Abrasion
The art of sliding through the world, leaving resistance behind.
Abrasion is the Surgebinding art that defies the stubborn grip of the physical world, granting its wielder mastery over friction and adhesion. To an Edgedancer, the universe is not a series of fixed points but a flowing river of sliding surfaces. By mentally severing the resistance between two objects—be it boot against stone or blade against armor—an initiate can render tons of rock as light as a feather or traverse sheer vertical cliffs with impossible grace. While its partner surge, Gravitation (the domain of Windrunners), commands weight and gravity, Abrasion commands the space *between* things, turning obstacles into pathways.
- Order
- Edgedancers
- Surge
- Abrasion
- Spren Type
- Dunspren
- Associated Honor
- Nan and Syl (varies by bond)
- Primary Effect
- Manipulation of friction
Lore & Background
Following the Recreance, the knowledge of this surgebinding faded into myth until the return of the Knights Radiant in the modern era. The Edgedancers are now rare, with only a few known individuals having bonded with their respective spren to regain access to Abrasion. Unlike other orders that focus on defense or offense, the Edgedancer's power is inherently about connection and flow, often used to aid others by removing physical barriers. Their unique perspective allows them to see the world as a series of sliding surfaces rather than fixed points, granting them a distinct tactical advantage in both combat and diplomacy.
In Their Own Story
The chasm wind screamed, whipping grit that would have flayed a normal man's skin, but Kalani felt only the smooth, silent glide of the world yielding to him. He stepped off the ledge, not falling, but sliding sideways along the vertical wall as if gravity had forgotten its duty. With a mere flicker of intent, he reduced the friction between his leather boots and the rough stone to absolute zero. He became a ghost in the storm, carrying a wounded comrade on his back, their combined weight irrelevant against the sheer cliff face. To an observer, it was sorcery; to Kalani, it was simply the world finally learning how to dance.
Reader's Guide
Abrasion operates by allowing the user to mentally manipulate the coefficient of friction between any two surfaces they touch or focus upon with intent. The user does not merely make things 'slippery'; they fundamentally alter the physical interaction, reducing resistance to near zero. This enables movement that defies logic: sliding up walls, gliding across ceilings, or pushing a massive boulder as effortlessly as rolling a pebble.
The application requires direct contact or intense focus on the target interface. Once activated, movement becomes fluid and continuous, often described as 'dancing' because the user never truly stops—they simply flow from one surface to another. In combat, this creates unpredictable trajectories, allowing an Edgedancer to escape encirclement or close distances in a blur of motion. However, the surge does not negate momentum or impact; a fall at high speed remains dangerous if the user fails to manage their kinetic energy before hitting a solid object.
Did You Know?
- The term 'Abrasion' is often misunderstood as simply making things slippery, but it is actually a fundamental rewriting of how surfaces interact, allowing for total elimination of resistance rather than just reduction.
- Edgedancers earned their name not from graceful footwork alone, but because they move through the world by sliding—turning every wall into a floor and every ceiling into a path.
- Unlike many other Surges that require complex chants or gestures, Abrasion can be triggered instantly through pure thought and intent once the bond with a Dunspren is established.
- While Gravitation (Windrunners) pulls matter down, Abrasion allows an Edgedancer to ignore the drag that usually anchors them, creating a unique tactical synergy where one order controls weight and the other controls flo