Voidbinding
| Voidbinding | |
|---|---|
| |
| Related to | Odium[1] |
| Prerequisites | unknown |
| Type | unknown |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
Voidbinding is a prime manifestation of Investiture on Roshar. The Voidbinder can manipulate ten fundamental forces known as Surges,[2] with each Voidbinder having access to one of the Surges. There are ten levels of Voidbinding, like there are ten levels of Surgebinding. However, the writer of that Ars Arcanum states that the ten levels of Voidbinding may be different.[3]
Prerequisites
In order to become a Voidbinder, a singer, typically Fused, has to bond with a Voidspren. This is done when a signer is reborn and possess a living singer during the Form bonding in the Everstorm. Typically, the voidspren resides in the singer's gemheart. When bonding, the voidspren kills the previous mindset of the body and controls it themselves.[4] Once bonded, the voidspren offer Surges. Voidbinding typically originates with the Unmade.[1]
Voidlight
Voidbinding requires constant Voidlight as a fuel source. Singers don't appear to acquire it from physical reservoirs, like gemstones, and it is instead supplied directly to them. Little is known about the generation and storage of Voidlight. Ba-Ado-Mishram is said to have provided access to Voidlight and the Forms of Power after the Last Desolation.[5] The Everstorm may deliver Voidlight to Voidbinders but it does not fill gems like Stormlight does.
Counteracting this ease of access, however, is Voidlight's inability to heal the wounds of those Invested with it.[6] This is slightly confusing, however, since the Illumination Fused who first tried to steal the perfect ruby in Thaylen City obviously did heal from wounds until his Voidlight was consumed by a larkin.[7] Possibly, like people with Honorblades, they can heal from mundane wounds, but not shardwounds. How Moash was then able to kill Leshwi with a spear and knife is unclear. Similar to how Stormlight gives the user a sense of immediate urgency and movement, holding Voidlight will have an emotional impact, though different from Stormlight's.[8]
Surges
The Fused use powers in ways similar to the Knights Radiant, but with a few notable differences. Like all Surgebinders, the Fused gain their abilities through manipulation of Roshar's fundamental forces, the Surges, though unlike them, each one of the Fused's nine forms only grants access to a single Surge. It is unknown whether a specific Fused can change forms (and thus, powers) during their current incarnation, nor is it clear whether they can change forms between rebirths, when they posses a new singer body. The only Fused whose death and rebirth has been shown so far, Leshwi, has retained her control over the Surge of Gravitation.
Gravitation
Fused who can manipulate the Surge of Gravitation do so very similarly to how the Windrunners makes use of the Basic Lashing. Fused of this form are often seen manipulating the gravitation vector of both themselves and other bodies and objects, resulting in abilities such as flight, reduced weight, and sending their enemies flying off into the air.[9][10] Different from a Surgebinder, a Voidbinder's Lashing is less powerful in the short term and takes more time to gain speed and change directions.[11]
Illumination
Fused who interact with the Surge of Illumination appear to mimic the Lightweavers' ability to change their own appearance by creating illusions. The most notable example of this is seen during the attempt to steal the King's Drop from the Thaylen Gemstone Reserve.[12]
Abrasion
Fused who control the Surge of Abrasion have the ability to change the force of friction between objects and bodies, resulting in effects not dissimilar to the skate-like gliding the Edgedancers can do.
Foresight
One of the most common powers associated with Voidbinding is prophecy and foresight.[13][14] According to the ardents even the Heralds denounced its use. Whether or not this is true or a myth that has cropped up over the millenia is yet to be seen. Regardless, in Vorin nations any type of future prediction was feared and avoided because of this belief.[15] The ardents even worried that Dalinar's visions were connected to Voidbinding, although since the visions come from Honor, their belief was inaccurate.[16]
Other
There is at least one additional ability which has yet to be confirmed to any one Surge. A Fused in the siege around Kholinar was able to grow his carapace into a saw-blade at the lumberyard, while another at the Battle of Thaylen City grew weapons and armor. It is believed that this power is either Progression or Cohesion.
Some speculate the sphere Szeth takes from Gavilar in the prologue is related to Voidbinding.
Culture
The Vorin reluctance to guess the future led to the rise of games like breakneck, that don't require directly guessing the future.[15] Some are even distrustful of stormwardens as well, since they predict when highstorms are going to occur.[17]
Known Voidbinders
Notes
- ↑ a b Boskone 54
— Arcanum - 2017-02-18# - ↑ Calamity release party
— Arcanum - 2016-02-16# - ↑ The Way of Kings Ars Arcanum#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter I-6#
- ↑ Oathbringer prologue#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 43#
- ↑ Oathbringer interlude I-13#
- ↑ Skyward release party
— Arcanum - 2018-11-06# - ↑ Oathbringer chapter 54#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 121#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 116#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter I-13#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 18#
- ↑ Salt Lake City signing
— Arcanum - 2017-12-16# - ↑ a b The Way of Kings interlude I-6#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 75#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 60#