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Azure's Sword


Karger

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A topic of great theorizing.  The blade of highmarshal Azure.  Feared by fused and giving hope to the defenders of Kholinar.  How did this blade come to be?  I don't have that answer but I do think I have discovered a property of this weapon.  I think it drains the breath of the enemies it slays...  Think about it.  Kaladin reports that the ones it cuts turn grey instead of having their eyelids burned out like he expects.  This is the same thing that happens to cloth if you store breath in it then take it out.  The fused fear it.  Perhaps it can remove that which gives them persistent life.  Nightblood also drains investiture so this is a property of awakened swords.

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Well, technically it wouldn't be draining Breath because only Nalthians have that but the fact that the color-draining is exactly what we see with the Lifeless is too obvious a similarity to be a coincidence. We know that the color-draining is using the body's own color as fuel for the Awakening that makes the Lifeless (rather than the Awakener providing an external source) so there's probably something similar at work mechanically when Azure's sword cuts something. I wouldn't be surprised if the color-draining fuels the sword like Nightblood eats the Investiture of whatever it strikes, but I'm not sure if that extends to the sword actually consuming Investiture, since that's not what the color-draining is in Warbreaker. Could be the case but I'm not sure we can determine it just from the color effect.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the sword was intended as an anti-Lifeless weapon originally, since a corpse that's already been drained of color won't have any for that Awakening to work on.

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50 minutes ago, Honorless said:

I wonder what her Command was, "Kill or Consume what you cut" perhaps

Perhaps somthing simpler like.  Learn and devour!

19 minutes ago, Ookla the Nameless said:

But I wouldn't be surprised if the sword was intended as an anti-Lifeless weapon originally, since a corpse that's already been drained of color won't have any for that Awakening to work on.

Excellent point.  We know that Nightblood will be a lifeless heavy book.  Vivenna might need such a blade to defend herself.

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1 hour ago, Honorless said:

Devour what? Everything? Learn might be a good thing to include, though

Depends on how the command was visualized.

34 minutes ago, Ripheus23 said:

Or maybe it was, "Defend good," instead of, "Destroy evil"?

Great idea in theory.  In practice how does that even work?

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4 minutes ago, Ookla the Nameless said:

Probably every bit as well as 'Destroy Evil' is working for Nightblood. :P

Probably even worse if you can get it to work in the first place. 

Good is as baddy defined as evil(if not worse)

But how on earth does a blade protect someone?  Destroying their opponents?  Blocking every shot constantly?

Side note is this worthy of my hall of theories?  I don't want to make the decision as that would be unfair. 

It is a real theory that makes sense and will eventually be answered(Once Nightblood comes out).  None of you have yet pointed out a big flaw in the theory and it is somewhat interesting.  Thoughts on the matter?

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4 hours ago, Ripheus23 said:

Or maybe it was, "Defend good," instead of, "Destroy evil"?

I like this. It's a natural conclusion to reach when making an awakened blade in a post Nightblood world. If this turns out to be it I can't wait to see what a hunk of metal ends up making on this command. 

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27 minutes ago, Rask said:

I like this. It's a natural conclusion to reach when making an awakened blade in a post Nightblood world. If this turns out to be it I can't wait to see what a hunk of metal ends up making on this command. 

This begs the question.  Who made the blade?  Azure would need the 9th heightening.  The only known person around with that kind of breath is the godking and I am not sure he is going to be able to make a blade like that for someone he only met once.

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Questioner

What would happen if Azure's sword was wielded against Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

If Azure's sword was wielded against Nightblood, terrible things would happen, but Nightblood would be the stronger of the pair. Good question.

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26 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

Questioner

What would happen if Azure's sword was wielded against Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

If Azure's sword was wielded against Nightblood, terrible things would happen, but Nightblood would be the stronger of the pair. Good question.

Not sure how this is relevant.  Nightblood is much older as such it is more invested and likely has a more destructive intent.

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3 minutes ago, Ookla the Prolific said:

Not sure how this is relevant.  Nightblood is much older as such it is more invested and likely has a more destructive intent.

There is much that we don't know about how these blades were made. By the very fact that the interaction would be that destructive can inform the conversation. Age has little to with it. As far as investment we no real way to measure the levels of investiture.

Edited by Nathrangking
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24 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

There is much that we don't know about how these blades were made. By the very fact that the interaction would be that destructive can inform the conversation. Age has little to with it. As far as investment we no real way to measure the levels of investiture.

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Questioner

What is the most Invested item so far revealed?

Brandon Sanderson

What counts as an item?

Questioner

Inanimate object. Sentient swords, stuff like that.

Brandon Sanderson

Okay, inanimate objects, would be Nightblood. Well-- is he inanimate?

Questioner

Well, he's a sentient sword, but he's an inanimate object.

Brandon Sanderson

So, yeah, he would count.

 

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3 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

The difference could be marginal so far as we know. We don't have enough data to draw much more than the WoB you have quoted.

Nightblood has been drawing on different types on investiture for a good three hundred years and was created with at least a thousand breaths.  Azure's sword does not seem to be sapient and is much younger. 

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1 minute ago, Ookla the Prolific said:

Nightblood has been drawing on different types on investiture for a good three hundred years and was created with at least a thousand breaths.  Azure's sword does not seem to be sapient and is much younger. 

We simply don't know enough to say that it is not sapient. Though it may be younger the amount of investiture is not known.

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25 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

We simply don't know enough to say that it is not sapient. Though it may be younger the amount of investiture is not known.

Has not demonstrated sapience or any of the side effects that come with being as invested as nightblood(the increased colors when drawn from example).

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Just now, Ookla the Prolific said:

Has not demonstrated sapience or any of the side effects that come with being as invested as nightblood(the increased colors when drawn from example).

Oh?? The book showed bodies graying by way of the blows it delivers. The fact that Azure treats the sword as though it does have sapience is another indicator. 

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25 minutes ago, Ookla the Prolific said:

Has not demonstrated sapience or any of the side effects that come with being as invested as nightblood(the increased colors when drawn from example).

Azure's sword was shown to recognize people somehow. There's a rudimentary intelligence in there one way or the other. 

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22 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

Oh?? The book showed bodies graying by way of the blows it delivers. The fact that Azure treats the sword as though it does have sapience is another indicator. 

All awakened objects have some sentience but the blade does not seem able to communicate meaningfully.  When Nightblood is drawn all the colors deepen the same as around a 5 heightening aura.  Azure's blade does not.

Just now, Ookla the Quill said:

Azure's sword was shown to recognize people somehow. There's a rudimentary intelligence in there one way or the other. 

See above.

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