Difference between revisions of "Nightblood"

Nightblood is completely black, both blade and hilt. The blade is thin,{{book ref|wb|prologue}} long, and straight, with cutting edges on both sides.{{wob ref|9065}} The cross guard is referred to as being hooked. The hilt has a pommel.{{book ref|edgedancer|9}} Its overall size is noted as large; most likely, Nightblood was made to fit the proportions of a [[Returned]]. It is surprisingly heavy when sheathed.{{book ref|wb|prologue}} Nightblood was originally made of steel before being Awakened.{{book ref|wb|53}} It has an aluminum sheathscabbard{{wob ref|8162}} with a clasp on it to prevent easy release of Nightblood. The sheathscabbard was not directly involved in Nightblood's Awakening and it is has not been revealed when it was created, or by whom.{{wob ref|8410}}

Based on Vasher and Vivenna's statements, Nightblood could be around 53fifty-three all the way to 60sixty inches long overall, with a blade oflength aroundsomewhere 43between forty-46three inchesto longforty-six inches.

Nightblood is sentient but lacks a human context for its intelligence (sapience). Time has no meaning for it, nor can it understand the dynamic aspect of human personalities. It can speak into the minds of people nearby, including [[Vasher]], [[Vivenna]], [[Lift]], and [[Szeth]], and it reads the surface thoughts of its wielder whether they want it to or not, often running into difficulty interpreting them.{{book ref|wb|51}} It is usually cheerful, eager to help, and craves approval, but it is very self-centered and it does not like to be ignored.{{book ref|sa3|90}}{{book ref|wb|51}} It can project images directly into people's minds.{{book ref|wb|55}} Nightblood can more easily influence and is better able to communicate with people who are mentally unhinged.{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=53}}

As an Awakened object, Nightblood's goal is to fulfill its Command, "Destroy evil".{{book ref|wb|51}} It often tries to convince its wielders that they should draw it and is often bored or frustrated when sheathed.{{book ref|wb|51}}{{book ref|sa3|90}} Though heit thinks otherwise, Nightblood doesn't need to sleep.{{wob ref|3021}}

Nightblood was created in collaboration between [[Vasher]] and [[Shashara]], [[Returned]] lovers and two of the [[Five Scholars]]. Shashara, a very talented [[Awakener]], has some feelings of envy after [[Yesteel]] invents [[ichor-alcohol]], so she begins experimenting with steel.{{book ref|wb|51}} She eventually discovers a method to Awaken steel and give it sentience, although she and Vasher do not fully understand how this is possible.{{book ref|wb|51}} She reaches the Ninth [[Heightening]] and uses a thousand [[BioChromatic_Breath|Breaths]] and a very difficult visualization to Awaken a sword with the [[Command]] "Destroy Evil." However, the sword had no concept of evil, and so the Breaths it inherited decided "evil was "someone who would try to take the sword and use it for evil purposes, selling it, manipulating, and extorting others, that sort of thing."{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=35}}

Upon being Awakened, the entire sword turnsturned black{{wob ref|8245}} and beginsbegan leaking black smoke.{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=51}}

Nightblood iswas wielded by Shashara at the Battle of Twilight Falls during the [[Manywar]], with devastating effects.{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=26}} Vasher decided that the knowledge of how to Awaken [[BioChromatic_Breath#Type_IV|Type IV Entities]] was extremely dangerous and hashad a falling out with Shashara, ultimately using Nightblood to kill her in order to keep her from spreading this information; she had previously leaked knowledge of how to make [[Lifeless]] from a single Breath.{{book ref|wb|53}} Another of the [[Five Scholars]], [[Yesteel]], somehow learned the secret of creating Type IV Entities but is not known to have actually done so.{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=55}}

Vasher iswas in possession of Nightblood during the events of ''Warbreaker'' and warnswarned [[Vivenna]] against asking questions about Type IV objects.{{book ref|wb|53}} At one point [[Denth]] takestook the sword from Vasher and throwsthrew it into a shallow bay (although Nightblood thinksthought it iswas "the ocean").{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=53}}{{book ref|wb|54}} Nightblood iswas able to get the attention of [[Chapps]], who takestook it out of the water,{{book ref|wb|53}} but later kills four people and himself.{{book ref|wb|54}} Vivenna retrievesthen retrieved it and givesgave it to somea group of soldiers to use, who also all die.{{book ref|wb|55}} Vasher finally findsfound it and usesused it to destroy a large number of Lifeless in pursuit of Denth.{{book ref|wb|56}}

Some time later, Vasher travelstraveled to Roshar but is eventually separated from Nightblood{{wob ref|1714}} after some kind of falling out.{{wob ref|651}} WeThe sword next see the swordsurfaced after the [[Battle of Narak]], when it is given to [[Szeth]] after his death and Restorationrestoration by [[Nale]].{{book ref|sa2|88}} Szeth, who calls Nightblood 'sword-nimi', carries it during and after his training with Nale and the [[Order of Skybreakers|Skybreakers]]. He iswas warned not to draw it except in case of extreme emergency and only if he carries much Stormlight, lest it feed upon his soul.{{book ref|sa3|90}}

He is seen by [[Lift]] carrying Nightblood in [[Yeddaw]] and later in Thaylenah. Nightblood then states that he likes [[Lift]].{{book ref|sa3|119}}{{book ref|edgedancer|16}}

During the events of ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'', Vasher remains on Roshar and has been there for quite some time.{{wob ref|6267}} Vivenna subsequently appears on Roshar under the identity of [[Azure]], searching for Vasher and Nightblood.{{wob ref|1892}} As Azure, Vivenna carries a sword of unknown origin that shares some similar characteristics with Nightblood.{{book ref|sa3|108}}{{wob ref|10477}} [[Borea]], an [[honorspren]] in [[Shadesmar]], wants to know more about the sword; she recalls Nightblood passing through several years ago and agrees to trade information with Vivenna.{{book ref|sa3|108}}

Even while still in its scabbard, Nightblood is very powerful and enhances the person holding himit; simply unclasping it allows some of its power to manifest. It will deepen colors around it, similar to how a person with many Breaths will brighten colors.{{book ref|wb|15}} When its clasp is undone and even a bit of its blade shows, it suddenly feels lighter and leaks an inky smoke. The smoke is the Breaths that it has absorbed from its victims, twisted and fouled, leaking back out.{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=51}} While the sword was simply unclasped, Szeth smashed a man in the back, seemingly breaking bones and paralyzing him.{{book ref|sa3|92}} A prison guard on Nalthis was able to run the mostly-sheathed sword through his own chest.{{book ref|wb|prologue}}

Once drawn, Nightblood becomes incredibly powerful. Its voice becomes overpowering and liquid smoke pours from the length of the blade. The sword becomes barely sentient becauseas its Command takes over, and it does not usually recall what happens while it is drawn.{{annotation ref|wb|chapter=58}} The wielder feels extreme pain in the arm holding Nightblood and the hand, arm, and eventually the whole body turns black as the sword consumes Investiture.{{book ref|wb|56}}{{book ref|sa3|119}} The black veins or tendrils that appear in the wielder usually leave the skin gray after Nightblood is sheathed or otherwise satiated. This can be see in [[Lolan]]'s hand, Lift's arms, and Szeth's face.{{book ref|wb|26}}{{book ref|sa3|119}}

Living humans, [[Lifeless]], and inanimate objects disappear in a puff of smoke if touchedso much as nicked by Nightblood's blade.{{book ref|sa3|92}}{{book ref|wb|56}} So long as Nightblood is unsheathed, it drains Investiture from its wielder, drawing it faster the longer it is held, until it is all gone.{{book ref|wb|56}} If held until all available Breath (or other [[Investiture]]) is consumed, Nightblood will feed on the spark of life, killing the wielder.{{book ref|sa3|119}}{{wob ref|5813}} This will also happen to non-Returned that wield Nightblood.{{wob ref|4068}}

Nightblood was created on Nalthis and initially consumesconsumed BioChromatic Breaths, but it can also consume other forms of Investiture, such as [[Stormlight]].{{wob ref|661}}{{book ref|sa3|92}} On [[Scadrial]], a person would need to be actively [[Allomancy|burning a metal]] or tapping a [[Feruchemy|metalmind]] to avoid being consumed very quickly.{{wob ref|8683}} Nightblood can also feed on the [[Mistmist]]s but would not be able to pick up the [[Shard]] [[Preservation]].{{wob ref|4590}} On [[Sel]], Nightblood would be able to draw power from the [[Dor]]. For instance, if an Elantrian drew an [[Aon]] above the sword, it would be able to draw on Investiture, but the Aon would quickly be consumed due to too much energy being pulled through too small an opening.{{wob ref|8746}} Notably, it can draw Stormlight from other sources directly--not just from the wielder.{{book ref|sa3|92}}

Nightblood is very similar to a [[Shardblade]];{{wob ref|6892}}{{wob ref|5152}} Vasher and Shashara actually made it in imitation of Shardblades, with which they had prior experience.{{wob ref|3586}} However, since they didn't know how Shardblades were originally made and were trying to imitate a magic system different from the one they had access to, they had to do some "hacking" in order to get it to work, resulting in something akin to a Frankenstein's monster{{wob ref|2650}} or "robot spren".{{wob ref|3586}} Nightblood, while ultimately built around the same principles as other Shardblades, is much more powerful than normal, and is, in some ways, broken and opposite from them (e.g., in requiring constant input of Investiture to function, emitting black smoke that falls instead of white smoke that rises).{{wob ref|7134}} It is effectively a "third generation" Blade, where [[Honorblade]]s are "first generation" and spren Blades are "second generation".{{wob ref|3623}}