Was the Stormfather summoned as a blade

[OneArmHerdazion]

So I have recently read the SA books for the first time and I'm really into it ,but I'm confused by something. In Oath Bringer when Dalinar is excommunicated from the Vorin Church

He rushes to the Oathgate to get back to Urithiru ,he uses something bright in his hand to activate the gate. If I didn't know any better I would say this is a living Shard Blade ,since only blades

activate the Oathgates. Is this the Stormfather manifested as a blade ?

Quote:  "Dalinar ignored him, reaching beyond and pulling power through. Something bright white manifested in his hand, and he rammed it into the keyhole."

[+robardin he/him]

It may not have been a Blade per se, but it was definitely a Physical manifestation of a living spren (the Stormfather) that the Oathgate drives off of. And the Stormfather was not happy about that.

The details of it, though, are officially RAFO territory, as of October 2018:

Quote

Mrrobot112

1. When did Dalinar start Bonding with the Stormfather? and 2. How did he opened Oathgates?

I expect two RAFOs, but maybe you'll be able to give any hints.:)

Brandon Sanderson

1. RAFO.
2. RAFO.

(Yup, you were right!)

Skyward Pre-Release AMA (Oct. 19, 2018)

What's interesting is that "dead" spren Blades like Adolin's could not work the Oathgate, but the Honorblades can, which have no spren associated with them at all.

And it'll be interesting when (not if) Adolin tries to operate an Oathgate again with his Blade, now that it's a "only mostly dead" spren that acted to save him from a Fused attacking him in the Cognitive Realm, has told Adolin her name (Mayalaran), can be summoned in 7 instead of 10 heartbeats (but not with zero latency), and "brushed his mind" with a warning of incoming danger in the fighting at Thaylen Fields (and, it is hinted, may have helped to heal him slightly with Stormlight after a building collapsed on him).

 

[OneArmHerdazion]

Okay I understand the physical manifestation part , but what is the physical manifestation of a spren? its always a type of shard because that's basically what they are

splinters of shards. The only thing that makes sense to me is that it was a type of shard ,if not a blade then something else.

[Yolenlightweaver]

Since the Stormfather was summoned against his will I don't think he necessarily came as a full shard but as they mentioned above I bet it was something along those lines. 

[CrazyRioter she/her]

It wasn't quite fully physical I think. Just physical enough to work the Oathgate.

[RShara she/her]

Yeah I don't think it because fully physical. Dalinar just reached out, grabbed a chunk of power, and shoved it into the lock. It had just enough form to work the Oathgate. And it hurt the Stormfather a lot.

[Weltall]

Welcome to the Shard!

3 hours ago, OneArmHerdazion said:

Okay I understand the physical manifestation part , but what is the physical manifestation of a spren? its always a type of shard because that's basically what they are

Technically speaking, a spren fully manifested in the Physical Realm is a metal, specifically an alloy of Honor and Cultivation's godmetals (the exact ratio depends on the type of spren) and you could think of them as being a tiny piece of the 'body' of Honor and Cultivation made manifest.

Edited June 11, 2019 by Weltall

[+Q10fanatic]

2 hours ago, OneArmHerdazion said:

Okay I understand the physical manifestation part , but what is the physical manifestation of a spren? its always a type of shard because that's basically what they are

splinters of shards. The only thing that makes sense to me is that it was a type of shard ,if not a blade then something else.

First, welcome!

Second, I'm not sure what you mean by "type of shard" but there are some examples of living spren turning into non-blades. In either Words of Radiance or Oathbringer, don't we see: 

Spoiler

Syl turn into a shield for Kaladin? So that is one example.

There is also a funny example at the end the novella Edgedancer, which is set between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer: 

Spoiler

In that story, the spren is summoned as a fork. There is also an offhand mention that spren had been summoned as bows in the past.

 

[OneArmHerdazion]

Sorry ,when I said type of Shard I meant those things , from what I understand is that whether it be a fork ,shield or spear it's still made from the same material as a Shard Blade. 

 

Yes that does make sense but isn't the socket made only for different shapes of Shard Blades to activate the Oathgate. The StormFather said he "will" not become a blade not that he "cant"

[+robardin he/him]

On 6/11/2019 at 4:52 PM, OneArmHerdazion said:

Sorry ,when I said type of Shard I meant those things , from what I understand is that whether it be a fork ,shield or spear it's still made from the same material as a Shard Blade. 

Yes that does make sense but isn't the socket made only for different shapes of Shard Blades to activate the Oathgate. The StormFather said he "will" not become a blade not that he "cant"

I think the example of Dalinar operating the Oathgate shows that this description is not quite right.

In-world, so far, all they know about the Oathgates creation and functioning is that "The Radiants were the key to reaching Urithiru", as preserved in old books. Shallan realized the portal "keyhole" was meant for Shardblades, but found that "dead" Blades didn't operate them (though they did "mold" to the right shape) while her "live" Patternblade did. And that Jezrien's Honorblade that they (briefly) acquired after Kaladin defeated Szeth also worked to operate it.

Oh, that's not quite accurate any more. As of Oathbringer, they've also seen what the Oathgates look like from the Cognitive Realm: two gigantic, sentient spren in black and white (or, if "Enlightened" by Sja-anat, red).

So there's something a not-fully-Bladed-but-pulled-into-Physical-realm Stormfather has in common with a live sprenblade and an Honorblade, that a dead sprenblade does not have, that is needed to operate an Oathgate (along with Stormlight).

[OneArmHerdazion]

You really made sense to me when you mentioned how Oathgates look from the Cognitive Realm.

Thank You