Difference between revisions of "Spren"

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{{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]]{{book ref|sa1|37}}}}
 
'''Spren''' are fragments of the [[Adonalsium|powers of creation]] that have since then gained sentience due to human intervention on [[Roshar]].{{book ref|sa2|3}} They are vastly varied in their appearances, characteristics, and levels of intelligence.{{book ref|sa2|1}} Most spren consist of the essences of [[Honor]] and [[Cultivation]], or a mixture of both that leans towards either one [[Shard]] or the other. Spren that are attracted to emotions, like angerspren or fearspren, have more of Honor than Cultivation, and the spren that are attracted to natural phenomena, like decayspren or windspren, vice versa.{{qa ref|747|5| Are all spren that can Nahel Bond called honorspren or just Windrunner spren?}} There is also another spectrum of spren known as Voidspren that presumably consist of only [[Odium]]'s essence.{{book ref|sa2|3}} Some spren predate the arrival of Honor and Cultivation to Roshar, and perhaps even the [[Shattering]]. These are [[Splinter]]s of [[Adonalsium]] itself that it left behind intentionally and that have attained sentience on their own since then.{{17s ref|4258|post|68628}}
 
They dwell mostly in the [[Cognitive Realm]]. It is where the powers of creation come alive, shaped and given cognizance by the ideas and concepts of collective experience of sentient creatures being personified as an external entity over time into spren. They have their own societies, politics and cities there. Though the [[Shadesmar]] was built by humans and other sentient species, the spren shape, rule, and live there.{{book ref|sa2|1}} The transition of spren into the [[Physical Realm]] leaves holes in their memories,{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} impairs their cognitive functions in some ways, and even alter their appearance.{{book ref|sa2|3}} Once they make the transition, they cannot affect the Physical Realm except in very minor ways.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}}
 
Spren being far more extensive and numerous than the [[Seon]]s and the [[Skaze]], Splinters of [[Devotion]] and [[Dominion]] respectively, 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 the Honor.{{qareddit ref|944|7| Does Roshar have a similar problem, with Honor being Splintered?short=1a3fj0}}
 
Spren are deeply connected with the [[Knights Radiant]] and [[Surgebinding]] with the [[Nahel Bond]], and spren are also used to create [[fabrial]]s.
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== Characteristics ==
There are said to be thousands of different kinds of spren, each named for a different type of phenomenon.{{book ref|sa1|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.{{book ref|sa1|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]].{{book ref|sa1|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.{{qa 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?}}{{qa 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?}}
 
Larger spren have the ability to shape-shift often mimicking faces, as well as being able to mimic voices. Apart from a few sentient sub-types, spren are not intelligent and therefore speaking with them is an exercise in futility; a fact often learned as a child. Spren are often ignored because of this.{{book ref|sa1|2}} Larger spren also have the ability to pick up small objects and give small pinches of energy.{{book ref|sa1|6}}
 
Spren do not need to sleep, {{book ref|sa1|14}} and spren can die.{{qa ref|836|26| Can spren die?}}
 
The causal link between spren and their namesake is not fully understood on Roshar. Some spren, such as rotspren, are said to cause their namesake, whereas others, such as windspren, are merely attracted to it.{{book ref|sa1|57}}
While spren are often invisible, they are said to be ever present and will appear around the phenomenon they are named for.{{book ref|sa1|7}} The exception is in [[Shinovar]], where no spren appear.{{book ref|sa1|i|4}} Some spren are easier to find than others, however even the most common will, at times, fail to appear.{{book ref|sa1|i|5}} Larger spren will often appear to a singular person, who they will taunt and play with.{{book ref|sa1|2}} Some humans, such as [[Rock]], have the ability to see these spren, even if the spren in question does not explicitly reveal themselves to the viewer. These people are called ''alaii'iku'' by the [[Unkalaki]].{{book ref|sa1|21}}
 
As creatures of nature, spren are not particularly concerned with good and evil.{{qa ref|755|14| Would that also mean that certain spren had an alignment or would some spren be catered toward good or evil or not?}}
 
Cryptics are not the only type of manifested spren to dwell in Shadesmar.{{qa ref|977|25| Tell us something new about Cognitive Realm, please.}}
 
Spren are related to the physical phenomena of [[wikipedia:wave-function collapse|wave-function collapse]]. One can measure a spren and fix a spren's dimensions simply by the act of measuring it.{{book ref|sa1|i|8}}
 
==Symbiotic Relationships==
Some types of spren live in symbiotic relationships with various other creatures extant on Roshar.{{17s ref|4884|post|80010}}Perhaps the best known examples of this are [[greatshell]]s. There is a type of spren that lives in their bodies which contribute to their ability to grow to such large sizes.{{qa ref|977|158| What are the smoke-y spren that appear around a dead chasmfiend?}}
 
The "magic fish" of the [[Purelake]] are another example of Rosharan flora forming symbiotic bonds with spren.{{17s ref|4884|post|80010}}
[[File:Kaladin and Syl.jpg|thumb|The honorspren Sylphrena with her bond-mate Kaladin]]
:''Main Article:'' [[Honorspren]]
A type of sentient spren that formed Nahel Bonds with the Knights Radiant, granting them their powers. They were said to be quite "discerning" in deciding who they would bond with.{{book ref|sa1|60}} Sylphrena refers to herself as honorspren.{{book ref|sa1|67}}{{qa ref|836|26| And Syl's what, a Bonding Spren?}}
 
===Hungerspren===
The leading edge of a highstorm is home to "thousands upon thousands" of windspren.{{book ref|sa1|34}} Windspren are also a common sight at the tail of a highstorm "chasing after... the highstorm's last gusts."{{book ref|sa1|4}}
 
Windspren are closely related to [[honorspren]], such as Sylphrena.{{qa ref|979|61| Are all windspren really just unbonded honorspren?}} This perhaps evidenced by their ability to "stick things together"{{book ref|sa1|2}} although that could be restricted to unbonded honorspren.
 
== Possible Spren ==
=== Captivityspren ===
{{quote|It appears I'll have another chance to search for captivityspren.| Axies the Collector{{book ref|sa1|i|5}}}}
A type of spren theorized to exist 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}}
While imprisoned, Kaladin sees strange spren like taut wires crossing before him. These may be captivityspren.
 
=== Dawnsingers ===
According to the ardent [[Kabsal]], the [[Dawnsingers]] were "kindly spren sent by the Almighty" to care for mankind after being expelled from the Tranquiline Halls.{{book ref|sa1|45}}
 
=== Nightspren ===
A type of spren believed to exist by more traditional, rural followers of Vorinism. Those with more eductation believe they are simply fabrications of the Knights Radiant to support their dominance.{{book ref|sa1|42}}
 
=== Nightwatcher ===
Most Rosharans believe the [[Nightwatcher]] to be a very powerful type of spren.{{book ref|sa1|52}}
 
=== Voidbringers ===
During the Era of Solitude on Roshar, most people living in cities believed the [[Voidbringer]]s were a type of evil spren.{{book ref|sa1|45}} This is perhaps a reference to [[Thunderclast]]s which seem to be created from corrupted spren bonding with stone.{{book ref|sa2|4}}
 
In WoR we find out that the Voidbringers are Parshendi bonded with various Voidspren (such as Storm Spren) to transform them into the "Forms of Power" used by their dark gods.
 
== Theories and Speculation ==
{{theory}}
It may be possible that there are larger categories of spren. When accused of being a [[Voidbringer]] Pattern retorts that "[he] is no voidspren..." From this it has been extrapolated that the divisions of spren may have two axis: their power level and their source.
In support of the above assumptions there is the fact that Odium is by no means dead, yet his Voidspren are still present on Roshar (and therefore likely inhabit [[Shadesmar]] as well). If he can send spren into the [[cosmere]] while alive but "imprisoned by the oathpact" (an act which would be necessary to create the Voidbringers and bring about each of the previous 99 desolations) it might be true that Honor and cultivation can send spren while alive too.
 
== Notes ==
{{columns|<references>
{{17s ref|4220|post|66166|text=Is the bond between a Seon and its master similar to the Nahel bond between a Surgebinder and his spren?|date=02 October 2013}}
{{17s ref|4258|post|68628|Please explain what you will about shards and splintering and slivers.|date=19 October 2013}}
{{17s ref|4884|post|80010|Are the magic fish of the Purelake a result of symbiotic bonds with spren?|date=18 December 2013}}
{{qa ref|747|5| Are all spren that can Nahel Bond called honorspren or just Windrunner spren?|date=Mar 17th, 2012}}
{{reddit ref|name=poopspren|short=1bflq6|Are there poopspren?}}▼
{{qa ref|755|14|Would that also mean that certain spren had an alignment or would some spren be catered toward good or evil or not?|date=Apr 17th, 2012}}
{{qa ref|836|26|Can spren die? Syl's what, a Bonding Spren?|date=Sep 22nd, 2012}}
{{qa ref|977|25|Tell us something new about Cognitive Realm, please|date=Sep, 2012}}
{{qa ref|977|158| What are the smoke-y spren that appear around a dead chasmfiend?|date=Sep, 2012}}
{{qa 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?|date=Apr 15th, 2013}}
{{qa 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?|date=Apr 15th, 2013}}
{{qa ref|979|61|Are all windspren really just unbonded honorspren?|date=Apr 15th, 2013}}
▲{{reddit ref|name=poopspren|short=1bflq6|Are there poopspren?|date=2013-04-02}}
{{reddit ref|short=1a3fj0| Does Roshar have a similar problem, with Honor being Splintered?|date=2013-03-11}}
{{url ref|name=luckspren
|url=http://inkthinker.deviantart.com/art/The-Way-of-Kings-Skyeels-180124400
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