blueshard Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 In terms of abilities and ideals. I've been confused by this because Kaladin and Szeth seem to have similar capabilities (fly, walk on walls, etc.). Where is the difference between those two orders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsentKeeper he/him Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Have you finished the books? If not, read no further. Spoiler Szeth has the powers of a Windrunner up until the end of WoR, due to his Honorblade. The reason their powers are the same is because Szeth doesn't become a Skybreaker until the end of WoR. In answer to your actual question, the Windrunners have access to the Surge of Adhesion (the full lashing), while Skybreakers have the Surge of Division, which we haven't seen yet. They share the Surge of Gravitation, which allows the basic lashing, thus why they can both fly and walk on walls. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueshard Posted October 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 I am currently re-reading the books but I hadn't noticed that. Thank you for illuminating the darkness of my ignorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weltall Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Another point of difference in their respective powers is that each of the Orders has what's provisionally being called a Resonance (Brandon uses the term but hasn't made it canon yet so you won't find it in the books) which is an effect of possessing multiple magics at the same time, within certain limitations. These don't necessarily have effects obviously related to the Surges themselves: Windrunners have Gravitation and Adhesion and their Resonance is 'having more and stronger squires'. Skybreakers appear to have 'the ability to determine guilt or innocence' per the in-universe book Words of Radiance. As an aside, while it hasn't been published yet Brandon was once asked if he would give us new information about the Skybreakers for a book signing and responded with their Second Ideal: I will put the law before all else. The philosophical differences between Skybreakers and Windrunners start right there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsidqiyah he/him Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Also note that in WoK and WoR Szeth has the Honorblade that grants Windrunner abilities. I don't think we have actually seen him use Skybreaker powers yets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksiel Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Windrunners' ideal so far are about protecting. We know only the first specific Skybreaker ideal: 'I will put the law above all else.' source WR are about what's right according to personal standard and SB rely on the law, which has a potential to cause a serious conflict between those Orders and is possible it already happened in the past. One theory suggests SB are the Order that didn't abandon their oaths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Also, I think Szeth is more of an honorary Skybreaker as he (as far as we know), hasn't bonded a highspren but instead has a bond with Nightblood. I believe there's a WoB floating around that his bond with Nightblood should grant him some sort of powers, or at least that Nightblood thinks he can grant access to some of the surges. I doubt Szeth will end up with gravitation and division though. Edited October 16, 2017 by Ryder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The One Who Connects he/him Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 14 hours ago, Ryder said: I doubt Szeth will end up with gravitation and division though. I kinda think he will. Or rather, a facsimile that is essentially the same. I've been persuaded recently thanks to a discussion about Cosmere easter eggs in The Stormlight Archives. Nightblood should grant the normal powers from a literary perspective. Brandon will either have a heck of a time explaining away why he grants something else in order to appease the average reader's suspension of disbelief, or have him grant the same powers. He might even blame it on Szeth and the Skybreaker's "Perception" of what it should grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksiel Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 @The One Who Connects Nightblood isn't a radiant spren, why would he grant surges? If he does, I'd expect to be different than the typical skybreaker spren since he isn't one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toaster Retribution he/him Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 32 minutes ago, Aleksiel said: @The One Who Connects Nightblood isn't a radiant spren, why would he grant surges? If he does, I'd expect to be different than the typical skybreaker spren since he isn't one. I think that Roshars magic, with the bond focus, makes bonds grant specific effects, which is why people suppose that Szeth will get something from Nightblood. That said, the only reason I can see for him getting the Skybreaker surges is his perception, just like @The One Who Connects stated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigalemesh he/him Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 There is definitely a WoB that someone on Roshar who was bonded to a Seon (from Elantris) would get powers from that bond, so there is definitely reason to believe bonding something other than the regular spren would give you powers. I personally think it would be quite strange if the powers granted aligned with the skybreaker powers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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