Feruchemical Assassin and highly invested blades

[SpinningSky he/him]

Hey everyone!

This came up in another topic about SA, but I was curious to see what the mistborn crowd thinks.

The topic is invested metal, question is: 

If a feurochemist had a metalmind shaped like a dagger capable of storing some attribute, could they store so much in it to make it so invested that it would start cutting like a shardblade?

 

[Treamayne]

This should probably be in Cosmere Discussion, since it is about a comparison with other series.

3 hours ago, SpinningSky said:

If a feurochemist had a metalmind shaped like a dagger capable of storing some attribute, could they store so much in it to make it so invested that it would start cutting like a shardblade?

Doubtful. (SA and Warbreaker spoilers)

Spoiler

Shardblades don't cut as they do because of the amount of investiture (see Nightblood); but rather as a function of what they are (probably a function of Honor's Godmetal - but no definitive data on this yet). Rather, with Nightblood (a specific attempt to recreate a Shardblade with Awakening), he doesn't cut inanimate objects - but rather consumes them (such as when Vasher goes up through the ceiling when Nighblood created a 6ft hole with a touch)

 

[SpinningSky he/him]

you're probably right about the section, we need a moderator to move the post right?

55 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

Doubtful. (SA and Warbreaker spoilers)

  Hide contents

Shardblades don't cut as they do because of the amount of investiture (see Nightblood); but rather as a function of what they are (probably a function of Honor's Godmetal - but no definitive data on this yet). Rather, with Nightblood (a specific attempt to recreate a Shardblade with Awakening), he doesn't cut inanimate objects - but rather consumes them (such as when Vasher goes up through the ceiling when Nighblood created a 6ft hole with a touch)

 

To argue with your point:

Spoiler

If it was tied to being a godmetal, Honorspren blades would probably differ from others, but we have no indication that blades from different spren have different charateristics.
In general, in terms of what they are in the phisical realm and what they can do in it, the real similarity between honorblades and sharblades is that they are highly invested metals, other perks being more tied to the spiritual\cognitive realm.
I focus on the phisical realm of course that's where Honorblades and Shardblades are basically identical once they manifest.

Nightblood is considered, in Brandon's words, an evolution from Shardblades, so you could argue that the density of investiture is so high that not only it can cut like a shardblade, but at the same time absorbe mass\investiture, thus seeming to act differently. Plus Nightblood has intrinsic intent, which is a whole conversation.

 

 

[Quantus he/him]

It could block one if invested enough, but just being invested wont make it spiritually Cut the way a shardblade or honorblade does.  If it's possible within the Metallic Arts, I think you'd have to make something at least as complex as Medallion tech, and engage Hemalurgic properties somehow, since it's also all about damaging the spiritweb directly.  

[Returned he/him]

Meh. I'll echo that Investiture alone probably isn't going to be enough to do it. Shardmetal can easily be dulled (in a living blade) so that it can't cut at all. Vivenna's sword is also highly Invested, but doesn't work quite like a Shardblade or Nightblood.

Degree of Investiture seems like one property among many that an object can have-- Lerasium and Atium don't seem to have any special cutting powers, nor did the Bands of Mourning. But I'd wager that, to cut like a Shardblade, you'd probably need a good deal of Investiture to do it. A necessary condition, but not a sufficient one.

[Underwater_Worldhopper he/him]

On 9/15/2022 at 9:28 PM, Returned said:

Vivenna's sword is also highly Invested, but doesn't work quite like a Shardblade or Nightblood.

Vivenna's sword does act like a Shardblade, at least in terms of attacking the spirit and cutting through inanimate matter. It's closer to a Deadblade than a Living Shardblade in terms of consciousness, but it does have at least a rudimentary mind of some kind, considering the way Vivenna talks about it on the Honorspren ship.

[Argenti he/him]

 

On 9/15/2022 at 2:48 AM, SpinningSky said:

If a feurochemist had a metalmind shaped like a dagger capable of storing some attribute, could they store so much in it to make it so invested that it would start cutting like a shardblade?

 

I think that in order to cut in all 3 realms the blades need to be sentient, rather than just invested. 

[cometaryorbit]

I agree the thread should be moved, but

Spoiler

Vivenna's Blade and Nightblood are Shardblades. They do damage on other Realms, just not exactly the same way as Rosharan Shardblades.

The Bands of Mourning are less Invested than a Shardblade, so I don't think you could get that quantity of Investiture into a dagger-sized metalmind anyway.

However, I think you'd need to do something else to get a full-on Shardblade. There's likely a way to do if with Hemalurgy and/or ettmetal technology, though, IMO.

 

[Tamriel Wolfsbaine]

I have had a theory for a bit now that it is the intent of the weapon that actually matters.  I believe I saw a WoB that said that even honorblades have a cognitive aspect to themselves past a normal sword or a normal invested item.  

I think even deadeyes work because their last action was to become weapons of war before becoming dead eyes.  

This leads to a separate question I will have to post in general as well though.  

Back to the topic, I think that swords cut across realms and destroy the way nightblood dose when and only when the weapon itself has the intent to do so.  

The high investiture is simply a preliminary state to them being able to become sentient and developing their own intent.