Nightblood's breath

[Zelly]

As an Awakened object, could the breath used to create him be taken back/returned to the creator like with other (simpler) awakened objects?

[Weltall]

We don't know. Nightblood may be an exception to the rule that Breath can be recovered from Awakened objects as he's sapient and may not follow the rules of the Type III (typical Awakened objects) entities. However, even granting for purposes of argument that those Breaths could be recovered (and I have to imagine Nightblood would resist any attempt at doing so) it would not be an easy process. Breath keys itself to the Identity of the user and they can't be recovered from Type III entities except by the original Awakener... who in this case happens to be very dead. Those Breaths might hypothetically be recoverable via Identity manipulation but that's getting into 'crazy Investiture hacks' levels of magic. Basically, you have at least two hurdles to overcome, either or both of which could be impossible for all we know.

[StormingTexan he/him]

Kind of a moot point either way because that Awakener is long dead. 

[RShara she/her]

He had onions for lunch, and he's sorry.

[Weltall]

@StormingTexan It does seem to be a rather big obstacle. That said, the door has been left open in Mistborn for feruchemical power to be used by someone other than the original feruchemist via Identity manipulation; VenDell mentions that early research into the possibility 'is promising' but the story doesn't delve into it, in lieu of Identity-less Investiture being the focus as it's much more of a game-changer. So, we have at least one magic system where it's theoretically possible to manipulate your Identity in such a way to access Investiture keyed to someone else's Identity. This may not be possible with BioChroma and if it is, hacks involving other magic may well be required to make it work, but we can't completely rule out the possibility. It's just... stupendously unlikely.

20 minutes ago, RShara said:

He had onions for lunch, and he's sorry.

Vasher called, he wanted me to tell you that even Vivenna would have been ashamed of that pun.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Weltall

[StormingTexan he/him]

16 minutes ago, Weltall said:

It does seem to be a rather big obstacle. That said, the door has been left open in Mistborn for feruchemical power to be used by someone other than the original feruchemist via Identity manipulation; VenDell mentions that early research into the possibility 'is promising' but the story doesn't delve into it, in lieu of Identity-less Investiture being the focus as it's much more of a game-changer. So, we have at least one magic system where it's theoretically possible to manipulate your Identity in such a way to access Investiture keyed to someone else's Identity. This may not be possible with BioChroma and if it is, hacks involving other magic may well be required to make it work, but we can't completely rule out the possibility. It's just... stupendously unlikely.

Ok I'll concede it may be possible but not probable. I would also think if it could be done Vasher would have done it as that would be the simplest method of dealing with Nightblood. This of course would break my heart as I love Nightblood bad breath and all. 

[Zelly]

Did Brandon confirm 100% that Shashara is actually straight up no questioned asked dead?  I'm not taking Vasher's word for it.

[RShara she/her]

22 minutes ago, Weltall said:

@StormingTexan It does seem to be a rather big obstacle. That said, the door has been left open in Mistborn for feruchemical power to be used by someone other than the original feruchemist via Identity manipulation; VenDell mentions that early research into the possibility 'is promising' but the story doesn't delve into it, in lieu of Identity-less Investiture being the focus as it's much more of a game-changer. So, we have at least one magic system where it's theoretically possible to manipulate your Identity in such a way to access Investiture keyed to someone else's Identity. This may not be possible with BioChroma and if it is, hacks involving other magic may well be required to make it work, but we can't completely rule out the possibility. It's just... stupendously unlikely.

Vasher called, he wanted me to tell you that even Vivenna would have been ashamed of that pun.

That's okay, Vivenna has poor taste.  As long as Shallan or Hoid apreciate it, I'm good.

[Weltall]

20 minutes ago, Zellyia said:

Did Brandon confirm 100% that Shashara is actually straight up no questioned asked dead?  I'm not taking Vasher's word for it.

Brandon says straight out (and multiple times) in the annotations that Vasher killed Shashara. With Nightblood. She's very very dead.

Random aside, Brandon was asked whether being killed with Nightblood means you don't go Beyond. His response was 'nobody knows' saying that it's a subject of debate in-universe and even Vasher doesn't know the answer for sure. Since this touches on the Beyond and we know that's something he wants to leave up to the readers, it may be a question we never get answered.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Weltall

[Calderis he/him]

I personally believe the moment he became a sapient being, he attained his own spiritual identity, and that the breath used in his creation would be keyed to him and unrecoverable. It no longer belongs to the person who created him, but to Nightblood itself. 

I also think this is the true reason that lifeless breath is unrecoverable. They are more aware then people think. They are more alive than people think. I believe that they are sentient enough that they have their own identity. 

Breath rekeys to the identity of a new holder. I think the only thing that would make it unrecoverable is a identity change.