entropicscholar Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) Base Information Whenever a Desolation comes, on Roshar, any Heralds who are currently deceased are returned to life. Warbreaker has returned from death at least once. Vasher, from Warbreaker, has been confirmed to be Zahel, from Words of Radience. Vasher's life, and the drive for most things which he does, are centered around a feeling that he needs to atone for a great misdeed committed in his distant past, which has brought great suffering to others. This misdeed is widely assumed to have been the Manywar. A Herald, whose point of view is shown in the Prelude to The Way of Kings, and whose name is not revealed in that text, commits an act of negligence, abandoning his duty: 'a great misdeed committed in the distant past, which has brought great suffering to others.' He appears to be very unhappy about the decision, even then. According to Roshar lore, the people currently populating Roshar are the decendents of people who were forced off of their home world (The Tranquilene Halls) many hundred years ago. Presumably, this would make the Heralds all be world hoppers. (this last item is disputable) Names (included for convenience) Quote from Warbreaker, Epilogue “Yes,” she said. “Everyone calls you things. Peacegiver. Kalad. Vasher. Talaxin. Is that last one your real name, the name of the scholar?” ... “Well?” she asked. “What was it?” “Warbreaker the Peaceful,” he finally admitted. Question – and the name he possessed before his return? Answer – “I can’t remember the time before I Returned.” Personality Quote from The Coppermind (Herald) Kalak Also known as Kelek in Vorinism. He is associated with the number Kak, the essence Foil, and the attributes Resolute and Builder. He is patron of the Order of Willshapers. Quote from Words of Radiance, chapter 50, Epigraph alterations have been made to reference the Patron Herald of the order, rather than the order itself “And now, if there was an uncut gem among [them], it was [Kalak]; for though enterprising, [he was] erratic, and Invia wrote of [him], 'capricious, frustrating, unreliable,' as taking it for granted that others would agree” ... “this [man] was said to be most varied, inconsistent in temperament save for a general love of adventure, novelty, or oddity.” Almost in compliment to these words, the following may be found in Warbreaker: “You won’t kill a god who plans to march his armies to war?” Nightblood asked. “But you’ll nearly choke a young woman to death?” It was a complicated statement for the sword. However, it lacked the accusation that a human would have put into the words. To Nightblood it really was just a question. “I don’t understand my morality either,” Vasher thought. “I’d suggest you avoid confusing yourself.” “So,” she asked as they walked along the jungle road, “I can’t figure it out. Which one are you? Kalad, who started the war, or Peacegiver, who ended it?” He didn’t answer immediately. “It’s odd,” he finally said, “what history does to a man. I guess people couldn’t understand why I suddenly changed. Why I stopped fighting, and why I brought the Phantoms back to seize control of my own kingdom. So they decided I must have been two people. A man can get confused about his identity when things like that happen.” Vasher is... Capricious, Frustrating, Unreliable, and of a most Varied and Inconsistent Temperament. Un-refined. (and Grumpy) A man who cannot stand still, but seeks the road, and difficult tasks needing accomplished. In a word, Adventurous. Even if nothing else, Vasher is Resolute, and also, more interested in building up, than in breaking things down. The man in the Prelude to The Way of Kings has always interested me. This may in fact be the the seed that began this theory. His name is given as Kalak, Herald, Patron of the Willshapers. More than this, his attitude is startalingly similar to another man we have read of in Brandon Sanderson's works. A very old man, with a very youthful body. Bourn down heavily by the weight of his age, his knowledge, his sins, and responsability. Not a man who lives for himself at all; instead, a man who lives to correct the wrongs he wishes he had never created. The man who instructed Kaladin Stormblessed to "Choose the option that makes it easiest for you to sleep at night." After all, "That's what I wish I'd done." Edited April 1, 2015 by entropicscholar 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencer12347 Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Sanderson said that Vasher has been on Roshar for only twelve years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Sanderson said that Vasher has been on Roshar for only twelve years. Okay while I don't agree with the theory, this is not evidence against as that is /not/ what Brandon said. Brandon said that Vasher appeared in The Way of Kings Prime, which was written in 2002, so he has been on Roshar, in Brandon's mind, for 12 years /our time/. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I've seen a theory like this before, and I like it a lot. To add to it, have you considered the fact that "Kelek's breath" is used as an expletive in parts of Roshar? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connormce10 Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Hmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmurfAquamarineBodies Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Isn't their a WoB stating that none of the Heralds have left Roshar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natc Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 If anything I remember Brandon being somewhat coy as to whether the Heralds are even Rosharan. And I assume you mean Greater Roshar, because Braize is a separate planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmurfAquamarineBodies Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 If anything I remember Brandon being somewhat coy as to whether the Heralds are even Rosharan. And I assume you mean Greater Roshar, because Braize is a separate planet. Ahh, yea. I also meant being unable to get out of the system since they abandoned the Oathpact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropicscholar Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 I've seen a theory like this before, and I like it a lot. To add to it, have you considered the fact that "Kelek's breath" is used as an expletive in parts of Roshar? I had not noticed that. hmmm... Isn't their a WoB stating that none of the Heralds have left Roshar? If anything I remember Brandon being somewhat coy as to whether the Heralds are even Rosharan. And I assume you mean Greater Roshar, because Braize is a separate planet. I beleive the quote you are referring to is a statement that the Heralds cant actually get out of their duty to the Oathpact. Meaning that where-ever they happen to be, they end up gathering on Roshar During any Desolation. (which seems to be occuring, in story) If I'm mistaken in that, I won't be too suprised, though it would be nice if someone could track down the quote in question. (also, I'm not sure they were all origionally Rosharan either. Tranquoline Halls, and all that, if nothing else.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 I had not noticed that. hmmm... There's also a possible Awakening reference in a Rosharan fairy tale I cataloged here, if you're interested in other connections between Roshar and Nalthis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinxer Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 This is interesting. I notice on the Coppermind Chronology that the events of Warbreaker are wedged between those of WoA and those of AoL. Obviously, if that's true it places far more stress on this theory, but is that chronological placement verified or is it just speculation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormingTexan Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 (edited) This is interesting to me because when I see "Kelek's breath" I think Heralds=Returned. I guess it could just mean Kelek had some dragon breath but with the other tie-ins to Warbreaker it seems like a huge clue. In the Warbreaker Ars Arcanum it says Other: There are rumors of other powers granted by the Tenth Heightening which are not understood or have not been made known by those who have achieved it. Sanderson, Brandon (2009-06-09). Warbreaker (p. 568). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. Could the other powers be worldhoping? Do we know if all of the 5 scholars reach the 10th Heightening or was it just Vasher? Edited April 3, 2015 by StormingTexan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curiosity Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 This is interesting to me because when I see "Kelek's breath" I think Heralds=Returned. I guess it could just mean Kelek had some dragon breath but with the other tie-ins to Warbreaker it seems like a huge clue. Kelek's breath has always confused me, since Kelek and Willshapers are characterized by "Resolute/Builder(s)" which are associated with the essence of Foil (nails/metal). Why then, do people swear by his breath, which is the characteristic of Jezrien and Nalan? You might very well be onto something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entropicscholar Posted April 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 (edited) This is interesting. I notice on the Coppermind Chronology that the events of Warbreaker are wedged between those of WoA and those of AoL. Obviously, if that's true it places far more stress on this theory, but is that chronological placement verified or is it just speculation? If you read closely, you can find that Warbreaker actually takes place at the same time as Way of Kings, and part of Words of Radiance. I noted this by watching Hoid very closely. When speaking to Kaladin, in prison, Hoid notes that tuning his harp is now much easier now that he has perfect pitch (aka, the 2nd heightening). This places his visit to Nathis (when he posed as a storyteller, speaking to Siri) immeately before that event. --- what do you all think of the personality comparison? Edited April 3, 2015 by entropicscholar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natc Posted April 4, 2015 Report Share Posted April 4, 2015 If you read closely, you can find that Warbreaker actually takes place at the same time as Way of Kings, and part of Words of Radiance. I noted this by watching Hoid very closely. When speaking to Kaladin, in prison, Hoid notes that tuning his harp is now much easier now that he has perfect pitch (aka, the 2nd heightening). This places his visit to Nathis (when he posed as a storyteller, speaking to Siri) immeately before that event. --- what do you all think of the personality comparison? Zahel and Nightblood have been on Roshar for years, so that's physically impossible. He could've taken that breath at any point in the last few thousand/tens of thousands of years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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