Sja-anat (The Stormlight Archive)

"Of the Unmade, Sja-anat was most feared by the Radiants. They spoke extensively of her ability to corrupt spren, though only "lesser" spren—whatever that means."

- From Hessi’s Mythica, page 89

Summary
Sja-anat is one of the Unmade, one of the Nine Splinters of Odium. She is one of the sapient Unmade, and is known and feared for her ability to corrupt a Spren's Investiture. This ability made her the most feared of the Unmade amongst Radiants.

History
During some point in history she was created, being split off from Odium.

She participated in myriad Desolations, using her powers to corrupt Spren and use them as her spies. Spreading them all across Roshar, with the nature of her corrupted Spren becoming known amongst the commonfolk all across the planet.

During some point in time following the Desolations she began to question Odium and decided to turn against him, beginning to assist humanity and the Radiants. However she kept her betrayal secretive.

She corrupted the Mistspren Glys who went off to bond with  Renarin Kholin, which dealt a crippling blow to Odium's plans.

She inhabited Kholinar with Ashertmarn, corrupting many of the Spren inhabiting the city, and leading to various Spren Cults spouting up amongst the people. She eventually saved Shallan from Ashertmarn when she almost lost herself to it.

Shortly before being approached by Odium, she sent Tumi, a corrupted Mistspren, to Urithiru in order to bond another Radiant. He would come to bond with Rlain.

Personality
She loves the Spren that she Corrupts, and sees them as being like her children.

She is particularly notable for her expressing desire to turn against Odium, and, at moments, actively assisting Radiants against her own kind.

Power and Stats
Name: Sja-Anat, Taker of Secrets

Age: Unknown, at least 4,500

Gender: Female

Classification: Splinter, Unmade, Spren

Powers and Abilities: Corruption, Power Bestowal, Immortality

Corruption
Her power rests in her ability to corrupt spren in a process that she refers to as "Enlightening". These corrupted Spren carry the taint of Odium, and can act as her spies and servants. These notably take on a very different appearance and a change in behavior. It is for this ability that she became extraordinarily feared amongst Radiants, even compared to the other Unmade. Her corruption is even capable of effecting massive and powerful Spren such as the Oathgate Spren.

While her ability to corrupt itself seems to have range limitations, her ability to use them as spies seems to have no range limitations. As she could send them around the world, such as from Kholinar to Urithiru

It is implied that Greater Spren require willingness in order to be corrupted by her touch. This is why she often corrupts Mistspren more than any other True Spren, as they are considered the most willing to accept her touch.

In some occasions, Corrupted Spren take on abilities associated with Odium, as shown by Glys developing the ability to see into the future.


 * Angerspren: instead of pools of blood, they resemble bubbling pools of tar. Upon popping, the bubbles burn red, like embers.
 * Anticipationspren: instead of the typical flat streamers, they have long, thin tendrils that resemble whips or tentacles.
 * Awespren: corrupted awespren appear as soot-black puffs.
 * Exhaustionspren: they are bright red instead of their typical brown, and distorted, looking more like small red whirlwinds.
 * Flamespren: vivid blue instead of the traditional red and orange. They appear more jagged than their non-corrupted counterparts.
 * Gloryspren: take the shape of a cube instead of a globe. In Shadesmar, they are described as looking bone-white and brown, with wings extending to the sides, long tresses for a tail, and golden cubes for heads.
 * Hungerspren: much more rare than their uncorrupted versions, even in Kholinar. They are black, and resemble the flies seen on rotting plants.
 * Oathgate Spren: the corrupted spren of the Kholinar Oathgate are described as looking like stretched-out versions of people, 30 feet tall, hovering in the air. One is pitch-black and the other is red.
 * Painspren: sickly green as compared to their normal orange, as well as deformed or distorted, no longer resembling human hands.
 * Shamespren: resemble pieces of broken glass instead of petals.
 * Windspren: the corrupted windspren are only described as "...trailing red light." Whether this means that the ribbons of light themselves were red is unclear.
 * Mistspren: rather than looking like a reflected light, Glys appears as a crystalline structure dripping red glow upwards. While the Progression Surge he grants appears to remain unaltered, Renarin seems unable to use Illumination and has visions of the future.

Stuck Between Realms
She is trapped between the Cognitive and Physical Realms, and can only actively show herself through reflections. She can feel the dilation as she moves between the Realms. The full ramifications and effects of this in-between state is not yet fully understood.

Immortality
She is practically immortal, able to survive for many millennia after her creation.