Difference between revisions of "Spren"

{{quote| Spren appear when something changes—when fear appears, or when it begins to rain. They are the heart of change, and therefore the heart of all things.| [[Hesina]] to [[Kaladin]]{{ref|b|sa1|c|37}}}}

'''Spren''' are a type of magical entity that live on the planet [[Roshar]]. Most are a combination of the powers of the [[Shard]]s [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]]. Some are more of Honor; others, Cultivation; the rest are a mixture of the two.{{ref|?|747|5| Are all spren that can Nahel Bond called honorspren or just Windrunner spren?}} Some spren however pre-date the arrival of Honor and Cultivation. These spren are [[splinter]]s of [[Adonalsium]] itself and have achieved sentience.<ref name=adospren /> Spren act as "release valve" for uncontrolled shardic energy, like the [[Seon]]s and [[Skaze]] of [[Sel]].{{ref|?|944|7| Does Roshar have a similar problem, with Honor being Splintered?}}

==Physiology==

There are said to be thousands of different kinds of spren, each named for a different type of phenomenon.{{ref|b|sa1|c|49}} There are actually several different varieties of spren. Everything has a "spren" based on how it is viewed cognitively and how long it has been viewed that way.{{ref|b|sa1|c|37}} These spren are the cognitive aspects of objects in the Physical Realm and can be "spoken to" in the [[Cognitive Realm]]. [[Soulcasting]] works by "bribing" this type of spren with [[Stormlight]].{{ref|b|sa1|c|48}} The other main variety of spren are those that manifest in the Physical Realm and are the ones people most often interact with. They are the personification of certain cognitive ideals and concepts, such as natural forces or emotions.<ref name=poopspren /> These cognitive ideals 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.{{ref|?|979|165| Are the changing beauty standards of Returned and the "plausibility" of Forgeries determined by the same kind of "cognitive ideals or concepts which have taken on literal personification over time" that some types of Spren represent?}}{{ref|?|979|7| You have mentioned that certain spren are an embodiment of concepts. How does that work for the concepts like honor, that can mean opposite things to different culture groups?}}

* [http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/03/the-spren-theory-of-disease-unexpected-science-in-the-way-of-kings| The Spren Theory of Disease]

==Notes==

<ref name=eshonai>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cDGlSyePKuiyYb_e0yBHzTYCvvqQgoPweEh_EM3sRlE/edit| Eshonai Interlude]</ref>

<ref name=rysn>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UxIvoJRwOXRWBBgALFMw_Wej_Gxv6l4bkJofAJlBpIU/edit| Rysn Interlude]</ref>

<ref name=nahelseon>[http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/4220-chicago-signing-1/?p=66166| Is the bond between a Seon and its master similar to the Nahel bond between a Surgebinder and his spren?]</ref>

<ref name=adospren>[http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/4258-questions-for-seattle-signing-1014/page-6#entry68628| Please explain what you will about shards and splintering and slivers.]</ref>

{{stormlight}}