Uses for Division

[Lesser spren]

Even in WAT I feel like division is one of the least explored surges. We seen it burn the sky and crumble stone but beyond that I don't see much that make it unique beyond magic fire powers. So I put the question out to you all. What are your Ideas for creative uses for divison? Could a dustbringer create a sticky grenade by combination of divison and abrasion? Could a Skybreaker use his powers to sky write a glyph?

[Treamayne]

I cannot find an Intro Post so I cannot confirm what you have or have not read. 

15 minutes ago, Lesser spren said:

Even in WAT I feel like division is one of the least explored surges. We seen it burn the sky and crumble stone but beyond that I don't see much that make it unique beyond magic fire powers. So I put the question out to you all. What are your Ideas for creative uses for divison? Could a dustbringer create a sticky grenade by combination of divison and abrasion? Could a Skybreaker use his powers to sky write a glyph?

Division is a surge meant to be explored in the back-half of Stormlight Archive, but from what we know (Dragonsteel Prime Spoilers):

Spoiler

It is a limited oath-restricted version of Microkineses from Dragonsteel Prime - which, at it's core, is about manipulating and breaking bonds of Axi and molecules. Less about fire - more about separating molecular bonds - but without the accidental possibility of Fusion and Fission that Microkinesis could accomplish. 

WoBs:

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Questioner

Could a sufficiently advanced Skybreaker or Dustbringer use the Division Surge to forcibly split the Nahel bond?

Brandon Sanderson

So what you're talking about is something in the cosmere that's called microkinesis. It is a possible manifestation of base cosmere surges, and it is about as dangerous as you imagine. A sufficiently trained and invested Skybreaker or Dustbringer probably could do it. It has been done, but not by them during...

So yes, fission and fusion are part of the magic systems. They call it “microkinesis,” but yeah. So you can read about that in Dragonsteel Prime. It’s in there. But they are the same Surge.

Footnote: The mentions of fission, fusion, and microkinesis point towards Brandon misunderstanding what was asked, and misheard the questioner as saying "nuclear" instead of "Nahel."
Dragonsteel Nexus 2024 (Dec. 5, 2024)

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Snipexe

Could you create a nuclear bomb using the Surge of Division?

Brandon Sanderson

Not Division, but there are cosmere powers that are built around splitting atoms.

Orem Signing (March 16, 2019)

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ccstat

There IS historical precedent of accidentally setting off fission reactions in the cosmere using the magic

Now this is a story I look forward to hearing

Brandon Sanderson

One of the first magic systems I designed for the cosmere was based on the manipulation of sub-atomic particles, and involved the ability to look directly at atoms and interact with them. I decided to back off on this, as it was a whopper of a magic system to get right with my limited (at the time) writing experience. It was fun, though, and is still a canonical Cosmere magic.

Stormlight Three Update #4 (Oct. 19, 2016)

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Questioner

The Division Surge: does it actually split atoms or does it split the bonds of molecules?

Brandon Sanderson

It splits the bonds of molecules, it does not split atoms.

Questioner

That would be completely overpowered.

Brandon Sanderson

I have done an atom splitting magic originally in Dragonsteel. And wooow it was overpowered. So really, this is fiddling... You'll see what it does when I use it, but we'll not be splitting atoms. We're not creating nuclear reactio... or fission, so.

Leipzig Book Fair (March 24, 2017)

 

Yes, fire or other releases of energy are often present when using Division - and one of the primary known uses so far by modern Radiants. However, the surge itself has potential in many other directions. 

Hope that helps. 

Edited March 18, 2025 by Treamayne
SPAG

[JustQuestin2004 he/him]

Uses for Division?

Well, to take inspiration from the Tensors from the Reckoners series, one could use Division to carve tools out of one's surroundings. Like making a sword or club of stone by destroying the ground in a precise way. Not that this would be useful if one has a Shardblade, but it's one possible use.

One could also use it in a more mundane way of cooking food and maybe even cleaning it off. Think of if a Division Surgebinder caught a fish, then used Division on all of the non-edible parts of the fish and instantly cooking the edible parts by frying it from within. Division might be used to instantly cook meats.

One could also use it to make a temporary shelter, by using it to carve stone to make a small cave.

[WordOfBrandon]

Maybe the uses of division are more on the spiritual and cognitive side.  I would love to see someone use mental division, or do something like splicing Connection with some sort of spiritual division.

[ParaTulip fae/faer (declines as she/her)]

I second what @WordOfBrandonhere has said. I feel like being able to work Division on things like Identity and Connection would produce a lot more interesting results than just "cut up the molecules in the air or an object". I especially feel like Division applied to Fortune, someone's possible forms of being, would allow for some amazing/horrible outcomes.

[Jult]

Splitting molecular bonds could be used for some pretty cool things if the Surgebinder had enough accuracy/control and scientific knowledge. Some ideas that may or not be entirely scientifically sound:

1. Breaking down safe compounds into dangerous components. (e.g. turning water into highly combustible clouds of hydrogen and oxygen; turning table salt into Sodium which violently explodes when wet and extremely toxic Chlorine)
2. Removing impurities (e.g. perfect metals for Allomancy; perfect gemstones for retaining Stormlight and capturing Spren?)
3. Breaking down harmful things into harmless components (e.g. breakdown toxins or poisons to render them harmless; break down tumors or blockages without invasive surgery being required
4. Tee up chemical reactions. They can't force things together, but if they isolate the right elements, physics should just take its course, and they'll react like they would in any other circumstance.

[AltonicKeys he/him]

On 3/18/2025 at 10:42 AM, Lesser spren said:

Even in WAT I feel like division is one of the least explored surges. We seen it burn the sky and crumble stone but beyond that I don't see much that make it unique beyond magic fire powers. So I put the question out to you all. What are your Ideas for creative uses for divison? Could a dustbringer create a sticky grenade by combination of divison and abrasion? Could a Skybreaker use his powers to sky write a glyph?

Thinking about other magic systems, I think Division would pair pretty well with the hijo on Komashi. Just find an open field of stone, visualize a bunch of rock stacks (or at that point, just any 3d sculpture really), break off all the negative space and dust away the gravel. Then you have a pit with a bunch of rock art.

And about that earlier point on sky writing glyphs, would that work on Sel, if the surgebinder was Elantrian? Could they use Aons by instantly burning the air? (And is that how the fire works, by dividing the water moisture in the air and sparking it??)

According to this Coppermind bit, division can add/subtract color, so that would probably mesh really well with Nalthian Awakening, strengthening or weakening the Awakener's colors?

23 hours ago, Jult said:

• Removing impurities (e.g. perfect metals for Allomancy; perfect gemstones for retaining Stormlight and capturing Spren?)

I would like to add, with self-control being a core aspect of Dustbringers' journey, theoretically, making perfect spheres would be the perfect task for them. If they can keep a constant circle shape and shave off the excess, then the ancient Knights Radiant would have a million "King's Drops", right?