On Truthwatchers

[Frustration]

I've recently noticed an uptick in the amount of interest in the double eye chart, especially as it relates to Truthwatchers due to their position opposite of the Bondsmiths.

Spoiler

 

And indeed I think this is warranted. And I intend to look into it.

 

Now going over Truthwatchers, first I want to go over their position on the chart, and in particular the orders connected to them. They sit in the position opposite the Bondsmtih, while also standing between Edgedanncers and Lightweavers, just as Bondsmiths are between Stonewards and Windrunners.

Why do I bring this up? Because I often took too long looking at the comparison between Windrunners and Edgedanncers, each having a spren named after one of the Shards, Honorspren and Cultivation spren, together with Lift being able to use Progression while under Urithiru's suppression to believe that Progression is Cultivation's truest surge, and what made Truthwatchers special. And while I do still believe Progression to be Cultivation's truest surge, I no longer believe it to be what truly makes Truthwatchs tick.

Instead I want to propose that the upper and lower halves of the chart are not simply opposites, but mirrored. It is not the surge they share with Edgedanncers that makes Truthwatchers special, but the one they share with Lightweavers.

In WaT Szeth makes the following observation

Quote

The feeling of the battle had changed. Neturo’s head jerked, as if forced to move. He nodded to the Truthwatcher. That oddest of orders, the one Szeth had understood the least, even when using its Blade.

The Truthwatcher strode forward, a globe of light forming in her hands. Shadows came alive. Szeth stumbled back as they crawled from the darkness around him. Transparent figures. That one … that was the old Alethi king. That one a bandit from Bavland. There, a serving woman at the Veden feast …

Guards. Common darkeyes. Kings. Shardbearers. The people Szeth had killed. The whispers. The whispers were alive. Each one pointed at Szeth. Accusatory.

-WaT chpt 141

He calls Truthwatchers the oddest of the orders, something usually reserved for Bondsmiths, and the surge used immediately afterwards is that of Illumination. Additionally what this Honorbearer demonstrates for us is clearly the power of Fortune, seeing things as they are and as they could be. The only other order that is described with this attribute is that of the Lightweavers.

Indeed we can see other examples of this such as the Truthwatcher who wrote the following in the gem archive

Quote

"Don't tell anyone. I can't say it. I must whisper. I foresaw this."

 

I therefore propose that just as Bondsmiths hold the powers of Connection, Truthwatchers hold the powers of Fortune.

[Nalthian Customs Official]

53 minutes ago, Frustration said:

Lift being able to use Progression while under Urithiru's suppression to believe that Progression is Cultivation's truest surge

Were there other Edgedancers in Urithiru at the time it was being suppressed?  I'm ready to believe that Progression is at the very least more strongly linked with Cultivation than the other surges, if not her truest surge, but I would be more inclined to believe that Lift's ability to use surges had to do with her unique physiology and not purely that she was using Progression as opposed to any other surges.  Progression being Cultivation's truest surge could be an additional factor, but I would feel more confident in the theory if we saw Edgedancers as a whole being less affected by the suppression like Windrunners were (i.e. twitching in their sleep rather than lying still.)  Nothing like that is mentioned though.  

1 hour ago, Frustration said:

Truthwatchers hold the powers of Fortune.

I like the idea that Truthwatchers already have a connection to Fortune and that it isn't exclusive to Enlightened Truthwatchers.  I feel like that gives them more of an identity among the orders.  Otherwise they just seem worse at healing than Edgedancers, since Truthwatchers have less mobility, and worse at Lightweaving than Lightweavers, since Truthwatchers get far less use out of illusions.  The ability to use Fortune gives them their own gimmick, so I hope it turns out to be true.  

I would like to additionally put forward the possibility that it isn't only the surges of Illumination or Progression on their own that makes Truthwatchers special, it's that they have both at once.  Both surges could have a link to Fortune/the Spiritual Realm, and having both offers full access through something like a Resonance.  Progression works by accessing the Spiritual Realm like all Cosmere healing, and Shallan's art seems to access the idealized version of an individual in the Spiritual Realm.  That could be due to Shallan's own unique attributes and not the surge of Illumination, but it might be something we see other Lightweavers do in the future.  This could also be how Bondsmiths access Spiritual Connection.  Both Tension and Adhesion use principles linked to Connection, and having both at once offers full access to the broader ability.  

[Frustration]

2 minutes ago, Nalthian Customs Official said:

Were there other Edgedancers in Urithiru at the time it was being suppressed?  I'm ready to believe that Progression is at the very least more strongly linked with Cultivation than the other surges, if not her truest surge, but I would be more inclined to believe that Lift's ability to use surges had to do with her unique physiology and not purely that she was using Progression as opposed to any other surges.  Progression being Cultivation's truest surge could be an additional factor, but I would feel more confident in the theory if we saw Edgedancers as a whole being less affected by the suppression like Windrunners were (i.e. twitching in their sleep rather than lying still.)  Nothing like that is mentioned though. 

There were other Edgedanncers though none of them stirred or remained awake. Lift however was unable to use Abrasion, only Progression worked.

[Nalthian Customs Official]

3 minutes ago, Frustration said:

There were other Edgedanncers though none of them stirred or remained awake. Lift however was unable to use Abrasion, only Progression worked.

I see.  Thank you for clarifying, it's been a while since I've read Rhythm of War.  That definitely supports the idea that Progression is strongly linked with Cultivation in the same way that Adhesion is with Honor.  Unless evidence to the contrary appears, I'm convinced.  

[Nitpicking]

I suspect that Lift was Fourth Ideal or nearly there by RoW. She had been Third Ideal for a while. We saw that Teft was able to summon his Shardblade even before taking the Oath, because he was close.

[Jult]

On 5/29/2026 at 7:13 PM, Frustration said:

I've recently noticed an uptick in the amount of interest in the double eye chart, especially as it relates to Truthwatchers due to their position opposite of the Bondsmiths.

As a big part of that uptick, I thank you.

On 5/29/2026 at 7:13 PM, Frustration said:

I therefore propose that just as Bondsmiths hold the powers of Connection, Truthwatchers hold the powers of Fortune.

I strongly agree. I often see people associating Renarin's visions with the fact that Glys is Enlightened. And, while that probably has some impact on it, I do think Fortune has always been part of the Truthwatcher toolkit to some degree. Brandon has mentioned that Truthwatchers are more closely linked to the Spiritual Realm than the other Orders (except Bondsmiths). Which I think supports this idea as well. 

 

While we are on the subjects of the Double Eye and Truest Surges... Something else that bothers me about the Double Eye is there's some asymmetry to Honor's truest surge and Cultivation's truest surge both being on the right side. Might just be me, but my brain really wants them to be in mirrored positions. Which got me wondering if the Surges that do mirror them (Tension and Illumination) have anything to do with H+C. And it's almost just the opposite. 

I'm a little tempted to throw up the idea of Illumination being Honor's "falsest" Surge or some other catchier name. Basically, the Surge least aligned with Honor's Intent. I doubt Liespren resonate well with Honor.

Similarly, that would make Tension Cultivation's "falsest" Surge. Which is a tougher sell to me.. I guess you could say Tension makes things less susceptible to change. And Peakspren are probably the least fluid of the True Spren.

I'm sure this has all been said before somewhere. But maybe there should be some implied axii along the diagonals of the Double Eye to represent alignment with the Shardic Intents?