Theory: Each KR order specializes in one surge

[Jaaxter he/him]

This is a theory borne partially out of wishful thinking. As I was reading and re-reading all of the scenes where Szeth and Kaladin use their powers, it struck me that the Gravitation surge (half lashing, reverse lashing) appears far more powerful than the Adhesion surge (full lashing). Notably, we see Szeth Lash a door closed, and Kaladin Lashes rocks to a cliff face and himself to a horse. Doubtless, the surge is used more often than that, but it doesn't seem to stand up to the powers of flight, basic telekinesis, or making people fall into the sky.

 

Realizing that Skybreakers share the Gravitation surge was rather disappointing, since I felt like it spoiled the Windrunners' thunder to share the "best" surge (and thereby the power of flight) with another order.

 

But then I started thinking... what if each order specialized in one of their surges and the other surge is a secondary power? Windrunners should be able to do far more with the Gravitation surge, so perhaps the Skybreakers can use Gravitation, but not powerfully enough to fly, since it is not their primary power. By this logic, it stands to reason that each order's specialization would also be the surge clockwise from their order's glyph on the chart in The Way of Kings. That way, no surge specialization would be shared by two orders.

 

The immediate problem, however, is that from what little we know of the other Knights Radiant orders, everything seems to indicate that any sort of specialization would be the surge counterclockwise from their order glyph. Lightweavers are clearly the specialists of Illumination (as their name suggests), not Transformation. From what we saw of Lift (as well as the name of the order and the epigraph describing them), Edgedancers seem gifted in Friction, not Progression. If Ym is a good representative of the Truthwatchers, they are better at Progression than Illumination. At least, that is what came most easily to him. Renarin provides inconclusive evidence, since his self-healing could also be the passive effect of holding Stormlight.

 

Elsecallers could go either way, perhaps. We know that Jasnah is incredibly skilled in soulcasting (Transformation). She isn't too shabby at Transportation, either. Nevertheless, since it is strongly hinted that Willshapers are "explorers," the Transportation surge would logically be their domain.

 

When asked what order he would like to be, Brandon stated that he would want to be a Windrunner so that he could fly [citation needed]. This doesn't rule out the possibility that Skybreakers can also fly and Brandon simply would prefer having Adhesion to Division, but it is the only WoB I have come across on the subject.

 

Thoughts, notes, relevant passages that I have missed?

[Topomouse he/him]

I never thought too much about it, but I also more or less thought something like that.

At least, assuming our list of Windrunners abilities is complete, Gravitation is way more useful then Adhesion for them. So I kind of assumed that the other order that use that surge has at least some other abilities relative to it.

[Moogle]

Skybreakers can almost surely use it to fly.

 

Here's this WoB:

Q:  Is the crossover surge for each Knight the same?
A:  To an extent, yes.  Each of the combinations make a little bit of a tweak to how things act.  But when you see the Skybreakers affecting gravity it will look much the same as what you saw on the Windrunners.

(source)

 

I agree with the reasoning behind your post though: Adhesion really sucks. Poor Windrunners.

 

May I offer an alternative, though? Join me in loving the Skybreakers, who have the best powers even if their philosophy sucks. (I am holding out hope for the Willshapers to have great powers too, though.)

 

Nalan's fashion sense is an added bonus.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Moogle