Chaos he/him Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 New Warbreaker Annotation is up, and it has an interesting segment: I love having random little viewpoints like these in books. I don't do them often, usually just once or twice a book. But I was excited to write this one, as Chaps has a very interesting way of thinking. Dance, dance, dance. I didn't plan him into the book specifically; I simply wrote this scene as it arrived and I knew someone had to fetch Nightblood. I'm always pleased when a little glimpse like this gives us such a distinctive feel and flavor for a character, though.Nightblood is better at communicating with people who are mentally unhinged. He can influence them more easily. Really, Denth, you should have known to toss Nightblood someplace far deeper than the shallow bay. That obviously reminds me of how Ruin was able to affect people who are more unhinged. This suggests it wasn't necessarily because of something specific to Ruin, but to the Cognitive aspect. A more unhinged Cognitive aspect would indeed be easier to affect. Using this Realmatic language, Hemalurgy created a flaw in the recipients' Cognitive aspect, which allows them to be controlled. Not just by Ruin, but by Allomancers. I guess it's not surprising that Realmatic theory--something Brandon has vaguely alluded to, but implied it's important--is, in fact, important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 he/him Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 How about this- When the "walls" of your cognitive self are lower, (i.e. you are more crazy, prone to irrational behavior, and blatant manipualtion), then other cognitive aspects can more easily intrude upon your cognitive self. Especially with a being so dependant on others cognitive aspects, such as Nightblood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos he/him Posted June 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 How about this- When the "walls" of your cognitive self are lower, (i.e. you are more crazy, prone to irrational behavior, and blatant manipualtion), then other cognitive aspects can more easily intrude upon your cognitive self. Especially with a being so dependant on others cognitive aspects, such as Nightblood. Yeah, that makes more sense. But does Nightblood actually depend on others' Cognitive aspects? Sure, he likes being used, but that could be explained by his Intent. He wants to destroy evil, but he can't do that unless he has a person to help. That said, he does need their Breath to "live," so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 he/him Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 I think it's more the second. I don't think he actually needs a mind to think. After all, he was sad when he was put in the closed because of how "dark" it was. I think that he can think by himself, but that he would much rather talk with someone. Then again, When someone is holding Nightblood (or wearing), there are no hidden thoughts. Everything one of them thinks is given to the other as well. Maybe since a sword doesn't have a physical brain to think, he needs others in order to function, but that his own memories, personality, and ideas (and development) are kept in the Cognitive Realm. His development is done very slowly (perhaps inperceptably to Vasher) because he has to do all of his thinking with others, instead of any by himself. You know what, I think that it could be possible that the first is true. Nightblood has no physical brain, so he can't do any thinking. His wealth of breaths allows him to keep his memories and share sentinence with others. After all, if a Nightblood is in the ocean, and no one's around to hear, does he make a thought? But the fact that he didn't make a plan, that there doesn't seem to ever be any change in Nightblood, seems to speak to the idea that Nightblood can't think without a brain. Now that begs the question- what if a Lifeless carried Nightblood? That would be very interesting indeed. I'm adding it to the question list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordofsoup Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) Can Nightblood connect with people who have given up their Breath easier than ones who have breath or the other way around? Did it say if Chaps had his Breath or not? Edited June 8, 2011 by lordofsoup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 he/him Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 I don't think it says. But I think that those with more breath have more control over Nightblood. The only two people that we see that don't draw Nightblood after holding it are Vivienna (who has a wealth of Breaths) and Vasher (who is a returned and has a wealth of breath.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyRioter she/her Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Vivenna is immune to Nightblood's compulsion because she isn't "evil" by the internal logic that it works on, as explained in the annotations. And Vasher helped make the sword and knows about it. All the random mooks that got killed by Nightblood didn't have a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zas678 he/him Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I think that is true. I just think it's interesting that the two out of the three people with a lot of breath to spare (third being God King) are the only ones that Nightblood doesn't kill. Maybe Nightblood has grown to think that anyone with the power to use him (draw him) can't be evil, since they are the only ones with the power to destroy evil (in his mind). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timemaster11 he/him Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 In the Warbreaker Ch. 35 Annotation, Brandon describes why some people go crazy with Nightblood while others don't. "When Nightblood was created, the Breaths infused in him did their best to interpret their Command. What they decided was evil was someone who would try to take the sword and use it for evil purposes, selling it, manipulating and extorting others, that sort of thing. Someone who wouldn't want the sword for those reasons was determined to be good. If they touch the weapon, they feel sick. If others touch the weapon, their desire to kill and destroy with it is enhanced greatly." The reason the only two people we see touching Nightblood without going crazy are Vivenna and Vasher is that most people Nightblood wouldn't kill wouldn't want to touch the sword in the first place. Even Vivenna had to be commanded by Vasher to touch it. Just coming close to Nightblood made her feel nauseous. I have to say, if I found a sword that made me feel nauseous just being around it, I think I might just leave it be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordofsoup Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 What about a sword that was talking to you? I would be seriously freaked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycoltbug Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Very intersting note on why Vasher doesn't get sick "Another note here is that Nightblood can sense where Vasher is. This is because Nightblood has ingested and fed off Vasher's Breaths in the past. When he does that, it connects him to someone. It's also, by the way, one of the secrets as to why Vasher doesn't get sick when holding Nightblood, even though he's a good person. It's not simply familiarity (though that is part of it). Nightblood has a built-in test. If he feeds off you and you survive, then you become somewhat immune to his powers." So seems to be a connection maybe on a cognitive level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos he/him Posted June 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Very intersting note on why Vasher doesn't get sick "Another note here is that Nightblood can sense where Vasher is. This is because Nightblood has ingested and fed off Vasher's Breaths in the past. When he does that, it connects him to someone. It's also, by the way, one of the secrets as to why Vasher doesn't get sick when holding Nightblood, even though he's a good person. It's not simply familiarity (though that is part of it). Nightblood has a built-in test. If he feeds off you and you survive, then you become somewhat immune to his powers." So seems to be a connection maybe on a cognitive level. You bet me to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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