Stormfather
“ I am that which brings Light and Darkness ”
The Stormfather is a powerful spren on Roshar. He is the personification of storms and the divine. In Vorinism, he is identified with the Herald Jezerezeh.To the Listeners he is known as "The Rider".[2]
Nature
The Stormfather is a spren. He is the cognitive shadow of the Almighty[3]; in his own words, "the memory men create for him, now that he is gone."[4] Despite the Vorin view of him, he has stated that he is not a Herald.[1]
According to Listener beliefs he is one of the Spren which betrayed them and protected the humans instead of listeners.He is still respected however due to his power, and it is thought that he would kill any who do not respect him.This leads to a mix of awe and fear being felt for him by the Listeners.[2]
Power
He was the carrier of Dalinar's visions. He controls the highstorms, and can summon them to a location.[1] At least one of the Bondsmiths bonded him as their spren; in Words of Radiance, this is Dalinar Kholin.[4] He appears as a giant face during highstorms, although it's unclear whether non-Surgebinders can see him.[5] It was mentioned in Listener songs that he could appear to some during a storm, although it was only in song and unheard of to actually happen.[2]
He mentions to Eshonai that he would protect her from her own transformation into stormform if he could, but that it was not within his power to shelter people.[2]
He apparently exerts some influence over honorspren and their ability to form Nahel Bonds, but could not hold back Syl so long as Kaladin said the words.[6]
History
The stormfather is an incredibly powerful spren who likely had existed so long as there were highstorms.It appears he can hold onto memories perfectly or at least better than other spren, as he was aware of what had been done to the rest of the spren by their human counterparts.[7]
The stormfather is first seen directly when Kaladin is strung up to face his judgment by order of Torol Sadeas.Kaladin glimpses him as a large face, as vast as the entire sky before him but later questions whether he had just been delirious from the onslaught of the highstorm.[8]
He is shown again directly the second time that Kaladin dreams of being the highstorm as it passes overhead.Here Kaladin recognises the dream sequence and begins dreaming lucidly, allowing him to turn around and speak to the Stormfather directly.He accuses Kaladin of being a traitor who will hurt and kill Syl.He mentions that he believes humans cannot be trusted, and then gives Kaladin a warning and an apology before he wakes up.[7]
At one point Dalinar began forming a nahel bond with the stormfather and this lead to him receiving visions of the past during a highstorm during the War of Reckoning.
When Sadeas' assassination attempt on the Shattered Plains leads to Kaladin falling 70 metres into the chasm below he survives by instinctively using Syl as a last-ditch source of stormlight, leading to the Stormfather angrily reprimanding him.[9]
While Kaladin and Shallan are waiting out the highstorm in the chasms, the Stormfather appears again to Kaladin.Here he makes it clear that he has effectively killed Syl through using her as a source of stormlight while their Nahel Bond was so weak, and that he would never again re-gain his powers.He is also seen by Shallan, although he does not address her directly.[10]
He later speaks to Dalinar during the Battle of Narak, where he claims that the Alethi side is lost but promises to conjure a highstorm later in order to sweep away their dead as a sign of respect.[1]
Kaladin could hear Syl arguing with him while attempting to protect Elhokar from Moash and Graves.Syl points out that he can only hold her back so long as Kaladin does not utter the words of the Knights Radiant and upon him doing so, the Stormfather reluctantly concedes that Syl may now rejoin Kaladin.[6]
Other
Being strung up in a highstorm is referred to as being judged by the Stormfather.[11]
He considers the honorspren to be his children.[1]
He was not always present within the highstorms.[12]
Notes
- ↑ a b c d e Words of Radiance chapter 83#
- ↑ a b c d Words of Radiance interlude I-5#
- ↑ {{{text}}}
— Reddit - 2015-03-12# - ↑ a b Words of Radiance chapter 89#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 35#
- ↑ a b Words of Radiance chapter 84#
- ↑ a b Words of Radiance chapter 32#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 34#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 69#
- ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 74#
- ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 21#
- ↑ Words of Radiance interlude I-5#