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Shardplate Theory/Question (Spoilers WoR)


Atreyo

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I don't know if it has ever been covered. However when Dalinar forms a bond with the Stormfather, the Stormfather specifically says that he will be a Radiant with no "Shards." A few things stick out to me about this:

 

1. Shards is capitalized

2. Shards is plural.

 

The rest of tWoK and WoR uses this term to encompass either shardblade(s) or shardplate(s). If you make the assumption that wielding two sprenblades/shardblades from the same spren is unlikely, then my only conclusion is that he is referencing both a shardblade AND shardplate. Why use this word if he only means a blade.

 

If that's true, its a clue that Shardplate involves some sort of physical manifestation or physical interaction on the part of the bonded spren. Of course this all relies on Brandon Sanderson being that meticulous (he usually is). Anyone else have any theories to add?

 

I apologize if this wording in particular has already been discussed. If it has, can someone link the thread, I tried searching but didn't find anything since these words are just so common in the forums.

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There's been a bunch of theories on this all over, so I don't blame you for having a hard time trying to find them. The easiest answer is: I have no clue what all is involved in Shardplate creation.

 

Based on the Stormfather's words, I agree that it seems likely that the cooperation of the spren is required to create Shardplate.

 

Other things:

  • Shardplate really seems like a fabrial. It certainly runs on Stormlight. If you interpret things loosely, it almost seems like all ten Surges are used by the Plate. (Gravity to make it light, Transportation to make the helmet disappear/reappear, Tension to make it stronger against weapons, etc.)
  • Syl has no problem with Shardplate, so it seems very likely that no intelligent spren are killed or bound up in its creation.

I have had a theory kicking around for a while that all old-style fabrials (Soulcasters, possibly Shardplate) required a spren to Splinter itself, mimicking what Shards like Endowment do in creating the Returned or Honorblades. This would cause them to suffer a power loss, hence why it was rarely done. It may also mean multiple Radiants would need to work together to create a single suit of Plate.

Edited by Moogle
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I'm still convinced that Plate is a Radiant's ultimate manifestation of surgebinding ability (stormlight held perfectly). 

 

My theory on the Stormfather's comment is twofold: first of all, Dalinar will be a Knight with no Shards because he won't get a Blade and can't get manifest Plate. Actually, that would probably have been the case regardless of what spren he bonded, since none of the orders seem to get a Blade after just the Second Ideal. My second theory is that the Stormfather isn't really Dalinar's spren. He says "these Words are Accepted" but he also says that after Kaladin's Third Ideal. He also says that he won't allow himself to be bound, and that Dalinar will not have a Blade, but doesn't necessarily say anything about being bonded to him. I think there's some Brandon misdirection going on here.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

 

My second theory is that the Stormfather isn't really Dalinar's spren.

 

I'm not sure I completely agree with that theory. I faintly remember reading somewhere that there were very few bondsmiths (three if I remember correctly?), and each had a specific spren. The stormfather is a very specific spren (as there is only one as far as we know), so it would make sense for him to be Dalinar's spren, although I'm sure the stormfather will act differently than Syl or Pattern.

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Based on the Stormfather's words, I agree that it seems likely that the cooperation of the spren is required to create Shardplate.

 

Other things:

  • Shardplate really seems like a fabrial. It certainly runs on Stormlight. If you interpret things loosely, it almost seems like all ten Surges are used by the Plate. (Gravity to make it light, Transportation to make the helmet disappear/reappear, Tension to make it stronger against weapons, etc.)
  • Syl has no problem with Shardplate, so it seems very likely that no intelligent spren are killed or bound up in its creation.

... This would cause them to suffer a power loss, hence why it was rarely done. It may also mean multiple Radiants would need to work together to create a single suit of Plate.

I like this theory, I would add with existing fabrial technology, the current Radiants (Bondsmith in particular) would be able to take it a step further to recreate Shardplates. (soulcast sprens into shards and surgebind it to fabrials maybe :ph34r: )

 

Brandon mentioned in one of the interviews that something is different about the existing shardplates and the ones the Radiants wore, something he will reveal down the road.

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