Each Knights Radient order had a different function.

[Mr Atmos]

When browsing the forum I remember reading that there's a large number of "missing" shardblades and sets of shardplate (speculated to be in any number of places from with the Shen to with the ghostbloods). Evidence for this was the fact that there were hundreds of knights radient each of whom had a shardblade which means hundreds have vanished somewhere between then and now.

 

However in the way of kings we only saw two of the different orders in Dalinar's flashbacks. Whilst both of these orders (the windrunners and stonewardens) seem to be universally armed with plate and blades can we say the same about the rest of the orders? Maybe those were the only two that used them and thats why there are so many fewer than we'd expect. From what I've read while implied it's not outright stated that all the orders used shardblades.

 

Maybe each order had a different role to play in the Knights Radient. The windrunners and stonewardens could be the "field agents" who go out and actually fight toe to toe with the voidbringers. The dustbringers could be a kind of magical artillery who rain fire down upon there enemies from a distance. The soulcasting orders in charge of providing food and supplies maybe? Perhaps forming clean up crews who go in and help rebuild after a raid like was seen in Dalinar's flashback. The fact that the knights arrived in time for the attack in the flashback at all shows they have some impressive information gathering abilities, perhaps the function of another order. Healing, recruiting, training and organising the whole process, there's so many duties which would be important and which they don't need shardblades for.

 

So what do people think? Silly little idea or plausible reason why there's hardly any shardblades about?

Edited April 11, 2013 by Mr Atmos

[NewbSombrero]

I like this.

[Windrunner]

An interesting theory, I think that this is very possible.

[blari345]

I like the idea. But I think that might be a least a couple more orders that had plate and blade. After the slaughter that happened the first time the other order might have felt that it was best to hide theirs away rather than let that happen again.

 

This would also mean that there is a large stash of shards for the new KR order to find and use when the time is right.

[Mr Atmos]

I like the idea. But I think that might be a least a couple more orders that had plate and blade. After the slaughter that happened the first time the other order might have felt that it was best to hide theirs away rather than let that happen again.

 

This would also mean that there is a large stash of shards for the new KR order to find and use when the time is right.

 

See I don't really like the idea of there being a large cache of shardblades somewhere. To me it would feel too similar to how wheel of time progressed where suddenly they had hundred of channelers from seemingly nowhere. I'm sure it could work but it'd be really easy for it to seem a bit contrived if suddenly there was a whole new legion of Knights Radiant and they just happen to find a ton of blades. I prefer the idea that the blades and plate are mostly unneeded for the Knights Radiant.

[Vortaan]

It makes sense. The only thing I see against it is the vision we have where Dalinar is healed by a KR. She very clearly uses a Soulcaster, which leads me to believe she isn't a Stonewarden or a Windrunner.

[Kurkistan]

^No, she very clearly uses a something (Dalinar assumes a fabrial, but maybe not) that looks nothing like a soulcaster. Soulcasting fabrials apparently come from the KR's time, so other "fabrials" most likely existed as well.

"It was a topaz entwined with a heliodor, both set into a fine metal framework, each stone as big as a man’s hand." (ch 19)

Edited April 14, 2013 by Kurkistan

[Morsk]

I figured it was a perfectly non-magical gem-holding device, like a wallet for KR gems. Not unlike Jasnah's fake soulcaster actually, except the KRs wouldn't be faking anything.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Morsk

[Kurkistan]

^With entwining and delicate metalwork and all? Seems a bit overdone.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Kurkistan

[Morsk]

Dalinar doesn't think of it as a fabrial; he tells Navani that the ancients didn't have fabrials. He could be wrong of course.

I figure it's an honor to craft something for the Radiants, almost a work of religious art, so they don't get cheap work. A little metalwork isn't much compared to the value of such large gems.

[Windrunner]

I tend to believe that this is a fabrial as well. Mostly, because honestly I see Radiants running around with purses full of Stormlight as seeming a tad silly. And really, wouldn't they be better off keeping any source of Stormlight inside their plate? When you're in the middle of a battle, you don't want to have to focus on hanging onto two fist sized gemstones while also keeping the Voidbringers from tearing your throat out.

[Vortaan]

Dalinar doesn't think of it as a fabrial; he tells Navani that the ancients didn't have fabrials. He could be wrong of course.

I figure it's an honor to craft something for the Radiants, almost a work of religious art, so they don't get cheap work. A little metalwork isn't much compared to the value of such large gems.

 

Is Dalinar the best judge of what is and what isn't a fabrial? He's not as well versed in the art as Navani, and most of his experience is in times of chaos or times where there's not likely to be a lot of fabrials around. Also consider that maybe pre-Honor dying, the spren used in most modern day fabrials could have been rarer or non-existent. I always figured the female Radiant is using some kind of Soulcaster or fabrial. Regardless, she doesn't seem like a Windrunner or Stonewarden to me, but I guess we'll see.

[Windrunner]

See, I think she seems to be a Stoneward. At the very least, their Plate is described as glowing the same color.

 

“. . . the Order of the Stonewards, my lord,” the still-mounted scout was saying. “And a large number of Windrunners. All on foot.”

...

They ran shoulder to shoulder, not a single one of place. Like a crystalline wave. As they  drew closer, Dalinar could see that their Plate was unpainted, but it glowed either blue or amber at the joints and across glyphs at the front, as with other Radiants he’d seen in his visions.

And then in Dalinar's vision with the Radiant holding the topaz-heliodor thing.

The female Shardbearer stood; her armor glowed with an even amber light. She smiled and turned to the side, a Shardblade forming from mist into her hand as she rushed to aid her companion.

It seems to me that each order of Radiants, if they do all end up having Plate, would have theirs glow a color unique to their order. So, I think this is a reasonable amount of evidence for the woman being a Stoneward.

[hoser]

I agree with Windrunner about the woman being a Stoneward.  It's very interesting that we have only seen these two orders, and always together.  I think Jasnah explains about soulcasters that fabrials were made that mimicked Radiant abilities.  For reasons that we will hopefully eventually learn, the Radiants only turned over Shardblades, Shardplate and Soulcasters.  Some (at least I) believe that in addition to this fabrial that does Regrowth, there are Oathgates that recreate a Radiant teleportation ability and possibly others. 

In this thread, there is a fair amount of discussion about the orders and their semi-unique abilities.  The analysis there assigns Regrowth (or life, with regrowth's relationship to life being like a lashing is to the windrunner gravity surge) to order 4 (secondary attribute healing) and one other. 

The idea that only some fabrials were turned over when the Knights recreanted (not a real word, I don't think) would support the idea that there might be more blades and plate. 

There are a number of Radiant abilities that may be general across all orders.  Brandon has said that there are pairs of abilities shared between neighboring orders.  We've seen that Pressure, Gravity and Soulcasting are specific to certain orders.  I think that Travel and Regrowth will fall in that category also.  Other knights (or non-knights) can do these abilities with a fabrial.  Brandon has said that each order may have a special ability (for Windrunners, maybe Stormriding) also.  Abilities that may be general could be infusing, detection and communication.  Note that the Stonewards and Windrunners can both infuse, even though their orders are not adjacent. 

[Vortaan]

Hrm... maybe that explains the limit on Regrowth. If it was just fueled by available Stormlight, the whole gem carrier idea is really a bit silly. But if it IS a fabrial mimicking the powers of another order, then there would be a limit to how much you could use the fabrial before you begin to have issues with keeping infused gemstones of the right kind in it. Ok, I'm sold on her being a Stonewarden.

[Arran]

Very interesting theory, Mr Atmos. I agree that some orders of Radiants likely weren't front-line soldiers meant to directly engage the Voidbringers and other foes of the Radiants. However, given the importance and value of Radiants, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that all orders insisted that their full-fledged members bear both Shardplate and Shardblade, if only as a means of defense should Voidbringers break through the front lines. Also, Shardplates seem to be as scarce as Shardblades in modern-day Roshar, leading me to believe that the initial number of Shardplates right after the Recreance was about equal to that of Shardblades.

[callumke]

I agree, and think that inevitably different radiant orders will have different roles because of their differing abilities. I reckon that the Stonewards have the Surge of Travel, and that is why they and the Windrunners are the ones who could get to a remote village not long after it was attacked by the Midnight Essence. 

 

It might also be that those two orders are the only ones to have abandoned their Blade and Plate in a way that was accessible to the common people. I would use Windy's logic, that the Plate glows with the colour of the Radiant order, to say that all Radiants have at least Plate.

 

I think all the Radiants are front line soldiers, but they can still vary in function. Some, like the Windrunners, might act as light cavalry in Earth history, while other Orders fulfill roles like heavy foot, heavy cavalry and archers.