What is Nightblood made of?

[Dellexe]

Apologies if I'm very late to the party with this, it's been some time since I frequented this forum, so I'm a bit behind on the current WoB's and theories.

With Rhythm of War's chapter headings, we now know that

Spoiler

the effects of all Allomantic metals are consistent throughout the Cosmere, not just aluminum. This in hindsight makes perfect sense, I had long wondered why aluminum seemed so consistent across the Cosmere. Draining Allomantic reserves, sheathing Nightblood, hiding Investiture, warding against Threnody's shades. We know that some parts of Allomancy are not random chance. If I recall correctly, Preservation makes some note on the number of pure Allomantic metals. 

Is Nightblood truly made from Steel? An Allomantic metal that is a physical, external, pushing force? Nightblood does the opposite, with an effect more similar to Iron. Nightblood rips Investiture towards itself, consuming it and discarding the refuse left behind. Could Nightblood perhaps be forged of Allomantic Iron? Or, almost more fittingly, have inherited his Leeching effect from a Chromium blade? 

I am eager to see your responses. Remember that Sanderson has a tendency for obfuscation when describing things, as evidenced by Roshar's wines, and Aluminum's many descriptors. 

[ftl]

In Warbreaker, it's explicitly described as steel. (https://www.brandonsanderson.com/warbreaker-chapter-fifty-three/, https://www.brandonsanderson.com/warbreaker-chapter-fifty-one/)

Thing is, the magic system being used to create it really didn't care about the underlying metal. Awakening has no particular interactions with the various allomantic metals. The steel base isn't what gives Nightblood it's abilities; it's the freaking huge amount of investiture that was used to create it, along with the other investiture it's absorbed along the way, combined with it's Command.

[Dellexe]

34 minutes ago, ftl said:

In Warbreaker, it's explicitly described as steel. (https://www.brandonsanderson.com/warbreaker-chapter-fifty-three/, https://www.brandonsanderson.com/warbreaker-chapter-fifty-one/)

Thing is, the magic system being used to create it really didn't care about the underlying metal. Awakening has no particular interactions with the various allomantic metals. The steel base isn't what gives Nightblood it's abilities; it's the freaking huge amount of investiture that was used to create it, along with the other investiture it's absorbed along the way, combined with it's Command.

The text says steel, yes. This is why I noted that Sanderson has obfuscated things before. Or perhaps the blade was meant to be steel, but contained some impurity. Or one of the other Returned modified the blade without Vasher's knowledge. 

I would argue that we know that one Allomantic metal is capable of affecting Awakening, and now that the powers that the metals act as guides for in Allomancy are not unique to that system, unless Preservation is influencing Roshar. To claim that Awakening has no particular interactions with other metals is a bold statement, and one that I find to be unfounded. 

Unless there's a WoB you can refer me to that states explicitly that Nightblood was forged from ordinary steel, I will remain skeptical. 

[+Aletus]

I was just watching the shardcast on Dawnshards and had an interesting thought about Nightblood and what makes him special. I'll put it under a blanket though in case someone hasn't read Dawnshard yet. 

Spoiler

So it all has to do with Intent and Command. And more dangerously, definition. 

Quote

"all their greatest applications require Intent and a Command. Demands on a level no person could ever manage alone. To make such Commands, one must have the reasoning - the breadth of understanding - of a deity."

This just can't not read like Breath, but that could just be the nature of investiture on a cosmeric scale. 

But what defines a deity. "Honor wasn't a god" and all that, but the Returned are worshipped as gods. Harmony is revered as a god, while being equal to Honor (while alive, at least) Or is Adonalsium the only thing we can truly call a god?

If a Returned can be defined as a god, could it be possible that while attempting to duplicate a Rosharan Shardblade, they might have accidentally created a hybrid imitation Shardblade/imitation Dawnshard hybrid? 

Nightblood isn't convenient like a living Blade, poofing in like the Captain on 9gag, but in almost every way he's significantly more dangerous, powerful, and full of realmatic consequence. 

I've been at work for 12 hours and I'm spiraling, so that might just be rambling speculation. 

On a side note, Nightblood obviously can go through Shadesmar, I wonder what he looks like there. 

[Stormtide_Leviathan]

22 hours ago, KalaDellexe said:

Nightblood does the opposite

I think that, given what we've learned in RoW, this does not exclude it being steel. If anything, it may even improve it if the theory is right. It seems distinctly possible that Nightblood has inverted investiture of some manner involved in its creation, which might explain why it does the opposite of what we'd expect

[IndigoAjah]

I think everything unusual NB does can be explained by his Awakening rather than what he is made of. 

[Dellexe]

4 hours ago, Stormtide_Leviathan said:

I think that, given what we've learned in RoW, this does not exclude it being steel. If anything, it may even improve it if the theory is right. It seems distinctly possible that Nightblood has inverted investiture of some manner involved in its creation, which might explain why it does the opposite of what we'd expect

This is true, we don't know if inverted Investiture has the same effects with metals or not. Though I suppose the daggers behaved normally, which might throw a wrench into it.