Who were the Takers?

[navybrandt he/him]

The following is a quote from Chapter 2 of WoK:

 

   "I've failed, spirit," he replied, squeezing his eyes shut. "Must you torment me so?"
   They were all dead. Cenn and Dallet, and before that Tukks and the Takers. Before that, Tien. Before That, blood on his hands and the corpse of a young girl with pale skin.

 

My question is who are/were the Takers?  Is that a group of people or a family name or something else?  I haven't seen this reference anywhere else, so we just might not know anything about them.

[Aether he/him]

I find it likely that it is a family name, or a nickname given to a pair of brothers or something. But I agree, it sounds somewhat mysterious. I'll make sure to keep my eyes up for any new references to the name/nickname/whatever. 

[signspace13 he/him]

Perhaps some sought Diehard group that Kaladin joined after Tien died, maybe whatever he did there is what made him a squadleader.

Edited May 31, 2014 by signspace13

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

Hm, I did actually specifically note that passage when I was re-reading WoK. It definitely stuck out to me, and I was pouring over WoR to see any more references, but couldn't find any.

I did think maybe it was some sort of small 'slave escape group' that Kaladin had tried forming a few times before he ended up on his way to the Shattered Plains. But then again, knowing Brandon, it's probably some sort of mystery he'll tease and 'RAFO' us with. >.<

[Quiver he/him]

I think it sounds like a family name. The context of it happening before Cenn and Dullet makes it sound like it occurred while he was Squadleader, so...

[Delightful]

I had presumed it was a group of slaves. I'll keep an eye out for them.

Edit: t he coppermind has a single sentence on them:

The Takers were a squad of soldiers lead by Tukks on Roshar, Kaladin was a member.[1]

but I'm guessing that's extrapolated off the one sentence we have, so anyone's guess is good. Edited June 29, 2014 by Delightful

[kaellok he/him]

The following is a quote from Chapter 2 of WoK:

 

 "I've failed, spirit," he replied, squeezing his eyes shut. "Must you torment me so?"

   They were all dead. Cenn and Dallet, and before that Tukks and the Takers. Before that, Tien. Before That, blood on his hands and the corpse of a young girl with pale skin.

 

My question is who are/were the Takers?  Is that a group of people or a family name or something else?  I haven't seen this reference anywhere else, so we just might not know anything about them.

 

Incredibly unlikely that they were a band of slaves he tried to free.  The sentence lets us know the approximate point in time when Tukks and the Takers died--after Tien's death, but before Kaladin was branded a slave.  That puts it square in the middle of his time spent in Amaram's army.  

[Serity]

Don't the Shin refer to soldiers as "those who take"? I wonder if this is somehow related. Maybe the soldiers in the squad had heard of the phrase and thought "the Takers" would be a cool squad name.

[el_warko he/him]

They were Araman's house band.