Theory: Lightweavers use an alternative form of Transformation

[+Q10fanatic]

Lightweavers & the Surge of Transformation

 

Summary: Lightweavers use an alternative form of the Transformation surge. While they may be capable of using the traditional version that Soulcaster fabrials and Elsecallers perform, they have an additional form of the surge. Further, while it is hard to spot in the moment, we can recognize this Transformation when: 1. We see a character act differently from how they were introduced to us; and 2. That character unconsciously refers back to an interaction with a Lightweaver; and 3. That interaction served as the catalyst for the change in their behavior. TLDR – Lightweavers can use Transformation to “inspire” people to change in the way the Lightweaver thinks is best.

 

Origin of the theory: https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/86250-can-shallan-make-people-more-receptive-to-healing/

 

Surges shared between orders: Surgebinders share their surges with another Order. However, we have mixed evidence as to whether each Order uses the surge in the same way.

 

On one hand, we know that Windrunners and Skybreakers share the surge of Gravitation. We also know that they use the surge functionally identically. On the other hand, we know that Windrunners and Bondsmiths share the surge of Adhesion. While Dalinar is able to use Adhesion to stick things together like the Windrunners do, he also uses Spiritual adhesion to speak new languages. He also uses some form of Adhesion to heal inanimate objects. There is no indication that Windrunners are able to do these things.

 

We know that Elsecallers and Lightweavers share the surge of Transformation. We know that Jasnah is exceptionally skilled at using this surge. While we do not know of any other Elsecallers to compare her to, she far outstrips what the practiced Soulcasters are able to do, even though these people have trained for years or decades. For example, there is no indication that the Alethi have ever considered using Soulcasters to fight yet Jasnah is nearly unstoppable in battle. It may be that Elsecallers have an affinity for Soulcasting, which Lightweavers don’t have. (Perhaps this is their Resonance?) We have been led to believe that Shallan has struggled with this surge, comically at times. (See: Stick.) However, all we know is that Shallan struggles with soulcasting.

 

Distinction between the different expressions of Transformation: I believe that Shallan (or Lightweavers in general) may continue to struggle with the traditional use of Transformation, i.e. Soulcasting. Instead, I believe that Lightweavers excel at inspirational Transformation which is what we see happen when Shallan is drawing people and which we [maybe?] also see when Hoid is telling stories 1-on-1 with someone, or any other time that we see Lightweavers inspire others to act in a way that (before that moment) was out of character for them.

 

Three potential weaknesses in this theory: First, in my opinion the use of inspirational Transformation is a different ability from the passive, inherent ability to make people feel better, which Brandon has ascribed to both Shallan and to Tien. However, initially I thought those abilities were the same thing. My biggest reason for coming up with that distinction is that I could not explain how a proto-radiant like Tien would be able to actually use a surge. If Brandon confirms (or someone is able to prove) that they are the same ability, then I don’t think we can call this ability a Surge. I don’t think that proto-radiants (different from squires) can use surges.

 

Second, it is not clear whether stormlight is always used in these situations where I think Shallan is using inspirational Transformation. I think any use of the Surges must require stormlight. In these situations where it is unclear, I think Brandon is simply not mentioning the stormlight or ascribing the loss of stormlight to her use of Illumination as a way of misdirecting the audience. For example, I think this is what actually happens when Shallan confronts Vathah’s deserters in Chapter 20 of WoR. She is using lightweaving but she is also using inspirational transformation, which strongly pushes them towards the more noble decision.

 

Quasi-third weakness – The ability to change someone’s character or personality would be exceptionally powerful over the long-term. If Shallan, or any Lightweaver, were to realize what they were doing, the ability would have to be extremely limited. There would have to be rules in place, narratively speaking, or things could get out of hand. This would also be an extremely subtle power. I think this is a power that Shallan uses unconsciously, but it could also be that I am seeing something when there is nothing. Hoid may be the exception that proves the rule. We already know that he works extremely subtly and, conceivably, could use this benignly and with enough conscious skill to avoid problems. However, I could just be convincing myself that something is there.

 

With that said, I feel confident that Spiritual Transformation is real and that Lightweavers can use this much more easily and effectively than soul-casting.

 

Relevant WoBs:

 

Oathbringer Chicago signing (Nov. 21, 2017)
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Zmann966

So, in Oathbringer, we see the Surge of Adhesion used in an interesting way, Spiritual Adhesion. Do all the Surges have non-Physical manifestations like that?

Brandon Sanderson

All the Surges do, slightly, in fact, but none of them, I would say, are as Spiritual as that. 

Zmann966

What about like, Shallan in Words of Radiance with her mercenaries? So, like, a Spiritual Transformation? 

Brandon Sanderson

I wouldn't say Transformation, she is seeing a little bit, glimpsing a little bit, does that make sense? 

 

 

Wetlander

The bit with the bandits out there, and the deserters, and she [Shallan] convinces them to all go... Was she doing Lightweaving? Was she doing Transformation? Was she doing some combination?

Brandon Sanderson

She was... You have seen what she was doing before, done by another character.

 

Questioner

My first question is about Shallan and whether what she does with her drawings and the deserters in Words of Radiance, kind of changing them, is at all similar to what Shai does in The Emperor's Soul?

Brandon Sanderson

Umm, that's a good question. There are similarities, but only so much that The Emperor's Soul is cosmere and is relying on the same foundation of magic. But good question. Are you getting at me saying you've seen somebody do it before?

Questioner

I talked to Alice.

Brandon Sanderson

So you have seen what she does before, but that is not what I was pointing at. It's someth-- No one is going to expect it.

Footnote: This is a follow-up to this exchange.
Firefight Seattle Public Library signing (Jan. 7, 2015)

 

Relevant passage from the text:

·      Chapter 20 of WoR:

“They listened,” Pattern said, buzzing from beside her. “You changed them.”

…

“You are lies and truth,” Pattern said softly. “They transform.” “What does that mean?” “You spoke of one Surge, earlier,” Pattern said. “Lightweaving, the power of light. But you have something else. The power of transformation.”

“Soulcasting?” Shallan said. “I didn’t soulcast anyone.”

“Mmmm. And yet, you transformed them. And yet. Mmmm.”

 

So that is my theory on how Shallan can be so persuasive and inspirational. Please let me know your thoughts!

[+Bzhydack]

This theory make sence, even more because we know form Words of Radiance (in-world book) that Lightweavers were able to inspire people to fight and keep morale high. But

39 minutes ago, Q10fanatic said:

I believe that Shallan (or Lightweavers in general) may continue to struggle with the traditional use of Transformation, i.e. Soulcasting.

this is not true. Lightweavers can be as skilled with Transformation as Elsecallers:

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Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)
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Questioner

Is Jasnah being able to Soulcast at a distance the resonance of her two Surges or is that just a Radiant thing that's not with the fabrials. 

Brandon Sanderson

Jasnah's Order is better at that than others. It is not impossible that you could imagine a Lightweaver being able to do it.

 

[+Q10fanatic]

4 minutes ago, Bzhydack said:

Lightweavers can be as skilled with Transformation as Elsecallers

Interesting! So Elsecallers are generally better but Lightweavers can be that good, presumably with more practice. Maybe I am putting too much into Shallan's personal struggles with it then.

[Karger]

53 minutes ago, Q10fanatic said:

For example, there is no indication that the Alethi have ever considered using Soulcasters to fight yet Jasnah is nearly unstoppable in battle

This is actually because using a soulcaster on live humans is forbidden by Vorin law.  Also it requires touch.  Finally a diagram member actually did use a soulcaster for assassination in Szeth's interlude in WoR.

[Frustration]

1 hour ago, Karger said:

Finally a diagram member actually did use a soulcaster for assassination in Szeth's interlude in WoR.

I have never seen that before, where did you get that from?

[Karger]

Just now, Frustration said:

I have never seen that before, where did you get that from?

The fastest reference I could get was here but I remember them turning a wall to smoke.

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The Diagram has access to at least one Soulcaster able to make things into smoke, as evidenced by the man who gave Szeth his first orders from the Diagram.^[50]

[Honorless]

I think of what you described as a Spiritual manifestation of the Lightweaver Surges, like Dalinar's use of Spiritual Adhesion. I think some Orders were just better or worse at it, just like they are at one Surge or the other.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Honorless

[+Q10fanatic]

11 hours ago, Honorless said:

I think of what you described as a Spiritual manifestation of the Lightweaver Surges, like Dalinar's use of Spiritual Adhesion. I think some Orders were just better or worse at it, just like they are at one Surge or the other.

Yes. Originally I thought of this as a type of Spritual Transformation and thought that every surge had a physical and spiritual version. However there is a WoB that shows he doesn't agree with the term "Spiritual Transformation" and it even could mean that there is no such thing as inspirational transformation. 

 

14 hours ago, Q10fanatic said:

 

Oathbringer Chicago signing (Nov. 21, 2017)
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Zmann966

So, in Oathbringer, we see the Surge of Adhesion used in an interesting way, Spiritual Adhesion. Do all the Surges have non-Physical manifestations like that?

Brandon Sanderson

All the Surges do, slightly, in fact, but none of them, I would say, are as Spiritual as that. 

Zmann966

What about like, Shallan in Words of Radiance with her mercenaries? So, like, a Spiritual Transformation? 

Brandon Sanderson

I wouldn't say Transformation, she is seeing a little bit, glimpsing a little bit, does that make sense? 

 

[Honorless]

We do have confirmation that Shallan uses Spiritual Connection when she sketches people, Pattern also refers to inspiring others as transforming them in WoR. She isn't using the Surge of Transformation on them, just convincing them that they can change with the aid from their idealized Spiritual perfect self.

[+Q10fanatic]

14 minutes ago, Honorless said:

Pattern also refers to inspiring others as transforming them in WoR. She isn't using the Surge of Transformation on them, just convincing them that they can change with the aid from their idealized Spiritual perfect self.

I actually think that Pattern is telling her she was using the Surge of Transformation then. However, I know that many readers agree with your take as well. 

I wonder if Hoid's re-telling of The Girl Who Looked Up may also have been an example of the Surge of Transformation, a small alteration of Shallan towards her Spiritual Ideal. That's more far-fetched since we don't know much about Yolish Lightweaving abilities.

[Honorless]

30 minutes ago, Q10fanatic said:

I actually think that Pattern is telling her she was using the Surge of Transformation then. However, I know that many readers agree with your take as well. 

I wonder if Hoid's re-telling of The Girl Who Looked Up may also have been an example of the Surge of Transformation, a small alteration of Shallan towards her Spiritual Ideal. That's more far-fetched since we don't know much about Yolish Lightweaving abilities.

I think of it as similar mechanics 

Also, excuse me as I borrow the title format

Edited August 7, 2020 by Honorless

[Darth_Hel]

Makes sense. Since soulcasting seems to be similar to what Shallan does to people. Look at what they are now and see what they could be, then convince them to be that instead.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Darth_Hel