Given to the Honorblades

[+Czernobog]

Given that Nightblood was able to (seemingly quite easily) utterly destroy a Vessel, but only managed to nick Ishar's Honorblade, Honorblades must involve truly staggering concentrations of Investiture. Large amounts of Investiture left lying around tend to start forming minds of their own. Were Shin "given to the Honorblades" to prevent sapience from manifesting in the Honorblades, which might have possibly completely disrupted the Oathpact? Further, families share deep bonds that no random group of people would have, so perhaps having the Honorblades held by minds with deep interpersonal bonds was also serving to somehow prop up the Oathpact.

Any merit to that as a possible reason for Shin families being "given to the Honorblades"?

[Leuthie]

Keep in mind that Odium (the Power) wanted to separate from Rayse (the Vessel). Nightblood attacked the Vessel directly and killed it the same way it kills any lifeform; after all, the Vessel is ultimately just a human (or other sentient lifeform) that picked up the Power. If the Power wasn't trying to leave the Vessel, it might have protected Rayse. As it happened, Rayse was just standing there able to be killed, like a dummy.

In the Physical Realm, Nightblood is made of steel and the Honorblades are made of a metal (could be Honor's godmetal, could be some other). Both blades are heavily Invested. Nightblood is probably more Invested than the Honorblade. The Investiture difference is probably what lead to the Physical material being damaged, when it would normally not be.

I don't think anyone was fed to the Honorblades. The Shin used to Honorblades for training regularly, so they weren't left around long enough to form minds of their own. And I don't think they Honorblades themselves have that much direct Investiture. They are Connected to Honor and create a Connection to Honor in the user when they're used.

[Subvisual Haze]

22 hours ago, Czernobog said:

Given that Nightblood was able to (seemingly quite easily) utterly destroy a Vessel, but only managed to nick Ishar's Honorblade, Honorblades must involve truly staggering concentrations of Investiture. Large amounts of Investiture left lying around tend to start forming minds of their own. Were Shin "given to the Honorblades" to prevent sapience from manifesting in the Honorblades, which might have possibly completely disrupted the Oathpact? Further, families share deep bonds that no random group of people would have, so perhaps having the Honorblades held by minds with deep interpersonal bonds was also serving to somehow prop up the Oathpact.

Any merit to that as a possible reason for Shin families being "given to the Honorblades"?

I think that comparison isn't apples to apples.

Rayse:Odium :: Jezrien:Honorblade

The mind guiding a power is always going to be less substantial than the power itself.

[+Czernobog]

I now somewhat regret mentioning Nightblood at all; that's diverting attention from my questions regarding the phrase "given to the Honorblades" and its implications. 

If I could go back in time, I would replace my first sentence with: "It's probably safe to say that the Honorblades represent very high concentrations of Investiture." 

Also, I wasn't suggesting that anyone was being "fed" to the Honorblades, but rather consigned to fulfilling the role of a mind holding/controlling the Investiture such that it would prevent spontaneous sapience arising.

Picking a bunch of people to learn how to fight and learn the surges just for the sake of learning how to fight and use the surges seems far to pedestrian a reason. There does not appear to be any extant in-world lore regarding the Shin wielding surges like the long lost Radiants or Heralds, so it seems the Shin make certain the Honorblades are in regular use for some other reason than external conquest of defense of their own borders.

Time will eventually reveal the answers, I suppose. 

[Subvisual Haze]

Quote

“My people,” Szeth shouted, “were not going to return your weapons to you. We kept your secrets, but you lie if you say my father gave you that Blade!”

Sanderson, Brandon. Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive) (p. 1160). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. 

My read from that line is that the Shin trained to use the Honorblades primarily to better guard the Honorblades.  They recognized the danger of the weapons and also possibly the impending madness of the Heralds.  What they aimed to prevent is exactly what Ishar has now done.

[+Czernobog]

That makes sense. I just always hope for the more magic-laden possibilities of things to be the case.