Baon

Baon
by botanicaxu
Abilities	Sand master, Worldhopper
Aliases	Vao, Blunt
Profession	Soldier
Groups	Seventeenth Shard, Dynasty
Ethnicity	Darksider
Nationality	Iiarian
Homeworld	Taldain
Universe	Cosmere

“You know a lot about war, dear man. Of course, that’s what you’re paid for, isn't it! ”

—Cynder to Baon.

Baon is a soldier from Iiaria on the Darkside of Taldain.

Appearance and Personality

Baon is tall and muscular, with broad shoulders. He has short, dark hair and dark skin, and wears a goatee. He typically wears a long white duster over khaki pants, a blue or gray shirt with a blue vest that has gold ornamentation at the collar. He typically has at least two holsters, often either underarm or on each side of his waist.

He is perceptive, speaks eloquently, and sometimes displays a sardonic wit. He is also pragmatic and blunt.

• Images of Baon
• 

  by Botanicaxu Portrait
• 

  by Julius Gopez On the White Sand Volume 1 cover
• 

  by Julius Gopez On the White Sand Volume 2 cover

Attributes and Abilities

Baon has the ability to worldhop, as well as the ability to use sand mastery.

He is a skilled soldier and marksman, and usually carries firearms. Fearing that relying on sunglasses would put him at a disadvantage in a fight, Baon stopped wearing his spectacles once their party started crossing the Kerla, to force himself to adjust the sun's brightness. He is very perceptive and skilled at reading body language.

He has been trained in many disciplines and is a gifted sailor.

History

On Taldain

Baon was sent by Skathan to Dayside to investigate whether the sand masters posed a threat to the Dynasty. Duchess Khrissalla hired Baon to guard her on her trip to Dayside to find the Sand Mages that Prince Gevalden was looking for. Baon went on the journey to Dayside with both of these purposes equally in mind and did not consider them mutually exclusive.

When Captain Deral and his lieutenant attempted to sell their party to a Dynastic border patrol, Baon killed both of them to ensure that they escaped and neither mission was jeopardized. He took Deral's pistols for himself thinking that no one would notice them for what they were.

Brfore docking at Dosha-Har'Ken, Baon noticed the unprofessional conduct of Khrissalla's military escort, Flennid and Torth, and warns Khriss that they will cause problems. While in Dosha-Har'Ken, he covers their party's retreat from an angered A'kar when Professor Cynder tries using the Kerztian holy language to ask for information. Whie passing the outskirts of Esh'Ker'Losh, he accurately identifies a zinkall as a pneumatic dart gun based on observation.

“There’s something they don’t teach you in your university, duchess—the unlearned aren’t as stupid as you think.”

—Baon

After Flennid killed their guide, Daazk, and fled with Torth and the group's provisions of water and food, Baon and Cynder find Kenton unconcious in one of the Diem's tents at the based of Mount KraeDa. Baon noted that Kenton spoke to him in Dynastic while semi-lucid, and verified that he was being understood. At Baon's prodding Kenton showed them how to get water from the dorim vines. Kenton then agreed to guide Baon and his companions to Kezare, the capital of Lossand. When their group was attacked by Kerztian warrior-priests, Baon used one of his pistols to kill two of the warriors and scare the rest of them away. When they arrived in Kezare the group parted ways with Kenton, who went to the Diem.

They followed N'Teese, the guide Kenton arranged, across the Ry'do Ali and headed for the Darksider quarter, Lonzare. N'Teese, for a ten lak fee, brought the group to meet with Loaten. Baon tried to join Khriss in her meeting with the man, but the guards at the door would not let him through. Khriss told him that it was fine and entered. When Khriss was leaving the office, Baon caught a glimpse of Loaten through the door and recognized him for who he was, a traitor to the Dynasty. He immediately pulled out his pistol and made to attack him, Khriss calmed him down, and the group made a hasty exit.

Baon accompanied Khriss as she attempted to meet with the Taishin, searching for information on the Sand Mages. After being stonewalled by all of the other Taishin, they went to the Diem where they found the new acting Lord Mastrell, Kenton. Baon accompanied Khriss when she returned to meet with the Lady Judge again on Kenton's behalf. Afterwards they meet with Nilto, who gives Khriss Gavin's pistol, and they return to Lonzare.

Jon Acron came to Khriss to profess concerns about Baon's trustworthiness, citing inconsistencies in the version of the events surrounding the death of Deral and his lieutenant that Baon had told them, but Khriss brushed off his concerns saying that Baon wouldn't lie to her.

When Khriss and Kenton were assaulted by yet another group of Kerztian assassins, Baon reacted quickly, pulling his charge out of harm's way. He tried to draw his pistols and join the fight, but an assassin noticed him and kicked him, knocking him to the ground. Kenton used his sand to pick up Baon's pistols from where they had fallen and use them against his opponents. Baon recovered in time to kill his assailant by stabbing him through his heart with his side knife. After the fight Khriss and Baon go to the Diem to help Kenton search for the missing tribute money.

“Someday, Duchess, you will need to learn how to judge people, and not faces or titles”

—Baon to Khriss.

Back in Lonzare Khriss and Baon have a discussion about Skathan's powers. Afterwards he accompanies her to Delius' party and then retires to the servants tent to wait for her.

The next day, while he was cleaning his pistols, Khriss confronted Baon about the incident with Deral. Baon admitted to having killed the captain and his lieutenant, and admitted to have been sent to Elis by the Dynasty. Without saying what his mission was, Baon took his pistols and left.

Soon after his departure Khriss began to miss his company and help, and regretted sending him away so hastily, without giving him a chance to explain himself.

Later, Khriss confronted Nilto at the docks loudly calling to him by his true name, Gevin. Acron, revealing himself as an assassin sent by Skathan to find and kill the missing prince, pulled out a pistol and moved to shoot Gevin. Baon reappeared then, and pushed a crate of fruit down onto Acron from atop a tall stack of crates, knocking the man to the ground. While he was talking to Khriss, Acron recovered and still on the ground, fired his gun at Baon, grazing him on his arm. After Khriss killed Acron, Baon explained that while he was indeed an agent of the Dynasty, his mission did not conflict with his obligation to guard Khriss, and so he was able to fulfill both of them. He explained that his mission, which was to investigate the threat the sand masters posed to the Dynasty, was complete, since in fact they had discovered that the magic could not be used on Darkside. Khriss asked him to retake his position as her guard and he agreed. Later at the Diem, Baon explained how he killed Deral to protect them from being betrayed to the border patrol.

Baon traveled with Khriss to Lraezare when she was chasing Vey with Kenton and Delius. When they were attacked by assassins on their journey back to Kezare, Baon was locked below decks with Ais, and was unable to join the fight. After Aarik intervened, joining the fight with ferocity and skill, Baon expressed surprise that the man was hiding skill. He helped Ais put the bodies of the assassins on a boat which their ship towed back to Kezare.

“Merely surprised, Duchess. Merely surprised.”

—Baon after mastering sand for the first time.

The group went to the Tower to search for the missing Lord General, Raagent. They found Raagent's corpse in the Tower's cellar, where he had been tortured to death by Sharezan. On the way back to the Diem Baon theorized to Kenton that it was suspicious that one of his strongest supporters was murdered the day before the Taishin were to vote on the fate of the Diem. Kenton responded that he didn't think the Kerztians would do such a thing, but Baon maintained that if he was in their place it was what he would do.

The next day he watched Kenton's duel with Drile together with Khriss at the Diem. When Khriss was distraught about how Kenton was being dominated by Drile Baon told her that she must not interfere as Kenton chose this fight with bravery and she must not take it away from him.

Two weeks later Baon, Khriss, and Cynder set sail for Elis, taking Dirin and three barrels of Invested sand with them. During the journey, at Khriss' prodding, Baon tries to master sand and to his surprise, succeeds.

On Roshar

Blunt was the nickname Ishikk assigned to Baon when he was hunting for Hoid at the Purelake on Roshar with other members of The Seventeenth Shard. He was described as tall and broad-shouldered, but lean and muscled, with hair that was short and dark. Ishikk believed that the name he provided, Vao, was a false name. Baon was accompanied by Galladon and Demoux. Baon joined The Seventeenth Shard sometime after the events of White Sand. Baon wondered if there was something to the abilities that the Purelakers ascribed to their fish, but Galladon thought he had a tendency to believe in superstition. Baon also spoke Selan well. Two years later, the group had given up on finding Hoid and left Roshar.

Trivia

• Long before the concept of the cosmere was developed, Baon appeared as Doram in the first story Brandon ever wrote.
• Baon was previously called Bowen before the linguistics of Taldain were worked out.
• Brandon once said that Baon was not Invested. It is unclear whether this has changed, or if being able to master sand does not count as being Invested.

Notes

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