The Highstorm

The highstorm is the defining natural phenomenon of Roshar, a colossal, recurring tempest that sweeps across the supercontinent from east to west and shapes nearly every aspect of the world's ecology, culture, and magic. Highstorms are the source of Stormlight, and their regular, predictable passage governs life across the planet in The Stormlight Archive. They are tied to the Shard Honor and are believed to issue from the Origin far to the east.

Description

A highstorm is a wall of wind, rain, lightning, and debris far more violent than any ordinary storm. At its leading edge is the stormwall, a churning front of staggering force capable of hurling stones and flinging the unprotected to their deaths. Within the storm, the Stormfather -- a vast spren tied to Honor -- is present. Highstorms charge gemstones with Stormlight, and only living things that shelter or have adapted to the storms survive their passage.

Ecology and Culture

Rosharan life is built around the highstorms. Plants withdraw into shells or rock as a storm approaches, animals shelter, and people retreat behind stormward walls and into protected structures. Buildings across Roshar are constructed to present their strongest faces eastward against the oncoming wind. The storms' timing can be predicted by stormwardens, allowing society to plan around them.

The Weeping and Highstorm Cycle

The highstorms come at regular but varying intervals, and the cycle includes the Weeping, a period of constant gentle rain during which no highstorms blow. Because gemstones cannot be recharged during the Weeping, Stormlight becomes scarce, an important consideration for Surgebinding.

Significance

As the source of Stormlight and the force that shaped Roshar's life and civilization, the highstorm is fundamental to the world. Its counterpart and inversion, the Everstorm, heralds the return of Odium's forces.