4172
ediciones
m (→Nature) |
m (→Selish System) |
||
(No se muestran 68 ediciones intermedias del mismo usuario) | |||
}}
A '''Splinter''' is the term for a specific type of fragment of Investiture that is ultimately derived from Adonalsium.{{wob ref|10563}} These Splinters exist comprised of a single Shard's power or the Investiture of multiple Shards. They are present in many worlds of the cosmere, sometimes in abundant
== Nature ==
At its core, a Splinter is a significant measure of a Shard's power that has been separated from the main body of Investiture.
One distinguishing factor of a Splinter is that it may often have an intent of its own, separate from that of the parent Shard.{{wob ref|10089}} Splinters commonly are sentient and have an associated personality,{{ref|group=fn|name=eyes|text=While Brandon has said on one occasion that Splinters must be self-aware,{{wob ref|10563}} elsewhere he has said differently and has explicitly referred to the divine Breath as a Splinter, despite its lack of self-awareness. That combine with the fact that [[Khriss]] feels the need to specify that seons and skaze are self-aware Splinters{{au ref|sel}} makes it clear that a Splinter need not necessarily be self-aware to be a Splinter.}} although that personality may be destroyed{{book ref|sa2|87}} or its body tortured.{{book ref|sa3|110}} However, they do not necessarily need a personality to be considered a Splinter. Generally speaking, a Splinter has never been a person.{{wob ref|4541}} Therefore then by the strictest definition, a Cognitive Shadow may not be considered by some to be a Splinter. However, there is an argument to be made that a Cognitive Shadow is just an imprint of a once-living being on Investiture,{{wob ref|8395}} and has therefore never truly been human.{{au ref|threnody}} Generally speaking, most would consider a Cognitive Shadow to be a type of Splinter.{{wob ref|8757}} Nevertheless, Splinters and Cognitive Shadows operate by similar rules and many Cognitive Shadows may be made of an amount of Investiture equivalent or potentially even greater than a typical Splinter. Whether or not an avatar of a Shard should considered a Splinter is also a subject of some debate.{{wob ref|13323}} While some would disagree, many people in the cosmere would be comfortable terming avatars Splinters.
It is certain that all Splinters do not contain the exact same quantity of Investiture, as a Splinter may be Splintered yet again into smaller fragments.{{wob ref|11677}} However, it is likely that there is some threshold below which a quantity of Investiture is not considered to be a Splinter. For instance a divine Breath is considered to be a Splinter,{{cite}} but there is no indication that the lesser Breath possessed by normal people is considered to be a Splinter. In fact, the small amount of Investiture present in sapient beings that is known as Innate Investiture is also distinct from Splinters.{{wob ref|1072}}▼
▲It is certain that all Splinters do not contain the exact same quantity of Investiture, as a Splinter may be Splintered yet again into smaller fragments.{{book ref|sa3|1111}}{{wob ref|11677}} However, it is likely that there
== Formation ==
There are a few common ways for a Splinter to come into existence and most require the will of a Shard on some level. Perhaps the most common is that a Shard creates a Splinter by intentionally separating a bit of its power from itself.{{wob ref|9511}} This may be done for the purpose of creating some sort of synthetic race, such as the spren or seons. Another reason to create a Splinter is if a Shard wishes to prevent a soul from passing on to the [[Beyond]] by making it into a Cognitive Shadow, as is the case with the [[Fused]] and the [[Returned]].{{wob ref|5995}} It is uncertain whether or not an avatar of a Shard could be considered to be a Splinter, or if there is some other qualitative difference. There are some planets that only have Splinters present on the world,{{wob ref|4777}} as in the past Shards have gone to planets within the cosmere and left behind a Splinter before leaving.{{wob ref|8763}} Adonalsium also once left behind Splinters on various worlds before its death.{{cite}}▼
{{sidequote
| I have always existed. We are not 'born' as men are, and we cannot truly die as men do. Patterns are eternal, as is fire, as is the wind. As are all spren.
}}
▲There are a few common ways for a Splinter to come into existence and most require the will of a Shard on some level. Perhaps the most common is that a Shard creates a Splinter by intentionally separating a bit of its power from itself.{{wob ref|9511}} This may be done for the purpose of creating some sort of synthetic race, such as the spren or seons. Another reason to create a Splinter is if a Shard wishes to prevent a soul from passing on to the [[Beyond]].
A Shard may also Splinter another Shard, tearing off one or many chunks of its power, typically for the purpose of diminishing it. If a Shard is completely destroyed in this way it is said to be '''Splintered'''. Typically either a Vessel may be killed and then their Shard subsequently Splintered,{{msh ref|6|4}} or more commonly the Splintering may happen as one titanic event that kills the Vessel and disperses the power.{{msh ref|3|2}} A Splintered Shard cannot have a Vessel while it remains in such a state, although it may be reconstituted into a full Shard via an unknown process,{{wob ref|1070}} although it will not restore the original Vessel.{{wob ref|5993}} Whether or not a Shard can Splinter another Shard is dependent upon the amount of raw [[Investiture]] that Shard is able to make use of at the time{{wob ref|9540}} and its knowledge of the process.{{msh ref|3|2}} There are more and less efficient ways to Splinter a Shard and it may grow easier with practice.{{wob ref|9563}}{{wob ref|9616}} Even a successful Splintering is taxing on the Shard performing the Splinter and may require some recovery by the [[Shard]] afterward.{{wob ref|9881}} In some cases whether or not a Shard is Splintered may be a somewhat vague term.{{wob ref|5072}} A Shard left on its own without a Vessel may also Splinter of its own accord, although that is not the only possibility.{{wob ref|1877}}▼
A Shard may also Splinter another Shard, tearing off one or many chunks of its power, typically for the purpose of diminishing it. This is a process that transcends the three realms{{wob ref|7967}} and if a Shard is completely destroyed in this way it is said to be '''Splintered'''. Most commonly a Splintering may happen as one titanic event that kills the Vessel and disperses the power.{{msh ref|3|2}} Less frequently, a Vessel may be killed and then their Shard subsequently Splintered.{{msh ref|6|4}} The Splintering of a Shard may also have serious consequences in the Physical Realm. The power of a Splintered Shard may ravage a planet uncontrollably if the Investiture is not contained.{{au ref|sel}} There may be other physical effects of a Splintering, such as the formation of an asteroid belt in a system.{{wob ref|13213}} The process of Splintering is somewhat similar to the process by which Preservation stole a piece of Ruin's body to hide from him.{{wob ref|2804}}
▲A Splintered Shard
== Vulnerabilities ==
[[File:Adolin_and_Maya.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Mayalaran]], a damaged Splinter, and Adolin, by [[Coppermind:Artists/DNAVENOM|DNAVENOM]]]]
As Splinters are fragments of energy and energy is conserved in the cosmere,{{wob ref|6984}} they ultimately cannot be reduced to true nothingness.{{book ref|sa2|75}} They may be damaged sufficiently to destroy their minds, if they are self-aware in the first place. It seems one source of vulnerability of a Splinter is any bonds it may have formed with another being. One of the primary examples of this are the deadeyes of the Knights Radiant who betray their oaths. These spren are effectively immortal, their essence cannot be destroyed,{{book ref|sa2|75}} but they suffer physical disfigurement in the Cognitive Realm,{{book ref|sa3|89}} as well as some sort of state of agony when drawn as a Blade,{{book ref|sa2|87}} and other reduced functionalities. This betrayal of the Nahel bond rips out a portion of their soul, which does not seem to be easily replaceable.{{wob ref|6053}} A bond between a human and a seon, another type of Splinter, can also be a vulnerability for the seon. Following the [[Reod]] in the ten years before the restoration of [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]], seons were in danger if their master was taken by the [[Shaod]]. The incorrect Aon acting on the human would disrupt their bonded seon as well, causing gaps to appear in their Aon, as well as a loss of any apparent sentience.{{book ref|elantris|16}} These damaged seons were known to stay close to their former masters that still lived, but apart from this they were impossible to interact with. Their minds were returned to them when Raoden repaired the [[Aon#Rao|Aon Rao]] in Elantris.{{book ref|thoe}} Other vulnerabilities appear to exist, but are less well understood. It seems apparent that if their Spiritweb is directly damaged by something like a Shardblade they may be killed,{{book ref|sa3|84}} or if their Investiture is consumed and fully corrupted by something like Nightblood,{{wob ref|2681}} as is the case with the Fused.{{wob ref|10440}} Even if it is not fatal, corruption of any sort by a foreign type of Investiture can cause serious changes to a Splinter, as is the case with [[Glys]], a corrupted true spren.{{book ref|sa3|117}}▼
▲As Splinters are fragments of energy and energy is conserved in the cosmere,{{wob ref|6984}} they ultimately cannot be reduced to true nothingness.{{book ref|sa2|75}} They may be damaged sufficiently to destroy their minds, if they are self-aware in the first place. It seems one source of vulnerability of a Splinter is any bonds it may have formed with another being. One of the primary examples of this are the deadeyes of the Knights Radiant who betray their oaths. These spren are effectively immortal, their essence cannot be destroyed,{{book ref|sa2|75}} but they suffer physical disfigurement in the Cognitive Realm,{{book ref|sa3|89}} as well as some sort of state of agony when drawn as a Blade,{{book ref|sa2|87}} and other reduced functionalities. This betrayal of the Nahel bond rips out a portion of their soul, which does not seem to be easily replaceable.{{wob ref|6053
A bond between a human and a seon, another type of Splinter, can also be a vulnerability for the seon. Following the [[Reod]] in the ten years before the restoration of [[Elantris (city)|Elantris]], seons were in danger if their master was taken by the [[Shaod]]. The incorrect Aon acting on the human would disrupt their bonded seon as well, causing gaps to appear in their Aon, as well as a loss of any apparent sentience.{{book ref|elantris|16}} These damaged seons were known to stay close to their former masters that still lived, but apart from this they were seemingly totally unaware. Their minds were returned to them when Raoden repaired the [[Aon#Rao|Aon Rao]] in Elantris.{{book ref|thoe}}
Other Splinter vulnerabilities appear to exist, but are less well understood. It seems apparent that if their Spiritweb is directly damaged by something like a Shardblade they may be killed,{{book ref|sa3|84}} or if their Investiture is consumed and fully corrupted by something like Nightblood,{{wob ref|2681}} as is the case with the Fused.{{wob ref|10440}} Even if it is not fatal, corruption of any sort by a foreign type of Investiture can cause serious changes to a Splinter, as is the case with [[Glys]], a corrupted true spren.{{book ref|sa3|117}} Another possible vulnerability of Splinters is their ability to be trapped, perhaps most particularly those Splinters that lack a substantial physical aspect. Due to their connection to their parent Shard, Splinters often struggle to leave the location where they were created or the system that their parent Shard inhabits.{{wob ref|8757}} However, some Splinters can be even further trapped under certain conditions, such as spren inside of gemstones.{{wob ref|sa3|33}} It is uncertain if all Splinters may be similarly trapped under the correct conditions.
== Abilities ==
The abilities of a Splinter depend heavily on the conditions of their formation and the the purpose or lack thereof that they were created with. Although Splinters may learn to behave in ways that were originally not intended.{{book ref|sa2|87}}
Ultimately the full extent of abilities a Splinter may have is still unknown. They are often associated with Fortune and precognitive abilities.{{wob ref|4645}} A Splinter may be able to replicate Preservation's imprisonment of Ruin on a much smaller scale.{{wob ref|1028
== Known Splinters ==
|Spren are . . . power . . . shattered power. Power given thought by the perceptions of men. Honor, Cultivation, and . . . and another. Fragments broken off.
|Syl on spren{{book ref|sa2|24}}}}
Splinters are perhaps most populous in the Rosharan system, residing in the form of spren and Cognitive Shadows on at least two of the planets there.{{au ref|roshar}} On Roshar itself
Splinters of Odium are also present on that world, such as the [[Unmade]],{{wob ref|1672}} and other [[Voidspren]].{{book ref|sa2|3}} The Cognitive Shadows of ancient long-dead [[singer]]s, known as the [[Fused]] are also considered to be Splinters.{{epigraph ref|sa2|34}} Historically these Splinters have been confined by the [[Oathpact]] to [[Braize]], a planet inhabited solely{{au ref|drominad}} by entire ecosystem of self-aware Splinters,{{au ref|roshar}} except during [[Desolation]]s.{{book ref|sa3|38}} However, following the [[True Desolation]] and the appearance of the [[Everstorm]] on Roshar, they are present on both Braize and Roshar. It is unknown if any Splinters are present on [[Ashyn]], the third inhabited planet in the Rosharan system.{{au ref|roshar}} Splinters in this system are particularly vulnerable to the Unmade [[Sja-anat]], who is capable of corrupting Splinters with Investiture from Odium.{{book ref|sa3|97}}
=== Nalthian System ===
|Vasher on the Returned{{book ref|wb|epilogue}}
}}
The only known Splinters present on Nalthis are the [[divine Breath]]s{{wob ref|4486}} granted to the [[Returned]] by the Shard [[Endowment]].{{wob ref|5995}} These Splinters of Endowment are intentionally granted to the recently deceased by the Shard.
It is worth noting that while he may appear as such, Nightblood himself is not actually a Splinter,{{wob ref|3586}} nor is he powerful enough to Splinter a Shard.{{wob ref|3194}} In fact,
=== Selish System ===
[[File: Seon Ien.png|200px|thumb|right|
{{quote
|Khriss's notes on Sel{{au ref|sel}}
}}
In the distant past, both Shards native Sel, Devotion and Dominion were Splintered by Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa1|22}}{{au ref|sel}} As a result the beings known as seons and skaze were formed from their Splinters; although their exact origin and manner of creation is something that is currently uncertain. The seons are considered to be Splinters of Devotion,{{wob ref|5991}} and more specifically it may be the [[Aon]]s at the heart of the seons that are the actual Splinters.{{wob ref|4679}}. Seons appear as glowing balls of light with an Aon at their center.{{book ref|elantris|2}} Skaze on the other hand are formed from Splinters of Dominion.{{wob ref|4547}} They are visible as dark spheres that seem to draw in light, with a ring of misty symbols around its circumference.{{book ref|Elantris|part=postscript}} The general nature of the seons and skaze are very much in keeping with their respective Shards. Seons appear to generally have the attitude of a devoted servant to their masters and view them with great affection,{{book ref|elantris|16}} while the skaze have much more control within the confines of the Fjordell Empire{{wob ref|6167}} and are a group of some importance to the [[Dakhor]].{{wob ref|4640}} While there are some similarities to Rosharan spren, seons and skaze are far less numerous.{{wob ref|4129}} It is noteworthy while there are many Splinters of Devotion and Dominion on this world, Odium left none of his power behind on Sel when he moved on to a different system.
One uncertainty on Sel is the exact nature of the Dor. While the skaze and seons represent a small portion of the Splinters of Dominion and Devotion,{{wob ref|3184}} the vast majority of their power is contained within Shadesmar as the Dor.{{au ref|sel}} While it is known to be comprised of the combined Investiture of Splintered Shards,{{au ref|sel}} it is still uncertain whether the Dor itself is made up of discrete Splinters or just a generalized mix of Investiture.
=== Scadrian System ===
|Khriss on Ruin killing Preservation
}}
During the time of the Final Empire, both Ruin and Preservation had no Splinters of themselves on Scadrial.{{wob ref|4541}} This signifies that their god metals, [[lerasium]] and [[atium]]--despite existing as condensed Investiture of their respective Shards{{
=== Elsewhere in the Cosmere ===
There are other places where Splinters must exist that we know less about as of yet. The Shard Ambition is known to have been Splintered by Odium,{{au ref|threnody}} so it stands to reason that Splinters of that Shard exist somewhere in the cosmere. A few may exist even in the Threnodite system itself, as we know that chunks of Ambition's power were torn off there. Additionally the Cognitive Shadows present that are locally referred to as shades may be Splinters. Another open ended question is whether or not the
== Notes ==
|