Shardblade Wounds

[Kipper]

My theory is pretty simple:

If one were to slice a Shardblade through someone's hand (or any other body part), then do it again (on the same extremity but farther away from the heart), the offending body part would be physically sliced off.

[Lord Pifferdoo]

Yes, because even though shardblades cannot cut living flesh, once it severs the spiritual connection to the rest of the body, the body part is treated like dead flesh. For all intents and purposes, it is dead.

[AerionBFII]

Yes your right it severs the soul and would leave the hand grey and dead, the second swipe would cut the fingers off.

Unless your Hoid who would just grow a new hand.

 

 

 

PINPOINT

If Hoid got beheaded, would his body grow a new head?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes.

PINPOINT

What if Hoid got cut by a shardblade?

BRANDON SANDERSON

The Shardblade cuts the soul and what Hoid does heals the soul.

Edited January 18, 2015 by WEZ313

[Kurkistan]

Are we sure hat the second swing would cut the flesh?

We might have reason to believe that's how it works, but I don't recall any examples of it happening. Shardblades start cutting flesh when the whole person is dead, we know, but we haven't seen the more mild case. We do have the plant Shallan murdered in the chasms, but it's unclear whether she killed the whole thing or just a segment thereof on the first go.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Kurkistan

[Kipper]

Are we sure hat the second swing would cut the flesh?

We might have reason to believe that's how it works, but I don't recall any examples of it happening. Shardblades start cutting flesh when the whole person is dead, we know, but we haven't seen the more mild case. We do have the plant Shallan murdered in the chasms, but it's unclear whether she killed the whole thing or just a segment thereof on the first go.

You always find me, Kurk...

I totally agree with everything you said. It is just a theory after all; my first real one, and not very big. We're not sure at all, I just feel that the hand would be dead.

Edited January 19, 2015 by inexorablePanda

[Kurkistan]

My post was actually directed mostly at Pifferdo and WEZ. I recognize the theoretical nature of the OP.

[Kipper]

My post was actually directed mostly at Pifferdo and WEZ. I recognize the theoretical nature of the OP.

My apologies:)

P.S. did you see the newest signing report? At the end of WoR, the blade Dalinar has is not an Honorblade...

[Captain_Slams]

In Words of Radiance, we see someone (Shallan, I think) has to cut a vine with her blade twice to detach it and use as a rope. Once to sever the soul and kill it, once to cut the dead vine-flesh.

[Kurkistan]

@Panda

 

No problem here, sorry I wasn't more clear before.

 

P.S.R: We've known that for awhile, IIRC. Though I think this new one was the most specific yet confirming that what Taln(?) had at the end of WoK was indeed an Honorblade.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Kurkistan

[Kipper]

@Panda

 

No problem here, sorry I wasn't more clear before.

 

P.S.R: We've known that for awhile, IIRC. Though I think this new one was the most specific yet confirming that what Taln(?) had at the end of WoK was indeed an Honorblade.

I mistyped. That's the document I was talking about. So I guess "Taln" actually is Taln, or is there a conflicting WoB on that?

[Kurkistan]

And so once again I manage to be unclear. 

 

I knew that's the one you were talking about, I just linked to it for the sake of anyone who didn't. So far as Taln goes, Brandon has been annoyingly mysterious about if Taln is really Taln, saying things like "the man who calls himself Taln" and the like.

[SmurfAquamarineBodies]

Q: It was not? So what happened to the Honorblade that the Herald had?

A: Nobody kno- Well, somebody knows, but it is not known to the main characters.

 

Is this the bit you are talking about? Because it also seems to confirm that whoever 'Taln' is, he is at least a Herald.

Or well he doesn't contradict the Herald bit. Which is good enough for me.

Edited January 19, 2015 by SmurfAquamarineBodies

[Kurkistan]

Q: It was not? So what happened to the Honorblade that the Herald had?

A: Nobody kno- Well, somebody knows, but it is not known to the main characters.

 

Is this the bit you are talking about? Because it also seems to confirm that whoever 'Taln' is, he is at least a Herald.

Or well he doesn't contradict the Herald bit. Which is good enough for me.

 

It would be enough for me too if this was all we had, but we've had Brandon being so coy about it for so long before now...

Edited January 19, 2015 by Kurkistan

[Kipper]

I kind of think that the 3rd QandA exchange at 32:14:

Q: It was not? So what happened to the Honorblade that the Herald had?

A: Nobody kno- Well, somebody knows, but it is not known to the main characters.

implies that Brandon is accepting that the questioner is referring to the "man called Taln" as a Herald.

Edit: but yeah, looking at some of the WoBs on the subject, he has been extremely mum.

Edit 2: ninja'd for the third time today. This is starting to be a habit.

Edited January 19, 2015 by inexorablePanda

[SmurfAquamarineBodies]

So that was the bit you were talking about?

 

What do you mean by 'mum'? In my country that is what I would call my mother. Being mother about something makes no sense to me.

[Moogle]

Are we sure that the second swing would cut the flesh?

We might have reason to believe that's how it works, but I don't recall any examples of it happening. Shardblades start cutting flesh when the whole person is dead, we know, but we haven't seen the more mild case. We do have the plant Shallan murdered in the chasms, but it's unclear whether she killed the whole thing or just a segment thereof on the first go.

 

Here Brandon seems to accept you could use a Shardblade to amputate yourself:

Question

A shardblade, what it does is cut off healing and control of an arm or whatever...

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Question

So like if an arm got badly wounded and was bleeding out and needed to be amputated.  If you went through it with a shardblade first, would that damage you in other ways?

Brandon Sanderson

No it wouldn't.  What it does is sever the soul of the arm.

(source)

 

Though that's shaky (I have no real reason to believe Brandon would correct the guy if he was wrong), I see no reason to believe a second cut from a Shardblade wouldn't cut flesh. That's really how it works for everything? Cut 1, if it has soul the soul is severed. Cut 2, if it has no soul now, it is severed Physically. I mean yeah, it's not confirmed, but how else would it work?

 

@Kurk/Panda

 

I don't consider that to be Brandon confirming it's an Honorblade or Taln at all. He himself never calls the man Taln or the Blade an Honorblade; that's just the questioner. There's also that theory that "Taln" is a different insane Herald, in which case asking about the Herald's (which doesn't have to mean he's Taln) Honorblade still works. Of course, a fair few people apparently do know the Shin have it, I suppose, so the answer might not fit, but Brandon might be sneaky.

 

I remain firm on the Blade that "Taln" has not being an Honorblade simply due to the eye color bit. Also, consider Hoid: why would he not take the Blade? It would make a lot more sense to me that he wouldn't take the Blade if it were merely some Shardblade and not an Honorblade at all. I'm a broken record on this, though, so I'll avoid derailing the thread here.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Moogle

[Kipper]

@Kurk/Panda

 

I don't consider that to be Brandon confirming it's an Honorblade or Taln at all. He himself never calls the man Taln or the Blade an Honorblade; that's just the questioner. There's also that theory that "Taln" is a different insane Herald, in which case asking about the Herald's (which doesn't have to mean he's Taln) Honorblade still works. Of course, a fair few people apparently do know the Shin have it, I suppose, so the answer might not fit, but Brandon might be sneaky.

 

I remain firm on the Blade that "Taln" has not being an Honorblade simply due to the eye color bit. Also, consider Hoid: why would he not take the Blade? It would make a lot more sense to me that he wouldn't take the Blade if it were merely some Shardblade and not an Honorblade at all. I'm a broken record on this, though, so I'll avoid derailing the thread here.

Derailing this thread is fine; I think my original question has been answered...

While Brandon did say that the Herald in the question is Taln, I think that by not correcting the man and saying something like, "You have a fundamental problem with your question," (as he usually does) he implies that the "man called Taln" is indeed a Herald.

What is the "eye color bit?" I've only been here for a week, and while I've pretty much got everything that's popped up then, I am still out of my element talking about older theories...

[Kipper]

So that was the bit you were talking about?

 

What do you mean by 'mum'? In my country that is what I would call my mother. Being mother about something makes no sense to me.

Ah. Well in America, mum means to keep silent.

Pardon the double post. There was not an easy way to edit my original to add this in.

[Blaze1616]

Derailing this thread is fine; I think my original question has been answered...

While Brandon did say that the Herald in the question is Taln, I think that by not correcting the man and saying something like, "You have a fundamental problem with your question," (as he usually does) he implies that the "man called Taln" is indeed a Herald.

What is the "eye color bit?" I've only been here for a week, and while I've pretty much got everything that's popped up then, I am still out of my element talking about older theories...

 

The Taln we meet has dark eyes, but the Heralds had light eyes. This is why Amaram, upon meeting Taln in the prison cell, is taken back by the dark eyes.

[Kipper]

The Taln we meet has dark eyes, but the Heralds had light eyes. This is why Amaram, upon meeting Taln in the prison cell, is taken back by the dark eyes.

We know the Heralds had light eyes? I'm sure you're right, I just don't remember.

[Moogle]

What is the "eye color bit?" I've only been here for a week, and while I've pretty much got everything that's popped up then, I am still out of my element talking about older theories...

 

Szeth's eye color changes... and only while holding his Honorblade. If he's just holding Stormlight, his eye color doesn't change. This is noted as a unique effect of his particular Blade. (I have quotes from the book here to provide evidence.)

 

His eye color becomes a pale sapphire while holding the Windrunner Honorblade - exactly how Kaladin's eyes look at the end of WoR. We know the Stonewards, Taln's order, have light tan eyes (as per Dalinar's vision), so I would expect Taln, holding the Stoneward Honorblade, to have light tan eyes.

 

My assumption is that all the Honorblades will change your eye color while you hold them. "Taln" had dark eyes while holding his "Honorblade". My conclusion is that he likely wasn't holding an Honorblade.

 

The main objections to my theory are (as far as I recall):

• We don't know all Honorblades change your eye color while holding them.
• We don't know the Heralds will have their eye color change like a regular human will.

I consider both objections to be very weak, but people overall disagree with me on this one as far as I know. I may be misinterpreting other's arguments, or not being persuasive on my own (though, persuasive is a poor word choice - I'm interested in the truth, not getting more people on the side of my theories). I am open to more discussion on it (eye color theories are some of my favorites), but like I said, I'm a broken record at this point. The evidence is limited.

 

We know the Heralds had light eyes? I'm sure you're right, I just don't remember.

 

We know Shallash has light violet eyes (violet, not garnet!), but we don't know on the rest of the Heralds. Indeed, the beggar Szeth sees in the prologue to WoK is... well, a beggar. If he were lighteyed, I wouldn't expect that? Not sure.

 

I've gotten people to ask about Nalan's eye color, but the results have been less than fruitful.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Moogle

[AerionBFII]

I dont think anybody remarked upon the colour of Nales eyes but i think the Azish have a different way of doing things, Shallash on the other hand had incredibly light eyes IIRC

[Moogle]

Oh, while I'm at it, there's this WoB Kyrindor asked for (love that person):

Khyrindor
Did Nalan's eyes change when he killed Ym? (And attempted to kill Lift)

Brandon Sanderson (Paraphrased)
(He thought a moment again) No, I don't think so.
(source)

 

Nalan likely has his Honorblade (he takes in Stormlight), so this would be evidence against Honorblades changing your eye color while held if you're a Herald.

 

Of course, Nalan might just have been using a regular Shardblade and kept his Honorblade unsummoned because of the eye color changing effect. He's careful like that. Given how he seems to have fabrials for all the Surges (well, at least two), he strikes me as having enough resources to "waste" on having a Shardblade and Honorblade bound to him.

[Kipper]

Szeth's eye color changes... and only while holding his Honorblade. If he's just holding Stormlight, his eye color doesn't change. This is noted as a unique effect of his particular Blade. (I have quotes from the book here to provide evidence.)

 

His eye color becomes a pale sapphire while holding the Windrunner Honorblade - exactly how Kaladin's eyes look at the end of WoR. We know the Stonewards, Taln's order, have light tan eyes (as per Dalinar's vision), so I would expect Taln, holding the Stoneward Honorblade, to have light tan eyes.

 

My assumption is that all the Honorblades will change your eye color while you hold them. "Taln" had dark eyes while holding his "Honorblade". My conclusion is that he likely wasn't holding an Honorblade.

 

The main objections to my theory are (as far as I recall):

• We don't know all Honorblades change your eye color while holding them.
• We don't know the Heralds will have their eye color change like a regular human will.

I consider both objections to be very weak, but people overall disagree with me on this one as far as I know. I may be misinterpreting other's arguments, or not being persuasive on my own (though, persuasive is a poor word choice - I'm interested in the truth, not getting more people on the side of my theories). I am open to more discussion on it (eye color theories are some of my favorites), but like I said, I'm a broken record at this point. The evidence is limited.

 

 

We know Shallash has light violet eyes (violet, not garnet!), but we don't know on the rest of the Heralds. Indeed, the beggar Szeth sees in the prologue to WoK is... well, a beggar. If he were lighteyed, I wouldn't expect that? Not sure.

 

I've gotten people to ask about Nalan's eye color, but the results have been less than fruitful.

I still think Brandon was tacitly implying that a Herald and an Honorblade were involved.

How do you explain "Taln's" inhuman reflexes?

[Blaze1616]

Pure speculation; each honorblade causes the eyes to change to a different color, possibly related to the gemstone matching each Herald's given essence (though, if I recall correctly, the heralds were matched to the essences at a later point than the essence chart was devised). Topaz, Talenel's gemstone, is a clear gem that, upon heat treatments, can turn into a variety of colors. As a result, Talenel's honorblade might not change the holder's eye color. This also matches the fact that Szeth's eyes turn sapphire when holding Jezrien's blade, and Jezrien's gemstone is sapphire. I'll make a new thread on this for more in depth discussion. And to comment on Moogle's note of Shalash's eyes being violet, not garnet, I do not recall her holding her blade during that scene. Perhaps I am wrong though.