Does using a Shardblade from the Recreance have an effect on the bearer's mental state?

[PudgyNinja]

I think that it might.  Even if they can't hear the screaming, bonding with a mostly-dead, probably angry and traumatized spren can't help but have some sort of effect.

 

Speaking generally, the Alethi leadership, which has a large Shardbearing contingent, is pretty brutal.

 

Specific examples:  Sadeas, in WoK was a conniving, ruthless man willing to sacrifice thousands of innocents to cement his position in the Kingdom.  But he still seemed committed to Gavilar’s memory and supporting Elkohar and, to his credit, at least he felt a little bit bad about murdering all of those people.  At the end of the book he acquired a Shardblade.  In the second book, now using the Blade regularly, he seems to have gone completely off the rails, planning to usurpe the throne and doesn’t even seem to care about killing any more.

 

Adolin – when we first meet Adolin in WoK, he’s not on board with Dalinar’s ideas about leadership and responsibility.  But we arrive in the book at a time when Adolin isn’t getting a chance to use his Shards very much.  Dalinar has lost interest in hunting gemhearts and he’s restricted Adolin from engaging in dueling except in rare circumstances.  After this long period of restricted use, Adolin suddenly has a revelation about the value of the Codes and what Dalinar is trying to accomplish.  Then, in WoR, Adolin has his leash taken off re: dueling, and Dalinar’s new plan of assigning different groups to hunt the gemhearts means that Adolin is in the field much more, using his blade.  Then after the biggest engagement of all – Adolin snaps and murders Sadeas.  

 

What do you guys think?  Possible?

[name_here]

I suppose, but the main mental issue for the Alethi leadership appears to be the Thrill, which has been confirmed to be due to an Unmade. Also, Dalinar resumed going for gemhearts and using his blade heavily for a while, and that didn't seem to have any ill effects.

[PudgyNinja]

I suppose, but the main mental issue for the Alethi leadership appears to be the Thrill, which has been confirmed to be due to an Unmade. Also, Dalinar resumed going for gemhearts and using his blade heavily for a while, and that didn't seem to have any ill effects.

 

Good point, re: the Thrill.  

 

Dalinar never really got that much into gemheart hunting.  He only went on a couple hunts before he was betrayed by Sadeas and subsequently gave up his Shardblade.

 

We know that Dalinar, in his youth, was a ruthless, bloody killer - the Blackthorn.  A man who contemplated killing his brother to take away his throne and his bride.  By sheer force of will, he was able to pull himself back from the brink.  But does that Dalinar we see now strike you as the kind of man who would do those sorts of things?  Even if he wasn't as strict with himself as he is?  I almost like he's a completely different person.

 

It's just a theory, but it feels right to me.

[darkanimereal1]

I suppose, but the main mental issue for the Alethi leadership appears to be the Thrill, which has been confirmed to be due to an Unmade. Also, Dalinar resumed going for gemhearts and using his blade heavily for a while, and that didn't seem to have any ill effects.

 

As far as Adolin is concerned, I don't think his blade is having that effect on him either. We see his interest in the Thrill draining throughout the book despite the fact that he has been using his blade more. By the end, he has no interest in it whatsoever, although he notices that Eshonai is experiencing the Thrill, which is interesting (although it makes sense if the Thrill is caused by one of the Unmade). The only action that maybe would back this up is Adolin's murder of Sadeas in the end--it came out of no where. But I think that had to do with stress and Sadeas constantly provoking him more than anything else.

[Moogle]

The only action that maybe would back this up is Adolin's murder of Sadeas in the end--it came out of no where. But I think that had to do with stress and Sadeas constantly provoking him more than anything else.

 

This may be true, but it is interesting to note that the Unmade responsible for the Thrill, Nergaoul, is apparently halfway between Alethkar and Vedenar, capital city of Jah Keved (assuming the Thrill intensity decreases with distance), as the Thrill is just as powerful in Jah Keved as it is in Alethkar (and it may be more powerful).

 

Here is a map.

 

Urithiru is:

 

Judging from the sun height, the scholars placed them near the center of Roshar, somewhere in the mountains near Tu Bayla or maybe Emul.

 

Look at how close the center part of Roshar is to Vedenar. I think it's very likely that the Thrill is stronger in Urithiru than it is in the Shattered Plains, which are quite a bit away from Alethkar.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Moogle