Releasers

[Maverick]

Hey my first thread here I know there are probably many threads that deal with the Radiant Orders but I haven't seen any dedicated solely to the Dustbringers/Releasers yet.
 
So the Order of Releasers. The can access the Surges of Abrasion and Division sharing them with the Edgedancers and Skybreakers. Their patron was Chanarach and their divine attributes are Brave and Obedient.
 
So,,,
What are their powers like? We get some hints at them. In the prelude of Way of Kings where Kalak comments on how destructive they dealt with the enemy.

What Oaths do they swear?

What spren do they bond with? My money's on Ashspren.

How would Vorin society react to them seeing as having red eyes marks you as something evil ala Voidbringers

And any people we feel may become a Releaser in the future or represent them for their book out of the ten?

 

Please anyone feel free to share your own ideas of what a Releaser would be like. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.

[Kobold King]

I believe that one of their Ideals will be either "I will destroy my enemies" or "I will destroy evil." Either way, this would help Adolin bond a Dustbringer spren (flamespren?), given his characterization by the end of Words of Radiance.

[Bort]

"I will destroy evil."

 

Please, Brandon, please make Nightblood speak the Dustbringer oaths.

[FormlessFox]

Hey my first thread here I know there are probably many threads that deal with the Radiant Orders but I haven't seen any dedicated solely to the Dustbringers/Releasers yet.

 

So the Order of Releasers. The can access the Surges of Abrasion and Division sharing them with the Edgedancers and Skybreakers. Their patron was Chanarach and their divine attributes are Brave and Obedient.

 

So,,,

What are their powers like? We get some hints at them. In the prelude of Way of Kings where Kalak comments on how destructive they dealt with the enemy.

What Oaths do they swear?

What spren do they bond with? My money's on Ashspren.

How would Vorin society react to them seeing as having red eyes marks you as something evil ala Voidbringers

And any people we feel may become a Releaser in the future or represent them for their book out of the ten?

 

Please anyone feel free to share your own ideas of what a Releaser would be like. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.

 

{{SPOILERS BELOW - WoK & WoR}}

 

Hello, this will be my first post here after lurking on theories for a long time.

 

Dustbringer hints in the books: (I read on my iphone so page numbers won't help sorry)

I believe we have actually seen a Releaser in one of Dalinar's visions.  The one in Words of Radiance where he sees a Radiant glowing red walking through water effortlessly (guessing abrasion assisted and shardplate glows the color of your order - windrunners and stonewards were described as glowing blue and amber in way of kings).  In Way of Kings, Jasnah when speaking of the 10 orders mentions that one surge was capable of burning stone with a touch. 

 

Possible spren to be bonded:

Flamespren (obvious flame/burning connection)

Painspren (pain is necessary.. pain lets the body know to fight and resist... pain in a positive narrative maybe)

Gloryspren (step 1: slide in, step 2: BURN step 3: glory?)

 

Surge potential in battle:

 

I am guessing that Edgedancers use their abrasion and regrowth to be the combat medics sliding around the battlefield healing the wounded while using their shards when they can be useful.

 

The Releasers are most likely the guys who slide in and take down the Thunderclasts made of stone or other high value targets.  It would be really cool if they slid in and grabbed a Thunderclast increasing the friction on their hand so they not lose their grip while burning the enemy from existence.

 

Possible Oaths:

 

I believe the name "Releasors" is going to be related to "releasing" the void spren from whatever creatures they make or perhaps just simply releasing the soul from the body.  So something related to removing the evil parasite from the sacred stones.

 

Releasor Canidates:

 

I agree with most people who say Adolin or Rysn.  

 

Adolin is brave and obedient as displayed by his reluctance to depose his father even though he thirsts for battles.  He also honors the Codes before he finds out Dalinars visions are real even though his Calling is dueling.  He allows himself to be muzzled by his fathers honor and is obviously brave... although maybe he will need to have a out of shardplate experience to be considered truly brave.

 

Rysn shows obvious bravery (aka boldness) when confronting the huge spren "god". 

[Oversleep]

To me, the name Releasers was about releasing vast amounts of power... like, say, explosions and stuff. As Kalak observed, they made even rocks burn. I think it's also a safe guess they were about "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" given the name Dustbringers and Surges of Division and Abrasion.
If Division lets you part a given object into dust and you can simultaneously manipulate friction between those molecules with Abrasion, then... I am not sure, what. Any physicist here?

[FormlessFox]

Hmm I thought division meant to divide your cells on an atomic level kind of like Dr. Manhattan touch and explode type power.  I pictured it as an immensely powerful surge that would be balanced by high stormlight cost.  But its all guesswork at this point.

[Oversleep]

Hmm I thought division meant to divide your cells on an atomic level kind of like Dr. Manhattan touch and explode type power.  I pictured it as an immensely powerful surge that would be balanced by high stormlight cost.  But its all guesswork at this point.

On the other hand, dividing atoms means some nuclear explosions, so it would be a little overpowered.

[maxal]

Releasor Canidates:

 

I agree with most people who say Adolin or Rysn.  

 

Adolin is brave and obedient as displayed by his reluctance to depose his father even though he thirsts for battles.  He also honors the Codes before he finds out Dalinars visions are real even though his Calling is dueling.  He allows himself to be muzzled by his fathers honor and is obviously brave... although maybe he will need to have a out of shardplate experience to be considered truly brave.

 

Rysn shows obvious bravery (aka boldness) when confronting the huge spren "god". 

 

Nope, not Adolin. Never does anything for the shake of being brave. We don't enough about Rysn, maybe, maybe not. 

[baby]

On the other hand, dividing atoms means some nuclear explosions, so it would be a little overpowered.

Just a bit.

[Stormgate]

Maybe it has to do with turning the molecular bonds into heat.

[DreamEternal]

Adolin is brave and obedient as displayed by his reluctance to depose his father even though he thirsts for battles. He also honors the Codes before he finds out Dalinars visions are real even though his Calling is dueling.

Adolin does not thirst for battle, he just wants to have a normal, healthy family that is not the laughing stock of Alethkar. Which in the twisted standarts of the aleti elite means going to war. The very possibility of deposing his father was against his goal of saving his family.

In the final battle, after he loses the Thrill, he is horrified by how he was slaughtering defenseless parshendi, even if it was necessary. While I doubt any radiant would be happy with that task, could a member of an order as feared as the releasers drop his blade in disgust at his own actions in the middle of a storming battle for the fate of the world?

Edited December 4, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[DSC01]

...could a member of an order as feared as the releasers drop his blade in disgust at his own actions in the middle of a storming battle for the fate of the world?

A proto-Releaser, just realizing how twisted the Alethi glorification of slaughter is? Probably.

[DreamEternal]

A proto-Releaser, just realizing how twisted the Alethi glorification of slaughter is? Probably.

It isn't about the glorification of slaughter. I doubt any Radiant would be proud of killing defenselesd parshendi as they sung. It is about letting it shake him to the point he was unable to fight until there came the opportunity of a fair battle instead of a butchery, when that butchery was necessary. The way I see it, dustbringers first do their duty, them feel bad about it when they have time.

EDIT: unless you theorize the Releasers were hated so much because they sympathised with the parshendi. Now that would make them very interesting

Edited December 4, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[DSC01]

It's the "proto" part that is key to what I'm talking about. At this point, we're all just speculating about the degree to which a potential member of an order should be expected to behave according to that order's ideals (which we don't even really know yet).

[FormlessFox]

Being disgusted by the Thrill should not rule Adolin out as the Thrill's source is one of the evil voidbringer gods i think. Also dropping his sword shouldnt disqualify him either. Even Dalinar shows weakness when confronted by his revulsion. Weakness can equal strength. Dalinar and Adolin are strong enough to realize what they are doing is wrong.

Adolin is brave because being loyal to dalinar took bravery. How many other lighteyes would have betrayed their father and been cheered for it by the other high princes? The easy way would be to abandon his father. Also his CALLING is dueling. He dedicated his life to It basically. When it comes to dealing with Sadeas he uses force through duels and then through removing Sadeas with violence. He doesnt shy away when he sees Eshonai on a plateau run screaming "FIGHT ME". This is Sanderson we are talking about i doubt bravery will be a face value charging the biggest guy = bravery. Especially considering the first ideals discussion of strength and weakness. Either way Adolin has a lot of growth before he gets powers i think

Another possible canidate could be Moash. I am not saying he is anywhere near manifesing his powers but he was focused on killing as a solution to his problems. That sounds very dustbringer to me as their problemsolving skillset will probly revolve around destroying for the better good.

[DreamEternal]

Even then, all Adolin did by following the codes felt more like not wanting to contradict his father he respects so much than any sense of duty.

Plus, is Adolin really any braver than Dalinar, who made himself the laughting stock of the nation because of his honor, or Shallan, who killed her father to save her family, or Kaladin, the eternal rebel?

No, he is just an insecure young man who failed every romantic relationship he started, can't form deep friendships, worships his father above all else, and most of all, does not want to see his family fall apart.

Adolin may be a shardbearer champion and fourth in line for the throne of Alethkar, but deep down he is just a normal guy who wants everyone to be happy. He may have killed Sadeas, but it was an irrational impulse of a man who is tired, angry, wounded and hears from a man who almost killed his family that he would strike again.

Now, what motivates Adolin? What would make him a Radiant? Perhaps we should look at the small good things that he does and thinks, since not everyone needs to have one defining moment of moral solidity.

He cares about others. He does not want others to suffer. He was the one who felt how pointless were the deaths caused by the chasmfiend hunt, not Dalinar. He was the one who saved the whore at Sadeas' warcamp. He was the one who remembered the names of the soldiers killed by Sadeas' trap. He keeps a trinket from his dead mother, not Renarin. He talks to his Blade(which used to be an Edgedancer spren) and refuses to name it, almost as he knew its true nature subcounciously. He imprisioned himself in protest after Elhokar had Kaladin arrested. He cares when others forget.

That is why I believe he will be an Edgedancer.

Edited December 4, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[maxal]

Even then, all Adolin did by following the codes felt more like not wanting to contradict his father he respects so much than any sense of duty.

Plus, is Adolin really any braver than Dalinar, who made himself the laughting stock of the nation because of his honor, or Shallan, who killed her father to save her family, or Kaladin, the eternal rebel?

No, he is just an insecure young man who failed every romantic relationship he started, can't form deep friendships, worships his father above all else, and most of all, does not want to see his family fall apart.

Adolin may be a shardbearer champion and fourth in line for the throne of Alethkar, but deep down he is just a normal guy who wants everyone to be happy. He may have killed Sadeas, but it was an irrational impulse of a man who is tired, angry, wounded and hears from a man who almost killed his family that he would strike again.

Now, what motivates Adolin? What would make him a Radiant? Perhaps we should look at the small good things that he does and thinks, since not everyone needs to have one defining moment of moral solidity.

He cares about others. He does not want others to suffer. He was the one who felt how pointless were the deaths caused by the chasmfiend hunt, not Dalinar. He was the one who saved the whore at Sadeas' warcamp. He was the one who remembered the names of the soldiers killed by Sadeas' trap. He keeps a trinket from his dead mother, not Renarin. He talks to his Blade(which used to be an Edgedancer spren) and refuses to name it, almost as he knew its true nature subcounciously. He imprisioned himself in protest after Elhokar had Kaladin arrested. He cares when others forget.

That is why I believe he will be an Edgedancer.

 

Bravo       You said in one post what I wished to say earlier today when I was unable to answer as the Stormlight Archive may be greatest book of all time, writing about it does not bring the bacon home   Unless you are Brandon himself, of course 

 

While we do not know much about the Releasers, I do agree with you it seems suspicious a member of this order would be incapacitated on the battlefield due to being forced to slaughter defenseless opponents as let's get the facts straight: the singers needed to be killed. They may have been used, they may not have wished to create the Everstorm, but they were foes who, had they succeed, would have caused many more deaths.

 

As for Dalinar showing weaknesses in the absence of the Thrill, need I to point out he never was incapacitated in such a fashion. He mentioned feeling ill, disgusted, but he kept fighting. His skill level may have been reduced, but he did not shake, nor tremble, nor was just rendered basically useless in the middle of a battlefield. It should also be stated Dalinar had several fights without the Thrill while Adolin ends up once in a fight without its support and loses all his means. 

 

I also do strongly agree with CognitivePulse who stated it so wisely: Adolin is brave. We aren't going to argue about that, but is he truly braver than Dalinar, Kaladin, Shallan or even Renarin?

 

I'd go even farther and speculate being a Releaser is about overcoming one's fears, about not letting those take control of you which essentially is the opposite of Adolin. He is afraid. Deeply. He is insecure and afraid something bad will happen to those he loves. As he saw justification for this fear in the person of Szeth, he reacts harshly by refusing to sleep, refusing to remove his Plate and utterly failing at controlling his Blade. Him. The Great Deadly Soldier. The Best Duelist in All Alethkar. Him who has owned a Blade since he mid-teen years. Him failed to control his Blade. 

 

I also have come to believe he is afraid of developing deeper relationships. He is afraid of opening-up to people as he then encounters the risk to be rejected, abandoned and hurt. 

 

In other words, Adolin is afraid to be afraid, but this fear is not shown in the area where he is the most apt: fighting. Hence he comes across as being brave and bold, which he is, but he has yet to show any bravery outside the battlefield. 

 

What is he then? Caring. He just cares. He genuinely wants to help people which is why we are left with a wide array of apparently random actions on his part: rescuing a prostitute, wanting to help his father fulfill his plan, helping Kaladin, helping Shallan... He is basically this eager boy who, when he sees someone in need. promptly comes forth to help. He is the kid who holds of the door or rushes to help elderly to cross the street or carries bag without being asked for and without asking for a reward afterwards.

 

I absolutely love the line: "He cares when others forget". Brilliant. I wish I had wrote it 

 

I thus agree, he is an Edgedancer in the making. 

[DreamEternal]

Thank you for the compliment, Maxal. Truth to be told, most of what I wrote was mere repetition of what you explained much more fluently before, in other threads. Actualy, you was the one who convinced me to accept the "Adolin as an Edgedancer" theory. I myself was convinced he would remain sprenless forever before discovering that theory.

[Dahak]

If Division lets you part a given object into dust and you can simultaneously manipulate friction between those molecules with Abrasion, then... I am not sure, what. Any physicist here?

 

That sounds awfully like the necessary conditions for a dust explosion.

 

So Boom.

 

[maxal]

Thank you for the compliment, Maxal. Truth to be told, most of what I wrote was mere repetition of what you explained much more fluently before, in other threads. Actualy, you was the one who convinced me to accept the "Adolin as an Edgedancer" theory. I myself was convinced he would remain sprenless forever before discovering that theory.

 

You are good student then  I am proud of you   And it proves at least one person read my essays  I did not initially want to write one in this thread such as not to encumber another one with my "Adolin's ramblings".

[Oversleep]

That sounds awfully like the necessary conditions for a dust explosion.

 

So Boom.

 

Yeah, but dust explosion occurs when dust is flammable. Dustabringers are said to be able set rocks on fire.

I cannot wait these long, long years to have their abilities explained in scientific scientifish way. Unless we get some Dustbringer soon!

 

(step 1: slide in, step 2: BURN step 3: glory?)

 

Surge potential in battle:

(...)

 

The Releasers are most likely the guys who slide in and take down the Thunderclasts made of stone or other high value targets.  It would be really cool if they slid in and grabbed a Thunderclast increasing the friction on their hand so they not lose their grip while burning the enemy from existence.

This image is so cool I cannot get it out of my mind. Dustbringer sliding in, grabbing the Thunderclast and dragging it through all the battlefield, crashing through Voidbringers while burning the beast. Such coolness potential.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Oversleep

[DreamEternal]

Yeah, but dust explosion occurs when dust is flammable. Dustabringers are said to be able set rocks on fire.

I cannot wait these long, long years to have their abilities explained in scientific scientifish way. Unless we get some Dustbringer soon!

This image is so cool I cannot get it out of my mind. Dustbringer sliding in, grabbing the Thunderclast and dragging it through all the battlefield, crashing through Voidbringers while burning the beast. Such coolness potential.

I dunno, most orders can be equaly awesome. Especialy if Kaladin did that shockwave trick with Adhesion. Also, Edgedancers, Windrunners and Stonewards could be a very useful combined force when voidbringers attack civilians, since the Edgedancers could dance between the enemy and trap them with instant vines while healing the wounded, while the windrunners lash crumbling buildings in place and clear debris, and the Stonewards raise walls around the area.

Plus, I may have a headcanon that Dalinar could use Adhesion and Tension to condense stormlight into a extremely dense fluid with great surface tension to form a whip-like blade of pure liquid investiture.

Rust, I am derailing this, aren't I?

Well, returning to the dustbringers, I can see why they would generaly fight as far from populated areas as possible, if I understand their surges right.

In my mind, Division would break the atomic bonds of solid matter to generate heat, in pratice turning what the surgebinder touches into molten dust. Combined with Abrasion, they could easily cover large areas with half-molten rock and so much dust it would be impossible to breath. The possibilities of hurting one's allies are so great I can see why they had such a bad rep.

The Skybreaker use of division would be more like crashing through walls like a storming meteor if it works this way. Good for breaking into fortified locations or taking down stoneclasts, but more like a directed missle than a carpet bombing.

Edited December 5, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[Stormgate]

Could someone please get the part of WoR where Kaladin and Shallan are in that cave sheltering from the highstorm and Kaladin starts to explain what he felt when Syl began bonding him, and Shallan interrupted him with something about seeing everything around you fall apart, trying to hold it together, but still falling anyway. There is a part in a recent post that would very much benefit from that quote.

Can you imagine what that would feel like, to watch everything you love start to fall, while you do whatever you can to keep it from collapsing, and then, in one moment, watching it falling anyway? Can you imagine what that would feel like, realizing that despite your best efforts, everything you loved was gone, and you could do nothing? What must that feel like, a feeling of anguish so strong and overpowering, that you wish you could explode, to scatter yourself into pieces, if only to get rid of the feeling? The Princess Bride described the feeling: "That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when my father died. The man in black makes it now."

Edited December 5, 2015 by Stormgate

[Oversleep]

The Skybreaker use of division would be more like crashing through walls like a storming meteor if it works this way. Good for breaking into fortified locations or taking down stoneclasts, but more like a directed missle than a carpet bombing.

The Skybreakers: they fall from the sky and break everything in their way! Join them now!

The Skybreakers personify the very concept of inevitability of punishment. You cannot run away from Skybreaker, he will fly after you. You cannot hide from Skybreaker by retreating into fortress - he would simply Lash himself in its direction and destroy everything in his way. He is the law.

Also they would make some pretty Ground-Shattering Landings

[Edgedancer]

Am I the only one that thinks Szeth may turn out as an Releaser/Dustbringer? Granted most what we know about the orders is rather vague but as far as I see it the attributes connected to an order are not only the attributes they embody but also the parts of them were they received their scars, the part that would make it much easier for them if they just gave up on it. And really that's where I see Szeth's possible character growth going or at least where I see it if he wants the chance for redemption. The question wheter or not he should obey something like his oathstone or now Nin, his supposed god, and if that is really a sign of strenght like Nin seems to think or cowardice to not let go of what he's told and actually stand up for what he thinks is right, like Kaladin planted it in his head. Plus, the question if he should really be going after the stone shamans and the theorized "I will destroy evil" ideal of the Dustbringers would match with his new partner.

 

For a more meta reasoning, it'd be nice to see a curveball being thrown after he was taken under the "Skybreakers" wings.