Szeth's Spren?

[Three1415]

So, obviously, at the end of WoR, Szeth is invited by Nin/Nalan to join the Skybreakers. However, instead of bonding a spren, he gives him what appears to be Nightblood from Warbreaker. This is fairly terrifying in its own right, but as far as we know Szeth has not bonded a spren. Does that mean Nightblood can by himself grant Skybreaker abilities? Or is Szeth going to have both another spren and Nightblood? 

 

This has probably already been discussed, but I couldn't find any readily available information about it, so I was curious. I am inclined to think that Nightblood will work as an Honorblade, because his behavior is quite similar--he will feed on Stormlight instead of Breaths, I imagine, and is in that way the same; if that is true, however, how does Nalan ensure Szeth gets Radiant abilities?

 

 

 

 

....Also, Nightblood+Division Surge+Lashings (I assume)...Szeth is going to be so overpowered...

[Yata he/him]

Well we don't know there is a lot of theory about. We know that other kind of bond (as example the Seon) give extra powers on Roshar.

Therefore Nightblood may function as "pseudo-Spren" and Szeth may became a "Pseudo-Radiant" with some kind of power not relate at the 10 Surges.

The main problem is that without great amount of Investiture, drawn Nightblood is death for the owner and there is a WoB about that "Szeth can't drawn in Stormlight" but this can be a trick answer because maybe Szeth isn't still bond with Nightblood.

We don't know enough to say something sure.

Some time ago I made a theory that (with few words) says that a "Bonding" on Roshar give a power related to the nature of the "Partners" and the ability to access the local investiture (Stormlight).

But of course is just a Theory.

[Voidus]

The current assumption is that Szeth is mostly just an honorary member of the Skybreakers, Nightblood is essentially a Shardblade (Albeit way more powerful) and so may grant some powers but I doubt it would exactly mimic those of a Skybreaker.

[AerionBFII he/him]

He hasn't got one as of yet....That we know of IIRC.

[Jondesu he/him]

I don't want to know what kind of spren would bond with a creature like Szeth. He's half-mad, dedicated to a lie, self-deceiving... I don't hate him as a character (he's insanely interesting to read), but as a person, I loath him.

jW

[AerionBFII he/him]

I don't want to know what kind of spren would bond with a creature like Szeth. He's half-mad, dedicated to a lie, self-deceiving... I don't hate him as a character (he's insanely interesting to read), but as a person, I loath him.

jW

Why? He's been screwed over at every turn, im just hoping the guy catches a break..

[hypatia she/her]

The problem seems to be:

SoS - SFO Signing

Q. If Nightblood feeds on Breath, but Szeth doesn't have it, will it feed on Stormlight?

A. Nightblood can feed off Stormlight, but Szeth can't draw in Stormlight right now. So he better not draw that sword, for a while at least.

It looks for me more like a new way for Nalan to use Szeth to kill, not to honor him.

At the moment - if Szeth draws Nightblood he will be the first to die, justified or not.

Perhaps he can attract a "Justice-Spren", when he refuses to act on revange in Shin.

[Yata he/him]

The sentence of Brandon may be a trick.
Maybe Nightblood may give the ability to draw in Stormlight but the two aren't bond yet.

[AerionBFII he/him]

The problem seems to be:

SoS - SFO Signing

Q. If Nightblood feeds on Breath, but Szeth doesn't have it, will it feed on Stormlight?

A. Nightblood can feed off Stormlight, but Szeth can't draw in Stormlight right now. So he better not draw that sword, for a while at least.

It looks for me more like a new way for Nalan to use Szeth to kill, not to honor him.

At the moment - if Szeth draws Nightblood he will be the first to die, justified or not.

Perhaps he can attract a "Justice-Spren", when he refuses to act on revange in Shin.

I agree. I think it says "Highspren" on Coppermind.

I think Szeth is not yet a Skybreaker but that's what he will be, they seem more into following the rules than doing what's right.

[DreamEternal]

I think Nale will try to make Szeth his squire instead of a true Radiant if Heralds can have squires. That way, his honorary Skybreakers aren't real Radiants, and if Szeth tries to use Nightblood against him, he dies.

Edited December 6, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[Left he/him]

I think Nale will try to make Szeth his squire, instead of a true Radiant, if Heralds can have squires. That way, his honorary Skybreakers aren't real Radiants, and if Szeth tries to use Nightblood against him, he dies.

I really like this....it would also help explore squire ness, which im assuming will become more and more important.

[Mr. Fluffy he/him]

This is just a theory but you all remember how Dalinar was proclaimed a Knight with no Shards? What if the same goes for Szeth, but since Nightblood isn't originally from Roshar, it isn't considered a Shardblade? He would still bond with a spren in order to gain his surges but he would have no Shards, that is assuming Brandon doesn't consider Nightblood a Shardblade. It's just a theory that I kinda compiled from your conversation. Please give me some feedback because I would like to know what you guys think of this.

[DSC01 he/him]

Isn't there a WoB somewhere that says that Nightblood is basically the same thing as a spren? I imagine that the bonding process will be a little different (possibly a lot like bonding a regular, dead-spren Shardblade), and I suspect the powers he'll get might be rather different.

 

As for the Skybreaker thing, based on the little we see of Nalan in WoR, I suspect that he just calls his organization the Skybreakers. I don't know that any of them are actually Radiants. He seems pretty convinced that the reemergence of Surgebinders will bring on a Desolation. Granted, information is scant enough right now that we really can't know if there's a "my Surgebinders are totally fine, though" clause in that philosophy.

[Patrick Star]

Nightblood is a sliver of Endowment, the shard of Nalthis.  So he can't give Szeth skybreaker powers.

 

There's WoB floating around that explains that Nightblood is essentially a broken shardblade (of Endowment, not of Honor/Cultivation).

 

While shardblades and honorblades are unnaturally light and leak clear mist that flows upwards, Nightblood is unnaturally heavy and leaks black smoke that sinks downwards.

[Charononus]

Personally I think that Nale is insane and lies.  I don't think what Szeth is becoming has anything to do with the real skybreakers.

[Patrick Star]

Personally I think that Nale is insane and lies.  I don't think what Szeth is becoming has anything to do with the real skybreakers.

 

Yeah, the heralds were corrupted after abandoning their honorblades.  Nalan's not working to uphold the law, but he IS constrained by it.  He's definitely not right in the head.

[kaellok he/him]

Why? He's been screwed over at every turn, im just hoping the guy catches a break..

Szeth had one when he died.  The world, too.  I'm pretty upset at Nale for not letting Szeth just be/stay dead.  The afterlife seems to be a nice place to hang around in for all eternity if you aren't a Herald.  And no matter how much you like or hate Szeth, I can think that we agree that he deserves some peace, or to be removed from Roshar so he can't do anymore harm.  Especially since he chose his death, but that was denied him--for so many years he chose to give up his free will and follow that of others, and then the first act he does for himself is forcibly reversed.

[Patrick Star]

Szeth had one when he died.  The world, too.  I'm pretty upset at Nale for not letting Szeth just be/stay dead.  The afterlife seems to be a nice place to hang around in for all eternity if you aren't a Herald.  And no matter how much you like or hate Szeth, I can think that we agree that he deserves some peace, or to be removed from Roshar so he can't do anymore harm.  Especially since he chose his death, but that was denied him--for so many years he chose to give up his free will and follow that of others, and then the first act he does for himself is forcibly reversed.

 

I've been droning about this for a while, but remember Wandersail.  Szeth's at the last part of the story, and I think he's burning down the island in Stormlight 3.

 

So yeah, it would be beneficial for everyone involved if he stayed dead.

[DreamEternal]

I've been droning about this for a while, but remember Wandersail. Szeth's at the last part of the story, and I think he's burning down the island in Stormlight 3.

So yeah, it would be beneficial for everyone involved if he stayed dead.

Including him, unfortunately. I have given up my hope that his story won't repeat, now with a new master.

[Patrick Star]

Including him, unfortunately. I have given up my hope that his story won't repeat, now with a new master.

 

That's the worst part.  His story ISN'T repeating.  It's finishing.  In spectacularly atrocious (as in his actions, not as in quality) fashion.

[Ookla the Absent]

Personally I think that Nale is insane and lies.

Well, obviously. The Heralds are pretty definitely mad.

 

That being said, they are still pretty powerful, and I kinda assumed that Nale could pretty much executive order him as a Skybreaker.

 

I asked my brother's opinion. He summarily ignored me.

[AerionBFII he/him]

I asked my brother's opinion. He summarily ignored me.

Brothers huh?

 

But when a guy tells a bunch of Religious fanatics that he is actually their god and this is what they need to do....

I think Szeths conscience is clean now, the screams have stopped, he died and was reborn.

A clean Slate, i think he is meant to be a Skybreaker. 

 

Skybreakers seem a different side to the same coin to the Windrunners which suits his relationship to Kaladin quite well.

They do what is Law, rather than whats right, where as Windrunners are to do whats right and think Laws don't matter.

 

[1] Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination.

[2] I will put the law before all else. 

[Yata he/him]

If Szeth are going to became a Skybreaker (as RK of that order) giving Nightblood will be meaningless. Therefore I really doubt that it is the case. And I really doubt that any kind of Spren will bonding with him while he has another bond with "something oddly" like Nightblood.

For the other options I will choose the Squire one, Szeth will became a Squire of some Skybreaker (I am not sure about "herald's squire") mixing the passive Stormlight ability of the Squire with the peculiar ones of Nightblood. This will result in a Pseudo-radiant.

[Eagle of the Forest Path he/him]

There may be other ways for a person to get stormlight, though.

We know there's fabrials that can drain stormlight from an infused sphere, there may be a way to put it into a person too.

Larkins can breathe in stormlight and we don't know what they do with it either.

[DreamEternal]

I stil think Nale will make Szeth his squire. Seems the safest way to not be killed by Nightblood: Find a very skilled and fanatical follower, give him Nightblood, and make sure that he won't have any investiture if he changes sides.

Of course, Nale's larkin may make that irrelevant, so I suppose he may also have a pact with the Highspren leaders or the Stormfather to enforce a "no nahel bonds unless Desolation" ban, and may just ask for some spren if the Desolation does come.

Edited December 14, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern