Dalinar's Nahel Bond

[Erklitt]

During my latest reread, the thought struck me what it will be like for Dalinar to have the Stormfather as his bonded spren.

Kaladin has Syl - who exerts herselfs quite a great deal to 'keep him honorable'. Shallan has Pattern, who helps her explore the nature of truth and lies. Both 'couples' like to chat quite a lot.

Dalinar has the Stormfather. The one who sent a highstorm to clean away their dead bodies from the plains. The one who started his bond with these encouraging words: "Go, Bondsmith. Lead your dying people to failure."

Dalinar is supposed to unite people. To unite Alethkar, probably (non-Stormform-)Parshendi and Humans, maybe all Anti-Odium forces of Roshar. More directly, he is supposed to lead ten orders of KR, who probably contain people of very different moods and mindsets, to bring and keep them together for a common purpose. All of which needs a great deal of empathic skill, flexibility and generosity. And what help can he expect from his new 'bosom companion'?

Has anyone tried to imagine what that will look like? I hope we may be in for some dry humor here. Maybe some harsh verbal sparring. But I fail to picture it... Ideas anyone?

[Assassin in Burgundy]

57 minutes ago, Erklitt said:

During my latest reread, the thought struck me what it will be like for Dalinar to have the Stormfather as his bonded spren.

Kaladin has Syl - who exerts herselfs quite a great deal to 'keep him honorable'. Shallan has Pattern, who helps her explore the nature of truth and lies. Both 'couples' like to chat quite a lot.

Dalinar has the Stormfather. The one who sent a highstorm to clean away their dead bodies from the plains. The one who started his bond with these encouraging words: "Go, Bondsmith. Lead your dying people to failure."

Dalinar is supposed to unite people. To unite Alethkar, probably (non-Stormform-)Parshendi and Humans, maybe all Anti-Odium forces of Roshar. More directly, he is supposed to lead ten orders of KR, who probably contain people of very different moods and mindsets, to bring and keep them together for a common purpose. All of which needs a great deal of empathic skill, flexibility and generosity. And what help can he expect from his new 'bosom companion'?

Has anyone tried to imagine what that will look like? I hope we may be in for some dry humor here. Maybe some harsh verbal sparring. But I fail to picture it... Ideas anyone?

I would guess that the Stormfather wouldn't talk to Dalinar much, but be more of just a presence watching him doing stuff. My guess is that he would only talk to Dalinar if the Blackthorn wanted him to/needed advice. Also, the Stormfather said there wouldn't be anymore visions, right? I need to reread WoR.

Interesting question, though.

[Yata]

I think that now Dalinar would recive tons of Informations from the Stormfather about Honor, Cultivation, Odium, the Heralds, Oathpath and other Cosmere stuff. Maybe he can't aswer to all his question, but it's probably the best source of Information on Roshar (He has also memories of the Adonalsium's Shattering... after all He is one of the people who killed God)

[djammmer]

Good point Yata.  My initial thought to this thread was "Stormfather has a serious attitude problem."   Not only does he not actively help Dalinar; he passively-aggressively tries to block/slow his progress.  Wasn't him that is tell all the spren to not bond to humans.   Didn't he send the storm during the last battle in WoR, not to help - but to destroy Dallinar's warriors?  (I guess both speculations on my part.)   Those subjective speculations, along with his words ("Go bondsmith, lead your dying people to failure") lead me to believe he will not be helpful.

But Yata, I think you call out the one place he could be helpful... knowledge.

[Yata]

@djammmer We know the Stormfather suffered Oathbreaking in the past. His mind was a bit broken, but if I don't rememeber wrong his Bond with Dalinar help him to return more stable.

He didn't want to push his Bond with Dalinar further to avoid the possibility of Dalinar who kills him with another Oathbreak but if the progressing Bond will also help the Stormfather's sanity.

I think we will see a more reasonable and less hostile Stormfather... Maybe He will not be a drink buddy but at least He will be more on the Humans' side. He tried to avoid the start of the Final Desolation but now is too late, He can't avoid the Mankind's help

[soulcastJam]

I've imagined the bond as primarily giving Dalinar surges so he can be one of the KR.  Also, it gives him someone to shout at when he needs answers.  I love how unwilling he is to help until someone points out that it's his job.

[Doc12]

Here's whati think. As you pointed out,  Syl and Pattern have been helping their bonded learn about the nature of their orders and helping them to grow.  In essence, Syl and Pattern chose kaladin and shallan. Ths,  they help their radiants grow.

Wyndle didn't choose Lift,  did he?  How much help in personal development has he been with Lift? It's more like Lift already knows what she should do,  and it is she who teaches him this.

"Why mistress? Why do you care? "

"because somebody has to" 

Thus, as it was Dalinar who chose the Storm father,  as it was Dalinar who initiated the bond,  ifeel that it would be Dalinar who is the teacher here.  I believe it would be Dalinar,  who has already shown the aspects of unity he needs,  who will convince the storm father of this.  

Each radiant bond so far has been a give and take relationship,  i feel,  and in this relationship Dalinar will be  the one providing the insights for growth. Any other theories? 

[Oversleep]

So I was searching for some quote in WoR and I've come upon a passage which reminded me it's quite common to curse by Stormfather's name.

Now imagine Dalinar reflexively uttering "Stormfather" or exclaiming "Stormfather!"... and the actual Stormfather responding "What?".

[goody153]

I remember Sanderson stating(i can't remember if it was just a q&a answer or some interview/conference video of him on youtube) that we should see more interaction between stormfather and dalinar for sure.

I imagine it would be like with Vin & Ruin from mistborn talking to each other like alot of time, not as enemies but just like Vin&Ruin also not  that friendly with each other. The stormfather might be really walled and does not give information easily and like Dalinar has to bait him into talking. Granted stormfather might be too pessimistic and ragey about alot of things.

but he's probably right with negativity since the heralds aren't exactly helping, the everstorm who i assume is Odium's superspren has been released which never happened before and more importantly Honor being dead. Every desolation those were not true and humanity was still reduced to almost ashes, so this desolation it doesn't look like they stand a chance.

I wonder if the stormfather would comply to dalinar's request like sending highstorms or prolly calling other sprens.

31 minutes ago, Oversleep said:

So I was searching for some quote in WoR and I've come upon a passage which reminded me it's quite common to curse by Stormfather's name.

Now imagine Dalinar reflexively uttering "Stormfather" or exclaiming "Stormfather!"... and the actual Stormfather responding "What?".

Stormfather "Didn't i already tell you stop calling me all the time! I swear if you keep doing this i'm not responding even when you actually needed my help. Not that i'm helping anyways."

Edited July 24, 2016 by goody153