Oversleep Posted February 16, 2017 Posted February 16, 2017 16 hours ago, Calderis said: A Ryshadium bonds with its chosen rider. We know that Ryshadium bond with spren which is the source of their unusal level of sapience but I don't think we have anything about them bonding with their riders...?
Fezzik Posted February 16, 2017 Posted February 16, 2017 It is not a "bond", but WoK 15 says a Ryshadium chooses its rider, and not everyone is worthy of the horse. It sounds like a general spren-ish bond, with none of the individuality of, say, a cryptic vs an honorspen.
Spoolofwhool Posted February 17, 2017 Posted February 17, 2017 1 hour ago, john203 said: It is not a "bond", but WoK 15 says a Ryshadium chooses its rider, and not everyone is worthy of the horse. It sounds like a general spren-ish bond, with none of the individuality of, say, a cryptic vs an honorspen. Sounds more like a domesticated-preference bond versus something realmatic. 1
Calderis he/him Posted February 17, 2017 Posted February 17, 2017 I think that is just it though. The focus as bounds means that all bonds are significant. If one or both parties involved in the bond is investiture based, then something will happen. The nahel bond causes powers because of the bond itself. This is why Brandon has stated that a seon on Roshar would cause something similar. It's why Nightblood's bond is going to do something for Szeth. Normal bonds are effected by Realmatics anywhere possible. If a bond does not create a magic effect I think that has to do with the nature of those involved and not the bond itself. I think this is why both Odium and the Heralds themselves are bound to the Greater Roshar system. Obviously this is all speculation but to me it fits.
Spoolofwhool Posted February 17, 2017 Posted February 17, 2017 42 minutes ago, Calderis said: I think that is just it though. The focus as bounds means that all bonds are significant. If one or both parties involved in the bond is investiture based, then something will happen. With Ryshadium's though, we don't have evidence of either party adding some investiture to make the bond significant. Either way, I'm not convinced there's anything realmatic with them. They're just sentient horses smart enough to decide whether they prefer one person over another in my opinion. At the stage we're at, whether the bond or the bonded entity is the important factor isn't really that important since the investiture-based bonded entity likely determines the nature of the bond. In any case though, I don't think it's generally bonds on Roshar which grant enhancements, but more accurately bonds to splinters. At the same time, I agree with the assessment that splinters are the foci of the magics on Roshar. In any case, I feel we have a stronger argument for them being the foci than bonds since spren are directly involved in fabrials, which are the third manifestation of investiture on Roshar by accounts, and there doesn't seem to be a bond going on, unless there is a thought the spren is bonded to the gemstone and somehow granting it an enhancement which is then spreading into the overall machine. 2
ArborealEtymologist Posted March 23, 2017 Posted March 23, 2017 The bond as focus! I like this a lot. (Though distinguishing between the Spren and the Bond may not be necessary in the end - i.e. would the same type of Spren be able to form a different type of bond? We have not seen this yet in Stormlight Archive so far as I know - Voidspren being distinct from the Spren that form Nahel bonds.) There may be a relevant implication of using the word "Nahel" for the bond between human and spren. With the word having connotations of "Quenching" (as in thirst), and knowing that surgebinders must first be broken in some way, It has seemed to me that different Spren are attracted to different "shapes" of brokenness. The Spren, in the Nahel bond, quenches, or fills, the hole in a person created by their brokenness. So, more specifically, if we are looking for the specific "shape" for our bond-focus/filter, might it be this? Investiture: The Spren, as pieces of shardic power, become linked to a person. That link is formed by the Spren choosing to bond someone with a form of brokeness that matches their nature (or perhaps which is the inverse of their nature?). They graft themselves into the person's soul(Cognitive Aspect?), filling the brokeness and reforging the person into a newly "whole" person. This investiture turns the person into a fun factory that can squeeze stormlight/play-doh. Focus: So, now bonded, the person can breathe-in play-doh. (No, Lift! You're not supposed to eat that, silly child!) The Stormlight may then be expressed through the filter/"shape" of their soul-graft. Effect: Ok, so I'm still fuzzy here - why do we get 2 distinct expressions/surges (plus the additional side-effect of each combination)? - Is it that the bond works in 2 directions? The spren completing the person's brokeness while the person completes the Spren's sentience? Implying that each type of bond-forming Spren requires a different aspect of sentience to become whole. (This one has me stewing - must go start new topic to discuss!) - Or is that the Spren which form Nahel bonds already have some duality in their nature? (E.g. Do Honorspren have both a "Protecting/Leading/Adhesive" and a "Just/Confident/Gravitational" aspect?)
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