Fain
| Fain | |
|---|---|
| Mundo de origen | Yolen |
| Universo | Cosmere |
The fain or fainlife is a class of lifeforms on Yolen.[1] Although fainlife looks like ordinary flora, the plants and land overtaken by it are bone-white, and spill red liquid when crushed or snapped.[2] The Sho Del fill the same niche in the fain ecosystem that humans fill in the normal one.[3] Another form of fainlife is Tamu Keks, bones that are somehow similar to singer gemhearts and can be used for inter-Realm communication in some way.[4][5]
Though it originated on Yolen, fainlife has spread off of that planet in significant ways.[6] Knowledge of its existence is not uncommon among cosmere-aware people after the Shattering of Adonalsium; when discussing how Ruin and Preservation used the Yolish ecosystem as a model for Scadrial, Khriss was able to mention without further explanation that "of course" this means the non-fain parts.[1]
Dragonsteel Prime
In one version of Dragonsteel Prime, the fainlife had rapidly grown to cover much of the planet, though humans eventually learned to keep it in check with something known as a trune ring;[7][8] trune was the name given to the regular, non-fain ecosystem.[9] A type of fainlife known as skullmoss heralded the advance of further fainlife. Its leaves would sometimes drift across a trune ring and some cities would gather them up and burn them, though this was not strictly necessary. Merely interacting with the fainlife was safe and some cities even used fain wood for construction, but eating any amount of fainlife was deadly to humans.[8]
In a different version of Dragonsteel Prime, the Yolish version of the Shattered Plains was the only connection between the fain and non-fain parts of the world. At the Shattered Plains, Sho Del fought humans for a material known as dragonsteel. According to Jerick, at least some Sho Del had also made it past the Shattered Plains and killed civilians, and had attempted to kill his king.[10] In this draft, Tamu Keks were long, thin bones that came to a point at both ends that could be found on Sho Del; Jerick was able to sense the power coming off them and warned one of his companions not to touch them.[11]
Trivia
- Brandon originally RAFO'd whether any of the original Vessels were fain,[12] but later said that Uli Da is a Sho Del.[13]
- Along with dragons, the Sho Del and Tamu Keks are two of the few things from Dragonsteel Prime that are still part of the cosmere.[14]
- When writing Rhythm of War, Brandon debated whether to have the communication box that Mraize gave to Shallan contain a seon or a Tamu Kek, but eventually settled on making it a seon because they have personalities whereas Tamu Keks are just bones.[5]
Notes
- ↑ a b Arcanum Ilimitado - Sistema de Scadrial#
- ↑ JordanCon 2018
— Arcanum - 2018-04-22# - ↑ Dawnshard Annotations Reddit Q&A
— Arcanum - 2020-11-06# - ↑ BookCon 2018
— Arcanum - 2018-06-01# - ↑ a b Shardcast Interview
— Arcanum - 2021-01-23# - ↑ YouTube Spoiler Stream 3
— Arcanum - 2021-12-16# - ↑ TWG Posts
— Arcanum - 2007-02-12# - ↑ a b TWG Posts
— Arcanum - 2007-03-10# - ↑ RoW Release Party
— Arcanum - 2020-11-17# - ↑ Dragonsteel Prime Chapter 31
— Brandon's website - 2017-10-11# - ↑ Dragonsteel Prime Chapter 33
— Brandon's website - 2017-10-16# - ↑ Oathbringer release party
— Arcanum - 2017-11-13# - ↑ Salt Lake City signing
— Arcanum - 2017-12-16# - ↑ Shardcast Interview
— Arcanum - 2021-01-23#