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Theory: How Shardblades Work


FellKnight

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Here goes for my first attempt at a Theory. I was originally going to put this in the SA forum, but since I plan on delving into Realmatic Theory, I chose to put it here instead (spoiler tags suck!)

I am on my first re-read of tWoK, about 8 chapters in, and one of the things which has fascinated me so far is the question of how Shardblades (and Shardplate) actually work. I am assuming that the answer is more complicated than "hand-wavey magic".

In the prologue, Szeth demonstrates many of the principles of the Shardblade. First, he has to concentrate on summoning the weapon, and wait 10 heartbeats (I have more to say about this, but better to do so in another place). The Shardblade is described as being capable of "cutting easily through stone, steel, or anything inanimate" (emphasis mine); however, when it touches living skin, the blade "fuzzed", and passes through the body without leaving a mark. When it touches the spinal cord, it kills the person instantly. If it does not touch the spinal cord, it simply kills that extremity, and there is no known cure for this. The book also states that the Shardblade "does not cut living flesh; it severed the soul instead", but this strikes me as an in-world explanation which is incorrect.

This seems to indicate that the Shardblade does not exist in the Physical Realm, but is instead a weapon of the Cognitive or Spiritual Realms. This theory is that Shardblades and Shardplate are of the Cognitive Realm. The spinal cord is well known to be the method for the transmission of signals from the brain (cognitive) to the rest of the body. When the Shardblade passes through an extremity, it severs the connection between the victim and his brain... the signals that the brain sends *cannot* affect the now-dead extremity, because there is no longer a connection. Moreover, when the Shardblade touches the spinal column itself, this seems to overload the nervous system, killing the victim near-instantaneously.

So when the Shardblade touches living flesh (something that has a connection to the Cognitive Realm), the Blade itself phase-shifts into the Cognitive Realm to strike there. This is why no mark is left, and why the blade "fuzzes". It is unclear at this point if this is the same reason why the Shardblades can cut through inanimate objects with ease. The phase-shift does not seem to occur, and while the Blade existing in the Cognitive Realm makes sense, it does not fully explain why it should be able to so neatly destroy the physical bonds of boulders, walls, etc.

Shardplate also draws its powers from the Cognitive Realm (powered by the Stormlight from the gems). It blocks Shardblades because it exists in the same phase/Realm as the Shardblade. Lashings do not affect Shardplate-wearers because Lashings affect the Physical Realm, not the Cognitive; however, Shardplate requires power to continue to function properly. When you hit someone with a Blade, it causes the Stormlight powering that part of the Plate to be expended to protect the wearer. Afterwards, another direct hit to the same location will kill the wearer as usual

(or at least destory that section of Plate), though a hit to another location will not.

As a side note, I believe that this is why Brandon said that Allomancy would not affect Shardblades/Shardplate. They simply do not exist strongly enough in the Physical Realm for the Allomancer to be able to affect them with Physical Allomancy.

Fell

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I like this. I assume that the soul resides in the Cognitive realm and possibly moves around like a mirror image of the body. Also the Shardblades reside there physically as well, when they are not summoned. What i find interesting is that when Shardplate is destroyed with a Shardblade, the exploding plate does not injure the individual residing inside the Shardplate.

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Very well put together, I like it.

In fact, I like it so much I had originally thought the same thing.

But on tWoK tour, when BS came to St. Louis I asked him this. He crushed it.

I don't remember the exact wording, but I asked about Hoid using shadesmar to planet hop, and if that's where shardblades are summoned from--or through. He said no, it was just the mechanism that made sense to him when he went about describing the process.

Great theory though! Sorry to be the bummer.

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Very well put together, I like it.

In fact, I like it so much I had originally thought the same thing.

But on tWoK tour, when BS came to St. Louis I asked him this. He crushed it.

I don't remember the exact wording, but I asked about Hoid using shadesmar to planet hop, and if that's where shardblades are summoned from--or through. He said no, it was just the mechanism that made sense to him when he went about describing the process.

Great theory though! Sorry to be the bummer.

Hmm... Tidbits like these just make me wish that the Brandonology was complete with every word Brandon has ever uttered! ;)

In any case, I'm not quite ready to abandon the theory. The blades may not actually reside in Shadesmar (although I really liked the way that they coalesce from the mists and there is an "expanse of the vapors" on the Shadesmar map), but that does not invalidate the theory's main point of how the Shardblades work, by attacking a person's Cognitive component.

Fell

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  • 6 months later...

I also believe it is the Spiritual Realm.

I think this has also previously confirmed somewhere that Blades and Plate (when used properly ie by the Radiants in Dalinar's visions) reside in the Spiritual plane until summoned. But I like the thought of severing the Nervous (Cognitive) System. However things other than living things can be accessed through Shadesmar, ie Shallan/Jasnah's Soulcasting.

As to why they shear through all physical things, I am going to use Realmatic theory horriblly to throw up a moth-bitten defense:

Spiritual Input>Cognitive Process>Physical Result

In other words:

Shardblade(where it resides in Spirit Realm)>Shadesmar>Physical Application

Makes a small amount of sense to me. To me only, perhaps...?

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I also believe it is the Spiritual Realm.

I think this has also previously confirmed somewhere that Blades and Plate (when used properly ie by the Radiants in Dalinar's visions) reside in the Spiritual plane until summoned. But I like the thought of severing the Nervous (Cognitive) System. However things other than living things can be accessed through Shadesmar, ie Shallan/Jasnah's Soulcasting.

As to why they shear through all physical things, I am going to use Realmatic theory horriblly to throw up a moth-bitten defense:

Spiritual Input>Cognitive Process>Physical Result

In other words:

Shardblade(where it resides in Spirit Realm)>Shadesmar>Physical Application

Makes a small amount of sense to me. To me only, perhaps...?

I also believe it is the Spiritual Realm where the blades are when not in the physical realm. I have one unfounded and opinionated reason.

First part is this will be the series to deal more with the spiritual realm and unmask some of the mysteries. The worldhoppers, magics that involve visiting Shadesmar, and the action/choice related - for lack of a better word - snapping is all involved with the spirit realm. I will have to compare it with religion because that is the best I have, but here goes. If you look at Christianity, it is based on actions to gain favor with God. It looks as if the magic systems on Roshar are based the same way. I could go deeper with the religion comparison, but I don't want to get into a theological discussion.

Second part is the mist that appears on a blade after being summoned. Mist is commmonly associated with spirits and their appearances are usually compared to mists. Just opinions that I hope will make sense to someone.

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Second part is the mist that appears on a blade after being summoned. Mist is commmonly associated with spirits and their appearances are usually compared to mists. Just opinions that I hope will make sense to someone.

I agree wholeheartedly. mistborn backs this up for sure. aren't the mists in the final empire actually the spiritual third of preservation? going around snapping people, whether by activating dormant sDNA or mutating vanillas into allomancers; being used as the pure fuel of allomancy by vin. i'd say there's a strong link between mist and the spiritual realm.

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I agree wholeheartedly. mistborn backs this up for sure. aren't the mists in the final empire actually the spiritual third of preservation? going around snapping people, whether by activating dormant sDNA or mutating vanillas into allomancers; being used as the pure fuel of allomancy by vin. i'd say there's a strong link between mist and the spiritual realm.

That, my friend, is what is referred to, I believe, as an 'upvote'.

I was about to make that same comparison and so, in retrospect, here is your credit!

On topic, mist seems to connect to the Shard's power source (as I will now dub it for want of a better word) much in the same way as the liquid in WoA. However I believe that the Well was the condensed form of Preservation's power that is drawn to it by Ruin (opposites attract? Can that be applied?)! I also believe that Brandon said there were mists in the antechambers of the Well that Vin and Elend saw? That would explain this theory.

So, theory speculation: Mist is an indicator of the Spiritual Realm.

Theory: The Spiritual Realm is the seat of a Shard's/magics power.

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+1 for both of you and let me add more to that: remember in WoK, in Dalinar's last vision? When he talks to Tanavast, the (supposedly) holder of Honor? That particular vision starts in a place with a misty representation of material things and people where speculating (I don't remember in which thread) that it was the Spiritual Realm.

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Upvote for you, too! Excellent reference!

In that case, I am also going to use this reference.

As well as this first part of the vision referring to mists, I believe when he described viewing the future he stated it was "like looking through a misty, broken window". This could reference that it is to do with a Shard's power that enables future glimpsing.

Also, because Voidbinding apparently features discerning the future, could it be that these two things are related?

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There's always the chance that the mist is a side-effect of the weapon condensing, the process causing the before-present air to rapidly evade the entering of the solid object, thus condensing out of the way, forming into thicker-than-air mist and dew. This would mean the weapon would have to condense or appear very quickly so as to overcome the gradual pressure on the rest of the surrounding air.

The fact that the weapons turn to mist while penetrating life material, however, is something more likely to pin on your spiritual realm idea.

I don't disbelief the whole concept, though. The effect only reminded me of what happens when Lashing, a frost build up on the body or objects. Made me think of it as more of a science-y thing.

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