Editing Tukks

|profession={{cat tag|soldiers|Sergeant}} in {{tag+|army|Amaram's}}

|first appeared=[[The Way of Kings]]

}}

'''Tukks''' is an [[Alethi]] sergeant on [[Roshar]]. He leads the [[Takers]], a squad of soldiers in [[Meridas Amaram]]'s army that included [[Kaladin]].{{book ref|sa1|2}}

Tukks is younger than most sergeants. He is a short man with sunken cheeks, and there is something "off" about his features.{{book ref|sa3|91}} He sometimes chews [[fathom tree|fathom]] bark.{{book ref|sa3|91}}

Tukks often chides his men{{book ref|sa1|27}} and Kaladin considers him to be "loud, intolerant, and profoundly acerbic", although he admits that he is wise.{{book ref|sa2|52}} Tukks is far more empathetic and introspective than other soldiers.{{book ref|sa1|27}}{{book ref|sa3|91}}

== Attributes and Abilities ==

Tukks is highly skilled with a spear, as he trains other soldiers to wield them in battle. He is shocked by Kaladin's natural proficiency with the weapon, and is able to help him refine his abilities.{{book ref|sa1|27}} He emphasizes the need to practice, both to build skill and to avoid freezing in combat.{{book ref|sa2|52}}{{book ref|sa3|91}}

Tukks is an effective military leader. He was promoted to sergeant at a young age, and has a good understanding of the dynamics of his squad. He tries to address facets of their personalities that could negatively affect them on the battlefield.{{book ref|sa3|91}} He will discipline them as necessary by assigning them to menial duties or perhaps using corporal punishment.{{book ref|sa3|91}}{{book ref|sa1|62}}

Tukks joined [[Meridas Amaram]]'s army at some point in his youth. By {{Rosharan date|1169}}, he was a sergeant and led a squad known as the [[Takers]] that participated in border skirmishes in the [[Sadeas princedom]]. Kaladin was assigned to this squad when he joined the army. Although Tukks did help improve Kaladin's combat skills, his enduring effect on Kaladin was advising him of the need to feel emotion in the midst of battle and to fight with cause.{{book ref|sa1|27}}{{book ref|sa1|32}}{{book ref|sa3|91}}

Tukks was also able to locate [[Tien]] on Kaladin's behalf, informing Kaladin that his brother was serving in the Seventh Battalion. He offered to try to get Tien transferred to the Takers, but this never came about.{{book ref|sa3|91}}

Tukks died while in Amaram's army, presumably during a battle where Kaladin was present; he is one of the people that Kaladin regrets being unable to protect.{{book ref|sa1|2}}{{book ref|sa1|43}}{{book ref|sa1|67}} It is unclear what happened to the Takers after Tukks died; Kaladin was soon given command of [[Kaladin's squad|his own squad]] that was not known to use the name.

==Relationships==

===Kaladin===

{{sidequote|side=right|size=250px

|Don't worry about the war, or even the battle. Focus on your squadmates, Kal. Keep '''them''' alive. Be the man '''they''' need.

|Tukks{{book ref|sa3|91}}

}}

During his training with the Takers, Kaladin froze up while sparring on the practice field, and keenly recalled his subsequent conversation with Tukks. Tukks emphasized that it was normal to feel fear and passion while fighting, and that not everyone dealt with it the same way. He would not want to fight alongside people who felt no emotion. Kaladin struggled to reconcile how Tukks could allow himself to care and still hurt people, and Tukks said he focused on keeping his squadmates alive.{{book ref|sa3|91}} Kaladin had difficulty understanding Tukks's point of view at first, but later realized that caring about the fight was the difference between retaining your humanity and becoming a murderer. He did not freeze on the battlefield again until the [[Siege of Kholinar]], when he was forced to watch two groups of friends killing each other.{{book ref|sa3|84}}{{book ref|sa3|91}}

Kaladin looks back on his time with Tukks fondly.{{book ref|sa1|27}} The need to feel emotion on the battlefield was the first lesson that he taught [[Bridge Four]].{{book ref|sa1|49}} He feels a sense of familiarity and strength when he falls into a stance that Tukks taught him.{{book ref|sa1|57}}

|The first step is to care. Some talk about being emotionless in battle. Well, I suppose it's important to keep your head. But I hate that feeling of killing while calm and cold. I've seen that those who care fight harder, longer, and better than those who don't. It's the difference between mercenaries and real soldiers. It's the difference between fighting to defend your homeland and fighting on foreign stone.<br />It's good to care when you fight, so long as you don't let it consume you. Don't try to stop yourself from feeling. You'll hate who you become.

|Tukks's advice to Kaladin{{book ref|sa1|27}}

}}

{{quote

|A lot of soldiers, they think that you fight the best if you’re passionless and cold. I think that’s stormleavings. Yes, you need to be focused. Yes, emotions are dangerous. But if you don’t care about anything, what are you? An animal, driven only to kill. Our passion is what makes us human. We have to fight for a reason. So I say that it’s all right to care. We’ll talk about controlling your fear and anger, but remember this as the first lesson I taught you.

|Kaladin passing on Tukks's lesson to [[Bridge Four]]{{book ref|sa1|49}}

;References

{{complete|[[User:Big Smooth|Big Smooth]] ([[User talk:Big Smooth|talk]]) 23:25, 10 June 2021 (UTC)}}