Nightfall: Magic Swords and the Coming Long Night

[Evolett]

13 hours ago, LongRider said:

I just have to say this; the Lightbringer sword Mel gave to Stannis was so fake, even a blind man could see it. 

Considering all these "failing" Lightbringer clones, perhaps the significant thing about the sword is the heat, not the light. Maester Aemon asks Sam if he felt any heat coming from the sword:

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Maester Aemon was lost in thought as Sam helped him down the narrow turnpike stair. But as they were crossing the yard, he said, “I felt no heat. Did you, Sam?” 

Sam confirmed there was none. Sam read the Jade Compendium where again much is made of the sword's heat:

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“I looked at that book Maester Aemon left me. The Jade Compendium. The pages that told of Azor Ahai. Lightbringer was his sword. Tempered with his wife’s blood if Votar can be believed. Thereafter Lightbringer was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa had been warm. In battle the blade burned fiery hot. 

The text continues with a tale about Azor Ahai fighting a monster:

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Once Azor Ahai fought a monster. When he thrust the sword through the belly of the beast, its blood began to boil. Smoke and steam poured from its mouth, its eyes melted and dribbled down its cheeks, and its body burst into flame.” Clydas blinked. “A sword that makes its own heat …” “… would be a fine thing on the Wall.” 

Again, the emphasis is on the heat, not the light. The beast begins to boil and bursts into flame from the heat. In this respect the effect of the sword is very much like that of obsidian. The Other's icy flesh melts from the intrinsic heat of Sam's obsidian blade. A creature with normal body temperature would begin to "boil" and catch fire when pierced with the sword, like the monster, but a much colder creature would melt. 

It makes sense for Lightbringer to generate heat if it is to be employed against the Others. One strike and the Others melt. A sword that makes its own heat may also help keep its wielder warm, which might be a survival aid, especially if the Others can bring extreme cold. Judging by what we've seen so far, I do not expect there to be a whole multitude of white walkers waiting in the pipeline. One sword might suffice. Each adversary will have to be hunted down. So Lightbringer then lives up to its name by contributing to restoring the light and this might extend to whatever exists in the Heart of Winter. 

[LongRider]

What acts like heat on a White Walker?  Obsidian, also known as dragon glass and frozen fire.  Obsidian is used in glass candles, and they are now burning.  The AA myth is very old and known in several other cultures, who have their own named warriors who have carried the sword.

So why would Lightbringer boil the blood of monsters and fell beasts?  Could obsidian, be a part of its makeup?  The myth says that it shattered 3x when AA tried to temper it by the normal method, which is why he stabbed Nissa  Nissa instead.  Magic would be needed to add obsidian to a sword, and magic is needed to light the glass candles.  Could obsidian be the magic fire making force that lights and heats the sword and burns and boils the monsters?

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

34 minutes ago, LongRider said:

So why would Lightbringer boil the blood of monsters and fell beasts?  Could obsidian, be a part of its makeup?

If Dawn is indeed Lightbringer, as has been speculated, could it be that it's made out of obsidian instead of material from a "fallen star"? Although it is white as milk and not dark, to be fair. 

[LongRider]

56 minutes ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

If Dawn is indeed Lightbringer, as has been speculated, could it be that it's made out of obsidian instead of material from a "fallen star"? Although it is white as milk and not dark, to be fair. 

In my POV, which is pure speculation, it's said in the books that obsidian is very brittle, with that in mind is why I suggested it's added to the metal of the sword when being made.  The glass candles are black it's true, but if magic is involved, it could turn milk white.  To my knowledge of the books, no other sword or metal is described as milk white, so could it be magic?

[Curled Finger]

Old Nan nodded. "In that darkness, the Others came for the first time," she said as her needles went click click click. "They were cold things, dead things, that hated iron and fire and the touch of the sun, and every creature with hot blood in its veins. They swept over holdfasts and cities and kingdoms, felled heroes and armies by the score, riding their pale dead horses and leading hosts of the slain. All the swords of men could not stay their advance,  Bran IV AGOT 

Yah, only that they hate this stuff, but there is a reason they hate it.  Annoyance, offence, repulsion, fear, self preservation?  I am doubting jealousy is here on the list.  There is some power in iron and fire and sunlight and living mammals, but they can't make swords that will hold the Others back.  No, weapons have to come from a superhuman race.  COTF, Targaryens, Daynes?  Someone.  Now we know the Starks are superhuman along very different lines and there was once a sword with them that was lost to history.  Curious that.  More curious is the destruction of the family and division of the replacement sword, a magical sword in its own right.  Wonder why a Stark would need or want a Valyrian Steel Sword?  

The sword has to have a self contained heat source.   Our scant descriptions of Dawn seem to indicate it sparkles or sheens.  Maybe that is a sort of light though it is early to really guess at Dawn.   Still, jewels are prominent in the pommels of some of the VS swords we have full descriptions of.  It is interesting as this sword dressing isn't a really popular thing.  Joffrey digs it, but Lannister, go figure.  I could be wrong in guessing these jewels may "activate" in some way when they are matched with the hero they are intended to be with or when they are united in purpose.  I could see this happening or not.  What I have seen already is Jon and Brienne both claiming their swords have minds of their own or making them better fighters.  That tells me there is a sort of sentience within these blades, even if it is a simple fighter it's there.  

I had a lot of fun reading the posts above.  The other white material is petrified weirwood, which I think Longclaw's pommel may well be made of.  I don't think Dawn is made of that, but a lot of folks used to think is was the same crystal as the Others' blades?  I got nothing for that.  Martin has put a lot of work into pounding obsidian's Other killing properties into our consciousness.  It would be foolish to ignore this.  Keep in mind, it is magical obsidian after all.  I am sure the blood sacrifice makes it less brittle in processing.  

[Phylum of Alexandria]

2 minutes ago, Curled Finger said:

I don't think Dawn is made of that, but a lot of folks used to think is was the same crystal as the Others' blades? 

I don't know about their icy blades, but it should be noted that Dawn is described as pale as milkglass, and the only things described that way are the Others, and Ghost Grass, which has a Other-ish quality to it. The Others are also described as bone-white, like the weirwoods. I can't say what the exact connections are, but the language suggests some sort of connection.

[Curled Finger]

13 minutes ago, Phylum of Alexandria said:

I don't know about their icy blades, but it should be noted that Dawn is described as pale as milkglass, and the only things described that way are the Others, and Ghost Grass, which has a Other-ish quality to it. The Others are also described as bone-white, like the weirwoods. I can't say what the exact connections are, but the language suggests some sort of connection.

Now you will get me all scared and creeped out.  Yikes.