User:LiftedStarfish/sandbox

The Cosmere, is an epic fantasy media franchise and setting created by Brandon Sanderson, and the setting for most of his work. It spans multiple star systems, and each planet has one or more detailed magic systems. There is a recurring character which has appeared in most Cosmere works named Hoid, who is based on Sanderson's initial inspiration for The Cosmere, where he imagined that there was a consistent character who would appear in all of his favorite works of fantasy fiction.

Works that take place in The Cosmere include The Stormlight Archive, Mistborn, Elantris, The Emperor's Soul, Warbreaker, and White Sand.

Premise
The Cosmere's shared creation myth revolves around an entity named Adonalsium, whose nature is not entirely known. Adonalsium was broken into sixteen Shards during an event called the Shattering of Adonalsium. Some of those responsible for the Shattering each 'picked up' a Shard, Ascending to essential godhood, and became that Shard's Vessel.

After picking up the Shards, the Vessels made a pact not to intervene with one another, and they went their own ways. Some Vessels, however, did not hold to the pact, choosing to join others, or even killing other Vessels, leaving the their Shard without one.

Shards
Shards of Adonalsium, more commonly referred to more simply as Shards, are sixteen pieces of Adonalsium that came from The Shattering of Adonalsium. Each Shard can inhabit a person, who is then called a Vessel. Each Vessel is named after the core concept which that Shard represents. This concept which the Shard represents is sometimes referred to as the Shard's Intent, and the more general concept of a Shard having Intent is called Shardic Intent.

Realmatic Theory
The Cosmere is divided into three Realms, those being Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual. Shards, Vessels, and Investiture mostly exist in the Spiritual Realm. Some Vessels actually cannot interact directly with those in the Physical Realm, needing to act through proxies, speaking into their minds via special means. The Vessel of Ruin, for example, could only see alter information that wasn't physically imprinted in metal, including memories which a Feruchemist had stored in a Coppermind, and could speak into the minds of those who were impaled or otherwise pierced by a Hemalurgical Spike.

Investiture
All magic systems require Investiture as a source of power or fuel. Most investiture is attuned to a specific Shard's intent. In universe, anything which requires Investiture is referred to by Cosmere Aware scholars as Invested Arts.

There also exists Anti-Investiture, which when brought into contact with its matching form of standard investiture, will annihilate with it.