They believe great power requires a strong will to control it. Each oath led to a greater understanding of power, the nature of holding it, and the associated responsibility.ĭustbringers-though they sometimes objected to the common name for their order, preferring instead to be called Releasers-are living contradictions among the Knights Radiant. As a Dustbringer moved through the oaths, they were taught greater powers of destruction-and are one of the only orders where their abilities weren’t all available at the beginning, but instead were delivered slowly, as they made the proper oaths. They were led to understand that the powers they used needed to be properly channeled, much as their own desires and wills needed proper form and shape. Anyone believing in finding true justice, in defending the innocent, and in punishing the guilty would be welcome in the Order.ĭustbringer oaths were themed toward responsibility. Note that the current incarnation, led by the Herald Nale in his madness, is more rigid than the ancient order, which understood that the law was not perfect, but instead represented an ideal to try to reach over time. They tend to attract those who believe in the importance of legal code, those who have strong moral codes of their own, and those who think the best defense against anarchy are things like patriotism, moral fiber, and rules to govern behavior. They were the ones that did the sometimes tough job of making certain that the Orders didn’t abuse their power to become tyrants, as the Skybreakers saw that those with powers could easily oppress those who had none. They were the ones who believed that nobody, not even a Radiant, should be above being questioned. This sometimes gave them a bad reputation among the more free-thinking Orders of Knights, but the Skybreakers (at their best) were not merciless. The Skybreakers were the enforcers of the Knights Radiant, often tasked with keeping the peace, policing the other Orders, and making certain that dangerous or dark forces in the world were contained. They generally reinforce the importance of moral codes, legal structures, and similar boundaries that protect civilization. Skybreaker oaths are themed toward justice, fighting for causes, and enforcing social rules.
Try it out or read further to learn more about each Order.
Just for fun, we’ve prepared a quiz that sorts you into an Order of Knights Radiant based upon the answers you give. In the current era on Roshar, radiant spren seek bonds with mortals in order to fight Odium and his forces in what some call the True Desolation. The first oath of the Knights Radiant, however, is always the same: Ten types of Radiant spren exist, meaning that there are ten types of Knights Radiant, which have been organized into different Orders, each having different oaths and upholding different Ideals.
When a spren bonds with a candidate, they bestow upon them powers called Surges. When the fate of Roshar hangs in the balance, spirits called Radiant spren seek candidates worthy to take up the mantle of Knight Radiant. In the Stormlight Archive, the Knights Radiant are a group of magic users called Surgebinders, tasked with protecting Roshar from the Desolations, events that happen intermittently throughout history when dark forces besiege the planet.