Nightblood and Hemelurgy

[supernerdcow]

We all know that Nightblood is a heavily Invested object. I had the thought that it would be interesting if he was used as a Hemelurgic spike, but then I dismissed the thought due to the aforementioned Investment.  However, he is sheathed in an aluminum sheath. I was just wondering if it was possible to use his sheath as an aluminum spike to rob someone of their powers.

Aluminum "removes all powers" and I remember reading a WoB that says Hemelurgy doesn't always kill the subject. Iirc Hemelurgy also works anywhere in the cosmere so long as you have the knowledge of spike placement and the Intent. I admit I don't understand aluminum or its hemelurgical abilities very well.

Thoughts? 

I hope this inspires some discussion! If there are any WoB you know to refute or support please share! 

 

[Honorless]

An aluminium spike should be able to do that yes, though stabbing someone with a sheath is a bit impractical

Holding Nightblood, even sheathed can be dangerous for people though as Nightblood can somehow supernaturally tempt people to covet it if he judges them to be "evil"

Edited April 23, 2020 by R J

[Quantus]

If the sheath were separated from him, it should work since it's not pre-invested.  But while on him it's kind of part of the whole, and can be deadly all on it's own:

 

 

Quote

 

Brandon Sanderson

Nightblood

Nightblood's name, by the way, is supposed to sound kind of like the names of the Returned. I played with various different ways for his powers to manifest. I liked the idea of him driving those who hold him to kill anyone nearby. It seemed to work with the concepts that have come before—a kind of unholy, sentient mix of Stormbringer and the One Ring.

The strangest thing about him is the idea that his form isn't that important. The sheath is like a binding for him, keeping his power contained. So drawing him out isn't like drawing a regular weapon, but rather an unleashing of a creature who has been kept chained.

Once that creature is unleashed, he becomes a weapon—even if he's unleashed only a little bit. The sheath itself turns into a weapon, twisting those around it. You don't need to stab someone with Nightblood to kill them; smashing them on the back with the sheath works just as well. It will crunch bones, but beyond that, merely touching them with the sheath when the smoke is leaking can be deadly.

Warbreaker Annotations (Feb. 7, 2011)

 

 

[Halyo_Alex]

14 hours ago, Quantus said:

If the sheath were separated from him, it should work since it's not pre-invested.  But while on him it's kind of part of the whole, and can be deadly all on it's own:

Which is fascinating since it's Aluminum and thus SHOULD be immune to investiture, heck, we even SEE it block Nightblood itself in Oathbringer. So how the heck?

[Quantus]

7 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

Which is fascinating since it's Aluminum and thus SHOULD be immune to investiture, heck, we even SEE it block Nightblood itself in Oathbringer. So how the heck?

I think it becomes all about the leaking smoke, and the idea (mentioned in the WOB) that the swords form isnt really important.  So I dont think the sheath is actually gaining investiture, but while it's on Nightblood it's sort of being incorporated into the whole weapon/beast/entity.  Once its entirely removed it just becomes a big aluminum tube that once again a separate object that can block him.  Put another way, I think while it on him it's part of his Bead (or whatever Cognitive form he takes) but once removed it becomes separate again.   

[NameIess]

9 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

Which is fascinating since it's Aluminum and thus SHOULD be immune to investiture, heck, we even SEE it block Nightblood itself in Oathbringer. So how the heck?

It does block him. When it's sheathed all the way. When the clasp is undone, then it pops open and lets a little bit of black smoke leak out.

[Halyo_Alex]

13 hours ago, Nameless said:

It does block him. When it's sheathed all the way. When the clasp is undone, then it pops open and lets a little bit of black smoke leak out.

I mean block in the literal sense, physically stopping a swing in its tracks with no ill effect when hitting the sheath.

15 hours ago, Quantus said:

I think it becomes all about the leaking smoke, and the idea (mentioned in the WOB) that the swords form isnt really important.  So I dont think the sheath is actually gaining investiture, but while it's on Nightblood it's sort of being incorporated into the whole weapon/beast/entity.  Once its entirely removed it just becomes a big aluminum tube that once again a separate object that can block him.  Put another way, I think while it on him it's part of his Bead (or whatever Cognitive form he takes) but once removed it becomes separate again.   

Okay, yeah, that makes sense. The sheath and Nightblood itself are together so often that they just sort of act as the same object. Like how a broken stick will still think of itself as a single stick that's been broken rather than 2 sticks, but in reverse, kinda.

[NameIess]

10 hours ago, Halyo_Alex said:

I mean block in the literal sense, physically stopping a swing in its tracks with no ill effect when hitting the sheath.

I know. What I'm saying is that the effects of Nightblood are completely blocked, until you open the sheath a little bit, which lets Nightblood's investiture leak out, making the sword dangerous.