The Oathless

[Nitpicking]

Note to moderator: I don't think the word "Oathless" by itself is a spoiler for someone who hasn't already read WaT. If I'm wrong, change it to "Red-Orange Light", please.

So ... what is the source of the red-orange light that shines from the Plate of the Oathless?

I think it's Endowment's power combining with ("corrupting") the power of the platespren. The whole creation of the Oathless is all about giving, right? Adolin even says, "You've given so much," and then the spren points out that he, too, has given tremendously.

In fact, crackpot theory of the day: Adolin is an avatar of Endowment, without realizing it. She's setting up her own power base on Roshar, filling the gap left by Cultivation (both are associated with plants!), to "deal with" Odium/Retribution as she once promised she could.

[LeondeBowa]

To be clear the specific instance you are talking about was adolins plate when he summoned it from the fused who was wearing it right?

Because I thought that was because they were dustbringer spren

Edited April 8, 2025 by LeondeBowa

[Treamayne]

3 hours ago, Nitpicking said:

Note to moderator: I don't think the word "Oathless" by itself is a spoiler for someone who hasn't already read WaT. If I'm wrong, change it to "Red-Orange Light", please.

So ... what is the source of the red-orange light that shines from the Plate of the Oathless?

I think it's Endowment's power combining with ("corrupting") the power of the platespren. The whole creation of the Oathless is all about giving, right? Adolin even says, "You've given so much," and then the spren points out that he, too, has given tremendously.

In fact, crackpot theory of the day: Adolin is an avatar of Endowment, without realizing it. She's setting up her own power base on Roshar, filling the gap left by Cultivation (both are associated with plants!), to "deal with" Odium/Retribution as she once promised she could.

 

2 hours ago, LeondeBowa said:

To be clear the specific instance you are talking about was adolins plate when he summoned it from the fused who was wearing it right?

Because I thought that was because they were dustbringer spren

^This^

The only red-orange light referenced in WaT is Adolin's Shardplate - and that is heavily implied to be Flamespren plate originally from a Dustbringer (none of the other Unoathed show a red-orange light in any way). WaT Ch 133:

Spoiler

Sir! the voices cried.

In that instant—as Adolin was flung toward his death—a burst of light, like sparks thrown by a hammer on steel, exploded from Abidi and became a swarm of embers. Which flashed to surround Adolin.

Adolin crashed back-first into the wall, and the stone broke.

But Adolin did not.

Sir! the voices said. He became aware of strength. Metal surrounding him, bolstering him. Protecting him.

His Plate.

He saw Abidi gape, stripped of his armor, his bloodied face revealed, his clothing crumpled, his eyes wide and incredulous.

And Adolin remembered the last time he’d been with his Plate, when he’d …

Well, he’d asked it to go with his armor standbys, and serve them. It had been doing so, not distinguishing among the people it had been passed between.

Suddenly, the helmet on Adolin’s head went almost completely transparent from the inside, giving him a full range of view. The voices … they were the spren of his Plate. He could feel them inspecting his peg leg and … troubleshooting?

His leg armor re-formed, becoming tight around the peg and making a kind of metal foot beneath. Springy, it was crafted of several curved pieces wrapping around one another and forming something like three toes.

He felt satisfaction from the spren. This was … a design they knew? From long ago?

Adolin stepped forward, pulling away from the cracked wall. Chips fell around him as his new foot—not as sensitive as a flesh one, yet remarkably supple and strong enough to lift him in Plate—gave him sure footing.

Then, in the dark throne room, a flickering orange-red light like a fire’s flame started to glow from the joints of his armor and from the front of his helm.

There were no symbols on the breastplate, because he was not Radiant. Adolin had no idea what he was, other than the son of both Dalinar and Evi Kholin. The product of both of their hopes. He was Adolin Kholin. A man with very good friends.

Sir! the Plate said, sounding satisfied as Adolin made fists and charged forward.

“Oh, songs,” Abidi swore.

In Ch 136 we see that Notum's Unoathed plate still uses Windrunner Colors:

Spoiler

The Fused dropped, eyes burning, and Adolin saw a Shardbearer in blue-glowing Plate behind her. “Brightlord Adolin?” a familiar masculine voice said. “Are you well?”

“Notum?” Adolin said, shaking himself.

“Indeed,” the Shardbearer said from within his helm. “I do not have much substance in this realm, but … well, ‘not much’ seems to be enough to control this Plate. The windspren have accepted me as their bearer.”

Hope that helps