Why Voidlight to teleport? [Discuss]

[+Oltux72 he/him]

The Ghostbloods apparently used Voidlight to power the teleport they used to get away. Why? Stormlight is ubiquitous on Roshar. Even if they can sing the Song of Prayer to get Voidlight, why did they bother? Even if you have Voidlight, why do you reveal to the Radiants that you have Voidlight? If you have a few spheres with Stormlight on your person, you can be searched without raising an issue. If you have spheres full of Voidlight, you are bound to be called a Voidbringer. In terms of antilight weapons, Radiant troops are likelier to carry anti-Voidlight than anti-Stormlight. Voidlight is a problem if you want to return to Urithiru. Even if you have both, you'd first use up your Stormlight. It is easier to replace and won't last as long.

It really, really makes no sense.

[feruchemicalrockband]

I see it as having two different benefits.

One, it allows Brandon to tell us "Yes, this was a enlightened inkspren/reacher that joined the Ghostbloods." If it had been Stormlight instead of voidlight, we might not have recieved a definitive answer on that for a while.

Second, the Ghostbloods are currently handling anti-stormlight. Makes sense to have only voidlight to power your abilities to avoid any incidents with anti-light. Wouldn't want to accidentally take in the wrong light and cause a detonation inside your body.

[Ashbringer he/him]

Voidlight also has the advantage of being less leaky than Stormlight. Or, perhaps Voidlight is the trick to getting a Corrupted Surge to do what you want it to.

I don't think the Ghostbloods care much what the Radiants know they have, they just revealed their presumable trump card in anti-Stormlight munitions and likely have deeper secrets anyway. Remember it was a Ghostblood (or minimum a Scadrian) who managed to get the first Voidspren on Roshar, not that Shallan would know.

[Slayd_07]

I think's it's probably for safety, since they were handling anti-Stormlight.

[Qviqve]

I see it as matter of safety. Not only, as @feruchemicalrockband mentioned, because they are dealing with anti-stormlight, but also could be a way to limit Radiant powers... if both use stormlight Shallan (or other Radiant) could have "breathe" it and take ir from them.

In any case... in The Stormlight Archive we see both Odium and the Ghostbloods as the bad guys, could this be a hint or foreshadowing to let us think that they are working together? We have seen Mraize making deals with an Unmade and Raboniel (both Odium puppets), so could be plausible. 

[earthexile]

We haven't seen group teleportation besides the Oathgates up until now, right? Maybe that effect was a Voidbinding thing? I still don't know what that is, really.

Of course if they were feeling really ballsy, there's always the other option. I made this work in a D&D game once. The Ghostbloods didn't teleport away. One of them crafted a Lightweaving that made them invisible, and the unsettling flash of color is the distracting flourish disguising a simple trick. They're still in the room.

Edited November 8, 2024 by earthexile

[logicless.bt]

2 hours ago, earthexile said:

Of course if they were feeling really ballsy, there's always the other option. I made this work in a D&D game once. The Ghostbloods didn't teleport away. One of them crafted a Lightweaving that made them invisible, and the unsettling flash of color is the distracting flourish disguising a simple trick. They're still in the room.

Is this possible?

[JustQuestin2004 he/him]

5 hours ago, logicless.bt said:

Is this possible?

If they've bonded Enlightened Mistspren then they'd have access to Lightweaving, though it wouldn't work the same way.

I also doubt that they'd stick around like that though, they have places to be and they need to get to Urithiru in Shadesmar so they can go to the Spiritual Realm.

[brute_cage]

On 11/4/2024 at 9:45 AM, Ashbringer said:

Voidlight also has the advantage of being less leaky than Stormlight. Or, perhaps Voidlight is the trick to getting a Corrupted Surge to do what you want it to.

I don't think the Ghostbloods care much what the Radiants know they have, they just revealed their presumable trump card in anti-Stormlight munitions and likely have deeper secrets anyway. Remember it was a Ghostblood (or minimum a Scadrian) who managed to get the first Voidspren on Roshar, not that Shallan would know.

Your comment made me think from their perspective and what I got was, GB's got to show some strength to establish respect/cred.  Otherwise Radiant strike force is swarming them w/ numbers and the confidence of Radiant Regrowth.  They'll be more cautious and thus less likely to dangerously overextend knowing even their regular troops have anti-light capability and a few Surgebinders of their own.