Immortal Words
| Immortal Words | |
|---|---|
| Related to | Knights Radiant |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
The Immortal Words were a set of oaths sworn by the Knights Radiant in order to gain their Surgebinding abilities. There were five sets of Ideals for each order, with the first being the same among all orders, making it likely that the total number of Ideals is forty-one.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the Ideals was to serve as a guide to the Radiants for how they were to live their lives. These ideals were based off of the lessons taught in Nohadon's book, The Way of KingsCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content As the book had forty parables,Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content it seems likely that each parable described an ideal of the Knights Radiant, excluding the First Ideal.
A nascent Surgebinder speaking an ideal of his order also increases his or her ability to infuse both themselves and other objects with Stormlight, they also seem to be far more efficient. It is also important to note that simply having the ability to infuse does not make one a Radiant, they are simply a Surgebinder. Only after all the Ideals are spoken and followed does one become a Radiant. The Ideals were not simply a means to greater power, they were a way of life for the Radiants.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
The First Ideal
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.”
—The First Ideal of the Knights RadiantCite error: Invalid<ref>tag; refs with no name must have content
The First Ideal of the Knights Radiant was shared among all of the orders. Unlike the other Ideals, saying it does not seem to be a prerequisite to gaining further Surgebinding ability, as Kaladin first hears of it long after he first begins to infuse himself with Stormlight.
Ideals of the Radiants
After the First Ideal, the next four Ideals for each Order is different. When it is time for the next Ideal to be spoken, its words will appear in the mind of the Surgebinder.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content Speaking the words will cause the Surgebinder to explode with Stormlight, accompanied by a loud cracking sound.
Ideals of the Windrunners
The Ideals of the Windrunners may be tied to the divine attributes of protecting and leading, as those are related to JezrienCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content This idea is enhanced by the Second Ideal of the Order of the Windrunners, which has to do with protection.
“I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
—The Second Ideal of the WindrunnersCite error: Invalid<ref>tag; refs with no name must have content