Diferencia entre revisiones de «Seon»

|abilities=Flight, immortality, enhanced senses, instantaneous communication to and through other Seonsseons

|You look at things as a human, young master. You see rank and distinction; you try to order the world so that everything has a place either above you or beneath you. To a Seonseon, there is no above or beneath. There are only those we love. And we serve those we love.

Seonsseons take the form of floating orbs of light, each with a glowing [[Aon]] at their core for which they are named.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|elantris|part=ars}} They are described as "small"{{book ref|Elantris|2}} and "melon sized".{{book ref|Elantris|2}} Seons have control over the level of their brightness,{{book ref|Elantris|17}} and they often pulse while speaking or laughing.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} It can be difficult to discern their Aons through the light without close examination.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|Elantris|32}} Seons are tangible, although they weigh very little; they cannot pass through solid matter.{{wob ref|7816}} [[Hrathen]] believes that Seonsseons need to sleep.{{book ref|Elantris|12}}

Each Seonseon has an individual personality. They are generally agreeable, but can be affected by stress.{{annotation ref|Elantris|chapter=32|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-32}} Raoden and Sarene each note that their Seonsseons are incredibly wise.{{book ref|Elantris|5}}{{book ref|Elantris|10}} Seon personalities are very similar to those of humans and they are able to convey emotions easily; they may even have superstitions.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}

Known Seonsseons tend to have soothing voices. [[Ashe]]'s voice is described as "deep" and "sonorous", with well-enunciated words.{{book ref|Elantris|2}}{{book ref|thoe}} [[Ien]]'s voice is "indulgent",{{book ref|Elantris|16}} [[Dio]]'s is "melodious",{{book ref|Elantris|45}} and [[Riika]] needs [[Mai]] to tell her a story when she goes to sleep.{{book ref|thoe}} However, [[Opa]]'s voice is formal and unemotional, which [[Sarene]] notes as unusual, particularly compared to Seonsseons in [[Teod]].{{book ref|Elantris|32}} It is not clear if the Seonsseons have a gender, but some of them sound masculine while others sound feminine.{{book ref|Elantris|12}}

Seons can form bonds with individual humans. The human does not have to be an [[Elantrian]]. They love their masters and act as loyal companions and advisors.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} The bond works through [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] [[Connection]]{{wob ref|10049}} and has similarities to the [[Nahel bond]] on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|3488}} The Seonsseons are bound only by love and are not obligated to serve.{{annotation ref|Elantris|chapter=16|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-16}} The bond typically makes the Seonseon and its master very close. Raoden sees [[Ien]] as more than a servant or even a friend; he sees him as the embodiment of his god's love.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} A Seonseon could theoretically abandon its master,{{wob ref|893}} but how and why this could happen is not known; [[Hrathen]] views Seonsseons as heresy and is shocked upon learning that [[Wyrn]] uses them. He uses his Seonseon as a necessary tool to achieve higher goals, hating it and keeping it in a box, but it is always ready and willing to serve him when called upon.{{book ref|Elantris|12}} Unlike the [[Nahel bond]], the bond between Seonsseons and humans has not been shown to give either party any new abilities.

The bond can be Passed from person to person.{{annotation ref|Elantris|chapter=34|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-34}} The Passing is initiated when the Seonseon's master instructs it to form a bond with a new person,{{book ref|Elantris|34}} but the mechanics of the change in bond is not clear. Passing can occur even if the human is an infant.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} It is not uncommon to keep a Seonseon in the same family for hundreds of years.{{book ref|Elantris|5}}{{book ref|Elantris|34}} Raoden believes that the Seonsseons inherently need to serve and that they would seek out a new master if theirs suddenly died.{{book ref|Elantris|34}} In some cases, it appears that Seonsseons can be assigned by an authority figure; [[Wyrn]] forces Hrathen to use a Seonseon{{book ref|Elantris|12}} and Raoden gives two Seonsseons to [[Dashe]].{{book ref|thoe}}

As [[Splinter]]s of a [[Shard]] of [[Adonalsium]], Seonsseons are a sapient form of [[Investiture]] and possess several magical qualities. They are immortal.{{wob ref|3885}} They generate their own light and have control over their brightness, to the point that they can become nearly invisible.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} They move by floating and seem to be able to change their speed and altitude quickly.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} They are able to mimic human speech and mannerisms, which they may have perfected over time.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} Their senses are superior to those of humans.{{book ref|Elantris|32}} They have an innate sense of direction and can point the way to any place they have ever been.{{book ref|Elantris|32}}{{book ref|Elantris|62}} They cannot be harmed by conventional means.{{wob ref|7439}}

[[Sel]]ish magic generally does not function properly away from Sel.{{wob ref|6164}} It is technically possible for a Seonseon to travel to another planet{{wob ref|736}} but it would not be easy.{{wob ref|9760}}

Seons were created by the Splintering of [[Devotion]], a [[Shard of Adonalsium]].{{wob ref|4679}} [[Odium]] traveled to [[Sel]] and killed both [[Aona]] and [[Skai]], the [[Vessel]]s of Devotion and [[Dominion]].{{wob ref|7103}} After they were killed, their Shards' power was left in the [[Cognitive Realm]] and now forms the [[Dor]].{{wob ref|1625}} The Seonsseons are bits of Devotion's magic that became sapient.{{wob ref|3885}}{{au ref|sel}} They have counterparts formed from Dominion's magic known as the [[Skazeskaze]], and there are some similarities between the two groups.{{au ref|sel}} The presence of the uncontrolled power of two Shards makes the Cognitive Realm on Sel extremely dangerous, as the Seonsseons and Skazeskaze do not provide an adequate "release valve" unlike the [[spren]] on [[Roshar]].{{wob ref|4129}}

The people of [[Opelon]] and [[Teod]] do not know the true origin of the Seonsseons. The most common assumption is that they were created by Elantrians through AonDor,{{book ref|Elantris|12}}{{book ref|Elantris|34}} but there is no documented proof of this. Raoden realizes that this may be inaccurate, and plans to continue researching the origin of Seonsseons.{{book ref|Elantris|63}} The Seonsseons themselves have some awareness of their origin{{wob ref|3024}} but they do not appear to have shared this information with any humans.

The [[Reod]] had a significant effect on the magic used in Arelon, including Seonsseons. The Reod disrupted the Elantrian connection to the Dor and corrupted the [[Shaod]].{{book ref|elantris|1}} Seonsseons of Elantrians lost their thinking capacity, wandering aimlessly and silently within the walls of Elantris.{{book ref|elantris|4}} These Seonsseons usually avoided people{{book ref|Elantris|28}} and their movements were lazy and sometimes wobbly.{{book ref|Elantris|10}} The change in the Seonsseons of Elantrians was caused by the Reod's effect on the Connection to their masters.{{wob ref|1267}}{{wob ref|10049}} Infrequently, a mad Seonseon might show some unconscious recognition of its Elantrian master, but only through classically conditioned actions, not communication.{{book ref|elantris|10}}{{book ref|elantris|16}} Additionally, if closely inspected, the [[Aon]] of a Seonseon who had lost its master to the Shaod would appear patchy and incomplete.{{book ref|Elantris|16|p|174}}

Upon the restoration of Elantris's magic, the Seonsseons recovered their sanity and returned to their former state.{{book ref|Elantris|63}} However, they were unable to remember the time that passed while the Shaod was incomplete{{book ref|Elantris|63}} and they may have been fundamentally changed by the experience.{{wob ref|7182}}{{wob ref|9561}}

[[Ashe]] notes that Elantris was once "overflowing" with Seonsseons{{book ref|Elantris|2}} and that nearly all Elantrians had one.{{book ref|thoe}} After the Reod, Seonsseons become increasingly rare as more of them go "mad".{{book ref|Elantris|5}} They remain common enough that some people in larger cities still ignore them,{{book ref|Elantris|23}} but Ashe mentions that many people have become wary or even fearful of Seonsseons, since they associate them with the fall of Elantris.{{book ref|Elantris|5}} This attitude is more prevalent in Arelon, the presumed source of Seonsseons, than it is in Teod.{{book ref|Elantris|32}}

Many people in [[Fjordell]] do not believe that Seonsseons exist{{book ref|Elantris|2}} or that they are "heathen magic" that should be be shunned.{{book ref|Elantris|12}} In reality, [[Wyrn]] [[Wulfden]] uses Seonsseons to communicate with his [[gyorn]]s, an embarrassing and closely guarded secret.{{book ref|Elantris|12}}

After Raoden and Sarene become king and queen, Seonsseons are once again seen as desirable in Arelon.{{book ref|thoe}}

Seons have many similarities to the spren that live on Roshar. Brandon has called them "the same thing"{{wob ref|9432}} but he has also noted that there are some differences that would not make them interchangeable.{{wob ref|6928}}{{wob ref|141}} Like spren, a Seonseon's appearance in the Cognitive Realm would be different from their appearance in the Physical Realm.{{wob ref|8663}} The Nahel bond with a spren can theoretically be Passed like a Seonseon bond.{{wob ref|885}}. Like spren, Seonsseons can turn into [[Shardblade]]s if they have something to pull them more into the [[Physical Realm]].{{wob ref|6197}}

== Known Seonsseons ==

* Seons were inspired by a series of paintings by [[Michael Whelan]] called ''Passage''. Brandon saw the paintings in high school and wrote a story involving balls of light, which later became the Seonsseons.{{annotation ref|Elantris|chapter=16|link=annotation-elantris-chapter-16}} The paintings can be seen on Michael Whelan's [https://www.michaelwhelan.com/gallery/personal-visions/passage/ website].

* In an earlier draft of ''Elantris'', Seonsseons possessed the ability to 'complete' their Aons a single time, creating the effect their Aon is used for in AonDor, and killing the Seonseon.{{annotation ref|Warbreaker|chapter=12|link=annotation-warbreaker-chapter-twelve}} Ien targeted this ability on Dilaf, 'healing him'; since Ien's Aon was still incomplete, this turned Dilaf into a fallen Elantrian.{{annotation ref|Elantris|chapter=62-3|link=annotation-elantris-62-3}} Brandon used some elements of this mechanism in ''[[Warbreaker]]'' with the [[Returned]]'s ability to sacrifice their [[divine Breath]].{{annotation ref|Warbreaker|chapter=12|link=annotation-warbreaker-chapter-twelve}}

* The origins of Seonsseons and their connection to AonDor will be explored further in a sequel to Elantris.{{wob ref|7816}}