nale OB The man can see into your soul

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

In an Interlude Nale encounters Ym. He says I had to look real hard to see your transgression . Which implies Nale can see past transgression like a divination ability. This may be a resonance? Or it may be a function of the 5th ideal . But it appears Nale can look at someone and divine a transgression from the past. As a Skybreaker Law is his province. So if this is not how Nale knew of Ym transgression how else could this be!  Let’s discuss this !

[Calderis he/him]

7 minutes ago, SzethIsBadAsHell said:

In an Interlude Nale encounters Ym. He says I had to look real hard to see your transgression . Which implies Nale can see past transgression like a divination ability. This may be a resonance? Or it may be a function of the 5th ideal . But it appears Nale can look at someone and divine a transgression from the past. As a Skybreaker Law is his province. So if this is not how Nale knew of Ym transgression how else could this be!  Let’s discuss this !

Old school detective work. He had to dig. 

Due to the epigraph about Skybreakers ability to accurately determine guilt, a sense for just that was proposed as their resonance and has been debunked. 

Quote

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

Similar to how Lightweavers have, kind of really good memories. Do the Skybreakers have any special abilities for telling guilty and innocent people apart?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

No. Good question.

source

It's just good old fashioned police work. 

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

12 minutes ago, Calderis said:

Old school detective work. He had to dig. 

Due to the epigraph about Skybreakers ability to accurately determine guilt, a sense for just that was proposed as their resonance and has been debunked. 

It's just good old fashioned police work. 

Nale is not just a Skybreaker ! He is one of the 5th ideal. He literally becomes the Law. He is also the Herald of this order. This happened 30 years ago ? How could he detective that far back ? It just seems scary !

[Calderis he/him]

Interview and investigation? 

If they don't have the ability, then it's the only option. He's tenacious and driven. He kept digging until he found an excuse to kill through a legal loophole. 

I think the fact that he pushes on ceaselessly is more frightening than a supernatural ability. 

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

6 minutes ago, Calderis said:

Interview and investigation? 

If they don't have the ability, then it's the only option. He's tenacious and driven. He kept digging until he found an excuse to kill through a legal loophole. 

I think the fact that he pushes on ceaselessly is more frightening than a supernatural ability. 

I think the fact that he killed a man who only transgression was he delivered some wine that was unknowingly poisoned is scary. The man literally helped homeless kids for free! Nale is beyond insane ! He is a major phallus,tto lack a better term 

[Doomdrinker she/her]

Something to consider also it that it's not like Nale was specifically looking for the poisoned wine incident, he was looking for anything to allow him to execute Ym. 

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

9 minutes ago, Doomdrinker said:

Something to consider also it that it's not like Nale was specifically looking for the poisoned wine incident, he was looking for anything to allow him to execute Ym. 

Exactly but he saw a 30 year old transgression ! Most people involved in that incedent should be old or dead, it seems a supernatural ability . A Divination of sorts . I understand Skybreakers don’t have this ability ! I don’t want to limit the clever dodge but that doesn’t mean Nale doesn’t have that ability.

[Rand al’Thorres]

1 hour ago, SzethIsBadAsHell said:

He literally becomes the Law. 

First at all, sorry 4 my bad english.

You said here. He is the law, he can decide what is good and what is not. And I remember that Ym was a Surgebinder, and Nale went kill all Surgebinder in order to avoid the Desolation. Maybe Nale kills Ym for this reason, and no other.

[Angsos]

Nale might be a special though, beyond 5th ideal because he's a Herald who's more or less immortal and knows alot

[Naurock]

15 hours ago, SzethIsBadAsHell said:

I think the fact that he killed a man who only transgression was he delivered some wine that was unknowingly poisoned is scary. The man literally helped homeless kids for free! Nale is beyond insane ! He is a major phallus,tto lack a better term 

Yes, exactly.

Quote

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/35/#e2518

CCQ

I just read Edgedancer. I was just wondering... Did Ishar deceive Nalan on purpose or was he just wrong-- he had wrong information?

Brandon Sanderson

All the Heralds are insane.

CCQ

Okay.

Brandon Sanderson

It manifests in different ways. Do not trust anything any Herald says. Ever.

CCQ

Okay.

Brandon Sanderson

Nale trusts Ishar too much.

CCQ

Okay, but so did he do it on purpose, or...?

Brandon Sanderson

Um... So "on purpose" is a difficult thing when you're referring to someone with the psychology that Ishar has.

CCQ

Did he know what it was-- that it was a lie?

Brandon Sanderson

*sighs* Alright, I'll RAFO that until I get to him, but the answer is kind of a yes and a no. Okay? So there is part of him that knows and there is part of him that doesn't want to believe it. And yet the things he's been doing lately in Roshar are done because he knows what's coming.

source

Brandon openly admits the Heralds are not in the right state of mind. Like @Calderis says Nale's persistence is his scariest aspect.

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

2 hours ago, Naurock said:

Yes, exactly.

Brandon openly admits the Heralds are not in the right state of mind. Like @Calderis says Nale's persistence is his scariest aspect.

Some of the strongest commentary is  between Nale and Szeth , who is also insane imo :

“Aboshi … may I ask you a question?”
“Law is light, and darkness does not serve it. Ask, and I will answer.”
“I know you are great, ancient, and wise,” Szeth said. “But … to my lesser eyes, you do not seem to obey your own precepts. You hunted Surgebinders, as you said.”
“I obtained legal permission for the executions I performed.”
“Yes,” Szeth said, “but you ignored many lawbreakers to pursue these few. You had motives beyond the law, aboshi. You were not impartial. You brutally enforced specific laws to achieve your ends.”

Excerpt From
Oathbringer
Brandon Sanderson
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/oathbringer/id1198279804?mt=11
This material may be protected by copyright.

They don’t seem pragmatic or logical, It’s terrifying because it’s so Honost. Nale is not delusional . He knows his mind is untrustworthy yet he follows it anyway . For a second I thought Szeth was going to follow Nale. I believe Szeth gains a redemption point for realizing Nale is batshit and Choosing to Follow Dalinar. If they ever clash in battle , That is going to be titantically scary!

[Naurock]

34 minutes ago, SzethIsBadAsHell said:

They don’t seem pragmatic or logical, It’s terrifying because it’s so Honost. Nale is not delusional . He knows his mind is untrustworthy yet he follows it anyway . For a second I thought Szeth was going to follow Nale.

Szeth is an interesting character. He's still trying to mentally reconcile how he killed A LOT of people following the Shin customs and traditions, but according to those same customs he should never have been declared Truthless. Lots of death is tearing at him, and he's questioning his own beliefs. At one point (I think WoR?) he is looking at his Oathstone and says, it was just a rock.

By choosing to follow Dalinar, I believe, is part of his redemption arc. He sees that Dalinar is trying to be a better man and maybe through following the Codes he can find the structure he's searching for.

Quote

I believe Szeth gains a redemption point for realizing Nale is batshit and Choosing to Follow Dalinar. If they ever clash in battle , That is going to be titantically scary!

I think Brandon is heavily foreshadowing a future battle between them, that when Nale summoned his Honorblade Nightblood told him something to the effect of he's much better than that old blade, let him show him. Szeth really enjoyed the contests all the Squires (and fused!) and he would probably relish a battle between higher ranking and better trained Skybreakers.

[goody153]

5 minutes ago, Naurock said:

I think Brandon is heavily foreshadowing a future battle between them, that when Nale summoned his Honorblade Nightblood told him something to the effect of he's much better than that old blade, let him show him. Szeth really enjoyed the contests all the Squires (and fused!) and he would probably relish a battle between higher ranking and better trained Skybreakers.

Yeah it's like a setup between Kaladin/Szeth as before. Standard foreshadowing if not standard Sanderson foreshadowing. Besides Nale might possibly be the best surge of gravitation user existing(considering he's the only one of the two original surge of gravitation holder with the other one being an actual leader so he probably has more combat experience) which would be really fun to see.

Szeth is interesting but i believe he probably did not see Nale's insanity. He just thought Dalinar is a worthy master(which he got a lucky roll there). It's pretty funny since Szeth is kinda insane himself or in Lift's words "CRAZYFACE".

[CrazyRioter she/her]

I think Szeth did see that Nale was crazy, at least to some extent. He says as much in Edgedancer I believe.

[galendo]

2 hours ago, SzethIsBadAsHell said:

For a second I thought Szeth was going to follow Nale.

That's okay.  For one second -- one crazy, glorious second -- I thought Szeth was going to swear to follow Nightblood.

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

3 hours ago, Naurock said:

Brandon is heavily foreshadowing a future battle between them, that when Nale summoned his Honorblade Nightblood told him something to the effect of he's much better than that old blade, let him show him. Szeth really enjoyed the contests all the Squires (and fused!) and he would probably relish a battle between higher ranking and better trained Skybreakers.

“ I’m better than that sword” Considering pure destructive ability of Nightblood I think it is right . Still the surge of Division scares me ; As you so aptly put concerning Gravitation , Nale has 4000 years to practice what to do with it . I can see Nale melting flesh off bones. Szeth is my favorite character and I just can’t see him taking Nale by himself . ( Nightblood or no) .

 

2 hours ago, galendo said:

That's okay.  For one second -- one crazy, glorious second -- I thought Szeth was going to swear to follow Nightblood.

Seriously ? That would be a short following : consider this part 

“Looks like we’re cornered, the sword said. Time to fight, right? Accept death, and die slaying as many as possible? I’m ready. Let’s do it. I’m ready to be a noble sacrifice”

Excerpt From
Oathbringer
Brandon Sanderson
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/oathbringer/id1198279804?mt=11
This material may be protected by copyright.

this actually my favorite quip from Nightblood . But it shows perfectly what would happen if Szeth chose to follow it.

 

[Scion of the Mists]

9 hours ago, goody153 said:

Besides Nale might possibly be the best surge of gravitation user existing(considering he's the only one of the two original surge of gravitation holder with the other one being an actual leader so he probably has more combat experience) which would be really fun to see.

Also, the other Gravitation Herald is no longer with us...

[Angsos]

The one thing is Szeth might with coaching, if it came down to a fight be able to use Nale's insanity against him.

[goody153]

12 hours ago, Scion of the Mists said:

Also, the other Gravitation Herald is no longer with us...

I always expected some of the heralds going down permanently but didn't expect Jezrien to go down first. I expected him to have some interaction with Dalinar/Kaladin later on

[CalaCrisp88]

It just occurred to me that Szeth and Nale will both have two blades. Dual wielding fight?

[Angsos]

Except Nightblood can't be dismissed and is basically useless as an actual sword.

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

4 hours ago, Angsos said:

Except Nightblood can't be dismissed and is basically useless as an actual sword.

Nightblood sheeth is made of metal , the weirder can run u through while it’s still sheethed . If the weilder has enough investiture you can draw Nightblood and it will obliterate anything it hits including a thunderclast. It’s sheets is made of aluminum so it can block shardblades. So if you think that’s useless then I don’t know what is useful .

[Calderis he/him]

It's also ridiculously heavy and constantly risks killing the wielder. 

Nightblood is a WMD. As a sword he's completely impractical. You have to actually hit something for it to destroy and against Nale your fighting someone ridiculously mobile who'll be attacking using division. Close range combat is probably a bad idea to begin with. 

[SzethIsBadAsHell he/him]

3 minutes ago, Calderis said:

It's also ridiculously heavy and constantly risks killing the wielder. 

Nightblood is a WMD. As a sword he's completely impractical. You have to actually hit something for it to destroy and against Nale your fighting someone ridiculously mobile who'll be attacking using division. Close range combat is probably a bad idea to begin with. 

Well I already said I don’t think Szeth can take Nale by himself even with Nightblood. To be honest I didn’t consider all that . I just feel the only safe time to draw Nightblood is if Dalinar is around and is creating unlimited stormlight. Interesting we haven’t seen Szeth summon his spren shardblade. If I was him I would use that blade primarily .

[CrazyRioter she/her]

Yeah Nightblood isn't really useful in a traditional fight. He's good for taking out mooks who are susceptible to him but he's not going to be much use in a duel with an opponent who is immune.