Brandon Sanderson
Is it possible to have both an Honorblade and a spren? Yes it is.
#1
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#1
#2
Questioner 1
Can people not from Roshar bond with spren and get the Shardplate and whatnot?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. Well, okay. You don't need me to RAFO on that. You have seen someone not from Roshar bond a spren. You have seen that much happen.
Questioner 2
We know for sure that Hoid is a Lightweaver.
Questioner 1
Do we know that?
Brandon Sanderson
Hoid has bonded a spren.
#3
Questioner
So there’s Snapping on Scadrial, where an event happens and then you can use the magic. Is there something like Snapping on Roshar, where...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes and no. They’re working under the same sort of assumption, the spren are just looking for a specific thing that is similar to what Snapping does.
#4
Questioner
So, the fan page wanted to know. Would it be possible for Hemalurgy to steal a living Shardblade? That was the top voted question.
Brandon Sanderson
Ok, so you're bonded to a Shardblade. You get spiked, then they spike off the bond so that the Shardblade is bonded to someone else.
Questioner
I assume so...
Brandon Sanderson
But can they do it with a living Shardblade? You can definitely do it with a dead Shardblade because its just stealing the Connection. With a living Shardblade, yes you could do that 'though the spren could break the bond at will.
Questioner
So the spren would survive? That was the second-- the corollary--
Brandon Sanderson
Ehhh. Would the spren survive? The spren would survive as long as the oaths were--
Questioner
Intact?
Brandon Sanderson
--the person didn't break the oaths. But you could theoretically steal the bond, break the oaths, and kill the spren. If you wanted to. Its a very convoluted to kill a spren, they are easier to kill than that, but yes. You could do that. That is a viable but twisted route that you can do. You would end up with a dead spren and a Shardblade, so there is that. But there are easier ways to accomplish that...
#5
Telcontar
is one of the symbolhead-spren (or maybe all of them) responsible for Shallan's ability to Soulcast (in the way that Syl is responsible for Kaladin's Lashings)?
Brandon Sanderson
There is indeed a similar relationship there.
#6
Jurble
One I think might border even further on RAFO - in RoW, Dalinar accepts Kaladin's Fourth Ideal. I'm wondering, is it possible for Dalinar to... power-level a Radiant up to the Fifth Ideal by just accepting all their Oaths without regards to, you know, underlying fitness? Danger and safety issues aside. The Stormfather's comments on Ishar's powers being beyond the scope of what Honor allowed makes me assume he can.
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, as you expected. But without Honor around, some of the things he could do are kind of up for grabs.
#7
Questioner
[If someone were] born like Vin, could they bond a spren, before they're even cognizant? 'Cause it's about being broken, right? So, I don't know if it's the same brokenness that Vin had from just being born.
Brandon Sanderson
Different spren will view this differently, and different people view the way that the Nahel bond works differently. So, Vin would certainly have been of interest to a number of spren.
#8
mithrilnova
Are all the kinds of intelligent spren seen in the Shadesmar chapters capable of forming Nahel bonds?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
#9
Questioner
Can a Radiant join multiple Orders?
Brandon Sanderson
This was not done in the past.
Questioner
Or become a squire of a different Order?
Brandon Sanderson
It is actually not impossible for this to happen; it simply was not done.
Questioner
If Dalinar became a Lighweaver squire or had the Lightweaver Honorblade, could he create the Roshar map himself?
Brandon Sanderson
This is going to depend on factors. It is possible, but highly implausible, following another highly implausible set of circumstances that would actually allow him to actually do that. (Though getting the Honorblade would not be as difficult.)
#10
Questioner
If a Knight Radiant were to store Connection and Identity into the appropriate metalminds on a heavy basis, would it affect their spren bond, and how?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, right. Yes, but I won't answer the how, but it definitely has an effect.
#11
Argent
Because of Kelsier's status as a Cognitive Shadow we've been wondering what wonky things you can do with him being like that and so-- Hypothetically, purely hypothetically, could a Surgebinder, could somebody form a Nahel bond with him?
Brandon Sanderson
With Kelsier? We'll RAFO that. We will definitely RAFO that for now
#12
Steeldancer
This is hypothetical, it probably wouldn't actually happen. If a Knight Radiant goes to Nalthis, dies, gets Returned...
Brandon Sanderson
It could happen.
Steeldancer
Would they retain their spren bond?
Brandon Sanderson
Probably not, would be my guess. I've never had that question before, but I'm gonna say no.
#13
Thadamin
How important are bonds like the Nahel Bond and a seon bond in the Cosmere?
Brandon Sanderson
I'd say very important.
Thadamin
Is this kind of bond relatively common or is what seons, spren, and Nightblood do little more rare among Splinters. I'm specifically talking about the act of making bonds not a giving of magic powers really, that appearing to be function of Roshar. Also regarding your post about Stormlight 3 I am personally okay with 2000 pages if need be so make the chapters as long as you want.:)
Brandon Sanderson
The bonding is basically the same mechanic, regardless of the world, just with different flavoring. Roshar isn't the only place where the bond gives powers; it's a matter of what's stuffed into the soul, and how.
#14
teknopathetic (paraphrased)
I had asked if the Nahel bond was named after "El".
Brandon Sanderson
El's name comes from the same root, but is not the originator of the term.
#15
Questioner
How many spren-- can you only bond one spren?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a Read-And-Find-Out. You'll have to read and see.
#16
Questioner
Is someone limited to how many Nahel bonds they can form, or could someone go play Pokéspren and catch them all, getting access to all Surges?
Brandon Sanderson
There are limits to what a soul can handle. These limits are soft caps, not hard caps. Pokéspren is theoretically possible, but there would be hoops, not just the normal "I want to bond two spren" hoop, which is already a pretty big one.
#17
Questioner
How was Shallan able to bond with Pattern before she was broken?
Brandon Sanderson
She was open to him even before she went through a lot of that turmoil
Questioner
I thought everybody had to be broken in order to--
Brandon Sanderson
Well, that's their philosophy in-world. But I'm not going to say whether it's correct or wrong. I will imply that there are other means as well.
#18
Questioner (paraphrased)
If I wanted to Hemalurgically acquire a power from First of the Sun, which metal would the spike need to be?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
This is going to be pretty complicated, but several metals would work.
Questioner (paraphrased)
Would it involve Connection between the person being spiked and the bird?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
Well it would be even harder than on Roshar, where you need to somehow spike the spren and also the Radiant. You would need to spike the bird and steal the power, but also spike the person and steal Connection.
#19
Phantine
So you said how stuff is stuffed into the soul changes what a bond can give. Is that like the difference between a Spren bonding a Person and and maybe Hemalurgy forcing a bond or is it more like the difference with how Parshendi form bonds with Spren?
I guess a better way to say that is would the bond be different if a human created the bond with a Spren not a Spren Bonding with a human?
Brandon Sanderson
These things are all important parts of the system, and I'm curious to see where fans go in exploring the possibilities and theories related to it.
...
RAFO
#20
fangorn
So, if a bonded human were to decide for whatever reason that he/she wanted to retire from being a Radiant, is it possible to do that or is the Nahel bond a lifetime gig?
For example, say Kaladin felt he could no longer uphold the requirements of being bonded to Syl, or eventually he just got old or worn out.
Brandon Sanderson
Retiring from the bond is possible under mechanics I haven't talked about yet in the series.
#21
Phantine
Would it be possible for a Herald to make a spren bond?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO
#22
PallonianFire
If a Shard were to heal the cracks in someone's spiritweb, like Sazed did with Spook, and that person who was getting healed has a Nahel bond, would that break the bond?
Brandon Sanderson
No, because the Nahel bond is already filling in those cracks, so you would have to rip it off to put something else in there.
PallonianFire
So it wouldn't really be-- the Shard wouldn't be able to heal--
Brandon Sanderson
Well, the Shard-- Like, here's the thing we have to get at with this, what we're getting at, which is the question of, for instance, is Kaladin's depression a flaw in him that needs to be healed? And that is a question for philosophers. There are certainly people, cosmere and outside the cosmere, that say "Yes, this needs to be healed" and things like this. But what about somebody who's-- say, someone who is autistic, and their mind just works in a different way, and this way allows a certain bond to happen that couldn't otherwise happen? Is that a flaw, or is that-- is it a bug or a feature, to speak in coding terms? Is what's up with Kaladin a bug or a feature? I know that my wife would probably get rid of her depression if she could, but it's also been fundamental in how she sees the world and who she is, would that change her into a different person? And things like this. So, I want you when you discuss this, to be very careful about treating mental illness as a flaw as opposed to an aspect of a human personality that allows certain different things to happen. Does that make sense? *applause*
PallonianFire
The way I was sort of thinking, was, could Odium say, "Oh, I'm just going to fix this" and then you can't Surgebind anymore?
Brandon Sanderson
Right, right, yeah. If he-- if there w-- that is possible, but it would be hard to do without the consent of the person, but that is possible… You can fix somebody in a way that they didn't want to be fixed, and it would ruin things.
#23
Avivsm
Can a Nahel Bond be stagnant because of a spren's inability to progress? If the spren has a character deficiency they cannot break through or something?
Brandon Sanderson
Can a spren cause the Nahel Bond to not progress? This is possible. Not very common but it is possible.
#24
Questioner
In the reading that you did, the Nahel bond, has it changed?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. So, spren were added, and things like that. What [Taln?] had would still be called a Nahel bond. A Nahel bond in the original definition means bond to divinity, but that's come to encompass a lot more in the cosmere, any time you're bonding with-- the bond between a soul and Investiture. But in the original version, it was more only with a Shard of Adonalsium or something like that.
#25
Questioner
What would happen if a Parshendi were to attract a spren and bring it into the Highstorm? Like, an Honorspren of some sort?
Brandon Sanderson
Sapient spren have a choice of whether they get bonded or not, unless you entrap them some way. But simply attracting them...simply going into the Highstorm with one wouldn't work, what you said is 'attracted a spren', so, to answer that actually... The thing is, honorspren, all the spren of Honor and Cultivation, not honorspren capital, Honorspren or whatever... The spren that create the orders of the Knights Radiant have not, in the past, been attracted to Parshendi because of certain events in the past.
Questioner
*inaudible*
Brandon Sanderson
You'll have to Read and Find Out.
#26
Ethour
Would an Aviar be capable of a spren bond?
Brandon Sanderson
What they do is the same thing, by cosmere terms. It is not as powerful; because of that it is easier to shift between people. What you gain is not as strong, but you also gain flexibility. But it would be, cosmerologically, considered the same thing.
#27
Fantasy Faction
Could any type of spren bond with a person (even if the results wouldn't be a Knight Radiant)? Or only the ones associated with a branch of the Knights?
Brandon Sanderson
Ooh, that's an excellent question. This is something theoretically possible for a lesser spren to achieve.
#28
Questioner
Are the Shards ever going to be bonded like the spren?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, here's your RAFO card.
#29
Extesian
Simple, harmless, totally non-contro one. Can a spren unilaterally sever a Nahel bond (i.e. where the Radiant doesn't agree and hasn't technically, according to spren and Radiant, broken an oath)?
Brandon Sanderson
Yup, no controversy here at all.
This is possible. But I'm not going to go into the mechanics.
#30
Questioner
For spren, when the Oaths are broken I’m kind of envisioning the mind of the spren gets trapped in that person’s Spiritweb somehow. Is that along the right lines or not along the right lines?
Brandon Sanderson
Ehhh, in between those two answers.
#31
Snarlezz
If a Radiant was spiked, would their bond be ripped away and could their bonded spren be forced on whoever inserted the spike? Would it matter if that person didn't have any cracks in their soul?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. (Sorry.)
#32
Questioner
Is the Nahel bond Hemalurgically transferable?
Brandon Sanderson
I don't know what I've said on this in the past, but I'm gonna RAFO it right now, and give you a card. Because there's some things involved in this that I don't know that I want to dig into right now. Nahel bond would be used cosmerelogically to refer to any bond where the mingle of sapient spren mixes with a sapient Physical Realm being. Connection between a Cognitive or Spiritual Realm being and a Physical Realm being. And there's all sorts of things involved in doing that that I don't want to necessarily get into right now.
#33
JeremyG
How is Kaladin able to consistently recognize Syl, even when she's in different forms?
Brandon Sanderson
This has to do with their bond.
#34
Questioner 1
Do all Soulcasters risk turning into the element or is it only those using the device?
Brandon Sanderson
All Soulcasters have an affinity but the ones using the device are locked down much more than the Soulcasters who are Knights Radiant.
Questioner 1
So they are protected from being turned into--
Brandon Sanderson
Oh no they-- I wouldn't say protected... *clarification* Protected is the wrong term but that event, the savanthood and how it affects them and things like that is much less pronounced if you are a [Knight].
Questioner 1
Or is that counteracted by the healing as well?
Brandon Sanderson
Healing doesn't have to do with it because-- in cosmere terms there's nothing wrong with your body, your spirit is actually drifting, and so it's not hurting you physically by what's happening with the magics. So it's not the healing but if you have an active bond with a spren it takes a little different path. Let's just say, in simple terms--
Questioner 1
You are not losing body parts to smoke.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, you are not losing body parts to smoke.
Questioner 1
What timeframe does it happen for the normal Soulcasters then?
Brandon Sanderson
For normal Soulcasters? It takes-- I mean, you've seen it happening in the books. We are talking [about] a process of years even decades, depending on the person. It happens to some--
Questioner 2
Depending on how often they Soulcast?
Brandon Sanderson
It depends on how often they Soulcast, and it depends on the person.
#35
Questioner
I'm sensing a subtle metaphor between all of the Radiants, where it seems like their lives have caused them to be pressurized gems and now they get the cut from their Oaths.
Brandon Sanderson
Nice job. Yeah.
Questioner
They're holding Stormlight better when they do that, right?
Brandon Sanderson
They are indeed.
#36
Questioner
Can Parshendi provide what the humans can provide, in terms of a mutualistic relationship with the spren?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
#37
Questioner
The Nahel bond, what determines whether you get a Cryptic or an honorspren?
Brandon Sanderson
The spren themselves.
Questioner
So it doesn't have to do with the Orders of the Knights Radiant?
Brandon Sanderson
If you match, you have to attract the spren, the same way you attract emotionspren, you have to attract the right spren for the Order.
#38
tganchero (paraphrased)
Is it true that humans can bond to multiple spren?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
They can theoretically bond to multiple spren.
#39
Aradanftw
If you were to use Hemalurgy on a Surgebinder, would it steal the Surge or the actual spren bond?
Brandon Sanderson
It's going to steal the spren bond, but you've got to remember the spren has power over that bond. So what you're doing is (1) incredibly evil, even more evil, but (2) you may not end up with what you want, because that spren has free will in most cases. You may go through all this trouble and then they may break the bond, and you would be left without it. So you would need something else to force them to be unable to break the bond, which would be even more evil, but it is possible in Hemalurgy.
#40
Questioner (paraphrased)
How do spren choose what human they'll bond with?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
Well, it depends on the spren type. There's some spren that choose on their own, while there's other spren where it's done by committee. Wyndle, Lift's spren was placed with Lift by a committee. It's a culture difference. Some are free-spirited, others more organized.
#41
Questioner (paraphrased)
Could you Awaken a chasmfiend as a Lifeless with just one Breath, or would it require more?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
It probably would require more.
Questioner (paraphrased)
And would a Lifeless chasmfiend still function normally, because they use spren in order to support their weight?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
Yeah, it wouldn't be able to make the Nahel bond work, so it would collapse.
#42
Questioner (paraphrased)
Why can Shallan draw the Cryptics without seeing them, and can she do the same for other invisible spren?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
Shallan and the Cryptics have a "special connection" that allows her to draw them.
#43
Blightsong
Could Kelsier theoretically bond with someone on Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
#44
Questioner
Is the power of the bond between humans and spren, the Nahel bond, or from the swords—the existing Shardblades—that causes the eyes to turn light?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
#45
Questioner
What would happen to a spren if someone with a Nahel bond Ascended?
Brandon Sanderson
It's a good question, and it is also a RAFO.
#46
Questioner
Hi. I have two questions about the Cosmere. The first one is if a Radiant can have a bond with two spren, and the other one is if Truthwatcher spren are related directly with Cultivation or the Nightwatcher?
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so RAFO on if a Knight Radiant can have two spren. But the second question was, "Are spren of Cultivation?" One more time?
Questioner
If the spren of the Truthwatchers are related directly with Cultivation or the Nightwatcher? Or both?
Brandon Sanderson
So, most of the sapient spren that form the Orders of Knights Radiant are related to a mixture of Honor and Cultivation. Some lean one direction much more than the other, and the spren of the Truthwatchers leans toward Cultivation.
#47
Questioner (paraphrased)
How about the other way around? Can a Parshendi bond a Knights Radiant spren?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
Historically, the Parshendi were not made Knights Radiant, or the parshmen weren't.
Questioner (paraphrased)
Can they become squires maybe?
Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)
Historically they did not, but it's not impossible.
#48
twixttwists
What would happen to Syl, say, if Kaladin dies? Can she transfer the bond to someone else?
Brandon Sanderson
So long as Kaladin did not forsake his oaths, Syl would be traumatized (as one might imagine) but be capable of forming another bond.
twixttwists
Good to know she can form another bond. I'm guessing she'll be a little more mindless in the interim, though?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, without a strong tie to the Physical realm, she would have trouble thinking here if she pulled through to exist here.
#49
Argent
How old would you say somebody has to be in order to attract a spren (with bonding intentions)? I can't imagine infants performing anything remarkable enough, but what about, say, 5-6 year olds? I could easily imagine them being selfless and protecting in their own little way - does this mean we can have children who can barely speak well Lashing their breakfast to the ceiling?
Brandon Sanderson
Someone like Lift is near the lower threshold, though it does depend on the spren in question.
#50
Questioner
Considering that bonding a second spren to belong to another Order is possible but never happened, and taking into account that spren get drawn to an individual through their bond, is it possible for an individual to bond another spren of the same Order? If not, then what's stopping them from the bond that doesn't stop bonding to a different Order?
Brandon Sanderson
This could happen too, I suppose, but it wouldn't increase their strength in the Order.