+Oltux72 he/him Posted February 3, 2019 Posted February 3, 2019 OK, there are those training protectors you can put on a shard blade to make it safer to handle. They are not aluminium. Half Shards are too new. Silver, however, prevents withering from Shades. Are the protectors made from silver? We got WoB that the processes are similar.
Kramerfarve Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 Could you link WOB I don’t think I’ve seen that one. Pretty interesting theory.
Weltall Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 The only thing I've found that sounds like that is Brandon stating that A-Aluminum would be a better method of countering Shade withering than F-Gold if you found yourself on Threnody and didn't have/know about silver. That doesn't necessarily mean they operate on the same processes more generally. If there's another WoB comparing the metals more directly I'd be interested in seeing it too but Brandon seems to be saying otherwise in this WoB for example.. 1
Quantus he/him Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 I think they are just Invested enough to block the shardblade effects, which even a sufficiently Invested Metalmind or Spike could do (though I gather most would not because the relative Investiture levels on Scadrial are much lower than Roshar). He originally wanted to make them Aluminum, but his continuity editor "wouldnt let him" for Reasons. Im guessing because Roshar isnt supposed to be able to Invest Aluminum in any way and the guards have to be able to change shape. Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] You know the sparring guards, for the Shardblade training, the guards they put on the Shardblades. Are they made of aluminum? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] So, they are not. Peter will not let me make them made out of aluminum. He's my continuity editor, he keeps me honest. I tried to get them to be aluminum, but there are reasons why they can't be. So we had to make them their own weird little thing, unfortunately. But you could make a sheath out of aluminum for a Shardblade that would work. He keeps me honest, so it's good, but I did try to fit them in that way. Oathbringer Edinburgh signing (Dec. 2, 2017)
+Oltux72 he/him Posted February 4, 2019 Author Posted February 4, 2019 2 hours ago, Quantus said: I think they are just Invested enough to block the shardblade effects, which even a sufficiently Invested Metalmind or Spike could do The only way the Rosharans have to get Investiture into a solid object is Stormlight into gems. The protectors would glow. Furthermore if they could do that to metal, they would make armor out of it. 2 hours ago, Quantus said: He originally wanted to make them Aluminum, but his continuity editor "wouldnt let him" for Reasons. Im guessing because Roshar isnt supposed to be able to Invest Aluminum in any way and the guards have to be able to change shape. Aluminium has the same problem. Look at the effort they go to to make Half Shards. If they knew that aluminium can block shard plates they would make shields and armor out of it. Hence aluminium would be really logically inconsistent. We have the following requirements: Mitigate the effects of a Shard Blade (if it cuts you, acceptable as long as you do not end up with a blade-dead limb) Be reasonably flexible and not too brittle Not a material to make armor or shields of Feasible with low technology Silver fits these requirements. Granted, that is no proof. Yet withering operates on the soul:https://wob.coppermind.net/events/76-shadows-of-self-chicago-signing/#e6374 Quote Kurkistan So would it be fair to describe withering as a kind of cancerous Forging- Brandon Sanderson Sure. Kurkistan That just kind of slowly takes over your soul? Brandon Sanderson Sure. Blades cut your soul. A bit more radical. But basically similar.
Quantus he/him Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 4 minutes ago, Oltux72 said: The only way the Rosharans have to get Investiture into a solid object is Stormlight into gems. The protectors would glow. Furthermore if they could do that to metal, they would make armor out of it. Aluminium has the same problem. Look at the effort they go to to make Half Shards. If they knew that aluminium can block shard plates they would make shields and armor out of it. Hence aluminium would be really logically inconsistent. We have the following requirements: Mitigate the effects of a Shard Blade (if it cuts you, acceptable as long as you do not end up with a blade-dead limb) Be reasonably flexible and not too brittle Not a material to make armor or shields of Feasible with low technology Silver fits these requirements. Granted, that is no proof. Yet withering operates on the soul:https://wob.coppermind.net/events/76-shadows-of-self-chicago-signing/#e6374 Blades cut your soul. A bit more radical. But basically similar. If I recall correctly, Adolin said they were extremely brittle if not actually on a shardblade, which is why they were useless as a weapon in their own right. But the fact that they shapeshift means they are Invested (or rather, can become invested) when they contact the shardblade, which is where I think they are getting their Investiture. Also, I could be wrong but I was under the impression that they were Found Relics of the earlier era and not something that can be made by the current folks. Aluminum on Roshar is something that is a bit inconsistent, I agree. At one point it's mentioned as a Meteor metal, which would make sense and explain its rarity, but in another instance it's mentioned that it's known to be something that can only be created by Soulcasting (Shallan's necklace as a child) meaning it can be created by soulcasting and thus should not be as rare as it seems to be, and it would be undeniably useful in both blocking Shardblades and containing Stormlight. The only real explanation I can think of is that it takes a more specialized Soulcaster that is currently rare, and/or takes a lot more skill with the soulcaster to accomplish.
+Invocation Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 10 minutes ago, Oltux72 said: Silver fits these requirements. Granted, that is no proof. Yet withering operates on the soul: Silver does not behave like aluminum through the majority of the cosmere. It's possible that silver behaves the way that it does to all Cognitive Shadows, but it does not block Investiture in the same way as aluminum. Quote Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Is silver in Shadows for Silence similar in any way to aluminum in the rest of the cosmere? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] *hesitantly* Yes, but not really. Silver is like silver, and aluminum is like aluminum. Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] Does aluminum have any specific use in Shadows for Silence? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, you could definitely find a use for it. Skyward San Francisco signing (Nov. 8, 2018) Quote OrangeJedi [PENDING REVIEW] So, Kaladin obviously draws Stormlight from a pouch, all the time... If the pouch was coated in, say aluminum, would he still be able to draw the Stormlight? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] No. Good question. OrangeJedi [PENDING REVIEW] What about if it was coated in silver? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Yes, he probably still could. Oathbringer release party (Nov. 13, 2017) Quote szeth-is-my-son-son [PENDING REVIEW] Can every Cognitive Shadow be affected by silver? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] RAFO! Good question! Legion Release Party (Sept. 19, 2018)
Scion of the Mists Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 As @Quantus pointed out, the guards are able to conform to any Shardblade, so they can't just be plain metal. Plus, Zahel says that "nobody's sure" what the metal is (WoR ch 18).
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