Nuatoma
| Nuatoma | |
|---|---|
| Related to | Unkalaki |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
A nuatoma is a leader of an Unkalaki clan on Roshar. Lunamor describes them as nobles, the Horneater equivalent of an Alethi Brightlord.[1]
History
It is not clear how an individual becomes nuatoma, although birth order and heritage are factors in Unkalaki social standing.[2][3] Since all Unkalaki are darkeyed, eye color is not a consideration.[1] The relatives of a nuatoma act as their guards and servants, often performing multiple jobs.[1][3] The relatives are not slaves, and prefer to serve a family member rather than a stranger.[1] When Lunamor sees Phendorana, who has obvious importance among honorspren, he asks Syl if she is like a nuatoma.[3]
Lunamor implies that a nuatoma leads each of the Horneater Peaks.[1] There are occasional skirmishes between peaks, presumably led by the nuatoma.[1]
Quest for Shards
“ The nuatoma, they see our lack of Shards as a great shame. They want these weapons very badly. It is believed that the nuatoma who first obtains a Shardblade would become king, a thing we have not had for many years. No peak would fight another peak where a man held one of the blessed Blades. ”
The lack of Shards among the Unkalaki is a source of embarrassment for the nuatoma, and many have traveled to Alethkar offering significant financial incentives in exchange for the chance to duel a Shardbearer and win a Shard.[1] It is assumed that the first nuatoma to win a Shardblade would gain sufficient power to become the first tana'kai—the Unkalaki equivalent of a king[4]—in many years.[1]
All of the nuatoma who have challenged Alethi Shardbearers have been killed.[1] Kef'ha, Lunamor's nuatoma, chose to duel Torol Sadeas, believing that his family would simply become servants of House Sadeas if he died.[3] However, Sadeas killed Kef'ha without a proper duel, then killed some of his family members who protested before seizing their property anyway.[3] Sadeas did not know what to do with the surviving Horneaters.[1] Lunamor briefly served as a cook and put chull dung in Sadeas's food, earning him an assignment to the bridge crews.[1]