Unmade

The Unmade are a mysterious group of odious spren on Roshar. Religion and lore speak of them vaguely at best, tending to simplistically conflate them into a single evil entity. While they are traditionally depicted as personifications of destruction, they are also shown to be individuals. Nevertheless, they have been confirmed to be Splinters of Odium. Odium splintered himself and created the Unmade to be his influence on Roshar. It is through the Unmade that Odium may be able to influence people in how they think or act.

The Unmade are, collectively, on the same level as the Nightwatcher and Stormfather. They are, individually, responsible for the Thrill and death rattles.

It has been confirmed that the Unmade can be bonded, as is evidenced by Aesudan's bond with Yelig-nar. In her commentary in the following epigraph from The Way of Kings, it can be seen that Jasnah once believed the Unmade to be fabrications of folklore:

“	Yelig-nar, called Blightwind, was one that could speak like a man, though often his voice was accompanied by the wails of those he consumed.	”
–The Unmade were obviously fabrications of folklore. Curiously, most were not considered individuals, but instead personifications of kinds of destruction. This quote is from Traxil, line 33, considered a primary source, though I doubt its authenticity.

According to Hessi, each of the Unmade has a dozen names, and the powers ascribed to them range from the fanciful to the terrifying.

Known Unmade

One confirmed member of this group is Yelig-nar, or Blightwind. He was referenced in one of Dalinar's visions, when he met with Nohadon. (Yelig-nar had broken into Nohadon's chancery and slaughtered all of Nohadon's wordsmen.)

Another member is Moelach, who is relative to the Death Rattles which augment the Diagram of Taravangian's devise.

Nergaoul is an Unmade who drives forces into a battle rage and is connected to the Thrill.

Also known as the Heart of the Revel, Ashertmarn is an inky black, massive, inhumanly shaped heart that grows veins from the ground. Ashertmarn's influence includes incredible indulgence, which eventually leads to mindless excess. Ashertmarn was last seen in Kholinar protecting its Oathgate. It eventually fled after it interacted with Shallan.

Yet another is Ba-Ado-Mishram, who has been described as being connected to the Parshendi, providing Voidlight, and facilitating forms of power.

Sja-anat, or The Taker of Secrets, is an entity which, once it touches another spren, that spren acts strangely; it doesn't act like it should. Glys has been corrupted by Sja-anat.^{[citation needed]}

The source of the dark aura in Urithiru is due to the presence of Re-Shepir. Also known as the Midnight Mother, Re-Shepir appears as an inky specter encountered by Shallan, Adolin, Renarin, and a few members of Bridge Four in the bowels of Urithiru.

Dai-gonarthis is suspected to be yet another Unmade.

Name Origins

The names of two of the Unmade (i.e., Ba-Ado-Mishram and Yelig-Nar) are actually, according to Brandon, Lovecraftian in nature. (Dagon also appears in Lovecraft’s writings.)

The image herein translates some names in Hebrew as well as in English.

Numbers

Shallan's Sketchbook: Horses
Drawing by Ben McSweeney

While the number of the Unmade is fixed, that number is not ten.

In Oathbringer, Dalinar speaks of the Midnight Mother being in the tower at Urithiru and wonders if the other eight Unmade are somewhere nearby.^{[citation needed]} (This occurs during his vision to meet with the queen of Thaylenah.)

Knowing now that there are nine Unmade might also explain the nine shadows for Odium's champion.

Notes

In Words of Radiance, upon learning of an animal that speaks, young Shallan declares, "A Voidbringer!" "You'll bring the eyes of the Unmade upon us." The merchant to whom she is speaking responds, "These things live all over Shinovar, young lady. If their speech drew the Unmade, the entire country would be cursed!"

Brandon has said that it's possible that Unmade influence and existence would extend beyond Roshar.

Q&A with Brandon

Q. Are the Unmade and the Stormfather the same "class" of being?

A. Technically no, but they are on a similar level. It is a good analogy.

(Brandon has indicated that the Stormfather is a bit above both the Nightwatcher and Cusicesh the Protector.)

Q. The last Unmade, the one that's hypothesized to [be] Dai-Gonarthis. It looks suspiciously to me like Cusicesh, because of the feeling of being drained, because it's a large spren ... . Is there something to that or is the feeling just because Cusicesh is a large spren?

A. I'm gonna RAFO.