Adonalsium

Adonalsium, sometimes called just Ado or God, and also known to the Singers as the Origin of Songs is an entity in the cosmere, which is most likely a being, from which all Investiture is derived. It is unknown whether the term Adonalsium is a name or title. Adonalsium is generally regarded as a God, responsible for the creation of the cosmere, and it is sometimes referred to as the "power of creation." In a pivotal moment in the history of the cosmere, an event known as the Shattering, a group of individuals conspired against and killed Adonalsium. Upon its death the power was broken into sixteen Shards, each of which was seized by an individual present. These Shards each bear an aspect of Adonalsium's nature, divorced from the other aspects which moderated them or gave them context.
== Nature ==
The exact nature of Adonalsium, whether it is more a force of nature or an intelligent being, is unknown, though either interpretation carries a measure of validity. Notions that it could be "killed" that it could "design" things, and choose not to fight suggest the latter, though these understandings could be faulty. It is unclear whether Adonalsium's power reaches beyond the cosmere, or whether Adonalsium could, unlike Shards, wield its power to the fullest extent.
Adonalsium is widely believed to be the creator of the entire cosmere and all life within it. That is, excepting any subsequent creation performed by the Shards, which is typically regarded as a copy of Adonalsium's own designs performed with the remnants of its power. Variations of the phrase "power of creation" typically refer to Adonalsium or the remnants of its power, due to this belief. It is possible that the tendency of Investiture to develop sentience over time is rooted in Adonalsium's own drive to develop life.
All Investiture in the cosmere is associated with Adonalsium. Consequently, all forms of magic are ultimately derived from Adonalsium's power. As far as anyone in the cosmere is aware, there was no predecessor to Adonalsium. While most of the more complex magic systems, such as Allomancy and Surgebinding, were established after the Shattering, some simpler forms of magic, such as highstorms and spren, existed in some form prior to Adonalsium's demise. Furthermore, Adonalsium exercised direct control over the nature and limitations of this magic. Some "fourth law" of Investiture seems to govern Adonalsium and the nature of Investiture.
It is unclear precisely why the power was later divided into sixteen Shards, or why these Shards bear the Intents that they do. Indeed, it is possible that a set of Shards with an alternate set of natures may have been produced, and it may be possible for a different number to have been produced. In any case, the known Shardic Intents give some insight into Adonalsium's nature, as each can generally be regarded as some primal force ascribed with a facet of Adonalsium's own personality, but without the divine compassion to steer it properly, which had been assigned to Devotion. It can be assumed, for example, that Adonalsium had some sense of honor and a desire to cultivate, and that it maintained a balance between its concepts of ruin and preservation. With so many different, often conflicting, aspects to Adonalsium's nature, it may have had difficulty taking certain actions or interfering with the cosmere in particular ways.
Adonalsium presumably possessed the divine abilities that are associated with the Shards, including the ability to look into the future. Furthermore, Adonalsium was capable of fully making use of the Dawnshards, through which it created the cosmere.
Some scholars have theorized that combining every Shard under one Vessel would recreate Adonalsium, while others believe that doing so would destroy the Vessel; it is unclear which of those theories, if either, is correct.
Adonalsium is considered to possess four aspects, however, what these aspects are is currently unknown.
== History ==
=== Pre-Shattering ===
Nobody knows whether Adonalsium's Investiture existed from eternity or whether it came into being--naturally, or by means of some other god. It is also unclear whether Adonalsium's presumed consciousness existed alongside its power from the beginning, or whether it developed as a natural function of Investiture. 
Adonalsium existed before the cosmere and created all things. It did so through the four Dawnshards, primal Commands. Through this, it created the Three Realms that make up known reality. It also created humanity on Yolen at an unknown point.
Around 12,000 to 13,000 years before the True Desolation, Adonalsium created the Rosharan system for specific, yet currently unknown, reasons. Upon Roshar it created the three primeval spren, the Wind, the Stone, and the Night. The ancient Singers worshipped Adonalsium, along with the Wind and Stone, prior to the Shattering and the arrival of Honor and Cultivation.
Nothing is known about any interaction Adonalsium may have had with mortals, beyond its work as a creator. Sapient beings were apparently aware of Adonalsium's existence and power, at least, and some worshiped Adonalsium as a deity. The Wind claims that Adonalsium was a caring god.
At least one plot to destroy Adonalsium failed, though the details of this remain an enigma. 
Eventually, a certain group of individuals also grew to oppose Adonalsium. Their number included humans, dragons, and Sho Del, and their motives were diverse; while some sought power for themselves, others simply believed that Adonalsium presented some manner of threat. Tanavast, who later became Vessel of Honor acted out of a belief that it was for Adonalsium's own good. Whilst Koravellium Avast believed that one god could not rule the cosmere whilst providing what everyone needs, stating that one solution will never work for all. And so, this opposing force developed a mysterious weapon for use against Adonalsium, made out of the four Dawnshards.
=== Shattering of Adonalsium ===
:Main article: The Shattering of Adonalsium
Adonalsium's opposition, or some subset of their number, eventually put their final plan into action on Yolen. The group included Hoid and, likely, Frost, in addition to those who would become the original Vessels of the sixteen Shards. Few details are known concerning what transpired at the Shattering. The Shattering occurred as a single event at which Adonalsium was indeed killed, and consequently its power was divided into sixteen equal portions. This bears some measure of resemblance to the Splintering of Shards. Investiture throughout the cosmere was affected as a result of the Shattering--becoming associated with particular Shards.
Some evidence suggests that the participants influenced the quantity or nature of the Shards which were left behind, but it may be that the result of the Shattering was not entirely expected. It is clear that they did not fully have a plan as to how the power might be divided, as more than sixteen individuals were present and at least one of them, Hoid, refused the offer of a Shard. At least some of the participants in the Shattering regret what occurred--particularly those who did not seize Shards. This may be due to the direct consequences of the Shattering, to the subsequent actions taken by the Shards, or simply to guilt.
According to Tanavast, towards the end of the confrontation, 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.
The weapon intended to kill Adonalsium no longer exists in its original form, having been expended, though remnants of it still exist in the Physical Realm and are the source of Hoid's immortality.
The Shattering was accomplished through the use of the four Dawnshards, a process which required both Intent and Command.
=== Legacy ===
The Shattering occurred over 10,000 years before the True Desolation. In the centuries that followed, the Shards settled on other worlds and began using their new power to shape the cosmere. New Invested Arts were developed, and manifestations of Investiture which previously existed were changed in small ways. Certain powers denied to mortals were eventually gifted to them by the Shards with comparatively greater freedom than Adonalsium would have permitted. Prior to the Shattering, while still mortals, the future Vessels had agreed not to interact with each other after they Ascended, though few considered that promise worth keeping once they actually became Shards. Adonalsium's name was eventually forgotten in much of the cosmere, though worldhoppers remember at least some of its history and Shalash appears to revere it still as divinity.
With access to future sight, Adonalsium may have actually anticipated the Shattering. While it apparently took no successful measures to prevent the attack, not even resisting when attacked, it may have laid certain plans in place which are still in effect. It is also possible that a Cognitive Shadow of Adonalsium was left in its place following the Shattering.
Scholars disagree as to whether Adonalsium could be reformed by reuniting the sixteen Shards of its power. Though some theorize this may be possible, others argue that it would not restore that which was "killed." Some think that uniting all sixteen Shards would prove impossible, or that any being attempting to do so would be destroyed. Another possibility is that any entity formed by recombining all sixteen Shards would be unable to act due to conflicts between the sixteen Intents, as Harmony experiences between Preservation and Ruin. Regardless of the possibility, some believe that this should not be attempted for one reason or another.
Echoes of Adonalsium remained on Roshar in the form of the Wind, Stone, and Night—powerful entities it had created along with the planet. After the Shattering, the singers turned from worshiping Adonalsium to worshiping those three entities, before gradually turning to worship Honor after his arrival. Over time, these entities grew weaker. Eventually, the Night left Roshar and Cultivation used some of the Night's essence to create the Nightwatcher as a replacement, Honor created the Stormfather from the Wind, and the two Shards together created the Sibling from the Stone at their request. The Wind and Stone then went almost completely dormant until the days just before the Night of Sorrows, when the Wind began speaking again in order to help protect the spren, after which she again vanished.
== Culture ==
Adonalsium is worshiped by the Threnodites of Canticle. Their faith was brought to them by their first Lodestar, and they believe that that was what brought them to escape the Evil. They believe in its death during the Shattering, but believe that it has plans for the entire cosmere and that everything works in accordance with those plans, and that they could still pray to it for events to happen as they desire. They believe that it blesses people upon death and grants them with heat. They interpret it as a masculine figure.
The people of Dhatri know of Adonalsium, but do not worship it. They believe that the Aethers predate it and exist outside of its power. Much like the people of Canticle, they conceptualize Adonalsium as a masculine figure.
Adonalsium was worshipped by the Singers of Roshar, even millennia after the arrival of Honor and Cultivation. They knew of it as the Origin of Songs, and interpreted it as a gender neutral figure. Some Singers continued to believe that it would return, even long after the Shattering.
== Trivia ==
* Events on Yolen, including the Shattering of Adonalsium, will be addressed in the Dragonsteel series. Dragonsteel is currently planned as a trilogy to be written after The Stormlight Archive is complete.
* Adonalsium is not a dragon.
* Brandon Sanderson developed the concept of Adonalsium and the cosmere while writing Dragonsteel Prime.
* The name Adonalsium is derived from a Hebrew name for God, Adonai (literally, "my master").
* Adonalsium is an anagram of "a mind, a soul." This may or may not be intentional.
* While some might refer to Adonalsium with he/him pronouns, this is not a canonization of what Adonalsium actually is or how it should accurately be referred to. 
* In the original publication of The Hero of Ages, Adonalsium was misspelled as "Adonasium".
* Brandon has once stated it is not far off to consider Adonalsium a sort of Demiurge.
* Brandon has not confirmed or denied if a "Devil" sort of Anti-Adonalsium exists or existed.
== Notes ==
;Footnotes
;References
category: characters
es:Adonalsium