Difference between revisions of "Spheres"
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{{culture
|image=Spheres (close up) by Nozomi Matsuoka.png
|type={{cat tag|Currencies|Currency}}
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}
{{update|sa4}}
'''Spheres''' are the primary currency in most nations on [[Roshar]]. Each one consists of a [[gemstone]] encased in a glass bead. Gemstones, including the ones in spheres, can temporarily hold [[Investiture]] in the form of [[Stormlight]], offering both a source of light{{book ref|sa1|3}} and fuel for [[Surgebinding]]s.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Like all gemstones, spheres naturally leak any Stormlight they have absorbed, over a period of about a Rosharan week.{{book ref|sa1|17}} This has led to the practice of leaving spheres out during highstorms so they can be recharged. Rosharans use the terms '''infused''' and '''dun''' to differentiate between spheres that hold Stormlight at the moment, and ones that have gone dark. They were first devised as an alternative to large open flames, as Roshar's atmosphere has a high oxygen content, making flames behave somewhat differently.
== Appearance ==
{| class="wikitable floatleft" style="margin-right:1em;"
{{row| Mark | 0.5{{wob ref|10400}} | 100 | 5{{ref|name=igs}}{{ref|name=diamondnexus}} | pre={{!}} style="text-align:center;" {{!}} | pre1={{!}} style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" {{!}} }}
{{row| Broam | 2.0{{wob ref|10400}} | 400 | 8{{ref|name=igs}}{{ref|name=diamondnexus}} | pre={{!}} style="text-align:center;" {{!}} | pre1={{!}} style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" {{!}} }}
| colspan=4| '''Kivs''' seem to be a measurement of gem weight on Roshar.{{book ref|sa4|42}} Like other in-world units of<br> measurement, they are not well-defined.{{wob ref|1566}} Real-life measurements are used here for clarity.
|}
Each sphere is made of a tiny gemstone encased in a glass bead that is usually flattened on one side to keep the sphere from rolling away when set down.{{book ref|sa1|27}} The gemstone can belong to any one of the ten [[Polestone]]s{{wob ref|10402}} and can come in one of three different sizes. The glass bead is always a uniform size, a little larger than a person's thumb nail.{{book ref|sa1|3}}
Exact measurements for the glass beads or their embedded gemstones are not available, but they can be deduced from the known weights of each denomination's gemstone. Spheres gemstones come in three different sizes (see [[#Currency]] for more information), so taking the largest one - the one in the broam - allows for some reasonable estimates. The broam gemstone is about 8mm in diameter, assuming a uniform round cut.{{
The table to the left presents the mass and diameter of the gemstone in each denomination, assuming a uniform round cut.
== Light ==
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="margin-left:1em;"
! colspan=3 style="background:#CCCCFF; text-align:center;" | '''Spherelight colors'''{{wob ref|10402}}
{{row| Gem type | Color | pre=! style="text-align:center; font-weight: bold;" {{!}} | pre2=! colspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-weight: bold;" {{!}} }}
{{row| Sapphire | Deep blue | | pre1={{!}} style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" {{!}} | pre3={{!}} style="background:#
{{row| Smokestone |
{{row| Ruby | Deep red | | pre1={{!}} style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" {{!}} | pre3={{!}} style="background:#
{{row| Diamond |
{{row| Emerald | Deep green | | pre1={{!}} style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" {{!}} | pre3={{!}} style="background:#
{{row| Garnet |
{{row| Zircon |
{{row| Amethyst |
{{row| Topaz |
{{row| Heliodor |
|}
Perhaps the most common use of the spheres is as a light source. Since the gemstones inside them have the ability to hold Stormlight, many Rosharans have adopted the habit of leaving their spheres out during highstorms (in cages or baskets, so they don't get lost or stolen) so they can get (re)charged. Much like the highstorms, Surgebinders are also able to recharge spheres, similarly to how
Due to this property of gemstones, infused spheres often serve as a replacement for other, more traditional light sources, such as candles and lanterns. Given that spherelight is both steadier and more consistent,{{book ref|sa1|23}} as well as being practically infinitely renewable, it is easy to see how people with access to spheres would consider them superior. The amount of light a sphere gives off varies with the denomination: chips barely have any glow at all, marks glow almost as bright as a candle, and broams glow with the light of several candles.{{book ref|sa1|3}} The color of the spherelight also changes predictably from sphere type to sphere type - emeralds glow green, rubies
Although spheres are generally a superior source of light, many people, especially those less well-off or living in poorer regions, still use candles or lanterns. Using candles and lanterns is often cheaper than using spheres, since a sphere's dual status as currency makes it liable to be stolen.{{book ref|sa1|23}} This problem does not exist for wealthy or noble [[lighteyes]] who may use all-sphere lighting either as a practical matter or to show off their wealth. For example, the entirety of [[Kharbranth]]'s royal treasury is stored in the [[Palanaeum]] to be used as a source of light for the visitors and staff.{{book ref|
The table to the right lists all ten sphere types along with the spherelight color they emit.
{{Image|Spheres by Nozomi Matsuoka.png|side=left|height=250px|A variety of gemstones and spheres}}
== Currency ==
The monetary value of each sphere is a direct consequence of causes both mundane (the size of the sphere's gemstone) and arcane (the [[Soulcasting]] properties of each gem type). The gem size defines the denomination of the sphere. From smallest to largest, these are chip, mark, and broam. The gem type is applied as a qualifier to the denomination (e.g. diamond chip, or emerald broam) to form the thirty different monetary units of Roshar.
One property of Rosharan spheres that does not affect their value is whether they are infused or dun.{{book ref|
The dominance of spheres throughout Eastern Roshar is slightly weaker in the West. The [[Tashikki]], for example, still use spheres, but instead of carrying them in pouches, they drill holes in the glass beads and keep them on long strings.{{book ref|sa2.5|6}} People even farther west don't even bother with spheres, but use chips of gemstones instead, though they are sometimes encased in hunks of glass.{{book ref|sa2.5|6}}
The gem size defines the three denominations of spheres (chip, mark, and broam), and therefore a fixed exchange rate between the different denominations of spheres of the same type. Within the same gem type, each broam is equivalent to four marks,{{wob ref|10400}} and each mark is equivalent to five chips{{book ref|sa1|3}} - making a broam equal to twenty chips.
The gem type is a little more complicated. The value of each type of sphere - and, therefore, the relative values of all types - is intrinsically tied to how valuable the given gemstone is in Soulcasting. This makes emeralds -- which can be used to Soulcast grain -- the most expensive kind of spheres,{{book ref|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
{{row| Highest | 50 | 250 | 1000 | Emerald | pre1={{!}} style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" {{!}} }}
|}
<!-- TODO: This section needs to be hidden until we actually create the relevant page.
=== Cost of Goods and Services ===
For a full list of the known prices of goods and services, see '''this page'''.-->
=== Ends ===
Glass spheres that do not contain a gemstone are known as '''ends'''. They serve as fake money that can be used to play wagering games such as [[pieces]] if the players do not wish to risk real spheres.{{book ref|sa3|40}}
== Investiture ==
For Surgebinders - including both pre-Recreance [[Knights Radiant]] and [[Dalinar]]'s newly restored Orders, as well as wielders of [[Honorblade]]s such as [[Szeth]] prior to his death - the spheres, much like ordinary gemstones, act as a portable, convenient, and inconspicuous source of Stormlight to power their [[Surgebinding|abilities]]. Because of this, Surgebinders often carry pouches full of infused spheres, although if they find themselves in a situation where their own spheres are unavailable, inaccessible, or dun, they are often able to make use of spheres frequently found in the environment.
In the days after [[Kaladin]]'s promotion to a captain in [[Dalinar]]'s army, [[Sigzil]] attempts to establish a baseline for how efficient Kaladin's use of a [[Surgebinding#Full_Lashing|Full Lashing]] is by measuring the amount of time it takes for a
=== Shadesmar Currency ===
For reasons not yet known, Stormlight fades more quickly in Shadesmar than it does in the Physical Realm,{{book ref|sa3|99}} which has led to the development of alternative ways of transporting and transferring Stormlight. The moneychangers in [[Celebrant]], for example, have devices they can use to transfer Stormlight from regular spheres and gemstones into their [[perfect gem]]s{{book ref|sa3|99}} (where it won't fade). In return, they give out notes of exchange{{book ref|sa3|101}}, which can be spent like credits within the city's limits.{{book ref|sa3|99}} The [[Rii Oracle]] possesses a device similar to what the Celebrant moneychangers use, but [[Ico|Captain Ico]] calls it "foreign technology."{{book ref|sa3|99}}
Neither the full
== Informal Names ==
{{url ref|name=lat|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1996-04-13/home/hm-58312_1_measuring-tools|text=Los Angeles Times: Measuring Up Without Ruler|site=Los Angeles Times|date=1996-04-13}}
</references>
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