Jump to content

[OB] Order specific surges


Recommended Posts

We have a few WoB's which suggest that orders of KR have "surges" (in this Wob "quirks") specific to their order.  Here is an example:

Wetlander

In addition to the two abilities given by each surge, does a Knight Radiant order have a third blended ability, the interaction of its two given surges?

Brandon Sanderson

Not specifically as phrased there, but each order has quirks that are unique to it. They are magical quirks, but it's not necessarily a blend of the powers.

 

There is quite a bit of speculation on the subject. I add this to reopen the topic as I am certainly not the first to discuss this subject.  Lets start with the surges:

Quote

The Ten Surges

Adhesion Surge-glyph.svg Adhesion: The Surge of Pressure and Vacuum. It can be manipulated by Windrunners and Bondsmiths[1]

Gravitation Surge-glyph.svg Gravitation: The Surge of Gravity. It can be manipulated by Windrunners and Skybreakers[4]

Division Surge-glyph.svg Division: The Surge of Destruction and Decay. It can be manipulated by Skybreakers and Dustbringers[2]

Abrasion Surge-glyph.svg Abrasion: The Surge of Friction. It can be manipulated by Dustbringers and Edgedancers[2]

Progression Surge-glyph.svg Progression: The Surge of Growth and Healing, or Regrowth. It can be manipulated by Edgedancers and Truthwatchers[2]

Illumination Surge-glyph.svg Illumination: The Surge of Light, Sound, and Various Waveforms. It can be manipulated by Lightweavers and Truthwatchers[5][6][7]

Transformation Surge-glyph.svg Transformation: The Surge of Soulcasting. It can be manipulated by Lightweavers and Elsecallers[1]

Transportation Surge-glyph.svg Transportation: The Surge of Motion and Realmatic Transition. It can be manipulated by Elsecallers and Willshapers[2]

Cohesion Surge-glyph.svg Cohesion: The Surge of Strong Axial Interconnection. It can be manipulated by Stonewards and Willshapers[2]

Tension Surge-glyph.svg Tension: The Surge of Soft Axial Interconnection. It can be manipulated by Stonewards and Bondsmiths[2]

So we have a "Round robin" type system with a possible confluence within the shared surges.  I would like to suggest a few, open to discussion (very wide in many cases).  My suggestions are quite wild in many cases.  I am attempting to solicit discussion and thinking:

Windrunners - Adhesion and Gravitation

Gravitation - drawing towards

Adhesion - a tight bond

Windrunners draw people (and perhaps spren) towards a tight knit group (much like bridge four). This explains the high number of squires.  The other effects such as windspren joining up to repel the storm to allow people to reach safety at the insistence of Kaladin.

Skybreakers - Gravitation and Division

Gravitation - Drawing towards

Division - Seperation

Skybreakers seem to be able to separate (on some level) good from evil amongst people.  Division seems rather undirected without a specific purpose.

 

Please add thoughts to this from other orders (Bondsmiths is kind of the next obvious choice)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are called Resonances FYI. I'm genuinely torn on how much to examine the content of the Surges when looking at these. 'Strength of Squires' for the Windrunners does seem as you point out to fit quite nicely with their Surges but does the Skybreakers ability to sort the quilty from the innocent fit with their Surges - I suppose somewhat but not obviously - and I really struggle to see how Illumination and Transformation together make the Lightweavers memory abilities. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, digitalbusker said:

Skybreakers:

They can Divide those who follow the law from those who don't, and Gravity... is a law?

Lightweavers:

Illumination shows you who you could be, and Transformation helps you become that. (I agree the mnemonics don't seem related.)

The Skybreaker's ability to determine guilt from innocence isn't their Resonance.

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171-oathbringer-release-party/#e8208

Quote

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

Similar to how Lightweavers have, kind of really good memories. Do the Skybreakers have any special abilities for telling guilty and innocent people apart?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

No. Good question.

 

It seems like Shallan's ability to take Memories is important to her ability to Lightweave, which is why it makes sense as a Resonance to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, RShara said:

The Skybreaker's ability to determine guilt from innocence isn't their Resonance.

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/171-oathbringer-release-party/#e8208

 

It seems like Shallan's ability to take Memories is important to her ability to Lightweave, which is why it makes sense as a Resonance to me.

Oh I agree there is a memory effect to being a Lightweaver. But it does seem like there's something going on with Shallan sketching idealized versions of people who then go on to act more like the sketch.

The skybreakers thing was mostly a joke.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, digitalbusker said:

Oh I agree there is a memory effect to being a Lightweaver. But it does seem like there's something going on with Shallan sketching idealized versions of people who then go on to act more like the sketch.

The skybreakers thing was mostly a joke.

Ah, I see.  Yeah, I agree with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also with Shallan she might have been using a resonance in Thaylen Fields because her Lightweavings has mass  and physical form.

Windrunners: Kaladin's wind manipulation wasn't a resonance it was using Adhhesion. We have several WoB's that say that Windrunners can use Adhesion to create air pockets and possibly vacuums. (Side note: This can be used to travel into space, and Brandon has had Peter calculate the distances to the different moons ;))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only confirmed resonances that we have are the Windrunner and Lightweaver effects. All else is guesswork. Kaladin's is the number and strength of the squires he has (which spiritual uses of both his surges could attribute, gravitation to draw people in, and adhesion to bind them to him more strongly) and Shallan's is her mnemonic device, which I can't reconcile with her surges beyond its application. 

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/64/#e915

Quote

ZenBossanova (paraphrased)

Since Shallan has a unique ability of Memory from her blended surges, is fighting what Kaladin has?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

No. His unique ability is "Strength of Squires".

ZenBossanova (paraphrased)

And Jasnah?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

RAFO.

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/218/#e6740

Quote

Argent

There is a person on the forums who noticed that Shallan has this awesome Memory thing going on, Jasnah seems to have a really powerful, kind of, geolocation thing going on, Kaladin is a really good fighter - are those just their traits, or is there something supernatural going on?

Brandon Sanderson

There is something supernatural going on. Each Order... Well, how about this. If you look at the scholar interpretations, there are some scholars who think that these things are not supernatural, in the past, and some who said they definitely are. But many, if you look, many Lightweavers had powerful mnemonic abilities.

Argent

So it's definitely tied to the Orders?

Brandon Sanderson

It's tied to the Orders. Now, I am not going to say that you've got them all 100% correct, but each Order, there are things that come with Order, things that do not add up from simple the "you get this power plus this power," there is something else going on. And I would say that for Windrunners, watch the number of squires and the power of the squires... is abnormal for the Windrunners.

Argent

And each Order's squires are somehow different from the other Orders'?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeeeaaaah... some Orders don't have them, [that] is the difference.

Argent

 But some have more?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Chaos locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...