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(→Biology and Appearance: Minor expansion, more formal language. The foramen magnum comment can be deduced from the art, bipedal nature, and the lack of any mention of their heads sitting on their body strangely. Thus we can safely assume that it is in a location similar to homo sapiens.) |
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The '''singers''' are
They are descended from the ancient [[Dawnsingers]] who first inhabited ancient Roshar before the [[Shattering of Adonalsium]], first emerging upon their creation around ten-thousand years prior to the [[True Desolation]].{{wob ref|1723}}{{book ref|sa3|111}} The level of biological similarity they have with their ancestors is unclear.
Singers predate the humans as inhabitants of Roshar.{{book ref|sa3|111}} Around the time of the [[Recreance]],{{epigraph ref|sa3|81}} many of the singers had their [[Connection]] and [[Identity]] stolen, pieces of their souls ripped away.{{book ref|sa3|17}} This made those singers docile and subservient, which humans called parshmen and
== Etymology and definition ==
''Singer'' and ''listener'' are the translations of what the singers call themselves in their own respective languages, [[Dawnchant]] and ''Listener'', both in the Dawnate language family.{{wob ref|3977}} ''Singer'' technically does not refer to the entire species, with the species name being currently unknown.{{wob ref|11846}}{{wob ref|15134}} ''Listener'' refers specifically to the singers which, at some point prior to the [[Recreance]], turned away from Odium and abandoned their [[Regal]] forms and chose to settle on the [[Shattered Plains]].{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
Etymologically, ''Singer'' refers to their singing of the Rhythms of Roshar,{{cite}} and is likely derived from ''Dawnsinger''.
== Evolution ==
Singers did not evolve naturally, but were instead intentionally created by [[Adonalsium]] some time prior to its Shattering.{{wob ref|12266}} It is unknown how much modern singers differ from their distant ancestors.
They were created as an essential part of the Rosharan ecosystem, to what effect is unknown.{{wob ref|1723}} They were also intentionally made to be able to breed with humans.{{wob ref|9235}}
== Biology and Appearance ==
{{image|Call to Adventure - Willshaper.png|side=right|width=250px|A femalen singer}}
Singers are humanoid, but not entirely similar to ''Homo sapiens'', differing in various notable aspects.
Singers are humanoid, but not entirely similar to ''Homo sapiens''. The most apparent sign of their non-human nature is the epidermis; it is covered in marblings, swirls of various colors - red, black or white.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Most singers have dichromatic epidermides, either red-black or red-white; these marblings can manifest in various way, both as delicate swirls and large, wind-swept patterns.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}{{book ref|sa3|116}} There are singers whose skin is trichromatic, but they are extremely rare relative to the dichromatic phenotype.{{book ref|sa3|54}}{{book ref|sa4|45}} The color whitening at the edges is a sign of age and senescence.{{book ref|sa4|62}} Their hair is typically orange or red -- colors that don't seem to naturally occur for Rosharan humans.{{wob ref|5782}}{{book ref|sa3|109}} There is a relationship between the color of singer hair and their individual marbling colors.{{wob ref|14827}}▼
They are bipedal, and posses a foramen magnum at the base of the skull; they also have a large intracranial space, comparable to ''Homo sapiens''. This, alongside a presumably well-developed cerebrum, gives them a high cognitive capacity. It is unclear how prominent of a supraorbital ridge they possess, if any. They have a protruding nasus very similar to that of humans.▼
They have greater resistance to cold temperatures than humans.{{book ref|sa4|102}}▼
=== Aging and Senescence ===
Apart from their polychromatic skin, singers have other features that differentiate them from humans. They grow at a faster rate than humans and have slightly shorter average lifespans.{{wob ref|13401}}{{book ref|sa4|83}} In the [[listener]]s' culture, [[Venli]] started to learn about singing as a keeper of songs at age three and is considered adult at age ten.{{book ref|sa4|83}}
Their epidermal marbling whitening at the edges is a sign of age and senescence.{{book ref|sa4|62}} Furthermore, elderly singers can experience cognitive decline, memory loss, and difficulty developing new memories.{{cite}} Dullform experiences rapid degradation in mental faculties as one ages, Singer children are born in dullform, and do not experience the normal cognitive impairments of dullform in adult singers. By around seven or eight Rosharan years, cognitive decline begins to manifest, forcing young singers to take on a different form.{{book ref|sa4|68}}{{wob ref|14067}}
▲They are bipedal, and posses a foramen magnum at the base of the skull; they also have a large intracranial space, comparable to ''Homo sapiens''. This, alongside a presumably well-developed cerebrum, gives them a high cognitive capacity.
=== Carapace ===
Their bodies have carapace growing over some parts of them; where and how much depends on what form the singer is currently in, but they typically cover the cranium and the upper extremities.{{book ref|sa3|55}} Their carapace is held on to their body by a series of blue ligaments, suggesting the lack of an epidermis under their carapace.{{book ref|sa1|59}}▼
▲Their bodies have red-orange carapace growing over
The amount of carapace and where it forms is dependent on the form the singer is in, for example, in warform it manifests as armor-like plating across the entire body; this carapace armor is designed not only to grant greater protection to the singer, but also to trap air and push it up underneath to cool them.{{book ref|sa4|81}} On the other hand, nimbleform entirely lacks carapace.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
Like many local species in the Rosharan biosphere, singers possess [[gemheart]]s, though theirs have a cloudy white coloration, and are fused to their sternum.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}} Those gemhearts allow them to bond with [[spren]], letting them change their '''forms''', leading to a change in both appearance and some mental faculty.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Due to their gemhearts, singers do not leak [[Lights]] like humans do.{{book ref|sa4|31}}▼
=== Circulatory System ===
Singers can drink crem without getting sick.{{wob ref|11570}}▼
Singers have orange blood.{{book ref|sa3|38}} They possess a heart which pumps blood through their body in a closed circulatory system.{{book ref|sa3|111}}{{wob ref|15302}}{{cite}}
=== Endoskeleton ===
▲They have greater resistance to cold temperatures than humans.{{book ref|sa4|102}}
Their endoskeletons are made up of red-coloured bones.{{cite}} They are known to possess a sternum, which is fused with their gemheart.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}} Within the bone is a white marrow-like substance.{{wob ref|9353}}
===
▲
Despite these biological differences, singers are like humans in many [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] aspects. Like humans, they can receive boons and curses from the [[Nightwatcher]].{{wob ref|1378}} They can also bond [[spren]] to attain [[Knights Radiant|Radiant]] powers, though most spren are unwilling to reach out for such a bond.{{book ref|sa3|120}} Singers can see the reality of the spren more closely than a human.{{book ref|sa4|48}} ▼
=== Extremities ===
They possess four limbs, made up of two upper and two lower extremities. Their upper extremities end with five-digit hands, and their lower extremities end with five-digit feet.
=== Gemhearts ===
▲Like many local species in the Rosharan biosphere, singers possess [[gemheart]]s, though theirs have a cloudy white coloration, and are fused to and grown into their sternum.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}{{wob ref|9353}} Those gemhearts allow them to bond with [[spren]], letting them change their '''forms''', leading to a change in both appearance and some mental faculty.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Due to their gemhearts, singers do not leak [[Lights]] like humans do.{{book ref|sa4|31}}
The gemheart forms due to the internal chemical workings of the body, which uses the nutrients and chemicals present in crem in order to form the gemheart.{{wob ref|756}}{{wob ref|13335}}
=== Height ===
Due to Roshar's relatively low gravity, they are relatively tall compared to humans from other planets, averaging at over six feet (1.83 metres).{{cite}} Their height varies between forms, with forms such as Warform being taller and bulkier than other forms,{{book ref|sa3|37}}{{book ref|sa4|68}} and with envoyform being even taller than warform and Alethi humans.{{book ref|sa3|37}}{{book ref|sa4|68}}{{book ref|sa4|31}}{{book ref|sa3|109}}{{book ref|sa4|11}}{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}
=== Mandible and Molar Structure ===
Their teeth are built differently than human teeth; their back molars allow them to chew through shells, their dental formula is unknown, but is likely divergent from the dental formula of ''homo sapiens''.{{wob ref|2778}}{{wob ref|5782}} Their ability to crush shells is further assisted by a divergent mandible structure, with several bones not present in human mandibles, situated near the back of the structure.{{wob ref|3922}}
=== Metabolism and Diet ===
Their metabolism is geared towards metabolizing shells, which their jaw structure helps them to crush, allowing them to make better use of the local fauna.{{wob ref|2778}}
▲Singers can drink crem without getting sick.{{wob ref|11570}}
=== Ocular Structure ===
They have two eyes set in orbital cavities.{{cite}}<!--- Add the figure art for Kaladin with the skeletal armor once uploaded---> They are divergent from the eyes of ''homo sapiens'' - with black sclerae and no visible iris, giving them an all-black appearance.{{book ref|sa1|53}}
=== Sexes and reproduction ===
Singers possess four distinct sexes; male and female, which are capable of reproduction, and their neutered variants, '''malen''' and '''femalen'''.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Singers' sex will change from between male and malen, or female and femalen, as they change forms; the vast majority of forms are either malen or femalen. As such, most singers are asexual the vast majority of the time.{{wob ref|3400}}{{wob ref|3388}} Singers usually identify as one of those four genders as well, though some identify with a non-
Singers cannot switch between male and female or malen and femalen by biological means, though it is possible to do so through Invested means.{{cite}} Their sex-determination system is unknown, and following from the inability to switch between male and female, ultimately decides between two sexes, despite their tetramorphism.{{wob ref|3922}}{{wob ref|5782}}
==== Interspecies Breeding and Introgression ====
Despite
They do not share a common ancestor, though can interbreed due to the similar intent behind their creation.{{wob ref|3922}}{{wob ref|9235}}
==== Sexual Tetramorphism ====
Sexual tetramorphism is minimal in asexual forms, enough so that it is easy to misidentify the sex of a singer.{{cite}} The presence of facial hair on male and malen singers is one mark of sexual dimorphism present in malen and femalen forms.{{cite}} Female individuals, particularly those in mateform, have prominent breasts which are less notable in femalen individuals.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}
=== Spiritual Aspects ===
▲Despite these biological differences, singers are like humans in many [[Spiritual Realm|Spiritual]] aspects. Like humans, they can receive boons and curses from the [[Nightwatcher]].{{wob ref|1378}} They can also bond [[spren]] to attain [[Knights Radiant|Radiant]] powers, though most spren are unwilling to reach out for such a bond.{{book ref|sa3|120}} Singers can see the reality of the spren more closely than a human.{{book ref|sa4|48}}
▲Despite those differences, singers and humans are capable of cross-breeding; the [[Herdazian]]s and [[Unkalaki]] are notable examples of human ethnicities with singer ancestry. This ancestry is the source of the Herdazians' stone-like nails as well as the Unkalaki's shell-chewing teeth and red hair.{{wob ref|3922}}{{wob ref|5782}} As a result of their singer ancestry, Herdazians and Unkalaki are also more likely to identify as asexual.{{wob ref|3400}} It's unknown whether there are currently any people with both human and singer ancestry who identify as singers.
== Forms ==
=== Known common forms ===
These forms are mentioned in the listener [[Song of Listing]]. After the [[Recreance]] and before the [[True Desolation]], when the only singers who could think clearly were the [[listener]]s, the listeners only discovered five forms: dullform, mateform, warform, workform, and nimbleform. When the [[Everstorm]] arrived and healed the other singers, singers held these forms and other common forms the listeners could not reproduce, such as artform and scholarform, and had a "dozen" options.{{book ref|sa3|I|7}}
====Dullform====
== History ==
=== Creation ===
The singers predate the arrival of humans on Roshar, having been created by Adonalsium as part of the planet's natural ecosystem.{{wob ref|1723}}
=== The Dawnsingers ===
{{quote
|From the [[Eila Stele]]{{book ref|sa3|111}}
}}
▲The singers predate the arrival of humans on Roshar, having been created as part of the planet's natural ecosystem.{{wob ref|1723}} After the [[Expulsion]], in which mankind accidentally destroyed their homeworld, [[Ashyn]], the ancient singers were ordered by their gods [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]] to help the human refugees who arrived on their planet. These ancient singers were known as the Dawnsingers.{{book ref|sa3|111}} Initially, the two species interacted peaceably, with some singers and humans even intermingling, creating [[Herdazian]]s and the [[Unkalaki]].{{wob ref|5262}}
However, mankind's arrival also brought [[Odium]], and conflict soon began. Humans, originally granted only the land of [[Shinovar]], sought to expand, causing the conflict that would eventually come to be known as the [[First Desolation]]. During that time, the singers came to call humans "Voidbringers", as humans cannot hear the rhythms. In that conflict, [[spren]] eventually came to side with humans, leading to a sense of deep betrayal in the singers.{{book ref|sa3|111}} It seems that the singers did something that caused the spren to turn on them.{{wob ref|5653}}{{book ref|sa4|87}}
The listeners lived on in the [[Shattered Plains]] for the next few millennia, forming a number of tribes settled in the craters around the western edge of the Plains. Eventually, they made contact with the Alethi and, through diplomatic efforts, forged a treaty. However, on the night the treaty was to be signed, the listener [[Eshonai]] learned about King [[Gavilar]]'s plans to return the "listener gods" -- the [[Fused]] -- to Roshar. Fearing the consequences, the listeners arranged for Gavilar to be assassinated.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} As a result, they were forced to flee, abandoning their homes for the more distant plateau of [[Narak]] right as humans arrived to exact vengeance. Thus began the [[War of Reckoning]].{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
After six years of constant warfare, the listeners, manipulated by one of the [[voidspren]], recovered stormform, one of
=== The new singers ===
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