Awakening Shard Blade

[Embrisk he/him]

What would happen if you had unlimited breaths, and tried to awaken a shard sword?

Edited October 22, 2018 by Servillius

[Scion of the Mists]

14 hours ago, Zellyia said:

However, assuming honor blades are very heavily Invested, I would say they would resist Awakening.

@Servillius specified that you had unlimited Breaths (i.e. Shardic levels of Investiture).  I think that a Shard could certainly mess with an Honorblade, no matter how Invested it is. 

 

2 hours ago, Servillius said:

So would it be hard for an Elantrian to hold breaths, then?

An Elantrian can definitely gain Breath.  Investiture only resists other Investiture's attempts to change it.  Holding Breath is different that using Breath to Awaken something.  

P.s. Welcome to the Shard!  On this site, double posting is discouraged (see the Welcome/Rules post).  You can edit your previous post if you need to add something.   

[Ashertliden]

1.) Do you mean a shardblade?

2.) Infinite breaths=infinite invesiture=we have no idea.

[Embrisk he/him]

Yeah, that.

I mean, what would happen if you had a crazy amount of breaths, so crazy that you could awaken a shard blade, if possible.

Edited October 22, 2018 by Servillius

[RShara she/her]

If you mean a dead sprenblade, it would not be possible.

Quote

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

If you were to try and Awaken a dead Shardblade with Awakening, like you can with a metal sword, would that be possible, or what would happen?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

That would probably not work. Not probably. That would just not work.

source

 

[Calderis he/him]

It would be like trying to awaken a person. I'm sure you could do things... But it's already a "living" being. 

[Quantus he/him]

4 minutes ago, Servillius said:

I thought it would be like trying to awaken a dead person, (which you can do.)

It's different, but for the vaguely philosophic and entirely unquantifired reasons that a Spren (ie sentient Investirure) is qualitatively different from a sentient native of the Physical Realm. 

 

Curious though, I wonder if you could "Awaken" an eyeless Spren while actually in Shadesmar, or rather Gift an Eyeless dead-spren some breaths, and what would it do?  You can apparently Spike a spren if you are actually IN Shadesmar but not in the Physical Realm, I wonder if that would be enough for them to Hold a Breath like a living person and if that would grant them anything (healing, heightenings, etc).

[Embrisk he/him]

So, would an honour blade work, you reckon?

[Zelly]

9 hours ago, Servillius said:

So, would an honour blade work, you reckon?

I think it's more a possibility than a dead shardblade.  We don't know too much about the honor blades.  We haven't had any indication that they are "alive" in the ways that spren (and even Eyeless dead spren) are.  

However, assuming honor blades are very heavily Invested, I would say they would resist Awakening.

Quote

Questioner

So is it possible to Awaken a Shardblade? That's the question-- that's my question for you.

Brandon Sanderson

Um... With the magic system of Awakening, you mean?

Questioner

Yeah.

Brandon Sanderson

So, all forms of Investiture strongly resist other forms of Investiture.

Questioner

Makes sense.

Brandon Sanderson

*brief interruption* Nightblood is essentially an Awakened... Trying to do that.

Questioner

'Cause he shows up in Words of Radiance, right?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. So, it-- let's just say it'd be very, very hard. Because it's like saying, "Can-- I want to turn on a lightbulb that's been turned on." Yes, you can... maybe... I don't know what that even means. It's already Invested. It's already Awakened.

source  

 

[Embrisk he/him]

So, basically instead of trying to make something have two different types of investiture, it's just better to have more of one type of investiture?

[Embrisk he/him]

So would it be hard for an Elantrian to hold breaths, then?

[Embrisk he/him]

I thought it would be like trying to awaken a dead person, (which you can do.)