Interesting Line by Hoid in tWoK

[Sir_Read-a-Lot]

My theory is that Hoid is the cause of whatever split Adonalsium and the "element" he mentions is either what enabled the split, or the centerpiece of Adonalsium, which would enable it (him/her?) to rejoin.

[hubay]

Hm, that just made me think. Perhaps this has been suggested, but what if Hoid is actually the villain, the cause for the shattering? obviously he wouldn't think of himself being evil, so it follows that some of his actions seem to be helping people. But I think it would be very sandersonian to play him out as a hero throughout all these series, and then at the end show his true colors.

[SnagglezMaw]

My theory is that Hoid is the cause of whatever split Adonalsium and the "element" he mentions is either what enabled the split, or the centerpiece of Adonalsium, which would enable it (him/her?) to rejoin.

Why would he split it just to rejoin it again?

[Guinevere]

My theory is that Hoid is the cause of whatever split Adonalsium and the "element" he mentions is either what enabled the split, or the centerpiece of Adonalsium, which would enable it (him/her?) to rejoin.

Why would he split it just to rejoin it again?

Maybe he didn't mean to; it could have happened by accident.  I don't necessarily buy this theory, but it could be confirmed by the epigraph of chapter 14: "Let me first assure you that the element is quite safe.  I have found a good home for it.  I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say."
I think the fact that he compares it to skin might be an important indicator that the element has something to do with a body.  This also might be evidence to suggest that Hoid is Adonalsium and he protects the element in a similar way to Ruin protecting the Atium (which was his body).

Please let me know if I got any of my references wrong.

[Pechvarry]

Hm, that just made me think. Perhaps this has been suggested, but what if Hoid is actually the villain, the cause for the shattering? obviously he wouldn't think of himself being evil, so it follows that some of his actions seem to be helping people. But I think it would be very sandersonian to play him out as a hero throughout all these series, and then at the end show his true colors.

I'm not even sure it's safe to say the splitting of Adonalsium was an evil act.  Perhaps Hoid (or more likely, Adonalsium itself) is responsible for the split and saw the necessity of it.  It's my belief that reconstructing Adonalsium will likely result in the destruction of all of the shard planets.  Unmaking their work.  So thank Rayse for splintering shards, making the reconstruction even more impossible.