Kaladin's Soul

[TypicalShard]

I was just a bit curious about when Odium mentioned Kaladin's soul had literal holes in it, which allowed him to give Kal the nightmares. Even Hoid, who best understands Kal's situation, didn't understand how Odium made the connection, which implies that he doesn't know about the holes?

I guess my point is I wanted other people's opinions on this because it seems important to me. 

[Xerun]

I felt he used Moash to connect to him. So Odium formed a connection to Moash who then connected to Kaladin. 
 

Moash’s Suicide request in chapter 8 let him use the existing “holes” in Kaladin’s soul. 

[+robardin he/him]

15 minutes ago, Xerun said:

I felt he used Moash to connect to him. So Odium formed a connection to Moash who then connected to Kaladin. 
 

Moash’s Suicide request in chapter 8 let him use the existing “holes” in Kaladin’s soul. 

Yes, the way I read it, the "holes" that left him open to receiving Odiumvision broadcasts on Soulchannel 9 were the links he had to Moash. As we saw in their confrontation in Hearthstone, even as he despises what Moash has become, he also feels a kinship to the darkness - he himself had taken steps in that direction, even initially agreeing to go along with Moash's plans to kill Elhokar - and moreover, a responsibility for not having saved Moash from it the way he avoided it himself.

Quote

Moash… had been his friend. They’d spent hours by the fire, talking about their lives. Kaladin had opened his heart to this man, in ways he hadn’t to most of the others. He’d told Moash, like Teft and Rock, of Tien. Of Roshone. Of his fears.

Moash wasn’t just a friend though. He was beyond that: a member of Bridge Four. Kaladin had sworn to the storms and the heavens above—if anyone was there watching—that he’d protect those men.

Kaladin had failed Moash. As soundly as he’d failed Dunny, Mart, and Jaks. And of them all, losing Moash hurt the most. Because in those callous eyes, Kaladin saw himself.

That's a lot of holes, man. Or maybe only two or three, but storming big holes of painful Connection.

It's also why the specific nature of the visions are what they are: of him failing to protect those he wants most to protect. Odium isn't appearing before him with a golden sceptre and all that, the way he does to Dalinar, Venli, or Taravangian; he's fueling a vision that is predicated on what Moash knows would be the source of Kaladin's despair and pain, what would most push him to the brink of giving up on life (either yielding responsibility for it all to Odium, or to end himself).

Edited December 7, 2020 by robardin

[+Harrycrapper]

So, most if not all Radiants are supposed to be broken in some capacity. I think Syl explains it at some point, can't remember exactly when. But she explained that because his soul has cracks, she can bond with him and fill those cracks with herself and she basically attaches herself to his soul. Kaladin was having a particularly hard time of things in RoW and those cracks had probably expanded to the point Odium was still able to get in despite Syl being a bulwark. Hoid is aware of the cracks/holes but was unaware how Odium forged a Connection to Kaladin. As Xerun pointed out, it was through Moash that he was able to Connect to Kaladin and haunt his dreams. 

Also, Welcome to the Shard!