Surgebinding

Surgebinding
by Isaac Stewart
Related to	Honor, Cultivation
Prerequisites	One's actions
Type	End-Positive
World of Origin	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

Surgebinding is a prime manifestation of Investiture on Roshar. Surgebinders can manipulate ten fundamental forces locally known as Surges, with each Surgebinder having access to two of the Surges with overlap between them, by infusing objects or beings with Stormlight. Each Surgebinder's Surges come in a set combination, for example, it is possible to have the Surges of Progression and Illumination or Progression and Abrasion, but not Progression and Gravitation.

Prerequisites

Nahel bond
Order	Spren	Attribute	Surges
Windrunners	Honorspren	Protecting/ Leading	Adhesion	Gravitation
Skybreakers	Highspren	Just/ Confident	Gravitation	Division
Dustbringers	Ashspren	Brave/ Obedient	Division	Abrasion
Edgedancers	Cultivationspren	Loving/ Healing	Abrasion	Progression
Truthwatchers	Unknown	Learned/ Giving	Progression	Illumination
Lightweavers	Cryptic (Liespren)	Creative/ Honest	Illumination	Transformation
Elsecallers	Inkspren	Wise/ Careful	Transformation	Transportation
Willshapers	Lightspren (Reachers)	Resolute/ Builder	Transportation	Cohesion
Stonewards	Unknown	Dependable/ Resourceful	Cohesion	Tension
Bondsmiths	The Stormfather, Nightwatcher, and their sibling	Pious/ Guiding	Tension	Adhesion

Becoming a Surgebinder

Surgebinding is not innate to Rosharans, and can be gained in two ways. Originally the abilities were only granted to the Heralds by the Almighty in the form of Honorblades. Later, spren figured out how the Almighty granted these abilities, and started giving them to humans by forming a Spiritual bond called the Nahel bond with them.

The exact powers that someone can wield depend on the specific Honorblade/Nahel bond. It is unknown if the powers granted by an Honorblade are identical to those granted by the corresponding bond.

Honorblade

For more information, see Honorblade.

Honorblades are the ten Shardblades that the Almighty originally gave the Heralds. Each of these Blades gives its wielder the ability to manipulate two Surges just like the Nahel bond, Jezrien's Blade giving Adhesion and Gravitation, and so on. They can be wielded by anyone, and they do not require the safeguards the spren do to avoid people abusing these powers. Honorblades consume far more Stormlight than the Nahel bond, in fact a dangerous amount to the wielder. They also do not grant the additional abilities of the Nahel bond, and their wielders cannot heal Shardblade wounds with Stormlight.

Nahel Bond

For more information, see Nahel bond.

The Nahel bond is a symbiotic relationship between humans and spren, through which the human gains Surgebinding powers and the spren gains sapience in the Physical Realm. The spren choose the people they bond with according to the actions and personalities of those people. There are ten types of spren that bond with humans—each granting access to two of the ten Surges, with overlap between them—and each of these types are attracted to different attributes in their bondmates.

Once the bond is established, the spren is pulled into the Physical Realm, although they retain very little of their intelligence and memories and act very much like the lesser spren until the bond grows stronger. The strengthening of the bond is accomplished by the Surgebinder continuing to act in line with the attributes that attracted the spren in the first place, and swearing oaths that are related to those attributes once they are ready. As the bond grows stronger, the spren regain their sapience, and the effectiveness of the Stormlight for the Surgebinder increases. Once the bond is at sufficient strength, the spren can manifest as a Shardblade, and the eye color of the Surgebinder changes into the color their spren is associated with.

If the Surgebinder acts in a manner conflicting with their oaths, the bond grows weaker until, eventually, the spren "breaks" and is trapped in an agony cycle after having a significant portion of its consciousness ripped out of it, and the bondmate loses their Surgebinding powers. If the spren "breaks" while in Shardblade form, it reverts to its basic sword form, and can be temporarily revived by being linked to the heartbeat of a person to be used. The spren do not "unbreak" on their own, but can be brought back to life if their bondmates takes up their oaths again. It is technically possible, but extremely difficult, for a spren to be healed without their bondmate. The Surgebinder dying without betraying his oaths is a very traumatic event for the spren, but it does not cause them to be broken.

Stormlight

Surgebinding requires constant Stormlight as a fuel source, which the Surgebinder can draw by breathing in. While it is possible to draw the Stormlight from any source infused with it, including directly from the highstorms themselves, the common practice is to use gemstones that have already been infused by the highstorms. Human bodies are imperfect containers for the Stormlight, so the Stormlight leaves the Surgebinder's body over time, giving the Surgebinder a glowing effect with luminescent white vapor rising from the skin. Breathing out accelerates this leaving, but Stormlight substitutes for oxygen so the Surgebinder does not need to breathe. The more Stormlight the Surgebinder holds, the faster it leaks out of the body. If holding a small amount of Stormlight, Surgebinders are able to breathe in and suppress the glowing effect. While doing this, they are able to talk without puffing out Stormlight.

In addition to being fuel for Surgebinding, Stormlight also increases the physical capabilities of the Surgebinder's body far beyond regular human levels. The Surgebinder gains superhuman strength, speed, endurance, stamina, and healing of both body and soul. They can survive falls hundreds of feet, and stand up right away, the damage immediately being healed by Stormlight. Almost any kind of injury can be healed, including bad eyesight, scar tissues, or Spiritual damage done by a Shardblade. This healing is based upon the Cognitive identity of the Surgebinder, as such if a soldier sees the scars on his body, for example, as a part of his self, Stormlight does not heal those scars.

While inside the body, the Stormlight produces an intense adrenaline-like effect, urging the Surgebinder to action and motion, which may result in recklessness if the Surgebinder is not careful. It gives great energy, but when the Surgebinder runs out of Stormlight, they are left exhausted and feeling deflated similar to a pewter drag by a Pewterarm.

Surges

Adhesion	Gravitation	Division	Abrasion	Progression	Illumination	Transformation	Transportation	Cohesion	Tension

Adhesion

The Surge of Adhesion can be manipulated to bind things together. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Bondsmiths and the Windrunners.

Gravitation

The Surge of Gravitation can be manipulated to change the direction and strength of an object's gravitational attraction. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Windrunners and the Skybreakers.

Division

The Surge of Division can be manipulated to have power over destruction and decay. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Dustbringers and the Skybreakers.

Abrasion

The Surge of Abrasion can be manipulated to alter the frictional force between two surfaces. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Dustbringers and the Edgedancers.

Progression

The Surge of Progression can be manipulated to alter the growth and healing of organisms. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Edgedancers and the Truthwatchers.

Illumination

The Surge of Illumination can be manipulated to create auditory and visual illusions. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Lightweavers and the Truthwatchers.

Transformation

The Surge of Transformation can be manipulated to change an object into one of the ten essences. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Elsecallers and the Lightweavers.

Transportation

The Surge of Transportation can be manipulated to achieve realmatic transition. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Elsecallers and the Willshapers.

Cohesion

Also called the Surge of Strong Axial Interconnection, the Surge of Cohesion can be manipulated to alter objects at a molecular level. This allows the user to alter the shape of solid objects. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this surge are the Willshapers and the Stonewards.

Tension

Also called the Surge of Soft Axial Interconnection, the Surge of Tension can be manipulated to alter the stiffness of an object, such as taking something flexible and making it rigid. The two orders of Knights Radiant with access to this Surge are the Stonewards and the Bondsmiths.

Known Surgebinders

For more information, see :Category: Surgebinders.

• Shallan Davar (bonded to Pattern)
• Kaladin (bonded to Sylphrena)
• Dalinar Kholin (bonded to the Stormfather)
• Jasnah Kholin (bonded to Ivory)
• Renarin Kholin (bonded to Glys)
• Lift (bonded to Wyndle)
• Lopen (bonded to Rua)
• Drehy (bonded to an unknown honorspren)
• Nale (bonded to an unknown highspren)
• Malata (bonded to Spark)
• Szeth (bonded to an unknown highspren)
• Teft (bonded to an unknown honorspren)
• Venli (bonded to Timbre)
• Ym (bonded to an unknown Truthwatcher spren)
• Ki (bonded to Winnow)
• Warren (bonded to an unknown highspren)
• Hoid (bonded to an unknown cryptic)

Knights Radiant

For more information, see Knights Radiant.

Knights Radiant are an organization of Surgebinders with the Nahel bond 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.

Notes

This article is still missing information. Please help The Coppermind by expanding it.