oathbringer chapter 68 page 708 if you have the paper copy, wit says to shallan and I quote “Some men, as they age, grow wiser. I am not one of those, for Wisdom and I have always been at Cross-purposes, and I have yet to learn the tongue in which she speaks.”
For this line of dialogue from wit, I believe that the last shard is wisdom.
We're very biased but you're one of our favorite creators on the Internet
I appreciate all the money you folks raise for charity! If I were to feel charitable during this holiday season, wheres a good charity to throw money at?
@@LoreoftheWorlds Excellent question! Since we're mostly all book lovers around here, maybe donate some books to your local library or small bookstores! Get to know a local charity near you who has a large impact on your community. You can reach out to your Chamber of Commerce, and they can direct you to non-profits who work closely with schools, small businesses, and families! Can't make a donation? Sharing about what work non-profits are doing makes a huge difference!
Well, up until now, Harmony was by far my easy answer, but going forward, it has to be Odium, I am fascinated and terrified by what may happen _now_ . If you know you know.
Harmony is going to become even more interesting as he turns into Discord.
I'm curious about Valor. The name itself makes me think of Knights, Paladins, Samurai, Spartans, Vikings, and most forms of Warrior Cultures from history. Makes me think that the power system of its worlds would be physically intensive. Probably something similar to Honor, but probable less Oath dependent and more connected to courage.
My favorite Shard is Autonomy, for a few different reasons.
First of all, of the base Intents each Shard embodies, Autonomy is the one that I personally value the highest. It would, without a doubt, be the Shard I would be most suited to take up myself of the sixteen options.
As almost an exact antithesis to that though, I find Autonomy's current rising status as a villain in the Cosmere super intriguing. I personally find it much more compelling to see how ideals traditionally thought of positively can cause harm in their extreme than ideals like "Ruin" or "Odium". They make powerful, scary villains, but forces like Autonomy make for a more dynamic and complex conflict in my opinion.
The lore behind Autonomy is also some of the most interesting, with how Autonomy is seeding dozens of other planets with Avatars as a way of spreading her control. The fact that the fandom is only just now - within the past year - noticing hints of Autonomy that were set up as early as Elantris genuinely blows my mind. I have particular interest in the Avatar Patji, as First of the Sun is my single favorite planet in the Cosmere.
But also I just... really like Bavadin so far (despite how little we've seen of them). He's a character who freely changes his gender based on what feels appropriate in the moment and is a big proponant for self-expression. They're not confirmed human, but they seem to be. And if she is, that also makes her the first non-binary human character in the Cosmere.
i like autonomy a lot because ik we'll see them later again, maybe in the next stormlight book or mistborn era three. im almost confident autonomy is behind the ghost bloods, and it'll be interesting to see what they do with other worlds
That's a good point about it being the one you most closely vibe with. In that case it's Harmony to me. It feels like my whole life is about duality and finding Harmony. I didn't have an answer before so thanks
Harmony is definitely my favorite. The idea of a god who loathes worship is incredibly appealing and humanizing
I think my favorite shard is devotion because i like the image of a god that is by nature called to serve its people. Unfortunately for me, we cannot have nice things
I really like Harmony because its vessel is one of my favorite characters and I love them
Autonomy is a cat confirmed, also now we have seen a dragon on screen
I know it's not the case but wouldn't that be great if they couldn't find a 16th person willing to take on a shard so they just kinda grabbed a cat
@@LoreoftheWorlds My headcanon is that hoid gave his shard to a cat before deciding that might not have been the best idea and the cosmere is just his story of dealing with an unruly cat.
I'm calling it now. The final shard is "Instinct".
Oooooooh, I really like that
Wished it would be Purity.
I’m really curious about virtuosity. Seems like the civilization surrounding it would be amazing
Um actually...
WoB has it that Preservation and Cultivation are more diametrically opposed than Preservation and Ruin. 🤓
In all seriousness though, this video was fantastic! I love the animations
Wait, really? I never stumbled upon that in my reseach. Thanks for pointing it out, I'll keep that in mind in the future!
Its whimsy of course.
Can't wait for your channel to blow up as soon as Branderson hits the Big Screen.
Whimsy is a great choice! What a wild idea for a shard, I can't wait to see what comes of them.
And thank you, that means a lot ☺️
Personally I would love to find out more about Valor, that entreats me the most.
Love the videos keep it up, i would like to see some spoiler content with era 2
It's coming up! You should see some era 2 discussion by the end of the year.
My favorite Shard would be one that doesn´t actually exist... yet
I have this theory that at some point Odium and Honor will fuse together like Harmony did to become *JUSTICE*
And just like Harmony has the potential to become Discord
Justice would have the potential to become Vengance
I think Autonomy is one of the more interesting shards to me, what with the ramifications of putting unconnected avatars of themself seemingly at random throughout the cosmere.
But as for favorite, for the moment I'm just gonna say Harmony. I love the inner conflict of Ruin and Preservation reflecting Sazed's inner conflict in the last portion of his arc, and it'll be interesting to see how this plays out moving forward as I've only just started Bands of Mourning.
The musician in me wants to like Virtuosity and Whimsy, so hopefully we'll see more of them sooner or later.
Kelsier takes over he shard of ambition!
This is looking increasingly likely! This would be so interesting to watch
@@LoreoftheWorlds Love all your videos!!! Keep the great content coming!
If there is some kind of "survival" or "perseverence" shard it would be a sin if Kelsier didn't take that...
@@tonykuriger573 Agreed!!!
I’m just hoping Whimsy is basically Bill Cipher.
Harmony is my favorote. It's the only shard who's goalsnand arc I'm personally invested in
Very nice quick listen for the basics or refresher
So regarding Autonomy. I know her actions are kind of contradictory to her intent, what with investing herself in other shardworlds and not just being content in isolating Taldain. I think this action, however, is her making sure other planets do not become threats to her own and thereby a threat to her autonomy. She isn't investing on other planets to help them be autonomous is what I'm trying to say.
Autonomy definitely appears to be going through some sort of internal conflict - the vessel and the shard are clearly at some sort of odds with each other. I won't go into too much detail in that regard though, cause I'm not sure how far you've read and I don't want to spoil anything.
@@LoreoftheWorlds I have read everything save for White Sand vol 2 and 3. Hahaha not sure if she features there
@@geosustento8894 oh white sand is definitely one of the least cosmere aware cosmere novels out there. No worries for any cosmere connections or obvious shard appearances.
I thought it was 17 people who shattered Adonalsium, Hoid and the other 16. He's described it as such and said he just didnt take a shard. Or am I misremembering?
We don't know for certain if he helped with the Shattering, just that he was there. It's possible that he was just a witness or something.
@@jacobsermersheim6758 No, he definitely was an active participant in the Shattering. He was such an integral part of the operation that the other sixteen even offered him a Shard of his own, which he turned down.
We already knew this from WoBs and the Rhythm of War epigraphs, but this was made even more explicit in Tress of the Emarld Sea with two notable quotes.
One where Hoid says:
"I was part of a secret plot to kill God"
And another where he says
" "It's for your own good" is one of the most insulting phrases to hear. I've heard those words. I've said those words. I've said them with sixteen other people."
@@Ruminations09 how could they offer him a shard if there's only 16 lol
@@spoonbender3062 Hoid likely didn't want a shard. That's why he's a colossal pain in the behind to all the other shards and suspect that his ultimate goal is to be the vessel of adonalsium, hence why he travels the cosmere to become invested from each shard.
@@spoonbender3062I’m sure you’ve already come to the conclusion, but…
When the 16 + hoid split Adonalsium, the amount was arbitrary. They could have absolutely split it up into 17 shards, but seeing as hoid refused, they only split it amongst the 16. So, from a certain point of view, the original “16 shards” actually each had 1 whole piece + 1/16th
I was so worried about the last shard being a super secret spoiler and when I realized it was just it felt very funny cuz i totally forgot that was technichaly a new shard
But hey, that's just a theory. A Game Theory! Aaaaannnnnd cut!
I am so glad someone caught this!!!! I almost cut it out in editing because I wasn't sure anyone would understand 🤣
Harmony is probably my favourite Shard mainly because i loved his vessel before he ascended and revel everytime he has shown up since. As for whats happening to him now i think he is trying to keep the two Shards together but i think eventually Discord will be created from him. As for the mystery Shard i think people have got it wrong its not Survival maybe more like Cowardice or Stealth watching from afar but probably not getting involved in the Cosmere until another Shard or being finds them. Just stumbled upon your channel great work!
Harmony is just great in general! Very excited to see what happens with them in the long run.
I'll be honest, my love for Harmony's vessel is why I don't love Harmony. I think our dear old friend has been wildly corrupted by warring powers inside him.
@@GraveKing3473 Im so scared for our poor boy
He literally didnt ask for this
I really want to see Unity as a full Shard. The idea of that character becoming a shard would be awesome
14:47: "... Or would the Vessel have been changed by the Power somehow?"
Well...
Anyway, my favourite Shard is Honour, because I'm big on people (including myself) doing what they say they will do.
With Ruin and Preservation I think they go to the same world because Preservation was trying to protect the Cosmere from Ruin (who would have been more dangerous than Odium) while Ruin saw Preservation as it's biggest opponent so sought to get rid of it first, tying them into an inevitable millenias long battle.
I absolutely love the graphics!
Personally, I would be happy with holding either Devotion or Dominion from Sel, and if I could, possibly combine them both into a single Shard to get all the benefits from it. I can imagine that it would be possible, through some form of Aon Dor equation, to pull the Investiture of Both Shards out of the Cognitive Realm and Reforge them into Shards as they pass back into the Physical realm. At that point I believe the two can be Picked up by two different people, or combined into a single person. I personally think that one of the main characters in Elantris, quite possibly Raoden, might be able to achieve something like this in the future of the trilogy.
Devotion and Dominion were not the first Shards that Odium went after, actually. Ambition was the very first.
Ambition wasn't the first one he managed to kill tho.
@@CrisOfRoshar Yes she was. Odium went to Ambition right away because he marked her as one of the most dangerous.
You can find the response in Word of Brandon, searching for the name Ambition. I tried to send the link to prove it but I can't. @@aneonfoxtribute
I fkn love your cat, man. I came for the cosmere but I stayed for that cat.
“Well, colors” amazing. My favorite shards are the dragon(s?) because who doesn’t love dragons??
Tress of the Emerald Sea Spoiler
9:44 finally get to see on screen dragon dragon with dragonsteel, so stormin' hype
It was my understanding that 17 individuals were present for the shattering. The 16 who took up shards plus Hoid
Damn the intro is a banger
Thank you!
You make great content - thank you!
No, thank you for watching!
I'm going to be really happy if 'Prudence' turns out to be the name of a Shard, because I was actually the one who inspired Paleo to ask Brandon about that in the WOB.
I think Whimsy is actually the spores now instead of the kites. Brando said that originally Tress was going to have kites being the way that the ships traverse the seas.
Survival/Perseverance would overlap too much with Preservation in my opinion. Self Preservation is encompassed within Preservation, and they play with that thematically via everyone's favorite omnipresent antihero/protagonist/antagonist/whatever he is at this point
My favorite shard is Cultivation. Her boons are consistently the most intriguing plot points. Plus shes a dragon which is cool, plus in that WaT interior art Cultivation got me ACTIN UP
I don’t think feruchemy is of Ruin and Preservation. I think it’s only of Preservation and Allomancy is of both.
That would make more sense, but Sanderson has confirmed that Feruchemy is the combo and allomancy is exclusively Preservation.
I love your lore videos. Have you considered putting something at the top of your videos or in the notes that calls out the last book to he published. Might be helpful in the future to have that context.
Stumbled on this vid by accident. Intresting.
Have only read the Misborn books so far, but have a dozen more of Brandon's offerings on the bedside table waiting for their turn.
Nightblood: Given it's mere shape I would think Sanderson is pullnig a fast one by disguising a "spike" (such as the Hemalurgic Spikes from Mistborn). He does, after all, seem to like misdirecting readers (Sazed and Min's hunt for the true origins of the Lord Ruler, for example). Give the sword/spike oddball characteristics, a nebulous origin, confusing 'goals' and let it distract and dismay until the moment it's "purpose' is revealed and fulfulled... much like Stormbringer in the Elric novels.
Your vids are insanely high quality
Well thank you!
It's gotta be cultivation, she's a dragon, she is playing the long game, and her plans are so important to the future of the cosmere, and I don't know if she's what I'd call a protagonist or antagonist, with how rhythm of war ended up.
Harmony is probably the most interesting, because we know the veesel SO well, AND Whats going on with them currently, and the implications that might have on their world/the cosmere overall
I wanna see whimsy the most. I think they will be terrifying
Whimsy will probably end up twisted into being something horrible. It would fit Sanderson's humor well.
I believe 18 was the number of individuals there at the shattering! Two chose not to take up a shard!
Great video! =]
Do we know that frost was there? I'm assuming that's who you mean by two people - Frost and Hoid.
And thank you!
Great video, very informational and really good memory boost.
I dont think you mentioned that ruin and preservation are outright said by Sazed to once have been a single shard that split.
They were once united within Adonalsium, but after the shattering, Ruin and Preservation were indeed distinct powers. At a technical level, all the shards belong together.
how tf doesn't this have more views and subs
Thank you 😁
Hey, Great video. One suggestion.
When you say spoilers ahead, please also mention which book you are spoiling.
He's talking about the Cosmere, so you should assume the whole Cosmere.
Just freaking do spoilers
I would like it if there was a shard named Discovery defined by the drive to explore.
I would love that as well!
Great job pal!
Thanks a ton!
Im terrorfied of what a planet ruled by whimsy will be
New to your channel.. I haven’t read all the cosmere works.. recommend you also mention the novels/content that informs the story. Eg This shard is in this story on this planet..
I'll break it down real quick for you!
Mistborn:
Ruin, Preservation
Stormlight:
Honor, Cultivation, Odium
Warbreaker:
Endowment
Elantris (& Emperor's Soul):
Dominion, Devotion
White Sand:
Autonomy
Shadows for Silence:
Ambition
Does not directly appear in content yet:
Mercy, Invention, Valor, Whimsy
Hope this helps!
Harmony is best Shard. His vessel was my favorite person.
He was the best! Can't wait to see what happens next
I've always thought it was weird that preservation's power was allomancy not feruchemy.
Feruchemy is all about preserving attributes to store them for later, end neutral... Feels more in line with preservation's intent. Where allomancy makes more sense if it's the combined power - burn(ruin) one substance and it is transformed into power (preserved)
Hemalurgy definitely fits ruin though
I've always felt the same way. Had to look it up like 4 times to make sure when I was first researching stuff. C'est la vie, I suppose.
I was wondering if you’d bring up the Aethers or not, as they are kind of gods in this universe too
I am talking about aethers in one of my next cosmere videos :)
Great video dude
I've only read Mistborn 1-3 and the Stormlight Archives.
Should i even be watching this?
I lost the flute he gave me!!
I think that Dalinar will be the new wesel of Honor.
This makes the most sense to me too. I'll probably be making a video sometime soon exploring that possibility.
"The decision was made by 16 individuals"
Incorrect! It was 17 individuals! Hoid was there too!
Frost was also there, as I learned recently, but I don't know for sure if he's involved since I didn't read his story.
@@beepbop6542 I don't think we know that Frost was there?
Thanks so much
You're welcome!
Was this video made after the Lost Metal release? Or did you intentionally leave out spoilers for *that* Shard..
Spoilers were intentionally left out but I did actually film this back in August. I thought about updating it, but that's such a big topic I'd rather have a whole video talking about it. Good catch!
I do wonder what would happen if Odium and Ruin would meet...
I've thought of that too. That could unbalance someone badly. It's going to have an effect I think
Harmony isn't a new Shard. It's been said by both Brandon and in the way Harmony himself speaks of the power he holds that Ruin and Preservation are both still separate Shards held by one vessel, creating a new entity, which is Harmony, which is two Shards in one being, but not combined into a new single Shard. So there are still 16 total Shards, rather than 15 now.
Could harmony absorb more shards? Like could it recombine all 16 shards? I know it's not likely to actually happen, but i do wonder..?
@@salmonofknowledge3229 Maybe, but I doubt it. I think Ruin and Preservation are a special case for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that held together, they create a sort of balance, although that balance is very difficult for Harmony to control. I think if you added another shard, it would be too unwieldy, though who knows (besides Brandon) what would actually happen in that case. I suspect we will eventually (possibly 20+ years from now) find out what happens if a single person tries to hold all the shards at once, essentially recombining Adonalsium.
Brandon has said that the shards are intermingled now to the point that if Sazed were to die, he would drop the shard of Harmony. It would take effort and intent to split them again.
@@salmonofknowledge3229 That's definitely what Sanderson is foreshadowiing, but it could be a red herring, or maybe Sazed is only a fragment of the full story needed to reunite Adonalsium (if it will ever happen at all(which I think it will))
Like James said, they have been thoroughly fused, but are disharmonious (ironically), which is why Harmony is turning into Discord.
100% Harmony because I knew and loved the vessel before it became Harmony
I don't have a favorite shard, but I do think the name of the 16th shard is Wanderlust.
wait... we know about 1 more of Autonomy's "dieties" that had probably once been a god on Scadrial, Trell
This was unconfirmed as of the filming of this video, unfortunately. I'm gonna wait till after Stormlight 5 to see if anything else pops up then I'll probably update this
oooh okay okay@@LoreoftheWorlds
Probably should create a spoiler version. Most people watching these videos have read most of Sanderson’s works
Are you gonna update vod as new shards pop up? Like, say, War or Unity.
Sure am!
I'm planning on doing an update video on every planet in the Cosmere as well, including the secret project stuff.
theory with Mistborn era 2 spoilers!!!!! The unnamed shard is called survivor, and so who better to hold it than the survivor (kelsier)
One thing, a Vessel's intent also affects the Shard's intent, it's not a one way street....
One example is of course, harmony, but also Odium and Ruin. As mentioned by our favourite world walker bard, Ruin's vessel was a genuinely good person, so while the shard is destructive in nature, it's ruin in a natural fation, Odium however, was taken by Raize, and because of this it became the menace of a shard it became... I imagine a better person taking it (like a certain someone of their dumb days) would be able to influence the shard to a less destructive course.
The shards intent overrides vessels intent. Look at ruin. It's vessel was one of the kindest people ever supposed.
why this doesn't have more views :[
Some of my older videos used to get significantly less views than this, it was very disheartening hah
I appreciate the sentiment though! We'll get more views soon, I have a feeling that this will be a very good year for the channel. Looking forward to it!
While that is indeed the title of the second chapter, zero readers unfamiliar with the series will have any idea what that refers to.
***about the spoiler shard***
Harmony, more like Discord am I right gamers
My theory is that the 16th shard is the 11th pancake
We may have just got the name of the 16th shard in secret project 1
@@wingracer1614What are you referring to? Lumar - the world of Secret Project 1 - isn't a Shardworld
@@Ruminations09 I never said it was
@@wingracer1614 Yes, I know. Hence my question: what are you referring to?
@@Ruminations09 I don't remember now. It was being discussed in one of the Tress videos. Something Hoid said I'm sure.
What? I didn't know cultivation was a dragon. Is this a WoB?
Yep! Here ya go
wob.coppermind.net/events/452/#e14564
Technically, the direct confirmation comes from a WoB, but it was figured out by the fandom before the WoB confirmation. Prior to Rhythm of War, the theory existed that Cultivation wad a dragon for a few reasons, the main one being how the Nightwatcher is described as serpant-like.
The big hints, however, came from RoW itself. When Hoid told the story of The Dog and the Dragon, he mentioned that only one dragon lives on Roshar, and that "she" tends to keep to herself and "hides her true form". He then went on to describe someone remarkably similar to what we know about Cultivation.
Aparrently, cats are the source of your Investiture 😀
After catching up on Stormlight Archive up to Rhythm of War (minus the novellas), I can say that if ANY shard needs to be splintered/destroyed, it's Odium. That Shard is WAY too dangerous and Cultivation should have planned for splintering it rather doing what she did in RoW.
He's basically the strongest shard, so it'd be pretty hard to shatter him. Also remember: The shards cannot act against their own Intent. Unless cultivation dies and is inherited by someone new (Like preservation being inherited and used to destroy ruin before the personality becomes too strong), cultivation has to work through humans to achieve her goal.
Just so you know the decision was made by more then 16 people as hoid has said he denied taking a shard even though he could of, unless it means later in life
TIL: Invention vessel is called sadface.
Ok major spoilers for both but my two favorite vessels are:
Sazed and terravangian
I thought hemalurgy was ruin, feruchemy was preservation, and alumancy was the combined?
Hemalurgy is Ruin, Allomancy is Preservation. Feruchemy is the balance/interplay between them.
It's wierd and kind of contradictory to be honest, but allommancy is pure Preservation, while Hemalurgy is pure Ruin. I do agree that Feruchemy should be preservation and both together should be allomancy (it just makes sense - the whole point is that you need BOTH to create life).
At 2:33 you said 16... For a while I was suspecting it was actually 17 because of several things prior to the confirmation in Tress of the Emerald Sea. Mainly because of several offhand comments about how Hoid was offered the responsibility but turned it down.
I realize now that this video came out before the effective confirmation in Tress.. But if you wanted to find it the reference was in the middle of chapter 56
Additionally, I think technically Honor and Cultivation splintered themselves too. The spren are often referred to as splinters and we know they existed before Odium got there.
Finally, I am undecided on a favorite shard. However, I am a big fan of stamps