[OB] Lirin an outstanding Knights Radiant candidate

[Watchcry he/him]

Lirin refuses to leave people who will need him most, even when Kaladin offered a safe haven to him and his family. He seems to have lived his whole life (and is still living) the first ideal. He trusts that Hesina can take care of little Oroden herself and doesn't blink an eye at taking an opportunity to seeing to their safety personally. He'd rather be where he can be needed most and serve the greater good. 

Would his brief interaction with Kaladin in Hearthstone have attracted a spren? Or perhaps he already attracted one with whom a relationship is barely budding? 

I think it's highly possible. He's already a natural leader and it's confirmed that a candidate will be noticed by a spren more easily when in company of other radiants. 

What are your thoughts?

[lol_king he/him]

If he is going to be a knights radiant he seems most suited for the Edgedancers, aside from being a surgeon he also somewhat follows their ideals "I will remember those who have been forgotten" and "I will listen to those who have been ignored", in that he is concerned about the people of hearthstone who will most probably be ignored in favor of more important people and places. We can see this already as Dalinar is only planning on securing the Cities with oathgates first (to be fair it is due to limited resources). Although not at the same level as lift, as these are people he knows personally.

But it is unlikely that he will leave Hearthstone and it seems the spren are choosing people with some larger purpose in mind in which he will have limited role. From what we know the cultivationspren personally would not a problem with it but if the Ring is dictating who they bind his chances may be diminished.

[Fux]

My personal theory:

Kaladin never was the "surgeon" mentioned in edgedancer, but Lirin is.

 

Lirin might have been on his was becoming a radiant, but messed up (stealing the spheres) or deciding against it.

" Curiously, Kaladin’s father just lowered his head and closed his eyes. "

" But you’ve also become one of them"

 

Also, tbh, young Kaladin didnt seem like someone to draw in an honorspren, but Syl mentioned " “They’re like I remember them.” . Past Lirin would have attracted her more likely than past Kaladin.

[nervousnerd he/him]

It depends on how broken a Radiant has to be. I don't think it is in him to really be broken very much. Maybe him being devastated by the apparent loss of his sons would be enough but not much seems to hold him down.

[OathKeeper]

I've also thought along these lines. It seems cheap to have spent his life mastering a skill for healing, only to get a power that makes all his experience obsolete, but I guess his profession is somewhat obsolete either way! And it will be nice that he can preserve stormlight while healing by using conventional medicine on the minor injuries.

I've thought since WoK that he was an ideal candidate. I think he was plenty broken by how the town turned on him and then his sons being drafted and then presumed dead. 

Your point about Syl is interesting. That's the best explanation I've heard for why Brandon threw us that clue about her knowing Kal's parents. 

What about Hesina? She seemed totally unfazed but ecstatic when Kaladin levitated. The description came across to me as being familiar with what's happening. 

[+Wax he/him]

What about Oroden?  There's a pedigree thing happening as well.  

Might even be the candidate as Honor's champion!

Edited September 19, 2017 by axcellence

[retrorocket1]

19 hours ago, Fux said:

My personal theory:

Kaladin never was the "surgeon" mentioned in edgedancer, but Lirin is.

 

Lirin might have been on his was becoming a radiant, but messed up (stealing the spheres) or deciding against it.

" Curiously, Kaladin’s father just lowered his head and closed his eyes. "

" But you’ve also become one of them"

 

Also, tbh, young Kaladin didnt seem like someone to draw in an honorspren, but Syl mentioned " “They’re like I remember them.” . Past Lirin would have attracted her more likely than past Kaladin.

I really like this and it makes since syl was planning on binding lirin but he failed with his theft and then she saw kal standing up to roshone and joining the army and she thought, hey here is another potential candidate. Not in those words she is syl after all, but the general idea.

[+robardin he/him]

On 9/18/2017 at 9:49 AM, Fux said:

Lirin might have been on his was becoming a radiant, but messed up (stealing the spheres) or deciding against it.

Not all orders would deem theft of spheres to be a bar. Skybreakers, sure; and lying about it to cover it up, honorspren would find that distasteful if not a deal-breaker. But Lift the Edgedancer of the Third Ideal is actually a thief who uses her pet Voidbr her spren as an accessory to Breaking and Entering, and Grand Theft Dinner.

Edited September 20, 2017 by robardin

[Daishi5]

I also think Lirin is a great candidate.  In WoK Kaladin is pushing the men of bridge 4 to help heal the wounded from other bridges and in his speech he refers to knowing one great man who would heal anyone for no charge and that they (the men of bridge 4) were going to be like him and be the honorable men lighteyes were supposed to be.  

[She Who Cannot Be Named she/her]

19 hours ago, OathKeeper said:

I've also thought along these lines. It seems cheap to have spent his life mastering a skill for healing, only to get a power that makes all his experience obsolete, but I guess his profession is somewhat obsolete either way! And it will be nice that he can preserve stormlight while healing by using conventional medicine on the minor injuries.

Actually, it would be rather good to have a "real" (or at least trained) surgeon among the ranks of the healers of the KR. As we can see already, Stormlight is not a permanently accessible source. Between the highstorms or during the weeping the probability to run out of it is rather high, especially if there are going to run more KR around using it up. In such a situation having a person around who can distinguish between someone being treatable by conventional means (and thereby saving Stormlight for more dire cases) should come in pretty handy. 

With (eventually) war coming up, and magic being used on both sides, casualties and injuries will rise. All the more Stormlight will become a sought after resource. Best to substitute it with conventional means where those will do too. 

[+ElephantEarwax he/him]

14 hours ago, robardin said:

But Lift the Edgedancer of the Third Ideal is actually a thief who uses her pet Voidbr - her spren as an accessory to Breaking and Entering and Grand Theft Dinner.

Love that game idea. Sneak into buildings and steal dinner.

[iamstick]

I vote Lirin "most likely to bond a gloomspren"

[Yata he/him]

Honestly if Lirin will be a Radiant. I wanted him to be from an Order without the Progression Surge

[lastofus]

I wanted to say he started again so he's not broken enough. But didn't Shallan do the same thing? And how broken a 5 year old child can get? (when she first bonded pattern). We don't know the limit but we know that right before desolations more spren would join the fight.

And I agree that he cannot be a Skybreaker or Windrunner, he's not the watcher at the rim. Considering how he dealt with Roshone right before Amaram came, 

I have to go with Edgedancers or Lightweavers. We don't know much from other orders but the descriptions don't fit Lirin.

[king of nowhere]

I don't know how much I'd like if every single named character became a radiant or squire, but I certainly would like it for lirin. He deserves it.

[Salkara]

4 hours ago, king of nowhere said:

I don't know how much I'd like if every single named character became a radiant or squire

Definitely agree with this sentiment. We need some examples of heroes without powers.