Possible new heralds and oathpact construction.

[liamcephus]

I think that maybe...and I'm just spitballing here that due to the Old heralds disregarding their oathpact (the particulars of which we don't know) that the there may be a need for them to be replaced (possibly by the main characters) towards the end of the series. Like Kaladin for Jezrien. Dalinar for Ishar etc. What do you guys think?

[Patrick Star]

Honor only needs one Herald... The Stick

[hoser he/him]

This would be very interesting.  I've thought of it, but ...

I think that maybe...and I'm just spitballing here that due to the Old heralds disregarding their oathpact (the particulars of which we don't know) that the there may be a need for them to be replaced (possibly by the main characters) towards the end of the series. Like Kaladin for Jezrien. Dalinar for Ishar etc. What do you guys think?

The following quote suggests that the Oathpact is not over for the existing Heralds. 

http://www.17thshard...n-signing-19th/
Luke and darkanimereal1
Q:  So, the Purelake in Shadesmar is mountainous. Does this in any way have to do with the fact that the Purelake is so shallow?
A:  No. I haven't yet discussed the nature of the relationship between Shadesmar and the Physical world.
...
Q:  So, by the nine leaving, did that actually break the Oathpact for them? Did it change the cycle of Desolations?
A:  They have not completely broken the Oathpact, despite what they may think.

 

With no-one holding the Shard of Honor, it may also make altering the Oathpact difficult.  If someone were to reassemble Honor, it seems more likely. 

 

OTOH, the speculation about Taln or not-Taln suggests that heraldry may be transferable. 

 

{offtopic}I have never seriously downvoted a post.  Am I the only one tempted every time they see an irrelevant post using the word "stick?"{/offtopic}

[BreathTaker he/him]

I think Kal being a Windrunner and having the Honorblade is kind of pointing in the "New Herald" Direction I mean why didn't holding that sword make him super OP?

[weebojello]

Well, that's an interesting thought.

 

I believe, as posted above, that Honor would need to be reformed.

 

Long term prognosis is difficult. I can't imagine the point of the series is that the cycle of desolations is continued because of Herald transfers...and Odium runs amuck. So, at some point even if there are reformed / new Heralds, Odium must be splintered or driven off permanently. But that's my bias.

[Khyrindor he/him]

Splinters of Odium...There's a scary thought.

 

But oh! Look where Kaladin's headed in book three! Why, none other than Kholinar itself! Where the beggar-that-is-thought-by-some-to-be-Jezrien was last seen (albeit six years ago) by our friend Szeth. Wouldn't it be interesting if Kaladin had to summon Syl to 'Protect' someone and the BTITBSTBJ saw and started raving some nonesense about his Blade and then told Kaladin, the first Windrunner to take his place among the Ten.

 

Either that or he goes crazy and tries to stop him.

[Guest]

I think Kal being a Windrunner and having the Honorblade is kind of pointing in the "New Herald" Direction I mean why didn't holding that sword make him super OP?

 

Well he picked it up, but I wouldn't say he is its holder... He would need to bond it for this to happen and we don't know if he did. Clues point towards him leaving the honorblade behind, probably to be save keep by the bridgemen.

 

I also believe there is more to being a Herald than holding a honorblade... If it were this simple, then Szeth would have been a Herald.

[Khyrindor he/him]

You'd have to agree to the job, and have the right mindset.

[Guest]

You'd have to agree to the job, and have the right mindset.

 

Yeah.... Would you like to be bound to an Oathpack stating you need to endure hundred of years of extreme torture only to be allowed free to save humanity from a gruesome war at the end of which you'll die again without ever being granted the right to the "eternal rest"?

 

I think I know what my answer would be... I wonder how the initial Heralds got entangled in all this...

[king of nowhere]

Can you see kaladin and shallan becoming heralds and going to damnation together?

"Remember the good old times when our loved ones suffered in our place?"

"Yeah. Don't know why we ever complained about"

 

 

 

Yeah.... Would you like to be bound to an Oathpack stating you need to endure hundred of years of extreme torture only to be allowed free to save humanity from a gruesome war at the end of which you'll die again without ever being granted the right to the "eternal rest"?

 

I think I know what my answer would be... I wonder how the initial Heralds got entangled in all this...

They were better men than you, than me, or basically than anyone you'll ever know.

A pity such worthy people had to endure such a fate.

[Guest]

They were better men than you, than me, or basically than anyone you'll ever know.

A pity such worthy people had to endure such a fate.

 

True but what for? What was the bargain? Survival on humanity? How did it even got trap into a Desolation cycle?

[kaellok he/him]

True but what for? What was the bargain? Survival on humanity? How did it even got trap into a Desolation cycle?

We know that Honor, Cultivation, and humans arrived on Roshar before Odium and the Desolations.  I'm not entirely aware of when Odium left to do a bit of Shard-slaughter, but I've always felt that it was prior to his arrival.  The Oathpact seems to me to be Honor's way of trapping Odium in the Roshar system, to protect other Shards from his hate.  Although the Oathpact does not involve Odium in any way, it is all about him.

 

I also think that to form the Oathpact, Heralds bonded with Honor himself--hence Honorblades.  (I'm also of the school of thought that Bondsmiths all bonded with the Stormfather.  As it is possible for each Radiant to bond to multiple spren, I think that at least some spren are capable of bonding to multiple humans.)  I have toyed with the thought of the New Radiants (Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, etc.) becoming the New Heralds, but Honor would have to be reformed/reforged for that to happen.  Interestingly enough, Splintering a Shard is not permanent--and I've been hoping to see Honor reformed since basically the time I realized he was dead (I may have picked up on this sooner than Dalinar, but I had the advantage of knowing I was reading a book, and looking for twists and plot-paths).

 

 

Relevant WoB:

 

 

Q:  Is Splintering a Shard permanent?

A:  No.

 

http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/2383-qa-with-brandon-sanderson/page-4, post 65

 

 

Q:  Is there a limit to how many Shardblades you can have, be bonded to?

A:  Theoretically, not really. There are some things that can bound that. I can imagine people have a lot. In the original draft of The Way of Kings (2002) Amaram had two. And so, it's definitely possible to have multiples, and I had not thought of someone trying to bond every Shardblade.

Q:  So that means you can be bonded to more than one spren?

A:  Well, those Shardblades are...

Q:  Dead ones.

A:  Yes. So, can you be bonded to more than one spren? The question's answer is also yes. Potentially. But there is a much harder limit on that