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The Shard of Odium is even harder to control than [[Ruin]].{{wob ref|15172}} The word "odium" means being subjected to hatred and contempt as a result of a despicable act.{{url ref|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odium|text=Definition of Odium|site=Merriam-Webster Dictionary}} However, interpretation of the Shard's intent is not as simple. [[Frost]] claims a straightforward definition: that it is God's own divine hatred.{{epigraph ref|sa2|71}} Rayse himself, however, claims that he's Passion, a Shard of emotions, in particular excessive emotions.{{book ref|sa3|57}}{{wob ref|15736}} Upon Ascension, Taravangian grappled with the vicious urge to destroy and burn.{{book ref|sa4|114}} Many of his [[splinter]]s, the [[Unmade]] compel people to give in to powerful sensations - [[Ashertmarn]] compels people to revel mindlessly, and [[Nergaoul]] inspires exultation in battle.{{book ref|sa3|84}}{{book ref|sa3|115}} On the other hand, the overwhelming amount of emotions inspired by Odium are hateful, among them the aforementioned [[Thrill]] and the [[Singer#Rhythms|Rhythms]] of Odium-derived [[singer]] forms.{{book ref|sa2|i|11}} Moreover, Odium's influence sometimes promotes apathy rather than passion, as his followers are encouraged to give up their pain and sense of guilt.{{book ref|sa3|78}}{{book ref|sa3|118}}
Odium likes questions and arguments, which conflicts with Rayse's own hatred of being questioned.{{book ref|sa4|i|2}}
{{sidequote
At some point after Ascending, Odium went after one of his fellow Shards, [[Ambition]], as he felt most threatened by her intent. However, before he could find her, he located two other Shards, [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]], in the [[Selish system]].{{wob ref|1550}} Because they had settled together, Odium attacked them since he could argue that they were breaking the agreement the Vessels made about not being in the same system as another Shard.{{wob ref|8358}} Through means unknown, Odium killed and [[Splinter]]ed them both.{{book ref|sa1|22}}{{wob ref|2614}}{{au ref|Sel}} To prevent their remaining power from gaining intelligence of its own, he then pulled them out of the [[Spiritual Realm]] and into the [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]], creating the [[Dor]] and causing [[Sel]]'s magic systems to become location-dependent.{{wob ref|1473}} He wasn't very experienced at the time, and his countermeasure failed as the Dor did, indeed, begin to gain a measure of sentience.{{au ref|Sel}}{{wob ref|9616}}
After creating the Dor, Odium went on to the [[Threnodite system]], where he found and attacked his initial target, Ambition. During the fight, Ambition was dealt a grievous wound, and chunks of her power were flung across the system.{{au ref|Threnody}} Ambition managed to flee the system,{{au ref|Threnody}} but was still Splintered in a fight with Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} The Shard [[Mercy]] was also involved in at least one battle with Ambition and Odium.{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} These clashes resulted in a wound in the Spiritual Realm{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}} and had "disturbing" effects that "twisted" the planet [[Threnody]] and its inhabitants.{{epigraph ref|sa4|27}}{{au ref|Threnody}}
Although Odium was successful in these initial conflicts, he was weakened and severely wounded by them.{{book ref|sa3|16}}{{book ref|sa4|114}}{{wob ref|16584}}
==== Battle with Honor ====
{{quote
|No. No, we killed you. WE KILLED YOU !
|Odium upon seeing [[Honor's Perpendicularity]]{{book ref|sa3|119}}
}}
Odium decided to lead his forces on [[Thaylen City]] personally, although he didn't intend to use the plain [[singer]]s in battle. He first sent a pair of [[thunderclast]]s, one to destroy the city walls, and the other to get to the [[Thaylen Gemstone Reserve]], along with [[Fused]] to ensure that the [[King's Drop]] wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. Then, Odium used [[Nergaoul]] and the Alethi dependence on the [[Thrill]] to possess the [[Sadeas princedom]] forces in the city and make them turn against their own allies.{{book ref|sa3|115}}{{book ref|sa3|116}}
{{for|Taravangian#History|the history of Odium's second Vessel prior to his Ascension}}
Later that day, Taravangian managed to get Szeth and Rayse to come to him at the same time. When Rayse pulled him into a vision, Taravangian grabbed [[Nightblood]]'s Cognitive aspect and stabbed Rayse with it, killing him. While he had been doing this, Szeth had stabbed him with his belt knife, but just as he died, Taravangian Ascended to become Odium.{{book ref|sa4|113}} His previous [[Old Magic]] afflictions seemed to vanish as soon as he Ascended, giving him both emotion and intelligence in far greater amounts and he possessed all the power of the Shard. Taravangian realized that Rayse had been sliding towards oblivion for a very long time, as he had been severely weakened by his previous battles, especially against [[Honor]]; Rayse had been enslaved by the power he wielded.{{book ref|sa4|114}} Rayse's body appeared in the place of Taravangian's, although it was so damaged by Nightblood that Szeth was unable to tell the difference.
Some time later, when [[Hoid]] was walking the hallways in Elhokar's palace, Taravangian confronted him. When he asked Hoid what he would have done in Taravangian's place, Hoid realized that there was a new Vessel, and was unable to hide his terror. Taravangian then tampered with the Breaths that Wit was using to contain his memories, and retried the whole encounter, this time pretending to be Rayse much more effectively.{{book ref|sa4|epilogue}}
== Influence ==
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