Did you all take Brandon’s new radiant test? It came out recently. Well I got willshaper...lol after a lot of self reflection and analysis I agree with it. “The Willshapers have a reputation for attracting builders, craftspeople, and creators to the Radiants. However, while this aspect of them is accurate, the actual membership of the order is far more varied. Their powers lend themselves to creation, true, but their oaths are focused on freedom and personal fulfillment. Many among the Willshapers are warriors focused on freeing those who are captive, and others are focused on radical self-expression. The Willshapers contain many gregarious and even flamboyant characters who make their own way, taking the path they chose. They are united through a love of building, but some consider building of society to be more important than the building of structures. Among the Willshapers, you'll find both those who dress in very conservative styles and those who wear very daring and original styles. The common ground is that both agree that freedom to express who you are is the important part. Among the Radiants, they are generally focused on building, training, and making infrastructure. In war, they might be sent to a town to fortify it against an oncoming invasion, and before or in the wake of desolations, they would teach the people things like sanitation, bronzeworking, or other essentials. Anywhere you find someone resisting tyranny or oppression, you'll often find a Willshaper cheering them on.“
-Brandon
And I think Brandon’s explanation of it is intentionally broad. Let me explain and zone IN a little.
cohesion explained per storm light physics
“Also called the Surge of Strong Axial Interconnection,[25] the Surge of Cohesion can be manipulated to alter objects at a molecular level.[80] This allows the user to alter the shape of solid objects, but not human flesh, with Surgebinders able to grab matter and stretch it, altering the object as though it was soft clay. Cohesion is highly resisted by Investiture, and even a small amount of Stormlight in an object would prevent it from working.[81] The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Willshapers and the Stonewards.”
To me and heartily agreeing with willshaper this sounds like a missionary, a peacemaker, or a zealot or warmaker. Basically a champion of ideas and getting people behind them.
I am mainly focusing on cognitive side of a will shaper around THOUGHT structures and on The spiritual side around beliefs.
I do not Tend to be very architectural or mathematical. But I do see my self as more Intellectual,, spirituality and creative With structures and concepts. I tend to come up with strange and unique opinions and visions then tend to “break them down to understand them more-to build a world view, then i to want to share said world view”
kinda stretching and molding thoughts and ideas like clay or taking them apart like legos and rebuilding them. For myself and others. I love debating ideas with people and learning new information to plug into my brain and start the concept machine a running.
I think this is the spirt of willshaping. Not just making physically altered things. But ideas and concepts that are molded by the will-shaper.
Will-shapers have cohesion which is in a sense putting things together.
Shallan “transforms people to how SHE sees them” through light weaving that has to do with Illumination and perception Which is why after the bandits see her “ illumination” they want to transform.
Kaladan with adhesion “binds people together in bridge 4”
so I personally belief a will-shaper could in a sense “break down peoples beliefs and thoughts/ idealogical structures to reforge them Like what Venli does in oathbringer to the singers. If Venli is picking up eshonai’s mantle as the story seems to illude, being that timbre first tried to bond eshonai. Then Venli may follow where eshonai was story driven to go. It was The struggle between war Vrs peace that eshonai fought with.
In oathbringer Venli (willshaper) as she is doing her town to town talks, (I noticed this and I believe it pertains to will-shaping) Venli as she was traveling she had this evolving idea about enlightening the singers around new ideas and beliefs and it seemed from the language Brandon used that the singers almost reforged their beliefs to what Venli was speaking about. An almost revival like sense. I mean we see Venli constantly get her way. She pushes every one to do what she wants lol. I see this as a dark side of willshapers.
Which is why I see one of the oaths being “ I will let others believe what they want, even if I think they are wrong” Or “I will help build people up”
If you read my comment above you see I believe that will-shapers will have the propensity to push people to “reforge” not only physically but spiritually, and intellectually.
I think the oaths are a means of safe guard rather than anything. You see what happens to Kalodin and syl when he starts to stray from his oaths.... so I agree how does freedom of self expression and conceptual will-shaping work together as described in the discerption of will-shapers? Especially with liberation. I think it has to tie into “what does the individual will-shaper view as liberation, or freedom of self expression”
If you look in terms of light and darks side of powers a corrupt will-shaper would be unchecked to shape “as they pleased” I think The oath basically focus the radiant towards proper/moral use of their powers.
Venli “I put money on it” as a willshaper is such a vital tool in the singers fate because she is a willshaper. She will be the lynch pin on how “she” views liberation. Towards honor or odium. Which is why “he” has an eye on her I think
I think it’s all dependent to the radiant. Just how when shallon “transformed” the bandits it was how she viewed them not how they wanted to be viewed. It’s dependent on the radiants perspective how their power manifested.
It’s been a year since re-read, but this makes sense in my brain.
Some else’s ideas on it that make sense
That maybe a cool poweresk thing they “may” do but as to the moral/spiritual aspecti described I think it fits
I see them as being spokesmen, a cheerleader, a philosopher, or that traveling salesman that gets you to buy that stupid high storm gadget that your wife Eunice thinks your and idiot for needing but when you were talking to them it just made sense.
And maybe they had Jedi powers like “these are not the Spren your looking for”
