surgebinding

Surgebinding is a fictional magical system featured in Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive. It enables a user to draw investiture from storms, stored in gemstones or in the user’s own body, to bind two Surges—fundamental forces that shape reality—and to manipulate the world in a variety of ways. A Surgebinder typically accesses these powers through a bond with a spren, a cognitive-spirit entity, which anchors the magic and grants the ability to reach the Surges.

Practically, Surgebinding involves pairing two Surges to produce a broad range of effects, from altering gravity and binding materials to manipulating light or transforming matter. The exact set of abilities a Surgebinder can access depends on their particular bond and, in many cases, the order to which they belong. There are ten recognized Surges in the series, and each order of Knights Radiant specializes in a distinct pairing of Surges and a distinct suite of powers, often accompanied by unique cultural traits and rituals.

Bonds with spren are central to the system. The strength and nature of the bond influence stamina, control, and the ability to access higher levels of power. Progress in Surgebinding typically requires taking and maintaining oaths that correspond to the order’s ideals; swearing higher oaths grants greater capabilities, while breaking them can result in the loss of access to the powers.

Surgebinding plays a critical role in the world’s politics, warfare, and religious philosophy within the Stormlight Archive, shaping the capabilities of its characters and the history of Roshar.