Highstorm

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A highstorm is a fierce weather system on the planet of Roshar. They occur once every few days, or at command of the Stormfather, and move from stormward to leeward from the Origin. In the East of Roshar the highstorms are incredibly destructive. They progress across the continent, though they weaken gradually as they cross, and are mostly broken by the mountains east of Shinovar. A highstorm has three general stages. The leading edge, or Stormwall, is the most dangerous part of the storm. Immensely powerful winds generate a wall of dust, water, and larger debris. The main body of the highstorm carries less debris, although the winds are still strong enough to hurl boulders. The trailing edge of the storm, known as the riddens, consists of light rains mixed with relatively mild gusts of wind. At some point during the main part of the storm gemstones left outside, usually in baskets secured to the undersides of roofs, are infused with Stormlight. The Purelake experiences less intense highstorms.

Highstorms are the single most important force in Roshar's ecology. Some plants, like lavis polyps, enclose themselves against the highstorm's fury; others retract or fold their relatively fragile leaves, vines, or roots away. Stormwater is better for plants than regular water,, providing nutrients that would otherwise be provided by soil swept away by the highstorms. Rosharan fauna has adapted as well; species like axehounds and whitespines are covered in carapaces, and chasmfiend gemhearts glow when extracted, hinting at a symbiotic relationship with spren that requires stormlight, and, thus, highstorms, to function.

Sentient species are also affected by the Highstorms; the parshendi use the highstorms to bond spren. Many cities had protection against the storms. Kholinar has its windblades—large stone formations that divert the highstorm's force— and Sesemalex Dar has troughs that prevent the city from flooding. Many curses are related to the highstorms, and the Shin reverence for stone may be at least partly due to the mountain range that protects Shinovar from the brunt of the highstorm's power.

Stormwardens try and predict when highstorms occur, and have become somewhat accurate, though not always. The Stormwardens have negative connotations since predicting the future is culturally associated with Voidbinding.

Vorin mythology claims that each storm is born in the east at the Origin before traveling across Roshar, but modern stormwardens believe there exist a set number of highstorms that travel unendingly around the planet, with the length between the storms decided by the speed they travel during that time of the year.

See Also

• Weepings