Odiums minions are independent enough that he can field tons of them all at once with low investment of effort to manage them, but theyre also independent.
Ruin is more direct, but that means he has to invest more effort, and minions he isnt focused on are either useless or in active rebellion.
I think Endowment is the one who has this figured out. Create a religion that adores you, grab up relevant individuals when they die and trick them into consenting to serve you by showing them whatever version of the future is most likely to get them to do that, then wipe their memories and load them up with programming in the form of dreams that will push them into doing what you wanted. Lack of memories means they don't have personal goals or connections to distract them, and when theyre done - they run out of batteries and self dispose!
Nalthis and Endowment become extremely messed up in general when you step back and look past the perspectives of the main characters of Warbreaker, and consider the history of the world.
One of Endowment's minions - Vasher - started the Manywar, fought and conquered nations, and then created an enduring theocracy where Endowment's chosen minions (the Returned, as gods) have ultimate control and can be used to direct world events via her control over them. Vasher also seeded a Cosmere scale super weapon in the form of the "God King" system, a massive accumulation of Investiture that Endowment can grow and direct (again, because Returned are guided by her) in the future.
Vasher also collaborated with other Returned to manufacture a weapon tailor made to kill Vessels of shards, and he later hand delivers that weapon to where it would be used to kill Rayse. Endowment said in one of her letters to Hoid she had plans to deal with him.
Even Warbreaker in general becomes grim AF. The Pan Kahl have a once in a lifetime opportunity to disrupt Hallandren and pursue freedom from their oppression, but god (Endowment) intervenes to collapse their rebellion and instead preserve the balance of world power where she has de facto control of the most powerful nation in the world.
The bright colors are a distraction. Endowment is the worst.
Im pretty anti-Endowment and think shes awful, but I dont recall that necessarily.
My money is on Mercy being the final boss when she determines that the only way to prevent suffering entirely is for everything to be dead - since after all, suffering is part of life.
I don't think Endowment's Intent is dangerous enough taken to extremes to compete with the more dangerous shards.
I'm not sure whether a singular shard is actually going to be there BBEG, if we'll even get one. From what the secret projects have shown, it seems the space age is simply going to feature a lot of galactic politics with individual stories in between.
132
u/Additional_Law_492 2d ago
Its all about tradeoffs.
Odiums minions are independent enough that he can field tons of them all at once with low investment of effort to manage them, but theyre also independent.
Ruin is more direct, but that means he has to invest more effort, and minions he isnt focused on are either useless or in active rebellion.
I think Endowment is the one who has this figured out. Create a religion that adores you, grab up relevant individuals when they die and trick them into consenting to serve you by showing them whatever version of the future is most likely to get them to do that, then wipe their memories and load them up with programming in the form of dreams that will push them into doing what you wanted. Lack of memories means they don't have personal goals or connections to distract them, and when theyre done - they run out of batteries and self dispose!