Shards (Elantris and WoK spoilers)

[Galavantes]

Why would Odium splinter Aona and Skai's shards? Why not take them for himself?

Probably because he couldn't use them, much like Ruin couldn't use Preservation's.

So what makes Sazed so special that he can use both? Is it because he has not been corrupted totally by one shard? Maybe when Ruin first got the shard (back when he was a nice guy) he would have been able to take preservations shard as well, but he was too good a guy. But after years of holding one shard, it corrupted him so much that he could no longer hold preservation, it would conflict with his whole sense of being. (I know, i just answered my own question  )

Or maybe it was just by virtue of no longer having a physical body with which to absorb the shards powers? Remember Sazed has to physically touch both Vin and Elend. Seems to me that you can absorb as many shards as you want, so long as you get them all at the same time...

[Stormblessed]

Why would Odium splinter Aona and Skai's shards? Why not take them for himself?

Probably because he couldn't use them, much like Ruin couldn't use Preservation's.

So what makes Sazed so special that he can use both? Is it because he has not been corrupted totally by one shard? Maybe when Ruin first got the shard (back when he was a nice guy) he would have been able to take preservations shard as well, but he was too good a guy. But after years of holding one shard, it corrupted him so much that he could no longer hold preservation, it would conflict with his whole sense of being. (I know, i just answered my own question  )

Or maybe it was just by virtue of no longer having a physical body with which to absorb the shards powers? Remember Sazed has to physically touch both Vin and Elend. Seems to me that you can absorb as many shards as you want, so long as you get them all at the same time...

But Ruin and Preservation still had a physical body. When they died those bodies appeared.

[Ari54]

Why would Odium splinter Aona and Skai's shards? Why not take them for himself?

Probably because he couldn't use them, much like Ruin couldn't use Preservation's.

So what makes Sazed so special that he can use both? Is it because he has not been corrupted totally by one shard? Maybe when Ruin first got the shard (back when he was a nice guy) he would have been able to take preservations shard as well, but he was too good a guy. But after years of holding one shard, it corrupted him so much that he could no longer hold preservation, it would conflict with his whole sense of being. (I know, i just answered my own question  )

Well, there's two options...

Either anyone on Scadrial could have wielded either or both powers because they had been made by both Ruin and Preservation, or any feruchemist could have done it, having a power with elements of both Ruin and Preservation. I would suspect it might be the latter, and that you need some sort of attunement with a shard to use it- Brandon used language very similar to that when talking about Vin using the Well's powers in Mistborn.

[Galavantes]

Why would Odium splinter Aona and Skai's shards? Why not take them for himself?

Probably because he couldn't use them, much like Ruin couldn't use Preservation's.

So what makes Sazed so special that he can use both? Is it because he has not been corrupted totally by one shard? Maybe when Ruin first got the shard (back when he was a nice guy) he would have been able to take preservations shard as well, but he was too good a guy. But after years of holding one shard, it corrupted him so much that he could no longer hold preservation, it would conflict with his whole sense of being. (I know, i just answered my own question  )

Or maybe it was just by virtue of no longer having a physical body with which to absorb the shards powers? Remember Sazed has to physically touch both Vin and Elend. Seems to me that you can absorb as many shards as you want, so long as you get them all at the same time...

But Ruin and Preservation still had a physical body. When they died those bodies appeared.

That only proves that they had bodies before and after holding a shard, there is no evidence that they were able to transubstantiate. They may not have had "access" to a mundane body while holding a shard. In fact i think that is more likely.

[Stormblessed]

I don't know. Just because they didn't use those bodies, doesn't mean the couldn't use them. For example, if Odium was to travel to another world, surely he would take his physical body with him.

[Galavantes]

Sure there is no evidence that they COULDN'T use their physical Bodies, but that does not constitute evidence that they COULD. I think this is a likely explanation