Ba-Ado-Mishram

Ba-Ado-Mishram, sometimes called just Mishram, or the Granter of Forms, is one of the Unmade, an ancient and terrible spren of Odium. She is a sapient Unmade and is crafty and conniving. She was a primary instigator of the False Desolation, leading to her imprisonment in the Spiritual Realm by Honor and the Knights Radiant, which put the vast majority of singers into slaveform, and affected all spren on Roshar, and even the planet itself. She was eventually freed and the the world restored on , on the onset of the True Desolation.
== Personality and Appearence ==
=== Personality ===
Ba-Ado-Mishram's personality varies greatly from before and after her imprisonment, as she was affected by the betrayal of humanity and Honor, and from her long period of isolation in the Spiritual Realm.
==== Pre-Imprisonment ====
Prior to her imprisonment, she viewed humans with more fondness and believed that peace between them and singers was a possibility, and she wished for unity and an end to the war and bloodshed. Despite this, she refused to heal humans when she found them injured in battles, but still willingly sang for them to try and make their transition more peaceful. 
Despite this sympathy and wish for peace, she believed that humanity would only stop killing the singers if they were completely conquered and controlled. This came from her belief that humanity would never want peace with the singers, not due to not wanting peace.
She believed that the Singers deserved a far better god than Rayse, this is likely what led her to try and supplant him. She believed that Odium would never allow the wars and suffering to end, for they serve him.
When the Singers who would come to be known as the Listeners abandoned her and the war, she accepted their choice and let them go. 
She is stated to be crafty and conniving by Sja-anat.
==== Post-Imprisonment ====
After her betrayal and imprisonment in the Spiritual Realm, she was left with nothing but a deep and violent hatred for humanity that only grew with time, as she sees all humans as inherently evil due to their betrayal of her. This hatred leads her to being very aggressive towards humans, and to make violent threats towards them. She also lost her belief in the possibility of peace between humans and singers, and couldn't understand why humans and singers would have any positive relationship. 
Despite her hatred, she relied on a group of humans to find her and free her from her prison, thus she led them to her. Though she rationalized this to herself by saying she did it for the purposes of killing them.
=== Appearance ===
Ba-Ado-Mishram variably appears as either a large femalen singer, nine times average size for her species; or at times somewhat shorter than average. Regardless of the size she manifests at, her skin is coloured by alternating lines of white, red, and black. She also, at times, appears as a black cloud with limbs forming out of it which carry it across the ground.
==Mythology and Lore==
In modern times, Hessi believed Ba-Ado-Mishram to be a highprincess of the Voidbringers, and was their commander in some Desolations. There was no record of Ba-Ado-Mishram in the present day, and so Hessi suspected that she returned to Damnation or was destroyed in Aharietiam. Hessi's Mythica also states that she is an elusive figure, and that the true reason for her absence in the modern day is unknown.
However, the reason why Ba-Ado-Mishram is absent in the modern era is because she was imprisoned during the False Desolation, around the time of the Recreance. It is also possible that the reason why there are legends of her being the commander of the enemy is because of her role in the False Desolation as well, rather than actually being a commander during actual Desolations with the Fused.
==Attributes and Abilities==
=== Healer ===
Prior to absorbing the Well of Control and becoming the Granter of Forms, Ba-Ado-Mishram travelled the battlefield and healed injured Singers.
=== Granter of Forms ===
Ba-Ado-Mishram has some of the most powerful capabilities of individuals outside of Shards. She was able to Connect with singers on a massive scale, Connecting with all of them (except the listeners) across the entirety of Roshar, which suggests that it was not a short-ranged, local process near Ba-Ado-Mishram--like Moelach or Nergaoul's effects--but a continent-wide display of power.
 
Following her absorption of the Well of Control, Ba-Ado-Mishram was able to supply the singers with Voidlight and forms of power, making singers into Regals. This shows she has access to a huge quantity of Investiture on a scale other Unmade lack. This ability was compared to Odium in previous Desolations, which likely means that Ba-Ado-Mishram could not supply infinite Voidlight to the Regals, as the Fused in Desolations did not have access to infinite Voidlight either. It is unknown whether her Connection let Ba-Ado-Mishram speak to singers directly as Odium does, or command the conflict directly.
 
The Knights Radiant did not know Ba-Ado-Mishram could Connect with the singers, and did not know how she managed to do it. She had not done this prior to the False Desolation. It was later discovered that she managed to Connect to Roshar and its people and spren the way she did due to her making use of the Well of Control. She claimed to be tied to every fibre of Roshar, and Honor himself spoke of how the tones of the planet chose her, and the planet itself aligned with her, after she absorbed the power of the Well of Control. The power also protected her from Odium's touch. The manner in which she fully Connected to the planet displays various similarities to the process of a Shard Investing a world. 
Her other abilities are unclear aside from her Connections and her healing abilities. If she was in fact a highprincess of the Voidbringers, or a commander of the enemy during actual Desolations, she would likely need to be powerful or fearsome for Fused to follow her. However, it is said that the Radiants feared Sja-anat most of all Unmade, not Ba-Ado-Mishram, so it is possible she was not the biggest threat to the Radiants.
She was imprisoned from the Recreance to the Night of Sorrows on , and she would not fade in her gemstone like a Herald would. It is unclear how much time she experienced when trapped in the Spiritual Realm. 
=== Realmatics ===
In the days leading up to the True Desolation, she began to be capable of manifesting her face and voice in the Cognitive Realm and controlling visions within the Spiritual Realm.
When not imprisoned in the heliodor, she is capable of pulling entities in the Spiritual Realm into the Cognitive Realm. She find herself more comfortable in the Cognitive Realm, compared to the Physical Realm.
=== Vessel Candidate ===
She is a possible candidate as the Vessel of the Shard of Odium, as the Shard itself sees her as a good Vessel, better than either Rayse or Taravangian. This, and her resonance with Roshar and its tones, are likely what led to her being considered one of the only rivals to Odium's Vessel.
==History==
===Early History===
Like all Unmade, Ba-Ado-Mishram's true origin is unknown, but she most likely existed in some form before becoming an Unmade, however what she was before this is unknown. She was made into one of the Unmade at some point after the creation of the Heralds as part of an arms race between Odium and Honor, but came to exist before the formation of the Knights Radiant.
Her role during the Desolations is unclear, but she was said to be a highprincess of the enemy, and a commander in some Desolations. Between Desolations, she was left behind on Roshar.
Four thousand five hundred and fifty years before the Night of Sorrows, Ba-Ado-Mishram approached Honor and asked if he wanted peace, and if he would agree to make peace with her if Odium was unable to stop him from doing so. He answered her questions affirmatively, creating an oath with her, and she subsequently left. Honor would ultimately turn on her, making an oath with Odium to help protect him from her. This betrayal would come to manifest multiple millennia later.
After the Last Desolation, Ba-Ado-Mishram continued to exist on Roshar. Little is known as to her influence on events during this period of the Era of Solitude.
===The False Desolation===
About two thousand five hundred years after Aharietiam, Ba-Ado-Mishram Connected with the vast majority of singers on Roshar, using the Well of Control, which she absorbed fully. The only singers free from this Connection were the listeners. Roshar, in response, aligned with her and the tones choose her. Her Connection to the planet and its tones filtered down to the Spren, connecting her to all spren as well. She granted the singers forms of powers--making them into Regals--and provided them with Voidlight. 
Her actions initiated a new war, which was considered a different kind of Desolation, for it was one without the Fused. Scholars would later term it the False Desolation. Though many scholars and ardents reject that this event even occurred, as it contradicted their beliefs that the Heralds pushed all Voidbringers off Roshar during Aharietiam. 
The Knights Radiant of the era felt that the singers fought with zeal, and did not know how Ba-Ado-Mishram could Connect with the singers. The fighting was particularly intense during this period. At some point, the singers pressed towards Feverstone Keep, though the Radiants did not understand why the area interested the singers--or perhaps Ba-Ado-Mishram--so much. Some speculated that it had been part of a plan to capture the city of Rall Elorim.
Her immunity to Odium's touch as a result of her power, and her plans to replace Odium, eventually led Odium to make a deal with Honor.
The Radiants sought an edge in combat with the singers, and made a coalition of scholar Radiants with the goal of denying the singers their Voidlight.
They were told by Honor that an Unmade could be captured like regular spren, but it would require a special prison--likely a perfect gemstone--and Melishi, the Bondsmith of that generation. Naze-daughter-Kuzodo warned of potential side effects of sealing her away when she was Connected to the singers as she was, but it appears these warnings were ignored. So, the Radiants, assisted by Honor, formed a strike team to imprison Ba-Ado-Mishram. Melishi was confident in the plan, but other Radiants were uncertain on the effects this would have on the singers. Despite any objections, they hoped that their actions would lead to the end of the war with the singers. 
They attracted Ba-Ado-Mishram to them by talks of peace and unity, backed by Honor, who promised her he would make peace with her if she was leader fifty years before the Last Desolation.
The Heralds Nale and Kalak, along with Honor, Garith, and Shmone were present at Ba-Ado-Mishram's binding. Ultimately, the strike team was successful and Ba-Ado-Mishram was captured.
===Effects of the Binding===
As Naze-daughter-Kuzodo predicted, Ba-Ado-Mishram's binding had massive effects on Roshar. It ripped out both Connection and Identity from the singers, which prevented them from being able to act independently. This Spiritual damage persisted even through the singers' offspring. The few singers that were not part of the False Desolation--the listeners--termed these singers as slaveforms; singers with no form. Humans used these singers as slaves for two thousand years, until the Everstorm arrived and healed them. The singers were furious at humanity for this act of enslavement, and this became a rallying cry for them to fight against humanity in the True Desolation.
Fighting in the False Desolation occurred near Feverstone Keep, and since that is the site of many Windrunners and Stonewards abandoning their oaths,
Mishram's binding damaged more than the singers, and according to the Sibling, touched the souls of "all who belong to Roshar," including the spren. Deadeyes did not exist prior to the Recreance, so the Unmade's binding could be why the Radiants and spren in the Recreance caused the spren to unexpectedly transform into deadeyes. Furthermore, the very tones and rhythms of Roshar stopped for a period of three seconds in response to her being forcefully disconnected after what she did. It was described as something ripping within the world itself. A discordant note would continue to vibrate the soul of Roshar in "the most terrible of ways," though it would only be noticed upon its cessation when she was later released. This sealing away of Ba-Ado-Mishram, in general, left a deep and lasting wound on Roshar, and its inhabitants.
The damage to the Sibling disabled Urithiru. The Sibling lost their ability to produce Towerlight en masse, and the tower city stopped working. They could only create small quantities of Towerlight to power a few of the tower's basic fabrials. The Sibling lost their power because they could no longer hear the two tones of Roshar, Honor and Cultivation's tones. Navani Kholin thought this could be because Odium's tone became a tone of Roshar as well.
Ba-Ado-Mishram's binding made the Fused realize that spren could be trapped in gemstones, and a Fused named She Who Dreams came up with the idea that a Herald's soul could be trapped this way. This led to the creation of knives with raysium, one of which bound Jezrien's soul, killing him.
==== Death of Tanavast and the Recreance ====
Less directly, Honor's betrayal of Ba-Ado-Mishram, and the damage it caused to Singers, the Spren, and Roshar, led the Shard to abandon him as Vessel. Tanavast was subsequently killed by Odium, though portion of his soul and his memories remained, going to the Stormfather.
However, before Honor completely left Tanavast, he travelled to Urithiru and showed the Knights Radiant there the destruction they were capable of, and how they could destroy the world. This, along with the effects the binding had on the Singers, spren, and Roshar itself, precipitated the Recreance, where the majority of Knights Radiant would abandon their oaths and break their Nahel bonds. The Recreance itself led to the creation of a large amount of deadeyes, due to the intersection of the broken oaths and the effects of the binding of Ba-Ado-Mishram.
=== Lead-up to the True Desolation ===
In 1175, during the True Desolation, the location of Ba-Ado-Mishram's gemstone prison remained unknown, but Thaidakar and the Ghostbloods sought it. Ialai Sadeas's journal which Shallan acquired at Ialai's death described the Ghostbloods being "obsessed" with Ba-Ado-Mishram. Shallan suspected Mraize thought that Ba-Ado-Mishram would be in Urithiru, but Shallan realized this must have been wrong, because if that was true, Re-Shephir would have freed Mishram. Shallan wondered that since Mraize wished to move Stormlight off Roshar that perhaps Ba-Ado-Mishram could be used for this purpose.
Kalak believed this was why the Ghostbloods hunted him. Shallan confronted Mraize using her seon Ala, and demanded to know what the Ghostbloods' plan was with a spren which could bind minds of an entire people. Mraize didn't respond, and Shallan declared that she would find Ba-Ado-Mishram's gemstone before they would.
In Kalak's journal, which he wrote as he hid in Lasting Integrity, he urged Ba-Ado-Mishram to be found and freed.
==== Search for Ba-Ado-Mishram ====
On , Shallan Davar, Renarin Kholin, and Rlain traveled into the Spiritual Realm, followed by Mraize and Iyatil, with the latter two entering with the purpose of finding Ba-Ado-Mishram.
While she hated humans, she ultimately tried to lead Shallan and Renarin to her, alongside Rlain, as she was desperate to escape from her prison.
===True Desolation===
Eventually, Ba-Ado-Mishram was freed by Renarin and Rlain on . This ended a everlasting discordant note that had vibrated the soul of Roshar since she was imprisoned, and righted the wrongs done to the planet. Spren began to heal from being deadeye following her release.
== Relationships ==
=== Ulim ===
Ulim thinks that Ba-Ado-Mishram's actions in the False Desolation were extremely stupid. He belittles her actions, calling her a "little god" and that she was just an oversized spren which they relied on.
=== Kalak ===
The Herald Kalak is the only known individual to refer to Ba-Ado-Mishram as simply "Mishram." This is the only instance of an Unmade's name being shortened to just one part of their hyphenated name. It's unclear why this is, or if Kalak had familiarity with Ba-Ado-Mishram in the past. In Kalak's journal, he appears to have some caring for Ba-Ado-Mishram's own well-being, and urges someone to find and free her, both for her sake and Roshar's.
=== Rayse ===
Rayse's relation with Ba-Ado-Mishram is complex, with her serving him, but believing that he is bad for mankind and holding a desire to overthrow him as the Vessel of Odium. This desire eventually led her to attempt to directly betray him. 
The Shard itself likes Ba-Ado-Mishram, and sees her as a more optimal Vessel than either Rayse or Taravangian.
===Others===
Another Unmade, Sja-anat, did not believe herself to be the most clever of the Unmade. She compares herself to Ba-Ado-Mishram, and refers to Ba-Ado-Mishram as crafty and conniving. This could indicate that Sja-anat believes Ba-Ado-Mishram is actually the most clever of all the Unmade.
It is unclear what Ba-Ado-Mishram's relationship was with the Fused. Though Hessi thinks Ba-Ado-Mishram was a commander during the Desolations, it's unknown if the Unmade ordered Fused around directly.
== Trivia ==
* She is unique among the Unmade for having two hyphens in her name, whereas others only have one or zero.
== Notes ==
es:Ba-Ado-Mishram