Difference between revisions of "Honorspren"

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{{lifeform
|image=KaladinShallan's andSketchbook Syl- Honorspren.jpg
|abilities=[[Nahel bond]], [[Windrunner]] magic, {{tag+|Splinter}}s of [[Honor]]
|type= {{cat tag|Spren}}
|world= Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books= [[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}{{spoilers|book=sa3}}
}}
{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|We're each a bit of power made manifest. We honorspren mimic Honor himself.
|I bind things, Kaladin. ... I am honorspren. Spirit of oaths. Of promises. And of nobility.
|[[Syl]] to [[Kaladin]]{{book ref|sa1sa3|6797}}
}}
'''Honorspren''' are a subsettype of sapient [[spren]] capable of forming a [[Nahel bond]].{{book ref|sa1|67}}
 
They are [[Splinter]]s of [[Honor]].{{wob ref|3017}}{{book ref|sa3|108}} Bonding with one makes someone a [[Knight Radiant]] of the [[Order of Windrunners]].
 
== Appearance ==
{{for|Sylphrena/Gallery|more images of Syl in particular}}
In the Physical Realm, honorspren look like [[windspren]].{{book ref|sa1|2}} They can change their appearance and choose who they show themselves to.
In the Physical Realm, honorspren look like [[windspren]].{{book ref|sa1|2}} They can change their appearance, including forms like fire or clouds, although they always glow, and are always white-blue.{{book ref|sa1|40}}{{book ref|sa1|27}} This being said, they generally seem to prefer a humanoid form. Usually, it's very small -- only about a handspan tall -- but if need be, a honorspren can make themselves as tall as a regular person.{{book ref|sa1|2}}{{book ref|sa3|37}} The more powerful their bond becomes, the more they can change themselves, even being able to shift the color of their clothes if not their skin, though this might be unique to Sylphrena.
 
In [[Shadesmar]], honorspren are blue-white and as large as humans.{{book ref|sa3|89}} They cannot vanish, or shape-shift.{{book ref|sa3|97}} They appear to be wearing clothes, but the clothes are part of their essence and cannot be changed without [[Stormlight]]. Some honorspren buy physical clothes to wear instead.{{book ref|sa3|102}} Of all spren, honorspren have the most human mannerisms.{{book ref|sa3|108}}
 
== History ==
{{quote
The first honorspren were created by [[Honor]]. When his death approached, Honor gave the responsibility of creating them to the [[Stormfather]]. The Stormfather made a few, including [[Sylphrena]]. All except her were killed during the [[Recreance]], becoming [[deadeye]]s. Believing her dead along with the others, the Stormfather went centuries without creating any new honorspren. When he did remake them, he only created ten.{{book ref|sa3|108}} Those ten created the rest of the honorspren as their children as did their descendants (the ten created some children of their own, those children created others, and so on).
|The honorspren were created by Honor himself, many thousands of years ago.
|[[Notum]]{{book ref|sa3|108}}
}}
 
During the [[Heraldic Epochs]], honorspren were created by [[Honor]].{{book ref|sa3|108}} At some point, inspired by the [[Herald]]s and their [[Honorblade]]s, the honorspren, along with nine other types of sapient spren, began forming [[Nahel bond]]s with humans, giving rise to the [[Order of Windrunners]].{{book ref|sa2|87}} Back then, they had a reputation for being discerning in their choice of who to bond with, more so than many other spren.{{book ref|sa1|60}}
The honorspren have previously tried to conquer Shadesmar. Their culture is similar to the Alethi, and they both have a reputation as warmongers. {{book ref|sa3|47}}
 
As his death approached, Honor passed the responsibility of creating honorspren to the [[Stormfather]]. The great spren made a few of them, including [[Sylphrena]], yet soon the [[Recreance]] arrived and the vast majority of honorspren became [[deadeye]]s. Syl was the only survivor among the Stormfather's children, as she was slumbering at the time. Her fate wasn't known, though, and Stormfather didn't create any new honorspren for centuries. Eventually, he made ten. Those ten created more honorspren, with their children creating more and so on.{{book ref|sa3|108}}
Syl was recently rediscovered to be asleep and brought back to the other honorspren. When she realized a new Desolation was coming, she left [[Shadesmar]] and went to the Physical Realm to form a [[Nahel Bond]] with [[Kaladin]]. This caused the honorspren to post a huge reward for her return.{{book ref|sa3|102}} After the Everstorm arrived, other honorspren started bonding with humans.
 
Eventually, the honorspren grew into a large nation once more. Sometime in the recent past, they tried to conquer all of [[Shadesmar]] -- a failed attempt that left them with poor reputation among other sapient spren.{{book ref|sa3|47}} As a result, these days the honorspren keep to themselves, and it's dangerous for them to travel Shadesmar alone.{{book ref|sa3|99}}
== Culture ==
Honorspren are not liked by other types of sentient spren. In [[Celebrant]], there are no honorspren on the streets.{{book ref|sa3|102}} They have their own cities. The capital is [[Lasting Integrity]].{{book ref|sa3|102}} They also have a stronghold called [[Unyielding Fidelity]] near [[Kharbranth]].{{book ref|sa3|102}}
 
SylRecently, Sylphrena was recently rediscovered to be asleep, and brought back to the other honorspren. When she realized a new Desolation was coming, she leftescaped, [[Shadesmar]]leaving andthe wentcity toshe's thebeen Physicalstaying Realmat to formenter athe [[NahelPhysical BondRealm]] withand [[Kaladin]]find someone to bond with.{{book ref|sa3|95}}{{book ref|sa3|108}} This caused the honorspren to post a huge reward for her return.{{book ref|sa3|102}} After the Everstorm arrived, other honorspren started bonding with humans.
== Nahel Bond ==
Windspren and Syl are kind of cousins.{{wob ref|4071}} She becomes sentient by bonding with [[Kaladin]]. This bond gains her the ability to think in the Physical Realm and in return Kaladin gets something from this bond, too.{{wob ref|9917}}
 
After the [[True Desolation]] began, however, other honorspren started bonding with humans.{{book ref|sa3|37}}
 
== Culture ==
{{image|Syl by Noblesgal.jpg|side=right|width=280px|An honorspren fighting [[deathspren]]}}
{{quote
|Oh! She says she would rather trade with honorspren than take another trip to the perpendicularity. I think this is an insult.
|I'm willing to stop it, if you want. But I would go back to being as I was before. That scares me. Floating on the wind, never remembering anything for longer than a few minutes. It's because of this tie between us that I can think again, that I can remember what and who I am. If we end it, I lose that.
|Syl[[Pattern]], explainstranslating tofor Kaladinan about their bond[[ashspren]]{{book ref|sa1sa3|57102}}
}}
 
Honorspren are generally warlike and oath-bound, with a strong military tradition.{{book ref|sa3|47}} While fairly isolationist, they are willing to let other spren live alongside them, though it seems a non-honorspren cannot attain a high rank in their society. They believe themselves to be oathbound to follow Honor's path and serve what they think to be his interests. However, they are also highly respectful of the [[Bondsmith]]s, and the [[Stormfather]] Bondsmith in particular. The latter is likely due to many of them seeing the Stormfather as their parent or progenitor.{{book ref|sa3|108}}
The bond is considered extremely intimate, as it involves the mixing of souls.{{book ref|sa3|108}}
 
Honorspren follow morality instead of a system of laws, and are stubborn in upholding their particular interpretation of it. It is difficult to change their mind with logic, as they focus on what they feel more than what they think.{{book ref|sa3|108}}{{book ref|sa4|21}} Obedience and order are highly valued in their society, and they're willing to put up bounties for their rebellious kinsmen.{{book ref|sa3|37}}{{book ref|sa3|102}} This being said, honorspren pride themselves on not being as uptight as the [[highspren]], and can be flexible when necessary.{{book ref|sa3|108}}
 
Of all spren, honorspren are noted to have the most human mannerisms.{{book ref|sa3|108}} They sometimes engage in grand hunts, tracking down and slaying other creatures of Shadesmar, like gloomspren.{{book ref|sa3|5}}
 
Honorspren are not liked by other types of sentientsapient spren, and seem to avoid them in turn. In [[Celebrant]], there are no honorsprennone on the streets.{{book ref|sa3|102}} TheyRather, they have their own cities., Theforming a grand nation with the capital isin [[Lasting Integrity]].{{book ref|sa3|102}} They also have aseveral strongholdstrongholds, calledincluding [[Unyielding Fidelity]], in the reigon of [[Shadesmar]] corresponding nearto [[Kharbranth]].{{book ref|sa3|102}}
 
According to Syl, while honorspren hate [[inkspren]] and highspren, they merely distrust [[Cryptic]]s.{{book ref|sa4|20}}
 
=== Legal Proceedings ===
The honorspren have a complex legal code that they require all parties involved to understand to at least a basic extent. Defendants are expected to carry their own case, and although they may receive legal counsel outside of the courtroom, lawyers are not employed by honorspren during trials.{{book ref|sa4|78}}
 
Defendants are permitted to talk during the trial, and during witness testimony, however, the judge can order them gagged at his or her discretion.{{book ref|sa4|87}} When permitted, the audience is allowed to ask questions of the defendant, but cannot make statements.{{book ref|sa4|90}} If a witness has been called who is too young or cannot be traditionally examined, the High Judge has the authority to question the defendant and speak on the witness’ behalf.{{book ref|sa4|94}} Proceedings are overseen by a High Judge, who is accompanied by a group of honorspren officials.{{book ref|sa4|90}} If the High Judge is unavailable, one of these officials can adjudicate in the High Judge’s place.{{book ref|sa4|94}}
 
==== Trial by Witness ====
A particular type of trial that is available under honorspren law is '''trial by witness'''. It is rarely used as it heavily favors the prosecution. This type of trial must be requested and approved by the judge preceding over the case. If the request is accepted, the trial is held in three parts, each on its own day, where multiple witnesses are brought forward by the prosecution, and the defendant is also allowed to present their case. On the first trial day, the prosecution will call three witnesses to speak against the defendant.{{book ref|sa4|78}} The second day of trial is for the accused to plead their case and the audience may ask them questions. On the third day, the prosecution can bring forth a final witness, whom the defendant can question, before judgement is made.{{book ref|sa4|78}}{{book ref|sa4|90}}
 
== Abilities ==
Honorspren have the ability to sense an upcoming [[highstorm]] days before it arrives.{{book ref|sa3|20}} This is likely related to their origins as Stormfather's children. In the [[Physical Realm]], they can use [[Adhesion]] to stick small, light objects together{{book ref|sa3|77}}, and give pinches of energy or move small objects.{{book ref|sa1|6}} They can also shape-shift while in there, and choose who can and cannot see and hear them, although they cannot hide from their bonded Surgebinder, an [[Unkalaki]] ''alaii'iku'',{{book ref|sa1|21}} or [[Lift]].{{book ref|sa4|i|1}}
 
They can form a [[Nahel bond]] with humans, turning them into [[Surgebinder]]s with the powers of Adhesion and [[Gravitation]]. In return, they gain the ability to think and act like their Shadesmar selves in the physical realm.{{book ref|sa1|57}} Among the honorspren, the bond is considered extremely intimate, as it involves the mixing of souls.{{book ref|sa3|108}}
 
== Notable Honorspren ==
*[[Sylphrena]] (bonded to [[Kaladin]])
*[[Phendorana]] (bonded to [[Teft]])
*[[Notum]]
*[[Borea]]
*[[Rua]] (bonded to [[Lopen]])
*[[Caelinora]] (bonded to [[Huio]]){{book ref|sa3.5|7}}
*[[Riah]]
 
== Trivia ==
* Several honorspren have names derived from wind-related myths and legends -- for example, Sylphrena is named after [[wikipedia:Sylph|sylphs]], wind spirits, while Notum and Borea's names come from [[wikipedia:Notus|Notus]] and [[wikipedia:Boreas|Boreas]], the Greek gods of South and North wind respectively.
* Honorspren are able to detect the arrival of a [[highstorm]] days before it appears.{{book ref|sa3|20}}
* Brandon developed honorspren from windspren. Originally, there were only four windspren that could bond people, each corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions (for example, Syl was initially called the East Wind). Over time, as the spren developed, honorspren were created and made distinctive from windspren.{{wob ref|5324}}
 
== Notes ==

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