Surgebinding

This page or section contains spoilers for [[Book shorthand incorrect|Book shorthand incorrect]]!

This information has the ability to potentially ruin elements of the plot for the reader. Proceed with caution if you have not read this book.

[[Category: Spoilers for Book shorthand incorrect]]

Surgebinding
by Isaac Stewart
Related to	Honor
Type	End-Positive
World of Origin	Roshar

Surgebinding is a manifestation of Investiture on Roshar. A Surgebinder can manipulate natural forces locally known as Surges. Each Surgebinder has access to two adjacent Surges shown in the Knights Radiant table. This results in three powers which can be used by Investing, or infusing as known locally, objects or people with Stormlight.

Prerequisites

Surgebinding is not innate to Rosharans. They gain the ability depending on their actions. It is thought that the Divine Attributes in the Ten Essences table determine if one can become a Surgebinder as well as which Surges they will be able to manipulate. These behaviors attract the attention of one of the ten spren that give access to Surgebinding. The spren and the Surgebinder, then, forms a Spiritual bond known as Nahel bond.^{[citation needed]}

Which Surges the Surgebinder can manipulate depends on with what kind of spren he or she forms a Nahel bond.

Order
Name	Windrunner	Skybreaker	Dustbringer	Edgedancer	Truthwatcher	Lightweaver	Elsecaller	Willshaper	Stonewards	Bondsmith
Spren	Honorspren	Highspren	unknown	unknown	unknown	Cryptic	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown
Surges

Abilities

Adhesion

Adhesion Surge can be manipulated by the Surgebinder to bind objects together.

Full Lashing: This ability creates an extremely powerful temporary bond between two objects. To use this ability, the Surgebinder infuses a surface with Stormlight, after which any object or person that comes in contact with the surface will be bound to it. Most objects would break apart themselves before the bond holding them. The duration of this bond is determined by the amount of Stormlight infused. The bond also attracts bindspren.

Gravitation

Gravitation Surge can be manipulated by the Surgebinder to alter the direction and strength of an object's gravitational attraction.

Basic Lashing: This ability alters an object's or being's spiritual gravitational bond to the planet below, instead temporarily linking it to a different object or direction. It allows the Surgebinder to run up walls, send objects or people flying off into the air. Advanced users of Basic Lashing can make themselves lighter by binding only a portion of their mass upward. Binding a quarter of one's mass upward effectively halves that person's weight. Similarly, it is possible to use multiple Basic Lashings to make a being's effective weight higher.

Reverse Lashing: This ability creates a bubble around an object that imitates its spiritual link to the ground beneath it. In effect, this makes the infused object pull other objects towards itself. It is much harder for Reverse Lashing to affect objects touching the ground, where their link to the planet is strongest. Objects falling or in flight are the easiest to influence. Other objects can be affected, but the Stormlight and skill required are much more substantial. This ability is believed to be a specialized version of Basic Lashing.

Division

The Division Surge grants the Surgebinder power over destruction and decay.

Abrasion

The Adhesion Surge grants the Surgebinder power over friction. It can be used to alter the friction on the surface of the Surgebinder's body, allowing the Surgebinder to slide on the floor on until the friction is made normal or the Surgebinder runs out of stormlight.

Progression

The Progression Surge grants the Surgebinder power over growth and healing. It can be used to heal wounds and cause plants to grow at a rapid pace.

Growth accelerates organic growth to tremendous speeds. The Surgebinder can infuse the seeds to a plant with Stormlight and in seconds, it will become fully developed. It is unknown if this ability only works on plants.

Regrowth is the power of healing.

Illumination

Illumination Surge can be manipulated by the Surgebinder to create illusory images (stationary or mobile) and sounds.

Lightweaving: This ability creates illusions based upon not just what the Surgebinder imagines, but also desires to create. It has a powerful Spiritual element, requiring some level of connection to the intended creation beyond just a mental picture of it.

Transformation

Transformation Surge can be manipulated by the Surgebinder to change the molecular structure of an object.

Soulcasting: This ability converts any material into one of the Surgebinder's choice. The process is accomplished by conversing with the Cognitive aspect of the object and requesting it to change. While it is technically possible for the Surgebinder to transform anything into anything else, the object may reject the Surgebinder's request for it to change. Transforming something into the pure form of an Essence is quite easy. Soulcasting requires the corresponding gemstone for the Essence the Surgebinder is trying to transform into. Soulcasting something into blood, for example, requires a garnet infused with Stormlight. The process may leave the gemstone shattered, although the larger the gemstone the less likely it is for that to happen. The mass of an object remains the same when it is Soulcast. It may not be possible to create gemstones with Soulcasting.

Transportation

The Transportation Surge grants the Surgebinder power over Motion and Realmatic Transition. It appears to grant the power of instantaneous teleportation of the Surgebinder, though restrictions on this power are not known.

Cohesion

The Cohesion Surge grants the Surgebinder power over Strong Axial Connections. It can be used to alter objects at a molecular level; for example, a Surgebinder can push her hand into a table and leave a permanent handprint.

Tension

The Tension Surge grants the Surgebinder power over Soft Axial Connections. It is unclear precisely what abilities this Surge grants. A possible example might be: they could walk across quicksand or water with out sinking.

Known Surgebinders

• Kaladin
• Lift
• Ym
• Shallan Davar
• Jasnah Kholin
• Renarin Kholin

Knights Radiant

For more information, see Knights Radiant.

Knights Radiant are an organization of Surgebinders who live by the Immortal Words. They comprise of ten different orders. Each order consist of Surgebinders who have access to the same two Surges.