Editing Sja-anat

{{character
|image=Sja-anat by Anya.jpg
|abilities={{tag+|Splinter}} of [[Odium]]
|groups={{tag|Unmade}}
|species=Spren
|titles=Taker of Secrets
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|first appeared=[[Oathbringer]]
}}
{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|Of the Unmade, Sja-anat was most feared by the [[Knights Radiant|Radiants]]. They spoke extensively of her ability to corrupt spren, though only "lesser" spren—whatever that means.
|From [[Hessi]]’s ''[[Mythica]]'', page 89{{epigraph ref|sa3|97}}
}}
'''Sja-anat''' is one of the [[Unmade]],{{book ref|sa3|77}} an ancient and terrible [[spren]] of [[Odium]].{{book ref|sa3|62}} Also known as the '''Taker of Secrets''',{{book ref|sa3|77}} Sja-anat is one of the sapient Unmade, fully self-aware and responsible for her own actions.{{book ref|sa3|98}} Sja-anat is capable of corrupting spren with Odium's Investiture.{{book ref|sa3|77}} Sja-anat has expressed interest in freeing herself from Odium's influence entirely and defecting from his forces.{{book ref|sa3|84}}

== Appearance and Personality ==
{{for|/Gallery|more images}}
{{image|Sja-anat Chapters.svg|side=left|width=150px}}
{{quote
|Lore suggested leaving a city if the spren there start acting strangely. Curiously, Sja-anat was often regarded as an individual, when others—like [[Moelach]] or [[Ashertmarn]]—were seen as forces.
|From [[Hessi]]’s ''[[Mythica]]'', page 90{{epigraph ref|sa3|98}}
}}
Sja-anat takes the form of a woman with waist-length black hair, wearing a sleeveless, flowing tunic with a simple belt at the waist.{{book ref|sa3|84}} She can also appear as the shadow of a woman with long, flowing hair and white holes for eyes{{book ref|sa4|i|12}}. Other times, she looks human but with the white holes for eyes of the shadow.{{book ref|sa3|85}} So far, she has only been shown to be visible in mirrors, and only to the person she wishes to appear to.{{book ref|sa3|85}} When human-like, the rest of the reflection is otherwise as normal, but when she fades into her shadowy variant, the rest of the reflection fades away as well.{{book ref|sa3|63}}{{book ref|sa3|84}}

It is noted that Sja-anat wants to be a god in her own right.{{book ref|sa4|i|2}} She is very deceptive, able to successfully trick Odium and aid the Radiants behind Odium's back,{{book ref|sa3|97}} as well as deceive him on her personal objectives, such as successfully sending an Enlightened true spren to Mraize by hiding them in a group of Enlightened windspren.{{book ref|sa4|i|2}} She is also independent and earnest; she does not want to be Odium's servant anymore and desperately wants Shallan to believe that she has defected from Odium.{{book ref|sa3|84}} Sja-anat also cares for her children, the spren that she has corrupted, and wants to find them a home, one that she would be able to share.{{book ref|sa3|85}}{{book ref|sa4|i|2}}

== Attributes and Abilities ==
{{image|Sja-Anat's Knights by rspixart.jpg|side=right|width=200px|Sja-anat overseeing people who've bonded her corrupted spren}}
{{quote
|Keep your eyes open. Once Sja-anat touches a spren, it acts strange. Call attention to anything you see.
|[[Dalinar's visions]]{{book ref|sa2|4}}
}}

=== Corruption ===
Sja-anat's touch has the ability to corrupt spren that she comes into contact with.{{book ref|sa3|77}} Sja-anat refers to this process as '''Enlightening'''.{{book ref|sa3|97}} Spren affected by Sja-anat begin to carry the taint of [[Odium]],{{book ref|sa3|116}} and in rare cases can even grant abilities associated with Odium's power,{{book ref|sa3|118}}{{book ref|sa4|54}} though the extent of his influence on the affected spren is unknown. Corrupted spren take on noticeably different appearances, typically changed in coloration and shape but still strongly connected to their original form.{{book ref|sa3|62}} Other times the resemblance of an Enlightened spren to its previous appearance is much more tenuous, notably in the case of an Enlightened mistspren which is changed from appearing as a sparkle of reflected light{{book ref|sa3|53}} to a more crystalline form that is structured like a shimmering red snowflake.{{book ref|sa3|115}}

The lesser spren that Sja-anat corrupts are capable of serving as her spies{{book ref|sa2|4}} or delivering messages for her.{{book ref|sa3|97}} Messages sent from Sja-anat are spoken by the corrupted spren in Sja-anat's voice into the mind of the person to which they are sent. Sja-anat refers to the corrupted spren as her children.{{book ref|sa3|85}}{{book ref|sa4|I|2}} 

In the past Sja-anat often corrupted lesser spren,{{book ref|sa3|77}}{{book ref|sa2|4}} but she has now displayed the ability to corrupt true spren,{{book ref|sa3|117}} such as spren capable of forming a Nahel bond like Glys, and the spren of the [[Oathgate]].{{book ref|sa3|97}} However, she does not usually Enlighten true spren without their consent.{{book ref|sa4|54}} 

Enlightening has "dire ramifications" for existing Nahel Bonds, so Sja-Anat usually Enlightens unbonded spren.{{wob ref|15125}} Corrupted spren do not appear to be particularly dangerous, so it is unknown what impact Odium's influence has on the spren aside from their appearance. They work similarly to uncorrupted spren in [[fabrial]]s, although they were unaffected by the [[Sibling]]'s [[suppression fabrial]] when its effect was inverted.{{book ref|sa4|61}}

=== Realmatics ===
Sja-anat exists between the Physical and Cognitive Realms, such that she experiences both simultaneously, but also such that both appear shadowy to her.{{book ref|sa4|i|2}} She can only be seen in the Physical Realm through reflected light, such as in a mirror, though it is possible to catch fleeting glimpses in the shadows without a mirror.{{book ref|sa3|85}}{{book ref|sa4|i|2}}{{book ref|sa3|67}}

== History ==
{{image|The_Taker_of_Secrets.jpg|side=left|width=250px}}
=== Ancient History ===
Sja-anat's origin is unknown; thus it is uncertain when she came into being. She was involved in the past [[Desolation]]s,{{book ref|sa3|77}}  with her corrupted spren serving as spies on mankind.{{book ref|sa2|4}} In the past when her corrupted spren were seen in a village, the people often fled their homes.{{book ref|sa3|77}} Sja-anat herself was the Unmade most feared by the Radiants.{{epigraph ref|sa3|97}} 

After [[Aharietiam]], Sja-anat remained on Roshar, although none of her corrupted spren are known to have been sighted since the Final Desolation. In the time after [[Aharietiam]] she mostly slumbered, as it was difficult for her to think without her bond to Odium.{{book ref|sa4|i|2}} At some point Sja-anat corrupted the true spren [[Glys]].{{book ref|sa3|117}}

=== The Gathering Storm ===
Once the [[Everstorm]] appeared in [[Shadesmar]], centuries prior to the [[True Desolation]],{{book ref|sa4|73}}{{book ref|sa4|75}} Sja-anat found herself revitalized, able to think and plan once again.{{book ref|sa4|i|2}}

=== The True Desolation ===
Following the arrival of the Everstorm in the Physical Realm and the beginning of the True Desolation on {{Rosharan date|1173|10|10|3}},{{book ref|sa2|79}} Sja-anat became overtly active the area around [[Kholinar]]. She began corrupting spren in and around the city.{{book ref|sa3|77}} 

During the [[Siege of Kholinar]], as a part of a trap for [[Adolin Kholin]], [[Shallan Davar]], [[Kaladin]], and their spren, Sja-anat was forced to touch the spren of the Kholinar [[Oathgate]] to corrupt it.{{book ref|sa3|84}} When Shallan infiltrated the palace in the guise of a messenger, Sja-anat saw her.{{book ref|sa3|63}} Sja-anat attempted to reach out to Shallan and tell her that she was not her enemy while she danced with the [[Cult of Moments]]{{book ref|sa3|74}} and when she infiltrated the revel on the Oathgate.{{book ref|sa3|78}}

{{sidequote
|Listen, Radiant. Listen to my plea. Ashertmarn fled on purpose. It is a trap. I was compelled to touch the spren of this device, so it will not function as you wish.
|Sja-anat to [[Shallan Davar]]{{book ref|sa3|84}}
|side=right|size=300px
}}

During the assault on the [[Kholinar Palace]], Sja-anat spoke to Shallan and revealed to her that the Oathgate had been corrupted and that she was supposed to kill them if they activated the Oathgate.{{book ref|sa3|84}} When Shallan and her companions decided to activate the Oathgate anyway, Sja-anat promised that she would try not to kill them,{{book ref|sa3|85}} and when the gate was activated they were merely transported to Shadesmar.{{book ref|sa3|87}}

After Shallan and her group were transported in Shadesmar, Sja-anat lied to Odium and told him that corrupting the Oathgate had had an odd effect and that the Radiants had been sent far from the point of transfer.{{book ref|sa3|97}} Despite this lie, Sja-anat believed that Odium still did not trust her. Shortly afterward, Sja-anat sent a corrupted gloryspren to deliver a message to Shallan. It explained the lie that Sja-anat had told Odium, as well as the fact that Odium's servants were pursuing them in Shadesmar. It also revealed that Shallan's deception had worked, and Odium believed her to be an Elsecaller rather than a Lightweaver. At some point the [[Ghostbloods]] became aware of Sja-anat's disloyalty to Odium and sent Shallan orders to either recruit her to their organization or capture her.{{book ref|sa3|122}}

== Trivia ==
* As with many [[Unmade]], Sja-anat's name is derived from that of an ancient real-life deity; in her case, the inspiration is most likely [[wikipedia:Anat|Anat]], a Semitic war goddess.{{17s ref|topic|62476|Unmade Name Linguistic Origins|date=2017-11-16}}

== Notes ==
<references />
{{partial}}
{{demoted|sa4}}
{{Stormlight}}
[[Category: Viewpoint characters]]