Difference between revisions of "Lift"

|bonded=[[Wyndle]], [[Gereh's Aviar|Aviar]]

As would be expected from someone of Lift's age, she often acts child-like. For instance, althoughduring sheher is thirteentween years old, she claims to be ten because she believes that any number to which she cannot count on her fingers is unlucky.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} Lift is often sarcastic and irreverent, which annoys her fellow Azish thieves. She also enjoys mocking her [[spren]], Wyndle, calling him a [[Voidbringer]] instead of a spren because she knows it annoys him and not due to any sort of dislike she has for him. Lift also has little patience for Wyndle's extremely technical explanation of the [[Realmatic Theory]] behind her abilities. Despite her teasing, she truly does like Wyndle and is genuinely worried for him when she thinks that [[Nale|Darkness]] is following her to try and kill Wyndle.

Lift has formed a [[Nahel bond]] with Wyndle, which grants her the ability to Surgebind, although at first Lift herself is not entirely certain whether she believes this.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} AsShe withis able to summon Wyndle as a [[Shardblade]] after swearing the [[Order of Edgedancers#Ideals of the Edgedancers|Third Ideal]] of the Edgedancers.{{book ref|sa2.5|19}} As allother Surgebinders do with Stormlight, Lift gains superhuman strength and speed when she holds [[Lifelight]], as well as the ability to heal quickly from non-mortal wounds.{{book ref |RoWsa4|60}} When Lift is investedInvested with Lifelight, she refers to it as her "Awesomeness." She is a member of the order of Radiants known as the [[Order of Edgedancers|Edgedancers]]. This gives her access to two Surges, Abrasion and Progression. Lift also has a rare and possibly unique ability to convert food to Lifelight through consumption.{{book ref|RoWsa4|60}} While this may seem a great blessing, she lacks the ability to gather Stormlight from gemstones and other sources,{{wob ref|8073}} though it is unknown if this is also true for spheres containing [[Lifelight]].

Abrasion allows her to change the friction of her body against her surroundings.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} She refers to this ability as her "Slickness." Lift uses this ability often to make quick getaways. She reduces friction on all parts of her body except the soles of her feet and palms of her hands, and then kneels and propels herself swiftly forward using her palms. This also comes in handy when Lift is escaping pursuers, because it is nearly impossible for them to get a grip on her. She can also use it to increase the friction of herself, making it extremely easy to climb walls with even the slightest handholds.{{cite}}

Lift's visit to the Nightwatcher leaves her with a rather unique trait, one that is not among the typical power set of the Edgedancers.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} She exists partially in the Cognitive realm, which grants her some special abilities. The first is that she can touch spren, something that is supposed to be impossible, as they exist mostly in the Cognitive realm.{{book ref|sa4|i|5}} This ability greatly helps Lift with her thievery, as Wyndle takes the form of a vine. He can make handholds or increase the width of ledges for Lift by growing where she needs to go, but no one else is able to see or touch him. She is also one of the few people who can always see [[Syl]], regardless on whether she wants to be seen.{{book ref|sa4|41}}

Lift's other power is even more impressive.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} Unlike most Surgebinders, who are able to draw Stormlight from external sources, Lift metabolizes food directly into [[Lifelight]], and uses Lifelight to fuel her Surges instead of Stormlight.{{wob ref|8073}}{{wob ref|2739}}{{book ref|RoWsa4|60}} Food that she can metabolize quicker, such as bread, can be metabolized into Lifelight faster than something like sausage, but may provide less Lifelight overall because it has fewer calories. Her Lifelight is produced in place of sugar.{{wob ref|67}} However, this is limited to substances that she can normally digest into nutrients, so she can do nothing with allomantic metals.{{wob ref|11579}}{{wob ref|2506}} She can also convert the energy reserves in her own body into Lifelight. With access to the [[Metallic Arts]], she could theoretically compound [[Feruchemical]] [[bendalloy]] to Lifelight as well.{{wob ref|9272}} These abilities are unique to Lift.{{wob ref|940}} However, this power can be dangerous too, as she often risks malnutrition when she burns through all her excess energy.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} As Lift can only gain Lifelight through metabolizing food,{{wob ref|11579}}{{wob ref|2506}}{{wob ref|8073}} she is limited by the amount of food she has eaten. If the Lifelight is not used, it will last about half a day.{{book ref|sa2.5|8}} She may be the only person to have ever had one, or all, of these abilities and it may not have been believed possible until she visited Cultivation.{{wob ref|12898}} Lift has always assumed that she metabolized Stormlight, not knowing of Lifelight's existence until captured by [[Mraize]].{{book ref|RoWsa4|60}}

It is hinted that Lift wishedasked to remainstay the same, and not change,become orsomeone to remain young.else,{{book ref|sa2.5|15}}{{book Theref|sa4|interlude|5}} though the actual boon and curse are still unknown, but as an effect of one or the other, her spirit-web has been given the ability to convert mass directly to [[Investiture]].{{wob ref|2739}}

During the battle of UrithituUrithiru, Lift saw a fight between two chickens. She healed the red chicken and defended it from the green one. It had a special connection to his [[Gereh|master]] allowing the [[Gereh's Aviar|Aviar]] to lead Lift to him.{{book ref|sa4|i|6}}{{wob ref|7447}} When the red chicken found its former master dead, it was in great distress. After the freeing of the tower, Lift and Wyndle take care of the chicken.{{book ref|sa4|116}} The Aviar has unknown mind abilities.{{wob ref|15828}}

When Lift reached the orphanage, she heard a scream that made her believe she had come too late. The Stump confronted her outside the orphanage, believing her to be the source of the scream. Lift asked for the last of her three meals to replenish her Lifelight before going off to confront the Skybreakers.{{book ref|sa2.5|17}}

She arrived at the orphanage to find that Darkness had beaten her there. They fought and he ultimately trapped her with his knife until the Stump came back down from the roof of the orphanage. The Stump struck Darkness with a wood board, which allowed Lift to free herself. Darkness stabbed the Stump and left her to bleed out while he chased Lift. Wyndle encouraged Lift to "Say the Words". Lift said that she'd spoken them in her heart, but wondered how they could help. They ended up on the roof, where Wyndle formed a shard weapon to block Darkness' Shardblade. As Nale taunted her, Lift spoke aloud the [[Immortal Words|third ideal]] of the EdgedancerEdgedancers. She urged Nale to view the raging Everstorm and parshmen transformed into Stormform Listeners which convinced him that the Voidbringers were back, and that there was no point in killing Surgebinders.{{book ref|sa2.5|19}}

Several weeks later, Lift is stealing food in Urithiru. It was not as much fun as it used to be, as people left food out for her to 'steal'. She moved through air vents along the ceilings and walls. She had the feeling "everything" was wrong, which she always had during the everstorm. Lift looked what was in the basket left by [[Gift]]. When Wyndle asked, Lift snapped that she was not supposed to be liked and she was a mysterious shadow. She and Wyndle made some more jokes while she moved through the tower. She noticed how there were more tight squeezes she needed awesomeness for than a year ago. She then reached her nest. After eating, she went to the wall and used Wyndle to measure her height, she had grown an inch since last measurement. She suggested to stop eating to stop growing, but her spren doubted she could. This small moment could lead to Lift developing Anorexia nervosa, since she desires to stay the same. They then talk of Lift's visit to the Nightwatcher, and Cultivation. Lift admitted to asking not to change. Wyndle asked why changing bothered her so much, to which she replied she was her mother's little girl. She was very uncomfortable with the changes in her body. The last time she felt right was when she was with her mother. Wyndle wrapped himself around the girl to comfort her. Suddenly he says something happened and something is very wrong. Lift noticed she couldn't make her body slick anymore. At the perimeter of the tower she could not see anything wrong, until they noticed fallen Windrunners near the Oathgate.{{book ref|sa4|i|5}}

Sanderson decided to write an interlude featuring Lift in ''[[Words of Radiance]]'' as a sort of "seed" for her future appearances.{{wob ref|5621}} She is one of the flashback characterscharacter for the second five book arc in the Stormlight Archive, something that Sanderson has planned for a long timeSix.{{wob ref|167311620}}{{wob ref|6465}} As such, she will become even more prominent as the series continues.{{wob ref|1673}} Sanderson intends to perhaps even write a few more short stories featuring Lift before he publishes her books.{{wob ref|7909}}