Dalinar Kholin

Dalinar Kholin
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House Kholin Spouse "Shshsh" Children Adolin, Renarin Siblings Gavilar
Abilities	Shardbearer
Titles	Blackthorn
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar

Dalinar Kholin was a lighteyed Alethi on Roshar, Highprince of Alethkar and uncle of King Elhokar Kholin.

Character and Appearance

Dalinar considered himself as soldier and general with no talent for back-room politicking. He was an aging but powerfully built man, with a face of a warrior. He chose to wear his Shardplate in its original slate grey color without any adornment or decoration. His Shardblade was called Oathbringer. He rode a Ryshadium stallion named Gallant.

After Gavilar's assassination, Dalinar blamed himself and since he worked to protecting Gavilar’s kingdom and Gavilar’s son, in hope to earn some form of redemption.

Dalinar's Calling was to be a leader and his Glory was determination, and his devotary was the Order of Talenelat.

Biography

Background

In his youth, Dalinar all but worshipped his elder brother Gavilar. He and Gavilar had reunited Alethkar's warring highprinces after centuries of strife. Dalinar had been the warrior, genius of the battlefield, scattering their opponents slaying their leaders and best Shardbearers, bending them to Gavilar's rule. His prowess in battle earned the nickname 'Blackthorn' and reputation among the common fold of being one of the greatest warriors and generals who ever lived. He has won many Shardplates and Shardblades in battle. One set he won during the first year of the War of Reckoning which he gave his brother's son, Elhokar, that Elhokar can award a warrior he thought worthy for the war.

Dalinar had gotten to know and befriended Navani and desired her hand, but stepped aside for Gavilar and watched him court and marry her. Soon after he married, fathering Adolin and Renarin. Ten years ago his wife passed away. Sometime after he seeked the Old Magic, whose curse wiped all his memories of her. Whenever someone said her name, Dalinar heard only the sound of the wind, and if he ever encountered the name in any other manner, he could not retain it in his mind.

The Way of Kings

During the assassination of Gavilar Kholin, Dalinar was in a drunken stupor, and was therefore unable to aid his brother. After the king’s death, Dalinar considered himself to be at fault and underwent a radical change in personality. He began to read The Way of Kings, a book that his brother was fond of, and began to adhere to the Alethi Codes of War that his brother attempted to make him follow. Had Dalinar been following the first Code, "Readiness", then he would have been sober enough to aid his brother against the assassin. After the death of Gavilar, Dalinar joined forces with the new king, Elhokar, and the other highprinces to pursue the Parshendi under the Vengeance Pact.

Dalinar's adoption of the Codes caused the other highprinces to underestimate him, as he no longer possessed the thirst for battle that made him one of the most feared generals in Alethkar. He and his brother Gavilar managed to conquer all of the other highprinces and force them to crown Gavilar as their king. Despite sporadic heroic acts such as saving Elhokar's life from a chasmfiend, Dalinar began to lose his influence over the conquered highprinces, as rumors of his fits during highstorms circulated.

Dalinar was charged by his nephew King Elhokar to investigate a suspected assassination attempt on the king's life. This involved the girth strap on his saddle being cut so that he would fall from his horse in battle, and weakened gemstones being placed in Elhokar's Shardplate so that the armor would easily crack and break. When Dalinar failed to uncover anything of use, Elhokar named Highprince Sadeas the Highprince of Information, and requested him to investigate. This accelerated Dalinar's loss of power and suspicion is cast upon him for the assassination attempt. Sadeas, as Highprince of Information, confuted this. Later Dalinar realized that the "assassination attempt" was a fabrication and confronted his nephew. The king admitted cutting the girth strap but maintained that he had nothing to do with the weakened gemstones.

Dalinar was of the belief that the war on the Parshendi has become nothing but a game to the highprinces and sought to unite them as the Highprince of War. However the king would not grant him this title unless Dalinar could prove that it was possible for the highprinces to productively work together. One by one the highprinces rejected Dalinar's pleas that they join forces. After Sadeas' declaration about the "assassination attempt" on Elhokar, Dalinar asked Sadeas to ally with him and Sadeas agreed. However this alliance was a ploy used by Sadeas to attempt to kill Dalinar. Sadeas withdrew from a battle that they entered together, leaving Dalinar and his men stranded and surrounded by an overwhelming number of enemy troops. Dalinar was rescued by Kaladin and the other members Bridge Four, but not before he had his armies severely weakened and almost died at the hands of a Parshendi Shardbearer.

Despite Dalinars's prowess in battle, the battle against the Parshendi marks the first time that Dalinar lost the "Thrill". This loss of the Thrill during battle caused Dalinar to question why he is fighting and whether the alternative methods of settling the Alethi dispute with the Parshendi could yield better results. The highprinces viewed Dalinar's wish for a more peaceful existence as a sign of weakness rather than wisdom, and this prompted him to talk to the king about his beliefs. When Dalinar explained to the king that he is not afraid of battle, but would prefer to approach it in a different manner, Elhokar listened to him for the first time, and Dalinar finally felt that he was making progress.

Dalinar was plagued by visions during highstorms which he believed to be sent by the Almighty. In most of these visions Knights Radiant appeared. When Dalinar began to make important decisions based on the visions his son Adolin questioned the wisdom in trusting dreams. Dalinar expressed his belief that the visions are true and Adolin questioned his father's sanity. The realization that even those close to him thought that he has lost his wits resulted in Dalinar going through a period of self-doubt, and he considered abdicating his position as highprince to save House Kholin from being destroyed by his foolish decisions. However at the suggestion of his son Renarin, Dalinar enlisted his sister-in-law and scholar Navani to investigate whether the dreams are true or a result of an addled mind. Navani concluded that the gibberish that Dalinar spoke during the fits is actually Dawnchant, a now (apparently) dead language, and therefore that the visions are real.

After Dalinar had been rescued by Kaladin, he promised to free the Bridge Four bridgemen from their slavery at the hands of Highprince Sadeas. When Sadeas refused to sell the Bridge Four bridgemen, Dalinar offered his "priceless" Shardblade in exchange for all of Sadeas' bridgemen. He appointed Kaladin as the Captain of all of the bridgemen, who would be trained as recruits to replenish Dalinar's armies. Bridge Four was appointed as honor guard for Dalinar and his family. He also gave Kaladin his cloak, to mark the new Captain as one of Dalinar's men. Dalinar also decided to give his son Renarin Kholin his Shardplate, fully relinquishing his Shards to fulfill his promises to those around him and maintaining his honor.

Another highstorm hit and Dalinar experienced another vision in which he realized that The Almighty who had spoken to him in his visions was unable to hear what Dalinar said. Dalinar's misinterpretations of the visions are then explained, and the last chapter concerning Dalinar in The Way of Kings ended with the Almighty admitting that he is dead and that Odium has killed him.