(OB) Skybreaker Discussion Prompts

[Shoots]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Skybreaker order in OB and was hoping to start some discussion about their order with these prompts.

1. How do you feel about Brandon's decision to make Nale side with the singers?

Personal Opinion: I love this development.  While I would never personally reach the same decision in Nale's position, I think it fits perfectly with Skybreaker logic, follow the law above all else.  Its about as logical as going on a killing spree because your master commands you.  This also sets up the Skybreakers to go head to head against the Windrunners, an exciting clash between the current two most powerful Orders.

2. Will all the Skybreakers side with Nale (besides Szeth)?

Personal Thoughts: All the radiants who swore to Nale have to side with him or break their oaths.  Those who swore to obey the law of the land would seem to have more room for interpretation unless they have to listen to Nale's decision that the singers make the law of the land.  I expect them all to side with Nale for at least the next book.

3.  How will the Skybreakers get along with the Singers/Odium?

Personal Thoughts: While Odium should be thrilled to get access to Skybreakers, I expect problems in an alliance between them.  First, Nale isn't committed.  He is still planning on training Szeth even though they are now on opposite sides of the conflict.  Odium won't be happy with that.  Also, Odium has started killing Radiants so does he want to kill Nale too?  Finally, is the law of the singers as simple as whatever Odium says?

4.Why were the Skybreakers the only order not to betray their oaths?

Personal Opinion: The Skybreakers are the order about obeying the LAW first while the other orders seem to do what is RIGHT first (though their interpretations of what is right vary widely).  The other 9 orders eventually broke their oaths because they either feared destroying the world or believed they were on the wrong side of the fight.  At the time of the Recreance, Honor was all about Oaths but didn't seem to care about humans which contributed to the other orders believing breaking their oaths was RIGHT.  But Skybreakers still kept their oaths (many of which were probably made to Honor as the ultimate authority) because they obeyed the LAW of Honor above what is right.  Honor's change also explains why the Windrunners and Skybreakers fought so much near the end of the KR.  When Honor made decisions based just on oaths instead of the good of humans the Skybreakers would side with Honor (the law) and the Windrunners would do what was right.

[Aleksiel]

Everybody is after what they percieve as right in a way - for WR that's protecting, for SB it's law, EC - logic and so on. I don't think Syl's claim honorspren are about what's right and highspren care only for laws should be taken at face value. Spren can be very judgemental of each other and honorspren tried to take over Shadesmar, and also hunt lesser spren, so their version of what's right is not equal to goodness...

Skybreakers are different from what I expected. They are about being consistent in Nale's words, follow whatever outside source they decide and choose their own quest. That's very different from my previous image of emotionless robots obeying the letter of any law just because someone institute it (I blame Nale for that). So in a way they aren't as different from the WR as I thought. I suspect what was hinted a civil war between those Orders wasn't strictly WR vs SB, but a mixture of them on each side of the argument depending on their personal oath interpretations. 

I think Nale's decision made no sense, he must have known before singers were on Roshar before humankind. I expect more SB to join Szeth and Urithiru. I found it odd Nale said he'd visit to supervise Szeth's training, he is indeed insane.

[emailanimal he/him]

Reading about Skybreakers was interesting. Probably some of my favorite chapters in the book.  Nale went from villainous to tragic, which from the point of view of character development is good - makes him more interesting.

 

Nale's decision is not unexpected, although I do not believe it to be inevitable.  We still do not know much about the time of the Oathpact - and Nale was there and clearly knew what he was doing back then, so it's not like The Secret That Broke The Knights Radiant is a big deal for him. Yet, only after the Last Desolation is he contemplating the question of whose law reigns supreme.  He also is discounting the fact that the REAL LAW should be the Dawnsinger Law prior to Odium's appearance on Roshar, and the law he will be following now is not that.  

Short term, Skybreakers appear to be set to become some sort of polizei force on the occupied territories, which is a bit disturbing to me (and I think Brandon wants to to be disturbing). Long term, I think that Skybreakers must be bendable to an argument that they should serve those singers who break with Odium the way the Listeners did around the time of the Last Desolation.  I see complications, but because I also fully expect that the resolution of the conflict will involve humans helping a large chunk of singers break with Odium for good, I can see how Skybreakers will come home later. Or at least some of them. Some may actually swear to Odium, and those will be lost.