[OB] Could Stormform grant (skybreaker style) Division?

[Ymawgat]

This is something that's been eating at me recently that I think I have an answer to?

Bit of background, we saw several different kinds of voidbringing in Oathbringer:

• Envoy form, which allows Venli to speak different languages, something Dalinar achieves through the surge of adhesion.
• An un-named form that allows listeners to do something that looks like to the surge of gravitation, fused did this as well.
• Something that looked like Abrasion from a fused who fought Lift.
• Something that looked a lot like Cohesion from Amethyst!Amaram.
• Something that looked a lot like Tension from another fused.

....and from the Words of Radiance epigraphs we're also told about several other forms of power:

• Nightform, which is described as giving Truthwatcher like visions.
• Decayform, which seems to be focused around destruction.
• Smokeform, which is described as allowing hiding and "slipping between men", which to me very strongly implies a lightweaver like power.

So far it seems like void-binding is heavily based off of several different manifestations of surgebinding, just as the Radiant orders were based off of the Heralds. However, if this is true it does beg the question:

What surge is the lightning of Stormform based off?

IMO, it's based off some manifestation of the surge of Division.

Division is called the surge of destruction and decay, and we've directly seen it used exactly once, when Malata burns a table:

Quote

"Marks spread out from the point of contact, little swirls of blackness etching themselves into the wood. The scent of burning filled the air, but the flames didn't persist if she didn't will them to.

The swirls and lines extended across the tabletop, a masterwork of engraving accomplished in moments. Malata blew off the ash. The Surge she used, Division, caused objects to degrade, burn, or turn to dust.

It also worked fine on people."

Now, considering that surges don't always manifest as the same ability for each order (and that smokeform and nightform are already most likely to be based off the surge of illumination), could it possible that Skybreaker Division works by separating electrons from their atoms, and then creating lighting by letting them crash back together, and that this is how Stormform regals use lightning?

Consider also:

1. That the names of the knight radiant orders (at least those that we know the powers of) are actually very descriptive of their powers, and it's hard to think of a method of "skybreaking" that doesn't involve thunder and lightning.

2. Vorin teachings might contain some reference to Skybreakers using lightning, as we're given loads of indications that Vorinism holds hidden meaning (for example this being a common theme across the cosmere), but specifically in that Stormlight can only multiply existing skill, not grant new skill, and ascending to the halls multiplies the power of one's calling, and we're given this quote:

Quote

The ardents were careful to point out that excellence in any Calling would bring power. ... A spearman would be a great warrior, able to cause thunder with his shield and lightning with his spear

3. How sick it would be if Szeth could throw lightning bolts?

(also btw if anyone could tell me how to flair my post as a theory like Feather's Renarin post that would be just swell)

[Carbonationspren]

I really like this idea. It makes sense, since Division can be used to burn things, and lightning is kind of like burning the air. Division is also called the surge of "destruction and decay." "Destruction" is a pretty general term, and it seems like lightning, again would fit pretty well with that. 

If the Skybreakers can create lightning, this would be more support for the theory that the Fused just use Surgbinding hacked with Voidlight instead of Voidbinding. If they can't, though, it could mean that creating lightning is actual Voidbinding, not hacked Surgebinding. 

2 hours ago, Ymawgat said:

(also btw if anyone could tell me how to flair my post as a theory like Feather's Renarin post that would be just swell)

When you edit your post, under the "Tags section", set the "item prefix" to whatever tag you want to flair. 

[Kered]

When I read about Division and when Nale brought it up to Szeth my initial thought was that the Division surge could be used to "divide" other Surgebinders surges. Essentially cancelling them out. But I like this idea a lot more and it makes a lot more sense than my idea lol. 

[SpeakoftheDeval]

This could only work for me if decayform also granted manipulation of division (just because it works with division more) but perhaps a different aspect of it perhaps one more traditionally dustbringery. But then the implication would be that listener forms grant more limited manipulation of surges than KR and it should be roughly even so I'm conflicted.

[Varenus]

3 hours ago, Ymawgat said:

3. How sick it would be if Szeth could throw lightning bolts?

I like it, makes sense why the Skybreakers were using those colored dust bags to train their squires. They were practicing throwing things while flying?

[Ymawgat]

44 minutes ago, Carbonationspren said:

When you edit your post, under the "Tags section", set the "item prefix" to whatever tag you want to flair. 

thanks!

17 minutes ago, Ookla the Deval said:

This could only work for me if decayform also granted manipulation of division (just because it works with division more) but perhaps a different aspect of it perhaps one more traditionally dustbringery. But then the implication would be that listener forms grant more limited manipulation of surges than KR and it should be roughly even so I'm conflicted.

Yeah this is how I thought it would work, I think I mentioned in parsing in the original post that smokeform sounds like lightweaving and nightform sounds like the truthwatcher future vision stuff - which might also be a manifestation of illumination (or close enough)?

Also for the record Oduim is technically outnumbered two-to-one by Honour and Cultivation, so it would make a weird kind of sense if his ground troops each had access to half the surges

Edited December 9, 2017 by Ymawgat
outnumber-->outnumbered

[Varenus]

1 minute ago, Ymawgat said:

Also for the record Oduim is technically outnumber two to one by Honour and Cultivation, so it would make a weird kind of sense if his ground troops each had access to half the surges

Fair enough, but then why does the Voidbinding chart show each of the Voidorders having 2 surges? (except the two central orders of course)

Here's the chart:

Spoiler

 

[Ymawgat]

36 minutes ago, Varenus said:

Fair enough, but then why does the Voidbinding chart show each of the Voidorders having 2 surges? (except the two central orders of course)

Here's the chart:

Oh wow I completely forgot about that chart.

The fact that (like you said) the evil-bondsmiths and evil-truthwatchers don't seem to be connected to anything also pokes a pretty massive hole in my theory as well huh.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Ymawgat
pock-->poke