Szeth and Nightblood.

[Hoid Is Dead]

How will Szeth use the sword? If I remember correctly, Nightblood sucks the breath of the one holding it.

And Szeth acquired the ability to drew in stormlight through his previous shard right? Will he still retain that ability? If so, then there's a possibility that a storm light can be used as breaths. And if not, then Nightblood will surely kill him. Well, we know that Szeth is not really "evil", but more like a deranged person. He's raised that way, so he thinks differently from "normal" beings. Any thoughts?  

[Moogle]

Nightblood can use Stormlight. WoB relating to Szeth:

Q:  If someone--Vasher says that Nightblood would kill him, is that just because he has this big deific Breath? Would it kill an ordinary person, like a drab?
A:  It would suck the Breath from anybody, and if they were unable to feed it he would feed on their soul.
Q:  So they would die.
A:  Yes. Anybody wielding Nightblood, he will suck their soul. For too long, he will eventually, if you draw him, he will suck your soul.
Q:  When does a person become a Surgebinder? Because Kaladin talks about when he was a child, about it being a familiar feeling, and Shallan obviously was younger. Or is it when they speak the Words?
A:  The bond starts forming before the words are spoken, but if the words are never spoken that bond will eventually evaporate and get broken. But the bond will start forming before. Just like an emotion attracts a spren, acting in the way that the spren you would eventually bond will start drawing them toward you and that will start to create that bond.
Q:  I know that there's three sorts of forms that magic presents itself in, the liquid and the solid and air. What would Breath be?
A:  Breath is definitely like Mist, it is in the form of the air.
Q:  And is Stormlight the same?
A:  Stormlight is the same. Good questions!
Q:  Would Vasher be able to use Stormlight in the same way that he can get Breath?
A:  That would not be immediately easy, but Stormlight could feed Nightblood.
Q:  Which is why Szeth can wield Nightblood?
A:  Eh, you'll have to see if … but yes. That could theoretically happen. You can use most of the magics on most of the planets to fuel the other magics, if you know how to do it, it is not easy.

(source)

 

Szeth's bond to his Honorblade was broken, according to Nalan. He can't take in Stromlight any more. But it's a common prediction that he's going to become an actual Skybreaker and get a spren, so when that happens, he'll be able to wield Nightblood again.

 

Also possible: he can attach gems to Nightblood's hilt and use him that way.

 

Really, though, I expect Szeth to use Nightblood more like Vasher, and just fling it at the enemy. It fits his combat style of never really going Blade-to-Blade with anyone.

 

Also, Nightblood may himself act like an Honorblade and grant Szeth powers. There's WoBs I can dredge up on that if wanted.

Edited October 2, 2014 by Moogle

[Hoid Is Dead]

I'm thinking of something that, Nightblood will magically turn into a Spren, would be cheating if Szeth acquires 2 or more talking helpers by his side. lol. Thanks for the quote, seems like I gotta research more. My dillemas are clearly been questioned before.

[killersquirrel59]

Szeth's bond to his Honourblade was broken, but he also was just saved as part of becoming a Skybreaker. This may form a true Nahel bond of his own with a spren as normal, allowing him to channel Stormlight again.

 

It is also quite possible that Nightblood was imbued as a new Honourblade, however that will be difficult to confirm or contradict since we do not know how they are made or even truly what they are. We do have confirmation at least that such double investiture of an item is at least possible though. 

 

Really, though, I expect Szeth to use Nightblood more like Vasher, and just fling it at the enemy. It fits his combat style of never really going Blade-to-Blade with anyone.

What are you talking about? Szeth uses his Honourblade all the time in combat. He doesn't usually fight fair with it, dueling blade to blade but he certainly draws it and attacks ruthlessly. Vasher's style would not at all fit him. It also wouldn't fit his personality in my opinion. The whole reason Szeth was chosen for the Skybreakers was because of his dedication to justice and his penitent attitude. I think he'd see any cost associated with wielding Nightblood as the price of being a champion of justice, not as something to be avoided.

[Moogle]

What are you talking about? Szeth uses his Honourblade all the time in combat. He doesn't usually fight fair with it, dueling blade to blade but he certainly draws it and attacks ruthlessly. Vasher's style would not at all fit him. It also wouldn't fit his personality in my opinion. The whole reason Szeth was chosen for the Skybreakers was because of his dedication to justice and his penitent attitude. I think he'd see any cost associated with wielding Nightblood as the price of being a champion of justice, not as something to be avoided.

 

Szeth, when he's fighting any decently powerful enemy, tends to run away and Lash things at them. Or Lash things under them. Or Lash the environment around them. Or try and get a quick touch in on them and Lash them. The situation with Kaladin was an exception only because he couldn't keep any distance between him and Kaladin.

 

Throwing Nightblood at the enemy and keeping his distance seems like something that fits within his style to me. It's not like he has any other choice; drawing Nightblood would kill him before he could even use it. Until he gets himself a spren, anyway...

Edited October 2, 2014 by Moogle

[Fatebreaker]

True, he relies on Stormlight much more than his blade. However, he could use Nightblood quite effectively with his fighting style. Nightblood can cut through anything, like a shardblade. However, unlike a shardblade, Nightblood can cut through flesh as well. Szeth could conceivably cut off your arm and then lash it at your friend's face, which would probably take care of both of you. And if Szeth does become a Skybreaker, he'll also have access to the surge of division, and there's no telling what he could do with that.

 

All in all, Szeth and Nightblood are stacking up to be the most badchull entity of destruction in the Cosmere.

 

And I can't wait to see them in action.

[Edgedancer]

I´m pretty sure Nightblood would just detroy the whole body at once, unless it had some serious Investure protecting it and even then he would do a number on his target.

[Cstryon]

I think Nightblood had been hacked to be a spren on Roshar, and will be his nahel bond. If you think about it, Nighty is very honorable, as is understood by him. Now I think there will be new conflicts. Nighty acts honorable, Szeth acts honorable, but the current "official" group of Radiants have a completely different goal. Honor is broken, so I'm picturing several shattered factions of surgebinders earning bonds but not exactly allied.

[Newan]

I hope that Szeth gets a spren besides Nightblood, just so we can hear Nightblood arguing with the spren all the time.  Imagine a spren with a Wyndle-like personality trying to deal with "Let's kill them. I'm good at killing. I don't think we should sneak. I think we should just kill them."

[Dawnshard]

I think one of the reasons Vasher threw Nightblood at people was because of two reasons. He threw Nightblood because if he drew him for every battle he would run out of breaths Very Quickly. Szeth doesn't have that problem because he can fuel Nightblood with stormlight which is much more plentiful. Also Vasher threw Nightblood because he was a distraction. Evil men wanted to use him and would kill themselves as they drew the sword. Szeth would keep the blade and use it because he has the power to fuel him for extended periods of time. 

[Moogle]

Szeth doesn't have that problem because he can fuel Nightblood with stormlight which is much more plentiful.

 

But Szeth can't fuel Nightblood, so far as we know. His Honorblade's gone, so there's no chance of him breathing in Stormlight until he gets a spren. And I don't think he's going to attract a spren until a good portion of book 3 is done.

[Newan]

But Szeth can't fuel Nightblood, so far as we know. His Honorblade's gone, so there's no chance of him breathing in Stormlight until he gets a spren. And I don't think he's going to attract a spren until a good portion of book 3 is done.

 

If Szeth is under the personal tutelage of a Herald, it probably won't take that long for him to get a spren.  Stones Unhallowed sounds like the main conflict of the book will be Szeth vs the Stone Shamans.  If he can't surgebind or use a shardblade for most of the book, is there much he can do against honorblade-wielding shamans? 

Edited October 6, 2014 by New One

[Oudeis]

There are conflicts beyond that of direct physical confrontation. Perhaps he'll travel Shinovar, talking with the common people, inspiring a rebellion against the Shamans. After all, what good would it serve to kill the Shamans themselves, if the people still believe these myths, and would simply choose new Shamans just like the old ones to follow?

 

In addition, Skybreakers must obey the law in all things. There is presumably little wiggle room in "assassinate the leaders of the entire country"; we are, after all, not talking about Elend, who probably DID write a clause into the charter allowing for his own removal by death. He would likely need the justification of a popular uprising before he's allowed to kill the Shamans.

[BreathTaker]

If ND feeds off of Breath and Stormlight would work and Brandon said he was MAGNITUDES stronger than a Shardblade, wouldn't that make NB an Honorblade? I remember reading somewhere that Hornorblades feed off of the weilder's Light.

[Edgedancer]

If ND feeds off of Breath and Stormlight would work and Brandon said he was MAGNITUDES stronger than a Shardblade, wouldn't that make NB an Honorblade? I remember reading somewhere that Hornorblades feed off of the weilder's Light.

They are similar in consuming Investure to bypass that their user doesn´t have the magical capability to use the magic him/herself but Honorblades are special in that they were made by Honor himself, so if anything Nightblood would be a Endowmentblade and even then he wasn´t made by the Shard itself.

[BreathTaker]

A Vasherblade

[Incheoul]

I imagine that if Szeth becomes a Skybreaker, he'd form a Nahel bond with Nightblood.  If he does get a spren on top of Nightblood, it would be cool to see him dual wield Nightblood + Shardblade.

[Edgedancer]

I imagine that if Szeth becomes a Skybreaker, he'd form a Nahel bond with Nightblood.  If he does get a spren on top of Nightblood, it would be cool to see him dual wield Nightblood + Shardblade.

I´m still very iffy on Nalan´s Skybreakers becoming Surgebinders. Not only is he of the opinion that it´s dangerous but the one Skybreaker we saw in action (Helaran) had no Suregbinding capabilities at all and used a dead blade. He could still dual-wield, if Nalan does equip his students with dead blades to supress their Surgebinding. (A theory I can remember someone proposing sometime ago)

[Incheoul]

I´m still very iffy on Nalan´s Skybreakers becoming Surgebinders. Not only is he of the opinion that it´s dangerous but the one Skybreaker we saw in action (Helaran) had no Suregbinding capabilities at all and used a dead blade. He could still dual-wield, if Nalan does equip his students with dead blades to supress their Surgebinding. (A theory I can remember someone proposing sometime ago)

I don't recall Helaran being a Skybreaker.  Was that in the book or a WoB?

[Edgedancer]

I don't recall Helaran being a Skybreaker.  Was that in the book or a WoB?

It´s not 100% proof but at the end of the WoR Mraize askes Shallan

 

Why did your brother seek out the Skybreakers?

and Helaran is the only logical choice for this.

[the winter system]

I hope that Szeth gets a spren besides Nightblood, just so we can hear Nightblood arguing with the spren all the time.  Imagine a spren with a Wyndle-like personality trying to deal with "Let's kill them. I'm good at killing. I don't think we should sneak. I think we should just kill them."

That would be awesome.  

[Oudeis]

It´s not 100% proof but at the end of the WoR Mraize askes Shallan

and Helaran is the only logical choice for this.

 

Nah, dude, Nan Balat has got Skybreaker written all over him! This is the Order whose ideal is, "I will needlessly torture small, defenseless animals", yes?

[Edgedancer]

Nah, dude, Nan Balat has got Skybreaker written all over him! This is the Order whose ideal is, "I will needlessly torture small, defenseless animals", yes?

Damnation, I forgot about that! That oath was right after "kill the most likable characters first." Seems like Szeth fits right with them after all, let´s just hope he treats Nightblood right..

[Zea mays]

Do they have any stormlight in Shinovar? The highstorms dissipate before they reach that far west. Also, In the Rysn interlude she notices there are no spren to be seen on the Shin plains.

Seems like a tough place to become a radiant.

[kaellok]

Do they have any stormlight in Shinovar? The highstorms dissipate before they reach that far west. Also, In the Rysn interlude she notices there are no spren to be seen on the Shin plains.

Seems like a tough place to become a radiant.

From the Prologue in WoK, Szeth gives us our first introduction to Stormlight.  He considers it profane that people use something so holy for light (paraphrased as I don't have books with me right now, but intent is the same.  I can't recall if it is more, or less, profane to walk on stone.)  So they have it, but it's holy/mystical in nature, and not entirely common or out in the open.