Difference between revisions of "Shardblade"

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]], [[The Sunlit Man]]

While there are a few differences between the various types of Shardblades, they all share a few common traits. All are larger but lighter than any normal sword,{{book ref|sa2|44}} often at or approaching six feet in length,{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} while simultaneously extremely light.{{book ref|sa1|18}}{{wob ref|7134}} All Shardblades that are bound to a specific owner can be summoned{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} and dismissed at will.{{book ref|sa2|8}} When summoned, they appear in one's hand,{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} coalescing out of mist, with the shape the mist takes depending on the type of spren from which it was formed. For example, [[Mayalaran]] manifests as small vines before appearing as a Blade.{{book ref|sa2|50}} Additionally, water condenses along the length of the Blade when it appears.{{book ref|sa1|13}} They can appear inside liquid, shoving it out of the way, but cannot be summoned inside of a solid object.{{wob ref|14108}} When a Blade is dismissed{{book ref|sa2|5}} it also vanishes into mist.{{book ref|sa1|13}} TheyThe blades are composedmade offrom an unknownalloy of the [[God Metal|God Metals]] of Honor and Cultivation. Each blade has a different ratio of that alloy depending on which radiant spren it is.{{wob ref|10911949}},{{wob ref|2541}} This alloy is the same type as the one that appears on the keyhole of an [[Oathgate]].{{book ref|sa2|84}} The tensile strength of Shardblades is very high; while they can bend a small amount, Shardblades appear to be unbreakable under natural circumstances.{{book ref|sa2|26}}{{book ref|tsm|30}} Shardblades are said to have a sort of magnetism to them, anyone who sees one is drawn to it.{{book ref|sa3|7}}

Shardblades can cut through non-living objects, such as wood or stone, as if they are passing through water.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Even though they can cut through nearly any material, there is still a slight bit of resistance even when cutting through inanimate objects.{{book ref|sa2|44}} When cutting through an object, Shardblades leave behind distinctive perfectly clean cuts.{{book ref|sa3|50}} However, when swung at a person or other living object, the edge of the Shardblade will fuzz, leaving the physical body unharmed, and cutting the being's soul. It is still possible to Soulcast a person killed by a Shardblade.{{book ref|sa4|104}}{{book ref|sa4|114}} The wielder of the Blade feels a small tug of resistance as the Blade passes through living material.{{book ref|sa1|13}} If the Blade cuts the core of a person's limb, the person feels a flash of incredible pain and then the limb turns gray and becomes limp and numb.{{book ref|sa2|32}} If an internal organ is pierced by a Shardblade, it may be killed or cease to function.{{book ref|sa1|13}} If the Blade strikes the spine or head, the eyes of the person blacken and burn out with a dark smoke rising from them.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} When a person is killed this way by a Shardblade, death is not instantaneous; it often takes a few moments for the person to be completely dead.{{book ref|edgedancer|8}} Once a person or other living thing has been killed, its remains can be cut like any other inanimate object.{{book ref|sa2|72}} This applies to plants as well; it takes two swings of a Shardblade to sever a plant, one to kill the soul and another to cut it. Non-living portions of a living thing, such as hair or nails can be cut with a Shardblade before the creature itself is killed.{{book ref|sa1|13}} Parts of a body that have been damaged by a Shardblade are typically referred to as Blade-dead.{{book ref|sa2|56}} Blood continues to flow through them, and they do not rot.{{wob ref|12881}}

There were three main types of Shardblades used on Roshar during the [[Era of Solitude]]. They were the Honorblades of the Heralds, the Shardblades of the typical Radiants, and the dead Shardblades of the Radiants who abandoned their oaths at the [[Recreance]].

The spren is still capable of speaking with their Radiant while in Blade form.{{book ref|sa2|86}}{{book ref|tsm|25}} In addition to that, the spren need not take the shape of a Blade. They can become a spear, a shield, a knife, an axe, a hammer, or a large variety of weapons. In the past they may have even taken the form of bows, although it is uncertain what was used for a string.{{book ref|edgedancer|20}} A spren may take many forms when it becomes solid, but it must be metal.{{book ref|edgedancer|20}} CertainAlmost unseriousanything forms,can likebe a table forkmade, are also possible, though strange forms may annoyassuming the spren. Radiant Bladesunderstands are able to bethe dulledconstruction withon a mentalfundamental command,level butand canall stillpieces cutof throughmetal thingsare like a normal swordtouching.{{book ref|sa4tsm|155}} Radiant Blades may be lent toUnless otherspracticed, justthe likemore theircomplicated deadthe counterpartsitem, andthe maylonger evenit changetakes formthe in orderspren to aidturn theinto borrowerit.{{book ref|sa2tsm|725}} WhenForms thecan Radiantalso whobe ownsaltered thewithout Bladereverting dies,back theto a spren isfirst, freedsuch andas mayadding bondspikes againto with another persona one dayshield.{{wobbook ref|6688tsm|1}}{{book Aref|tsm|5}} Radiant'sThe living Shardblademetal can also be usedturned totransparent activateor [[Oathgates]]magnetic.{{book ref|sa3tsm|86}}

Dead Shardblades are blades that were once owned by members of the Knights Radiant.{{book ref|sa2|87}} If a Radiant that has a Shardblade betrays their oaths, their spren is killed and its body is trapped in the shape of the Blade. Dead Shardblades lose some of the functionality that they once had. The Blades lose most of their ability to change into different weapons, although the shape of the Blade may change slightly to accommodate its owner after being used for a long time.{{wob ref|7728}} The dead Shardblades are nearly identical to how they appeared while still wielded by the Radiants, but there are two small differences. Each dead Shardblade has a [[Polestone]] attached to its pommel or crossguard,{{book ref|sa3|73}} whereas the the Shardblades wielded by Radiants do not.{{book ref|sa2|67}} These gemstones allow for a new bond to be created between a person and a dead Shardblade.{{book ref|sa3|16}} A Radiant cannot draw Stormlight from a gemstone attached to a dead Shardblade.{{wob ref|13088}} They also lack the subtle glow possessed by the Blades of active Radiants.{{book ref|sa1|52}} Another difference between the two is that dead Shardblades do not automatically remain summoned when dropped or placed somewhere by their owner.{{book ref|sa1|13}} If a Shardbearer does not intentionally command their Blade mentally to remain, the Blade will automatically be dismissed and will have to be summoned all over again.{{book ref|sa2|8}} When a Shardblade is not actively summoned, the spren appear within Shadesmar as a [[deadeye]], where their eyes take on an appearance of having been scratched away, like scraping paint off a painting.{{book ref|sa3|89}} This is related to how the eyes of people killed by Shardblades burn.{{wob ref|13131}} The deadeyes have no apparent personality or autonomy, instead they will wander to the location that corresponds with the location in the Physical Realm of their corpse, or the person bonded to it unless prevented from doing so. If the person it is bonded to is themself in Shadesmar the spren will follow them around within Shadesmar.

Awakening a Dead Shardblade in an attempt to fix them would not work.{{wob ref|8953}} This is likely a result of the heavily Invested nature of Shardblades.{{book ref|sa4|part=ars}}{{wob ref|5799}}{{wob ref|2675}}{{wob ref|7028}}{{wob ref|3882}}

In the year 1168, [[Szeth|Szeth-son-Neturo]], a [[Truthless]] of [[Shinovar]] was sent by the [[Parshendi]] to kill [[Gavilar Kholin]], king of the kingdom of [[Alethkar]].{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Wielding the Honorblade of the Herald Jezrien,{{book ref|sa2|87}} which he had received from his people,{{book ref|sa1|i|6}} Szeth assassinated many other rulers on the orders of King [[Taravangian]] of [[Kharbranth]].{{book ref|sa1|71}} The use of this Honorblade destabilized the political structures of most of the influential kingdoms of Roshar, particularly [[Azir]]{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} and the nation of [[Jah Keved]], where a succession war occurred.{{book ref|sa2|i|14}}

Outside of Vorin Roshar, other regions usually have far fewer Blades and they deal with them quite differently. The [[Thaylenah|Thaylens]] have only five Blades, which they keep in the hands of their Royal Guards.{{book ref|sa1|23}} The [[Herdaz|Herdazians]] have but a single Blade, which is kept in the royal line, passed from each king to his heir. In the Makabaki regions, the [[Prime Aqasix]] of [[Azir]] controls the Imperial Shardblades which he rents to the smaller kingdoms.{{book ref|edgedancer|2}} The Selay have several Blades of their own as well.{{book ref|sa1|23}} Even the [[listener]]s havehad their own Shardblades,{{book ref|sa1|28}} although theirthey numberseventually havelost dwindledevery downone toof a singletheir Bladeblades{{book ref|sa2|i|11}} asbecause the Alethi gradually killkilled the listener Shardbearers in the [[War of Reckoning]] and took theirthese Blades for themselves.{{book ref|sa1|18}} Smaller and weaker nations such as [[Kharbranth]], however, have no Shardblades, leaving it to the mercy of the kingdoms with Shardblades.{{book ref|sa1|5}} It is generally believed that the island people of the [[Reshi Sea]] do not have any Blades either,{{book ref|sa1|16}} which leaves them at a disadvantage to the Alethi during border conflicts.{{book ref|sa1|52}} The [[Unkalaki]] of the [[Horneater Peaks]] do not have any Shardblades, but the first man to gain a Blade would be able to unite the Peaks as king.{{book ref|sa1|23}}

=== Greatshell Hunts ===

Shardblades are often used in [[greatshell]] hunts, enormous Vorin sporting events.{{book ref|sa1|12}} Typically the Shardblades are used in the very final stages of the hunt, after the beast has been wounded by volleys of arrows and shots from a [[grandbow]]. In the case of the [[chasmfiend]]s of the [[Shattered Plains]], the Shardblades are used on the beasts's legs.{{book ref|sa1|13}} Shardbearers ride around beneath the greatshell, cutting through one leg at a time until the remaining legs cannot support the chasmfiend's weight and it collapses. The creature is then killed with the Blades and its gemheart is harvested. Some consider the Blades to be so effective that the greatshell hunts are unsportsmanlike.{{book ref|sa1|12}} It is unknown what role Shardblades play in other greatshell hunts.

A Shardbearer is typically trained in a specific way among the Alethi. Lighteyed boys of appropriate rank around the age of ten are chosen by an ardent swordmaster for training.{{book ref|sa2|16}} These boys typically already have at least some training with the sword. The swordmasters train in training grounds run by the ardentia. The swordmaster's job is teaches them the ten [[Stances|Shardblade Stances]], which are used in both dueling and regular combat.{{book ref|sa2|44}} They train with Blades in two ways. If the trainee has no Blade of his own, they can make use of wooden practice swords that approximate the balance and weight of a real Blade. They may also borrow one of the King's Blades.{{book ref|sa2|16}} Either way, when training with real Blades a guard is used to blunt the cutting edge.{{book ref|sa2|18}} The origin of these guards is unknown, but they are believed to come from long ago. As the Blades of the original Radiants could naturally dull themselves to prevent injury, it seems likely that they were developed at some point following the Recreance.{{book ref|sa3|15}} The guards are made of metal and conform to the edge of any Blade.{{book ref|sa2|18}} The guards themselves are useless and fragile on their own, but they are perfect for training. A swordmaster also coaches their student on how to control the Blade with their mind, commanding it to remain in place so it can be loaned to others.{{book ref|sa2|35}}

As swords and arrows are practically useless against a Shardbearer, heavy weapons such as war hammers and axes are often used in an attempt to shatter the plate.{{book ref|sa1|56}} The most common tactic is to simply drown a Shardbearer in enemies.{{book ref|sa2|85}} Enemy forces attempt to attack from all directions, hoping that the Shardbearer may grow distracted or disoriented.{{book ref|sa1|56}} Despite the fact that most regular soldiers are afraid to face a Shardbearer, when they attack in large groups the weight of the army can force even the reluctant forward,{{book ref|sa1|56}} and there is always the chance that someone will get in a lucky blow.{{book ref|sa2|85}} Shardbearers are vulnerable if they can be separated from the soldiers supporting them, so if an army can separate a Shardbearer from their honor guard and limit their mobility, they have a decent chance of killing him.{{book ref|sa1|28}} One tactic to reduce a Shardblade's effectiveness is to get in close to the Shardbearer, staying within the Shardbearer's reach{{book ref|sa3|11}} and taking advantage of the Blade's long, non-lethal hilt.{{book ref|sa1|56}}{{book ref|sa2|89}} Fortifications may be constructed with this principle in mind, keeps built with narrow corridors to prevent a bulky Shardbearer from maneuvering.{{book ref|sa3|66}} There are also soldiers trained specifically to deal with Shardbearers. They utilize ropes and hooks to try to unbalance or trip the shardbearer, though this isn't always successful as shardplates are heavy. As the Shardblades cut through corpses instead of knocking them away like a normal weapon would, Shardbearers often become surrounded in corpses, which can lead to unstable footing and decreased mobility.{{book ref|sa1|56}} In extended battle, Shardbearers are rarely the last fighting, their enemy focuses on bringing them down first so that their Blades can be turned on their own men once they have fallen.{{book ref|sa1|67}} This means when a Shardbearer is killed, recovering their Blade and Plate are a higher priority than even retrieving the highlord's body.{{book ref|sa2|82}}

! Spren Name !! Radiant Name !! Order !! class=unsortable| Typical Form !! class=unsortable| Notes !! class=unsortable| References

! Shardbearer !! Blade Name !! Previous Holder !! class=unsortable| Appearance !! class=unsortable| Notes !! class=unsortable| References

| CurrentlyWas in possession of Elhokar as King's Blade, lookingpresumably forwent worthyto ownerJasnah after her coronation{{book ref|sa2|16}}

! Shardbearer !! Blade Name !! Previous Holder !! Next Holder !! class=unsortable| Appearance !! class=unsortable| Notes !! class=unsortable| References

[[Forgery]] could be used to gain a Shardblade, with some restrictions.{{wob ref|7235}} The Investiture is not powerful enough to temporarily create a new Shardblade, and if it somehow could it would be terribly inefficient.{{wob ref|4859}} Instead, if a person had once held a Shardblade and gave it up, a Forger could rewrite their past to make it that they had never given up the Blade, and they would then be able to summon that same Shardblade.{{wob ref|7235}} This would have the effect of tricking a Blade into believing that it is bound to two people at once and could be summoned by both of them. It is theoretically possible for the [[seon]]s and [[skaze]] of Sel to take the form of a Shardblade, but something would need to pull them more fully into the Physical Realm, like the Nahel bond does for the spren.{{wob ref|6197}}