Difference between revisions of "Shallan Davar"

|born={{Rosharan date|year=1156|missing-date=y}}{{17s ref|date=2014-01-25|post|89705|text=Peter Ahlstrom talks about character ages}}

Hailing from a mid-level noble house in Jah Keved, Shallan lived a sheltered life on her father's estate until the age of seventeen, when she left to seek an apprenticeship under Princess [[Jasnah Kholin]] as a scholar. While acting as an apprentice to Jasnah Kholin, she became the causal betrothed of Jasnah's cousin, Prince [[Adolin Kholin]], who she later married following the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]].{{book ref|sa3|122}}. She also learns of and shares in Jasnah's quest to stop the mysterious and calamitous [[Voidbringers]].

As a child, Shallan was considered shy, quiet, and delicate, although she has always had a quick wit, and often uttered the first retort that came to mind.{{book ref|sa1|3}}. Her brother, [[Balat Davar|Balat]], considered her incapable of handling herself and the family's affairs, having never lived away from the family estates.{{book ref|sa1|i|2}} Indeed, Shallan was initially naive and inexperienced, with little concept of money; for example, while trying to remain inconspicuous, she overpayed for some street food by two hundred fifty times.{{book ref|sa2|43}} However, when she left the family estates behind, she quickly opened up and gained confidence.

After arriving at the [[Shattered Plains]] and encountering the [[Ghostbloods]], Shallan took on the identity of Veil in order to infiltrate the Ghostbloods. She changed her appearance by using her Lightweaving abilities to craft a new appearance for Veil. As Veil, Shallan appears as a slightly older darkeyed woman. Although Veil has the same height and build as Shallan, Veil has long, dark hair and an angular face with a scar across the chin.{{book ref|sa2|42}}. Veil's personality is daring and bold, being an accomplished con-artist and spy. She's willing to scam other people but still needs people to be around. She often drinks and will sometimes drink [[Horneater]] lager which is supposedly the strongest drink in all of [[Roshar]]. She rarely shows signs of being drunk. Veil prefers her men to be hard and rugged, showing interest in men like [[Kaladin]] while expressing disinterest in Adolin. Following Shallan's marriage with Adolin, however, Veil has become fond of the prince and even became drinking buddies with him.

The pair recovered the [[gemheart]] from the chasmfiend the following morning and returned to the warcamps, tattered but alive, where they were brought to the triage pavilion for care. Navani arrived shortly after and took fierce command of Shallan's treatment, as if the girl was her own daughter--ordering blankets, a warm bath, and a hot meal despite Shallan's protests. Though the older woman's sudden affection was overwhelming, Shallan embraced it graciously. Shallan had Pattern spy on Dalinar and Navani as she bathed, and revealing Dalinar's hopes that Shallan would join their expedition for the use of her mapmaking skills. Adolin arrived soon after, relieved to discover that his betrothed was still alive. After a long hug and kiss, he swore to protect her more carefully, earning him a strong reprimand from Shallan, with thoughts of her father in mind. When Dalinar arrived with Navani to request Shallan's aid, Shallan explained her theory that the ancient ruins of Stormseat at the center of the Shattered Plains held answers to Jasnah's research. She also explained the supposed danger posed by the parshmen, and convinced Dalinar to leave them in the warcamps. With Shallan's decision set, Navani decided to join as well, and the army was ready to march within the hour. {{book ref|sa2|75}}

After reforming the Knight Radiant, Dalinar asked Shallan and Renarin to learn as much about their newfound powers as they could; however, Shallan had a lot more on her mind than just her new role as a Knight Radiant. Following her confrontation with her past, Shallan struggled to keep her mind from from wandering to the murder of her parents, so she attempted to focus on drawing rather than murder she had committed. As she practiced drawing Urithiru, she found that her drawing was more of a surrealistic interpretation of the tower city rather than a realistic one. Noticing her frustration, Pattern assured Shallan that it was okay for her to hate them for killing her parents; however, Shallan assured Pattern that she did not blame the spren but rather the way her life spiraled out of control and eventually led to her killing her parents. As the conversation between her and Pattern lulled, a [[Tyn|scout]] arrived to inform her that she had been requested to attend a meeting with Dalinar and his family also in attendance. While making their way to the meeting, the scout asked Shallan about what it meant to be a Knight Radiant and carry a Shardblade. Despite being a Lightweaver, she pretended to be an [[Elsecaller]] when in public in order to hide the fact that she could create illusions. Shallan assured the scout that she would still be able to maintain her femininity whilst acting as a Radiant, seemingly disappointing the scout. {{book ref|sa3|2}}{{book ref|sa3|8}}

When Shallan arrived to the meeting, Dalinar hoped to glean some sort of information from her in order to understand more about the political world. Unfortunately, Shallan was unable to share the information Dalinar was hoping for, disappointing the [[highprince]]]. While the meeting went on, Shallan constructed a three-dimensional projection of Roshar out of stormlight with the aid of Dalinar's own abilities. {{book ref|sa3|8}} As the attendees at the meeting marveled at her creation, [[Lyn]] returned to inform them that there had been a murder. When they arrive at the scene of the crime, the victim appeared to be [[Vedekar Perel]], and they discover that the murder was an exact copy of the murder of Highprince [[Sadeas]]. When Adolin is assigned to search for the perpetrator, Shallan noticed that he had been acting strange and Pattern hummed in response to Adolin's strange behavior.{{book ref|sa3|9}}

Afterwards, Shallan began to practice her Illumination abilities in her room. She learned to better control her creations and could now cause them to move without the aid of Pattern. As she was practicing, Adolin arrived and they began to flirt with one another and eventually kissed until Pattern interrupted them. {{book ref|sa3|13}}

While Adolin and Shallan continued to build their relationship, Adolin urged Shallan to learn use a Shardblade in order to better defend herself. Shallan, however, could not bring herself to use the blade due to her past experience with the weapon, so she created a new personality, one she named Brightness Radiant, to take on while using the Shardblade. Noticing Shallan's discomfort with the blade, Pattern advised Shallan to sever the bond and kill him, so she could forge a bond with a new spren and have fresh start. Shallan, however, quickly squashed the idea and focused on her training. As she continued practicing with the Sharblade, Shallan noticed the similarities between Adolin and herself as they were both passionate about what they loved. As time passed, Shallan began to feel that she could be herself around Adolin and even briefly allowed herself to slip through her disguise as Radiant so she could enjoy her time with the prince. {{book ref|sa3|15}}

Later, Shallan, disguised as Veil, decided she would head to the [[Breakaway]], the marketplace established in Urithiru following the [[Battle of Narak]], in order to search for any clues on the recent murders to aid Adolin in his investigation. As she made her way to the markets, Pattern expressed his fondness for Adolin. While he initially disliked Adolin because he carried a [[Maya|Shardblade that was essentially the dead corpse of a spren]], he came to understand that humans in the [[Physical Realm]] kill and destroy in order to survive. As the conversation began to lull, Shallan brought up the previous conversation Pattern initiated about her supposed hatred for him. Pattern, again, urged Shallan to sever their bond and kill him, so she would no longer have to deal with the discomfort she felt when wielding him as a Shardblade. Before the spren could finish, she quickly expressed her need for the spren and begged Pattern not to leave her, telling the him that she also hated herself but she did not want him to go. Seemingly pleased with Shallan's response, Pattern dropped the conversation and hummed to himself. {{book ref|sa3|18}}

| Shallan while changing into Veil. {{book ref|sa3|18}}

As Veil arrived to the Breakway, she began eavesdropping on conversations between the people there in order to pick up on any information on the murders. After failing to learn anything relevant to her mission, she entered a bar set up in a large battle tent in hopes of learning more there. Noticing that Veil lacked the experience she posited herself to have, Shallan hoped to increase her credibility as a [[darkeyed]] con artist while visiting the markeplace. While Shallan primarily visited the marketplace in order to gain more information on the recent murders, she also used Veil to become more knowledgeable about the darkeye society established in the tower city. As Shallan ignorantly ordered hard wine in the bar, [[Jor]], a bouncer attracted to her, made his way to her and began flirting with Veil. Observing that she was becoming increasingly drunk, Jor offered to escort her out of the bar and call a palanquin to return to her room before it got too late. Picking up on the opportunity to learn more about the murders, Shallan asked what were the "dangerous places" she should look out for, so she did not get harmed. As he informed her that someone had been stabbed the previous night at [[All's Alley]], Shallan collapsed on the floor and unconsciously sucked in stormlight to ease the pain she felt. She quiqly discovered that she was no longer drunk. Shocking the bouncer and barkeep, Shallan calmly drank another cup of wine and began to make her way to the location Jor informed her of. {{book ref|sa3|18}}

As Veil interned the All's Alley, she ordered and drank [[Horneater]] white, the strongest drink they had, impressing the others at the bar. Hoping to prevent Veil from becoming too drunk, the barkeep attempted to stop her from drinking any more of the alcohol, but Veil stopped him and used that opportunity to ask about the murders, using the excuse that she was searching for the murderer that killed her little sister in the Alethi warcamps. Refusing to share any information on the murder, he directed Veil to a group of thugs that might have the answers she was searching for. In order to learn more information on the murder, Veil stabbed one of the thugs in the hand for pushing her out of his chair and threatened them by revealing her association with the [[Ghostbloods]]. While interrogating them, [[Betha]], one of the thugs, revealed that a man named [[Ned]] had strangled his wife to death. Believing she had reached a dead end, Veil began to make her way out of the bar. Before she left, she overheard Betha mention another murder that occurred in the markets while conversing with [[Ur]], the thug Veil had just stabbed. As she returned to the thugs, Betha quickly informed Veil that a barmaid had also died a similar way, but Ned vehemently denied any connection to the second murder before Ur killed him for supposedly killing the barsmaid. Realizing that this was likely a double murder, Veil was satisfied with the new information and left the tavern. {{book ref|sa3|18}}

The next morning, Shallan, still ill from the heavy drinking she did as Veil, woke to sound of Adolin knocking on her door. After enjoying some light banter with the prince, she sucked in stormlight from a sphere he offered her to clear the hangover she suffered from. As she began to dress herself for the day, Adolin informed her that he would be meeting meeting with [[Ialai Sadeas]], the widow of Torol Sadeas, in order to discuss any clues she might have on her late husband's murder. Disturbed by Ialai, Adolin requested that Shallan accompany him to his meeting with woman. When Adolin requested that she bring her own soldiers to accomapany them meeting instead of his, Shallan shared that she did not think she had any real use for the former deserters, and she did not find them necessary to follow them. After he explained to Shallan that her soldiers would feel honored by being put to use, Shallan relented and promised to find more tasks to assign to her guards. {{book ref|sa3|21}}

While exploring the city of Urithiru, Shallan discovered a long-abandoned theater and put on a play for Pattern using images from her sketchbook to conjure people to act it out. Recalling a play she had seen as a child, Shallan told the story known as [[The Girl Who Looked Up]], a Rosharan folk tale about a girl curious about an ancient wall surrounding her village to the protect the people from "bad things". As Shallan began to recall memories about her family and consumed too much stormlight for her illusions, she dropped the images she used to act out the play. While all of her illusions dispersed, she noticed a dark figure leave the theater. Startled by the presence of the intruder, Shallan transformed herself into Radiant chased after it. As she reached a dark chamber, she used her Lightweaving abilities to create various versions of herself to illuminate the room. After they vanished, she found a dark form writhing and squeezing into a small slot leading into the marketplace. Believing it to be some kind of spren, Shallan transformed into Veil and chased it into the market where she discovered that [[Rock]], a member of [[Bridge Four]], had been stabbed in the hand by a strange man. Veil quickly realized that Rock was a [[Horneater]] just like Ur, the thug she had stabbed while visiting All's Alley. After learning that there at been no new murder, Veil came to the conclusion that whatever was copying the murders was also copying all the violence occurring in the city. As she was about to leave the market, [[Ishnah]], one of the thugs she previously encountered, requested to join the Ghostbloods in order to learn more about the current events going on in Roshar, but Shallan refused. {{book ref|sa3|25}}

As Shallan attended another meeting led by Dalinar, she drew an image of the spren she encountered while in the theater. Pattern informed her that this was not a typical spren like he is but it was, instead, a spren of [[Odium]]. Bored by the political conversation, Shallan drew an image of Sadeas and discovered that his appearance was similar to that of Brightlord Perel, confirming her belief that the murderer was copying any violent acts performed in Urithiru. While idly flipping through her drawings of the recent murder victims, [[Malata]], the [[Dustbringer]] accompanying [[Taravangian]], attempted to make small talk with the Lightweaver, but Shallan found the conversation unpleasant due to her indifferent attitude and overfamiliarity when conversing with her.{{book ref|sa3|27}} As she began to plan her next move in her search for the murderer, the room quieted as Ialai Sadeas and Meridas Amaram entered. While initially shocked by their sudden appearance, Dalinar attempted to invite Ialai to attend the meeting, but she quickly rejected his invitation and announced Amaram's delegation as regent and heir to the title of House Sadeas. After Adolin insulted the highprince, Dalinar asked his son to leave the room and Shallan quickly followed. When she caught up with the young prince, he expressed his displeasure by Ialai's announcement, and Shallan unexpectedly shared her belief that Amaram may have killed [[Helaran]]. As she explained that the highprince possessed her brother's former Shardblade, Adolin reluctantly shared that Amaram obtained the Shardblade after [[Kaladin]] killed a [[Helaran|Shardbearer]]. Shocked by the news, Shallan tucked her thoughts away, and tried to move the conversation to another topic while they made their ways to the bottom floors of the tower. While Adolin went to visit the stables, Shallan returned to her room and absentmindedly flipped through her sketchbooks to keep her mind busy. While flipping through the sketchbook, she found strange images she could not recall drawing. Disturbed by the drawings, she shut her sketchbook and quickly left her room. Later, she arrived in the common room of the barracks and informed her soldiers the she had a new job for them. {{book ref|sa3|27}}

Prowling through the Breakaway markets, Shallan, disguised as Veil, became increasingly concerned by the strange spren that seemed to creep over the people in Urithiru. Despite being aware of their ignorance, she was frustrated by the common populace's lack of concern while the void creature inconspicuously observed them. Shallan used her guards to try and search for any more clues about the recent murder, but they had not found any new least in the four days since they began their investigation. While Veil waited for a new murder, she made her way to her soldiers,[[Gaz]] and [[Red]], both unaware of Veil's true identity. Also frustrated by the lack of new leads, the two soldiers grumbled about the lack of action and began to poke at Veil's history. She lied by saying that Shallan had picked her up and hired her as a soldier under her, which they seemed to accept. Annoyed by their questioning, Veil reminded them to keep watch of a murder similar to one that occurred recently. Three nights ago, a player in an initially friendly game of cards hit another player in the head with a bottle, effectively killing the man. The perpetrator, later revealed to by one of Ruthar's soldiers, had been executed via hanging in market's central square. Veil was sure that the spren would return to copy the murder by hitting another person with a bottle as well, so she had ordered her men to keep watch of a similar murder. As Veil began to reflect on both the similarities and differences between her, Shallan, and Radiant, she was startled by a sudden scream in the market. Following he sound of the scream, she encountered [[Vathah]], who informed her that the murder had actually been similar to the hanging of the executed soldier. As Shallan chased after the murderer, she transformed into Radiant in order to engage with the spren. Realizing she would have to descend deeper into the tower city, she sent Pattern to bring Adolin along with additional soldiers as backup. Before Adolin could arrive, she quickly removed Veil's clothing and, unaware of what she was doing, cast an illusion of Shallan over herself. Realizing what she did, Shallan began to panic as Adolin arrived along with [[Bridge Four]]. After informing them of her encounter with the strange spren, she and the rest of the party found a room containing a pit where the creature was likely settling in. As they descended down the hole, they discovered a room covered with murals depicting all ten [[Herald|heralds]] and the [[Almighty]]. Immediately after they enter the room [[Renarin]] informed them that [[Glys]], his spren, felt something unpleasant about the room. Shallan agreed and mentioned that Dalinar could not feel it but the two of them could. As Shallan brought that to light, Renarin was about to say something, when Adolin returned to show Shallan the decaying library he had found. As Shallan began to mourn the loss of ancient knowledge, Lyn and Renarin alert the others as they found a large black mass settling in the hallway. While they gaped at the strange form, they realized that the murders have been the result of the [[Unmade]], [[Re-Shephir]]. {{book ref|sa3|29}}

In response to the intruders, the Unmade created copies of Bridge Four in order to repel them from its domain. As Shallan watched the creature, she had the vague impression that she was familiar with the Unmade and knew why it was committing murders. While Adolin and Bridge Four's attempted to drive the creatures back, Shallan made her way closer to the spren despite Adolin's insistence that she retreat. As the Unmade continued to create increasingly distorted copies of the residents of Urithiru, Shallan used her Illumination abilities to conjure a glowing radiant force consisting of copies of people she drew in her sketchbook, seemingly driving the Unmade's creations back. {{book ref|sa3|29}} Making her way closer to the Unmade, the black form began to back away and revealed a bowl-shaped room where the rest of its form resided in. Realizing that she had a strange connection with Re-Shephir and that the midnight creatures were no longer intimidated by her light, Shallan began to hesitate and asked Adolin whether they should retreat or continue to fight the Unmade. Adolin responded by telling her to persist and fight as if there was no other option. At Adolin's advice, Shallan ordered Bridge Four and Adolin to clear away for her to reach the central mass while Renarin watched her back. Using her Illumination abilities, Shallan conjured various versions of herself to take the brunt of the midnight creatures' attacks. While they distracted the Unmade, she made her way into the dark mass and gingerly pressed herself into the Unmade. {{book ref|sa3|29}} As Shallan connected with Re-Shephir, she learned that it was an ancient spren creating by the splintering of a greater being. After being ordered to cause chaos, the Unmade became interested in men and eventually found itself attracted to the violence they committed. Clinging to the advice Adolin had given her, Shallan continued her attack on the Unmade using stormlight. While she struck at creature, she learned that it was scared of being trapped again as it had been by another [[Lightweaver]] in the past. As Shallan realized that the Unmade was learning about her similarly to how she was delving into the mind of the creature, she began to back down out of fear despite convincing herself that she would continue to fight off the Unmade. Sympathizing with the creature, Shallan removed herself from the the dark mass and collapsed out of exhaustion from her battle with the Unmade. As Re-Shephir forced itself out of the pit and fled, Shallan told the rest of the group not to follow. {{book ref|sa3|30}} While [[Teft]] frowned at Shallan's order not to follow the Unmade, he assented and they discovered a large treasure of cut gemstones where the Unmade had previously settled in.

After Jasnah's arrival to Urithiru, Shallan remembered that she was Radiant but also a scholar. Resuming her scholarly nature, she hoped to discover how Jasnah had survived the shipwreck during their journey to the Shattered Plains. After failing to find the princess, Shallan made her way back to the pits where she battled Re-Shephir after making several inquiries. When she reunited with Jasnah, the scholar quickly shared her thoughts on the fused gemstones discovered after the Unmade's escape from the pit. Jasnah shared that she and her mother speculated that the crystal pillar was actually a large [[fabrial]]. After discussing the moral implications of trapping spren in gemstones, Jasnah ordered Shallan to sketch images of the gemstone pillar, reminding Shallan that she was still expected to carry out her duties as Jasnah's ward. As Jasnah revealed how she escaped from the Ghostbloods by using her [[Elsecaller]] abilities, she also confided to Shallan about her concern over her lack of understanding about the [[Desolation]]. {{book ref|sa3|33}}

As Shallan was forced to become a scribe for Jasnah during the meetings held by Dalinar, she realized that she was not fond of resuming her duties as Jasnah's ward. Despite her displeasure at being ordered around once more, she did as she was asked. During the meeting, Jasnah noticed Shallan's inattentiveness and called for a short respite to talk with her ward. While proud of Shallan's growing confidence, Jasnah shared her concern over the secrets she seemed to be hiding from her. After Shallan refused to share her work with the Ghotbloods, Jasnah told her that she would need to balance both her wardship and her duties as a Radiant. Finished with their discussion, they both return to the meeting. As Shallan returned to the meeting, Pattern informed her that the room held "memories". Concerned by the new information, Shallan informed Jasnah of Pattern's comments, and the latter advised her ward that she should listen to her spren as they often share useful information. After being dismissed by Jasnah, Shallan returned to her room where she discovered a letter from the Ghostbloods revealing that [[Helaran]] was a [[Skybreaker]] acolyte. The Skybreakers, led by the [[Herald]] known as [[Nale]], received information that there was a potential Radiant in the Davar household from the lover of [[Shallan's mother]], another Skybreaker acolyte. After noticing Helaran's potential, Nale recruited her brother and had him prove himself to be worthy of a spren bond by killing Amaram, a member of the [[Sons of Honor]]. However, Helaran would later be caught and killed by [[Kaladin|"a member of Amaram's army who was close to bonding a spren"]]. After reading the letter, Pattern informed Shallan that there were lies in the letter, but the new information was still enticing to her. Shocked by the revelation, Shallan disguised herself as Veil and left to find Vathah and the rest of her men in their barracks to keep her mind off the news. {{book ref|sa|39}} {{book ref|sa|40}} While Veil shared her frustrations with Shallan to her men, [[Gaz]] and the other soldiers also shared their pride about being useful for their mistress. As she enjoyed the company with her men, she began to reflect on her relationship with the Ghostbloods. While she was aware that she was likely being used as a mole for the organization, she needed to find a way to turn that around on the assassins. While discussing the usefulness of the soldiers, Veil noticed a washwoman observing them nearby. Recognizing the woman as [[Ishnah]], Veil questioned the woman. She soon discovered that Ishnah was once a spy and hoped to join the Ghostbloods by proving herself. Seeing this as an opportunity to learn more about being a spy, Veil gave Ishnah the option of teaching her men how to be spies in exchange for promising to see if she would be worthy to join the Ghostbloods. {{book ref|sa|40}} While training under Ishnah, Vathah and the others are practicing how to do espionage. As Isnah teaches them how to observe their surroundings, Shallan realized she was late for her meeting and ran to the meeting, begrudgingly continuing her duties as a scribe.

While bored of her duties as a scribe, Shallan convinced herself to resume her wardship under Jasnah. {{book ref|sa|40}}. When [[Renarin]] is being taunted by [[Janala]], Shallan stood up for him, which he greatly appreciated. Renarin and Shallan discuss the nature of the fabrials that seem to be in, an actuality, one giant fabrial that runs throughout the tower city. As the two got closer, Shallan realized her way out of her wardship after Renarin tells her that she should stand up to Jasnah more or just not be around her anymore. To avoid Jasnah, Shallan hoped to leave Urithiru by joining Dalinar's mission to [[Kholinar]]. {{book ref|sa3|44}} She managed to convince Elhokar to let her go and help him take back Kholinar after offering herself and her spies to accompany the king, telling him that they are not Dalinar's subjects and they could make their own decisions. While Shallan left, she hummed along with Pattern as she convinced herself that she was not running away from Jasnah but rather going on the mission to Kholinar for a good cause. {{book ref|sa3|51}}.

When Shallan began to doubt her actions taken to provide for the poor citizens in Kholinar, [[Wit]] arrived and comforted her. While talking, they discussed the meaning of power, eventually giving Shallan the advice she needed to infiltrate the [[Cult of Moments]]. After this, he left her with the bill for the food he ate, much to her displeasure. {{book ref|sa3|68}}

In order to avoid being attacked by the deranged cultists, Shallan utilized the Oathgate to telport Azure, Adolin, Kaladin, and herself along with their sprens. When they awakened, they found themselves in Shadesmar, which Azure grunted about due to her dislike for the strange realm. {{book ref|sa3|87}}

While in Shadesmar, they found themselves accompanied by their now fully-sized sprens as well as [[Maya]], the dead spren tied to Adolin's Shardblade. {{book ref|sa3|88}}

As they return to Kholinar, Shallan and her friends arrive on the battle occurring at [[Thaylen City]], and she aids the army by summoning illusions of all the people she drew in her sketchbook to attract the Voidbringers. {{book ref|sa3|2}} During her period of switching between Shallan, Veil and Radiant, Shallan has an identity crisis that borders on dissociate identity disorder, unable to determine which version of her is really herself. {{book ref|sa3|120}} As she began to run out of stormlight, Jasnah arrived to support Shallan for duration of the battle.

Following the battle, Shallan opened up about her struggles with her mental disorder to Adolin which accepts. In return, Adolin shares his responsibility for the murder of Highprince [[Sadeas]]. While initially shocked, Shallan comforts Adolin and convinces him to share his secret with his father. Following this conversation, the two marry with Veil and Radiant by her side. {{book ref|sa3|122}}

The Surge of Transformation allows Shallan to use [[Soulcasting]]. She discovered that she could soulcast without the need of a fabrial after visiting [[Shadesmar]] and changing a goblet into blood. She then learned that the soulcaster she had been determined to steal was a nonfunctional fake, and that Jasnah could also soulcast without one. She used this ability to sink ''[[Wind's Pleasure]]'' by turning the ship into water during an assassination attempt on Jasnah by the Ghostbloods. {{book ref|wor|7}} While stranded in Shadesmar with Kaladin, Adolin, Azure, and their sprens, Shallan showed the ability to influence the [[Cognitive Realm]] as seen when she used the spheres found in the world to create structures such as bridges and walls. {{book ref|sa3|116}}

After practicing her abilities, Shallan learned how to make her illusions move without the aid of her spren. She was also shown to use Illumination without drawing her images beforehand as seen when she conjured images from a play she watched as a child and, later, an army to fight the [[Odium|Odium's]] forces. In addition to this, Shallan learned how to produce sounds without the aid of Pattern as seen when she was able to alter her voce whilst disguised as Veil. During the [[Battle of Kholinar]], Shallan was capable of making more solid illusions. While the reason for this is unknown, Jasnah commented that Shallan's projections appeared to have some substance to them as if it had more stormlight than usual while Shallan briefly wondered if she mixed her Soulcasting abilities with this Surge. {{book ref|sa3|121}} {{book ref|sa3|120}} Shallan's Illumination abilites also seem to be able to harm some of the Unmade as seen during her encounter with Unmade, [[Re-Shephir]]. During the battle Shallan was able to repel the forces conjured by the spren by simply using the light emitted from her illusions.

When combining her Illumination abilities with Dalinar's own abilities, Shallan was shown to be able to construct a visual map of Roshar entirely out of stormlight even though she had not visited the entire continent. {{book ref|sa3|8}}

Shallan grew up as the only daughter in the minor noble family. After first manifesting her [[Surgebinding]] abilities, her mother and her lover attempted to kill her, forcing to Shallan to fatally wound her mother out of self-defense. While her brothers were unaware of the Shallan's part in the death of her mother, her father was aware that his daughter killed her. Shallan's father, [[Lin Davar]], took responsibility for the murder of [[Shallan's mother]], showing that he did care for her daughter. After dealing with public scrutiny and the slow decline of his family, Lin Davar became an abusive father and would often beat his sons and servants, even blaming Shallan for his actions. {{book ref|wor|88}} Fed up with her father's abuse, Shallan and her brothers arranged his death and eventually successfully murdered their own father.

While Shallan had a poor relationship with her parents, she seemed to have a close relationship with all four of her brothers. Out of all of them, she seemed to be closest to her eldest sibling, [[Helaran]]. Helaran was shown to constantly bring gifts for Shallan and even visited the house despite his poor relationship with his father. When she was informed of her brother's visits, Shallan would often look forward to his company and the gifts he would bring for her. After learning about the death of Helaran, Shallan became extremely depressed and even resented his murderer until she became aware of the identity of [[Kaladin|the dark-eyed soldier responsible for his death]]. While not as close with her other brother, [[Balat]], Shallan deeply cares for him and was shown to often communicate with him despite his disturbing fixation with killing small animals. Shallan was shown to be the only one to care for her other brother, [[Jushu]], when he suffered from his gambling addiction, even going as far as to sell her Soulcasted necklace and convince her brothers to give up their daggers to pay off his debt. While this did not pay all of his debt, Shallan convinced the debt collectors to let him go by sharing that he comforted her when her mother died. {{book ref|wor|48}} After this, the two siblings became much closer to one another. [[Wikim]], the twin brother of Jushu, was often the target of their father's abuse and Shallan would often comfort him during his periods of depression. She was shown to be able to cheer him up by gifting him with sheets of mathematics.{{book ref|wor|45}} Despite not being to close with Wikim, Shallan still cares for her brother.

[[Adolin Kholin]] was causally betrothed to Shallan after Jasnah proposed marriage between the two adolescents to secure the stability Shallan needed for her family. She accepted the offer, hoping to use his power to save her family. They meet on the [[Shattered Plains]] and Shallan is immediately smitten by his looks. As they spent more and more time with one another, Shallan was able to become comfortable around Adolin, sharing her true self with him. After Shallan revealed herself to be a Knight Radiant, he teaches her how to fight with a [[Shardblade]]. The two have shown a profound amount of trust for one another as seen when they both exchange their deepest, darkest secrets with one another. While Shallan was initially hesitant to share her mental disorder with Adolin, she later opened up to the prince in order to grow closer to him. Shallan revealed to Adolin that she struggles with her identities due to her dark childhood, and Adolin shared his part in the murder of Highprince [[Torol Sadeas]] in return. At the end of [[Oathbringer]], their betrothal is finalized and they are married by the Vorin church. {{book ref|sa3|122}}

Shallan first met [[Wit]] as a child while attending the [[Middlefest Fair]] when he comforted her after she became distraught while thinking about the state of her family and the seemingly dark dealings her father was involved in. Since then, Shallan is shown to think highly of the court jester and seems to be the few people able to tolerate him in Roshar. She was even excited to see him again when they encountered one another in the Shattered Plains as seen when she affectionately hugged him much to the surprise of Adolin and Kaladin. {{book ref|wor|55}}