Honorblades

The Honorblades are ten unique and powerful swords created by the Shard Honor and granted to the ten Heralds, the original source of Surgebinding powers on Roshar and the prototypes from which ordinary Shardblades ultimately derive their name. The Honorblades are objects of profound significance in the lore of The Stormlight Archive.

Description

The Honorblades resemble Shardblades in form but are distinct in nature and power. Each was given by Honor to one of the ten Heralds, granting that Herald command of two of the ten Surges -- the same surges later wielded by the corresponding order of Knights Radiant. Unlike living Shardblades, the Honorblades are not Spren; they are direct creations of Honor.

Powers

A wielder of an Honorblade gains Surgebinding powers without the need for a Nahel bond with a Spren. However, this comes at a cost: Honorblades consume Stormlight far less efficiently than the spren bond of a true Radiant, so their wielders burn through Stormlight much more quickly. The Honorblades grant their surges to whoever holds them, making them transferable in a way that the Knights Radiant's spren-granted powers are not.

History and Custody

After the Heralds abandoned the Oathpact, they left their Honorblades behind. Several came to be kept in Shinovar, held by the Shin as sacred relics. The Shin used some Honorblades to create their own warriors -- most notably Szeth, the Assassin in White, who wielded the Honorblade of Jezrien and its Surges of Adhesion and Gravitation, mirroring the powers of the Windrunners.

Significance

The Honorblades are the wellspring of Surgebinding on Roshar, predating the Knights Radiant and providing the model for their powers. Their possession and use, particularly by Szeth, drive key events of The Stormlight Archive.