Stonewards Forge Guide: Everything You Need to Know About the Knights Radiant Order

Why the Stonewards Matter in the Stormlight Archive

If you've ever wanted to understand the most dependable soldiers in the Stormlight Archive, this Stonewards forge guide is your ultimate resource. The Stonewards stand as one of the ten Orders of Knights Radiant, and their unique blend of martial prowess and Surgebinder abilities makes them a fascinating subject for any cosmere enthusiast. Whether you're a lore scholar, a roleplaying game participant, or simply a fan of Brandon Sanderson's epic series, this Stonewards forge guide will walk you through everything from their Surges of Cohesion and Tension to their oath structure and combat philosophy.

The Stonewards occupy a special place among the Radiants because they embody the virtues of their patron Herald more completely than perhaps any other order. Their story is one of strength, loyalty, and the tragic consequences of carrying stubbornness too far.

Understanding the Stonewards Order

Origins and Patron Herald

The Stonewards trace their lineage to Talenelat'Elin, also known as Talenel or Stonesinew, the Herald of War. This patronage shaped the order's identity in profound ways. According to historical texts within the series, the Stonewards considered it a point of virtue to exemplify resolve, strength, and dependability—traits that directly reflected their patron's nature.

However, this devotion to stubbornness came with a significant downside. The same texts note that Stonewards sometimes carried their resolve too far, refusing to change course even when proven wrong. This flaw ultimately contributed to their involvement in the Day of Recreance, where they were one of two orders that turned their backs on their fellow Radiants—a pivotal moment in Roshar's history.

Core Characteristics and Personality Traits

As this Stonewards forge guide reveals, the order attracts individuals drawn to warfare, athletics, and outdoor exploration. They're the kind of people who take on enormous projects—sometimes more than they can realistically handle—and tackle challenges head-on with a can-do attitude that sets them apart.

Community reports suggest that the Stonewards' most defining trait is their unwavering loyalty. If a Stoneward calls you a friend, they will be there when you need them—no exceptions, no excuses. This reliability forms the core tenet of their entire order.

Another key attribute is their ability to take difficult situations with minimal resources and produce something better. Though not known as inventors or creators, Stonewards excel at improvising solutions to problems in the moment—a skill that proves invaluable on the battlefield.

Stonewards Forge Guide: Surges and Abilities

Surge of Cohesion and Stoneshaping

The Surge of Cohesion represents the Stonewards' most iconic ability: Stoneshaping. This power allows a Stoneward to mold stone as though it were clay, weakening the bonds between individual axi (the fundamental particles of the cosmere). While this ability can theoretically work on other materials, stone remains the easiest and most common application.

What makes Stoneshaping unique is that it operates outside conventional chemical or thermal processes. No heat is required to excite the axi. Instead, the practitioner's Intent drives the transformation. The stone itself responds to the Surgebinder's desire, allowing shaping through willpower as much as through physical force.

Three Pillars of Intent in Stoneshaping

Understanding Stoneshaping requires grasping three distinct aspects of Intent that govern how the power interacts with matter:

1. Willingness: Stone uniformly obeys Surgebinders attuned to Cohesion. This is remarkable because stone ranks among the most difficult materials to work with in Soulcasting—even harder than living beings in some cases, depending on their emotional and spiritual states. The stone essentially surrenders control to the Surgebinder.

2. Connection: The stone can sense the Intent and even the past of the Surgebinder. Player experience and historical accounts describe stone reaching back through generations of Connection to display forgotten events, emotions, and ideas. Stone shaped by Stonewards has been known to form the faces of ancient practitioners and depict long-forgotten events.

3. Command: The Stoneshaper must issue a Command—either mental or verbal—to fully control the stone. This parallels other cosmere magic systems where Commands play a crucial role in directing magical effects.

Surge of Tension

The Stonewards also share the Surge of Tension with the Bondsmiths. While less documented than Cohesion in available lore, Tension relates to manipulating the structural integrity and rigidity of materials. Combined with Cohesion, these two Surges give Stonewards remarkable control over the physical world around them, making them formidable both in combat and construction.

Building Your Stoneward: Oaths and Ideals

The First Ideal

All Stonewards begin with the First Ideal, shared across every order of the Knights Radiant:

"Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination."

This foundational oath sets the philosophical framework for all Radiants, emphasizing the importance of the process over the outcome and the responsibility to use power selflessly rather than for personal gain.

Order-Specific Oath Structure

Our Stonewards forge guide now turns to the unique oath structure that defines this order. Stoneward oaths center on team dynamics, collaboration, and being present for those in need. They place others' interests above their own and refuse to compromise their Ideals for convenience.

An epigraph from the series reveals a deeper internal conflict within the order. One Stoneward reflected that spending their entire life looking to sacrifice themselves might actually be "the cowardly way" and "the easy way out." This suggests that the order's self-sacrificing nature, while noble on the surface, may sometimes serve as a shield against harder emotional truths and personal growth.

Stoneward Combat and Team Dynamics

The Finest Soldiers in the Knights Radiant

In this section of our Stonewards forge guide, we examine the order's combat capabilities. Stonewards serve as the infantry and ground troops of the Radiants, widely regarded as their finest soldiers. The Windrunners occasionally dispute this title, creating a friendly rivalry between the two orders that pushes both to excel.

Shardplate and Equipment

The Shardplate worn by Stonewards glows with a distinctive amber light, making them visually striking on the battlefield. According to available lore, this Shardplate is likely composed of lesser spren rather than the primary spren with which the Stoneward bonds. This means the Plate functions somewhat independently of the main Nahel bond, though the exact mechanics remain a subject of ongoing discussion among lore enthusiasts.

Squires and Support Structure

Stonewards commonly maintain squires, extending their combat effectiveness beyond individual Radiants. This squire system aligns perfectly with the order's team-oriented philosophy. By training and supporting squires, Stonewards create a force multiplier effect—each Radiant effectively commands a small unit rather than operating as a lone warrior.

This emphasis on team dynamics means that a single Stoneward should never be evaluated in isolation. Their true power emerges when operating alongside squires and fellow Radiants, creating a cohesive unit that can adapt to rapidly changing battlefield conditions.

Known Stonewards and Historical Significance

This part of the Stonewards forge guide covers the documented members and historical context of the order. The named Stonewards in the Stormlight Archive include:

• Badali: A confirmed Radiant of the Stoneward order
• Talatin: A historical Radiant of this order, referenced in visions of the Knights Radiant at their height

While the roster of named Stonewards remains relatively small in the published books, the order's historical significance cannot be overstated. Their participation in the Day of Recreance—abandoning their oaths alongside one other order—represents one of the most catastrophic events in Roshar's history, shattering the Knights Radiant and plunging the world into an era without Surgebinders.

Brandon Sanderson's Original Vision

Brandon Sanderson's original concept for the Stonewards focused on their ability to manipulate matter as if the entire world were clay. Not just stone or rock, but any material could be grabbed and reshaped. This vision was later refined and bounded by the rules Honor placed upon the power, preventing the catastrophic mistakes that occurred on Yolen—the cosmere's original world.

This restriction makes Stoneshaping far less explosive than its theoretical full potential. The power operates within boundaries that protect both the user and the world around them, emphasizing control and Intent over raw force.

For more detailed lore on the Knights Radiant and the broader cosmere, visit Brandon Sanderson's official website, which offers additional resources, annotation archives, and updates on upcoming Stormlight Archive releases.

FAQ

What Surges do Stonewards use in this forge guide?

Stonewards share the Surge of Cohesion with Willshapers and the Surge of Tension with Bondsmiths. Cohesion enables their signature Stoneshaping ability, while Tension allows structural manipulation of materials. Together, these Surges make Stonewards formidable manipulators of the physical world, capable of molding stone like clay and adjusting material rigidity at will.

How do Stoneward oaths differ from other Radiant orders?

This Stonewards forge guide emphasizes that their oaths focus specifically on team dynamics, collaboration, and being present for those in need. Unlike orders that prioritize individual growth or scholarly pursuit, Stonewards swear to put others' interests before their own and refuse to bend their Ideals for convenience. This creates Radiants who excel in group settings but may struggle with self-sacrificing tendencies.

Can Stoneshaping work on materials other than stone?

Yes, theoretically. Brandon Sanderson's original pitch described the ability as manipulating any matter like clay—not just stone, but any material. However, in practice, stone remains the easiest and most common application. The power is bounded by rules Honor established to prevent the mistakes that occurred on Yolen, making it less explosive than its theoretical full potential.

Who is the patron Herald of the Stonewards?

Talenelat'Elin, also known as Talenel or Stonesinew, serves as the patron Herald of the Stonewards. As the Herald of War, his nature directly shaped the order's emphasis on resolve, strength, and dependability. The Stonewards exemplified these traits more archetypally than any other order matched to their patron Herald—though their stubborn adherence to these virtues sometimes led them astray.