Dustbringers' Division Surge

[Cheese Ninja he/him]

Judging from what we see in Dalinar's vision of the Purelake, the Division Surge allows a Dustbringer to infuse normal people with Stormlight, dividing their own Stormlight reserves among others.  This has much the same strength/speed/healing benefits we see when Kaladin or Szeth absorb Stormlight, but to a lesser degree.

Dalinar finished repeating the words. Beyond him, the fight began in earnest, water splashing, rock grinding. Soldiers approached bearing hammers, and unexpectedly, these men now also glowed with Stormlight, though far more faintly.

The alternate proposed theory is that these are simply Surgebinders in training to become Knights Radiants.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Cheese Ninja

[11thorderknight]

I totally read that as non-Radiant surgebinders

[marianmi]

Non radiant surgebinders would glow more than radiants, since they leak more stormlight.

Maybe the were "infused" to gain strength to wield their hammers.

[Kurkistan he/him]

Non radiant surgebinders would glow more than radiants, since they leak more stormlight.

Maybe the were "infused" to gain strength to wield their hammers.

 

That logic doesn't necessarily follow. Gemstones hold stormlight and glow quite fiercely for days at a time: I don't think that faster/slower "leaking" can necessarily be correlated to how brightly an infused object/person glows.

[hoser he/him]

I wonder whether it would help to have a "none of the above" option.

 

I think the division surge can be used to destroy things as it is shared w/the Skybreakersand it could be used to turn things to dust.  Kalak looked at smoldering rock and mused that the Dustbringers had done their work well. 

 

They could be trainees.  Could there be a fabrial that would let regular soldiers infuse?

[marianmi]

That logic doesn't necessarily follow. Gemstones hold stormlight and glow quite fiercely for days at a time: I don't think that faster/slower "leaking" can necessarily be correlated to how brightly an infused object/person glows.

 

Comparing humans with gemstones makes no sense. Gemstones don't glow because they leak stormlight.

[Morsk he/him]

It could be a quirky Order 3 thing that isn't a Surge, like Kaladin's storm-riding and breath-holding. Order 3 is Bravery/Obedience. Maybe they can inspire this in normal soldiers who are sufficiently obedient to them, and brave.

[Satsuoni he/him]

Another possibility is that all full Radiants can share a bit of abilities with their trained follower. (Which is not to say that it is probable, but it is a possibility)

[Kurkistan he/him]

Comparing humans with gemstones makes no sense. Gemstones don't glow because they leak stormlight.

 

I think it makes a bit of sense, what with the whole "containing stormlight and glowing" thing.

[DocHoliday he/him]

 

I think the division surge can be used to destroy things as it is shared w/the Skybreakersand it could be used to turn things to dust.  Kalak looked at smoldering rock and mused that the Dustbringers had done their work well. 

 

They could be trainees.  Could there be a fabrial that would let regular soldiers infuse?

Ditto. From Kalak I surmised that the Division surge is highly destructive in nature. A possibility is that it is a form of 'gifting' though, I'm not ruling anything out until we know if Windrunners are limited to the 3 Lashings.

 

Comparing humans with gemstones makes no sense. Gemstones don't glow because they leak stormlight.

And you know this how? Keep in mind that they run out of Stormlight and need regular replenishing. It is a process that takes time, but Kaladin doesn't lose all his Stormlight immediately either.

 

Edit: removed double quote.

Edited January 15, 2014 by DocHoliday

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

Kaladin doesn't glow by default when he has Stormlight. At least not a noticeable amount like these guys. I think there is something more going on here, but I'm voting for the one I like the best - the Division one.

[The Rooster he/him]

I was thinking of division before this as most of you probably were given the expected explosive nature odf Dustbringers, for it to mean dividing (i.e. blowing up or separating) things.  But this really makes sense.  I approve!

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

I was thinking of division before this as most of you probably were given the expected explosive nature odf Dustbringers, for it to mean dividing (i.e. blowing up or separating) things.  But this really makes sense.  I approve!

It could still do that! what if it splits atoms and causes explosions? Something like that?

[Natans he/him]

About the troop of semi-radiant dudes, I was thinking, some of the bridgemen had odd "healings" after they come in contact with Kaladin.

See Dabbid that had a would that should have killed, Teft with the arrow in the shoulder, Skar with a arrow in the foot all.

 

In on POV Teft commented that he wasn't felling as much pain as he should.

 

Maybe the radiant have some kind of area of affect power tha let them share a fraction of their power with their men.

 

For what understand there are Power Levels in the Radiand order. (see sly recent comment),maybe a full Radiant  could share a little of stormlight with his men, what would explain the comment in the first book "I can't pomise a place in any order but you could be a soldier" in Dalinar vision.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Natans

[The Rooster he/him]

It could still do that! what if it splits atoms and causes explosions? Something like that?

That's it! Atom splitting.  The final surge is radiation!  No wonder Roshar has such F-ed up Fauna, it's essentially Fantasy Chernobyl

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

That's it! Atom splitting.  The final surge is radiation!  No wonder Roshar has such F-ed up Fauna, it's essentially Fantasy Chernobyl

See?! All our dreams are real!!!!

[askthepaperclip he/him]

Wait, joking right? I had assumed "division" meant nuclear fission...

[Darkarma he/him]

The way I always interpretted the glowing of the armor and blades was that it was an aspect of them that people no longer know how to access. Perhaps shardplates and shardblades each have their own Ideals? Look at oathbringer. Its very name sounds like it has an ideal behind it.

 

Shardplates may be a bit more generic but may share a basic ideal among them to activate latent abilities/power

Edited January 15, 2014 by Darkarma

[Bremen]

I always assumed swords like 'Oathbringer' got their names later and do not necessarily have anything to do with the sword's nature.

 

Look at Dalinar's vision of the radiants giving up their shards.  It's not like they stood their telling the people who grabbed them the names of the shards.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Bremen

[Swimmingly he/him]

I always assumed swords like 'Oathbringer' got their names later and do not necessarily have anything to do with the sword's nature.

 

Look at Dalinar's vision of the radiants giving up their shards.  It's not like they stood their telling the people who grabbed them the names of the shards.

If I was a knight with a magic sword, I would name it. It might even become known by that name. The guy that grabbed it after I left it on the field would probably keep the name, so he could tell his grandbabbies that he owned Oathbringer.

[Bremen]

If I was a knight with a magic sword, I would name it. It might even become known by that name. The guy that grabbed it after I left it on the field would probably keep the name, so he could tell his grandbabbies that he owned Oathbringer.

Except knights with magic swords were hardly special.  It would be like one of us naming our car.

[Swimmingly he/him]

Except knights with magic swords were hardly special.  It would be like one of us naming our car.

More like a U.S. marine naming their gun. Knights were pretty special - not rare, but the majority of people emphatically were NOT of the KR.

 

Besides, I call my car Bessie.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Swimmingly

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

Mine's named Beyonce (BEE-Ahnce)

[hoser he/him]

The swords were unique and fantastic art pieces.  I call my Ford Escort Emma.  I would totally name a Shardblade linked to my soul.  I envy Bloodfalcon his "car".

[Shardlet he/him]

I vote for none of the above.  My personal idea is that division is the ability to manipulate molecular (not atomic) bonds.  Thus, what once was a rock becomes dust.  In the case of the Purelake vision, I think the KR is a Dustbringer who uses friction and division to make it easier for herself to move through the water by reducing friction and eliminating the polar bonds thus decreasing the viscosity (resistance to flow) of the water.