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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]], [[Yumi and the Nightmare Painter]]
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A '''fabrial''' is a [[Light]]-powered mechanical device from [[Roshar]] that uses [[spren]] to perform a particular supernatural task. Modern fabrials typically use spren captured in gemstones, while older fabrials like Soulcasters typically have the spren manifest as metal touching (replaceable) gemstones.{{book ref|sa4|46}} The magical properties of modern fabrials can usually be activated by anyone who knows how to use them.{{book ref|sa2|86}} A person who creates or designs fabrials is called an '''artifabrian'''.{{book ref|sa4|part=ars}} The term "fabrial" is often used colloquially to refer to the entire device. Artifabrians, however, call that a "machine", and use the word fabrial to refer specifically to a gem with a captured spren.
== Mechanics ==
{{image|Navani2.jpg|An excerpt from [[Navani's notebook]] depicting an Emotion Bracelet and examples of Stormlight patterns|side=right|width=250px}}
Creating modern fabrials requires trapping the proper type of [[spren]] in a gemstone cut for that purpose.{{book ref|sa3|33}} To trap the spren, artifabrians lure it to a gemstone with something it loves and knows well.{{epigraph ref|sa4|1}} The gemstone must not be fully infused, but needs to have some Light inside of it. Around seventy percent of the maximum capacity works best.{{epigraph ref|sa4|2}}
Creating modern fabrials requires trapping the proper type of [[spren]] in a gemstone cut for that purpose.{{book ref|sa3|33}} To trap the spren, artifabrians lure it to a gemstone with something it loves and knows well. Once it is lured into examining the gemstone, artifabrians drain the Light from the gemstone, using the Arnist Method, which involves placing some larger gemstones around the gemstone to drain the Light, using a [[larkin]], or using tuning forks.{{book ref|sa4|3}}{{book ref|sa4|4}}{{book ref|sa4|42}} If the Light is sucked out of the gem quickly enough, the spren will be sucked into the gemstone. After the spren is stuck, the spren can be manipulated to the artifabrian’s content.{{book ref|sa4|5}} The types of spren that can be captured in a [[polestone]] depend on the gem's type and color, implying that there are thousands of possible combinations.{{file ref|Navani1.jpg|text=Navani's Notebook: One}}{{book ref|sa4|42}} These fabrial-gems are encased in a metal wire frame, which determines the effect of the fabrial, along with the type of spren. Their power can be determined by the pattern of Light that gets filtered through the gemstone, although it cannot be seen with the naked eye.{{file ref|Navani2.jpg|text=Navani's Notebook: Two}} Spren corrupted by [[Sja-anat]] will behave differently in a fabrial.{{wob ref|11659}} It is possible for synthetic gemstones to be used in fabrials.{{wob ref|2702}}▼
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In contrast to [[Surgebinding]] or [[Old Magic]], most fabrials can be operated by anyone, as long as they know how to do so (the only exception being the [[Oathgate]]s, which require a Radiant to activate, although that might be a security measure rather than a crucial design element).{{book ref|sa2|86}} Some, like heatrials, are even capable of functioning without human input.{{book ref|sa2|4}} The self-contained nature of fabrials sets them apart from most manifestations of [[Investiture]] in the [[cosmere]], wherein the magic is accessed and directed by the user (often with specific requirements or limitations).{{wob ref|10311}}{{wob ref|3488}}{{wob ref|6247}}
=== Surge Fabrials ===
Unlike modern fabrials, the ancient [[Surge]] fabrials were created by persuading Radiant spren to manifest in the Physical Realm.{{book ref|sa4|9}}{{book ref|sa4|46}} Their functioning is also different: for example, [[Soulcaster]]s require a request for aid, which is unnecessary in modern fabrials.{{book ref|sa3|i|4}} However, they still do involve spren being bound to gemstones in some way - two large spren can be seen guarding and controlling the [[Oathgates]] in [[Shadesmar]].{{book ref|sa3|116}} So long as the spren are not compromised, any Surge fabrial can be recreated to operate just as it used to.{{book ref|sa3|117}} Any [[Surge]] can be replicated by fabrial science.{{wob ref|3013}} However, in the present day, some fabrials that use Surges are
=== Reactions to Metal ===
{{image|Navani flying fabrial by Marie Seeberger.jpg|side=right|height=250px|[[Navani]] using a conjoiner fabrial}}
Pairing fabrials are, as the name suggests, created in pairs that can move in parallel, or the opposite, over great distances. This category was a recent discovery during the [[War of Reckoning]].{{book ref|sa4|part=ars}} Force is conserved between each pair of fabrials, and the force required to move one is equivalent to one required for moving both. The farther apart the two halves are, the more resistance is felt when moving them.{{book ref|sa4|3}} Despite limitations in how far the fabrials can be separated and still work (dictated by certain processes during manufacture), conjectures about possible applications are being discussed.{{book ref|sa4|part=ars}}
By using raysium, a half-spren trapped in one half of a conjoined pair of gems can be transferred to another gem, not part of the original pairing. This can lead to an asymmetry between the movements of the two spren halves, as moving a larger gem a certain distance will now make its smaller paired counterpart move a larger distance. This does not, however, allow for force multiplication.{{book ref|sa4|84}}
==== Conjoiners ====
=== Warning fabrials ===
Warning fabrials detect things and give notice to the user. Their range depends on
==== Alerters ====
== Trivia ==
* Fabrials originated in the uncompleted book ''[[Mythwalker]]''.{{wob ref|16115}}
* It is possible to create an analog computer using fabrials.{{wob ref|12568}}
* The term "fabrial" will, eventually, come to be used for all magic-based mechanical devices in the [[cosmere]], such as the mechanism that picks [[Elantrian]]s.{{wob ref|8621}}
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