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Spren are far more extensive and numerous than the closest comparable entities, [[seon]]s and [[skaze]], Splinters of [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]] respectively. This is one of the reasons Roshar does not have the same problem with travelling to the Cognitive Realm as [[Sel]] -- even though Honor is [[Splintering|Splintered]] just like the other two Shards, on Roshar, spren act as a "release valve" for the uncontrolled power of Honor.{{wob ref|4129}}
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== Characteristics ==
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=== Definition ===
Some spren predate the arrival of Honor and Cultivation to Roshar, and perhaps even the [[Shattering]]. These are Splinters of [[Adonalsium]] itself that it left behind intentionally and that have attained sentience on their own since then.{{wob ref|10563}} This tendency towards sentience, which can be seen both in Shard-derived spren and Adonalsium-derived spren, is a result of [[cosmere]]-wise phenomenon of Investiture attaining sentience when left on its own.{{wob ref|1473}} However, while comparable entities exist on other worlds -- most notably, seons and skaze -- the sheer amount of spren created is unique to Roshar.
The cognitive ideals that create spren are similar to those that determine the appearances of the [[Returned]] on [[Nalthis]] and the plausibility of [[Forgery|Forgeries]] on Sel, and are based off of human perception.{{wob ref|4110}}{{wob ref|4048}}</div>
=== Functioning ===
[[File:Maya.jpg|thumb|
{{for|Deadeye|more information about spren death}}
Spren do not need to sleep,{{book ref|sa1|14}} but they can die.{{wob ref|96}} Spren with a Nahel Bond can die if their bonded [[Surgebinder]] breaks their Oaths to an untenable degree. However, there are stages to spren death, and it's not necessarily one-way. If the Radiant who broke their Oaths is not yet at the point where they would acquire a [[Shardblade]], the spren simply seems to disappear.{{book ref|sa2|69}} Such a spren can be brought back to life if the Radiant returns to abiding by the Oaths, and re-swears them. It's possible that swearing the next level of the Ideals is a necessary part of the process.{{book ref|sa2|84}}
By contrast, a spren that has been killed after their Radiant acquires a [[Shardblade]] leaves behind a dead Shardblade, and while in Shadesmar, they take the form of a [[deadeye]].{{book ref|sa2|87}}{{book ref|sa3|101}} A deadeye is a zombie-like figure with scratched-out eyes, constantly striving to mindlessly reach the location of its Blade.{{book ref|sa3|101}} Whether it can be brought back to life is uncertain, although it has never happened before.{{book ref|sa3|28}}
=== Nature and Emotion Spren ===
Spren naturally found on Roshar are divided into '''nature spren''' and '''emotion spren'''.{{book ref|sa2|3}} Emotion spren are attracted to sensations like anger, joy or passion; they are composed of more Honor than Cultivation. Nature spren are attracted to natural phenomena like wind, decay or rain, and have more Cultivation than Honor in them.{{wob ref|6454}} Emotion spren will react to emotional [[Allomancy]].{{wob ref|2740}}
While the lesser spren are often invisible, they are said to be ever present and will pop up around the phenomenon they are named for.{{book ref|sa1|7}} Some spren are easier to find than others, though even the most common will, at times, fail to appear.{{book ref|sa1|i|5}} In [[Shinovar]] in particular, all types of spren are exceptionally rare.{{book ref|sa1|i|4}}{{wob ref|8714}}
In contrast, spren that do possess sapience are referred to as true spren.{{book ref|sa3|4}} They seem to all represent higher concepts, such as honor for [[honorspren]] and truth and lies for [[Cryptic]]s. Nine types of true spren bond with humans to grant them [[Nahel Bond]]s and thus, the power of [[Surgebinding]]; however, more types of sapient spren exist.{{wob ref|9539}}
While true spren can transition into the Physical Realm, they do so rarely, and only when seeking to bond a prospective [[Knight Radiant]]. This is because transition between the Realms leaves holes in their memories and impairs their cognitive functions in some ways.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} Even after forming a bond, moving too far from their bonded Surgebinder will cause the spren's mental capacity to degrade once more.{{book ref|sa1|9}}{{book ref|sa3|91}}
Once the true spren make the transition, they cannot affect the Physical Realm in any but the most minor ways.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} While in Shadesmar, most sapient spren have a humanoid shape and size, in the Physical Realm they usually take on a smaller and simpler form.{{book ref|sa2|3}}
=== Odium's Influence ===
{{for|#Corrupted Spren|a list of known spren corruptions}}
Lesser spren can be corrupted by [[Sja-
Separately, there exist '''[[voidspren]]''', spren made up of the essence of [[Odium]]. The lesser voidspren are, like their native Rosharan counterparts, non-sentient. They can, however, form bonds with [[singer]]s, granting them [[Regal]] forms, which often include supernatural powers and a change in mindset in the singer.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}
Some spren of Odium are also sapient, making them true spren. Unlike their Honor- and Cultivation-aligned kin, sapient voidspren are capable of retaining their higher functions in the Physical Realm without bonding a person.{{book ref|sa3|31}} Those spren are usually imprisoned on [[Braize]], along with the rest of Odium's forces, but they are capable of escaping and traveling to Roshar.{{book ref|sa3|i|3}} They tend to look like small [[Shin]] humans, and have colors such as yellow or red.{{book ref|sa3|31}}{{book ref|sa3|i|3}} Whether sapient voidspren are capable of granting powers to other creatures is uncertain.
Sja-
=== Unique Spren ===
=== Singer Forms ===
[[Singer]]s can attain different forms by taking a spren into their gemheart during a [[highstorm]].{{book ref|sa2|i|5}} Each such form comes with a slightly different physical shape, and even different biology -- for example, only [[mateform]], [[slaveform]], and possibly [[dullform]] are capable of reproducing, while [[warform]] is taller and more muscular, with ridges and natural plating to protect its wearer.{{wob ref|3400}}{{book ref|sa2|79}}
Such bonds are formed only with non-sentient spren, and once the singer changes a form, the spren is released from the gemheart, unharmed.{{wob ref|136}} When the bond is formed with a lesser [[voidspren]], the singer gains a [[Regal]] form.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}
* [[Highspren]] ([[Skybreakers]])
* [[Ashspren]] ([[Dustbringers]])
* [[Cultivationspren]] ([[Order of Edgedancers|Edgedancers]])
* [[Cryptic]]s ([[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweavers]])
* [[Inkspren]] ([[Elsecallers]])
}}
A common type of spren that appear around people looking forward to something, or who are nervous about something. They appear as red streamers that grow out from the ground and blow in the wind. They often appear around soldiers directly before a battle.{{book ref|sa1|6}}
The streamer that appears in the Physical Realm is actually the tongue of the anticipationspren. The spren itself has a round bulbous body and is about the size of a human toddler. It will open its mouth and stick its tongue in the air when near feelings of anticipation.{{book ref|sa3|97}}
}}
A type of spren theorized by Axies to appear around people in captivity. Despite being imprisoned numerous times he has never observed them, leading him to doubt their existence.{{book ref|sa1|i|5}} However, while imprisoned, Kaladin sees strange spren like taut wires crossing before him, which have been confirmed to be captivityspren.{{book ref|sa2|62}}{{wob ref|2111}}
It's possible that rather than being attracted to the state of being imprisoned, captivityspren are attracted to the feelings of being trapped. This would explain why Axies, who sees being in prison as an opportunity, never witnesses any, while Kaladin's degrading mental state in prison summons several.
Also known as liespren, Cryptics are a type of sapient spren that forms Nahel Bonds with the Knights Radiant [[Order of Lightweavers]], granting them their powers. {{book ref|sa2|3}} Cryptics grant the [[Surge]]s of Transformation and Illumination.{{file ref|TWoK Front Endsheet.jpg|Surgebinding Table}} They represent fundamental mathematical laws of nature, and truths that explain the fabric of existence.{{book ref|sa3|97}}
In the [[Cognitive Realm]], they have the appearance of figures in robes that hang stiffly, as if made of glass rather than fabric. Instead of heads, they have a floating symbol full of impossible angles and geometries.{{book ref|sa1|29}} There, Cryptics reside in a single city-state, and do not wish to expand.{{book ref|sa3|47}} In the [[Physical Realm]], Cryptics take the shape of a complex and constantly shifting geometric pattern slightly raised off a surface or object.{{book ref|sa2|3}} They can also manifest as a floating three-dimensional mass of twisting lines.{{book ref|sa2|42}}
==== Cultivationspren ====
* '''Gloryspren''': take the shape of a cube instead of a globe.{{book ref|sa3|77}} In the [[Cognitive Realm]], they are described as looking bone-white and brown, with wings extending to the sides, long tresses for a tail, and golden cubes for heads.{{book ref|sa3|97}}
* '''Hungerspren''': much more rare than their uncorrupted versions, even in [[Kholinar]].{{file ref|Kholinar Spren.jpg|Kholinar Spren}} They are black, and resemble the flies seen on rotting plants. {{book ref|sa3|72}}
* '''Oathgate Spren''': the corrupted spren of the Kholinar [[Oathgate]] are described as looking like stretched-out versions of people, 30 feet tall, hovering in the air. One is pitch-black and the other is red.{{book ref|sa3|87}}
* '''Painspren''': sickly green as compared to their normal orange, as well as deformed or distorted, no longer resembling human hands.{{book ref|sa3|62}}
* '''Shamespren''': resemble pieces of broken glass instead of petals.{{book ref|sa3|62}}
{{for|Cusicesh}}
Also known as Cusicesh the Protector, it's one of the largest known spren to take physical form. It makes its home in [[Kasitor]] Bay, where it rises from at exactly seven forty-six in the morning every day. It takes the form of a tall column of water, topped with a face turning towards the [[Origin]]. The face is constantly changing, cycling through numerous different sets of features for ten minutes before retreating back into the water. Cusicesh also has four long feet, which it plants on the shore as it rises.{{book ref|sa1|i|5}}
Cusicesh is worshipped by the people of Kasitor, who not only set their clocks by its arrival, but have also built golden plinths at the spots where Cusicesh's feet land. However, people who are in the vicinity of Cusicesh when it appears often report a sense of fatigue after it vanishes, which may or may not be because of expectation.{{book ref|sa1|i|5}}
{{quote
|We were made, then unmade.
|[[Sja-
}}
* '''[[Nergaoul]]''' - an animalistic Unmade; usually doesn't have a presence in the Physical Realm, but can take the form of a cloud of red mist with various shapes within in. Its presence causes a lust for battle known as the Thrill.{{book ref|sa3|115}} At the present, it has been captured and imprisoned in the [[King's Drop]] by [[Dalinar]].{{book ref|sa3|120}}
* '''[[Re-Shephir]]''' - known as the Midnight Mother. She can create [[Midnight Essence]], monsters that mimic the creatures around them. Has been nesting in [[Urithiru]] until [[Shallan]] banishes her; her current whereabouts are unknown.{{book ref|sa3|31}}
* '''[[Sja-
* '''[[Yelig-Nar]]''' - sometimes called the Blightwind.{{epigraph ref|sa1|45}} He's capable of bonding with people who swallow a gemstone containing him, granting them the use of all ten [[Surge]]s. Was present at the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]], although the Fused have presumably took him back when they withdrew.{{book ref|sa3|120}}
* [[Kaladin]], a [[Windrunner]], attracts [[windspren]] on numerous occassions, most notably when fighting [[Szeth]] and when forming the "wind break" in [[Revolar]].{{book ref|sa2|86}}{{book ref|sa3|31}} Windspren are also called [[Syl]]'s "cousins" several times.{{book ref|sa2|9}}{{book ref|sa2|52}}
* [[Shallan]], a [[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweaver]], has been known to gather a large number of [[creationspren]] when drawing or crafting illusions. Although this might simply be a function of her being an artist, the numbers Shallan attracts are unnatural, with hundreds surrounding her at one point.{{book ref|sa3|3}}
* [[Lift]], an [[Order of Edgedancers|Edgedancer]], attracts lifespren from time to time.{{book ref|sa2.5|8}}
* [[Dalinar Kholin]], a [[Bondsmith]], brings together an incredible amount of [[gloryspren]] during the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]]. Notably, people around him often draw a gloryspren or several, despite the type's supposed rarity.
* [[Jasnah]], an [[Elsecaller]], is surrounded by a glow of geometric patterns for a moment during the Battle of Thaylen Field.{{book ref|sa3|120}}
=== Bondsmith spren ===
The singular nature of the [[Bondsmith]] spren has led to some speculation regarding which named spren could bestow a Bondsmith [[Nahel Bond]]. Candidates commonly put forth include:
* The [[Nightwatcher]], whom Brandon has previously stated is on the same level as the Stormfather{{wob ref|174}}
* The [[Sibling]], based on their connection to [[Urithiru]] and the Stormfather's comments about how humans had harmed them before{{book ref|sa3|111}}
There has also been some speculation regarding whether an [[Unmade]] can form a Bondsmith bond. The most common topic of such speculation is [[Sja-
== Notes ==
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