Usuaria:Rasarr/Dominion

{{shard info
|shard=Dominion
|vessel=[[Skai]]
|status=[[Splinter|Splintered]]
|splinters=[[Skaze]]
|magic=[[AonDor]], [[Dakhor]], [[ChayShan]], [[Forgery]], [[Bloodsealing]]{{wob ref|9830}}{{wob ref|4090}}
|residence=[[Sel]]
|books=[[Elantris]]
}}

“At some point in the distant past, both Devotion and Dominion were destroyed. Their Investiture—their power—was Splintered, their minds ripped away, their souls sent into the Beyond. ”

—Khriss

Dominion is a Shard of Adonalsium. The original Vessel of Dominion was Skai. After the Shattering, it traveled to Sel with Devotion, where both shards were Splintered by Odium.

Intent

Since Dominion was Splintered well before any other known events on Sel, it is somewhat unclear exactly how the Shard's intent would drive its Vessel to act. Based on the name, however, Dominion's Vessel would likely encourage people to seek power. The skaze, which are Splinters of Dominion, are "thirsty for power" as a result of their relationship with the Shard; that relationship is also likely responsible for driving them to maintain influence over the politics of Fjordell.

Associated Magic

When Odium Splintered Devotion and Dominion, he trapped their power in the Cognitive Realm to prevent them from gaining another Vessel. Since, unlike in the Spiritual Realm, space is limited in the Cognitive Realm, the power of the two Shards is trapped together as a giant, polarized, storm of Investiture, known as the Dor, which makes the Cognitive Realm around Sel very dangerous. This has a profound effect on the magic systems on Sel, in two main ways. First, since the powers are trapped together, all magic systems are influenced in some way by both Shards. Second, and perhaps more importantly, because location exists in the Cognitive Realm, magic is tied to the user's physical location. This is seen most dramatically with AonDor, as the strength of Aons diminishes as one gets farther from Elantris. Furthermore, in order to access a magic system, it appears one must be from the land associated with that magic system. For likely the same reason, shapes used in accessing magic on Sel are often tied to the lands associated with that magic.

The skaze are Splinters of Dominion, and have at least some sense that they came from something larger and how they were created, which causes them to consider Dominion as something of a god or parent.

Dominion's Investiture also seems to be allowing Wyrn Wulfden the Fourth some ability to see the future.

History

Since Dominion was Splintered so long ago, very little is known about it. Since the Shards had a general agreement to part after the Shattering, it seems likely that Skai had some sort of relationship with Aona, the Vessel of Devotion, as the two went to Sel together. The only confirmed references to Dominion and Skai are in the letters Hoid has been sending asking for help combating Odium, the responses he has received, and Khriss' essay on the Selish system.

Influence

“May Jaddeth grant me success. ”

—Hrathen

Trivia

• In Magic: The Gathering colors, Dominion would be black/white.

Notes

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