Difference between revisions of "Immortal Words"

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m (This is a direct quote from Teft, so the wording should be left as-is, but I agree it wasn't super clear it was a quote; I think this is clearer.)
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#REDIRECT [[Knights Radiant#Immortal Words]]
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{{culture
  
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[[Category: Subsection redirects]]
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|image= First Ideal poster.jpg
  
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|related={{tag|Knights Radiant}}
  
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|world=Roshar
  
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|universe=[[Cosmere]]
  
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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
  
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}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| You can drink in the [[Stormlight]] and command it. But being a [[Knight Radiant|Radiant]] was more than that. It was their way of life, the things they did. The Immortal Words.
  
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| [[Teft]]{{book ref|sa1|59}}
  
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}}
  
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The '''Immortal Words''' were a set of oaths sworn by the [[Knights Radiant]] in order to gain their [[Surgebinding]] abilities. There were five sets of '''Ideals''' for each order, with the first being the same among all orders, and the [[Order of Lightweavers]] being the exception as they swore no oaths past the first one.{{book ref|sa2|89}} While the general idea behind every Ideal is the same between members of a certain order, the exact wording can change based on the individual journey of each Radiant.
  
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== Purpose ==
  
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The primary purpose of the Ideals was to serve as a restraints to help guide and control the [[Knights Radiant|Radiants]] for how they were to live their lives.{{book ref|sa2|Epigraph=42}} [[Nohadon]] may reference some of these in his book, [[The Way of Kings (in-world)|''The Way of Kings'']] as Nohadon was a [[Surgebinder]] himself.{{book ref|sa1|59}}
  
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A nascent Surgebinder speaks the first Ideal and with each subsequent Ideal they gain greater ability to infuse both themselves and other objects with [[Stormlight]] and lowers the amount of Stormlight they require to actualize an effect. It is also important to note that simply having the ability to infuse does not make one a Radiant, simply a Surgebinder. Only after Ideals are spoken does one become a Radiant. The Ideals were not simply a means to greater power, they were a way of life for the Radiants.{{book ref|sa1|59}}
  
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== The First Ideal ==
  
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{{quote
  
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| Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.
  
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| The First Ideal of the Knights Radiant{{book ref|sa1|59}}
  
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The First Ideal of the Knights Radiant is shared among all of the orders. Because of this, it serves as the motto for the entire order.{{book ref|sa1|59}} While saying the other Ideals appear to be essential to their corresponding increases in Surgebinding ability, speaking the First Ideal does not seem to be a prerequisite to gaining a basic capacity to Surgebind, as [[Kaladin]] first hears of it long after he first begins to infuse himself with Stormlight.
  
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The First Ideal is not merely a statement of obvious truths. For example, even though people are always born before they die, that is not the knowledge that the First Ideal seeks to impart. As explained by [[Teft]]:
  
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{{quote|
  
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'''Life before death'''. The Radiant seeks to defend life, always. He never kills unnecessarily, and never risks his own life for frivolous reasons. Living is harder than dying. The Radiant's duty is to live.<br>
  
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'''Strength before weakness'''. All men are weak at some time in their lives. The Radiant protects those who are weak, and uses his strength for others. Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.<br>
  
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'''Journey before destination'''. There are always several ways to achieve a goal. Failure is preferable to winning through unjust means. Protecting ten innocents is not worth killing one. In the end, all men die. How you lived will be far more important to the Almighty than what you accomplished.
  
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|Teft{{book ref|sa1|59}}
  
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}}
  
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It should be noted that the Oaths are about each individual Radiant and his or her [[spren]]'s perception of them and,{{book ref|sa3|121}} since Teft was not a Radiant when he explained the Ideal to Kaladin, he may not have realized the extent of the room for variation in interpreting the First Ideal. Furthermore, as he eventually becomes a [[Order of Windrunners|Windrunner]], his explanation of the First Ideal likely hews closer to how that Order would interpret it. Notably, the [[Order of Skybreakers]] and the [[Order of Elsecallers]] would accept a more Machiavellian interpretation of the First Ideal and the Elsecallers in particular view the "journey" as that of the entire species.{{wob ref|2525}}{{wob ref|4163}}
  
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== Subsequent Ideals of Individual Orders ==
  
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After the First Ideal, each Order has unique words that serve as a path to increasing the [[Nahel Bond]] and becoming a Knight Radiant. The exact words used may vary, but generally, the concepts implied by them are shared. A Surgebinder progressing along the path will know the words when they are ready to say them. Each order has four sets of words before the final culmination of the Nahel Bond.{{book ref|sa1|67}}
 
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=== Ideals of the Windrunners ===
  
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The Ideals of the [[Order of Windrunners]] may be tied to the divine attributes of protecting and leading, as those are related to [[Jezrien]]{{book ref|sa1|part=ars}} This idea is enhanced by the Second Ideal of the Order of the Windrunners, which has to do with protection.
  
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{{quote
  
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|I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.
  
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|The Second Ideal of the Windrunners, as sworn by [[Kaladin]]{{book ref|sa1|67}} and [[Lopen]]{{book ref|sa3|121}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right.
  
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| The Third Ideal of the Windrunners, as sworn by [[Kaladin]]{{book ref|sa2|84}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will protect even those I hate, even if the one I hate most is myself.
  
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| The Third Ideal of the Windrunners, as sworn by [[Teft]]{{book ref|sa3|119}}
  
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The Fourth Ideal may have something to do with not being able to protect some people, accepting that fact and leaving them to their fates in order to move on. This is outlined by the unnamed Windrunner's entry in the [[Urithiru gem archive]]{{epigraph ref|sa3|86}} as well as the situation in which Kaladin tries and fails to swear the Ideal, because he is not (yet) able to let go of those he failed and still torments himself over their deaths.{{book ref|sa3|119}}
  
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=== Ideals of the Skybreakers ===
  
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The second Ideal, also called the Ideal of Justice, is a specific oath to seek and administer justice.{{book ref|sa3|90}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will put the law before all else.
  
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| A general form of The Second Ideal of the Skybreakers{{wob ref|10391}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I swear to seek justice, to let it guide me, until I find a more perfect Ideal.
  
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| The Second Ideal of the Skybreakers, as sworn by [[Szeth]]{{book ref|sa3|92}}
  
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The third Ideal, also called the Ideal of Dedication, this is a specific oath to dedicate oneself to a greater truth. A Skybreaker Squire must first bond their [[highspren]] before taking this oath, and it is the minimum oath required before the [[Surge]] of Division can be used.{{book ref|sa3|90}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I swear to follow the will of Dalinar Kholin. This is my oath.
  
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| The Third Ideal of the Skybreakers, as sworn by [[Szeth]]{{book ref|sa3|121}}
  
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The fourth Ideal, also called the Ideal of Crusade, and requires that a Skybreaker undertake a personal quest and complete it to the satisfaction of their highspren. Once completed, the Skybreaker is elevated to the rank of master.{{book ref|sa3|90}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will cleanse the Shin of their false leaders, so long as Dalinar Kholin agrees.
  
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| The Fourth Ideal of the Skybreakers, as sworn by [[Szeth]]{{book ref|sa3|121}}.
  
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The final Ideal, called the Ideal of Law, requires the Skybreaker to swear an oath that they will become a personification of law and truth.
  
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=== Ideals of the Edgedancers ===
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will remember those who have been forgotten.
  
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| The Second Ideal of the Edgedancers, as sworn by [[Lift]]{{book ref|sa2|i|9}}
  
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{{quote
  
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|I will listen to those who have been ignored.
  
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|The Third Ideal of the Edgedancers, as sworn by [[Lift]]{{book ref|Edgedancer|19}}
  
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=== Ideals of the Lightweavers===
  
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The [[Order of Lightweavers]] acknowledge no Ideals other than the First Ideal shared by all Knights Radiant. Members of the Lightweavers do however need to speak "Truths" to advance, which is similar to the process of speaking the Ideals in other Orders. However, instead of a shared set of beliefs like the other orders, the Truths of Lightweavers seem to be acknowledgements of personal truths, especially those that are hard to accept or ones that have been kept secret.{{book ref|sa2|87}}
  
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=== Ideals of the Bondsmiths===
  
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The Ideals of the [[Order of Bondsmiths]] seems to be tied to uniting men and possibly Surgebinders. They seem to be the Ideals most closely connected to governance.
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will unite instead of divide. I will bring men together.
  
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| The Second Ideal of the Bondsmiths, as sworn by [[Dalinar Kholin]]{{book ref|sa2|89}}
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.
  
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| The Third Ideal of the Bondsmiths as sworn by [[Dalinar Kholin]]{{book ref|sa3|119}}
  
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===Ideals of Unknown Orders===
  
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The following are confirmed Ideals of an Order (subject to change), but the Order which speaks them has not been confirmed.
  
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{{quote
  
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| I will stand when others fall.
  
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| Unknown Ideal of an Order of Knights Radiant{{wob ref|5616}}
  
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===Underlying concept===
  
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{{theory}}
  
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All Ideals seem to have in common that they reflect in some way on the respective person's character, self-awareness and motivations, their soul, so to speak, and reinforce that person's bond with their spren in accordance to that reflection. For instance, Windrunners are people who seek to protect others from harm and evil and advance their Ideals when they realize more and more, what that drive to protect entails and embrace those precepts. Therefore, Kaladin is unable to speak the Fourth Ideal, as he is not yet able to actually live up to the demands of that stage. Furthermore, the actual wording used when swearing an Ideal seems to matter significantly less than the mindset of the person and their accomplishments in their journey to self-awareness. Finally, it is impossible to swear an Ideal prematurely, as the [[Stormfather]] "refuses" to acknowledge [[Lopen]]'s oath when he swears it at first, presumably during his training. However, after the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]], when Lopen speaks to an injured soldier who had lost his arm in the fighting, he repeats them while explaining the concept of the oaths to the soldier. At this moment, he is not earnestly expecting his words to hold any meaning, as he uses the phrase "journey before pancakes" in the First Ideal, and repeats the Second Ideal only while mentioning to the soldier how hard it is to say those words and mean them. Nevertheless, the Stormfather accepts his words, as Lopen appears to have actually achieved the required personality this time around. All of this points to the possibility that all Ideals are Truths spoken by a Knight Radiant about their inner self, speaking about their respective goals and ideals (protecting others, seeking order and justice, helping and caring for the weak, etc.). Thus, the Lightweavers would not be different from the other orders in that they require Truth ''instead'' of an Ideal, but in that they are much more liberal and varied with respect to what Truths, and therefore, what character, are needed in order to advance.
  
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== Trivia ==
  
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* Brandon intended for sets of Ideals across Orders (i.e. the Third Ideal) to have a theme, though not all oaths will follow the pattern.{{wob ref|12012}}
  
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== Notes ==
  
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<references />
  
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{{partial}}
  
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{{Stormlight}}
  

Latest revision as of 07:57, 5 January 2021

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