Pressure Surge = Force push

[Aether]

The Windrunners were an order of the Knights Radiant, and they made use of two primary types of Surgebinding. The effects were known - colloquially among the members themselves - as the Three Lashings.

- The Way of Kings, Ars Arcanum (page 1006)

We know from WoB that the Windrunners' two surges are Gravity and Atmospheric Pressure (though the name of that last one will probably change). While I am aware that different combinations of surges might result in completely different powers than what the individual surges alone might suggest, it seems to me that in this particular case, what power is governed by what surge is quite clear-cut: Gratity gives one the power of "gravitational change" (Basic Lashing) and to "[give] an object a gravitational pull" (Reverse Lashing); and Pressure gives one the power of "binding objects together" (Full Lashing).

 

Now, while firmly sticking things together for a short period of time might be all sorts of useful, it seems to me to be marvellously boring for the Windrunners to only get that power from the Gravity surge. It also seems rather coherent, that if one can make objects forcefully pull towards one-another, then maybe one can make them repell one another too?

 

Anyway, lo and behold!, this extract from tWoK, which is right after Kalading has pronounced the Second Ideal of the Knights Radiant:

       A crack shook the air, like an enourmous clap of thunder, thought the sky was completely clear. Teft stumbled back - having just set the bridge in place - and found himself gaping with the rest of Bridge Four. Kaladin exploded with energy.

       A burst of whiteness washed out from him, a wave of white smoke. Stormlight. The force of it slammed into the first rank of Parshendi, tossing them backward, and Teft had to hold his hand up against the vibrancy of the light.

- From the Way of Kings, page 916 (my bold lettering)

Now, this might just be a one-off effect of just then having pronounced the Second Ideal, but I find it a bit strange that voicing these words out loud should have such a violent effect. While the words themselves might have permitted him to reach "the next level" of KR powers, it seems to me just as likely that he inadvertently used the a "Reverse Full Lashing" in the adrenaline rush of exclaiming words, but more importantly of finally coming to terms with his issues with leading and responsibility.

 

I can think of no other signs of this being the case, but aside from the fact that neither the author of the Ars Arcanum (confirmed by WoB to be a Worldhopper) nor Szeth seem to know about this particular application of Windrunner Surgebinding, I can find no evidence to the contrary either. This would also fit into the picture of the Windrunners being the KR's shock troopers. Imagine a group of Windrunners smashing into the middle of enemy ranks right from the sky, sending enemy soldiers flying backwards as if pushed by a Jedi Force Wave. Awesome!

Edited December 13, 2013 by Aether

[cem]

Why would the Three Lashings be called Three Lashings if there were a fourth lashing? And I'm pretty sure Brandon said somewhere that each Surgebinder has three powers.

 

Well, Ishar's Order has Atmospheric Pressure too, so maybe they have something like what you're saying.

[Argent]

Or that's what they are called because the magic is still coming back and is not yet fully understood. The Mistborn: The Final Empire Ars Arcanum was nowhere near complete, after all. 

[Aether]

Why would the Three Lashings be called Three Lashings if there were a fourth lashing? And I'm pretty sure Brandon said somewhere that each Surgebinder has three powers.

 

Well, Ishar's Order has Atmospheric Pressure too, so maybe they have something like what you're saying.

Well, I am suggesting that this might be the signs of an unknown application of the Pressure surge, thus whether they are known as the Three or Four Lashes is irrelevant. Besides, the information in the Ars Arcanum is written by a Worldhopper, i.e. an outside observer and could be wrong. Probably not, but I believe Brandon has plenty enough wiggle-room if he wants to add the awesomeness of Force Push to the Windrunner arsenal.

 

I would love to see that quote about three powers., by the way. Sure, it would prove me wrong, but better to be right and sad then delusional and happy. Plus, I can always hope that Ishar's order might have something similar.

 

 

EDIT:

Or that's what they are called because the magic is still coming back and is not yet fully understood. The Mistborn: The Final Empire Ars Arcanum was nowhere near complete, after all. 

What he said. (God, should start reading the Mistborn-series!)

Edited October 31, 2013 by Aether

[cem]

Or that's what they are called because the magic is still coming back and is not yet fully understood. The Mistborn: The Final Empire Ars Arcanum was nowhere near complete, after all. 

It is what they were called though. By the real Windrunners, in the Heraldic Epochs. Mistborn Ars Arcanum is totally different. For one thing there was no Allomancy before the Lord Ruler and Rashek did everything he could to hide what he didn't want known.

Edited October 31, 2013 by cem

[Argent]

I wouldn't put much stock into this. This is all still coming from a worldhopper, not from an authentic source (e.g. pre-Recreance chapter). The fact that Galadon, for example, believes the original Windrunners called their powers "the Three Lashings" doesn't mean they actually did. Maybe he spoke to Szeth and was misguided by Szeth's confidence that he has the whole thing figured out. Maybe both of them were misled by a third party.

[The Count]

@cem I see your point but we have seen a few instances that do not really conform to the three lashings:

 

1. Pressure wave as described above (could be one off second ideal awesomeness)

 

2. Kaladin falling from the bridge. His landing does not follow the three lashings either.

 

I am prepared to give the benfit of the doubt and say that there are other applications than just the three lashings.

[Aether]

It is what they were called though. By the real Windrunners, in the Heraldic Epochs. Mistborn Ars Arcanum is totally different. For one thing there was no Allomancy before the Lord Ruler and Rashek did everything he could to hide what he didn't want known.

Well, something did knock the Parshendi back, so either the voicing of the Second Ideal itself conjured the "Force Wave" or something happened that not even the KR knew about. I originally thought that all of the Three Lashings were associated with only the Gravity surge, as the Full Lashing only seems like an exceptionally strong gravitational pull between objects. I don't think that is likely - in fact, I think it is wrong - but it would open up for there being even more Surgebinding powers associated with each Order.

 

Also, you could also fit the "Force Wave" into the picture by having it be a mass application of the Basic Lashing to the surrounding enemies (i.e. making their gravitational pull be a 45 degree slant backwards.

 

EDIT: Though perhaps it is just a freakish quirk of the Second Ideal of the Windrunners, making enemies fly backwards when spoken out loud. I think I might prefer this one. Just proclaim "I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES" and watch enemies FLY!

Edited October 31, 2013 by Aether

[Moogle]

I support this theory, and have voiced support of it before. It would be very odd if being able to use one of the fundamental forces of the world (Surges) limited you to just one 'power' (Full Lashing). I suspect Kaladin could form a vacuum, too, and not just shock waves. Explosive decompression, anyone? I expect there to be plenty of uses for the other Surges as well. I doubt we've seen everything any Surge can do, except perhaps Transformation (which in itself is pretty varied and useful). I doubt Jasnah's Order is called the Elsecallers for nothing!

 

This of course also ignores combinations of different Surges, which should be capable of even more varied effects.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Moogle

[cem]

There are two possibilities regarding the so-called pressure wave. For reference, I'm posting these two quotes.

 

Kaladin hit the rocky ledge, legs suddenly strong, mind, body, and blood alive with energy. He fell into a crouch, spear under his arm, a small ring of Stormlight expanding from him in a wave, pushed down to the stones by his fall. Stunned, the Parshendi shied away, eyes widening, song faltering.

 

A crack shook the air, like an enormous clap of thunder, though the sky was completely clear. Teft stumbled back—having just set the bridge in place—and found himself gaping with the rest of Bridge Four. Kaladin explodedwith energy.

A burst of whiteness washed out from him, a wave of white smoke. Stormlight. The force of it slammed into the first rank of Parshendi, tossing them backward, and Teft had to hold his hand up against the vibrancy of the light.

The first is Kaladin's POV, the second is Teft's. As can be understood from the bolded parts, both quotes describe the same event, at the same time. From Kaladin's POV, it looks like Stormlight startles the Parshendi, they stumble and fall down. From Teft's POV, Stormlight hits the Parshendi and they are tossed back.

 

So two possibilities:

A) There is no "pressure wave" and it's just Teft's hyperbole. He sees something and misinterprets it. I find this the likely option since the man starts thinking Kaladin is a tiny god after this.

Stormlight is somehow harmful to Parshendi.

 

 

@cem I see your point but we have seen a few instances that do not really conform to the three lashings:

 

1. Pressure wave as described above (could be one off second ideal awesomeness)

 

2. Kaladin falling from the bridge. His landing does not follow the three lashings either.

 

I am prepared to give the benfit of the doubt and say that there are other applications than just the three lashings.

Where did the bolded happen? Is it the scene of chasm duty where Kaladin climbs the wall with Full Lashed rocks? I can't remember anything special about it.

[Moogle]

When Kaladin drops from a great height, it doesn't create any cracks of thunder. Kaladin's POV doesn't even include the sound, so I think Teft's POV picks up after Kaladin's POV, right when he speaks the words.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Moogle

[Aether]

There are two possibilities regarding the so-called pressure wave. For reference, I'm posting these two quotes.

 

 

The first is Kaladin's POV, the second is Teft's. As can be understood from the bolded parts, both quotes describe the same event, at the same time. From Kaladin's POV, it looks like Stormlight startles the Parshendi, they stumble and fall down. From Teft's POV, Stormlight hits the Parshendi and they are tossed back.

 

So two possibilities:

A) There is no "pressure wave" and it's just Teft's hyperbole. He sees something and misinterprets it. I find this the likely option since the man starts thinking Kaladin is a tiny god after this.

 Stormlight is somehow harmful to Parshendi.

 

Seems like a rather cheap trick if that was the case. Besides, the wording makes this not only unlikely, but completely wrong in my opinion. "The force of it slammed into the first rank of the Parshendi, tossing them backwards". The violence of this description is in no way compatible with mere hyperbole. He really would have had to severely delude himself to change it so radically. I agree with Moogle, Teft's POW picks up right after the first scene and describes a different ring of stormlight.

 

EDIT: @Moogle. Agreed, the surges seem to allow so many interesting powers that it would truly be sad if they were limited to three almost arbitrary applications of them.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Aether

[Gloom]

I think we can safely say that the Ars Arcanum is missing information. What was described are the three basic lashings. Szeth explained what could be achieved using basic lashes, he was quite accomplished with them. This is as far as Szeths understanding of Wind Runner abilities go. He was trained up to the basic level of the skill set. Kaladin has moved beyond the basic level of the skill set by accepting the thruths that unlock the power of his Order. So while Szeth is limited to the basic lashings, Kaladin may now have access to the intermediate lashings.

 

We know that Wind Runners can do more than Szeth has explained, One drops out of the sky in Sky Fall. Kaladin rides a storm, these events aren't something that I believe can be accomplished with the basic lashings.

[hoser]

I agree with the thesis.  There are a variety of explanations for the Second Ideal powerup, so I am not sure whether that applies.  The instance MadRand brought up where Kaladin falls from the bridge seems to be a clearer application of an unexplained power. 

 

Kaladin does something magical to amplify his voice when yelling to Adolin in the tower battle and sound waves are also pressure. 

[Argent]

It is possible (though I don't necessarily believe it) that the Three Lashings refer to the most basic things Windrunners can do - the atoms of their powers, so to speak. Everything else is is just the Windrunners being clever about how they use those basic atoms.

[11thorderknight]

The simplest explanation is that the Three Lashings are known as that because they are the three different ways that Windrunners had of binding things to each other. Creating a pressure wave to knock back enemies, or cushion a fall from height, or whatever you want to do with it, is useful, but it doesn't bind anything, and hence the Windrunners didn't include it in their Lashings....because it's not Lashing anything together.

[Looter]

The simplest explanation is that the Three Lashings are known as that because they are the three different ways that Windrunners had of binding things to each other. Creating a pressure wave to knock back enemies, or cushion a fall from height, or whatever you want to do with it, is useful, but it doesn't bind anything, and hence the Windrunners didn't include it in their Lashings....because it's not Lashing anything together.

Yeah it seems like a fairly good observation that the lashings are just one group of abilities available to windrunners and not their entirety. I think this is why Kaladin may be a decent match for Szeth in a one in one fight.

[Aether]

I would also like to add a quote from Szeth's prologue:

This was a Basic Lashing, first of his three kinds of Lashings.

- From tWoK Prologue, page 25 (my bold lettering)

 

It does seem to imply that there are indeed more powers available - maybe even something Szeth knows about - but that these are the only three that are available to him.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Aether

[marianmi]

Maybe when speaking the ideal, Kaladin got a "blessing", a sudden infusion of stormlight (one-time thing), more than he could hold, so it then got out of him and produced the effect of a small explosion in doing so. It's not a power of the windrunners, but something that could happen to anyone having that much stormlight.

There are easier ways of explaining this than creating new powers...

[Looter]

Maybe when speaking the ideal, Kaladin got a "blessing", a sudden infusion of stormlight (one-time thing), more than he could hold, so it then got out of him and produced the effect of a small explosion in doing so. It's not a power of the windrunners, but something that could happen to anyone having that much stormlight.

There are easier ways of explaining this than creating new powers...

With Sanderson one rule seems to be there are always more powers or tweaking of current rules. I just doubt that someone that is not on the path to being a radiant or herald know everything about a subset of powers in the first book of a ten book series. It would leave a lot flat.

[Argent]

Kaladin's mini-explosion happened as soon as he spoke the the Words of the Second Ideal. In fact, he had been holding the Stormlight from the Parshendi's beard gems for a few seconds with no significant effect. Long quote inbound:

 

Kaladin breathed in.

Like  the  power  of  salvation  itself—like  rays  of  sunlight  from  the  eyes  of  the Almighty — Stormlight exploded from those gemstones. It streamed through the air, pulled in visible streams, like glowing columns of luminescent smoke. Twisting and turning and spiraling like tiny funnel clouds until they slammed into him.

And the storm came to life again.

Kaladin hit the rocky ledge, legs suddenly strong, mind, body, and blood  alivewith energy. He fell into a crouch, spear under his arm, a small ring of Stormlight expanding from him in a wave, pushed down to the stones by his fall. Stunned, the Parshendi shied away, eyes widening, song faltering.

A trickle of Stormlight closed the wounds on his arm. He smiled, spear held before him. It was as familiar as the body of a lover long lost.

The Words, a voice said, urgent, as if directly into his mind. In that moment, Kaladin was amazed to realize that he knew them, though they’d never been told to him.

“I will protect those who cannot protect themselves,” he whispered.

The Second Ideal of the Knights Radiant.

--- --- --- 

A   crack shook the air, like an enormous clap of thunder, though the sky was completely clear. Teft stumbled back—having just set the bridge in place—and found himself gaping with the rest of Bridge Four. Kaladin  exploded with energy.

A burst of whiteness washed out from him, a wave of white smoke. Stormlight. The force of it slammed into the first rank of Parshendi, tossing them backward, and Teft had to hold his hand up against the vibrancy of the light.

“Something just changed,” Moash whispered, hand up. “Something important.”

Kaladin raised his spear. The powerful light began to subside, retreating. A more subdued glow began to steam off his body. Radiant, like smoke from an ethereal fire.

Nearby, some of the Parshendi fled, though others stepped up, raising weapons in challenge.

Kaladin spun into them, a living storm of steel, wood, and determination.

 

[cem]

Why so linear?

 

I'm guessing you're saying that because of the POV change? That doesn't mean anything. The POVs could easily be overlapping. In fact, they very likely do. It says right there Stormlight burst is before the Second Ideal. I think timeline is like this:

• Kaladin's feet hit the ground
• Stormlight burst and crack sound
• Parshendi first rank stumble
• Second Ideal
• Kaladin raises his spear
• Subdued Stormlight glow

Just look at the time when the Stormlight is unleashed from Kaladin at both POVs. In one, it's before the Second Ideal, in the other it's after the crack.

[Gloom]

No, the Parshendi shied away when Kaladin landed, The speaking of the second ideal tossed them backwards. There was no clap of thunder when Kaladin landed. These are two separate events. The first one made them hesitate, the second one threw them back.

[Argent]

Also identified by how Kaladin's landing released just a small puff of Stormlight - something we see whenever a Windrunner has to subconsciously use Stormlight to cushion their fall. Nothing like the burst that comes after it.

[cem]

Sigh. I don't think I have anything to say other than I've already said. I give up. But I'm reserving my right to say "I told you so" when WoR comes.* I'm certain there are only 3 powers for a Surgebinder.

 

*unless I'm wrong in which case I'll completely forget about this.