Spren - Hierarchy and KR

[Catladyman]

So, I remember reading a theory on here a while back which argued that Nahel bond spren (i.e. Honorspren, highspren, cryptics) are at the top of the food chain in Shadesmar, while other spren are essentially lower life forms. This theory said that each KR spren has 2 specific lower spren associated with it. For example, I believe it was argued that windspren and gravityspren are the lower spren for Windrunners. We see gravityspren when Kaladin uses Adhesion, and he is commonly surrounded by windspren while using Gravitation to fly.

During my current Edgedancer reread, Lift used Progression to make a plant grow. Afterwards, she was surrounded by lifespren. This makes me think that lifespren are one of the orders subservient to cultivationspren. Obviously, lifespren are associated with Progression. This makes me wonder what everyone thinks is associated with Abrasion. Is it a spren we've seen before or an unknown order? Is there a spren for speed or grace that we have not seen? I wouldn't be surprised, if concepts (like honor or truth/lies), emotions (anger, fear), and physical (hunger, exhaustion) attributes are all associated with types of spren. 

Shallan, I think, has also had experiences with one of the spren a level down from Cryptics. She is constantly surrounded by creationspren, much the same way Kaladin is constantly swarmed by windspren during his early chapters. Creationspren seem to be associated with Illumination, which makes me wonder what spren is associated with Transformation. Additionally, are "mindless" Cryptics without Nahel bonds essentially creationspren, the way Syl claimed to be the same as a windspren before bonding Kaladin?

Jasnah is a mystery, as we know neither of the orders associated with inkspren. We know she shares one with Shallan, via Transformation, but we don't know what it is. IIRC, the name of inkspren is from a WoB, so what is their deal exactly? Would Ivory identify that way, like Syl naming herself an honorspren, or change it up like Pattern? Regardless, what concept do inkspren represent? Writing in any form? Scholarship? Knowledge? I like the idea of scholarship because of Ivory's martial appearance. Jasnah is a perfect example of how the written word can be used as a form of warfare, and I love the idea of Jasnah bonding a spren born of that attitude.

Back to the main point, Renarin is relatively easy with this theory. Assuming he is a Truthwatcher, we have seen the spren associated with both Progression and Illumination. If he's a Truthwatcher, we can expect to see a lot of lifespren and creationspren in his future. 

Sooo, what does everyone think? What spren are associated with each Surge/Radiant, especially the orders we've seen? What is the deal with Ivory?

Though I've been lurking for a while, this is only my third post (the first was requesting Warbreaker, the second a very short comment), so I'm sorry if this is all over the place or rambling! 

 

[Calderis]

21 minutes ago, Catladyman said:

Jasnah is a mystery, as we know neither of the orders associated with inkspren. We know she shares one with Shallan, via Transformation, but we don't know what it is

My bet here is logicspren. We see them as tiny thunderclouds in the scene where Navani us testing the elevated platform fabrial. 

23 minutes ago, Catladyman said:

Back to the main point, Renarin is relatively easy with this theory. Assuming he is a Truthwatcher, we have seen the spren associated with both Progression and Illumination. If he's a Truthwatcher, we can expect to see a lot of lifespren and creationspren in his future. 

I think that there are to separate things going on here. Yes I think life spren are associated with progression. It makes things heal/grow, so it attracting lifespren makes sense. I don't think that illumination is linked to creationspren though. I think that one is associated with Lightweavers. 

They create. They make art in various forms. Illumination can be used this way, but I don't think illusion will be the primary use of it for Lightweavers. Manipulation of light could create a lens for farsight. There may be actual light spren that could be associated with it. Considering the look of Ym's spren, I would be very surprised if there aren't Lightspren to accompany the order. Truthwatchers see. 

30 minutes ago, Catladyman said:

Sooo, what does everyone think? What spren are associated with each Surge/Radiant, especially the orders we've seen? What is the deal with Ivory?

I think there will be a spren associated with a surge, and a spren associated with a minor spren associated with an order. Sometimes, like windspren with Windrunners, this may be the same. But I don't think it's going to be a requirement. 

For the ones we've seen, I think your on with windspren with Windrunners, creationspren for Lightweavers, and lifespren for Edgedancers. 

I go Logicspren for Elsecallers, and Lightspren (if those are a thing) for Truthwatchers. For the others, I'll wait for more information before hazard in a guess. 

[ParadoxicalZen]

I would agree with this, and go a little further.

We know that the 10 Orders are mixtures of Cultivation and Honour, and that they're on a spectrum of sorts; as well as that Spren are representations of natural and biological phenomenon (I believe in book or via WoB they're generally classified into two groups: Emotion and Nature, but I may be misremembering this bit)

If the above part is true, then perhaps one could venture that the singular spren for each Surge associated with an Order fits into one of those two types ex. Windrunners = Honourspren > Windspren and Bondspren. Granted, you could argue that as the wind is a natural weather phenomenon as well, the above hypothesis doesn't work; however, given that Cognitive perception is a major influence on Roshar, humanity's perception of Windspren has shaped them to be mischievous, tricksy, gleeful and flighty (hah), you could counterpoint that counterpoint. It is also should be noted that as Windspren have a tendency to stick people's feet or objects to things that they may have a slight dominion over Bondspren so perhaps that should be Honourspren > Windspren > Bondspren? 

Thoughts? I may have try pm Brandon reddit about this, see if I can get an answer, I'm curious now