Theory: What if there's a link between the missing Shardblades and the ancient fabrials?

[Lightwing8888]

One of the things that has perplexed many of us for some time is the so-called "missing Shardblades:" the absence of the many Shardblades we see in Dalinar's flashbacks of the Recreance. In Rhythm of War, we learn that the "ancient fabrials" such as Soulcasters are actually the physical representation of spren- specifically Radiant spren. Kind of like Shardblades. 

I think it's possible that after seeing the destruction wrought by their weapons at Feverstone Keep, many of the other Radiants decided not to drop their spren as Blades, but as something else- this could explain both the lack of Shardblades and the strange observation Navani makes that the Soulcaster spren appear like a Radiant spren. The physical appearance and function of these devices would vary, but we do know that some Soulcasters only deal with certain materials- and we don't know what other devices could have been ignored in the post-Recreance destruction.

This is a very hot take that I got while listening to the newest Shardcast episode. Let me know your thoughts!

 

[LewsTherinTelescope]

That's an interesting theory, but it still leaves hundreds missing from Feverstone Keep. It could definitely account for some of them, though. There's a lot missing either way.

[Bejarden he/him]

First this woudnt explain the amount of deadeyes in lasting integrity and Shadesmar

And if this was true then why aren’t there more

But I wouldn’t be surprised if a few dozen or so Radiant decided to do that 

It would explain why they are unresponsive 

[Lightwing8888]

18 minutes ago, LewsTherinTelescope said:

That's an interesting theory, but it still leaves hundreds missing from Feverstone Keep. It could definitely account for some of them, though. There's a lot missing either way.

Yeah... I still think the Shin have a stash somewhere.

18 minutes ago, Bejardin1250 said:

First this woudnt explain the amount of deadeyes in lasting integrity and Shadesmar

And if this was true then why aren’t there more

But I wouldn’t be surprised if a few dozen or so Radiant decided to do that 

It would explain why they are unresponsive 

We don't know the number there are, but I would estimate close to the number of Shardplate, spread through the kingdoms.

I think it's likely that people dismissed them as useless since they needed so much expertise to work. They wouldn't have been valued until someone discovered what they could do.

We see at least five on the Shattered Plains alone. It makes sense, especially if it was just the orders who used Transformation.

That similarity was what started my theory in the first place- but I wonder if other Radiants would hear the spren screaming? I don't think we've had any cases of Radiants holding Soulcasters onscreen. Food for thought...

[Bejarden he/him]

1 minute ago, Lightwing8888 said:

We see at least five on the Shattered Plains alone. It makes sense, especially if it was just the orders who used Transformation.

The Shattered Planes held the strongest kingdom in the world and they probably brought all they had

I would say there is no more than 50 and that’s a huge stretch 

[apepi]

I mean, like the oathgates and the elevators, the spren from the soulcasters, they were all persuaded to go into the gems to do this work. In RoW it talked about how the...elevator spren?(elevation spren?) wanted to do the work because it ties them to the physical world, giving them the power be able to think more, like it does with the radiant bond.

[Honorless he/him]

Yeah, I got the same idea after listening to Kaymyth but that still leaves quite a few questions:

 

[StormFather!]

Can non-radiant animal spren be persuaded into a fabrial, or do they have to be caged in a gemstone? Because they might not gain intelligence upon being tied to the physical realm, and some of basically exist only in the physical realm anyway (windspren), more so than sentient beings. Although, those tend to be slightly intelligent and powerful, like riverspren, who are also tied to the physical realm

[Lightwing8888]

22 hours ago, StormFather! said:

Can non-radiant animal spren be persuaded into a fabrial, or do they have to be caged in a gemstone? Because they might not gain intelligence upon being tied to the physical realm, and some of basically exist only in the physical realm anyway (windspren), more so than sentient beings. Although, those tend to be slightly intelligent and powerful, like riverspren, who are also tied to the physical realm

I don’t think we know enough to be sure, that would be a good WOB question. However, I don’t think we know of anything that could possibly be an example of that- if Brandon was planning on it, he would probably have foreshadowed it. That being said, he’s likely saving a lot of stuff for the back half.