Highspren

Highspren
by Ben McSweeney
Type	Spren
Abilities	Nahel bond, Skybreaker magic, Splinters
World of Origin	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

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“ Though we will evaluate you, remember that the final measure of your success or failure belongs to the highspren. ”

— Ki

Highspren are a type of sapient spren capable of forming a Nahel bond. Bonding with one makes someone a Knight Radiant of the Order of Skybreakers. Unlike the other kinds of sapient spren, highspren did not stop bonding with Skybreakers after the Recreance. Highspren is usually used as a derogatory term.

Appearance

Physical Realm

In the Physical Realm, they take the form of black slits in the air, which can pull open to reveal stars shining within. When they move, reality seems to bend around them.

Cognitive Realm

In the Cognitive Realm, highspren appear as human-shaped voids through which stars can be seen. Their bodies in Shadesmar are still solid and can be touched as normal. While humans can only recognize them by silhouette, they appear capable of recognizing each other without difficulty. When they move, the starfields seen through their bodies do not appear to move with them.

Abilities

In the Physical Realm, they are capable of choosing who can hear and see them, and can even hide from their bonded Surgebinder.

Nahel bond

Highspren are one of the types of spren capable of forming a Nahel bond, making a person a Surgebinder with the powers of Gravitation and Division. However, unlike other Radiant spren, highspren do not form a Bond until the prospective Skybreaker swears at least the Second Ideal.

Highspren seem to have some kind of empathic connection to their Surgebinders that other spren lack, as they can let the Radiant know their feelings without speaking, even when not in Shardblade form.

Culture

Highspren espouse order and law, focusing on obedience and following legal codes. They are infamous among the other spren for being strict and inflexible, with honorspren in particular disliking them. They seem to be fairly isolationist, with none to be seen in Celebrant. It's possible highspren have their own settlements, as Jasnah appears to have visited them to gain information about past Desolations.

They seem to highly respect Nale, the Skybreaker Herald, and will only bond the people he presents them with. Several of them accompany the Skybreaker training excursions to observe and assess the hopefuls, with each highspren waiting for one who would impress them, though it's possible that the ultimate decision of whether or not to bond a person is formed by the entire group. Once the bond is formed, they seem to have a largely commanding role in it, as it is up to them whether or not a Skybreaker is considered to have successfully accomplished the Ideal of Crusade.

Notable Highspren

• Winnow (bonded to Ki)
• Szeth's unnamed highspren
• Warren's unnamed highspren
• Nale's unnamed highspren

Notes

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