Singer
| Singer | |
|---|---|
| World of Origin | Roshar |
The singers are a sapient species on Roshar,[1][2] which humans called the parsh[3] or parshmen.[4] One such group of singers are the listeners.
Singers communicate through special Rhythms--hence them being called singers. Singers can bond various spren which change their forms.
Singers predate humanity on Roshar.[5] Around the time of the Recreance,[6] many of the singers' had their Connection and Identity stolen, pieces of their souls ripped away.[7] This made those singers docile and subservient, which humans called parshmen and used as slaves for millennia later.[8] With the advent of the Everstorm, these singers were healed and restored.[7]
Forms
By staying out in a highstorm (or the Everstorm)[citation needed] with a spren, singers are capable of bonding with said spren, which has the effect of changing their forms,[9] which alters their physical appearance and mental capabilities.
The listeners recounted many common forms in the Song of Listing, which they only had access to only a small subset of. They also have songs which sung of dangerous forms of power in the Song of Secrets and the Song of Winds.
There is also slaveform, which was the lack of any form, which most singers were locked into for centuries, until the Everstorm arrived and the True Desolation began.
With several exceptions--such as mateform and slaveform--most singer forms are asexual.[10][11]
Common Forms
These forms are mentioned in the listener Song of Listing. After the Recreance and before the True Desolation, when the only singers who could think were the listeners, the listeners only discovered five forms: dullform, mateform, warform, workform, and nimbleform. When the Everstorm arrived and healed the other singers, singers held these forms and other common forms the listeners could not reproduce, such as artform and scholarform, and had a "dozen" options.[12]
- Mateform
“Mateform meek, for love to share,
Given to life, it brings us joy.
To find this form, one must care.
True empathy, one must employ. ”—5th stanza of the Song of Listing[13]
Mateform is used for reproductive purposes. A few listeners maintain mating form constantly, although most enter it only briefly in order to reproduce with a partner; if these partners later entered warform they became a warpair. It is a distracting form which makes productive work difficult.
- Warform
“Warform is worn for battle and reign,
Claimed by the gods, given to kill.
Unknown, unseen, but vital to gain.
It comes to those with the will. ”—15th stanza of the Song of Listing[14]
Warform gives listeners an armor-like carapace; it also seems to give them advanced physical capabilities, although it severely hampers artistic ability and is not equipped to handle abstractions. Most Parshendi that interact with the Alethi are in warform.
- Workform
“Workform worn for strength and care.
Whispering spren breathe at your ear.
Seek first this form, its mysteries to bear.
Found here is freedom from fear. ”—19th stanza of the Song of Listing[15]
Workform also endows significant physical strength, although without the armor of the warform; those in workform also have thinner fingers. While in workform, the Parshendi find it difficult to commit violence and did not like confrontation.
- Nimbleform
“Nimbleform has a delicate touch.
Gave the gods this form to many,
Tho' once defied, by the gods they were crushed.
This form craves precision and plenty. ”—27th stanza of the Song of Listing[16]
Nimbleform was a form used by the listener scholars because they do not know the correct spren to bond with for scholarform. It does not impede the mind and the fingers are delicate enough for recording their findings. It grows long hair without any carapace to block it and yields delicate swirling patterns in their skin, along with a thinner facial structure.
- Mediationform
“Meditationform made for peace, it's said.
Form of teaching and consolation.
When used by the gods, it became instead
Form of lies and desolation. ”—33rd stanza of the Song of Listing[17]
- Scholarform
“Scholarform shown for patience and thought.
Beware its ambitions innate.
Though study and diligence bring the reward,
Loss of innocence may be one's fate. ”—69th stanza of the Song of Listing[18]
- Artform
“Artform applied for beauty and hue.
One yearns for the songs it creates.
Most misunderstood by the artist it's true,
Come the spren to foundation's fates. ”—90th stanza of the Song of Listing[19]
“Artform for colors beyond our ken;
For its grand songs we yearn.
We must attract creationspren;
These songs suffice 'til we learn. ”—279th stanza of the Song of Revision[20]
- Dullform
“Dullform dread, with the mind most lost.
The lowest, and one not bright.
To find this form, one needs banish cost.
It finds you and brings you to blight. ”—final stanza of the Song of Listing[21]
Dullform is an older form which was rarely used after the discovery of the newer forms. Those in dullform are not very intelligent.
Forms of Power
Many singer forms are considered by the listeners to be forms of power.[citation needed] For a singer to gain one of these forms, they must bond with a Voidspren.[12] Singers wearing a form of power are referred to Regals in the context of Odium's army.[12] Forms of power are intoxicating to those first come into one,[22] and give access to new Rhythms, but drown old, common rhythms.[citation needed]
Forms of power include: stormform, nightform, smokeform, decayform, and envoyform.
Slaveform
“slaveform, the form with no spren, no soul, and no song. (...) It wasn't really a form at all, however, but the lack of any form.”
There is also "slaveform," which is not a true form, but the lack of a bond with a spren or lack of a form. What humanity called for millennia parshmen are actually singers in slaveform.
Physically, slave form listeners are strong enough to perform physical labor.[24] Their skin has either a marbled pattern of black and red or white and red, although the white and red is more common in Alethkar.[25][8]
They care about and are protective of their dead, usually objecting to anyone other than one of themselves tending to them.[26] This care for the dead presumably extended to corpses of other singers as well.[24]
Slaveforms lived among humans (notably the Alethi but also in Jah Keved and Kharbranth[4]) and generally function as servants.[25] Barely of intelligence,[24] it is said that these people, if left in the woods, would stand around amiably until someone comes along to tell them what to do.[27][28] Generally, a slaveform would take orders without any objection.[4] They could speak but rarely did so.[29]
The Everstorm healed all slaveform singers, and so this "form" no longer exists during the True Desolation.[7]
Rhythms
Singers speak to Rhythms. These Rhythms are underlying tunes that seem to exist independently from their actual use. Also, Rhythms are "playing" constantly. For example, Rhythms can be used to measure time.[30] Rhythms represent a certain state of mind, the feelings of the person using it. When not paying attention, Parshendi will attune to the Rhythm that corresponds to their mood, but they can attune to another Rhythm in order to fit with their message. Dullforms and slaveforms don't use Rhythms. The Rhythms connect the singers.[31]
List of Rhythms
- Rhythm of Amusement[32]
- Rhythm of Annoyance[30]
- Rhythm of Anticipation[33]
- Rhythm of Anxiety[30]
- Rhythm of Awe[34]
- Rhythm of Appreciation[30]
- Rhythm of Betrayal[30]
- Rhythm of Confidence[35]
- Rhythm of Consideration[30]
- Rhythm of Craving[33] (new rhythm)
- Rhythm of Curiosity[32]
- Rhythm of Derision[35]
- Rhythm of Destruction[35] (new rhythm)
- Rhythm of Excitement[32]
- Rhythm of Fury[35] (new rhythm)
- Rhythm of Irritation[30]
- Rhythm of Joy[35]
- Rhythm of Lost[32]
- Rhythm of Mourning[32]
- Rhythm of Peace[35]
- Rhythm of Pleading[30]
- Rhythm of Praise[32]
- Rhythm of Remembrance[30]
- Rhythm of Reprimand[32]
- Rhythm of Resolve[32]
- Rhythm of Ridicule[35] (new rhythm)
- Rhythm of Satisfaction[35]
- Rhythm of Skepticism[32]
- Rhythm of Spite[35] (new rhythm)
- Rhythm of Supplication[30]
- Rhythm of Tension[35]
- Rhythm of Winds[30]
See Also
Notes
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 54#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 106#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 77 epigraph#
- ↑ a b c The Way of Kings chapter 3#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 111#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter 81 epigraph#
- ↑ a b c Oathbringer chapter 17#
- ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 72#
- ↑ Do Parshendi need a highstorm to change form?
— Theoryland - 2012-11-06# - ↑ {{{text}}}
— Reddit - {{{date}}}# Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "reddit-books-2ytg2h-crbq12w" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ {{{text}}}
— Reddit - {{{date}}}# Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "reddit-books-2ytg2h-crcbbv7" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ a b c Oathbringer chapter I-7#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 14 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 13 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 15 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 16 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 21 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 18 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 20 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 29 epigraph#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 17 epigraph#
- ↑ Oathbringer chapter I-3#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter I-1#
- ↑ a b c The Way of Kings chapter 55#
- ↑ a b The Way of Kings prologue#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 26#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 28#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 36#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 7#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Words of Radiance interlude I-4#
- ↑ Are Parshendi like a hive mind sort of culture?
— Theoryland - Sep 22nd, 2012# - ↑ a b c d e f g h i Words of Radiance interlude I-1#
- ↑ a b Words of Radiance interlude I-13#
- ↑ Words of Radiance interlude I-8#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Words of Radiance interlude I-11#