Spoiler Questions about WaT

[ign__o male, 24]

How exactly does the reforged Oathpact protect the spren, and why do the Heralds still need to go to Braize in order to achieve this? I know they’re not mentally on Braize (presumably it’s somewhere on pre-cataclysm Ashyn, according to Kalak), but it seems this is just a workaround and their spirits still have to go to Braize to protect them. Why?

On a separate note, do we know/think we know what happened to the Nightwatcher? Presumably she either left Roshar with Cultivation or got obliterated by Retribution (unless she was somehow able to hide)?

[Treamayne]

Welcome to the Shard. Thank you for the Intro Post, I may hope to pick your brain later as you read more Cosmere (if you are willing, since it seems you started SA only so far). Also, please consider checking out the Sharder FAQ for some useful forum info and tips. 

5 hours ago, ign__o said:

How exactly does the reforged Oathpact protect the spren, and why do the Heralds still need to go to Braize in order to achieve this? I know they’re not mentally on Braize (presumably it’s somewhere on pre-cataclysm Ashyn, according to Kalak), but it seems this is just a workaround and their spirits still have to go to Braize to protect them. Why?

We don't have a lot of detail yet, and I could not find any WoBs to clarify, but it is implied that Wind Connected the Spren to the Oathpact to protect them, and it helps that the True Spren are Honor and Cultivation (not just Honor) so Retribution's claim on them is incomplete. 
The Oathpact is Bound to Braize because that was how it was originally forged. The Kaladin/Kalak epilogue is taking place in a Spiritual Realm vision - that just happens to look like Alashwa, because that was how Ishar formed it. WoB:

Spoiler

 

Quote

 

Edited for Length and Relevance

Argent (paraphrased)

I want to say, but that's based on my knowledge before I read Lift's interlude from Words of Radiance. Now I am leaning towards no. Based on that interlude, it looks like spren have essence from both Honor and Cultivation. It's almost like they exist in a spectrum, on one end of which is Honor, and on the other - Cultivation; so there are spren that are, for the lack of better example, 90% Honor and 10% Cultivation, and there are spren that are 15% Honor and 85% Cultivation.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

That's a very astute observation!

Steelheart Chicago signing (Oct. 5, 2013)

 

So, even Honor Spren have some Cultivation, and Cultivation Spren have some Honor. 

5 hours ago, ign__o said:

On a separate note, do we know/think we know what happened to the Nightwatcher?

We do not yet have any information on Nightwatcher, but it is unlikely she left Roshar. She is not a Shard and, as far as we know, Cultivation had no reason to take her off-world and every reason to leave an asset in place on Roshar. 

Hope that helps

Edited September 7, 2025 by Treamayne
Clarity/SPAG

[ign__o male, 24]

Wow thanks! Yes, please feel free to ask questions as I travel the Cosmere! I gather it’s somewhat unorthodox to start with SA, but I had a lot of fun with it and it’s motivated me to keep going. (If you’re curious, my Cosmere reading plan is on my profile.) Unfortunately, as I made my way through (particularly from OB on), I used the Time Machine on the Coppermind to search up things I had questions about. While this prevented me from getting spoiled on future SA material, it ended up spoiling quite a few things about MB era 1 (particularly Sazed’s Ascension to Harmony and Kelsier’s alleged death—though he’s mentioned as if he’s still alive in SA). I assume this also probably spoiled me on some things regarding Elantris/HoE/ES, but I’m not sure (I’m pretty sure both Shards on that world have been Splintered and the Vessels killed).

Makes sense that Retribution doesn’t have a full claim on the spren, now that I think about it. The Wind Connection also makes sense. I guess maybe it also helps if the part of Honor that fled (Splintered?) when the rest of the power was subsumed into Retribution can be leveraged by the Heralds somehow to protect the spren. I wonder if this means it would be possible for someone else to Ascend to Honor, even though Taravangian took most of it?

[Nitpicking]

As I mentioned in a thread of the same name, the powers tell Taravangian that the spren are protected "By Adonalsium's power."

I interpret this as meaning The Wind (and maybe The Stone), who are Adonalsium spren.