Editing Malata

{{character
|image=Malata by Marie Seeberger.jpg
|abilities={{tag+|dustbringer}}, {{tag|Shardbearer|cat=Shardbearers}}
|bonded=[[Spark]]
|groups={{tag|Knights Radiant}} <small>([[Dustbringers]])</small><br>{{tag|Diagram|link=Diagram (group)}}
|residence=Urithiru
|nationality=Veden
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|first appeared=[[Oathbringer]]
}}
{{quote
|Someone should have warned me how fun this would be. I’d have tried way harder to land the job.
|Malata, regarding her job as the [[Diagram (group)|Diagram]]'s [[Knight Radiant]]{{book ref|sa3|107}}
}}
'''Malata''' is a woman from [[Jah Keved]] and a member of the [[Diagram (group)|Diagram]]. She is also a [[Knight Radiant]] of the [[Order of Dustbringers]], bonded to an [[Ashspren]] named [[Spark]].

== Appearance and Personality ==
Malata is a Veden [[lighteyed]] woman of middle-age, with short, black, boyish hair. Her usual attire is described as a Thaylen style, with a skirt, leggings, and thick boots.{{book ref|sa3|107}} She also wears gloves on both hands.{{book ref|sa3|24}}

Having been informed by Spark of her Order's distaste for the term '''Dustbringer''', she has adopted the Order's preferred epithet '''Releaser''' for herself,{{epigraph ref|sa2|36}}{{book ref|sa3|24}} although those around her still refer to her as a Dustbringer.{{book ref|sa3|27}}{{book ref|sa3|i|5}}

Malata behaves in a very confident manner even in the presence of royalty. She is not afraid to challenge social conventions when she sees fit, as when she exposes her [[safehand]] while demonstrating her powers. She does not seem to care about the ethical issues of the Diagram's actions, or that her spren wants to punish humans for the [[Day of Recreance|Recreance]]. Rather, she seems to only be concerned about enjoying her work.{{book ref|sa3|107}}

Whether or not this matches the attitude of ancient Releasers is currently unknown, although the [[Diagram (literature)|Diagram]] indicates that Dustbringers are the most likely Order of Knights Radiant to accept the Diagram's cause.{{book ref|sa3|i|5}}

== Attributes and Abilities ==
{{image|Malata the Dustbringer.jpg|side=left|width=200px|Using [[Division]]}}

As a Releaser, Malata has access to the [[Surge]]s of [[Division]] and [[Abrasion]], although so far she has only demonstrated Division, the Surge of decay. Using Division, she can cause objects to degrade, burn, or turn to dust just by touching them with her bare hand. She has shown enough skill in this that she could quickly make an intricate engraving on wood via controlled burning.{{book ref|sa3|107}}

She has also progressed enough in her [[Immortal Words|Oaths]] to turn Spark into a [[Shardblade]],{{book ref|sa3|24}} which she has been using to control [[Oathgate]]s.

== History ==
At some point after creating the [[Diagram (group)|Diagram]], King [[Taravangian]] of [[Kharbranth]] formed and managed a project to have some Diagram members attempt to bond a [[spren]].{{book ref|sa3|107}} Malata was supposedly part of this project, although she claims to have approached Taravangian only because of a suggestion by [[Spark]], implying that she was already bonded prior to joining Taravangian's team.{{book ref|sa3|27}}

She was part of Taravangian's contingent in [[Dalinar#Uniting_Roshar|Dalinar Kholin's coalition]]. With some guidance from [[Navani Kholin]], Malata was able to use Spark to unlock and activate the Veden [[Oathgate]], transporting herself and the rest of the contingent to [[Urithiru]], the base of operations for the coalition.{{book ref|sa3|24}}

Having access to a Radiant [[Shardblade]], Malata was often given the responsibility of opening Oathgates for members of the coalition. Malata accepted this role obediently, although she once expressed distrust against the Alethi and was apparently skeptical of the claims regarding the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa3|27}}

The Diagram later decided that Taravangian must replace Dalinar as leader of the coalition, and had Malata spy on the Blackthorn using Spark.{{book ref|sa3|i|5}} Through this, they learned about Dalinar's visions where he talked to [[Odium]]. They used the information about these visions, along with other secrets they discovered, to undermine the coalition's trust in Dalinar.{{book ref|sa3|111}}

Later on, while the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]] was taking place, Malata opened Jah Keved's [[Oathgate]] upon orders from the Diagram to allow a strike force of Odium's [[singer]] army into Urithiru, where they battled with Alethi soldiers. An agent of the Diagram disguised as a [[Bridge Four]] member was also able to enter Urithiru and steal [[Jezrien]]'s [[Honorblade]] from [[Eth]], killing him and injuring [[Rock]] and [[Bisig]] in the process. All this was part of Taravangian's plan to appeal to Odium so that he would agree to sparing part of humanity on Roshar.{{book ref|sa3|i|14}}{{book ref|sa3|120}}{{book ref|sa3|122}}

In Urithiru, Malata is usually present in meetings of the coalition.{{book ref|sa4|19}} She's there in the meeting where the coalition agrees to go and fight in [[Emul]] and send an expedition to [[Lasting Integrity]] to convince more [[honorspren]] to bond.{{book ref|sa4|19}}

When Taravangian decided to disband the Diagram, he believed that Malata would accept the truth of it's disbanding, knowing that its purpose had been fulfilled.{{book ref|sa4|i|3}}

== Notes ==
<references /><!-- sa3: 24, 27, 39, 58, 107, 111, 120, I-5, I-14 -->
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[[es:Malata]]