Unique Abilities

[11thorderknight]

So, at one point years ago, there was some WoB explaining the system of surgebindings and Radiants, and he said that each order was a combination of two of the small circles (i.e. surges) and one large circle (i.e. essence). So each order gets two surges that they share with their neighbors, and "something of their own". Problem is, we haven't yet seen anyone use any "surge combo" - anything any of our characters does is done with one of their two surges, never both at once.

 

So, what do you guys think? Will we see the orders each getting a unique surgebinding feat, that's somehow a combo of their two surges? Or do you think there will be more to it than that?

[Argent]

I am not sure that's what Brandon said back then. The way I remember it, he said that each Order is represented by two small circles and one big one, but that's just how it looks on the TWoK endpages.

[Veil]

Even if the circles aren't intended to represent a special ability, it seems like each Order does have something unique.

 

 

So Melishi retired to his tent, and resolved to destroy the Voidbringers upon the next day, but that night did present a different stratagem, related to the unique abilities of the Bondsmiths; and being hurried, he could make no specific account of his process; it was related to the very nature of the Heralds and their divine duties, an attribute the Bondsmiths alone could address.

—From Words of Radiance, chapter 30, page 18

 

I've seen other people speculating that Bondsmiths can somehow affect bonds with spren, and it makes a kind of thematic sense, given their Surges (Tension and Adhesion.) We know from seeing Kaladin and Szeth use their Lashings that Adhesion sticks things together. We may not know that the Surge of Tension does, but in our world tension comes from straining a bond between two objects (typically a string or the like.) So thematically, the Bondsmiths are more associated with bonds than other Orders.

 

For another example: Truthwatchers. They have Illumination (light) and Progression (growth and healing, or more loosely organic change over time), which combine to give them visions of the future (change over time). This also suggests that the Orders' names are significant.

 

So, theories for all the Orders:

 

Windrunners (Adhesion, which is atmospheric pressure and vacuum, and Gravitation.) Not sure what form this is going to take, but may have something to do with the sky/atmosphere/space (Fine, I just want to see Kaladin go to the moons.)

 

Skybreakers (Gravitation and Division.) With no way of knowing what Division is going to do, specifically (could be anything from the anti-Progression to disintigration to who knows what), I can't really offer any concrete theories. But my gut says lightning. (Or maybe that's just me hoping for Szeth descending in a column of blinding plasma to visit death upon his enemies...)

 

Dustbringers (Division and Abrasion, or friction.) I'm having the same problem here as with Skybreakers, but where Skybreakers seem to be more aerial, Dustbringers are decidedly surface-bound. Possibly stormlight-enhanced Tasmanian Devils. >.> It may also be worth noting that this Order prefered the term "Releasers," which makes me think of freeing things trapped in stone (though the only things I can think of that might fit that are Thunderclasts, which I doubt the Radiants would want to release, and the spren of stones revered in Shinovar, which we known very little about.)

 

Edgedancers (Abrasion and Progression.) Something to do with motion, since progression is a kinetic concept and they have the ability to overcome friction (which opposes motion.) Would also explain why Edgedancers are reknowned for their grace and their ability to move through battles/over strange surfaces, where the Dustbringers are not.

 

Truthwatchers (Progression and Illumination.) Visions of the future (see above.)

 

Lightweavers (Illumination and Transformation.) I think we may have already seen some of this in Shallan's illusions, but without a Truthwatcher illusion to compare it to, we didn't realize what she was doing was unique. Because a lot of Shallan's illusions have an element of transformation to them (the truth from the lie)--I'm betting Renarin isn't going to be capable of nearly as much.

 

Elsecallers (Transformation and Transportation.) Most notable here is that both Surges have some connection to Shadesmar, and the Elsecallers regarded themselves as "prime liaisons" with the spren (see chapter 53 epigraph.)

 

Willshapers (Transportation and Cohesion.) Yeah... absolutely no clue here. If anyone else has any theories I'd be glad to hear them.

 

Stonewards (Cohesion and Tension.) Again, no clue. I'm not entirely sure on what the "Axial Interconnection" Surges do.

 

Bondsmiths (Tension and Adhesion.) Bonds (see above.)

[PudgyNinja]

The only ability that we've seen actively used by two different types of Radiant is Soulcasting from Shallan and Jasnah.  From what we've seen so far, Shallan needs to be in physical contact with the things she Soulcasts, whereas Jasnah has shown that she can Soulcast things from a distance.  It is possible that transportation and transformation combine in such a way that enables Jasnah to do this, but it's equally possible that Shallan just hasn't learned how to do this yet, as she is not very experienced.

[Shale]

I wonder if this might be what Kaladin's combat instincts and Shallan's Memories are. Hard to say whether those are individual gifts or Order-wide until we see more Windrunners and Lightweavers, but it seems kind of excessive for each member of an order to get two Surges, an order-specific ability and an individual gift.

[hoser]

For Kaladin (windrunners), I think we have seen at least two possibilities: stormriding and "unconscious fighting" (terrible term, I know). 

 

He rides the storm in a dream in tWoK.  I think windrunners may be able to do it for real also.  It could involve manipulating pressure and gravity together. 

 

When dodging the blows of the two Shardbearers simultaneously in the fight with Adolin and while fighting against Szeth, he moves without thinking and can almost tell what is going to happen.  He even thinks that he could close his eyes and do as well.  Conceivably he could be reading the movements of his opponents using both pressure and gravity.  This combat ability does seem special and maybe unique to Windrunners, but my argument that it uses two surges seems weak even to me, so please be kind with your derision. 

[tigvsben]

I was thinking in the same vein. The Words of Radiance excerpts about each order indicated both the Skybreaker's ability to divide the innocent from the guilty as well as Lightweavers memory talents as being unusual and unexplained by any particular surge or spren. Perhaps Kaladin's instinctive grasp of the sky, immediately catching up to Szeth despite the experience gap, is another example of these order-specific gifts?

[cem]

I've always interpreted the quote in OP as that each order gets three Surgebinding abilities. Two of these abilities, they share with the adjacent orders, but the third ability belongs to them alone.

 

In the case of Windrunners;

• They have Full Lashing (Adhesion) which they share with Bondsmiths.
• They have Basic Lashing (Gravitation) which they share with Skybreakers.
• They have Reverse Lashing (Gravitation) which belongs only to Windrunners.

Shallan's Memory would then be not exactly a Surgebinding abilitiy, but a side effect of being a Surgebinder. Kind of like Shardwielding. Being a Shardbearer isn't really a Surgebinding ability, but Nahel bond allows their spren to manifest as Shards. Memory is similar, but specialized only to Lightweavers.