Surgebinding (The Stormlight Archive)

"True Surges are of both Honor and Cultivation—Cultivation for life, Honor to make the Surge into natural law. Things must fall to the ground, so they created Surges to make it happen"

- —Raboniel, lecturing Venli



Surgebinding is a power present in the  Stormlight Archive wherein one is able to manipulate one of ten fundamental forces through powers called Surges. It is by many considered to be one of the most powerful Invested Arts in the Cosmere.

Each Surgebinder's Surges come in a set combination, Each Order having two set Surges that all of their Order possess. These two Surges always overlap and create a special effect known as a Resonance.

Orders
Surgebinders are divided into Ten Orders, each of each using two of the Ten Surges,


 * 1) Windrunners: Adhesion, Gravitation
 * 2) Skybreakers: Gravitation, Division
 * 3) Dustbringers: Division, Abrasion
 * 4) Edgedancers: Abrasion, Progression
 * 5) Truthwatchers: Progression, Illumination
 * 6) Lightweavers: Illumination, Transformation
 * 7) Elsecallers: Transformation, Transportation
 * 8) Willshapers: Transportation, Cohesion
 * 9) Stonewards: Cohesion, Tension
 * 10) Bondsmiths: Tension, Adhesion

These two Surges always overlap and create a special effect known as a Resonance.

Adhesion
The Surge of Adhesion is one which can be manipulated to bind things together.

Full Lashing
This can create a very powerful temporary bond between two objects. This is so powerful that the objects being held together would break before the bond itself does.

Spiritual Adhesion
This allows one to create a powerful Connection between the user and the person they effect, this can allow one to speak in the native language of the one they Connected themselves to. This form of understanding takes the form of an immediate translation, so that the user experiences the communication as if it is in their native language. , this only works with the Native Language of the person they Connect to, and not with any secondary languages of the individual.

This understanding is temporary, only lasting a few days at most.

Gravitation
The Surge of Gravitation can be manipulated to change the direction and strength of an object's gravitational attraction, because this is this a gravitational force, it effects individuals the same regardless of their mass.

By using Gravitation, one can effect the vector of gravitation as it effects an individual. Allowing oneself to walk on walls or ceilings, or sendd their target flying off in another direction. It is possible to use multiple lashings on a single object in order to increase the pull exerted upon it, this however requires skill and a greater Stormlight expenditure.

Advanced users of Basic Lashing can employ partial Lashings — a half-Lashing upward, for example, would make the Surgebinder effectively weightless, while a quarter-Lashing would halve the person's weight. Through skilled use of Lashings, one could gain the ability to fly or move at fast velocities. However, they are still limited by factors such as wind resistance.

Basic Lashing requires skin contact if the Surgebinder is trying to infuse an external object or being.

Division
The Surge of Division can be can be manipulated to have power over destruction and decay. It is used to split the molecular bonds of the object the Surge is used upon, causing objects to burn, turn to dust, or just otherwise decay.

Abrasion
The Surge of Abrasion can be manipulated to alter the frictional force between two surfaces.

By using this, one can become effectively frictionless, allowing them to slip through tight spaces or move without the loss of momentum. This can also be used to reduce the friction caused by wind, allowing oneself to move at even faster velocities.

Progression
The Surge of Progression can be manipulated to alter the growth and healing of organisms.

Growth
Growth is a manner in which one can use Progression, this usage accelerates organic growth to tremendous speeds. Allowing them to make plants grow to full maturity within seconds.

Regrowth
Regrowth is a form of healing which undoes the damage done to the body and the soul of a person instantly and without any scarring. This can aid one from fatigue. Through Regrowth, it is even possible to bring one back from the dead, but only if their Soul is still in the Cognitive Realm. If the deceased Soul has moved on to the Beyond, they cannot be resurrected.

Illumination
The Surge of Illumination can be manipulated to create auditory and visual illusions.

Lightweaving
Lightweaving allows one to construct powerful illusions, the illusion created is based upon not just what the Surgebinder imagines, but also desires to create, requiring both a mental picturing of and a Spiritual connection to the intended creation. These Illusions are Audiovisual, and are near flawless in various ways, but they ultimately have no physical substance and will fizz and part when touched. These can be seen through, or at least effected, by somebody with Aphantasia.

These illusions can be bound to oneself, such that one could create illusionary appearances. Such illusions do move with ones own movements, and thus can make for a very effective disguise.

Lightweaving can manipulate all forms of electromagnetic radiation, including gamma radiation and lasers, though they would still be damaged by the radiation. However, most individuals do not currently know of this potential usage.

These can be made physical through using it in conjuction with Soulcasting.

Like all Surges, keeping an Illusion active requires a constant flow of Stormlight, and when it runs out of Stormlight to draw upon, it would dissipate.

Transformation
The Surge of Transformation grants on the ability to transform materials into other substances.

Soulcasting
Soulcasting is the act of transforming an object, to Soulcast, the Surgebinder shifts their perception to see into the Cognitive Realm, and communicates with the Cognitive aspect of the object they want to transform. This usually requires direct contact with the object in question. Objects tend to resist the idea of change, thus a Soulcaster is often required to negotiate with the Cognitive Aspect of an object to have it agree to the transformation. In this case they can imbue it with Stormlight and bring about the change.

This can transform a material into any other substance, but it is easiest to transform it into one of the Ten Essences, that being:


 * Translucent Gas, Air
 * Opaque Gas, Smoke, Fog
 * Fire
 * Quartz, Glass, Crystal
 * Wood, Plants, Moss
 * Blood, All Non-Oil Liquid
 * All Kinds of Oil
 * Metal
 * Rock and Stone
 * Meat, Flesh

While Aluminum can be Soulcast into, Aluminum itself cannot be Soulcast into anything else due to it's Investiture Inert properties.

This form of Transformation is typically Mass-Conserving.

In close-range combat, Soulcasters can kill their opponent by Soulcasting their body into anything else. This, however, is harder to do to Invested individuals.

In medicine, Soulcasting can be used to treat poisoning by transforming the blood into its pure, untainted version. (Way of Kings, Chapter 72)

When used in conjuction with Lightweaving, it can give physical presence to the illusions.

Savantism
The overuse of Soulcasting can lead to an effect known as Savantism wherein their body would begin to change into the essence they most often Soulcast objects into. This is far less pronounced with Surgebinders than it is with Fabrial Users.

Transportation
The Surge of Transportation can be manipulated to achieve realmatic transition. This forms of miniature Perpendicularity through which one can travel too and from the Cognitive Realm. They are able to bring in other nearby individuals with them into the Cognitive Realm.

With this one is also able to see the hidden essences of others.