Why Lirin is likely to be a major character

[Vin(Diesel)]

Lirin ought to be an important character in future books. 

Rosharan humans’ Shard, Honor, is essentially the personification of oath keeping. He could have been about honor in a broader sense, but his Intent ended up being primarily about oaths.

Of all the people on Roshar, which one’s character is most aligned with this Intent? Lirin’s. He is the most oath-keeping man on Roshar. He keep his oaths to a fault.

If Lirin lived on a different world, that would just be one interesting attribute among many. But on Roshar, this should influence his Connection to certain forms of investiture, and give him credibility among the splinters beyond the credibility that people generally earn by integrity. 

As I have written elsewhere, I think there’s some foreshadowing that suggests he will bond an honorspren. If that happens, I suspect it will be unintentional. 

It also seems like surgeons are about to become more importantly to the plot, as Kaladin is about to need to find a cure for the Heralds and hopefully for other mentally ill people. This is likely to put surgeons and Heralds together. One of the Heralds said his madness could be temporarily alleviated if a Radiant swore an oath near him. It would be odd for Mr. Honor-able Lirin not to have attracted the attention of one of Honor’s spren yet, except for two things: Lirin is a pacifist and Radiants fight, and the honorspren were refusing to bond. However, Rhythm of War established that Windrunners can protect by being surgeons and that Syl’s old Radiant used to use her generally for non-violent protection (digging storm shelters, iirc), raised questions about how surgeons might use shardblades (as stethoscopes, Kaladin suggested), and saw the honorspren persuaded that they could resume bonding Radiants. 
 

But even if Lirin doesn’t become a Windrunner, we have a character who is all about Honor’s intent who’s in a profession that is suddenly relevant to the plot. 

Brandon has also made Lirin an interesting, three dimensional character already. 
 

We have the makings of a very important character here, possibly a main character. 
 

I like Lirin, and I will be frustrated if Lirin doesn’t get screen time while he’s at this major crossroads of theme and plot. 
 

#MoreLirin

 

 

[earthexile]

I disagree, and here's why: Because of everything you've correctly identified about Lirin. He exemplifies the qualities and mindset of a complete Windrunner in many ways.

And so, because of the somewhat ironic nature of the Nahel Bond, becoming a Windrunner would not be a path of redemption and spiritual development!

He does not need to aim himself in the direction of protecting others, he's been devoted to that all his life. He doesn't need to swear to protect even those he hates, he consciously chose to preserve Roshone despite knowing that the guy dying would be much better for him and his family. He doesn't need to internalize the idea that he will sometimes fail to save people, he made his peace with that as part of his surgeons' training.

The Honorspren would say he's a cool guy. But they aren't going to see someone who needs them, and can be healed by them. 

[Frustration he/him]

3 minutes ago, earthexile said:

I disagree, and here's why: Because of everything you've correctly identified about Lirin. He exemplifies the qualities and mindset of a complete Windrunner in many ways.

And so, because of the somewhat ironic nature of the Nahel Bond, becoming a Windrunner would not be a path of redemption and spiritual development!

He does not need to aim himself in the direction of protecting others, he's been devoted to that all his life. He doesn't need to swear to protect even those he hates, he consciously chose to preserve Roshone despite knowing that the guy dying would be much better for him and his family. He doesn't need to internalize the idea that he will sometimes fail to save people, he made his peace with that as part of his surgeons' training.

The Honorspren would say he's a cool guy. But they aren't going to see someone who needs them, and can be healed by them. 

The Spren want someone to live up to the oaths, not to change to live up to the oaths, so he'd be a fine canidate.

[+honorblades he/him]

3 hours ago, earthexile said:

I disagree, and here's why:

Fantastic take in my opinion. Well done. 

[Vin(Diesel)]

Earthexile, you might be right about Nahel bonds. I don’t know. I don’t remember anything that would prove Nahel bonds require someone who needs to grow or not.

But I wasn’t just talking about Lirin becoming a Windrunner. I’m saying something needs to happen with Lirin, whether it’s becoming a Windrunner or not. He’s too interesting a character too connected to important things to just continue to exist. 
 

But maybe I’m wrong about that too. Maybe he will just continue to be interesting adjacent to all the action.

[Blackwarder]

I think Lirin will become the third Bondsmith.

I’ve written about why I think so in the past.

Tried to copy it all to here but I’m on my phone.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Blackwarder

[Pathfinder]

Exemplifying the oaths does not preclude you from a bond. Prime example is Szeth. He advanced through some of the skybreaker oaths far faster than others for that reason.

[Vin(Diesel)]

Blackwarder, maybe so, but the third bondsmith bonds the Nightwatcher. Iirc, she is a spren solely of Cultivation. So Lirin’s honor isn’t much of a factor. His work healing others, yes, but his oathkeeping would be less important than it would be for any other spren. 

[+honorblades he/him]

17 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

Exemplifying the oaths does not preclude you from a bond. Prime example is Szeth. He advanced through some of the skybreaker oaths far faster than others for that reason.

The Knights Radiant are all about growing as a person. Becoming better. I don't think Lirin needs to grow in the same way that most Windrunners do, but that does not mean he couldn't fit into another order, or even just further along in the Windrunner chain. Good point. 

[AerionBFII he/him]

When I first started reading Stormlight I always thought Lirin may have been an early Radiant because of the scattered Radiants being hunted by 'Darkness'  showing they were repopulating away from the main cast. I know this isn't true but I think he's got great potential to be a KR. Maybe an Edgedancer given his preference for healing and treating everybody. Also given how he changed during ROW he might not be combative but he might be less reticent to fight if it came to it.