Theory: Why There are 9 types of Voidbindings (Spoilers)

[The Stormuncle]

This is my first Theory Post. I apologize if  this has already been put forth before.

I suspect the voidbinding the Fused use come not directly from Odium. Instead they are channeled via the 9 Unmade.

In Rhythm of War the Sibling says they will be unmade if the corruption of the Tower is completed. This leads me to believe that perhaps The Sibling is not the sibling of the Stormfather, and the Nightwatcher, but instead more like one of their 10 children. One powerful Spren for each type of Surge. These are the true 9 siblings to The Sibling. These 9 powerful Spren of Honor and/or Cultivation were Unmade. 9 Unmade, and 9 voidindings.

Not only would this explain why there are only 9 voidbindings, but also why the binding that is missing is the Bondsmith binding. None of the 3 known Bondsmith Spren have ever been corrupted into Unmade. If the Sibling, the Stormfather, or the Nightwatcher ever get corrupted into Unmade made it could allow for the 10^th type of Binding.

Taking this speculation further into territory that maybe should be a new post. If my theory is true this could also be the cause of the changing of the true tones of Roshar. My understanding of planet, star system, and magic system investiture is that the investiture is imbued by Shards into the planets. Which ties the Shards to the planets. On Roshar the Singers seem to be able to hear this investiture as rhythms. If Powerful Spren are tied to the investiture closely enough it would make sense that the corrupting of said Spren with the addition of Odium’s void investiture would change the investiture rhythms of the planet in much the same way that mixing of investiture Light changes the type of Light as discovered by Navani in RoW.

[Frustration he/him]

The Fused are surgebinders not Voidbinders. And do get their powers from Odium.

[EmTheElsecaller]

I thought they only had access to 9 Surges because they couldn’t access Honor’s Truest Surge which was only of Honor and not Cultivation - Adhesion, the Surge that Bondsmiths and Windrunners share. (That’s why, when Urithiru was invaded in RoW, Windrunners seemed to be closer to waking than the other orders.)

Edit: I just had a quick look on the Coppermind. Very little is known about Voidbinding, and there are no confirmed Voidbinders (although there was some speculation whether Renarin/Rlain’s abilities were related to it) however you were correct in saying that Voidbinding does seem to stem from the Unmade even if that’s not quite what you seemed to be saying in the original post (not how I interpreted it at least.)

Quote

It has been said that Voidbinding usually, though not always, originates with the Unmade.

- Coppermind, found here

Sorry, I read that back through and it sounds really heartless. I think your idea is great and I would totally support it, it just so happens that we have evidence to the contrary that you might not have known about - and that’s fine! I’m still relatively new to the Shard as well and had the same thing with my first theory post so I totally sympathise

Edited August 27, 2022 by Elsecalling…

[Mr. Misting he/him]

This is a very interesting theory you have Stormuncle. Most of it is a bit of a stretch but the Sibling's name makes a lot of sense in this context and would help explain a lot. As for the rhythm idea I don't think the rhythms would change if the Sibling or the Nightwatcher was unmade. However if the Stormfather was unmade there would definitely be a lot of ramifications one of which might be Honor's rhythms changing.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Mr. Misting

[The Stormuncle]

Thank you guys for the constructive criticism. 

Let me first immediately concede that Me using the term voidbinding  was a nomenclature error. I was also actually thinking more of how regals work than fused. I know how important terminology can be for these discussions so I apologize for that.

I also admit there is little evidence of origins of the current Unmade, and that part of my theory was mostly based on the number of powers, 9 vs 10. Which could very easily be more to do with the nature of shards themselves. The Unmade are endlessly fascinating, and can’t wait to find out more about them. Ba-Ado-Mishram in particular. I can’t help but try to fill in their backstories in the meantime.

As for the power coming from Odium I do in  the end agree it comes from him ultimately. I was thinking of it as an extra intermediary step he purposely placed in his process flow. I have always kind of found it odd that the magic systems of both factions are so closely mirrored. I was reaching for a reason, and a mechanism for it. Odium high jacking parts of Honors system would have been an interesting explanation.

After your posts, and thinking on it more I will argue against idea, and debunk it further. Honorspren disprove the idea. Honorspren have a voidspren analogue. They were made first by Honor, and later on by The Stormfather. Neither of whom are now, or were ever an Unmade.

I want to circle back to Odiums known magic system mirroring the Radiant magic system. Do we know why they are so similar?

[bmcclure7]

16 hours ago, The Stormuncle said:

Thank you guys for the constructive criticism. 

Let me first immediately concede that Me using the term voidbinding  was a nomenclature error. I was also actually thinking more of how regals work than fused. I know how important terminology can be for these discussions so I apologize for that.

I also admit there is little evidence of origins of the current Unmade, and that part of my theory was mostly based on the number of powers, 9 vs 10. Which could very easily be more to do with the nature of shards themselves. The Unmade are endlessly fascinating, and can’t wait to find out more about them. Ba-Ado-Mishram in particular. I can’t help but try to fill in their backstories in the meantime.

As for the power coming from Odium I do in  the end agree it comes from him ultimately. I was thinking of it as an extra intermediary step he purposely placed in his process flow. I have always kind of found it odd that the magic systems of both factions are so closely mirrored. I was reaching for a reason, and a mechanism for it. Odium high jacking parts of Honors system would have been an interesting explanation.

After your posts, and thinking on it more I will argue against idea, and debunk it further. Honorspren disprove the idea. Honorspren have a voidspren analogue. They were made first by Honor, and later on by The Stormfather. Neither of whom are now, or were ever an Unmade.

I want to circle back to Odiums known magic system mirroring the Radiant magic system. Do we know why they are so similar?

At least one regal form seem to be a voidbinder I suspect the rest are as well. 

From Renarin it seems that voidbinding is just surges with different applications this seems to be confirmed by the charts. 

Aside from  Renarin the only other sources of speculation we can gather for voidbinding is from the regals and the unmade themselves. 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by bmcclure7