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Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Odium wants to be the only Shard. Odium could pick up other Shards if he wants to, but, he doesn't want to. His Shard is a good match for his personality and he doesn't want to be influenced by another Shard.

Questioner

The line about "three of sixteen [ruled] and now the Broken One reigns" - did Odium follow three other Shards to Roshar or is he the third Shard?

Brandon Sanderson

Odium is the third Shard on Roshar.

CrystalShadow

So is Harmony as excited for the space Mistborn as we are?

Brandon Sanderson

It will have four trilogies now. (Though part of me thinks I might need another interim cyberpunkish one between 1980's and full Space Opera.) Right now, though, I have four eras planned.

As for your original question, Harmony is excited, but also worried, perhaps in equal measure.

wilde4fitness

Are the Ghostbloods associated with Odium?

Brandon Sanderson

Odium has his fingers in a LOT of things.

Hoidonalsium

What was the order of the Shards coming to Roshar and changing allegiances? Did humans come with Odium?

Brandon Sanderson

So... you're talking about on Roshar specifically? So, Odium had visited Roshar. The humans gave him more of an ear... The Dawnsingers would have considered him the god of the people who had come, but-- I mean, it wasn't like they necessarily brought him. He was capable of getting around before that. I mean, he did kinda come along with them, he was instrumental in what happened there.

Hoidonalsium

Okay, but he was separate, and after Honor and Cultivation had really settled there?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, he was after Honor and Cultivation had settled.

Questioner

I was actually wondering, the epigraphs for The Way of Kings, that were talking about how the various Shardholders [Vessels] are influenced by their Shards over time—how does that impact someone like Harmony, with multiple shards?

Brandon Sanderson

The main effect it's having on Harmony right now is the inability to act sometimes, because his two sides are pushing, and so he is having trouble being proactive. It'd take a long time before it really becomes manifest, but he's had several hundred years, so it's starting to have an effect.

darklordreddit

With bits and pieces of the respective pieces of Harmony still laying about, is Harmony actually skewed in one way or another if slightly and does Sazed's personality circumvent this in any way ?

Brandon Sanderson

Personality can always circumvent the powers--it just gets harder and harder to hold out as centuries pass.

chasmfriend's friend (Paraphrased)

My friend asked for Brandon to write something about Harmony in her Alloy of Law.

Brandon Sanderson

There's another name Harmony could go by if he weren't able to control the conflict between his halves… *to Zas* Have you guys figured that one out yet? Oh, I'm not going to say anything. You have it on recording… I was pretty sneaky with that one so I don't know if you have it or not.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

1) The Nightwatcher and Stormfather are parallel entities such that Nighwatcher:Cultivation :: Stormfather:Honor.

2) There is sort of a parallel for Odium, but the parallel is the various Unmade instead of a single entity.

3) They are parallel in that they are all Splinters.

4) The Unmade are voluntary Splinters, because Odium ("like almost all of the other Shards") voluntarily Splintered part of it's power.

5) The Stormfather is different from the others because it's a Sliver.

Questioner

Is there any connection between Odium and Trell?

Brandon Sanderson

Is there any connection between Odium and Trell. This is-- Yes there is some connection. That is a question about-- If you understood it then great, if you didn't then don't worry.

Argent

When Sazed picked up the Shards of Preservation and Ruin, did he actively choose to be known as Harmony (instead of, for example, Balance, or Equilibrium, or Stability), or is there some Cosmeric law that says Preservation + Ruin = Harmony?

Brandon Sanderson

He chose the name, but in part because it FELT right to him.

Argent

Is this similar to how a Shard's "personality" overwrites the Shardholder's over time?

Brandon Sanderson

Similar, yes.

Kogiopsis (paraphrased)

Given that we now know that Odium can 'make it possible' for people to use magic that draws on him on other planets, has he done this anywhere besides Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Odium has been active on all other planets, including several we haven't seen yet.

WinespringBrother

Given that Shards, and perhaps, Ascended beings, have intents similar to their names...

Brandon Sanderson

More that they have names similar to their intents.

WinespringBrother

So, would Unity be a natural enemy of Autonomy?

Brandon Sanderson

Um... Possibly. You say "natural," and so I--

WinespringBrother

Well, would one eliminate the other one? But more towards Autonomy trying to break up--

Brandon Sanderson

To break up Unity. It's so hard to say, because Autonomy is a bit of a strange duck. Like, what counts as being Autonomous? Is absorbing everything and becoming one again Autonomous or not? That's kind of your question that you get into. And the way Autonomy looks at it right now, is no. Autonomy wants to remain Autonomy. Autonomy does not want to be corrupted by anything else. And Autonomy would think the Shards are better on their own. But is this a natural effect, or part of the-- Does that make sense?

WinespringBrother

Well, but it's also along the lines of, Odium wants to break up the other ones, so they don't--

Brandon Sanderson

Odium just wants to be top dog. And your two ways to be top dog are to climb higher, or to lower everyone else. And he's like, we're gonna lower everyone else. Because I know, if I combine, it stops being me, is what his opinion is. I would no longer be the person I am. I would change into someone else. And then that person gets to rule, and I don't want that person to rule. I want to.

Alvaro Lopez

Why Odium is stronger and worst evil than Ruin?

Brandon Sanderson

One reason is that Ruin had a person in control of it who, for many years, fought against the impulse to destroy--and in the end, channeled it toward entropy and decay, necessary elements of the universe. Odium represents something else entirely.

Haradion Drogon

The Letter implies Odium is allied or at least cross purposes with Bavadin. Is Odium actively allied to any *other* cosmere Power(s)?

Brandon Sanderson

YES.

Questioner

Could-- would Odium ever work with another Shard? Maybe not pick up another one--

Brandon Sanderson

If he were in charge. Yes, this is within the realm of possibility of what Odium would do. In fact, that may have happened at various points *sly smile*.

Questioner

Is Odium mad about Sazed having two Shards?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, and scared.

Eric

Was Odium's original purpose to neutralize the threat of Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

No. Good question.

WeiryWriter

Something I've recently been wondering about is how responsive is Sazed to people in the Cognitive Realm flagging him down for a conversation. Let's say Khriss, during one of her trips between Scadrial and Silverlight just shouts "Yo Harmony, do you have time to chat?", how would he respond?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO on this one. :)

Questioner

Have we seen Odium’s champion?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Kythis

Is there anything Hoid was scared of? And if so, is it still around, and regardless, was it a person...

Brandon Sanderson

There are many things that Hoid is scared of.  He is really scared of Odium, but there are others.

JoyBlu

At the end of Oathbringer there is an agreement between Odium and Taravangian.

"If you help me, I will save your family.  Anyone within two generations of you."

Taravangian says "Not enough."

"Then we have no deal"

And so then they go on and they make the deal that says "The city itself, and any humans who have been born into it, along with their spouses."

Was the grandchildren included in that? -- or was it meant to be ambiguous?

Brandon Sanderson

Depends on where they were born.

JoyBlu

And then, Grandchildren. There are three listed of Taravangian's: Gvori, Karavangia, and Ruli.  There is also the one that Shallan drew the picture of which I think is a different one.  Is that right?

Brandon Sanderson

*nods head in agreement*

JoyBlu

So far we have four granddaughters.  Karavangia is obviously named after her grandfather, Right?

Brandon Sanderson

*nods head in agreement*

JoyBlu

Does he have more grandchildren named after him?

Brandon Sanderson

*shakes head no*

Why are you asking?

JoyBlu

I was wondering if Tarah was somehow related to Taravangian.

Brandon Sanderson

Good question, no.

Kurkistan

What exactly was Harmony's original plan for Lessie if she'd gone along with it?

Brandon Sanderson

Well the original plan was to turn Wax into what he kind of ended up being.

Kurkistan

And Lessie would still be alive, then?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, and kind of as his minder, slash, ya know...

Questioner (paraphrased)

[Something about spren]

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

There is a component to that going on, but I will say that denying Odium is an important part of that in the books through his various different manifestations.

Questioner

And does [Odium] control the Voidbringers through the spren in the same way that the Inquisitors were controlled by Ruin?

Brandon Sanderson

There are definitely-- In fact what you have just seen with Eshonai shares an awful lot with what happened in Mistborn.

Questioner

Sazed is Harmony, so does he rule over all of the worlds? Or just--

Brandon Sanderson

Just Scadrial.  

Questioner

So he's not involved in the others?

Brandon Sanderson

He is not really involved in them. I mean he's aware, and increasingly aware of things, but he is focused on one.

RandyD

Can a Shard just smite someone? Like, "Boom, you're dead," and they die?

Brandon Sanderson

So, Shards can do this, depending on where they are. For instance, Odium can't, but Endowment could.

Questioner

Do the Shards know each others' weaknesses? Like the metal blindness or anything?

Brandon Sanderson

They are not aware of every specific, but they know generalities.

Questioner

So they know that they do have weaknesses.

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah.

Questioner

So would Odium have taken advantage of Honor's weakness to Splinter him?

Brandon Sanderson

You could say that, yeah.

Questioner

Is Harmony aware of events on Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson

*hesitantly* Yes, some of them.

OddyFan

Why Odium looks "so small" for Dalinar when he combines the realms?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Ahuri3 (paraphrased)

In which published book is Hoid the happiest?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He is the happiest when he is getting away with something. Not in the Stormlight Archive because he is nervous about Odium being there. I think he is the happiest during the Wax and Wayne series, in Bands of Mourning maybe.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Odium didn't start on Roshar.

Questioner

So at the end of [Oathbringer], how aware is Odium of what Nightblood is and can do?

Brandon Sanderson

Modestly. 

Questioner

Taking the sheath, that kind of thing?

Brandon Sanderson

He knows. I would say more than modestly, he is well aware.

Questioner

Last time you said that his name, if it wasn’t Harmony, it would be something else. Is it Discord?

Brandon Sanderson

This is relevant.

Questioner

It is relevant?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Blightsong (paraphrased)

Does Harmony have any Splinters?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Do you mean like in his fingers? *Brandon has a coy smile. Questioner looks at him like "you know what I mean you fool". Brandon laughs.* No, he does not have Splinters right now. Good question.

Questioner

So Ruin and Preservation combine. When Odium slays the Shardbearers [Vessels], why doesn’t he absorb the enemy Shards?

Brandon Sanderson

Because that would actually change the way he views the world. The Shard would actually start to influence him, and could actually ruin who he views himself as being. So instead of combining them all, his goal is to destroy them all and be the only one left at his power level.

Questioner

So by his nature, he can't combine?

Brandon Sanderson

I mean he could, but it would change his nature. So he won't.

Stormlightning

Can Odium sense where Honorblades are?

Brandon Sanderson

Let's RAFO that one, too.

Brandon Sanderson

Right now the most powerful individual in the cosmere is Harmony.

Ward

When Harmony Ascends, he admits he doesn't have a good view of the Spiritual Realm. Does he develop a better one over time? And are there other Shards that already have a very good view of that?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. But it is still something that is hard to grok, so to speak. In canon-- in science fiction-- hard to understand. But he has a much better understanding, and the other Shards, some of them have a very good understanding. The thing is, the difference between the Spiritual Realm and the Beyond is not something that is immediately obvious.

Ward

So, the Spiritual Realm is not the Beyond?

Brandon Sanderson

No, Spiritual Realm is not the Beyond. There are three Realms of existence. The Beyond, some would say... There are philosophers would would say, the Spiritual Realm and the Beyond are one, that the soul gets sucked into and joins the Investiture. That's the idea of the One. But, most people would say the Beyond is not...

Hoidonalsium

So, there's a whole lot of things that happen in a very short period of time when Dalinar brings the worlds together. "We killed you" from Odium. Who is "we" and who is "you"?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Are the Parshendi of Odium?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Not originally.

Questioner

Does Odium control/manipulate/possess Trell? As a pseudo-<counter?> philosophy on the modern era?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Melissa

Do Scadrians have a piece of Harmony?

Brandon Sanderson

Yup.

Shallan's Ward

While Sazed holds Preservation and Ruin, could his intent change from Harmony to Discord?

Brandon Sanderson

It is possible.

LordSkybreaker

Hey u/mistborn I have a couple questions about Magic: the gathering.

What colors/kind of deck do you play in magic?

What colors are the known shards?

What colors are the various orders of the knights Radiant?

And finally, have you ever thought of doing the story for Wizards Of The Coast on one of their mtg blocks?

Brandon Sanderson

Any combo-style deck I can draft--or esper if I'm constructed.

Ruin: Black. Odium: Red. Honor: White. Preservation: White. Cultivation: Green. Devotion: Green/red. Dominion: Black/White. Autonomy: It's complicated.

(Also, question 3 is way too large for me to commit to right now. And for 4, if the right opportunity came along and they were interested, I could see myself doing this.)

SoupOrMan692

What about Endowment and Ambition?

Brandon Sanderson

Ambition is mono-black, and endowment is probably mono-green. Some of the blue shards are ones we haven't seen as much from yet.

mraize7

In Mistborn, has Harmony a perpendicularity like the Pits or the Well? and the Well and the Pits have disappeared?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO!

Eric

For the second letter, Rayse is captured and cannot leave the system he inhabits, Roshar. Is the fact that Odium can't leave Roshar a direct result of the Oathpact, or something else?

Brandon Sanderson

Not a direct result of the Oathpact, but the Oathpact was part of it.

Chaos

Is Odium aware of the weapon created by Adonalsium's opposition?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

How does Odium kill Shards?

Brandon Sanderson

OOOh that's a big ol’ RAFO. It's a RAFO I've promised to answer in the books eventually.

Questioner

We've got a theory… He kills a Shard by destroying the idea of the Shard into a population with hate. So on Sel he replaced the idea of Dominion with hatred of other people…

Brandon Sanderson

That’s a very good theory... I will say-- Yeah.

Luvan

Did Odium have the assistance of another Shard to kill Honor?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm going to have to RAFO that for now, I'm afraid. Too bad it's not in person! I could give you a RAFO card. :)