Timewaster's Guide Archive

I can't help but think that a number of characters will end up as Knights Radiant equivalents, Jasnah as well.

Jasnah held up a hand. “These are a type of spren, Shallan. They are related to what you do.” She tapped the desk softly. “Two orders of the Knights Radiant possessed inherent Soulcasting ability; it was based on their powers that the original fabrials were designed, I believe. I had assumed that you… But no, that obviously wouldn’t make sense. I see now.”
“What?”
“I will explain as I train you,” Jasnah said, handing back the sheet. “You will need a greater foundation before you can grasp it. Suffice it to say that each Radiant’s abilities were tied to the spren.”

So, as far as orders with inherent Soulcasting abilities: 6th order and which ever one Jasnah would go in, I'm liking 2nd order for Jasnah.

2 Nan; Smokestone (gem); vapor (essence); exhalation (body focus); opaque gas, fog, smoke (soulcasting properties); Learned/Giving (primary/2nd divine attributes)


As far as the argument for shardblade being used in cutting the Soulcaster apart, it's notable that it was "sheared" through, and not merely broken, as it would be by the force of ordinary weapon.

It was pretty clear from early on that she had a shardblade.

Thanks to the other posters, particularly Chosen, in this thread finding and inserting most of the important quotes.

I thought she probably killed her father with the shardblade, just because there was blood pooling around him doesn't mean a whole lot.  Any subsequent blows after the initial death would have cut flesh, and she might have been flailing at him with it.

But then Chosen brought out this quote: Ten heartbeats, to bring forth the fruit of her sin, the proceeds of her most horrific act.  This it most easily interpreted as her taking the blade off her father's corpse.  But then how did the Soulcaster get cut in half?
 

The Soulcaster looked identical to the one she and her brothers had found in the inside pocket of her father’s coat. -Page 95

Shallan fished in the safepouch inside her sleeve, bringing out her father’s broken Soulcaster. It had been sheared in two places: across one of the chains and through the setting that held one of the stones. She inspected it in the light, looking—not for the first time—for signs of that damage. The link in the chain had been replaced perfectly and the setting reforged equally well. Even knowing exactly where the cuts had been, she couldn’t find any flaw. - Page 575

I'm assuming that he was hiding it on himself, and the shardblade cut through it.

So how did this all go down?  Nan Balat did something that upset their father during dinner.  He started beating him viciously enough to break his leg horribly.  He must have been about to kill Nan Balat when Shallan intervened and killed him instead.  Did he summon the shardblade, then put it to the side, and then she picked it up and slashed him with it?