Ashyn

Ashyn, formerly known as Alaswha, is an inhabited planet in the Rosharan system and the first planet from Roshar's sun.
== Geography and Ecology ==
In the past, Ashyn was much like the non-fain parts of Yolen, with animals such as birds and horses, and plants like grapes. Although it is not known what the ecology of Ashyn was precisely like, it likely closely resembled the Shinovar region on Roshar, as the plants and animals there are ones brought by the original refugees. On Roshar, weather patterns are referred to as "seasons", despite not matching seasons in length, cause, or pattern. This presumably indicates that "season" is a linguistic holdover from Ashyn and therefore that Ashyn has seasons, and, by extension, axial tilt.
Ashyn has its own tones which vary from those of Roshar.
An ecological catastrophe in the past has destroyed most of the planet, annihilating its biosphere. In the present day, the planet is mostly barren, with a few fertile patches. There are some reptiles on it. The planet is called "the burning planet" but it is unknown what this means for its geography. The Listener Song of Histories describes Ashyn as "warm", though it is unknown whether this is describing the planet before or after the disaster.
It has been said to have floating stones. It also possessed a geographical feature known as the Central Sea. Its air currents are noted as particularly strange, though the reason for this description is currently unknown.
Due to being closer to the sun than Roshar, it would likely experience shorter years than it (1.1 times the cosmere standard).
Its radius, density, rotational rate, and gravitational acceleration are presently unknown.
Before the Scouring, Ashyn had a large variety of animals, such as minks, rats, pigs, a wide variety of parrots, and domestic dogs.
== History ==
Like the rest of the Rosharan System, Ashyn, then named Alaswha, was designed by Adonalsium. It was eventually settled by humans, some time before the arrival of Shards in the system ten thousand years before the Night of Sorrows. Humanity eventually formed multiple city-states across the planet. 
Rayse had arrived on Alaswha some time after Honor and Cultivation had Invested the planet of Roshar, around two thousand years after the arrival of Honor and Cultivation on Roshar.
=== The Surges ===
Shortly after the shattering, Honor and Cultivation arrived in the system, but ignored Alaswha, instead focusing on Roshar. Around two thousand years after the shattering, Odium arrived on Alaswha and gave power to some of the people there. The Stormfather claims that Odium first tricked Ishar into experimenting with Surges, but it's not clear whether this means that Ishar first received the power of surges, or was encouraged to use them in some novel way when many people had access to them.
Some property of the Invested Arts that the Ashynites adopted significantly slowed their rate of growth and senescence. Not all Ashynites experienced this effect, but those that did were able to experience several decades with little to no physical signs of senescence.
Honor speculated that Odium's actions might have been to build and train an army. An empire had been built by Rayse's favored, which had conquered multiple city-states in the pretext of defense. It is probable that, Zoral, who came to be known as the Voidbringer, led this empire for a period. A conference had been called, promising a short-term reprieve, inviting delegates across the Central Sea to hear its dictates. In this conference, it gave an ultimatum: all who were willing to join their Union were welcome to do so, making a heavily suspect claim that others would be allowed to go free. Jezrien, a leader of a city state, had joined the empire and adopted its ways.
Honor appeared before Nale and his uncle Makibak, a darker skinned people who were planning to build their own coalition, and said that he would grant them powers to resist their shared enemies, if they so desired.
=== The Scouring of Ashyn ===
Escalation in the conflict, and the use of unbound Surges, ultimately led to a calamity and to the destruction of most of the planet after around nine hundred years of conflict. This was at least related to the Surge of Division. The name of the planet was changed following this to Ashyn, in reference to the burning across the planet. Firestorms raged across its surface and the very stones melted in rivers of lava. 
The kingdom Honor raised up had fought bravely, but Nale's uncle, Makibak, comments that, in the end, he led only ghosts. Zoral perished after a time of strife and warfare, and Jezrien became king. Jezrien was willing to make amends and extended the chance to make a new beginning on a new planet to Makibak and Nale. 
The civilizations native to Ashyn attempted to flee, with many managing to migrate to Roshar as refugees around seven thousand one hundred years before the True Desolation, where they were accepted by the local populace. They did this using Elsecalling, amplified by Ishar's bondsmith powers. Odium arrived on Roshar along with them. The memory of Ashyn would have a large effect on Rosharan mythology.
=== After the Scouring ===
Despite the devastation, some patches of Ashyn remained hospitable. The magic on Ashyn changed after the destruction to become illness-based. This worked off a symbiotic relationship between Investiture and bacteria/viruses; by allowing oneself to get infected, one gains magical effects. Among the surviving areas of Ashyn are the famous floating cities which are held afloat due to a special disease. Some on Ashyn remain aware of Roshar's existence.
At some point after the True Desolation, Nomad arrived on Ashyn during his run from the Night Brigade.
== Culture ==
Following the devastation on Ashyn the majority of its population fled to Roshar, the nearest hospitable planet, for refuge. The remainders live on the few habitable pieces of land left on the worlds surface, which includes its famous floating cities.
Before the scouring, they kept domestic dogs as pets.
=== Nations ===
Ashyn, before it's scouring, was dotted with a variety of city-states, similar to those found on Yolen prior to the Shattering. However, around eight thousand years before the Night of Sorrows, Odium backed one city-state and helped it to expand into a large empire. 
=== Legacy ===
The destruction of Ashyn has had a major impact on Rosharan culture being remembered as the Tranquiline Halls and gaining religious significance in Vorinism. Ashyn itself has also remained aware of Roshar's existence however the impact this has had on their culture is unknown. Little can be ascertained as to how Ashyn culture functions, however it is known that due to the way Investiture manifests upon the world, disease is an important aspect of it. In particular the floating cities are held afloat by individuals infected with a disease that causes hearing loss making them essential to the cities continued existence.
== People ==
Ashyn is known to have had a large amount of genetic variety, seen in the phenotypic variety observed between the Heralds, many of whom lived on Ashyn before their exodus.
Various ethnic groups on Ashyn are said to look similar to Rosharan ethnic groups, albeit with some differences that would make them look as if they have mixed ethnic origins to various peoples. For example, Shalash is described as looking like someone of Makabaki and Shin descent. Nale and Makibak were of a darker skinned people that could be mistaken as Rosharan Makabaki people. Individuals such as Jezrien are described as looking akin to an Alethi person, albeit with darker than average skin for an Alethi, and with phenotypically atypical facial features for an individual of that ethnic group.
Despite their comparison to Rosharan ethnic groups, they exhibit various differences, which various individuals describe as being "off" from what is phenotypically typical for said ethnic groups. Many believe that the Heralds have mixed ethnic origins, upon observing them without knowledge of their background.
== Magic ==
Ashyn currently has no Shard, but Cultivation, Honor and Odium have all spent some time there. Like most of the Rosharan system, the planet is 10-centric.
=== The Surges ===
Before the scouring of Ashyn, Honor and Odium had both granted the people there power over the Surges. This magic was far more powerful than the powers granted to the Singers on Roshar at the time. After humans arrived on Roshar, Cultivation, Honor and Odium agreed limitations on the powers that they granted to mortals that would prevent the Surges on Roshar being as dangerous. Despite its name, however, this may have been a magic system only similar to the surges used on Roshar.
=== Current magic ===
The magic of Ashyn is disease-based. As the bacteria and viruses there seek to keep their hosts alive, they provide them with access to supernatural abilities, which differ depending on the disease. The Ashynites harness this by lowering their immune systems and deliberately infecting themselves to gain various powers.
Very little is known about the specific forms of magic granted by the illnesses, though a few have been described. The most important from the survival standpoint causes hearing loss while allowing its host to manipulate gravity. As such, it's crucial to the functioning of Ashyn's flying cities, which are kept aloft by conclaves of people infected with it. Other abilities granted by diseases include flight or passing through walls. The ability lasts as long as the person is infected by the disease, and disappears when their immune system overcomes it. 
Ashyn's magic system was not sickness-based from the start. The original magic, which brought about the cataclysm, wasn't exactly like Surgebinding, but shared the same basic principles. It might've also been related to Roshar's Old Magic. The Eila Stele mentions humans using the powers of spren and Surges, suggesting that the shift to bacteria and viruses as the focus of Ashynite magic might've happened some time after most people have already evacuated from the planet.
The symbiotic relationship between the bacteria and their hosts is similar to that of the Aviars and the worms that grant them powers from First of the Sun, albeit here the humans interact with the magic-granting microorganisms directly rather than through intermediaries.
== Development ==
The earliest reference to Ashyn, though not under that name, can be found in Brandon's blog post from March 10, 2006. Back then, he considered it the sillier of his two ideas for magic disease stories, the more serious of which would involve a doctor combating an illness with various magical effects on its victims. The "silly" story would later be developed into The Silence Divine, though for now, only an early version of the first chapter exists in public (it can be found here). There, several aspects of Ashyn have been established, though their current canonicity is debatable.
In the story, Ashynites do not have fabrials, but appear to have discovered gunpowder, as some are mentioned carrying flintlock pistols. Abilities granted by diseases include prophecy and changing the color of liquids, and are accompanied by sometimes-dangerous side effects, such as physical weakness, hallucinations, and deadly fevers. Occasionally, there are some symptoms left behind after the disease is over, called Echoes, which take some time to fade or don't disappear at all. People who carry the diseases are called Incubators.
== Trivia ==
* All of the Heralds except Taln came from Ashyn, and were presumably born there.
* Sometime before his arrival on Canticle, Nomad had visited one of the flying cities on Ashyn.
== Notes ==
 
es:Ashyn