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Nan Balat Radiant Order


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I know that not every character in Stormlight is going to become a Knight Radiant, but in my reread of Words of Radiance, I thought a lot about Nan Balat, and realized that he seems to fit one of the orders particularly well.

We know that Dustbringers have a tendency to be curious about what's inside of things, and break those things to satisfy their curiosity. Balat isn't quite like that, he seems more curious about the sensation of breaking living things, but it feels similar enough. 

Sanderson has said that we'll see more of the Dustbringers in future books, but so far we pretty much only know of Malata, who I don't imagine is ever going to be a main character. So there will have to be a more prominent Dustbringer at some point. 

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21 minutes ago, Renarin Kholin said:

I know that not every character in Stormlight is going to become a Knight Radiant, but in my reread of Words of Radiance, I thought a lot about Nan Balat, and realized that he seems to fit one of the orders particularly well.

We know that Dustbringers have a tendency to be curious about what's inside of things, and break those things to satisfy their curiosity. Balat isn't quite like that, he seems more curious about the sensation of breaking living things, but it feels similar enough. 

Sanderson has said that we'll see more of the Dustbringers in future books, but so far we pretty much only know of Malata, who I don't imagine is ever going to be a main character. So there will have to be a more prominent Dustbringer at some point. 

While it seems possible, there are other factors. WoBs Below. 

Note - another Dustbringer was introduced in the Dawnshard Novella (see below). 

Spoiler

Ral-Na the Reshi King from the Rysn interlude in Words of Radiance is a Dustbringer.

Davar WoBs:

Quote

Questioner

There's a scene where you can see from the perspective of Nan Balat, Shallan's brother, where he's maiming an insect. It's described as soothing his aches. Is that in any way related to how Kaladin feels depressed and down during the Weeping even in his early childhood?

Brandon Sanderson

What's happening to Nan Balat is magically enhanced. What's happening to Kaladin is mostly just chemical depression. Be he is really too young to be diagnosed with depression during some of these events, but he's got the seeds in there. So Kaladin is not magically depressed. Kaladin is just legitimatly a person with depression. Nan Balat... What's up with him is... ah... being exaggerated by certain forces moving in on Roshar. (last bit is a bit indistinctive)

Leipzig Book Fair (March 24, 2017)
Quote

Questioner

Was Shallan's family, during her childhood, being influenced by an Unmade?

Brandon Sanderson

Um, yes.

Questioner

Was it the corrupting--

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO that, but yes, there is some external influence there. 

JordanCon 2018 (April 22, 2018)

 

 

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