Editing User:Asmodeus/Fused

<pre>
{{magical entities
|image=Fused monochrome.jpg
|magic={{tag+|Cognitive Shadow}}
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}</pre>

{{quote
|1=<span style='font-variant: small-caps'> They are the spren of Parshmen long dead. They are their kings, their lighteyes, their valiant soldiers from long, long ago. The process is not easy on them. Some of these spren are mere forces now, animalistic, fragments of minds given power by Odium. Others are more … awake. Each rebirth further injures their minds.<br />
They are reborn using the bodies of Parshmen to become the Fused. </span>|multiline=y
|2=The [[Stormfather]]{{book ref|sa3|38}}
}}

{{quote
|1=<span>They are the souls of those ancient. Those who gave of themselves to destroy.</span>
|2=Rlain{{book ref|sa2|79}}
}}

The '''Fused''' are the souls of ancient [[singer]]s that are able to be reborn by possessing the bodies of living singers. They are considered to be higher in singer society than [[Regal]]s and common singers.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} They seem to have the powers of [[Surgebinding]], however, unlike the Knights Radiant, there are only nine orders of them, rather than ten.{{book ref|sa3|121}}

== History ==

{{book ref|sa2|79}} Rlain: “Yes. She was my commander. But now . . .” He looked up, and despite the alien skin and the strange way of speaking, Dalinar recognized grief in this man’s face. Terrible grief. “Sir, I have reason to believe that everyone I know . . . everyone I loved . . . has been destroyed, monsters left in their place. The listeners, the Parshendi, may be no more. I have nothing left . . .”

“You spoke of the Parshendi,” Dalinar said. “This has to do with the red eyes?” Rlain nodded. “What does it mean, soldier?” Dalinar asked. “It means our gods have returned,” Rlain whispered. “Who are your gods?” “They are the souls of those ancient. Those who gave of themselves to destroy.” A different rhythm to his words this time, slow and reverent. He looked up at Dalinar. “They hate you and your kind, sir. This new form they have given my people . . . it is something terrible. It will bring something terrible.”

{{book ref|sa3|37}} {{book ref|sa3|46}} Fused raid caravans, though the reason for this is unknown, and doesn't make sense to Kaladin.



== Nature ==
These ancient singer [[Cognitive_Shadow|shadows]] exist in a state very similar to [[spren]], until they take over a [[singer]] body. This process requires a living singer to open themselves up to bonding a new spren during one of Roshar's invested [[highstorm|storms]], in the same way as they would to adopt a new Form. The singer shadows waiting to become the Fused then choose one of these willing, open singers, and (in a process which causes intense pain and agony to the host singers) take over their bodies, killing them.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} The Fused can be killed by conventional means, but they can use [[Voidlight]] to heal.{{book ref|sa3|116}} However, damaging their gemheart is instantly fatal.{{book ref|sa3|79}}

In previous [[Desolation]]s, when Fused died, the Oathpact bound them back to [[Braize]] and delayed them from returning immediately.{{book ref|sa3|38}} They would then have to wait until the next desolation, before they could Return and be reborn again. 

In the [[True Desolation]], the Fused use the [[Everstorm]] to great advantage. Not only can they use the Everstorm (instead of relying on highstorms) to possess new living singers, but when they do die, they can immediately Return during the next Everstorm, if they can find a living singer willing to take on the burden.{{book ref|sa3|121}}

Due to their Invested nature, the ancient ones that become the Fused do not need to bond a spren to attain and maintain full sapience.{{wob ref|11156}} However, every time a Fused is reborn, the process further injures their minds.{{book ref|sa3|38}}

== Powers and Appearance ==
[[File: The Fused by Jemma Young.jpg| thumb|right|250px|<center><small>by {{a|Jemma M. Young}}</small></center> A Fused with the power of [[Gravitation]] ]]

{{book ref|sa3|31}} Kaladin looks at the Fused, and matches them with Bridge Four descriptions of the strange Parshendi that had summoned the Everstorm.

Fused: On the ground, with the scribe.
* Appearance: a tall parshwoman with long hair. There was carapace covering her cheeks, running back along the cheekbones and into her hair. The skin on her arms prickled with ridges, as if there were carapace under the skin as well. Her eyes glowed red. Looks different from the flying fused - less lean, shorter hair.
* Personality: Oppressive gaze.
* Powers: She doesn't invoke Voidlight. She couldn't fly.

Fused: two flying fused that chase Kaladin.
* Appearance: Red-eyed. "These two looked different from the one he’d seen earlier, leaner, with longer hair."
* Powers: Can fly. Remind Kaladin of his first experimentation with his powers. Lag behind and get left behind eventually.


== Known Fused ==
{{for|:Category:Fused|a full list}}
{{columns|
* [[Leshwi]]  
* [[Hnanan]]
* [[Vatwha]]
* [[Abaray]]
* [[Aharat]]
* [[Hariel]]
* [[Kyril]]
* [[Rine]]
* [[Turash]]
}}

<gallery caption="Images of the Fused">
The Fused by Kyle Pearson.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|Kyle Pearson}}</small></center>
The Fused 2 by Kyle Pearson.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|Kyle Pearson}}</small></center>
Fused by LittleGreyDragon.png | <center><small>by {{a|LittleGreyDragon}}</small></center>
The Fused by jurassicpencil.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|jurassicpencil}}</small></center>
Kaladin vs a Voidbringer.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|Jules Aguimatang}}</small></center>
Vyre and Hnanan by Ralf Melevo.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|Ralf Melevo}}</small></center>
Odium - XV the Devil.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|taratjah}}</small></center>
</gallery>

= Editing Notes =

== Powers Redo (Incomplete) ==

The Fused learnt to command the Surges at some point after their original creation. The Fused have displayed powers similar to the [[Surgebinding]] capabilities of the [[Knights Radiant]], however unlike the Knights Radiant, there are only nine orders of the Fused.{{book ref|sa3|121}} It seems to appear that each of the nine kinds of Fused only have access to one surge each.{{cite}}

The major differences between the powers of the Fused and the Surgebinidng powers of the Knights Radiant, are in what investiture the two groups use and how they get them. Where the Knights Radiant use Stormlight, the Fused use Voidlight, which manifests as a dark violet, light-consuming glow. It is unknown how the Fused get Voidlight. They appear to innately be able to invoke it,{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} however they do not have access to unlimited amounts of it.{{wob ref|11865}} Because of this, they can afford to expend less of it, and are much more conservative in how much Voidlight they use.{{wob ref|13221}} The method of distribution for Voidlight was different in previous Desolations, and changed with the advent of the Everstorm in the True Desolation.{{wob ref|9664}}

== References (Incomplete) ==

{{cite}} Look for Words of Radiance Everstorm scene. Look for Moash vs Leshwi 1.0.

=== Words of Radiance ===
{{book ref|sa2|79}} Rlain: “Yes. She was my commander. But now . . .” He looked up, and despite the alien skin and the strange way of speaking, Dalinar recognized grief in this man’s face. Terrible grief. “Sir, I have reason to believe that everyone I know . . . everyone I loved . . . has been destroyed, monsters left in their place. The listeners, the Parshendi, may be no more. I have nothing left . . .”

“You spoke of the Parshendi,” Dalinar said. “This has to do with the red eyes?” Rlain nodded. “What does it mean, soldier?” Dalinar asked. “It means our gods have returned,” Rlain whispered. “Who are your gods?” “They are the souls of those ancient. Those who gave of themselves to destroy.” A different rhythm to his words this time, slow and reverent. He looked up at Dalinar. “They hate you and your kind, sir. This new form they have given my people . . . it is something terrible. It will bring something terrible.”

=== Oathbringer ===
{{book ref|sa3|31}} A Parshman in full carapace armor is working as a scribe, receiving and noting new Parsh that come to Kholinar. Speaks strongly to the Rhythms. Considers what Yixli says to have more weight than Khen's group, but doesn't have the authority to label Kaladin free. Asks them to get the permission of one of the Fused for that.

{{book ref|sa3|i|3}} Touching the bodies of the fallen is considered taboo for the Listeners. Their Old Songs speak of humans hacking apart their corpses, searching for the Gemheart.

Interesting stuff: Ulim serves Venli's ancestors, calling them their leaders and the ones in charge. Two mentions: They know how to lead armies, and how to supply troops on a battlefield that spans hundred of miles. Ulim was not the one that sent the Listeners on the path to Szeth.

{{book ref|sa3|38}} Fill this out later.

{{book ref|sa3|39}} "“Looking over what you discovered, it seems that all parshmen can bond with ordinary spren as part of their natural life cycle. What we’ve been calling ‘Voidbringers’ are instead a combination of a parshman with some kind of hostile spren or spirit.” “The Fused,” Dalinar said."

“By the Stormfather’s explanation, the Fused are immortal. Nothing stops their rebirth now that the Heralds have failed. This is our real problem. Our enemy has a near-endless supply of parshman bodies to inhabit, and judging by what the good captain has confirmed through experience, these Fused can access some kind of Surgebinding. How do we fight against that?”

{{book ref|sa3|37}} {{book ref|sa3|46}} Fused raid caravans, though the reason for this is unknown, and doesn't make sense to Kaladin.

{{book ref|sa3|48}} Moash: Different varieties - powerful and imperious - have Voidlight - each intimidating.

Moash's overseer, one of the Parsh - unclear of it's a regal form, but likely it isn't - calls Kaladin a false god, a living one like the Fused.

{{book ref|sa3|51}} Moash.

Fused: Leshwi type that hovers in the air near Moash.
* Appearance: a tall women, hovered in the air, toes pointed downwards. Face more angular than the Parsh. Wears overlong, flowing robes, impractical for anyone who walked, but mesmerising on someone who always flew.
* Personality: seems impressed by the Orchards. rarely walks.
* Powers: access to some of the Lashings. Can stay aloft far longer than Kaladin can, who would run out of Stormlight.

Fused: ride horses with obvious familiarity.
* Powers: cannot fly. Can invoke Voidlight.

The Fused don't burn down everything they see. They are not incarnates of destruction, rather, they keep territory and begin working it.

{{book ref|sa3|54}} Moash.

Fused: Carpenter Fused.
* Appearance: a head taller than the parshmen, grew large portions of carapace armor in wicked shapes
* Personality: knows how to woodwork, and as he saws some wood, carefully explains to the Parsh what he did.
* Powers: The Fused made a fist, and dark violet energy surrounded his arm. Carapace grew there, in the shape of a saw.

Interesting: Moash goes looking for a flying type fused. According to him, "they seemed to be in charge, even of the other fused"

Fused: sat near the cistern
* Appearance: malen - heavily armored, no hair, carapace encroaching across the cheeks
* Personality: crazy. On being questioned, he just grins and throw himself in the water, floating and staring at the sky.

Fused: flying type. Leshwi's "messenger"
* Appearance: "Cloth fluttered in the air, and in the middle of it floated a fused with skin that matched the black and red clothing"
* Personality: questionable information
* Powers: access to atleast a basic lashing, can invoke voidlight.

Fused: Leshwi
* Appearance: face with all three parshmen colors - red, white, and black; marbled like paint swirled together. Notable in that someone with all three colors is rare, and Leshwi's pattern is "transfixing, almost liquid in it's effect, her like pools around which the colors ran." Deep red eyes, like pools of shimmering blood. Angular face, with black and crimson long, flowing parsh hair (which is thicker than human hair, like reeds or blades of grass)
* Personality: distinctly serene. considers attuning to the rhythms a natural way to answer questions, even when talking to a human who cannot tell. Her compatriots considered that she might wish personal vengeance on Moash.
* Powers: the Fused do not attract windspren.

Interesting: Leshwi considers that being "one of the fused who is sane" is the same as being "one of the leaders"

Interesting: Leshwi keeps her marbled patterning across her rebirths, but her specific features are different.

Interesting: Leshwi considers the overseers her "lessers"

Revisit: Leshwi's conversation with Moash here has some extractable first-hand information about the philosophy and outlook of the Fused.

{{book ref|sa3|55}} Rlain, and by extension, the old Listeners, consider the Fused their enemies.

{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} Lots

Fused: Hariel
* Appearance: Well Muscled, tall, with a broad chest and powerful stance. Majestic, with ridges of carapace poking through his skin, along his arms and at the corners of the face.
* Personality: has one of the worst tempers of all the Fused. All four of these are later described as tall, haughty. Like Leshwi, mentions that Odium will being vengeance. Commends the Listeners for their war, 
* Powers: can invoke Voidlight. Ulim says "He could have destroyed you." Potential call to his powers?

Fused: Aharat
* Appearance: Similar form to Hariel.
* Personality: Unknown
* Powers: Unknown

Fused: taking over Mrun's body
* Appearance: Similar form to Hariel, called tall, imperious
* Personality: groans and mutters gibberish

Fused: taking over Altoki's body
* Appearance: Similar to Hariel
* Personality: stands low, bares teeth, predatory gait

Revisit: some extractable first-hand information about the philosophy and outlook of the Fused.

{{book ref|sa3|58}} In the True Desolation, according to spanreed reports before Elhokar's departure to Kholinar, Voidbringers were slowly moving northward, and had captured much of Alethkar. Relis Ruthar had tried to gather the remaining Alethi forces in the country, but had been pushed back toward Herdaz, suffering at the hands of the Fused. However, the Voidbringers were not killing non-combatants.

{{book ref|sa3|61}} {{book ref|sa3|73}} The Fused test Kholinar's defenses and strength in periodic raids by the flying Fused at the walls.

{{book ref|sa3|79}} (paraphrased, might want to reword to be closer to the source if used) The flying Fused use long lances to poke at men on the ground. They occasionally swoop in to lash someone into the sky. They also use shields to slap away formations of pikes.

Fused: (of note) the one that lashes Kaladin
* Appearance: male, reminiscent of Parshendi, with layered plates of chitin armor creeping down across its forehead and rising from cheeks that were marbled black and red.
* Personality: 
* Powers: can do basic lashings. For the threshold - it _can_ do upto a double or triple lashing.

Important: Voidlight does sustain the Fused and allow them to survive shardblade wounds.

{{book ref|sa3|83}} Revisit - may want to cover the Fused activities in this chapter in the history section for the True Desolation.

Question: How to handle the Fused corpse by the Sunwalk?

{{book ref|sa3|84}} Kaladin notes that the Fused take time to fight the assault on the palace, and wonders if it's because they were focused on the main assault on Kholinar.

{{book ref|sa3|i|7}} Venli outlines the hierarchy of Odium's forces. Three Levels. Fused at the top, then Regals, which are "distinguished by forms of power - created by bonding one of the varieties of Voidspren;" lastly, common singers, who wear the ordinary forms "Venli's people had used."

The Fused control all of Eastern Alethkar by this point, which collapsed because of Alethi conscription, the Everstorm, and the arrival of the Fused.

Venli notes that the Fused less likely to dismiss what she says if she speaks to them respectfully in the ancient tongue.

According to Rine, the Fused consider Honor their "enemy," whom they defeated, and yet he fights on through his Surgebinders. They mistrust humans, because they think that any time, any of them could suddenly manifest powers from him. They were shocked when it first happened - the Humans shouldn't have been able to bond spren, as they don't have gemhearts. Yet the human spren bond was _more powerful._

Fused: Rine
* Powers: Basic Lashing

Fused: Rine's crazy companion
* Powers: Basic Lashing?

{{book ref|sa3|i|9}} The Fused used linked harnesses to carry Venli around.

{{book ref|sa3|i|11|}} Venli notes that many of the Fused were obviously unhinged, wondering if maybe it's because their inordinately long lives had taken a toll on their psyche. She further wonders if Odium will need new leaders in their place, and if she proved herself, she could claim a place among them, by becoming one of the new Fused.

{{book ref|sa3|102}} The Fused appeared alongside the Voidspren west of the Nexus of Imagination, and immediately sailed up and seized Cultivation's perpendicularity. They hold Celebrant, but they don't control it firmly - rather, they left some officials (unknown if these are Fused or Voidspren) and extracted promises from the local leaders that they would follow. Two of the Fused - Kyril and one other - check in and run inspections occasionally.

It's implied that Kyril uses a device to set fire to Ico's ship.

{{book ref|sa3|108}} Eight Fused hunt down Honor's Path.

{{book ref|sa3|110}} According to Kaladin, the Fused were slower than he could go, but they were still faster than the ship.

{{book ref|sa3|i|12}} Venli wonders if the Fused and the Voidspren fear the Listeners' heritage, when they don't allow her to talk to the other Singers about the specific history of her people.

{{book ref|sa3|i|13}} Revisit Illumination Fused

{{book ref|sa3|115}} At the Battle for Thaylen City, there were dozens of the flying Fused. 

On the Shadesmar side, six of them hold the bridge to the Oathgate. {{book ref|sa3|116}} Four of them will eventually follow Kaladin, and Shallan and Adolin will have to deal with the remaining two, until Kaladin's stomrlight runs out, when all 6 of them regroup.

Venli: Hulking Fused walk among hundreds of Singers, their carapace armor is as impressive as shardplate.

Fused: One of the hulking Fused.
* Personality: Calm, but fierce. Like a smoldering fire. Controlled, but ready to burst alight.

Important: Venli: These are the spirits of the dead, she realised. Fused who haven't yet chosen a body. Most were twisted to the point that she barely recognised them as singers. Two were roughly the size of buildings.

{{book ref|sa3|116}} One Thunderclast punches through the wall and makes straight for the Gemstone Reserve. Several Fused ride on its shoulders, and drop down into that building, once the Thunderclast rips its roof open. It then attacks the building, ripping apart its walls and scattering all the gems within. It gets progressively angrier and more aggressive. Two of the Fused it carried go after a specific palanquin (Rysn and Vstim's) to retrieve the Honor's Drop, and then go back to the Thunderclast, who carries them back outside and drops them there.

Fused: two fused following a yellow spren
* Powers: "These two Fused didn’t seem to be able to fly, but there was a startling grace to their motion. They slid along the stone street with no apparent effort, as if the ground were greased." "They skirted the turncoat army, sliding along the rock with an uncanny grace.
* Appearance: lithe bodies and little armor.

Fused: four of the Fused that follow Kaladin
* Powers: According to Kaladin, they fly with precision (which directly contradicts what he said earlier, his first time at Kholinar). They use Lashings like Kaladin, but don't seem to be able to vary their speeds as mush as he can, and it takes them longer to build up to greater Lashings. The fly gracefully, with no jerks, flowing lithely from one motion to the next. They use their entire bodies to sculpt the wind of their passing and control their flight.
* Appearance: A male with pale white skin swirld through with a single marbling of red, like smoke blown across the cheeks.

Important: A flying fused heals after it gets hit. This is confirmation that Voidlight _can_ be used to heal, not just sustain. And it's a stronger confirmation than the Illumination Fused.

{{book ref|sa3|117}} 

Dalinar asks Lift to retrieve Honor's Drop. He tells her the she'll find it with "a Fused who can move with a power similar to your own."

Odium is surrounded by a handful of the Fused as he comes walking in.

Important: Odium refers to Honor's Drop as a "prison."

Thunderclast: Yushah - guards the prison (Honor's Drop). Attacks Lift, later Destroyed by Szeth using Nightblood.

Thunderclast: Kai-garnis - breaks down the wall. Her job is to climb towards the Oathgate, and if the "Tisark" fail to secure it, then she is to destroy the device and secure its gemstones. Later, hacked apart and driven off by Renarin.

Fused: One of the Abrasion Fused from 116
* Powers: "The woman pushed off with one foot, then slid on the other, easy as if she were standing on oil. She coasted for a second, then looked over her shoulder and grinned before kicking off and sliding to the left, casually moving with a grace that made Lift seem super stupid."

{{book ref|sa3|120}}

Fused: One of the Flying Fused
* Powers: Szeth considers it more talented than the Skybreakers. "The Fused was smooth and graceful, but sped up and slowed less quickly than Szeth did."

Fused: A brawny Fused that tackles Kaladin
* Appearance: Brawny and taller than Amaram in Shardplate. "His carapace was the color of stone; he must have been crouching near that foundation, and Kaladin had taken him for merely another part of the stony field."
* Powers: "As Kaladin watched, the creature’s brown carapace crusted up his arms, covering his face like a helm, growing to thick armor in a matter of moments. He raised his arms, and carapace spurs grew above and below the hands."

Fused: the one that grabs Venli, suspicious of her
* Powers: A Fused with the form that grew carapace armor like Shardplate.

Fused: The one who gets to hold the ruby after Szeth threw it and the Fused recovered it.
* Powers: "The Fused transferred the enormous ruby to one of their number who could manipulate Abrasion—a woman who slid across the ground like Lift did. She infused the ruby, making it glow with her version of a Lashing. That would make the thing impossibly Slick and difficult to carry for anyone but the Fused woman herself. She seemed to think her enemies would have no experience with such a thing. Unfortunately for them, Szeth had not only carried an Honorblade that granted this power, he had practiced with skates on ice, a training exercise that somewhat mimicked an Edgedancer’s movements."

The Fused began forming a defensive ring of soldiers that were real. They seem to be able to disrupt illusions by touch, though it is unclear if this was simply because Illusions or if they were doing something specific to test/disrupt them.

Fused: The Carapace growing Fused
* Appearance: Strange, overgrown carapace. Later called hulking. It grows spurs, one of them later described as knifelike.
* Powers: Kaladin cuts his arms with Shardblade, cutting through its carapace and disabling it's arms. Later: "The hulking Fused charged him. The creature’s cut arms had regrown, and—even as it swung its hands—a large club formed there from carapace. Kaladin barely got Syl in place to block."

The Fused that hold the Oathgate (the Tissark?) are an oddity. They seem to hold to a slightly different philosophy than some of the other Fused. Not only do they respect Renarin when he walks up and offer him a salute, but Renarin also notes that they are more skilled than some of the Fused below on the city. They try to defend themselves more than fight, and seem to be trying to deliberately draw Bridge Four away from the Oathgate.

Kaladin later says "You don’t have to beat them. You simply have to last long enough." which is surprisingly relevant to the language Renarin uses for the Fused that defend the Oathgate.

Fused: four Hulking Fused hounding Kaladin
* Powers: "But one of the hulking Fused—there were four fighting him now—grabbed him by the foot. She slammed him down, then carapace grew down along her arms, threatening to bind Kaladin to the ground." "Syl sang in his mind as he spun, forming a spear and ramming it through the chest of one of the hulking ones. Those could heal unless you stabbed them in exactly the right spot in the sternum, and he’d missed. So, he made Syl into a sword and—the weapon still embedded in the Fused woman’s chest—swept upward through the head, burning her eyes. Another hulking Fused swung, but as it hit—the club being part of the thing’s actual body—Kaladin used much of his remaining Stormlight to Lash this man upward, crashing him into a Fused above."

The Fused get concerned and run/retreat as soon as Nergaoul begins to thrash about from Dalinar beginning to imprison him.

{{book ref|sa3|121}}

Moash says the Fused don't want Elhokar's dried blood to be cleaned, saying that the death of a king should be treated with reverence instead.

Fused: "A Fused strode past, covered in carapace armor as brilliant and wicked as Shardplate. There were nine orders of them. Why not ten?" This one seems to be acting as an interpreter.

Fused: Leshwi is important among the singers, but not in a highprince sort of way, more as a field captain. 
* Personality: She appreciates when Moash is curious and asks questions, but when given an answer, accepts it.

Fused: Hnanan. Her name is more a hummed sound than a word, with specific beats. She is the equivalent of a Highprince,but having killed Leshwi, the Fused seem to respect him enough that he doesn't need to bow.
* Personality: Seem to feel pride towards Leshwi for having picked Moash out. Compliments Moash for having killed Elhokar.

Fused actually seem to read from the King's Library. Underneath their long, trailing robes, they wear rippling trousers.

"The Fused boasted from within the captain’s cabin. They talked about next time, promising what they’d do and how they’d win. They spoke of past victories, and subtly hinted at why they’d failed. Too few of them had awakened so far, and those who had awakened were unaccustomed to having physical bodies."

The Fused seem to hang back when Moash goes after Jezrein, and according to him, it's an act they don't seem to be daring enough to do.

{{book ref|sa3|122}}

The Fused name Moash Vyre.

{{book ref|sa3|epilogue}}

Hoid danced with Vatwha thousands of years ago. Now, all the Fused are trained to watch for him.

The Fused spend a lot of time focusing on the section of the palace where Elhokar died.


<references />
<pre>{{partial}}
{{Stormlight}}
[[category: Fused| ]]</pre>