Orders of the Knights Radiant

[Aashyma she/her]

CheeseNinja, I am with you that the blade that Szeth has is the source of his Windrunner powers. And I think this is because he has an Dawnshard instead of a simpler Shardblade. We know the Heralds abandoned their weapons, and that the Dawnblades can be wielded by someone other than a Herald. And that Taln says at the beginning that they are more than regular Shardblades.

Whats interesting is Tarvangian referring to it as a monstrosity. Is this because the Shin think it's monstrous, or because Tarvangian does?

Edit to add:

In the picture of Nalan wielding the Dawnshard:

http://brandonsanderson.com/images/wok/tWoK_EPHEMERA-4_RELIEF-webres.jpg

Notice that it's distinctly double edged?

Is it just me or is Nalan bald-like the Shin?

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

I've seen no reference to what that sword is except for a bit where Dalinar is in the king's palace outside the Shattered Plains. This may or may not be the same thing, but it says that workers are carving an image of Nalan'Elin holding the "sword of retribution". It may be possible that Szeth has one of the Heralds' Blades (though I doubt it), but I think it's fair to say that the Dawnshard is something completely different.

[pdxtrent he/him]

I've seen no reference to what that sword is except for a bit where Dalinar is in the king's palace outside the Shattered Plains. This may or may not be the same thing, but it says that workers are carving an image of Nalan'Elin holding the "sword of retribution". It may be possible that Szeth has one of the Heralds' Blades (though I doubt it), but I think it's fair to say that the Dawnshard is something completely different.

Sorry, I had confused Dawnshards with the Herald's blades. That was what I meant;-)

Edited September 13, 2011 by pdxtrent

[Cheese Ninja he/him]

There is another thread where they were discussing that we don't really know much about the Dawnshards, besides "Taking the Dawnshard, known to bind any creature voidish or mortal, he crawled up the steps crafted for Heralds, ten strides tall apiece, toward the grand temple above.” from Jasnah's notes. There's nothing there stating that they are weapons at all.

I thought that were related to Honorblades as well, until the person in front of me at a signing about a year ago asked a similarly confused question about Dawnblades and Honorshards, when I corrected him (I'm always trying to correct people, it's an irritating quality), Brandon stated that they were two different things. When I followed up with a question about what it was then that Szeth was wielding, he gave one of the cryptic "I wonder..." type answers that tell you nothing, neither whether you are on the right track, nor whether you are floundering.

Still, that Goodreads.com interview came 2-3 months after that October 3rd Towers of Midnight signing. I could or could not be one of the "people have already begun to guess".

I don't actually think that Szeth wields an Honorblade, but seeing as we have so few unique weapons at this point, it could very well be.

Each was a masterly work of art, flowing in design, inscribed with glyphs and patterns. He recognized each one. If their masters had died, the Blades would have vanished.

From Kalak's prelude. Szeth's blade is never described as such.

To his side, he carried a massive Shardblade, point down, sticking about a finger’s width into the stone, his hand on the hilt. The Blade reflected torchlight; it was long, narrow, and straight, shaped like an enormous spike.

From the epilogue, assumed to be Taln's Honorblade, since it stayed when he collapsed, and we're pretty sure he's not dead since he has upcoming confirmed PoV. Edited September 13, 2011 by Cheese Ninja