That Sword...[SPOILERS]

[+rhaiynebow]

This may have been brought up before, but I didn't see anything specific in a search so sorry if it's duplicate.

 

I just re-read the WoB thread and found lots of interesting comments about our favorite crossover sword that appears at the end of WoR.

 

Nightblood of course!

 

So I'm of the belief that he's actually an honorblade...or rather more accurately, the Odium influenced/version of an honorblade For now, I'm sticking with honorblade though for lack of a better/known term.

 

Based on WoB, there's some conflicting Q&A's, so thought I'd compile them here for your review and ease of viewing.

 

Has someone made this "official" theory already? Do you all agree or have other ideas?

 

 

Q:  A while back someone asked if Hoid's sword is Nightblood, you said that was interesting. Is it similarly Invested?
A:  I'm going to RAFO that. It is a very interesting question.

 

Q:  Does Nightblood rip souls out of bodies by chance?

A:  Um Nightblood consumes Investiture, including the spark of life.

 

Q:  If Nightblood were on Roshar would he be a Shardblade?

A:  Yes, they are exactly the same thing. He is a Shardblade that is twisted and is a lot more powerful than normal.

 

Q:  How much more powerful is Nightblood than a a regular Shardblade?

A:  I haven't actually quantified that in my own mind so can't give an accurate comparison at this point. I will say that when he is fully consuming Investiture he can do some really freaky things.

 

Q:  Does Nightblood act as an Honorblade?

A:  RAFO.

 

Q:  If someone--Vasher says that Nightblood would kill him, is that just because he has this big deific Breath? Would it kill an ordinary person, like a drab?

A:  It would suck the Breath from anybody, and if they were unable to feed it he would feed on their soul.
 

Q:  So they would die.
A:  Yes. Anybody wielding Nightblood, he will suck their soul. For too long, he will eventually, if you draw him, he will suck your soul.

 

Q:  Would Vasher be able to use Stormlight in the same way that he can get Breath?

A:  That would not be immediately easy, but Stormlight could feed Nightblood.
 

Q:  Which is why Szeth can wield Nightblood?
A:  Eh, you'll have to see if … but yes. That could theoretically happen. You can use most of the magics on most of the planets to fuel the other magics, if you know how to do it, it is not easy.

 

Q:  Is Nightblood going to be able to eat Stormlight?

A:  Nightblood will drain any Investiture, so yes.

 

Q:  [Paraphrased]How difficult would it be to Push on various things.

A:  [Paraphrased]It depends on the amount of Investiture in the person/object.  Nightblood would be the hardest thing to Push on, harder than Shardblades.

 

Q:  I'm guessing it's a RAFO, but why do Honorblades work the way they do?

A:  Honorblades were crafted before Shardblades existed--
Q:  So they were crafted.
A:  They were crafted before Shardblades existed, and all Shardblades that exist came about as certain individuals trying to find out how to copy Honorblades.
Q:  So would it be fair to say that Honorblades are analagous to fabrials in some sense? Trap spren in a crystal yada yada Stormlight power?
A:  There is an analogy there, that I think would pass the SAT's rigor for analogies.

 

Some additional comments/observations/questions...

1. As far as I know, this sword doesn't have a gem like other shardblades, thus supporting the fact that he's something special/different than a shardblade (although we know that shardblades/living spren as blades don't have them either).

2. If he "eats" investiture and souls, similar to the Larkin, how is Szeth going to wield him? I get the impression that emotions are more of a spiritual realm thing, and thought that I remember seeing that written somewhere, not sure if on a forum or in the book. If that's the case, since Darkness doesn't have emotion, does he know of a way to "supress" them or rather, be in the spiritual realm as little as possible without losing his soul? Can something even survive without a soul? Didn't think so, but not sure if that's been asked/confirmed before. I assume that you can't since severing the soul with a shardblade kills. Sorry these last couple questions were more my thinking out loud. I get the Cosmere stuff, but I don't *GET* it...ya get it? Basically I'm saying that I'm just not that smart LOL....think Taravangian on an average day.

 

Thanks all!

 

Edited to add a few more Q&A..couldn't get the quote thing to work right with the edit! Sorry!

Edited April 1, 2014 by rhaiynebow

[Numb]

I assume you have read Warbreaker since it's explained how Nightblood works there and in the warbreaker annotations if you haven't then all past this point will be spoilers.

 

From the other WoB about Vasher I think we can make the assumption that Stormlight works similar to breath in many ways. In Warbreaker when Vasher draws nightblood it's noted that Denth hopes that he'll just kill himself by overusing nightblood since once it's drawn it will consume breath until it's wielder is dead or it gets discarded/sheathed. Since Stormlight is approximiated breath in this case that would mean in order for someone to use Nightblood they would have to have excess stormlight running through them or Nightblood would just consume the individuals life force(I can't remember what Brandon calls this).

 

Something cool to note is that Nightblood itself doesn't actually have a way of telling what is good or evil. Instead there is a built in test for the wielder of the blade. If the person is "pure" or doesn't wish to destroy with nightblood(Think that's how pure is defined, not sure) then they will feel sick when picking up nightblood. This effect goes away when/if he feeds on said persons breath(Maybe Stormlight too). It's possible that Nalan is unable to use Nightblood because of this built in safety where as someone like Szeth may be able to. 

 

As for if someone can survive without a soul I don't think so but it's a little tricky. Shardblades are meant to cut the should but we see Kaladin healing his limbs when Szeth cuts him. This has two possible implications. One is that Honorblades/Shardblades don't actually do what we think they do, the other is that stormlight is able to repair that cut to the soul. Another interesting observation is that Szeth is revived after being killed by a Shardblade. From this I think we can say that one cannot survive once cut but it's possible to reattach the soul if done before the physical body dies(How this isn't the case when he falls from the sky I don't know).

 

edit: I really wonder if breath can be equated to stormlight. The way breath works is that it almost molds itself to best fit the way the user envisions it to work. That's why the mental image is more important than the commands used when awakening. Stormlight seems to be far stricter in use. The question I have is if this is because of the nature of stormlight or has it been limited due to the nature of the spren bond. Could stormlight without restrictions be used exactly like breath?

 

In fact how exactly does one without a Spren bond draw in stormlight? Can Vasher draw stormlight without a spren because of his worlds adjustment of humanity(Not sure how to word this). Compared to the people of Roshar who require an external conduit to access investiture ie: the spren.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Numb

[Aleksiel]

Nightblood isn't of Odium, he was created on a different world (the one of Warbreaker), so I doubt there's a connection between them. He is no spren and can't be binded like a Shardblade. You might want to read the coppermind article on him; it won't spoil the book for you to a degree of making it predictable or less enjoyable. Of course, reading Warbreaker itself will be more fun and you'll see Zahel and Hoid there, too.

 

I am curious how Szeth will use Nightblood when he can no longer surgebind. I think it's safe to say form all those WoB Nightblood will first consume all investiture around him before going for Szeth's spak of life, so he should be fine as long as he draws Nightblood near stormlight.

 

However, Darkness emotionlessness (it's a word now) isn't due to Nightblood's effects, but more of a consequence of his betrayal of the Oathpact or the millenniums he spend wandering Roshar. If he is Nalan. It's not too late for a plot twist here.

[Moogle]

Nightblood isn't of Odium, he was created on a different world (the one of Warbreaker), so I doubt there's a connection between them. He is no spren and can't be binded like a Shardblade. You might want to read the coppermind article on him; it won't spoil the book for you to a degree of making it predictable or less enjoyable. Of course, reading Warbreaker itself will be more fun and you'll see Zahel and Hoid there, too.

 

I think that Nightblood can probably be bonded. We know from the Warbreaker annotations that once you draw and use him once, he'll no longer make you feel sick. We know that having a Seon bonded would give you interesting abilities while on Roshar, so I think that Szeth has a good chance of still being able to take in Stormlight ("Your Light to mine") because of the powers granted by a bond to Nightblood.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Moogle

[+rhaiynebow]

I did read Warbreaker, but its been awhile so need to re-read it.

 

@Numb - I think Brandon said somewhere that you can figure out how breath correlates to stormlight, but don't think I've seen actual numbers on it.

 

But you bring up a good point about Nightblood not being created on Roshar. So rather than being strictly "of Odium", could he then fall into the category of possibly just being influenced by him since being on Roshar? The Cosmere stuff gets confusing for me, so please bear with me. I remember Nightblood not being itself inherently evil, but rather reacting to the temperament of those who wield him. That being said, I wasn't sure if something like that (an object) could in fact be influenced at all. I know people can, but not sure about "things". 

 

And the whole issue of Szeth not being able to use stormlight...there's only two things I can think of that would allow him to use Nightblood. One is if he ends up bonding a spren of his own, or becoming a "squire" of one of the orders, or two if Nightblood is in fact some type of honorblade. I do realize that seems impossible since Nightblood absorbs invenstiture, but what if he acts like an honorblade in the sense of forming the conduit that would allow Szeth to surgebind?

 

Numb brings up a good point about Zahel too...how is he taking in Stormlight/breath to survive without being bonded unless it does have to do with the Worldhopping he's done.

 

I remember too that there was some question about the whole bonding of Honorblades vs. Shardblades. I thought in the end you didn't have to "bond" Honorblades like you do Shardblades. Was that not the final conclusion? Blasted memory of mine!

 

Also, need to find the reference, but I swear Brandon said somewhere that one of the honorblades was VERY different from the others...

 

Edit: Ninja'd by Moogle on the whole...Nightblood still allows stormlight to be drawn in statement

Edited April 1, 2014 by rhaiynebow

[Aleksiel]

I think that Nightblood can probably be bonded, we know from the Warbreaker annotations that once you draw and use him once, he'll no longer make you feel sick. We know that having a Seon bonded would give you interesting abilities while on Roshar, so I think that Szeth has a good chance of still being able to take in Stormlight ("Your Light to mine") because of the powers granted by a bond to Nightblood.

 

I meant bonded like a Shardblade in the meaning of being able to be dismissed and re-summoned.

[BaoTheWyld]

Was anyone else just giddy to see Nightblood show up? He's one of those "interesting in a twisted sort of way" things, and I was just tickled to see "him" make an appearance. I have this hope that Szeth is going to be redeemed somewhat, I initially hoped he would realize what was happening and train Kaladin, but alas, my hopes were dashed upone the reveal of the Honorblade rather than a spren bond. 

[Fifth of Daybreak]

 

Q:  If someone--Vasher says that Nightblood would kill him, is that just because he has this big deific Breath? Would it kill an ordinary person, like a drab?

A:  It would suck the Breath from anybody, and if they were unable to feed it he would feed on their soul.

 

Q:  So they would die.

A:  Yes. Anybody wielding Nightblood, he will suck their soul. For too long, he will eventually, if you draw him, he will suck your soul.

 

 

 

 

Something cool to note is that Nightblood itself doesn't actually have a way of telling what is good or evil. Instead there is a built in test for the wielder of the blade. If the person is "pure" or doesn't wish to destroy with nightblood(Think that's how pure is defined, not sure) then they will feel sick when picking up nightblood. This effect goes away when/if he feeds on said persons breath(Maybe Stormlight too). It's possible that Nalan is unable to use Nightblood because of this built in safety where as someone like Szeth may be able to. 

 

As for if someone can survive without a soul I don't think so but it's a little tricky. Shardblades are meant to cut the should but we see Kaladin healing his limbs when Szeth cuts him. This has two possible implications. One is that Honorblades/Shardblades don't actually do what we think they do, the other is that stormlight is able to repair that cut to the soul. Another interesting observation is that Szeth is revived after being killed by a Shardblade. From this I think we can say that one cannot survive once cut but it's possible to reattach the soul if done before the physical body dies(How this isn't the case when he falls from the sky I don't know).

 

 

 

Are we sure that without a soul there is no life. The way I interpreted the scene the fabrial revived Szeth after his soul had died, and was not reattached.  So I guess I'm disagreeing with everyone on here. My conjecture is that Nalan had his soul removed by Nightblood, and the fabrial was used to revive him without a soul. He then waited until Szeth had a similar fate, not a physical death, but a spiritual death, and used the fabrial to revive him and possibly destroy Szeth's emotions as well. (In the scene, it never explicitly states that he is experiencing emotion, even if he is acting like he has them-possibly out of habit.) This would basically work as a vaccine for anyone who wants to hold Nightblood, as there is no longer anything for him to draw out of the person.  Those are my thoughts.

 

 

 

However, Darkness emotionlessness (it's a word now) isn't due to Nightblood's effects, but more of a consequence of his betrayal of the Oathpact or the millenniums he spend wandering Roshar. If he is Nalan. It's not too late for a plot twist here.

 

Any sources for this?

[+rhaiynebow]

Are we sure that without a soul there is no life. The way I interpreted the scene the fabrial revived Szeth after his soul had died, and was not reattached.  So I guess I'm disagreeing with everyone on here. My conjecture is that Nalan had his soul removed by Nightblood, and the fabrial was used to revive him without a soul. He then waited until Szeth had a similar fate, not a physical death, but a spiritual death, and used the fabrial to revive him and possibly destroy Szeth's emotions as well. (In the scene, it never explicitly states that he is experiencing emotion, even if he is acting like he has them-possibly out of habit.) This would basically work as a vaccine for anyone who wants to hold Nightblood, as there is no longer anything for him to draw out of the person.  Those are my thoughts.

 

 

Any sources for this?

 

Actually, this sums up perfectly where I was going with my #2 comment at the end of my original post. I just never finished the thought appropriately. I started that sentence/train of thought by thinking that if you CAN survive without a soul, then Szeth could wield Nightblood with no issues. BUT, with what we've seen thus far, it *appears* that severing the soul does indeed kill. The key word there is "appears". I get the impression same as you that Nalan has had some sort of spiritual death, and has no soul, causing the emotionlessness. 

 

You most definitely get the props/kudos/credit for stating all of this in a much more understandable way than I Upvote fo you too! 

[Aleksiel]

Any sources for this?

 

No WoB, but implications in WoR of Shalash 'getting worse' and the overall acceptance of the Heralds getting twisted after breaking the Oathpact combined with Vasher never being emotionless when he had Nightblood. 

 

However, if the first half of your post is correct, then I might be wrong. But it's unclear if Brandon uses spark of life as equal to soul, so it's a very speculative territory. You also assume emotions to be of the soul when they may very well be of the cognitive realm which Nightblood doesn't effect as far as we know.

[+rhaiynebow]

I don't think Nightblood is what made Nalan emotionless, but the fact that he IS emotionless would allow him to wield it without getting killed. 

 

I'm searching for references to emotions and spiritual realm, but nothing so far. I swear I read something recently that gave me that impression though, so I'll keep hunting. Also, because spren are attracted to emotions, it leads me to believe that they are not necessarily OF emotion. Yes, there are spren that we've seen that are emotion related glory, exhaustion, anger etc. but I still don't think they are the origin of it if that makes sense.

 

Starting my re-read of Warbreaker now

 

Also, totally out in left field/crackpot theory realm here...but when I looked up nightblood in the coppermind, it referenced of course Vasher and Shashara. Here's the craziness, could Shashara BE Shalash? We don't know where she was before Warbreaker, but if she was a Herald on Roshar originally, then world hopped over to Nalthis for awhile, and now is back on Roshar, could that be why Vasher is now on Roshar?? He gets wind of the fact that she's revived and where she's at and wants to find her? Yes, he kills her in Warbreaker, but if nightblood is an Honorblade (or maybe Shashara's attempt to create an honorblade on Nalthis), and she got her soul severed, would that kill her? Or would she have just been sent back to Damnation to be tortured, popping back up right around the time TWoK started? Not sure of the exact "how" of this, but I feel like it could very well happen. It could be just coincidence, but their names are just too much alike. And both could have the nickname "Ash" very easily. Also, Shalash is of Creativity and Honesty and Shashara is obviously creative in helping to bring Nightblood to life and being one of the 5 scholars on Nalthis. Am I nuts with thinking this?

 

 

 

Shashara's life before she Returned is a mystery. Upon her Return, she was named Glorysinger by the Cult of the Returned.^[1] She became one of the Five Scholars. Vasher indicates that she was one of the more talented Awakeners in the group. She was instrumental in the creation of the one-Breath Command to create Lifeless. Shashara is also the one who discovered how to create a sentient Awakened object of steel, leading to the creation of Nightblood.^[2]

 

Edited to add: I also think Vasher/Zahel is Kalak/Kelek. I know there was another thread speculating who he might be (in terms of a Herald), but based on stuff I've seen on the coppermind, and WoR, seems likely. Not sure if that's where everyone else landed too or not. Just from some of the references like "Kelek's Breath" being a slang term on Roshar, and also, one of Vashar's names in Warbreaker is Kalad (love the similarity to Kaladin too) which is pretty darn close to Kalak/Kelek. 

 

Edit one more time to give credit to TraSor who already proposed the whole Shashara/Shalash and Vasher/Kelek thing in another thread I just found

Edited April 1, 2014 by rhaiynebow

[Fifth of Daybreak]

No WoB, but implications in WoR of Shalash 'getting worse' and the overall acceptance of the Heralds getting twisted after breaking the Oathpact combined with Vasher never being emotionless when he had Nightblood. 

 

However, if the first half of your post is correct, then I might be wrong. But it's unclear if Brandon uses spark of life as equal to soul, so it's a very speculative territory. You also assume emotions to be of the soul when they may very well be of the cognitive realm which Nightblood doesn't effect as far as we know.

I definitely agree with the Herald's becoming perversions of themselves theory, but I'm not sure that would be the reason he no longer has emotions. His defining attributes are Just/Confident. In fact, using our cultural ideas surrounding justice, being emotionless would actually only help him to achieve that goal (Justice is blind.) 

 

I also found a few snippets in Lift's section that can help support my cause:

 

 

The man with a dead, lifeless stare.

 

 

Dead eyes. This was Darkness himself. 

 

"Oh . . . oh dear. There is something very wrong with that man. He is not right, not right at all . . ."

 

"You don't even care do you?"

"No," he said, "I don't."

"You should," she said, exhausted. " You should . . . should try it. I mean. I wanted to be like you, once. Didn't work out. Wasn't . . . even like being alive . . ."

 

When Brandon repeats himself, I take care to listen. Especially in a world where eyes are incredibly important, having dead eyes really seems to be an important clue, especially with the old sentiment "the eyes are the windows into the soul."  Along with Wyndle recognizing that something isn't right about him. If it was merely his ability to invest, I think Wyndle would have understood what that implicated, but I think Wyndle was sensing something more about him. I know that spren exist mostly in the cognitive realm, but I think it's safe to assume that they have some connection to the spiritual realm, and could sense that he is missing his soul. 

[Aleksiel]

When Brandon repeats himself, I take care to listen. Especially in a world where eyes are incredibly important, having dead eyes really seems to be an important clue, especially with the old sentiment "the eyes are the windows into the soul."  Along with Wyndle recognizing that something isn't right about him. If it was merely his ability to invest, I think Wyndle would have understood what that implicated, but I think Wyndle was sensing something more about him. I know that spren exist mostly in the cognitive realm, but I think it's safe to assume that they have some connection to the spiritual realm, and could sense that he is missing his soul. 

 

There are plenty of reasons to be dead inside like abandoning one of your comrades in Damnation for over four millenniums, abandoning everything you swore upon, your once closed companions and your god. Being absolutely emotionless as you can see in WoR doesn't help Nalan being more just, but quite the opposite - he is this dark twisted version of justice preciously because he is emotionless.

 

What's more, why would Nalan use Nightblood himself? 

[Fifth of Daybreak]

There are plenty of reasons to be dead inside like abandoning one of your comrades in Damnation for over four millenniums, abandoning everything you swore upon, your once closed companions and your god. Being absolutely emotionless as you can see in WoR doesn't help Nalan being more just, but quite the opposite - he is this dark twisted version of justice preciously because he is emotionless.

 

What's more, why would Nalan use Nightblood himself?

That still doesn't account for Wyndle's statement. I also don't believe that we have any reason to believe that his emotions would be a symptom of his regression, it doesn't fit with his ideals. He mighy manipulate his emotions to serve that purpose, but I don't buy the theory that it just happened over time. None of the other heralds lost emotion.

As for why he would use nightblood, he's a herald so he needs a shard to invest, which he did in Lift's chapter. He's also facing foes who can invest, so it makes sense to use a blade that feeds on investiture.

[Aleksiel]

That still doesn't account for Wyndle's statement. I also don't believe that we have any reason to believe that his emotions would be a symptom of his regression, it doesn't fit with his ideals. He mighy manipulate his emotions to serve that purpose, but I don't buy the theory that it just happened over time. None of the other heralds lost emotion.

As for why he would use nightblood, he's a herald so he needs a shard to invest, which he did in Lift's chapter. He's also facing foes who can invest, so it makes sense to use a blade that feeds on investiture.

 

Just because he could use Night doesn't mean he would. There's no evidence at the very least. Now, on the other point I completely disagree. Being emotionless fits his attributes very well the way I see it. 

[Fifth of Daybreak]

Just because he could use Night doesn't mean he would. There's no evidence at the very least. Now, on the other point I completely disagree. Being emotionless fits his attributes very well the way I see it. 

 

How do you suppose he was investing the stormlight? He was glowing in the Lift interlude, and he was carrying Nightblood, most likely since Vasher no longer carried it, and he had a shardblade to kill Ym. Nightblood is too dangerous to leave anywhere without proper supervision, and he wouldn't have entrusted it to any of his underlings. Really, do we have any reason to believe he wouldn't use Nightblood?

 

Agree to disagree then on the second point.

[Aleksiel]

How do you suppose he was investing the stormlight? He was glowing in the Lift interlude, and he was carrying Nightblood, most likely since Vasher no longer carried it, and he had a shardblade to kill Ym. Nightblood is too dangerous to leave anywhere without proper supervision, and he wouldn't have entrusted it to any of his underlings. Really, do we have any reason to believe he wouldn't use Nightblood?

 

Agree to disagree then on the second point.

 

Nalan wouldn't glow when using Nightblood. Nightblood would had to be drawn and visible and he will be the one consuming the stormlight, not Nalan.

[+rhaiynebow]

I agree with EMTrevor. I don't think emotionlessness is something that would happen over time. I think that in his mind, emotions hindered his ability to judge based on law alone and that he consciously had his emotions removed in order to, in his mind at least, make better judgements. Whether Nightblood was how he removed them or not, I have no idea. But I do think it was a conscious decision on his part, and not part of his decent into madness.

[Fifth of Daybreak]

Nalan wouldn't glow when using Nightblood. Nightblood would had to be drawn and visible and he will be the one consuming the stormlight, not Nalan.

 

Unless Nightblood is the Skybreaker Honorblade, and grants access to the surges, which is what I'm getting at. I think we have WoB that says he would act like a spren on Roshar, and therefore would give access to the surges. I'm not saying Nightblood is invested or being used, I'm saying the bond would act like it does with Szeth's blade, and he would then have the ability to surgebind. Do you have any other theories on how he was investing if not with Nightblood?

[Aleksiel]

Unless Nightblood is the Skybreaker Honorblade, and grants access to the surges, which is what I'm getting at. I think we have WoB that says he would act like a spren on Roshar, and therefore would give access to the surges. I'm not saying Nightblood is invested or being used, I'm saying the bond would act like it does with Szeth's blade, and he would then have the ability to surgebind. Do you have any other theories on how he was investing if not with Nightblood?

 

He could be the Herald who went back for his Honorblade for one. Nightblood can't be that Honorblade because... well, it wouldn't make sense. Tanavast created them and gave them to the Heralds. It all happened more than five millenniums ago and Nightblood isn't that old.

 

Edit :Also, if Nightblood is where Nalan's abilities come form, why would he ever give him to Szeth and become powerless?

Edited April 1, 2014 by Aleksiel

[+rhaiynebow]

Could be that he's not Nalan's Honorblade, but someone else's...

 

Logically, it makes sense that he would be Nalan's just because of his "personality", but you never know.

 

Nalan may be willing to give him up so he can still move around in relative secrecy attacking surgebinders/KR's. Possibly he just bonded a regular old Shardblade.

 

That doesn't seem right though (Nightblood being his Honorblade specifically). I feel like Nightblood is different. I see him acting most closely to an Honorblade, granting surgebinding abilities (well, at least the ability to draw stormlight) and who knows what else. I think he was created after the initial Honorblades, maybe as an attempt to create something that would/could specifically destroy Odium? This is assuming, of course, that Vasher and Shashara are/were Heralds and that they remembered their time on Roshar, or at least Odium and his influences.

[Fifth of Daybreak]

He could be the Herald who went back for his Honorblade for one. Nightblood can't be that Honorblade because... well, it wouldn't make sense. Tanavast created them and gave them to the Heralds. It all happened more than five millenniums ago and Nightblood isn't that old.

Edit :Also, if Nightblood is where Nalan's abilities come form, why would he ever give him to Szeth and become powerless?

you make a good argument, I'll keep all this in mind during my next reread. I'm definitely not sure of where Nightblood's creation falls in the cosmere timeline.

Edit: He only visibly invests the one time, so he doesn't seem to reliant on his powers, instead doong good old fashioned police work, whereas Szeth has been practicing non-stop for months. I definitely see Nalan being someone wise enough to give a weapon to someone under him who could better utilize it, so long as it helps serve his cause.

Edited April 1, 2014 by EMTrevor

[LloydSev]

WoB - he says that Nightblood is the same thing as a Shardblade. It's important to note that he didn't say he was the same thing as an Honorblade. So Nightblood must be the equivalent of a Spren of Endowment. A piece of the shard with sentience, similar to how Spren of Roshar are pieces of Honor, Cultivation and Odium that gain sentience when bonded with an intelligent being.

 

I think it's also important to note that Nightblood was created by Vashar and Shashara, not by Honor, and so therefore can't be an Honorblade.

 

I think the big difference between how it worked before and how it will work now, is that Nightblood is now on a planet that is literally flooded in Investiture.

Edited April 2, 2014 by LloydSev

[+rhaiynebow]

Yes, you're correct in that it can't technically be an "Honorblade" because it's not "of honor" having been created on Nalthis, but it can act very, very similar to one. So in familiar Roshar terms, it would be an Honorblade. Brandon does say that it's exactly the same as a shardblade, but then why RAFO the question about whether or not it acts the same as an honorblade? If the answer was yes to one, then why not "no" to the other?? Yes, I know, could just be toying with us, but just seems odd to me. Here are the WoB referenced:

 

Q:  If Nightblood were on Roshar would he be a Shardblade?

A:  Yes, they are exactly the same thing. He is a Shardblade that is twisted and is a lot more powerful than normal.

 

Q:  How much more powerful is Nightblood than a a regular Shardblade?

A:  I haven't actually quantified that in my own mind so can't give an accurate comparison at this point. I will say that when he is fully consuming Investiture he can do some really freaky things.

 

Q:  Does Nightblood act as an Honorblade?

A:  RAFO.

[PorridgeBrick]

Because if he confirms it acts like an Honorblade, then he's essentially confirming that it can give Szeth abilities. I'm sure that will be a big part of the next book, so he RAFO'd it.