Patrickb

Regarding this point specifically, we know there was an Unmade influencing the Davar house. And Testament seems to have been there specifically to help Shallan deal with it. It seems the Cryptics were willing to keep throwing spren at her until one stuck in order to counter this influence... Which ultimately leaves us with the same question, just instead of wondering why the Cryptics wanted to bond her in particular so badly, we have to wonder what about this minor household attracted an Unmade's attention to the degree the Cryptics felt they needed to step in and stop it as their first action (that we know of) in preparation for the coming Desolation.

I want to ask next time there's an opportunity if, following the black hole analogy, there's something like the black hole information paradox going on with what Nightblood absorbs. Given his comment in the WoB there about Nightblood doing something weird to it, I'd imagine the black smoke is just raw investiture without a link to a given shard.

If I'm not mistaken, Taln's honor blade is actually missing at the moment. He had it when he arrives in Kholinar at the end of WoK, but when he's brought to the Shattered Plains in WoR, he no longer has it, it's just a normal shardblade that arrives with him.