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Your search for the tag 'spren' yielded 152 results

  • 1

    Interview: Sep 13th, 2010

    Patrick

    Over your previous books you've developed a reputation as the 'magic system guy'. Was it therefore a deliberate move to hold back on the magic in The Way of Kings, at least compared to your earlier books?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, it was. That's a very astute question. I've written a blog post that I'm not satisfied with, but that I'll probably be revising and posting very soon, that is going to talk about this. When I finished the Mistborn trilogy and Warbreaker, I felt that there were a few things that were becoming Brandon clichés that I needed to deal with. I don't mind being known as the magic system guy. But when I become known ONLY as the magic system guy, that worries me. It isn't that I sat down with this series and said, well, I'm gonna show them, I'm not going to do a magic system. But when I planned this series, it was not appropriate for me to shoehorn in a lot of the magic system in book one. Though my agent suggested that I do just that. He said, look, this is what you're known for, this is what people read you for; if you don't have this it's going to be glaringly obvious. My response was that I would hope that story and character are what carries a book, not any sort of gimmick—well, gimmick is the wrong word.

    Something that I pondered and wrote about a lot—just to myself—is that Mistborn was postmodern fantasy. If you look at the trilogy, in each of those books I intentionally took one aspect of the hero's journey and played with it, turned it on its head, and tried very hard to look at it postmodernly, in which I as a writer was aware of the tropes of the genre while writing and expected readers to be aware of them, to be able to grasp the full fun of what I was doing. And that worried me—that was fun with Mistborn, but I didn't want to become known as the postmodern fantasy guy, because inherently you have to rely on the genre conventions in order to tell your story—even if you're not exploiting them in the same way, you're still exploiting them.

    For that reason, I didn't want to write The Way of Kings as a postmodern fantasy. Or in other words, I didn't want to change it into one. And I also didn't want to change it into a book that became only about the magic, or at least not to the extent that Warbreaker was. I like Warbreaker; I think it turned out wonderfully. But I wanted to use the magic in this book as an accent. Personally, I think it's still as full of magic as the others, but the magic is happening much more behind the scenes, such as with the spren I've talked about in other interviews, which are all about the magic. We haven't mentioned Shardplate and Shardblades, but those are a very powerful and important part of the magic system, and a more important part of the world. I did intentionally include Szeth's scenes doing what he does with the Lashings to show that there was this magic in the world, but it just wasn't right for this book for that to be the focus. I do wonder what people will say about that. I wonder if that will annoy people who read the book. But again, this is its own book, its own series, and in the end I decided that the book would be as the story demanded, not be what whatever a Brandon Sanderson book should be. As a writer, that's the sort of trap that I don't want to fall into.

    Tags

  • 2

    Interview: Dec 25th, 2010

    Question

    The spren are a really unique part of Roshar. Do you have rules for deciding what "gets" spren (wind, flames, glory, creation, life, death) and what doesn't? Have you introduced most of the spren types, or will we see a lot of new ones as the series goes on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find out much more about the spren as the series goes on. There are a lot of things that get spren where the spren are not noticeable, or they only occur in very rare circumstances or in certain regions, as Axies explains. So the phrase "There's a spren for that" that I've seen popping around on the internet is actually fairly accurate. There's a spren for quite a lot of things. I don't want to delve too deeply into this until I've written more in the series and you begin to understand exactly what the spren are.

    Tags

  • 3

    Interview: Dec 25th, 2010

    Question

    Can all spren imprint on someone—like Syl has with Kaladin—or is this ability special to certain types of spren? (I just got a mental picture of a flamespren taking notice of the pyromaniac noble girl from the castle market exercise in your JordanCon talk. Not sure that would end well.)

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is special to certain types of spren. There you go, a non-RAFO.

    Tags

  • 4

    Interview: May 30th, 2011

    Brandon Sanderson

    Objects with almost sentient behavior like Nightblood in Warbreaker share important links with the spren from The Way of Kings. If you understand the spren you will understand a lot about the connection between the books.

    Tags

  • 5

    Interview: Dec, 2010

    Louise

    Is spren lost their memories and personalities because of the loss of their attached radiants? But retain a basic attraction to things associated with the radiants they bonded to previously?

    Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads)

    Not all types of spren bonded to Radiants. You will find out more about this in the future. However, if you're speaking specifically of spren that were bonded to Radiants, then yes, you're on the right track.

    Tags

  • 6

    Interview: Dec, 2010

    Robert

    Was Syl's appearance and behavior caused by Kaladin giving up his shardblade?

    Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads)

    It was a major fundamental factor in what happened between them.

    Tags

  • 7

    Interview: Dec, 2010

    Jay

    Do Szeth and Kaladin both belong to the same order of knights radiant?

    Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads)

    Szeth isn't actually in an order of Knights Radiant. Something different is happening with Szeth that people have already begun to guess. And Kaladin isn't yet a Knight Radiant, but the powers he uses are those of the Windrunners, one of the orders of the Knights Radiant. Szeth is using the same power set. So your phrasing is accurate to that extent.

    Tags

  • 8

    Interview: Dec, 2010

    Mike

    Has Kaladin's windspren Syl reached the epitome of her consciousness or will we see a smarter spren in future books?

    Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads)

    Syl has recovered everything of her personality. There are things she doesn't remember, and things she can still learn to do, but she has recovered her personality in full.

    Tags

  • 9

    Interview: Nov 23rd, 2011

    Tortellini

    My next question was a random idea I had based on the answer about entities living primarily in the cognitive realm given here. I asked (stupidly, you'll see why in a second): "Could it be that spren and seons are basically very similar things?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    He smiled, thought about how to answer that for a second and then said... "Yes, it could be."

    TORTELLINI

    I very much got the impression that I was correct though, but I gave him the perfect opening to appreciate the question without answering it at all. Stupid me. I explained that I had the idea that seons exist primarily as cognitive entities with smaller presences in the physical world, while spren are primarily spiritual, also with smaller presences in the physical world. He just smiled for a second, and I said I'd take that as a possible yes and let him get back to signing books for the awesome Waterstone's in Manchester. I'm writing up my thoughts on that in this post.

    Tags

  • 10

    Interview: Nov 23rd, 2011

    Joe ST

    So you must be (of) the guys that asked me about my question about Axies the Creator:

    Brandon Sanderson

    I asked if Axies could regrow limbs, and he stated that he could do 'some interesting things', and that the two species of Aimian (whom Axies is of) each do different interesting things.

    Tags

  • 11

    Interview: Apr 17th, 2012

    Google+ Hangout (Verbatim)

    Rick

    1.Are there any other sentient spren like Syl, if not are there any Spren capable of becoming sentient or is she purposefully unique?

    2.If so, what are the conditions that must be met for a spren to become sentient?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ok Cool.

    1. There are other sentient spren.

    2. There are many more who could become sentient, there were choices that were made that we will get into that were made by some spren that, that involved-

    There were certain choices that were made that influenced this, so yes, that was a very detailed and specific question, you did a good job and so I will give you your answer that there are others like Syl that could become and there are some that are sentient already

    RICK

    Would that also mean that certain spren had an alignment or would some spren be catered toward good or evil or not?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    They're creatures of nature and so good and evil aren't as, as big a deal to them. There are some that may be put in that sort of alignments, certainly honorspren are going to be of a certain type, but there are many spren of many different temperaments and they are kind of aligned to their temperament, having to do with who they are and what they are.

    Tags

  • 12

    Interview: Apr 17th, 2012

    Google+ Hangout (Verbatim)

    Andrea Digney

    Was Honor Splintered?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Was Honor Splintered? ooh someone's been paying attention, very much. I would say that yes Honor was Splintered. That is a very important question to be asking, someone really knows their stuff.

    Tags

  • 13

    Interview: Sep 22nd, 2012

    Question

    Can spren die?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, spren can die.

    Question

    Okay, so Syl, she's been around for at least a few thousand years, right?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    How does she forget her memories? Is it in connection to humans that makes it so she remembers things?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    And she's what, a Bonding Spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find out. She [says she's] an Honorspren, but you will find out.

    Zas

    Is that bond the Nahel bond?

    Brandon Sanderson

    [Nervous grin on Brandon's face] [laughter] There is a certain amount of... It is a symbiotic bond that is gained by Syl. And things gained by the person bonding. And the stronger presence in the physical realm, and the ability to think better in the physical realm is a part of that bond. She is mostly getting [something] of the physical realm. Without the bond, it is very hard for her to think in this world.

    Question

    Because she's windspren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's part of it. That's part of something else.

    Question

    Shallan. What the crap was up with the headless spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find out! Read and Find out! I did just finish her flashback sequence, the first thing I wrote for the second book.

    Tags

  • 14

    Interview: Feb 16th, 2013

    Viper

    You said that the Pits are a leak from the spiritual into the physical—

    Brandon Sanderson

    A necessary leak.

    Viper

    Ok. Are the spren a similar leak but from the Cognitive?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The next book is going to explore the spren a lot further.

    Tags

  • 15

    Interview: Feb 16th, 2013

    Viper

    This will probably be RAFO'd, but: Is Szeth bound to a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. He's not. Haha, I didn't RAFO that.

    Tags

  • 16

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    Satsuoni ()

    Are bound spren like Syl individuals? What happens to their consciousness when their symbiont die?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Words of Radiance has some clues on this one.

    Tags

  • 17

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    Satsuoni ()

    You have mentioned that certain spren are an embodiment of concepts. How does that work for the concepts like honor, that can mean opposite things to different culture groups?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Human perception has a lot to do with why spren act like they do...

    Tags

  • 18

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Kchan

    In your books, we see a lot of really interesting and diverse world elements that make these places and cultures really come to life. What are some of the world elements you've had the most fun creating, and what do you like best about them? Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy it here! We're crazy, but we like it that way.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'd say that the spren on Roshar have been my favorite so far--they are so different, but also so RIGHT. They have a mythological fae-feel to them, but also fit into the cosmere arcanum just perfectly. I also like writing them.

    Tags

  • 19

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Satsuoni

    Tell us something new about Cognitive Realm, please

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will get plenty in the next Stormlight book. But more than one type of spren live there

    Tags

  • 20

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Nemuri

    Can Knights Radiant of one Order see the spren of someone from another Order?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO

    Tags

  • 21

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    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.

    Tags

  • 22

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Yados

    Could a Shardblade sever a Nathel Bond? Could it slice a Spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO

    Tags

  • 23

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Zenith

    Are spren Cognitive aspects?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You guys are figuring this all out pretty well. I want to hold off on talking much about the nature of the spren because the characters in world are discovering this as the books progress.

    Tags

  • 24

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Observer

    What are the smoke-y spren that appear around a dead chasmfiend?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are in a symbiotic relationship with the chasmfiend, and are part of what allow the creatures to grow to the size they do with an exoskeleton. (Along with a high-oxygen, lower-gravity world.)

    Tags

  • 25

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    JamesW

    Are there non-human races on Roshar, or non-humanoid races that are sentient?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The Parshendi are not human, but you probably already knew that. The two races of Aimians are not human either. There are many races of sentient spren. From there, it depends if you call something like Ryshadium sentient or not.

    Tags

  • 26

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Arcanist

    5. Are the intelligent sprens like Syl the “seons of Roshar”?

    Brandon Sanderson

    What a clever question. Gold star for you.

    Tags

  • 27

    Interview: Oct 30th, 2012

    Lance Alvein

    Something that's been a bit of a thing on the chatroom for a while - Since there are Spren of everything on Roshar, is it possible that there is such a thing as a "squeespren"?

    BRANDON SANDERSON (paraphrased)

    They do exist, however, they would be called by a different name on Roshar.

    Tags

  • 28

    Interview: Nov 6th, 2012

    Question

    Is there an odiumspren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find out what there is.

    Tags

  • 29

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    TheFinisher4Ever ()

    Are all wind spren really just unbonded honor spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, they are cousins to one another, but not exactly the same thing.

    Tags

  • 30

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    The_Vikachu ()

    Is Kaladin naturally stronger than Szeth in using Stormlight? Szeth can only hold onto it for a few minutes, but Kaladin has been shown to hold onto it for much longer. Or does it have to do with Kaladin having a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ah, so you all noticed that, did you. :) Glad you did. I have like a dozen things I nearly posted here, but all of them spoil a scene in Words of Radiance. So I'll just zip it for now.

    Tags

  • 31

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    Kurkistan ()

    Are the changing beauty standards of Returned and the "plausibility" of Forgeries determined by the same kind of "cognitive ideals or concepts which have taken on literal personification over time" that some types of Spren represent?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. These things all work according to the same fundamental framework.

    Tags

  • 32

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    Kurkistan ()

    Could Syl, or any other type of spren, be seen in a photograph?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Excellent question, and I like the way you phrase it. Let's give this one a little more time before I get into the specifics of whether spren are manifesting physically or not.

    Tags

  • 33

    Interview: 2013

    Kaladin_Stormblessed (March 2013)

    Discussion of the week: Shadesmar & Truthspren

    http://coppermind.net/wiki/Shadesmar

    sufficientlyadvanced

    It says that it's dangerous to travel to Shadesmar on Sel. Why?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    It has to do with the Dor and the lack of an entity controlling much of the power Odium left in his wake on Sel.

    Phantine

    Woah, that's interesting. I had no idea Odium left little bits of his power on Sel... I guess it kinda makes sense for evil monks to be powered by pure hate, though.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Odium did not leave his power behind, one should note. He left several other powers which are now, to a large extent, mindless...

    Windrunner17

    This is an awesome answer!

    If you wouldn't mind answering, does Roshar have a similar problem, with Honor being Splintered?

    Thanks!

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, Roshar does not have the same problem. There are some differences going on. (One reason being that the spren are far more extensive on Roshar, and provide something of a "release valve." The Seons and the Skaze on Sel are not numerous enough to fulfill a similar function. Though, of course, that's only one part of the puzzle. Raw power is dangerous.

    It's one reason everyone should be thankful Kelsier was around on Scadrial.

    Tags

  • 34

    Interview: 2013

    Satsuoni (March 2013)

    Regarding the topic, a quick question: Are Truthspren originally sentient, or do they gain/regain sentience from a bond, like Syl?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO for Words of Radiance, where a lot of these questions will find answers.

    Tags

  • 35

    Interview: 2013

    Nepene (March 2013)

    I suppose one thing to wonder is how do you enter Shadesmar? We know of a number of people who are jumping from world to world through Shadesmar. Grump Thinker and Blunt, Hoid too. How are they accessing the cognitive plane to transport themselves across the lands?

    Presumably Shallan's bond with the truthspren let her get in. How does this work? If she had only a dim sphere then does it not require any stormlight, any spiritual power? Is it a purely cognitive change? I could see some advantages to that. You could hop into this alternative dimension at will if you were being attacked, even with little power.

    The scholars earlier talk of whether there is food in Shadesmar, so presumably others have visited it. Can non soulcasters visit it? Is there some fabrial that grants you access? Are they only referring to the distant past, when KR had the power to access it? Is it purely a thing of the mind that anyone can learn? Is it only possible if you have access to a splinter of a shard?

    And on an unrelated question, they have symbols on their heads. If Shallan managed to draw one of these would it be some glyph? Perhaps some glyph that we would recognize, like the glyphs in the artwork at the front?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are many ways to enter Shadesmar. You'll see more of this in the future. One thing to keep in mind about Shadesmar is that space where things are thinking is expanded, while space where there is nothing to think is contracted. In other words, in an empty void, you get almost no Shadesmar. This makes distances as we think of them very different there.

    As for the symbols making up the heads of the cryptics, those are not glyphs. But it's possible you would recognize them...

    Tags

  • 36

    Interview: 2013

    Kaladin_Stormblessed (April 2013)

    Dreamworks has acquired the film rights for The Way of Kings.

    In an official PR broadcast today, Dreamworks Studios announced the acquisition of film rights for Brandon Sanderson's NYT best-selling fantasy novel, The Way of Kings.

    "We're very excited to bring The Way of Kings to the screen," Dreamworks CEO April Firston says. "We're dedicated to giving this epic story the exposure it deserves, and plan on staying completely true to the book, unlike that hack Peter Jackson."

    Initial reports are that the book will be split into seven 4-hour long animated movies, each to be directed by M. Night Shaylaman. Ben McSweeney, interior artist for the original book, is quoted as saying, "Well, they got the rockbuds right, so that's something, I guess." Brandon Sanderson didn't have time to comment, as he's currently working on fifteen additional tie-in novels taking place over a thousand-year time span in eight different interconnecting worlds.

    Casting is still underway, but Robert Pattinson is rumored to be in talks to voice Kaladin, and Pauly Shore has expressed interest in Hoid. Eighteen musical numbers will be added, including "Why Can't I Just Die," "What the Hell Are These Symbol Headed Things?" and "Livin' La Vida Roshar."

    EDIT: Obviously this was an April Fool's joke. Happy Spring everyone, and stormfather forbid what I've written above should ever come to pass. Thanks to /u/virgiliart and /u/catastrophesnail for brainstorming on ideas.

    Brandon Sanderson

    You got it wrong. I'm not busy because I'm writing other books, I'm working on the licensing deals! Cardboard shardplate! Official Bridge Four loincloths! "There's spren in my poop" toilet paper!

    Rutthed

    Serious question: are there poopspren, and how would they fare in indoor plumbing situations?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, it depends on how you're defining spren. In the books, they don't make a distinction, but there are several varieties. At the basic level, everything has an identity—a soul, you might say, but more than that. This is based on how it is viewed, and how long it has been viewed that way. Feces would have this, but wouldn't have a very strong cognitive identity because of its transitional nature.

    Other types of spren, the type that characters see and interact with, are cognitive ideals or concepts which have taken on literal personification over time. These are usually related to forces or emotions, and don't relate to this particular topic.

    And that's far more than I ever expected to say on this...

    Tags

  • 37

    Interview: Mar 17th, 2012

    Zas

    There is a debate on what to call Shallan's Symbols, so we don't have such an ambiguous term for it .

    Brandon Sanderson

    The Symbolhead?

    ZAS

    Yeah, the Symbolhead, Shallanspren,

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    (laughter)

    ZAS

    We don't really know what to call them.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Do I want to canonize this yet?

    ZAS

    You don't have to canonize it yet.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I don't know if I want to canonize it yet. But I will say this. They are spren, that should be pretty obvious. They are the spren connected to what Shallan is capable of doing. But I don’t know if I want to canonize it yet. Truthspren is as good a name as any, and I would suggest you use that until further notice.

    Tags

  • 38

    Interview: Mar 17th, 2012

    Question

    A question related to that. There’s an idea going around that all the spren that can Nahel Bond, all Knight Radiant spren are called honorspren, and then Nohadon talks specifically about honorspren. Is that the case? You know, is it just the Windrunner spren, or is it all the spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I’m going to deal with this in the next book. So I’ll just go ahead and let it be a literal RAFO. It is coming.

    (interruption, leading Brandon to lose his train of thought)

    So what we are dealing with here is that all Spren are indeed all pieces of the one who has gone, so those spren are all- except the Windrunner spren, the spren like Syl, have certain umm.

    ZAS

    Nohadon mentioned that "All the spren aren’t as discerning as honorspren."

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    So there has been dissension among them about who gets to call themselves honorspren, if that makes sense, and there is some disagreement among scholars about which ones are really, you know "This is what defines an honorspren".

    But the spren you are running into are all (something) of either Honor or Cultivation, or some mixture between them. And you can usually tell the ones that are more Honor, and the ones that are more Cultivation. That should be able to be (something).

    Tags

  • 39

    Interview: Sep 24th, 2013

    Chris King (Miyabi)

    And this is one of my side theories that I espouse here. Is that kind of similar to the reason why there are no spren in Shinovar is because the people there so disbelieve them that it creates a negative pressure that keeps them from physical manifestation?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Good question.

    Tags

  • 40

    Interview: Sep 24th, 2013

    Chris King (Miyabi)

    Would Rock be able to see the Cryptics?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Would Rock be able to see a Cryptic? That is a good question, you will have to see.

    Tags

  • 41

    Interview: Oct 1st, 2013

    Question

    Are the Cryptics spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Tags

  • 42

    Interview: Oct 1st, 2013

    Question

    Why can Shallan draw the Cryptics without seeing them, and can she do the same for other invisible (to her?) spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Shallan and the Cryptics have a "special connection" that allows her to draw them.

    Tags

  • 43

    Interview: Oct 1st, 2013

    Question

    Is the bond between a Seon and its master similar to the Nahel bond between a Surgebinder and his spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Tags

  • 44

    Interview: Oct 5th, 2013

    Question

    Is Cultivation's Shardholder still alive.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Good question, what do you think?

    Question

    I want to say, but that's based on my knowledge before I read Lift's interlude from Words of Radiance. Now I am leaning towards no. Based on that interlude, it looks like spren have essence from both Honor and Cultivation. It's almost like they exist in a spectrum, on one end of which is Honor, and on the other - Cultivation; so there are spren that are, for the lack of better example, 90% Honor and 10% Cultivation, and there are spren that are 15% Honor and 85% Cultivation.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a very astute observation!

    Question

    And since we know that Honor is Splintered, then it might be the case that Cultivation is also Splintered, and their Splinters form the spren.

    Footnote

    In a prior signing report it was revealed that Cultivation's shardholder is indeed alive.

    Theoryland Interview Database

    Tags

  • 45

    Interview: Oct 5th, 2013

    Question

    Are Honorspren Splinters, or do they hold Splinters?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Honorspren would be termed Splinters.

    Tags

  • 46

    Interview: Mar 24th, 2014

    Question

    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.

    Tags

  • 47

    Interview: Mar 29th, 2014

    Question

    Why does the shardbearer — when they're dueling with Adolin and Renarin — why does the shardbearer freak out when Kaladin grabs the sword — like, he screams, and shouts "I didn't kill you!" and ran away?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    Why does he do that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because when Kaladin was there and they were touching it, they actually heard the spren that was inside of it.

    Question

    So it wasn't Syl that he heard, it was —

    Brandon Sanderson

    It was the sword's spren. That Kaladin was touching it — when a Knight Radiant touches it — you'll see when other Knights Radiant pick up sword, they can hear the screaming.

    Tags

  • 48

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Kurkistan

    Are flamespren, are they all doing their own thing, or is there some Ideal of "Fire" sitting in the Spiritual Realm that they're all based on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Each spren is based on the Ideal of Fire.

    Kurkistan

    And is that sitting in the Spiritual Realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, we're using sort of a Platonic Ideal, and that concept is in force, so < sounds hesitant > "yes", but [spren] are manifestations of it.

    Kurkistan

    So these Ideals in the Spiritual Realm: Divine Breath, does that heal by accessing some Ideal of Human Health: so a guy who had never had a tongue and doesn't know how to speak all the sudden has a tongue and can speak? [Note: Talking of Susebron here]

    Brandon Sanderson

    You are... < LONG pause > You are, um, on the right track.

    Kurkistan

    Okay...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because the Breath is... eh. How can I explain this? You are, yeah... So... So each Breath is a shade of deity, right?

    Kurkistan

    Yeah.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And each Breath incorporates into it this sort of idea of being endowed by the deity Endowment, correct?

    Kurkistan

    Yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And so each Breath you hold brings you one step closer to becoming like that, and so what you're saying is... is "yes", kind of true, yes.

    Kurkistan

    But it's like within the Breath, not sitting off by itself—

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes yes exactly.

    Tags

  • 49

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Question

    We were talking that it's kind of a shame that Dalinar doesn't have his own "real" spren. I think it's an upgrade, is there a way I should think of this? Is it a cool thing or a bad thing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's a cool thing, it's also a very dangerous thing.

    Question

    Well [the Stormfather] controls the highstorms ... follow-up question: if he dies, does that affect the spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Dying, as long as the oaths are not broken, does not affect the spren in a very terrible way. There are effects.

    Tags

  • 50

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Question

    Is it 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

    Uh ... yes.

    Question

    Does each specific order have their own spren that they would bond?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Each order has a spren that is distinctive. All Windrunners come from wind— from honorspren.

    Tags

  • 51

    Interview: Mar 19th, 2014

    Ant

    The use of spren are a brilliant idea, what was the inspiration for these creatures?

    Brandon Sanderson

    In part, they stem from the underlying cosmology and overarching rules, the dictates of the magic systems of my shared universe. I was looking for a manifestation of that in Roshar. I also was searching for something that would give Roshar a different feel from things that I'd done before. I wanted this book and this series—and everything about it—to feel different from fantasy worlds in the past. I wanted it to be fantastical, but I wanted it to be unique. I wanted something that could consistently remind the reader, "Oh, I'm in a different place. Wow. Their emotions manifest visibly when they feel them strongly. This place is bizarre." That was one of the main inspirations. Looking in our world, one inspiration is certainly the Eastern concept in Shinto mythology of everything having a soul, every rock and river and tree having something living inside of it that is a manifestation of it. Since I was working with the idea of Platonic realms and the like, I spun that off into the spren.

    Tags

  • 52

    Interview: Jun 10th, 2014

    JeremyG (Tor.com)

    How is Kaladin able to consistently recognize Syl, even when she's in different forms?

    Brandon Sanderson

    This has to do with their bond.

    Tags

  • 53

    Interview: Mar 11th, 2014

    Question

    Can anyone other than a Parshendi bond a voidspren? Like, can a human bond a voidspren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is theoretically possible but humans are not good at bonding spren in the same way.

    Tags

  • 54

    Interview: Mar 4th, 2014

    Pinpoint

    Can Shardblades kill spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Theoretically, yes.

    Tags

  • 55

    Interview: Mar 6th, 2014

    Question

    Were there spren bonds before Aharietiam?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm not going to answer that one either but we will delve much more into this. The spren were around back then but they're not nearly what they are now they've changed over the course of the book obviously. I think the cosmere theorists have figured it out. They are much more prevalent following Honor and what happened to him, but there were some spren on the planet before even that happened.

    Tags

  • 56

    Interview: Oct 14th, 2013

    Wetlander

    Please explain what you will about Shards and Splintering and Slivers.

    Brandon Sanderson

    An event happened long ago which destroyed something called Adonalsium into 16 pieces. And 16 people took up that power.

    Question

    People?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I call all intelligent species people. If someone takes up the power and lets go of it, it has the effect much like a balloon that's been stretched and then the air is let out. I call that a Sliver; based off of the Lord Ruler calling himself the "Sliver of Infinity". The Lord Ruler is someone who held the power and then released it. And so, current Slivers are the Lord Ruler, Kelsier, and there may be others around who at one point held the power and let go of it. A Splinter is a term used by certain people in the cosmere for power of Adonalsium which has no person caring for it, no... no person holding it, which has attained self-awareness.

    Wetlander

    So is that like the mists and the Well? Are they...

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are not, because they have not attained self-awareness. But, the Seons are self-aware. So, any piece, for instance there were some spren on Roshar before Honor and Cultivation got there. Those were already Splinters of Adonalsium where he had left power which attained sentience on its own. So, it can be intentional is what I am saying, does that make sense? You have seen other splinters.

    Wetlander

    Are the highstorms related to the splintering of Honor?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The highstorms are more related to the mist from Mistborn which terminology we have not discussed yet. You have seen splinters quite a bit on various planets.

    Tags

  • 57

    Interview: Aug 9th, 2014

    Jeremy

    Syl gives Kaladin the choice to have any number of weapons or a shield. Pattern can be equally a sword or a small knife. Are spren limited to being items of war or could they be put to other uses? Could the surge binders less geared toward battle use their spren to make ladders, rope, etc?

    Brandon Sanderson (Paraphrased)

    No, this is not restricted to articles of war.

    Tags

  • 58

    Interview: Aug 13th, 2014

    Question

    In Words of Radiance Shallan notes that spren don't appear around dense groups of people, even if emotions are high. Why is that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You'll find out more eventually. There are several reasons, but imagine how a creature attracted to a specific color would respond if you dumped every color together in a big mess.

    Tags

  • 59

    Interview: Aug 13th, 2014

    Question

    Does the metal on Sel contains within it any sort of spren-like being, or anything similar to that, and also, does the splintered nature of the Shards on (Elantris' world) have anything to do with how the magic manifests itself without a physical representation?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Scadrial (Mistborn world) did not have an analogous, self-aware invested set of entities. The power has to be "let go of" in a way.

    Tags

  • 60

    Interview: Mar 4th, 2014

    QUESTION

    Where did you get the basis for the spren?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    The spren are partially based out of Shinto mythology, the idea that everything has a soul and a spirit to it. And partially mixing that with my desire to have some sort of a unique representation of emotion in these books.

    Tags

  • 61

    Interview: Mar 4th, 2014

    QUESTION

    It seems like a movie adaptation would have just constant spren everywhere?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    That's why I made it so that not every use of the emotion causes them-so it wouldn't get too crazy even when I'm writing them. And what's happening is the spren exist on the Cognitive plane, on Shadesmar, so they have to be attracted, they have to be nearby enough to flock to you, so it depends on how common the spren is.

    Tags

  • 62

    Interview: Mar 4th, 2014

    Leinton

    To the spren, is becoming mindless the same as death?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They consider it as such.

    Tags

  • 63

    Interview: Mar 4th, 2014

    QUESTION

    Can someone bond more than one Honorblade?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Honorblade? You can't bond an Honorblade, though it can be given to you. Shardblades, however, come from a spren bond and it is possible to bond more than one.

    Footnote

    Later clarified, Brandon misunderstood the question. One may be bound to multiple Honorblades.

    Tags

  • 64

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    What spren types are Glys, Ivory, and Wyndle?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO, because I haven't decided yet. I know generally what they are, but I don't know how I am going to call them in the books. It happens with other things in my writing, Shards for example - Odium was originally Hatred; the idea was the same, but I decided to change the actual word.

    Tags

  • 65

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    That spren that are in the Everstorm - will there be more of those and will they pair directly...

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are more of them. There is not an exact one-to-one correlation?

    Question

    I assume there will be ten opposite orders to the Knights Radiant?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. That's a big ol' RAFO.

    Tags

  • 66

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    Is there a limit to how many Shardblades one person can have?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Theoretically, not really. There are some things that can limit bound that.. I can imagine people have many. In the original draft of The Way of Kings Prime, Amaram had two. And so, it's definitely possible to have multiples, and I had not thought about someone trying to bond every Shardblade.

    Question

    So that means you can be bonded to more than one spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, those Shardblades are...

    Question

    Dead ones.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. So, can you be bonded to more than one spren? The answer to that question is also yes. Potentially. But there is a much harder limit on that.

    Tags

  • 67

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    The Nahel bond, what determines whether you get a Cryptic or an honorspren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The spren themselves.

    Question

    So it doesn't have anything to do with the Orders of the Knights Radiant?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um, you have to attract the spren, the same way you attract emotionspren, you have to attract the right spren for the Order.

    Tags

  • 68

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    After a spren has been bonded, what happens if the person it's bonded with dies?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is an emotional event for the spren, but not a damaging one. As long as their oaths are unbroken.

    Argent

    Kind of like if a close friend dies?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Maybe a little more personal than that.

    Question

    I guess Helaran was not bonded to a spren then?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Why do you say that

    Question

    I saw that his Blade had a gemstone at the bottom, so that was a clue.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is a very good clue.

    Tags

  • 69

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2014

    Zas678

    Can Odium influence people the same way that Ruin can?

    Brandon Sanderson (Paraphrased)

    [misunderstands question as a question about kandra/koloss/parshendi] Well, you see, the kandra and the koloss have a "hole" in them that allows Ruin to come in and take over. The Parshendi naturally are protected from this, but when they expose themselves to the storms, and the spren come in, many of these spren have that kind of "hole" in them, and that’s what allows Odium to take control of them.

    Zas678

    No, I'm talking about how Ruin was able to push people, place things in their minds, stuff like that. Can Odium do the same thing?

    Brandon Sanderson (Paraphrased)

    Well, Odium wasn't around when those people were created [Here it sounded like the mankind that's on that planet, not the specific generation], so it's a little different for him than Ruin. So if he influences people in that way, it's through the Unmade.

    Tags

  • 70

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2014

    Question

    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.

    Tags

  • 71

    Interview: Sep 4th, 2014

    Question

    And does he [Odium] control the Voidbringers through the spren in the same way that the Inquisitors were controlled by Ruin?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are definitely-- In fact what you have just seen with Eshonai shares an awful lot with what happened in Mistborn.

    Tags

  • 72

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    Jerich ()

    Is it possible then to reawaken a shard blade if that blade is wielded by someone who speaks the oaths of a Knights Radiant?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    (Thinking)...Yes, but it would be extremely difficult. The spren in a shardblade are not trapped in a state of mid-transformation like the Elantrians. They are stuck in an agony cycle after having a significant portion of their consciousnesses ripped out of them. The Nahel bond is what allows Spren to think on material plane and that has been torn away. It would be like having a data jack installed and then having someone come up to your head and rip it out of your head.

    Tags

  • 73

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    Jerich ()

    So you would basically have to replace the part that was lost to wake them up?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    Exactly.

    Footnote

    This is a follow up question. See link for previous questions.

    Tags

  • 74

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    AhoyMatey ()

    Do all greatshells have spren?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    In order to survive with the science that I built, the greatshells almost all require some sort of spren to keep them from collapsing. (I suspect greatshells in the water may not require them.)

    Tags

  • 75

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    AhoyMatey

    Does Shardplate use a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a RAFO.

    Tags

  • 76

    Interview: Mar 13th, 2014

    Question

    There are some scientists talking about spren, and they seemed to be describing the positioning...[can't make out the rest].

    Brandon Sanderson

    It does, but it's really behind the scenes. This is just helping you understand the nature of spren, kind of their relationship to subatomic particles and quantum thery and things like this. There are relationships there. It's even one or two steps further than what you see in actual quantum physics. In this book you get a discussion of the theory on spren that should relate right back to that. Watch for stuff that Jasnah says about spren. It's worldbuilding stuff that's not part of the main story. It's fun for scientists.

    Tags

  • 77

    Interview: Mar 13th, 2014

    Sir Jerric

    Do we see the highspren at all in Words of Radiance? And if so, do they look like a comet?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a good question. That's a gooood, good question. I will say this, the comet, hmm, the comet spren. The comet spren is very important to an order of Knights Radiant.

    Tags

  • 78

    Interview: Mar 13th, 2014

    Macen

    Is it possible to bind with more than one spren? (then I added in) of different types?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm not going to say it's impossible.

    Tags

  • 79

    Interview: Mar 13th, 2014

    Macen

    I was thinking of how Shardplate in Dalinar's first vision looks different than Shardplate is now. Syl can only transform into a Shardblade after he says the third round of Oaths. Is Shardplate the next set or will it be a totally different [Can't make this out.]

    Brandon Sanderson

    You are totally going to get a RAFO. You are asking good questions.

    Tags

  • 80

    Interview: Mar 13th, 2014

    Macen

    If someone is using an Honorblade, would they be able to bond a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is indeed possible. It does not block it. Good question. You do not have to bond Honorblades. Honorblades work with whoever holds them.

    Tags

  • 81

    Interview: Jan 6th, 2015

    Wetlander

    Do Cryptics have the same general dislike of honorspren as Syl has towards Cryptics?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO!!

    Tags

  • 82

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    Can spren be resurrected? Because ideas can never really die.

    Brandon Sanderson

    This is theoretically possible but very difficult without the people who originally betrayed their oaths.

    Tags

  • 83

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    Are the Unmade actually spren as Taravangian thinks they are?

    Brandon Sanderson

    As far as anyone knows. I'm not going to answer other than that.

    Tags

  • 84

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    Are spren visible on Roshar because Cultivation is present?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Cultivation has a lot to do with the spren but the spren...would...it's hard to separate them, but some spren did exist before Cultivation arrived.

    Tags

  • 85

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Chris_from_Warrenton

    What kind of spren do Dustbringers have?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. But you asked a very wise question.

    Tags

  • 86

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Leiyan

    I'm guessing it's a RAFO, but why do Honorblades work the way they do?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Honorblades were crafted before Shardblades existed--

    Leiyan

    So they were crafted.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They were crafted before Shardblades existed, and all Shardblades that exist came about as certain individuals trying to find out how to copy Honorblades.

    Leiyan

    So would it be fair to say that Honorblades are analagous to fabrials in some sense? Trap spren in a crystal yada yada Stormlight power?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There is an analogy there, that I think would pass the SAT's rigor for analogies.

    Tags

  • 87

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    EHyde

    So I'm just gonna run with that right now. Is Surgebinding in general a melding of Honor and Odium ala Feruchemy being in some senses being not directly of Ruin or Preservation?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Honor and Cultivation is what you mean? Um, there are spren of all three shards. And those spren can work within the bounds of the magic that has already been set up on Roshar.

    Tags

  • 88

    Interview: Apr 16th, 2014

    nalesean

    With a yes or no answer, would the following analogy be correct? If Syl is to Stormfather, as Wyndle is to Nightwatcher, then is Pattern to Cusicesh?

    Brandon Sanderson

    [Paraphrased]: No, not exactly.

    Tags

  • 89

    Interview: Apr 16th, 2014

    Question

    What does Glys look like?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uhhm, RAFO. [smiles] Looks like a big RAFO.

    Tags

  • 90

    Interview: Aug 4th, 2014

    Sabrina Stormshard

    Could an awakened sentient object (e.g Nightblood ) bond a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Technically but the specific circumstances you would need are so bizarre, in practice no.

    Tags

  • 91

    Interview: Jan 17th, 2015

    Question

    When spren die, they kind of become part of everything, so why did, when the Knights broke their oaths, why did they stay as Shardblades?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They had been bound into that form by those oaths. The oaths are broken, but it’s like they’re cracked. Does that make sense? Like, there’s still something holding those spren and that’s what made them [?] It would have been better if they had actually died, does that make sense? But they couldn’t, they’re bound in that form.

    Question

    But their consciousness is gone-?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They still have a consciousness some- to an extent.

    Question

    That’s why the screaming happens.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Tags

  • 92

    Interview: Jan 17th, 2015

    Question

    Cool. I’m not going to bother asking who did right now. With Syl being able to be revived, is Adolin ever going to be able to revive his own blade, or-

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ah, that would be very difficult, as the orig-, in most cases, the original person who broke the oaths has to be the one.

    Question

    Ok. Do you have to have done the third oath before you can convert your spren into a Blade?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, in most orders, yes.

    Question

    What about Shallan then? Did she do it, cause she was a kid when she first-

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um… You will find out more.

    Tags

  • 93

    Interview: Mar 12th, 2015

    jmarsh642 (Reddit)

    I appreciate the time you take to communicate with your fans and your prolific and consistently excellent work.

    1. In honor of Sir Tery Pratchett's passing, which of his works has most impacted you as a writer?
    2. What has been your favorite Magic draft format?
    3. At what point did you first realize that you had fans scouring your works for hints of the Cosmere?
    4. Can an Awakened form a nahel bond with a spren on Roshar?
    5. Are spren bound to Roshar or can they travel to other worlds? Could they do so if they were bound to someone that traveled to other worlds?
    6. Will we eventually see a collection of short stories from various worlds in the Cosmere like Shadows for Silence and Sixth of Dust?

    Brandon Sanderson (Reddit)

    1. I'd say The Truth, which was the first Pratchett that really got its hooks into me. Something about newspapers, the quest for what was true, and the themes of writing.
    2. If cube counts, cube. If not, triple ROE followed closely by Innistrad. (Have set cubes of both, now.) Shards block was fun too, as was original Ravnica.
    3. Right around Mistborn Three's release--while I was working on Warbreaker, I think--where people started to realize this "Hoid" thing was relevant.
    4. Depends on the spren!
    5. RAFO. Excellent question, though.
    6. Yes, you will. Tor is trying to pin me down on one as we speak, actually, but I'm not sure when I can promise one. (I'd want a collection to have at least one new story, original to it.)

    Tags

  • 94

    Interview: Apr 24th, 2016

    Question

    Can spren be put back together through the Bondsmith? Like Shards can be combined?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They can be combined, but I won’t say if the Bondsmith is the method.

    Tags

  • 95

    Interview: Jan 7th, 2015

    Question

    Could someone bond with two spren and wield two swords?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is theoretically possible, but the spren aren’t going to like it. So you won’t see it very often.

    Tags

  • 96

    Interview: Jan 24th, 2015

    Question

    Are spren molecules and atoms that rearrange in our minds to create them?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A good question, are spren molecules and atoms that rearrange in our mind to create things. No, they’re not. Spren are entities from the Cognitive Realm, who have gotten pulled through in Roshar. It is something that doesn’t exist on Earth, the Cognitive Realm, pulled through by human intervention. The way we think about things and personify things.

    Tags

  • 97

    Interview: Jan 24th, 2015

    ccstat

    Are spren equally visible to native Rosharans and worldhoppers?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. It is cognitive things that pull them out, not the native investiture of Rosharans.

    Tags

  • 98

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    You said in an earlier interview that the glittery things in Elantris..

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, Seons.

    Question

    I believe that you said that the Seons on Roshar would bond similarly--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes

    Question

    Would that work in the opposite direction?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Meaning what? Someone from Roshar could they bond a Seon? Oh, would spren bond-- Yes that could happen.

    Tags

  • 99

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    I heard earlier, through people I know, that Syl will eventually develop her memories from before the Recreance. Does that mean any spren that are alive currently have been alive for that long as well? Or are they--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Not necessarily. Some spren-- The thing about spren is that when does the energy become conscious? So yes they will have all existed before but at what point is consciousness attained. That’s kind of their birth. It happens much more rarely than it does on the other-- on the Physical Realm, like regular people and things like that. But there can totally have been spren who have been born since then. And they would count most of the spren that you see as not being alive, well not being born. Not conscious. What’s the word for the difference between humans and animals, it’s not just sentience, there’s another word. Starts with a C. Sapient, you’re right it starts with an S.

    Tags

  • 100

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    Can spren die?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Spren can die but they are energy which cannot be destroyed. So dying means something different to them than it means to us.

    Tags

  • 101

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    You have like tons of spren, right? And the the ones like rotspren, and you have your characters and some point will be able to harness those spren and be completely evil with them?

    Brandon Sanderson

    And be completely evil with them? *pause* There are-- There is an order of Knights Radiant that has to do with the breaking down of matter into smaller pieces.

    Tags

  • 102

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    I know at the end of Words of Radiance Syl shows she can turn into different forms, not just a sword. Why do they not-- Or why do none of the other past Radiants really show that they have done that. Because normally in the flashbacks they are shown just being swords.

    Brandon Sanderson

    So the shardblades came from spren seeing the Honorblades, which were created for mankind, and being like “I can do that”. That is what they were imitating.

    Question

    So that’s what they wanted--

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, that’s how they see themselves and how they are seen. They can change into other things--

    Question

    They just never--

    Brandon Sanderson

    But when you let go of one it’s going to become a sword again.

    Question

    Oh, I just meant in all the visions they were always portrayed as swords. Was that just for--

    Brandon Sanderson

    That’s cultural, like this is-- One thing that is interesting is you are going to see that the new Radiants don’t have-- I mean the Radiants you have seen almost all of them are after thousands of years of Radiants and Orders and you have certain things that you do. So the writing reason was I didn’t want to give away--

    Question

    That’s what I was going to ask.

    Brandon Sanderson

    There is a writing reason behind it. I didn’t want to do that and give too much away. I already worried that having Syl shift shapes as often as she did through the first book was going to be a big clue to people and I wanted to hold off on giving away too much.

    Tags

  • 103

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    If sprens are pieces of the god power, and investiture is the power of the god, then can Nightblood consume spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He could theoret- Yeah, he could totally consume spren. There's not even any “theoretically” to that.

    Tags

  • 104

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    Are Cognitive elements like spren and seons only present on physical planes or worlds where Shards have been Shattered?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, but it does require … alternately the shard would have to give up pieces of their power for that. But it doesn't have to be "they were Shattered by someone." Seons existed on, sorry, spren existed on Roshar before the Shattering. Not as many.

    Tags

  • 105

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    Syl always sees Shardblades as dead spren, these terrible things. But she never mentions the same of Shardplate. Is Shardplate made of non-sentient spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO

    Tags

  • 106

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    The Oathgate fabrial has an opening for a living Shardblade to make it functionable. Does this mean the opening is made from a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find more about this in a future book.

    Tags

  • 107

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    Syl identifies herself as an honorspren.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    Would Wyndle identify himself as a cultivation spren? [Pause]

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. I think you could say that he would.

    Question

    By the same logic, would a voidspren follow the same naming convention, so to speak?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Here's the thing. Certain spren have decided that they are the most pure forms of honor, or that they are the most pure form of whatever, where all of them are kind of... Syl's got a good argument for what she is. But there are other spren that would be like "well, I'm an honorspren too, I'm just this variety of honorspren." Does that make sense? Syl's like "I'm an American!" and I'm like "I'm an Alaskan!" Yes, you're an American. I'm an American too. It's kind of similar to that. But she would be the most pure... many would view her as the purest form. Wyndle would view himself as the purest form of a cultivation spren.

    Tags

  • 108

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    whether Shardplate is also spren

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Tags

  • 109

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    Kandra can eat nonhumans. What happens when they eat a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kandras have never encountered spren in any relevant way, except for the occasional Worldhopper, and they have never had occasion to try to eat a spren. Good question.

    Tags

  • 110

    Interview: Oct 9th, 2015

    Question

    What’s the relation between spren and Shardplate?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I’m saving that one on purpose, it’s a gun on the mantle. You will eventually find out what’s going on there, but not right now. In part because I’m being recorded for online forums who want to know all the answers to all the things that I say to people [whoops!]. [People going through everything I’m saying] is intimidating sometimes, fortunately I’ve got a good team and Peter catches most things.

    Tags

  • 111

    Interview: Oct 9th, 2015

    Question

    Is it possible for spren to move from one planet to another?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is possible for them to get to other planets. They are tied to certain realms… A lot of them reside in the cognitive realm and are pulled into the physical by their bonds--

    Question

    Would they bring the same magics?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That you will have to wait and see.

    Tags

  • 112

    Interview: Apr 2nd, 2015

    Ruro272

    Is there a separate "Shadesmar" (cognitive realm) for each planet or is it one big place that are all connected with different regions for each planet.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's one big place with different sections.

    Ruro272

    So since its one big place, could spren travel to a different section that correlates with a different planet, such as the cognitive segment for Scadrial?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They could do there, but they wouldn't usually...

    Ruro272

    Is that because Honor's influence is only on Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    (Brandon gave sort of a noncommittal half nod, but looked doubtful himself. Maybe best to interpret this last answer as a RAFO rather than reading into it too much.)

    Footnote

    Brandon didn't say a lot about this, and unfortunately I don't remember his exact wording, but it was clear that spren could technically go to different regions within Shadesmar that correlate to different worlds, but for some reason they don't or won't. My guess would be simply because only on Roshar to the ideas of men give them power, and if they deviate away too far they lose that connection that makes them exist. Just a thought tho.

    Tags

  • 113

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    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

    *long pause* Ehhh, in between those two answers.

    Tags

  • 114

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    What can you tell me about where spren come from?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Spren come from where everything in the world of Roshar comes from. The are a natural part of life there. They come from the same place rocks and the wind and all of that...

    Tags

  • 115

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    So what makes some spren rarer than others?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is not a question I’ve answered yet so you will find out someday perhaps.

    Tags

  • 116

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    Is Shardplate also made up of spren or is it different?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You get a RAFO card. It means you’re asking a good question but I’m not going to answer it.

    Tags

  • 117

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    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.

    Tags

  • 118

    Interview: Jan 26th, 2016

    little wilson

    Is the gender of a spren bonded to a surgebinder based on sexual preferences?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Not strictly. You're more likely to bond a spren of the opposite gender (or a spren that identifies as the opposite gender since spren have no gender), just like you're more likely, statistically, to be attracted to someone of the opposite gender. There is a correlation between the two but just because a male character has a male spren does not necessarily mean what some think it means.

    Tags

  • 119

    Interview: Feb 27th, 2016

    Paladin Brewer

    Why do some spren not receive the Nahel-bond?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Tags

  • 120

    Interview: Feb 25th, 2016

    heridfel

    There are different kinds of spren that bond with people and it appears they’re based on a concept. Is it possible to have a concept which would make a Nahel bond that gives two Surges that don’t align to one of the Radiant orders?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um, uh...this is a theoretical possibility that has not happened.

    Tags

  • 121

    Interview: Feb 27th, 2016

    Paladin Brewer

    Can a spren or Seon travel to another shardworld?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes they can, though are more bound to their world but they can travel else where.

    Tags

  • 122

    Interview: Oct 14th, 2015

    zandi

    Are the scholars influencing the behavior of the spren with their beliefs?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Belief and expectations influence all the magic systems...

    Tags

  • 123

    Interview: Oct 14th, 2015

    zandi

    Are the spren's behavior (in the scholar scene) related to how subatomic particles behave when separated over long distances?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Tags

  • 124

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    Were the oaths of the Knights radiant consciously chosen, or did they happen naturally.

    Brandon Sanderson

    *apprehension*. This is one of those vague ones in that yes and no. They are a natural outgrowth of the spren, but the spren are a natural outgrowth of human's perception of natural forces, but the spren are sentient, so I would say it's a little more by instinct than not. For example to Knights Radiant in the same order might speak the words differently, but the concept is the same. You will see this happen in a future book, where a Windrunner will speak the oaths. It's a slightly different take on the same concept. Some are moreso, like Shallan's oaths are very individualized truths, so.

    Tags

  • 125

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    Can Honor spren, or any other type of Knight Radiant spren, be evil?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, because I don't call the shards good and evil. There are no good and evil shards in my opinion, like and so, what evil and what's not evil can totally have spren of honor that you would consider evil. They have free will, but they are much more limited. It is very hard, or impossible, for them to lie but they can be cruel.

    Tags

  • 126

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    How does corrupted investiture work, like Nightblood?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, Nightblood. Again, this is a definition of what somebody feels is a corruption. For instance, there are spren people would feel are corrupted. But that is corruption where the mixing of different shards has changed things, and I think a lot of times when people say corruption, people are meaning the mixing of shards powers.

    Blightsong

    So is there a mixing of shards power with Nightblood?

    Brandon Sanderson

    *smirks* RAFO. That's the natural question, I'm glad you asked it.

    Blightsong

    Ok, uhhh, so something similar is happening with Gavilar's sphere, right?

    Brandon Sanderson

    *contemplative silence*, RAFO.

    Blightsong

    Uhhh, if anyone else has questions, speak up (I started running out of questions at this point).

    Brandon Sanderson

    Question over here!

    Tags

  • 127

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    Have larger land going greatshells existed above a chasm fiend?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Larger than a chasmfiend, the ones out near Reshi can go on land. So yea, it is possible that there are larger ones. They do better in the water, because of how big they are, the high oxygen, low gravity, and symbiotic relationship with the spren allow for mega fauna that is just unrealistically large and just could exist on earth, so yea.

    Tags

  • 128

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Question

    Do Rhyshadium exist because of a spren bond, like greatshells?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yea, they evolved symbiotically with spren, unlike other horses. They can still mate will other horses, but the are genetically distinct.

    Tags

  • 129

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2016

    Question

    He asked for the name of an “observed but un-named spren”

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are none, they’ve all been named.

    Tags

  • 130

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    What happens to the spren the Parshendi bond when they switch form? So if they’re in soldier form, and they switch over to mate, what happens to the spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The spren is released.
    Question

    So when they took on void, they didn’t kill their previous spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, they don’t kill when they - No. That’s a good question.
    Question

    Do those spren evolve in any way into something else?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Those spren that they are bonding with are generally what we call non-sapient spren, and so, no, and also the spren are barely aware that they’re bonded - the spren, the non-voidspren. Like when they’re bonding, generally what’s happening is how...It’s a symbiotic relationship, right? And the spren that get bonded to them, it’s just kind of, Oh, this is my life now! This is just normal. This is what’s happened. The same thing happens with spren involved in greatshells and things like this. This is a natural part of the natural cycle for those spren.

    Tags

  • 131

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    When a Parshendi changes forms are they taking different spren into their gemhearts?

    Brandon Sanderson

    When a Parshendi changes forms, they are....[carefully] entering into a symbiotic relationship with a new spren. [laughter] That’s the answer you’re going to get. That’s a RAFO.

    Tags

  • 132

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    Spren. The phenomenon that creates spren. Is that Roshar-specific or is that a general effect?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, yes and no. The general fundamental rules that create spren are Cosmere-wide. Spren are pieces of Investiture, usually pieces of Investiture that come straight from one of the Shards of Adonalsium, split off in some way, that because of human or other sapient creatures thinking about it or interacting with the power, the power starts to take on a life of its own. The power develops personality and comes alive, so to speak. And this can happen on any pla - in any place where there is Investiture. So it could happen on any planet in the Cosmere with significant amounts of free Investiture. The places you’ve seen this happen most commonly are Sel and Scad - Roshar. You haven’t seen it on Scadrial, and you’ve seen little kind of hints of it on Nalthis, but not quite. But it’s possible for it to happen anywhere. Seons and spren are basically the same thing with different powers kind of pushing them, pushing growth out of them - that said, the non-sapient spren, the spren that are not quite as...They’re not going to stand up and talk to you. But those all existed…not all, but most of them existed on Roshar before the Shattering of Adonalsium.

    Tags

  • 133

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    So, it got established when Syl transformed for Kaladin, a living Blade can become any weapon…

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, based on the perception of the wielder.

    Question

    So, why is it that there are only dead swords?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That’s a good question that will be answered in the future.

    Question

    Could they make a lightsaber?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They could make...metal weapons of a similar style to that, so no, we’re not talking lightsabers. Creating plasma is not something that we’re looking at.

    Question

    A bow, for example?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They could create, probably...Well, let’s RAFO that one, I’ll show you what’s going to be happening.

    Question

    You mentioned the ecology on Roshar, and you mentioned that mostly the non-sentient spren predate the [shattering of Adonalsium?]. So my question is about the evolution of life on Roshar, and how essential the highstorms are to life on Roshar, how the plants evolved...so can we assume that life that is dependent on the highstorms predates the Shattering of Adonalsium?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um…

    Question

    Can we correctly assume? [Laughter]

    Brandon Sanderson

    I’ll tell you this. The highstorms predate, and there was a lot of natural evolution on Roshar resulting in a lot of what we have there.

    Tags

  • 134

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    Talking about the Stormfather, are the Nightwatcher and the giant water spren, Cusicesh, are they on the same level?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The Nightwatcher, yes. Um...uh...there are...I would say, a level below the Stormfather and the Nightwatcher who are also a much bigger deal than something like one of the sapient spren, and that’s what Cusicesh is.`

    Question

    So the Nightwatcher is a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They call the Nightwatcher a spren. Everyone in the books thinks the Nightwatcher is a spren. That’s what they would call...that’s what they would call, if they knew what Honor was, they would call Honor a spren. A spren is Investiture that is alive. So they would call Nightblood a spren. That’s the word for what all of these things are. They would probably call Adonalsium a spren. [Laughter] If...Right...So.

    Question

    What would Hoid call one of those? What would Hoid call the Nightwatcher?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um…[long pause]

    Question

    If Hoid were to use a non-proper noun?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Unpleasant names. [general laughter]

    Tags

  • 135

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    What are the upper limits size-wise of what a kandra form can take? Could they say be a chasmfiend?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, they would have trouble with the square-cube law, and a chasmfiend does not, because they have a symbiosis with natural spren, which keep them from crushing themselves. So a kandra would crush themselves if they tried to do that.

    Tags

  • 136

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    When it comes to the… epic-level spren on Roshar, like the Nightwatcher and Stormfather - is the number of epic-level spren equal to the number of Bondsmiths that you have on Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hm, is the number of epic-level spren related to the number of Bondsmiths you have? Well, I’ve said there’s a maximum of three. And there are three Shards involved in Roshar. I’m not gonna tell you if that’s a coincidence or not. Sorry. [laughter]

    Tags

  • 137

    Interview: Nov 22nd, 2016

    BYU Bookstore (Paraphrased)

    Djarskublar

    So, say you have a gold/gold Twinborn and they worldhop to Roshar and they study the magic and do the whole Khriss and Nazh thing for a while so that they know a lot about the magic, but they've also left themselves a lot of options with what they can do. So then they manage to pull up a gold shadow of them having actually become a Surgebinder and then kind of meld themselves with that shadow a bunch, could they change their Cognitive Identity enough so that they could, like, tap a lot of Gold and grow the spren and actually be a Surgebinder?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Unfortunately, no. It's a good question, but no. That won't work for a couple of reasons. One of which is simply creating Investiture is not something that can happen, right?

    Djarskublar

    They are a gold Twinborn, so they can tap a lot of gold...

    Brandon Sanderson

    They can tap a whole bunch, that's true, they can do that, but simply having it is not gonna create a spren because the spren is from a different god, right, a different Shard.

    Djarskublar

    So if they had Regrowth cast on them, would that do it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    hems and haws for a second.

    Djarskublar

    A really, really big Regrowth like in the middle of a Highstorm.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hmmm, this, you are getting to the realm of plausibility at that point. I still don't think gold is the way to do it. I think you just get all that Investiture. It would become sapient by you sticking a whole bunch of Investiture, and then you can bond to that. But it's not like people gain what you would have done. Does that make sense? That's just what's going to happen, is you're gonna, you can create a, potentially create a spren that way, but you are more likely to end up with something like Nightblood. But you could potentially create a spren, but I mean you're just gonna end up...

    Djarskublar

    So there are more optimal ways to do that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, go bond a spren. (evil grin of course)

    Djarskublar

    But you can't easily bond multiple, and if you did this you could maybe get multiple.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Nyeaaahhh... The spren still has to choose. If you want to be a Surgebinder, the choice is being made. You can't fake your way into it. Decision and Honor are too much a part of Surgebinding for you to be able to fake your way into that. Other magics you might be able to do that. Other magics that don't require, like, Surgebinding works because a piece of Honor or Cultivation or a mix has chosen you specifically. There is will from the actual Investiture involved in it in Roshar.

    Djarskublar

    Okay.

    Brandon Sanderson

    So it's not something you can cheat your way into, right. But cheating your way into Breath might be easier, right.

    Tags

  • 138

    Interview: Nov 22nd, 2016

    BYU Bookstore (Paraphrased)

    Question

    First I asked if Spren could be affected by emotional allomancy,

    Brandon Sanderson

    and I got a RAFO, which is very interesting.

    Tags

  • 139

    Interview: Nov 22nd, 2016

    BYU Bookstore (Paraphrased)

    Question

    At the beginning of WoK, Kaladin is annoyed by a mischievous wind spren, but not particularly shocked. Are personality quirks common to specific types of spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, although you'll see those quirks more common in elemental spren than in emotional spren.

    Tags

  • 140

    Interview: Sep 23rd, 2016

    Out of Excuses 2016 (Paraphrased)

    Mark Lindberg

    Would emotion spren react in any way if a Rioter or Soother were operating in the area?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, you would be able to see that sort of change if you were paying attention.

    Tags

  • 141

    Interview: Sep 6th, 2016

    Question

    I asked whether spren, particularly those bonded to a Knights Radiant, could worldhop,

    Brandon Sanderson

    and he said that it would be very difficult for them to.

    Tags

  • 142

    Interview: Sep 6th, 2016

    Djarskublar

    So I could be wrong, but a Hemalurgic spike, when you use it and become a savant it does damage to your Spiritweb, right?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes Hemalurgy always hurts you. (I think he was saying that the Hemalurgy itself hurts you more than being a savant, but I'm not sure how to interpret this)

    Djarskublar

    So say you go to Roshar and you give somebody a Hemalurgic spike for some Allomantic power, don't care what, and you use it to become a savant. Does that qualify them as 'broken' enough to become a Radiant? As long as they are also following the Ideals to attract a spren.

    Brandon Sanderson

    So becoming a Radiant is a spectrum of terminologies. It... probably, but you would have to find a Radiant who would, or a spren who would be willing to touch that, okay? It's going to drive them back.

    Djarskublar

    So would it also affect your probability of becoming an Elantrian?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah it would affect your ability to become anything else, yes.

    Djarskublar

    Okay, so would it be a positive effect, negative effect...? Because I was like, it gives you cracks in your Spiritweb.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It does give you cracks in your Spiritweb.

    Djarskublar

    So it's easier for Investiture to get in. Does it make it easier for other Investitures to get in?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It would make it... yes. It's going to drive spren away. So what it's really going to make easier for, there, is spren and Investiture that doesn't care.

    Djarskublar

    Okay, so Investiture doesn't care but spren do.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Investiture might care depending on if it's part of a Shard-- if it has intent and things like this.

    Djarskublar

    So it might let Stormlight in easier than a Breath, type thing.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm saying it might let Odium in easier than Syl. Because Syl would care, and Odium would not care.

    Djarskublar

    Okay cool.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Alright, so it could be a really bad thing, is what I'm trying to say to you.

    Djarskublar

    Yeah that's cool. I just want to know more about gold too. Gold Allomancy too. Because Miles was doing some funky stuff.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Miles was doing some funky stuff.

    Tags

  • 143

    Interview: Nov 5th, 2016

    Eurocon 2016 (Paraphrased)

    Question

    Are The spren of truthwatchers are related directly with cultivation or the nightwatcher?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He answered that the majority of sprens are a mixture of both shards. But the truthwatchers sprens where related with Cultivation.

    Tags

  • 144

    Interview: Oct 22nd, 2016

    Question

    KR seemed to have opposite gender spren. Why is Glys male then ? Is there something hidden there ?

    Brandon Sanderson

    More naturally, the spren is opposite gender but it doesn't have to be. It's not a indication necessarily of homosexuality, but sometimes it is, sometimes it's not. More often, you'll attract spren of the opposite gender, but spren genders are very fluid anyway. You're not supposed to read anything specific into that.

    Tags

  • 145

    Interview: Dec 3rd, 2016

    PatrickDiomedes

    When a spren changes into a weapon, are they locked into one specific design for that type of weapon? Like, if Syl chose to be a longsword, could she only become that specific longsword?

    Brandon Sanderson

    no, they can become whatever they want/need.

    Tags

  • 146

    Interview: Dec 3rd, 2016

    yulerule

    question not specified

    BrandonSanderson

    I also got confirmed that the metal that spren turn into is god metal (we probably already knew that).

    Tags

  • 147

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Question

    So if I’m a Surgebinder and I have my own Cognitive entity with me, can I go off-world with that and [have] everything continue to work in exactly the same way? Because we’ve seen Cognitive entities that--

    Brandon Sanderson

    So...taking a Cognitive entity off-world is hard. So, Surgebinding, if you can find out how to make it happen, remember, the Investiture is keyed to Connection. This is why Kelsier is--Oh, sorry, spoilers! When a certain somebody [laughter] getting off Scadrial, because he basically was a spren by that point so…[laughter] So, yeah Surgebinding would work off planet, but you’d have to get the spren off first. It’s hard to do. Well, Cosmere-wide it’s not hard hard...You could learn how.

    Tags

  • 148

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Question

    Are there any greatshells in Roshar larger than the ones we’ve seen?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No.

    Question

    So the Reshi Isles are the biggest?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, those are the biggest, and even with that I’m doing major fudging on the square-cube law. They’ve just spren-bonded, we’ll talk about this. Even with the spren, it’s a stretch. That’s as big as it gets. They could exist in the ocean because the square-cube law doesn’t apply the same way, with buoyancy and things. But I think we don’t need anything larger than islands.

    Question

    No Godzilla?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They’re bigger than some version of Godzilla.

    Tags

  • 149

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Question

    So you’ve said, moving a spren off world from Roshar is difficult. What about physically, say the Ones Above visit them, and they fly away?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So one of the things you’ll have to be asking questions and theorizing on is what happens if you try to carry a spren around the planet. What happens to their Cognitive sense, right? So you’re on Roshar, right? So on the Physical Realm what would happen--because on Shadesmar, you have a flattened version. So there are questions for you to be theorizing implicit in that. And one of them is, what happens, you cross a threshold circling the globe, your spren, what happens to them? Right? This relates to the question you’re asking.

    Question

    Wait wait, you have a three dimensional plain coexisting with a two dimensional plain?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, two dimensional is the wrong term, but basically.

    Tags

  • 150

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Question

    Is there a Shadesmar for each planet?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Anything that people think about, right? And, you really have to be inhabited to get a good Shadesmar… But, yenno, you can find the gas giants in Shadesmar, but they don’t manifest as an entire plain. Um, that’s gonna change! But we’re years away from that. Shadesmar is cool and weird but--

    Question

    Ohh, there’s only one Shadesmar with different areas--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, what we call it, Shadesmar is a term that has started to stick in the Cosmere for the Cognitive Realm. But there are manifestations for all planets.

    Question

    So, they all exist, all of Shadesmars are part of the same cloth, so to speak.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, you could walk from one to the other, barring some weird distortions that I’m not gonna tell you about.

    Question

    But spren can’t because they’re bound.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right. Unless, well, there are certain ways you could do it.

    Tags

  • 151

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Question

    When you were talking about spren being bound to the Cognitive Realm of their planet. Are Seons similarly bound?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    Could you also pull them off [knowing how]?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, but you’d have to get through the Cognitive Realm. Sel’s… Yes, that is possible.

    Tags