Spren Cousins

[Scriptorian]

So basically I'd like to discuss the various bonding spren and their relation to "normal" spren. 

 

We have explicit confirmation that Syl (and presumably all honorspren) and windspren are cousins. The most apparent difference between the two is the honorspren's ability to form a Nahel bond and gain sentience in the Physical Realm. I also presume that within Shadesmar, honorspren are fully sentient with windspren less so. Otherwise, honorspren and windspren are very similar in temperament and appearance. So may question is, do all spren capable of bonding have a "cousin" among the regular spren? I would bet this is the case, so I'd like to theorize what spren we've seen that could be related to bonding spren.

 

I think the most likely case is the stormspren and angerspren. In WoR, their consistently described similarly. Eshoni's description of angerspren is very close to how Syl sees the stormspren. I believe Adolin also mentions how the spren leaving the dead Voidbringers resemble angerspren. 

 

I bet Cryptics and creationspren are also related, for several reasons, most of which are purely circumstantial. I first started thinking this when I saw the similarities between how Shallan attracted dozens of creationspren when she drew Pattern and how Kaladin attracted a bunch of windspren while flying. Then I started thinking about how the creationspren's nature seems a good match for what we know of a typical Lightweavers artistic ability. Then Pattern mentions that he doesn't like creationspren much because the don't do anything besides show up when other people do stuff, which seems kind of an odd thing to mention. I seem to recall him also saying that his own kind are prone to inaction. Is there a connection here?

 

While I'm thinking of it, most of the radiant spren we've seen have a resemblance to their associated essence: Syl is like air/wind, Wyndle has crystals in his form, Ivory looks oily, Ym's spren is a glowing plant. Of course, Pattern doesn't look like blood, and I'm not sure how the Stormfather resembles "Meat, flesh". Maybe he has a corporeal form?

 

Anyways, we can probably try and figure out the rest of the radiant spren's relation based on their predicated appearance. I think a lot of people have already speculated that a Dustbringer/Releaser's spren would resemble a flamespren.

 

The Skybreaker's essence is smoke, so maybe the logicspren Shallan mentions in WoK? They're supposed to look like "tiny stormclouds", and logic might fit with the highspren's thing with legality.

 

I've thought for a while that the "cometspren" from the Eshonai chapters would be related to starspren (Whether they're the spren for WIllshapers or Skybreakers has been widely discussed). Starspren are supposed to be rare, yet Sanderson keeps mentioning them, and they would probably resemble a comet in form. So, maybe?

 

As for the rest of the orders, Truthwatcher spren = lifespren? I don't believe we've seen any spren resembling Ivory or Wyndle, and we haven't seen the Stonward's spren, that I know of.

 

I wonder if the spren used to animate the Ten Deaths are related to the same spren as their corresponding radiant spren...(I am assuming that we have Death for each Essence)

 

Okay, done rambling. You may resume your regularly scheduled theorizing. 

Edited November 16, 2014 by Serendipity

[gjustice99]

Wow I never thought of that before. This is an amazing idea and I think that it is very likely to be true. 

[Unhinged]

As for the rest of the orders, Truthwatcher spren = lifespren? I don't believe we've seen any spren resembling Ivory or Wyndle, and we haven't seen the Stonward's spren, that I know of.

 

Lifespren might fit better with Wyndle since we've seen him help Lift grow stuff. But the again we know nothing about Glys so I could be wrong.

[Scriptorian]

Lifespren might fit better with Wyndle since we've seen him help Lift grow stuff. But the again we know nothing about Glys so I could be wrong.

Truthwatchers have Progression too, and both lifespren and Ym's spren glow. This was my only real reasoning.

[Unhinged]

Truthwatchers have Progression too, and both lifespren and Ym's spren glow. This was my only real reasoning.

Ah I forgot Ym good call.

[Oudeis]

Ym is almost certainly either a Truthwatcher or an Edgedancer, since he used Progression. The fact that his spren looks different from Wyndle leads me to believe that he's a Truthwatcher, though this is less certain.

 

I actually disagree with you when you say that Pattern doesn't look like blood. Unless he's floating as a ball in the air, Pattern travels everywhere just beneath the surface of things. That says 'blood' to me.

 

And yes, I've believed for a long time that the various Nahel spren are cousins to the spren of the various essences. I had not previously thought to connect them to the Ten Death spren; we know an ENORMOUS spren is what made the Thunderclast. Perhaps they change size when corrupted?

[Edgedancer]

And yes, I've believed for a long time that the various Nahel spren are cousins to the spren of the various essences. I had not previously thought to connect them to the Ten Death spren; we know an ENORMOUS spren is what made the Thunderclast. Perhaps they change size when corrupted?

Didn´t Shallan see a exhaustion Spren that was way larger in the cognitive than in the physical realm? There might be a connection.Could Odium or one of his forces be attacking the borders between the realms and use that breach to send stronger forces in the form of his Spren? (New random theory go!)