Planetary Bodies

Roshar

Roshar is a planet quite alien to those planets like Alaswha or Yolen. Invariably, life upon it is driven by Invested storms of great strength called highstorms. Flora has adapted to retreat from disturbances, and fauna hard shells. An abundance of Invested splinters exist on the planet, called spren by locals. It holds three moons of subtly unstable orbit, whereas all other planets in the system hold none. 

Dominion’s arrival would subtly warp the spren in behavior and coloration, as they would to the highstorms. These would also inadvertently shift the cognition of singers.

The primary sentient species on Roshar is singers. Similarly carapaced as other life forms on Roshar, and similarly capable of bonding spren to suit their purposes. In the singers’ case, it is to alter their form towards certain specialized purposes, such as war, raising children, or creating art.

Singer civilization is more disparate than that upon Alaswha, with groups primarily existing in semi-nomadic fashion. Subtle shifts in thinking, however, have recently led to an increase in permanent settled and institutionalized authority among these groups.

Perhaps another foreign sentient species exists on Roshar, but such is unconfirmed at this time.

Following the migration of human populations from Alaswha, humans have made their home in the westernmost portions of the continent. A level of interbreeding has occurred, producing a new race referred to as dusksingers. (As opposed to humans, sometimes referred to as nightsingers by native Rosharan singers, who are sometimes called Dawnsingers.)

Also notable are the greatshells, large fauna of notable intelligence and size, enabled through the bonding of luckspren, which reduce the effect of gravity on their body.

Bleak, Broken Moon

A moon of solid obsidian far beyond the orbits of the (current) other three moons of Roshar. It is imperceptible from Roshar—except where it blocks stars—and its orbit is perfectly spaced and balanced around the planet.

To some inhabitants of Roshar, it is considered to be a remnant of the body of the Origin of Songs, seat and home of the broken angel. Other interpretations place this seat in the far east or far west of Roshar, or on Greater Roshar’s third planet.

[Redacted]

Invested Entities and Phenomena

Highstorms

The primary source of Investiture upon Roshar, and the driver of the whole of its ecology.

Following Dominion’s arrival, Stormlight displayed a subtle shift in coloration and effects, becoming a sharper white. Those who held it have their cognition altered slightly, providing a form of mental clarity and purpose. Holders are focused on their current goals, determined to see to their completion.

Gentler in scope than the prime reality’s highstorms. Patroned by the Wind, they are less imminently destructive, but still plenty dangerous.

Spren

A Cognitive Entity, comprised of Investiture. Many exist in a state of flux between the Physical and Cognitive Realms. Currently, there are two widely known distinctions and rumors of a third which bridges the gap between them.

First, the most abundant. The ‘lesser spren.’ These are minor Cognitive entities pertaining to various Cognitive Ideals of natural order and emotional status. They partially manifest in the Physical as incorporeal spirits, attracted to the phenomena for which they are named.

Singers see more of their full Cognitive selves than humans, and the rarer and more substantive of these ‘lesser spren’ are the source of Regal forms. Sometimes, these spren are considered to be their own category or subdivision.

Either way, spren are ofttimes revered by singer cultures as minor deities of the natural world.

Godspren

The three protectors the Origin of Songs left behind on Roshar, to protect, to nurture, and to shroud. The Wind, Stone, and Night.

Since Dominion’s arrival, they have taken on a measure of that Shard’s power, offering a greater ability for them to carry out their intents. It is not too uncommonly known for them to raise worshippers to greatness, giving them the power of the Surges. Yet, to many, they remain as immaterial and mysterious as always. Even as the Wind rides the world on highstorms, or the Stone which brings all life, or the Night which brings darkness.

They are revered as godly beings by many upon Roshar, considered the cause of many events and prayed to for various reasons. This often coincides with a worship of the Origin of Songs, and of the broken angel which now serves as the Origin’s replacement, said to reside in the far reaches of the east or west, or to be found trapped upon a different world, or isolated in introspection.

True/Surgespren

A rumored type of spren, which emerged some time after Dominion’s arrival.

Said to exist in a state similar to the mortal experience, but as Cognitive beings aligned with a Surge, immortal and eternal. These are supposedly capable of forming a Nahel bond with a Physical being, transferring over in a lessened form while granting the Physical being the powers of a Surgebinder.

Supposedly, there is a variety for each Surge.

[Redacted]

Greatshells

A particularly notable native Rosharan fauna, growing to exceptionally large size due to the high concentration of Investiture and the bonding of luckspren, which lessens the effect of gravity upon their bodies.

Notable are the Lanceryn and Larkin native to the western isles of Roshar, Aimia. Capable of flight and the direct consumption of Investiture.

Later night and dusksinger cultures would develop on Aimia, leading to naturalistic, communal, tribal cultures living in harmony and close proximity to lanceryn, (relatively) commonly bonding with the greatshells.

Similar cultures would arise in the far east, in the Eastern Hills and Natanatan regions with chasmfiends. As well as the Rishir Sea with Tai-Na.

Invested Arts and Arcana

Rosharan Surgebinding

Defined by the bonding of spren.

Users of these Surges interact with souls—mostly nonliving, but there are exceptions—in a limited fashion. Either their own or another’s.

Godspren are the primary source of these Surges, in the days soon after Dominion’s arrival. Often these Surgebinders act as agents and servants to the Wind, Stone, and Night. The latter of which has little following.

These godspren are in complete control of the Nahel bond with their Surgebinders, and as such can retract their Surge at any time.

Spren of hitherto unknown varieties are theorized to also grant Surges. Spren that can speak, walk, talk like man…

Regals

The singer species of Roshar, as part of their biological function, can bond with lesser spren during a highstorm to trigger a transformation of their physical form, specializing it towards a certain purpose.

Most of these ‘forms,’ besides the dramatic transformation, exhibit only mundane physical differences and minor changes in cognition. Certain rare types of lesser spren, however, of odd coloration and behavior, grant more supernatural abilities, often utilizing Investiture from highstorms. These forms are called ‘Regal’ forms amongst the Rosharan population, and exhibit more significant changes in physicality, cognition, and Invested abilities than other forms. Singers in Regal forms universally express both a longing for and reverence of authority.

Stoneform is a notable example of a Regal form, obtained through the bonding of the spren that comprise the minds of the earth. This form grants an ability likened to an expression of the Surge of Cohesion, enabling a user to easily communicate with spren of stone, and expend Investiture to alter the shape of stone.

All Regal form abilities are connected in some way to the Surges.

Fabrials

Fabrials on Roshar are most commonly seen through the manipulation of lesser spren.

They are contained within gemstones attached to cages or constructions of one of the 18 notable mundane metals which direct the effects of the fabrial.

When powered by Light, the spren within the gemstone will produce an effect pertaining to their Cognitive Ideal controlled by the metal lattice. A flamespren within a pewter lattice would produce heat, while tin might reduce heat (Iunno man. It could just suppress the spren. Just use a coldspren and pewter.)

Surge Fabrials

Surge Fabrials are noticeably different in their creation.

They are created through the manifestation of coded Investiture in the physical realm through ensouled metal, from a spren containing the coding of a Surge in their sDNA deciding to traverse from the Cognitive to the Physical, thereafter manifesting as metal. When attached gemstones are filled with Light, more limited forms of various Rosharan Surges can be used. Transformation is limited based upon gemstones attached to the Fabrial, the materials created always aligning to the Ten Essences.

Crystal/Gemstone Spiritual Splicing

Crystalbinding? Gembinding? Gemstone… something? Polestone… something…

A discovery of the nightsingers, soon after their arrival upon Roshar. In order to preserve their foreign Surges, certain leaders with Anomalous Adhesion discovered a method to extract the power of a soon-to-be-deceased Surgebinder into a polestone vessel, which would thereafter glow alive with Light.

When inserted into certain points of the body, the points at which the soul overlaps, the Surge can be transferred to another soul. The process is painful, and causes growth of the crystal, which integrates with their flesh.

Thereafter, they have a Surge.