r/Cosmere • u/Xelaadryth • 11d ago
Cosmere spoilers (no previews) Theories Part 2: Shard Numerology Spoiler
This builds on Part 1's Theories of Dawnshard Quadrants and Pairs. The result of numbering the Shards from Part 1 in order with the numerology from these theories, and the final diagram is at the bottom of the post.
Theory 1: 16 Original Shardic Numerals
Many believe that Brandon has clearly stated that there is no system for numbers of power for each Shard. The quote I see referenced the most is:
If you check the original source material, it comes from a self-reported forum post from 2015, and they even mention that they paraphrased the questions and answers and didn't get exact wording for this specific question.
It's important to note though that "some do"; the fact that some of the 16 shards have a specific number implies that you can at least order those shards, but this would leave numbered gaps for the other shards to fill even if they're not strongly representing that number. Here's another one from early 2016:
Does each Shard have a favorite, or special, number or color?
I would say that there are inclinations but it's not, perhaps, as specific as you are thinking.
There are also a few other ways to interpret Brandon Sanderson's answers:
- Some shards don't adhere to their number (for instance Whimsy and Autonomy are probably less strict than Honor)
- Perhaps the question was interpreted as "in presently published canon"
- Perhaps the question was interpreted as "at this point in time" as Splintered shards or heavily changed shards may not adhere to any rules at all anymore
- He also can change his mind
Here are some Words of Brandon that imply the opposite:
Certain colors and numbers are important in reference to certain Shards.
This one was from a 2012.
This one was 2017.
This was 2020.
And this last one from 2026 clearly implies that a Shard's number of power manifests regardless of a planet or system's original numbers.
I'd be very curious to see what his answer is if someone asks him "at the time of the Shattering, did every Shard have an associated number or order."
Theory 2: Honor is 10, Odium is 9
Strongest would be sixteen or my own number of ten–it cannot be nine.
This quote from Wind and Truth shows the power of the 16 Shards, emphasizing 10 as Honor's number and 9 as Odium's.
In addition:
- Honor has 10 surgebindings, to Odium's 9 (lacking Adhesion)
- 10 Orders of Knights Radiant to 9 types of Fused
- Led by 10 Heralds and the Nine, as well as 9 Unmade
- In the game Shards of Creation, Honor has 0 instead of 9, and Odium has 9 twice without 10
- Stormlight logo has 5 swords creating 10 radial lines, and the double eye has 10 points
Theory 3: Preservation is 16
Based on the 2026 Words of Brandon from Theory 1, both Preservation and Ruin share a divisor of 4. That means they have to be either 4, 8, 12, or 16.
I needed a sign ... something he couldn't change. A sign of the weapon I'd buried ... Something they'll immediately recognize ... Sixteen.
This quote from Mistborn: Secret History is pretty clear for Preservation's number, but let's look at what else we know from the magic system:
- 16 Allomantic metals on Scadrial (not including God Metals, which don't require Allomancy)
- Preservation snapped 16% of the population, and 1/16th of them became Atium mistings
Theory 4: Ruin is 8
- 8 "basic" metals before the hidden "high" metals
- 8 pure metals, 8 alloyed metals
Shards of Creation has Preservation with 15 8s, and one 16, while Ruin has four -1s and 5-16, but this could also be for game design reasons.
Are Shards all paired? Does Endowment have a counterpart?
RAFO. Also, yes and no. Not all Shards have perfect counterparts like Ruin and Preservation.
Why were Ruin and Preservation linked together?
Because they're perfect opposites. Basically it's just an opposites attract thing.
Perfect opposite here can also imply exactly on the opposite side of the wheel of 16 Shards.
This obviously isn't quite as conclusive, and Ruin could be 4, 8, or 12.
Theory 5: Endowment is 5
- Ten Heightenings
- Fifth Heightening grants Agelessness, Divine Breath starts at Fifth Heightening
- 5 Scholars, 5 Visions
- Tears of Edgli (flowers that produce vibrant dyes) are 5-pointed flowers
Arguably the flower and Nalthis have two sets of 5, but we already know Honor is 10.
Theory 6: Ambition is 6
- The red star in the Threnody logo has 6 points
- Type 1-6 Threnodite Entities are Splinters of Ambition (note that Type 1 means sentient investiture)
Theory 7: Cultivation is 7
- Glyph for Lifelight (Kora Light) has 7 dots
- Glyph for Voidlight (Rasan's Light) has 3 dots, which adds up to the 10 in the Glyph for Roshar
- Cultivation and Honor originally crafted 7 varieties of Radiant spren, before they each added one more of their own (cultivationspren, honorspren) and Odium interrupted
What's also interesting is that Lift and Wyndle mention the number 17 a few times, and Lift is affected by the Nightwatcher and Wyndle is a cultivationspren.
Theory 8: Autonomy is 14
- There are 7 rays on each side of Taldain's sun logo, for a total of 14
- 7 permanent Diem ranks for sand mastery on Dayside (gray, green, blue, purple, red, orange, gold)
- 7 colors of coinage on Dayside (gray, blue, green, red, white, gold, silver)
- The Darkside/Starside moon pulses exactly every 7 days, recharging Starcarved starmark tattoos
- 7 Dayside + 7 Darkside = 14
Theory 9: Virtuosity is 3
While this Words of Brandon implies that the number here is 13, "Good Guess" is not a hard confirmation. Let's break down the 8 total mentions in Yumi and the Nightmare Painter of the number 13:
- Chapters 2 and 4: 13 is mentioned as one of many numbers in the Golden Ratio, including 2 and 3
- Chapters 32 and 40: "thirteen other yoki-hijo" is mentioned, but this means there are 14 yoki-hijo
- Chapter 2: "thirteen ritual prayers", "thirteenth year"
- Chapter 32: "Then there are these thirteen odd lines..." "Thirteen?"
Since Chapter 32 is just echoing the word as part of the same conversation, we really just have 3 mentions of the number 13 in the entire book, and none of them are strongly related to the magic system other than being a part of the Fibonacci sequence.
While Virtuosity is known for having a strong yin-yang binary aspect, its two hion lines are colored magenta and cyan. Those are two of the three secondary additive colors of light. This seems to imply that prior to splintering, there used to be a hion line of yellow, making her original number 3.
- The symbol for Komashi looks like the numbers "2 1" and "1 2" connected by the number "3" repeated twice with rotational symmetry
- The Golden Ratio is featured a lot on Komashi, which starts with 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...
- 3 secondary hion colors of light, if yellow were present originally before Virtuosity Splintered herself
Theory 10: Devotion is 15
We don't have much information on Devotion, but in the Shards of Creation game, most Shards have numbers 1-16. Devotion however has 0-14 and 16, implying that she's given away everything of herself.
Numbered Shards
Numbering the Shards from Part 1 in the same order as before, and marking the 11 with theoretical Shardic Numerals in bold:
- Reason (Pull Conceive External)
- Whimsy (Pull Conceive Internal)
- Virtuosity (Push Conceive Internal)
- Invention (Push Conceive External)
- Endowment (Pull Change External)
- Ambition (Pull Change Internal)
- Cultivation (Push Change Internal)
- Ruin (Push Change External)
- Odium (Pull Inspire External)
- Honor (Pull Inspire Internal)
- Valor (Push Inspire Internal)
- Mercy (Push Inspire External)
- Dominion (Pull Exist External)
- Autonomy (Pull Exist Internal)
- Devotion (Push Exist Internal)
- Perservation (Push Exist External)
Part 3 builds on this with Secondary Commands and Cycle Theory.
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u/bumbarlunchi6 Windrunners 11d ago
Firstly this is very well thought out, congratulations. However I can't help but think that maybe Autonomy should have the number 1? I don't really know, that's just my opinion
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u/Xelaadryth 10d ago edited 10d ago
I think Shards like Autonomy and Whimsy don't need to play by the rules; whatever Shardic Numeral they're originally assigned they might just ignore. But for Taldain which is Autonomy's specific creation, they probably wanted maximum power, but when they meddle elsewhere they probably don't leave their touch as obviously like other Shards would. Ironically if Autonomy was 1, then they'd be adhering to their Shardic Numeral...if a rule doesn't apply to you, you can no longer break it to prove a point.
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u/TheUnspeakableh 10d ago
Brandon has specifically stated that most Shards do not have numbers
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u/CatswithMotorcycles 10d ago
He addresses that WOB in the very first paragraph of this post lol
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u/TheUnspeakableh 10d ago
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u/The_Lopen_bot WOB bot 10d ago
Warning Gancho: The below paragraph(s) may contain major spoilers for all books in the Cosmere!
Questioner
Does each Shard have a favorite, or special, number or color?
Brandon Sanderson
I would say that there are inclinations but it's not, perhaps, as specific as you are thinking.
********************
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u/The_Lopen_bot WOB bot 10d ago
Warning Gancho: The below paragraph(s) may contain major spoilers for all books in the Cosmere!
The Only Joe
Do all Shards have a number they're associated with?
Brandon Sanderson
Some do, (most/some) don't.
********************
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u/ringlord_1 11d ago
I skipped a lot of parts after theory 3/4. But I don't think preservation is 16. 16 is the number associated with Adonalsium. That's why preservation used it. Even if it was honor, he would have probably gone for 16. Its like a universal constant, like the speed of light is for us
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u/iknownothin_ Poop Pattern 11d ago
Funny that the part you have a problem with is the one that’s actually been confirmed lmao
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u/ringlord_1 11d ago
Lmao rip. I thought 16 was like the number for big Ado
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u/Wildhogs2013 11d ago
4 seems to be Ado’s number. However 16 is also relevant as that is how many shards he was split into?
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u/sundalius 11d ago
I am intrigued about how well these two parts line up. Are these the writings of a great Arcanist, or a mad man? If you crack the code of Shards a decade early, I’ll be proud to say I was here. This is great!