Difference between revisions of "Gavilar Kholin"

|spouse=[[Navani]]

|children=[[Elhokar]], [[Jasnah]]

|abilities={{tag+|Shardbearer}}

|titles=King of [[Alethkar]], Gavilar the Majestic{{book ref|sa3|105}}

|groups={{tag|Sons of Honor}}

|nation=Alethkar

|world=Roshar

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]

}}

{{update|sa4}}

{{quote

|My people need to be united, and I need an empire that won't simply turn to infighting once I am gone.

}}

 

 

== Appearance and Personality ==

{{image|Gavilar Framed Portrait by Grant M. Hansen.png|side=left|width=250px}}

{{quote

|From Navani's biography of Gavilar{{book ref|sa1|45}}

}}

{{for|/Gallery|more images}}

 

Gavilar looks regal with his beard combed, glowing gemstones on the fingers and a uniform of newer styles.{{book ref|sa3|19}} He has strong features, a square chin, a black beard with a hint of white, and pale green eyes.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} He has a set of bright blue Shardplate,{{book ref|sa3|11}} which he often lends to others in favor of wearing a modern suit, and wears a black iron circlet as crown.{{book ref|sa3|49}}

 

He's an ambitious man who is obsessed with the rise of House Kholin and overshadowing the Sunmaker and his legacy.{{book ref|sa3|11}} He wants to lead a sustainable kingdom and doesn't overlook responsibility. He is very knowledgeable of history; he has theories on why Sunmaker’s kingdom did not stand as well as knowledge on the history of some blades including Oathbringer that would eventually be Dalinar's.{{book ref|sa3|11}} He is known for his political skill for making alliances{{book ref|sa3|19}} and is more inclined to trick his enemies into turning against each other,{{book ref|sa3|11}} though he doesn’t feel guilty if his strategy included pillaging or brutal killing,{{book ref|sa3|26}} as his best friend and trusted adviser Torol Sadeas would push for.{{book ref|sa3|29}} He had a tendency to use those around him, even if he cared for them.{{wob ref|11434}}

 

In his youth, he had a habit of summoning and dismissing his Blade when getting ready for a battle, perhaps as a way to relieve stress.{{book ref|sa3|11}} It's unknown if he retained it in his middle age.

 

== Attributes and Abilities ==

=== Shardwielding ===

 

=== Visions ===

{{for|Dalinar's visions}}

 

 

== History ==

=== Early Life ===

{{image|OB - Flashback Gavilar Dalinar.jpg|side=right|width=250px|Young Gavilar and [[Dalinar]]}}

 

=== Unification of Alethkar ===

{{image|Eshonai Gavilar Shuravf.jpg|side=left|width=200px|Gavilar meeting with [[Eshonai]] on the night of his death}}

 

{{for|Assassination of Gavilar}}

The night of his assassination, Gavilar was attending a feast celebrating a treaty with the listeners. Before the feast he spoke in the lower palace floor with five people, including [[Amaram]] and [[Taravangian]];{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} in his conversation with Taravangian, he discussed the [[Dalinar's visions|visions]] he had been seeing and warned the other king that a storm was coming.{{book ref|sa2|i|14}} When he discovered that [[Eshonai]] had seen the meeting, he decided to speak to her about his plans. Gavilar wanted to bring back the listeners' gods, the [[Unmade]], and start a new [[Desolation]]. Despite Eshonai's protests to the contrary, he believed this would benefit everyone, including the listeners. He then gave Eshonai a [[black sphere]] and asked her to take it to [[The Five]] and tell them what he had told her.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}

 

 

{{sidequote

|side=right|size=250px

}}

{{image|Assassination of Gavilar.jpg|side=right|width=300px|Gavilar fighting [[Szeth]]}}

A piece of wood gravely injured him by stabbing him in the side where his plate was damaged. As he was dying, Gavilar had a small, strange [[black sphere]] that he gave to Szeth and told him not to let some unknown group get it. He wished his brother to know the "most important words a man can say".{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Szeth then proceeded to write in Alethi those words in Gavilar's blood on a wooden block, which was later deciphered by [[Jasnah Kholin]]. [[Dalinar]] then took this to mean the words of the [[Knights Radiant]].{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}

At Gavilar's holy interment, he was lauded by the presiding ardent. His body was Soulcast into a stone sculpture. At the interment, the Alethi highprinces swore the [[Vengeance Pact]] and would go on to fight the [[War of Reckoning]] to avenge his death.{{book ref|sa3|105}}

 

 

== Relationships ==

=== House Kholin ===

{{quote

}}

 

 

{{quote

|Hopefully my accomplishments won’t be as ephemeral as his.

|Gavilar to Toh in reference to the Sunmaker.{{book ref|sa3|19}}

}}

 

=== Sons of Honor ===

Although Gavilar was not in charge of the [[Sons of Honor]], he was an influential member of the group. He was responsible for an expansion in the ranks of members, including bringing in [[Amaram]].{{book ref|sa3|40}} He was an important enough member to have access to and knowledge of their plan to return the [[Voidbringers]], including the black spheres.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} Despite this, Gavilar suspected [[Restares]], leader of the Sons of Honor, of his assassination, indicating that there might have been some conflict or suspicion between the two.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}

 

== Trivia ==

{{holder|title=King of [[Alethkar]]

|prev=''Interregnum''<br /><small>(Previously [[Sadees]])</small>

|next=[[Elhokar Kholin]]

}}

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</references>

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{{Stormlight}}