Words of Radiance

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, illness or death, physical abuse, and enslavement.

As a high fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive contains a world constructed through a vast mythology of magic. The primary manifestation of magic in the world of the series is Stormlight. Stormlight is energy produced by the highstorms that rage across the continent of Roshar, controlled by a powerful spren called the Stormfather. Like other spren, the Stormfather is a manifestation of nature and human beliefs and emotion, representing a splinter of the Alethi god, the murdered Almighty. The Almighty was killed by his mortal enemy, Vex Odium, who controls the Everstorm, the inverse of highstorms. Highstorms come fairly regularly and can be predicted, except for the brief time of year when they stop and are replaced by a constant drizzle called the Weeping. Stormlight charges the gemstones the people of The Stormlight Archive use for light and currency, which are embedded in spheres, and offers a power source to Surgebinders. Surgebinders are those who bond with spren, the manifestation of natural forces. This symbiotic relationship allows Surgebinders to use Stormlight to obtain superhuman qualities, healing powers, and the ability to manipulate the world around them.