WoB about Larkins (via Reddit)

[Havoc]

Quote

 

Q: Could Aluminum be used to protect a Surgebinder from a larkin?

A: Yes.

Q: Would a larkin be able to steal Stormlight from a surgebinder wearing Shardplate? Any comments on whether Shardplate or aluminium would be more effective protection?

A: Getting through both would be relatively equal--with the problem being that Shardplate is powered by investiture, which the larkin could feed on. So aluminum is better in that specific case.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Stormlight_Archive/comments/5dpic4/oathbringer_spoilers_stormlight_three_update_5/da6f2fo/

Thoughts?

[BrightVoid]

Have they even found aluminum on Roshar yet?  Still, the more facts we get on these things the better, especially now that Rysn has one.

[Zathoth]

13 minutes ago, BrightVoid said:

Have they even found aluminum on Roshar yet?  Still, the more facts we get on these things the better, especially now that Rysn has one.

It is mentioned in one of Shallans flashbacks that they have to soulcast it.

[Yata]

41 minutes ago, BrightVoid said:

Have they even found aluminum on Roshar yet?  Still, the more facts we get on these things the better, especially now that Rysn has one.

As @Zathoth said on Roshar the only knowed way to obtain some Aluminium is with Soulcast.
We don't actually know if there are natural way to mined it there, but remember that Roshar's culture has almost no knowledge of metallurgy.

[BrightVoid]

But if they don't already have some how are they supposed to soulcast it?  You can't just magically conjure up something you don't know exists.

[Yata]

17 minutes ago, BrightVoid said:

But if they don't already have some how are they supposed to soulcast it?  You can't just magically conjure up something you don't know exists.

I suppose that the answer is "Heralds' wisdom" or knowledge from everywhere Roshar's people cames. But if you prefer the official answer:

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Q:  On the topic of aluminium, will we hear soon about how Rosharans know how to soulcast it? Was it natural on the planet and the source was depleted? Or was it brought over at some point in history?

A: Those are excellent questions, and a RAFO, unfortunately

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by Yata

[Ardjet]

Also, was it confirmed that the covers that go on shardblades for practice are aluminium? If so, that could lend weight to the opinion that Aluminium and knowledge of it was imported to Roshar, likely via Heralds or Tanavast.

[Spoolofwhool]

14 minutes ago, Ardjet said:

Also, was it confirmed that the covers that go on shardblades for practice are aluminium? If so, that could lend weight to the opinion that Aluminium and knowledge of it was imported to Roshar, likely via Heralds or Tanavast.

Quote

WAYNESPREN

Can Shardblades cut aluminum?"

BRANDON SANDERSON

"Well-um-yes, yes they can.

[Source]

I'm going to assume they aren't since you wouldn't be able to invest the aluminum to make it otherwise impervious to shardblades.

There are also three RAFOs in regards to the direct question of whether the covers are made from aluminum. He did say that we [17thShard] was thinking along the right lines though.

[Jondesu]

1 hour ago, Ardjet said:

Also, was it confirmed that the covers that go on shardblades for practice are aluminium? If so, that could lend weight to the opinion that Aluminium and knowledge of it was imported to Roshar, likely via Heralds or Tanavast.

 

1 hour ago, Spoolofwhool said:

I'm going to assume they aren't since you wouldn't be able to invest the aluminum to make it otherwise impervious to shardblades.

There are also three RAFOs in regards to the direct question of whether the covers are made from aluminum. He did say that we [17thShard] was thinking along the right lines though.

Considering the covers mold to fit the Shardblades, and can't break at all while they're on there, I suspect they're made out of basically the same stuff as Shardplate, whatever that is.  The similarities are too direct.

[Ardjet]

1 hour ago, Spoolofwhool said:

I'm going to assume they aren't since you wouldn't be able to invest the aluminum to make it otherwise impervious to shardblades.

There are also three RAFOs in regards to the direct question of whether the covers are made from aluminum. He did say that we [17thShard] was thinking along the right lines though.

damnation, there goes that. Thanks for the WoBs. I was poking around trying to find one.

[Yata]

Much more, if the Aluminium blocks a Shardblade....A mass production of Aluminium would started long ago on Roshar and things like Half-Shard would be pretty useless.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Yata

[Argent]

Yeah, thinking back, Shardblades are still blades. And aluminum's weird thing is that it is magically inert (for whatever reason). I think a more interesting question would be whether Shardblades can cut aluminum effortlessly (like other nonliving things) or whether they would be no better than regular swords.

[Yata]

2 minutes ago, Argent said:

Yeah, thinking back, Shardblades are still blades. And aluminum's weird thing is that it is magically inert (for whatever reason). I think a more interesting question would be whether Shardblades can cut aluminum effortlessly (like other nonliving things) or whether they would be no better than regular swords.

I think the second, or soon or later someone would already discovered it and the overpower of the Shardblade will be (almost) no more.

[Argent]

1 hour ago, Yata said:

I think the second, or soon or later someone would already discovered it and the overpower of the Shardblade will be (almost) no more.

There is also that, yes. If aluminum was better than Shardplate at blocking Blades, more people would be using it.