Fused
| Fused | |
|---|---|
| |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“ 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.
They are reborn using the bodies of Parshmen to become the Fused. ”—The Stormfather[1]
The Fused are the souls of ancient singers that are able to be reborn by possessing the bodies of living singers. They are considered to be higher in singer society than Regals and common singers.[2] They seem to have powers similar to Surgebinding, however, unlike the Knights Radiant, there are only nine orders of them, rather than ten.[3]
Nature
These ancient singer 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 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.[2] The Fused can be killed by conventional means, but they can use Voidlight to heal.[citation needed] However, damaging their gemheart is instantly fatal.[4]
A Fused can be permanently killed by stabbing them with a raysium dagger connected to a gem of anti-Voidlight, provided there is enough anti-Voidlight in the gemstone.[5] They can also be permanently killed by Nightblood.[6]
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.[3]
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.[7] However, every time a Fused is reborn, the process further injures their minds.[1]
Hierarchy
The Fused have an extremely complex political and social hierarchy even though their actions are generally governed by Odium. They generally dislike humans and place common singers above them in status. Among common singers those privileged are granted forms of power called Regals and Fused tend to defer to thunderclasts and Unmade. However even within the singers their are delineations of status and authority. There are nine brands of Fused with different powers and specialties.[8] The day to day governance of the Fused is carried out by the Nine, several singers who entombed themselves in stone with the advice of the voices, Fused who have permission to speak at their meetings. Other factors such as reputation, history, and capacity also matter a great deal as does how well a given Fused has retained their sanity.[9]
Powers
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, although unlike them, each one of the nine kinds, brands of Fused can only access a single Surge. A specific Fused cannot change forms (and thus, powers) during their current incarnation.
Another difference between the Fused and the Surgebinders lies in the fuel they use to power their abilities. Where Surgebinders use Stormlight, the Fused rely on Voidlight - Investiture that does not appear to require a physical conduit, like gemstones, but instead can be directly supplied to the user. Voidlight does provide the same healing abilities as Stormlight, however, it is highly inefficient in that regard and given the limited amount the fused must work with they are careful to avoid injury.[10][11][12] Fused appear to be far more Investiture-efficient than Surgebinders.[13]
Brands
There are nine Brands of Fused each with a single Surge. No brand has access to the Surge of Adhesion.
Gravitation
Fused who can manipulate the Surge of Gravitation, known as the Heavenly Ones, Those Ones of the Heavens, or shanay-im, do so very similarly to how the Windrunner and Skybreaker Orders make use of the Basic Lashing.[14] 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. The Fused accelerate slower than Surgebinders when using Gravitation.[15] This is due to them expending less energy and does not have to do with the gravity of Braize.[16] Over a large span, Fused will go faster than Surgebinders.[17] Fused can only Lash themselves once.[17]
Fused of this brand can manipulate their own gravity without expending Voidlight, but must use it to heal themselves or to Lash things other than themselves. Fused are able to enter space, but require a large amount of Voidlight to heal due to the lack of air and pressure.[18]
Abrasion
Fused who control the Surge of Abrasion have the ability to change the force of friction between objects and bodies, similar to Edgedancers. They are called the shetel-im or the Flowing Ones. One was seen at the Battle of Thaylen Fields.
Progression
Fused who interact with the Surge of Progression, known as the Magnified Ones, can grow their carapace extremely rapidly and in specific shapes. They use this ability to create tools and weapons out of carapace. They are among the largest and bulkiest of Fused brands.
Illumination
Fused who interact with the Surge of Illumination, known as the Masked Ones, Those Ones of Masks or mavset-im, appear to mimic the Lightweavers' ability to change their own appearance by creating illusions.[11][19]
Transformation
Fused who interact with the Surge of Transformation, known as the Altered Ones, Those Ones of Alteration or fannahn-im, have the ability to transform materials.[9]
Transportation
Fused who control the Surge of Transportation, known as the Husked Ones, The Ones of Husks or nex-im, can evacuate their body as a ribbon of light similar to a spren, leaving behind a hollow husk of carapace, and recreate their body at the destination point.[9] They only hold enough Voidlight to make three jumps, and cannot take anything with them that is not part of their body. Because of this, notable Fused of this brand, Lezian the Pursuer, wears his hair extremely long hair to cover his body like clothing, and uses his carapace spurs as weapons.
Cohesion
Fused who control the Surge of Cohesion, known as Deepest Ones or makay-im, can use it to meld with stone and pass through it, though they cannot take anything that is not part of their body with them when they do so. They have some of the most minimal carapace covering of any singer form, only a simple cup around the genitals, although some have carapace talons.
Known Fused
- Images of the Fused
by Kyle Pearson 
by Kyle Pearson 
by Ralf Melevo 
by taratjah 
by Jazzy-kandra Lady Leshwi
by EccoS
Notes
- ↑ a b Oathbringer chapter 38#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer interlude I-6#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer chapter 121#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 79#
- ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 97#
- ↑ Idaho Falls signing
— Arcanum - 2018-07-21# - ↑ Skype Q&A
— Arcanum - 2018-10-08# - ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 12#
- ↑ a b c Rhythm of War chapter 14#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 43#
- ↑ a b Oathbringer interlude I-13#
- ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 6#
- ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 31#
- ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 2#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 116#
- ↑ Prague Signing
— Arcanum - 2019-10-26# - ↑ a b Orem signing
— Arcanum - 2018-03-10# - ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 89#
- ↑ Rhythm of War chapter 11#