Let's smoke out the Heralds

[Sasukerinnegan]

Mr Sanderson has stated that TWoK has shown or mentioned every one of the Heralds at some point of time.

 

I have a suggestion. Lets have a thread where we list out EVERY character that we see in TWoK, then start eliminating those who are definitely not Heralds. The leftover bunch have to have the Heralds included in them. Then let's see which characters are likely to repeat in the future (since all of the Heralds will have some role in the coming battle). This way, we can eliminate nonsense characters like Axies' beggar who are definitely not Heralds. Characters like Dalinar's officers are far more likely to be the Heralds. Also eliminate dead characters, since i'm pretty sure that they can't be the Heralds. Remember that Mr Sanderson is someone who likes to hint at the truth without actually giving it away. If two people in far away kingdoms are described to have similar physical descriptions, then that's a good indication that they are Heralds.  

 

Let's eliminate Shallash and Nalan since they are nearly confirmed.

[Kadrok]

Obviously eliminating Talenel too. So if we're eliminating Shallash and Nalan, that means there are only 7 to account for.

[Shardlet]

First thing I would do is determine which Heralds have been mentioned and have not expressly appeared.  The ones we have seen on screen absolutely are Jezrien, Kalak, and Taln.  As has been previously said, Shalash is almost a certainty that we have seen her.  Nalan is strongly suspected by many to be someone we have seen.  The ones we should look for first are Vedeledev, Palah, Ishi, Battar and Chach.  That is five that have definietly been seen, because they are not mentioned, in addition to Shalash and possibly Nalan (well, I suppose Jezrien mentioned Ishi, so maybe not him).

[Argent]

Another apparent criteria is that all of the Heralds we think we have seen so far seem to be doing something with themselves. They are not just sitting about, or farming, or even playing nobles. Nalan - and maybe Kalak and Jezrien - attended Gavilar's assassination night. Shalash is destroying art left and right. That ought to flush out some of the vague briefly mentioned characters.

 

EDIT: Vedeledev is mentioned once:

 

“By Vedeledev’s golden keys, Brightness!” Brother Kabsal said, seating himself. “Did Jasnah Kholin teach you this skill with the pencil?”

Not much to work with, but it's something...

Edited October 24, 2013 by Argent

[steeleyes]

Regarding the OP’s idea based off of the wiki page for Rosharan characters there are over 328 characters in TWoK. Even removing all the characters that have died or likely are dead as well as almost all the character’s associated with the normal townsfolk in Kaladin’s hometown of Hearthstone and characters that didn’t receive any description at all (those characters whose names were used once or twice when a command was given or as the butt of a joke but never received any more attention). I also tried not to include the philosophers and scholars that were quoted in Jasnah’s research even though they technically count as being mentioned and therefor are potential heralds. This brought the list down to around 90 names:

 

http://coppermind.net/w/index.php?title=Category:Rosharan&pageuntil=Mord%0AMord#mw-pages

 

Random characters that meet the basic requirements:

 

Amaram

Roshone (Citylord of Hearthstone and cousin of Amaram)

Yalb (Sailor on Tozbek’s ship)

Tvlakv (Slaver that sold Kaladin to Sadeas)

Tozbek (Captain of the ship that took Shallan to Kharbranth)

Axies the Collector

Axies the Collector’s beggar

Alakavish (Surgebinder that started war before Nohadon’s desolation)

Nohadon

Karm (Nohadon’s advisor)

Lirin (Kaladin’s father)

Hesina (Kaladin’s mother)

Alaxia (wife of the head steward of Roshone)

Artmyrn (Book shop owner chapter 8)

Ashlv (wife of Tozbek)

Avarak Matal (ran bridge crews after other brightlord was executed)

Hashal (wife of Avarak)

Durk (Kaladin’s mentor with the spear chapter 43, 46, 49)

Elthal (Dalinar officer that survived the battle of the tower)

Gare (squadleader in Amaram’s army)

Habsant (ardent chapter 33)

Hallaw (lighteyes defending Sadeas princedom chapter 47)

Havrom (Officer for Dalinar chapter 28)

Istow (brightlady in charge of duels chapter 58)

Ixil (ardent chapter 42)

Jakamav (brightlord chapter 58)

Kalami (brightlady historian chapter 26)

Kalana (brightlady engineer chapter 28)

Kylrm (head guard for Vstim interlude I-4)

Lalai (one of Elhokar’s clerks chapter 28)

Laresh (soldier for Sadeas chapter 9)

Litima (Dalinar’s senior scribe chapter 26, 28)

Matain (Alethi stormwarden chapter 45)

Moratel (Lesser officer for Dalinar chapter 26)

Nacomb Gaval (lighteyed soldier for Dalinar chapter 68)

Niter (head of the cobalt guard chapter 28)

Resi (brightlord that dueled Adolin chapter 58)

Tukks (mentor to Kaladin chapter 27, 32)

 

Random characters that stood out to me:

 

Vstim (Merchant that employs Rysn as his apprentice)

Geranid (Ardent studying spren)

Ashir (Ardent that is a chemist and cook who helps Geranid in her research)

Joshor (head of Taravangian’s Silent Gatherers endnote)

Gaz

Thaidakar (name associated with the ghostbloods prologue, chapter 51)

Maib (purelaker interlude I-1)

Kadash (ardent / former soldier who discusses Dalinar’s sanity in chapter 18)

Restares (mentioned by Gavilar as a potential hirer of Szeth / advisor to Amaram)

Au-Nak (Natan man visiting Hatham chapter 54)

Elthebar (stormwarden in Dalinar’s camp chapter 18, 60)

Gavarah (scholarly woman who proposed the “theory of 3 realms” chapter 29)

Longshadow (famous artifabrian mention in chapter 60)

Mungam (ardent running a hospital chapter 48)

Tezim (god-priest mentioned in chapter 54)

Varas (assistant chief of collection in Palanaeum chapter 29)

 

Dalinar’s Officers:

 

Bashin

Ashelem

Havarah

Ilamar

Moratel

Perethom

Tarilar

Teleb

Navani (not an officer exactly and not a likely candidate but we don’t know all that much about her so I decided to include her here)

 

Highprinces:

 

Sadeas

Ruthar

Roion

Sebarial

Thanadal

Vamah

Hatham

Bethab

Aladar

 

Bridge 4:

 

Bisig

Dabbid

Drehy

Hobber

Leyten

Lopen

Moash

Natam

Peet

Rock

Sigzil

Skar

Teft

Torfin

Yake

 

This is just meant to be a base list to work from so feel free to add or pick out any characters from it. Especially since I’m sure there are names that I missed or names that should have been removed. Sorry about the odd chapters I only started including chapters in the descriptions about half way through and I’m just a shade too lazy to go back and add chapter numbers to all the characters.

 

edit: it should also be noted that current theories for Nalan revolve around a character that wasn't giving a name and just got a passing description. Characters like those aren't included in this list but obviously have the potential to be heralds as well.

Edited October 24, 2013 by steeleyes

[Gloom]

Has Brandon actually given us the names that any of the suspected Heralds are using? I mean the old lady by the hospital, Baxils mistress, the builder in the alley, the nameless bridgeman who spoke perfect unaccented Alethi, the dunkard in the hall, the men speaking with Elhokar, Darkness. It seems that most of the people we suspect to be Heralds outside of one of Dalinars officers are nameless.

[Argent]

I was actually more inclined to believe that the Heralds would be amongst those unnamed, briefly mentioned characters...

[Chrono]

Battar is mentioned in one of Dalinar's visions. IIRC, it was the one where the two KR come to the small village to fight the Midnight Essence. I don't have my copy of TWOK with me, but I do remember that Taffa (the woman that the voice speaks through at the end of the vision) says something along the lines of "Sweet wisdom of Battar!" as they're running from the Midnight Essence. Not much to go on, but she is mentioned. As for the others, I have no idea. 

[Argent]

You are actually spot on. That's exactly what she says.

[Chrono]

Why thank you. The only reason I remembered that phrase was because Battar's First Divine Attribute is wisdom. I guess it just stuck with me. I believe Ishi (Ishar?) is also mentioned when Kaladin is storming swearing or something. Again, not much, but it is something.

[The Count]

I think we can eliminate:

 

Alakavish (Surgebinder that started war before Nohadon’s desolation)

Nohadon

Karm (Nohadon’s advisor)

 

Since the Heralds were all in Damnation at the time of the vision (after a Desolation).