Shardblades like Nightblood?

[b4dave he/him]

 

I came across something when I was reading WOR. In it Syl tells Kaladin that Honourblades, when given to normal men would feed on their storm light, much like Nightblood feeds on Breath.

 

Is it possible that when Nightblood was created, instead of merely a sword, they created a Nalthis-Spren?

 

Edited March 5, 2014 by b4dave

[Swimmingly he/him]

Not a spren. A sentient fragment of Endowment's Investiture, yes, and similar in many ways to a spren. However, it's a different species of object in the same class

[bartbug he/him]

I actually think that it is very possible that when on Roshar, Nightblood will act like a Shardblade.

 

Let me explain. 

 

In a Word of Brandon, he says that spren are how the Investitures of Roshar are channeled into a form, and are the reason why Shadesmar is (relatively) safe. In Sel, the Dor gets channeled through various outlets. Scadrial likes metals. Nalthis is all about giving, and Endowment, and color.

Now that we know that Shardblades are actually spren, I believe that Investiture akin to a spren (i.e. Nightblood) will now act like a spren would. I could be wrong, but given how Nalan calls Nightblood a Shardblade instead of some foreign magic, I doubt it.

[Swimmingly he/him]

I actually think that it is very possible that when on Roshar, Nightblood will act like a Shardblade.

Let me explain.

In a Word of Brandon, he says that spren are how the Investitures of Roshar are channeled into a form, and are the reason why Shadesmar is (relatively) safe. In Sel, the Dor gets channeled through various outlets. Scadrial likes metals. Nalthis is all about giving, and Endowment, and color.

Now that we know that Shardblades are actually spren, I believe that Investiture akin to a spren (i.e. Nightblood) will now act like a spren would. I could be wrong, but given how Nalan calls Nightblood a Shardblade instead of some foreign magic, I doubt it.

That might kind of be for people reading SA in isolation. They can identify this as simply a new type of Shardblade for now - they'll probably be clued in later.

[Cortez he/him]

It could also be for Szeth's benefit. He knows and understands what a Shardblade is. Explaining Nightblood to him would probably be extremely difficult.

[Nepene he/him]

It could also be for Szeth's benefit. He knows and understands what a Shardblade is. Explaining Nightblood to him would probably be extremely difficult.

 

"It is a sword from a world across the stars. Just as we orbit our star many other worlds orbit stars, and many of those have humans like you. It is invested with the power of the God of Endowment, just as Shardblades are invested with the power of the God of Honor. It is sentient, very powerful, and consumes stormlight at a furious pace when touched. It also desires to destroy evil. It was brought here by a person who travelled here with magic."

 

It wouldn't be that hard to explain.

[Aminar]

"It is a sword from a world across the stars. Just as we orbit our star many other worlds orbit stars, and many of those have humans like you. It is invested with the power of the God of Endowment, just as Shardblades are invested with the power of the God of Honor. It is sentient, very powerful, and consumes stormlight at a furious pace when touched. It also desires to destroy evil. It was brought here by a person who travelled here with magic."

 

It wouldn't be that hard to explain.

And then Szeth would say, "You're nuts" and walk away. That only makes sense with an extensive knowledge of the universe. Szeth might not even have considered the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Not to mention each planet having their own gods...

[Tarion]

Nightblood is a Shardblade.  What is a Shardblade but a Blade imbued with some of the power of a Shard?

The fact that it's Endowment given through Breath, rather than Honor/Cultivation through a Spren that's powering Nightblood doesn't change things too much.  

 

Yes, in common parlance, a Shardblade refers to the specific weapons from Roshar, but "technically true" seems to fit Nalan as he is by the time of Words of Radiance.  He's all about the letter of the law, after all, and skirting the truth seems fitting.  

[Nepene he/him]

And then Szeth would say, "You're nuts" and walk away. That only makes sense with an extensive knowledge of the universe. Szeth might not even have considered the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Not to mention each planet having their own gods...

 

It would be ambitious of him to disbelieve the Herald God who is speaking with absolute truthfulness.

[Aminar]

There are some things you can believe, and some that just sound crazy.  I mean, even just the guy saying he was a Herald is pretty nuts.

[b4dave he/him]

So if Nightblood is a Shardblade endowed with the power of a Splinter, does this mean that a Shardblade can be created with the power of Aons?

[Aminar]

Probably with enough work. But it would look more like a lightsaber methinks...

[HydrogenAlpha he/him]

I bet Hoid has a armory with 14 different infused blade - one for each shard ( - Odium obviously, and Sazed who holds 2 shards ).

[Aminar]

I bet Hoid has a armory with 14 different infused blade - one for each shard ( - Odium obviously, and Sazed who holds 2 shards ).

I really hope not... Swords are kind of boring.

[Nepene he/him]

There are some things you can believe, and some that just sound crazy.  I mean, even just the guy saying he was a Herald is pretty nuts.

 

He might disbelieve it, but I don't trust Szeth's ability to discern lies. He believed Tara's stupid reasoning on Kaladin having an honorblade. He is a truthless, and mass murdered people because his superiors told him to.

 

He sounds pretty gullible, especially when a person sounds authoritative.

[BloodShard]

A few quick questions/theories about how Nightblood interacts with Stormlight:

 

1. Presuming Nightblood can be fueled directly by stormlight, does that mean in a highstorm Nightblood would have limitless use?

2. Since Szeth's Honorblade gave him the ability to hold stormlight do you think that Nightblood will grant the same ability? 

2b. If not, then will Nightblood be able to suck in stormlight directly? From sources such as spheres, the highstorm, and when hitting shardplate? 

3. What do you think happens if Szeth is wielding Nightblood and the stormlight fueling Nightblood runs out? 

[Vortaan he/him]

The primary difference between Nightblood and Shardblades though is that we see Nightblood working as a sword first and a weapon of supernatural qualities second. He's a sword. He cuts people, he can be used to break bones, etc... when we actually see his true power, it's amazing and fantastic... but it still does physical-type stuff. He's not just burning out eyes or crippling limbs, he's turning people and walls to smoke. I wonder if this isn't the degree of magnitude between the two, in that Nightblood is primarily a Physical object with a strong Cognitive/Spiritual presence, whereas a Shardblade is a Congitive object with a strong Physical presence. I wonder which would be more powerful in Shadesmar?

[marianmi]

I think Nightblood is there to kill surgebinders.

I think that's still Nalan's intention. All surgebinders are 'evil'...

[zandi she/her]

I think Nightblood is there to kill surgebinders.

I think that's still Nalan's intention. All surgebinders are 'evil'...

totally agree

[junior]

Szeth is mentally fragile.  Like the people near the tower in the story that Hoid told Kaladin in the first book, he's just realized that *he* is responsible for all of the murders he committed.  Nalan's conversation is designed to do two things.  The first is to give Szeth a guidepoint that Szeth believes he can use to avoid screwing up again (the guidepoint being Nalan, obviously).  The second is to give Szeth a task to focus on - namely, dealing with the people who declared him Truthless.  The one outlandish thing that Nalan declares - i.e. that he's Nalan - is a required part of the first point.

 

Anything outlandish beyond that threatens to quite literally blow Szeth's mind again.  Szeth might be informed later on that his sword comes from a little further away than he originally believed, but for the time being his mental state needs to be kept as stable as possible.