Shattering

The Shattering of Adonalsium (or simply, the Shattering) was a pivotal moment in the history of the cosmere when Adonalsium was killed using the Dawnshards. Prior to this, there were no Shards, which have been the dominant influence in the cosmere that has thus been shown so far. It takes place over ten-thousand years before the True Desolation.
== Prior to the Shattering ==
It is not clear how different the cosmere was prior to the Shattering, but the Shattering did have an effect on the magic. An example is the highstorms, natural phenomena that are central to the life cycle of many of the native inhabitants of Roshar; the highstorms were later infused with the power of Honor.
== Participants and Aftereffects ==
Shard 	Vessel
Odium 	Rayse
Honor 	Tanavast
Cultivation 	Koravellium Avast
Ruin 	Ati
Preservation	Leras
Devotion 	Aona
Dominion 	Skai
Endowment 	Edgli
Autonomy 	Bavadin
Ambition 	Uli Da
Invention 	Chan Ko Sar
Mercy 	Unknown
Valor 	Medelantorius
Whimsy 	Unknown
Virtuosity 	Unknown
Reason 	Euridrius
None 	Hoid
The people who killed Adonalsium on Yolen all had different motivations, including a desire for power and a belief in the necessity of the action. Hoid was there at the Shattering and was offered a Shard, but he refused. Hoid participated in the plan to kill Adonalsium.
According to Tanavast, Adonalsium did not fight back, and let itself be Shattered. He assumed it was done in order to prevent the destruction that could come to be if it did fight back.
Almost all of the Investiture in the cosmere was divided between and became associated with a Shard, with some exceptions like the Aethers and the Dawnshards. All of the sixteen Shards were created at once, and they all started with the same amount of Investiture. 
It was not random which Vessel got which Shard; some chose Shards that they were particularly Connected with, while others chose Shards that they believed they could control well. It is possible for Adonalsium to have Shattered into different Shards than the Shards currently in existence.
Following the Shattering, the Vessels spread across the Cosmere, Investing into various planets, with Ruin and Preservation themselves creating the planet of Scadrial.
Various Shards fought amongst themselves for various reasons, leading to the death of Vessels and Splintering of the Shards. In particular, this applies to Devotion, Dominion, Honor, and Ambition. All of these Splinterings had strong and lasting effects upon the planets they were Invested within, and are also largely the result of Odium having gone to kill every Shard he could. Ruin and Preservation were also later fused into one Vessel after the death of their previous holders, creating the hybrid Shard, Harmony. Honor and Odium were also later fused into one Vessel creating the hybrid Shard, Retribution.
=== Reasoning ===
The reasoning for the Shattering differs between each individual involved.
* Koravellium Avast participated in the Shattering due to the belief that one god could not supply the needs of everyone, thus necessitating the existence of a plethora of deities to truly meet everyone's needs.
* Tanavast believed that the Shattering was for Adonalsium's own good.
== Notes ==
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