[OB] Uses of Adhesion

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine]

Some introductory questions:

1. What is the proximal limit of the use of the adhesion surge? How far away can adhesion be projected? We've seen Dalinar stick a group of angry spearmen to the ground with a force sent out like a ripple in water (Sadeas and Aladar's troops, skirmishing in Urithiru). How close to the surgebinder can adhesion be used? We've seen Kaladin use the surge to paint the chasm floor with a sticky swath in his 3 on spear training battle, and this was painted on the floor through his boot.
    
2. Can air pressure be decreased as well as increased? Does said air pressure need a physical target that it's affecting, or can it be just a point in space where pressure is increased or decreased?
    
3. Can the surge be used to create a perfect vacuum? Does this vacuum as well need to be attached to a physical target or can it be created in a particular point in space (most likely in the shape of a spherical bubble)?
    
4. Can this pressure be confined to a finite space but with an infinite amount of investiture fueling it? In other words is there a size limitation to what can be invested with the power of pressure/vacuum and is there some saturation point for space time in regards to investiture?

Here's the speculation part, depending on the answers to the questions above.

1. I am assuming that there probably is a proximal range for the application of this surge, probably similar to the limit in length that a spren weapon can take on (the height of the spren in Shadesmar). So when Dalinar uses his surge, he can affect possibly everyone that he sees as that is the approximate size of his spren. While Kaladin would probably be more limited to near range application of this surge. The other question about how close to the surge binder adhesion can be used is possibly more interesting. Obviously adhesion investiture can be transmitted through proximate articles of clothing, but could it also be used to invest clothing being worn? If so, Kaladin could more easily scale a chasm while with surgebound gloves on than by using rocks adhered to the wall. Also, imagine a large net being invested with the adhesion surge that was thrown at enemy troops, and then lashed down to the ground as well, until it ran out of stormlight it would be a formidable troop immobilizer. If there is no range in the application of this surge, then the answer to the use of this surge is obvious. You just take the Odious army, increase air pressure above said troops, and then in a loud voice say "Kneel before Zod", and the war is won.
2. The use of this surge (to make things stick to a surface) has been mostly about decreasing the air pressure below the object that is to be stuck, letting the air pressure of the system do the magic of pushing the object to the surface. Arguably the creation of the windbreak by Kaladin in OB would be an increase of air pressure, forcing the winds of the highstorm to divert around the area of increased pressure (not unlike a rock diverts the flow of water in a stream). If it is possible to increase air pressure, then it should be possible to create a repulsing field like a force field. Even if the inverse adhesion has to be applied to a physical object, it's still possible to imagine this being used to create a troop level force field that should be capable of diverting missile attacks, and possibly being used to paint a section of ground to create a stationary missile defense wall/troop repeller. Obviously there has to be a subconscious bridge between the intent of the surgebinding and the application of the investiture (like the sticking of chairs, rocks, and lopens to the wall) because if the pressure was decreased uniformly around all of the surface areas of the surgebound object, the whole object would be sticky, and if enough investiture was added the object would likely implode. So plausibly, the magic system translates the intent into the proper manifestation. Which I think is a cool idea, basically this allows the surgebinder to think of an application and lets the magic system do the finicky calculations of the application of the investiture.
3. Say the surge of adhesion can be projected to a particular bit of space, with set confines, and can control absolutely the atmospheric pressure within those confines (this might be possible based on the WoB that windrunners using this surge could create a bubble around their head that would allow them to fly to the moon). It would be possible to explode and implode an infinite variety of things, and could also be used (with some fabrials to be sure) to create high level chemical compounds such as liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, etc. Also Kaladin could boil water to make boiled tallow a whole lot faster.

Just some fun speculation, will be thinking about this some more, these are interesting thought experiments.

[Dlyol]

I remember when the preview chapters came out and Dalinar did his nifty trick with Shallan to generate the map of Roshar, it was widely assumed on here (including by myself) that that was his resonance but now it seems fairly obvious to me that is a use of Spiritual Adhesion. He touches Shallan and in so doing is able to Connect her to the Stormfather who he, of course, is already Connected to and so she can use his vision of Roshar to craft a map. So that points to a multitude of uses of Spiritual Adhesion whereby the Bondsmith can be the intermediary between a Radiant and his/her surges and the particular gifts and insights of their unique Spren.

[Song]

On 12/8/2017 at 8:00 AM, Varenus said:

But Truthwatchers do not have Transformation so how would they be involved with it?

 

 

 I think that the "seeing the best of people" (through Shallan's art and Renarin's brief image to Adolin) is part of the Illumination surge. This is why I think Renarin's future telling is an added extra and not just the void illumination.

Sort of off topic though.