Stormform confusion (RoW spoilers)

[Someone]

I was rereading the Stormlight Archives and i found something confusing. In RoW Page 527 it said, "Before beginning their assault. the humans had poured barrels of water into the breach here- and it had rained on the stormform Regals below. Their powers reacted poorly around water, something Venli had always found somewhat ironic." Then in WoR Page 1183 during the Everstorm It said "Nearby, another crash of lighting left a small group of Parshendi." and it was raining during that time. Do their powers work in rain but not covered in water? I thought that the form was for moving through storms. 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Someone

[Someone]

In WoR page 1182 it does say that "They'd sometimes flash backward or would follow strange paths." Maybe the stormforms in the tower were trying to be exact and in water the lightning goes random?

[mathiau]

This is a full cosmere spoiler zone, you don't need to put "RoW spoliers" in the title

1 minute ago, Someone said:

I was rereading the Stormlight Archives and i found something confusing. In RoW Page 527 it said, "Before beginning their assault. the humans had poured barrels of water into the breach here- and it had rained on the stormform Regals below. Their powers reacted poorly around water, something Venli had always found somewhat ironic." Then in WoR Page 1183 during the Everstorm It said "Nearby, another crash of lighting left a small group of Parshendi." and it was raining during that time. Do their powers work in rain but not covered in water? I thought that the form was for moving through storms. 

This form is for moving in the Everstorm, not any type of storm, Odium can probably chose where there's rain in the Everstorm like he can chose not to strike Moash with lightnings and like Honour is implied to have been able to do with both rain and wind

[Someone]

OK. So the stormforms lighting works in the Everstorm but not in water?

[mathiau]

1 minute ago, Someone said:

OK. So the stormforms lighting works in the Everstorm but not in water?

Stormform's lightnings work in the Everstorm as long as Odium wills it

[Someone]

OK. Thank you a lot.

[Frustration]

While in water their electrical charge is dispersed, Rain liekly isn't enough water to be effective.

[Someone]

ok

 

[Someone]

On 5/18/2021 at 10:13 AM, mathiau said:

This is a full cosmere spoiler zone, you don't need to put "RoW spoliers" in the title

This form is for moving in the Everstorm, not any type of storm, Odium can probably chose where there's rain in the Everstorm like he can chose not to strike Moash with lightnings and like Honour is implied to have been able to do with both rain and wind

It It said in the book that the stormforms were able to travel through the Highstorm easily. 

[mathiau]

6 hours ago, Someone said:

It It said in the book that the stormforms were able to travel through the Highstorm easily. 

Please avoid double posts, there an edit button 

Can you remind me where it was said? Anyway moving in a Highstorm is not the thing as launching lightning in it, just not dying to the wind would be a serious advantage

[Someone]

My theory:

When it describes stormforms in WoR it said that they had hair covering their armor stuff (I forgot what its called). I think that that hair is water resistant like a birds feathers. It lets the water slide off and keeps the stromforms dry. But if they get soaked in water the water can bypass the hairs and messes with their powers.

[Someone]

On 5/21/2021 at 4:22 AM, mathiau said:

Please avoid double posts, there an edit button 

Can you remind me where it was said? Anyway moving in a Highstorm is not the thing as launching lightning in it, just not dying to the wind would be a serious advantage

I don't remember what chapter it was but when Shallan and Kaladin were in the chasms in the highstorm they saw dark figures with red eyes moving in the storm. Also before that Venli mentioned that the stromform grated them the power to move through highstorms.

[Palantir Watcher]

On 5/24/2021 at 3:31 AM, Someone said:

I don't remember what chapter it was but when Shallan and Kaladin were in the chasms in the highstorm they saw dark figures with red eyes moving in the storm. Also before that Venli mentioned that the stromform grated them the power to move through highstorms.

I think you're talking about the "Storm Striders" in your first message.

The passage I think you're mentioning is: 

Quote

Light came from above, too steady to be lightning. Something was glowing on the plateau. Something that moved. It was hard to see, since water streamed off the side of the plateau above, falling in a sheet before their refuge. He swore he saw an enormous figure walking up there, a glowing inhuman form, followed by another, alien and sleek. Striding the storm. Leg after leg, until the glow passed.

There's a WoB mentioning that they are some type of spren 

Quote

GreenRover

During the storm that Kaladin was in with Shallan in book 2; those two massive walkers we saw--are those Parshendi, Unmade, or spren?

Brandon Sanderson

Spren, with the caveat that might not mean they aren't Unmade, because that's not an either-or.

Legion Release Party (Sept. 19, 2018)

 

As for stormform granting the power to move through highstorms, it does seem likely. At the very least, Eshonai states that they would be immune to the highstorm's effects. And Venli states that enough stormforms could control or summon one. 

[mathiau]

1 hour ago, Palantir Watcher said:

As for stormform granting the power to move through highstorms, it does seem likely. At the very least, Eshonai states that they would be immune to the highstorm's effects. And Venli states that enough stormforms could control or summon one. 

Venli was probably lying/being lied to by Ulim, I don't see how a power of Odium (and therefore without the ability to affect air pressure) would be able to do anything to highstorms winds. As for the summoning part it was probably about the Everstorm and not a Highstorm which would require manipulating amount of Investiture similar to the whole essence of an Unmade.

[Palantir Watcher]

11 minutes ago, mathiau said:

Venli was probably lying/being lied to by Ulim, I don't see how a power of Odium (and therefore without the ability to affect air pressure) would be able to do anything to highstorms winds. As for the summoning part it was probably about the Everstorm and not a Highstorm which would require manipulating amount of Investiture similar to the whole essence of an Unmade.

Yeah, those are good points. 

[MGershone]

4 hours ago, Palantir Watcher said:

Venli states that enough stormforms could control or summon one

Does that mean that the stormforms could summon a second storm if there were enough of them?

[Palantir Watcher]

5 hours ago, MGershone said:

Does that mean that the stormforms could summon a second storm if there were enough of them?

There are a few possibilities regarding Venli’s statement, I think. She might have been lying or been lied to, like mathiau said. Or maybe she actually did think that stormform could do that, despite that not being true. Or it can in fact control and summon the Highstorm. 
Since there’s only one Highstorm, I’d guess that if enough stormforms could summon it, it would be by making the Highstorm faster rather than creating a new one. I also think the same would be true of the Everstorm for similar reasons.

 I’m open to other interpretations though.

[a Faceless Immortal]

Answering the original question, I thought it was simply because if they used their powers whilst surrounded by a large pool of water they would, ya know, electrocute themselves? Like what happens when you drop a hairdryer in a bath...