Why stormlight leaks faster than voidlight (and possibly lifelight)

[Rg2045]

So we know in rythm of war that stormlight leaks faster then voidlight. Where people arnt surprised if voidlight last for months at a time. As for stormlight it can’t even last the weeping without going dun. 
the question becomes, why. 

and I think it is a two part answer.

1) gemstones, we know that more perfect gemstones hold light longer and that perfect ones hold light indefinitely, and are much more resistant to cracking and other damages. 
2) rhythms, we know stormlight has an orderly rhythm, and that voidlight is chaotic but with an order to it. 
 

well the theory is that stormlight “vibrates” at just the right frequency to escape the gemstones faster then voidlight, and because voidlight is so chaotic it might be resistant to leaking to the point of lasting months in a gemstone. 
what’s yalls thoughts anything I missed? 

[lukaash]

I think this is totally possible, but I always put it more towards the nature of the light. Void light is "thick" and just goes out slowly while stormlight is the opposite and flows out really really fast. 

[Rabbit Unmade she/her]

I thought all of the gemstones they’d collected Voidlight in were all just about perfect, but what do I know.

[Mr. Misting he/him]

The fact that stormlight flows out more quickly might be tied a few things. First off, stormlight follows a cycle, kind of like the water cycle. It comes down from the storm, dissipates over time and gets reused by the storm. It is described as raging and pushing people to move, because it is a light that is always moving. Voidlight might stick in gems longer because Odium places it there directly, the intent is for it to stick to the gem. You have to preform the Song of Prayer and ask the source (Odium) directly. So while the gems happen to catch some stormlight, it is going to quickly go back to the source, while voidlight has intent behind it. 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Mr. Misting

[Green Hoodie Mistborn he/him]

3 hours ago, Rg2045 said:

well the theory is that stormlight “vibrates” at just the right frequency to escape the gemstones faster then voidlight, and because voidlight is so chaotic it might be resistant to leaking to the point of lasting months in a gemstone. 
what’s yalls thoughts anything I missed? 

This could all very well be part of it! 

I always thought that Stormlight leakage had to do more with their concepts. Storms rage and move and push/pulse, etc, so the light will naturally find any flaw in a gemstone that is present to leak through, unless they are "perfect" gems. The Void (in my mind) is a place of stasis, one where the only motility is what you bring with you into it, it doesn't move of its own accord, so it doesn't leak/escape the gems

Though why something "implaccable" like Honor generates Stormlight that is volatile while something like Odium that is all about passions/emotions/raging generates the Void light... that is something I don't understand

[SpinningSky he/him]

8 hours ago, Rabbit Unmade said:

I thought all of the gemstones they’d collected Voidlight in were all just about perfect, but what do I know.

This is what I thought as well, didn't think much of it

 

11 hours ago, Rg2045 said:

well the theory is that stormlight “vibrates” at just the right frequency to escape the gemstones faster then voidlight, and because voidlight is so chaotic it might be resistant to leaking to the point of lasting months in a gemstone. 
what’s yalls thoughts anything I missed? 

To go along with the vibration idea, we know that a proper vibration will lead stormlight to move from one sphere to another, and stormlight shold be attuned to the base rythms of Roshar, so it would make sense that the "base vibration" of Roshar would induce the stormlight to leak, while not affecting the decay rate of voidlight.
 

[cometaryorbit]

I figured it was because Stormlight has the natural cycle, it's designed (by Adonalsium? The Highstorms predated the Shattering, so I guess its pre-Shattering Investiture assigned to Honor later?) to leak out and be recycled through the system.

On 9/5/2022 at 8:52 PM, Green Hoodie Mistborn said:

Though why something "implaccable" like Honor generates Stormlight that is volatile while something like Odium that is all about passions/emotions/raging generates the Void light... that is something I don't understand

Yeah, that is weird. The Honor/storm oddity could be due to its being a pre-Shattering leftover, but Odium... there's this whole odd thing where he's both burning fury/hate/rage (or Passion if you believe Rayse...), experienced by both Dalinar and Venli as this overwhelming blaze, and also "the Void" that takes away emotion.