Character from The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
The Shard of growth and change on Roshar, a dragon in origin who plays the longest game. She pruned Dalinar's memories, groomed Taravangian to replace Odium, and may be the most dangerous power in the cosmere.
Cultivation is one of the three Shards of Adonalsium present on Roshar, alongside Honor (now dead) and Odium (now changed). Her true name is Koravellium Avast, and she is a dragon — one of the oldest sapient species in the cosmere — who took up the Shard of Cultivation. She embodies growth, change, and the pruning necessary for new growth. Unlike Honor, who was rigid in his oaths, or Odium, who seeks to dominate, Cultivation plays the long game — nurturing plans across centuries and millennia. She pruned Dalinar's memories of his wife Evi, allowing him to confront them gradually and grow rather than be destroyed by guilt. She granted Taravangian his boon and curse — fluctuating intelligence — knowing it would eventually lead him to take up Odium's power. This last act may be her masterpiece or her greatest miscalculation. By grooming Taravangian to become the new Odium, she may have created something even more dangerous than Rayse — a god of hatred wielded by a man who believes the ends justify any means. Her motives remain inscrutable, and she may be the most dangerous being on Roshar precisely because she is willing to sacrifice anything for growth.
Manifests as an elegant woman of shifting, verdant appearance — her skin has an organic, living quality as though plants grow beneath it. Her eyes hold ancient, alien intelligence far beyond human comprehension. When she chooses to appear, reality itself seems to grow more vibrant around her. Her dragon origin occasionally shows in the inhuman precision of her movements.
Also known as: Cultivation, Koravellium Avast, the Old Magic