Difference between revisions of "Jasnah Kholin"

|image=Jasnah Shuravf.jpg

|profession={{cat tag|Scholars|VeristitalianHistorian}}

|It strikes me that religion—inreligion—in its essence—seeksessence—seeks to take natural events and ascribe supernatural causes to them. I, however, seek to take supernatural events and find the natural meanings behind them. Perhaps that is the final dividing line between science and religion. Opposite sides of a card.

|Jasnah on why she researches [[Voidbringers]]{{book ref|twoksa1|72}}

'''Jasnah Kholin''' is the queen of [[Alethkar]] on [[Roshar]].{{book ref|sa3|122}} She is a [[Surgebinder]] and [[Elsecaller]], with access to the [[Surge|Surges]] of [[Transformation]] and [[Transportation]], sometimes called "Elsecalling." {{book ref|sa2|epilogue}} She is the sister of the late King [[Elhokar Kholin|Elhokar]], daughter of the late King [[Gavilar Kholin|Gavilar]] and [[Navani Kholin|Navani]], niece of Highprince [[Dalinar Kholin|Dalinar]], aunt of royal heir [[Gavinor]], and cousin to [[Adolin]] and [[Renarin]]. She is known widely as a brilliant scholar and for her denunciation of [[Vorinism]].{{book ref|sa1|3}} She is a member of the [[Veristitalian|Veristitalians]]s, an order of historians dedicated to reconstructing unbiased and factual accounts of the past in order to better understand the present.{{book ref|sa1|28}} She is training [[Shallan Davar]] as her [[ward]].{{book ref|sa1|8}}

[[File:{{image|Ivory Jasnah.png|thumb|side=right|width=250px|<center><small>by {{a|ToastSamurai}}</small></center> Jasnah and [[Ivory]] ]]}}

Jasnah is a reserved and statuesque woman. She is widely praised for her beauty, always graceful and dressed immaculately. She is tall and slender with a full chest. She has tan skin and deep black hair that, when unbound, reaches the middle of her back - though she usually puts it up in intricate braid(s)braids.{{book ref|sa3|39}} She has a squarish face and pale violet eyes with an [[Wikipedia: epicanthic fold|epicanthic fold]].{{book ref|sa1|5}}

She has also been shown to have some sort of aversion to darkness, or at the very least shadows, as seen when she became uneasy while staring at a shadow. {{book ref|sa2|prologue}} AsJasnah brieflyseems mentionedto inhave onefaced some sort of hertrauma chapters,as Jasnaha seemschild; toDalinar havementions hadher a"lunacy" poorin experienceconversation wherewith Gavilar and she washas memories of being locked in a dark room when she was a child., which taught her that even the people she loved could hurt her.{{book ref|sa3|47}} No one else seems to remember it in the modern day, but Jasnah is terrified of it happening again to her.{{book ref|sa3|49}}

Jasnah can transport herself into and out of the Cognitive Realm of Shadesmar, along with at least her clothing and small physical objects. AsGoing ofall [[Wordsthe ofway Radiance]]into itthe hasCognitive notRealm yetappears beento revealedrequire whethera shegreater candegree transportof otherscooperation intofrom Shadesmar,Ivory orand whatreturning to the limitsPhysical ofRealm herseems abilityto require something more that going to transportthe objectsCognitive isdoes not.{{book Sheref|sa3|33}} It is unclear whether she can transport other people or object into Shadesmar, though she did retrieve Shallan from Shadesmar after her ward entered with not enough Stormlight available to return.{{book ref|sa1|70}}

Jasnah was among the first to predict that the Parshendi were the Voidbringers and that the Desolation was coming,{{book ref|sa1|74}} along with organizations such as the [[Ghostbloods]] and the [[Diagram (literature)|Diagram]]. Until it was proven,{{book ref|sa2|81}} the theory relied heavily on metaphorical texts and folk tales, both thousands of years old and translated through many [[Wikipedia:Proto-language|proto-languages]].{{url ref|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-language|text=Proto-languages|site=Wikipedia|date=2006/01/27}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|32}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|35}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|38}} Her most substantial proof was the shadow, ash and flame references in her sources that she believed were referingreferring to the red and black skin color of the Parshendi, as well as the reported sudden appearance of Voidbringers which she thought similar to the way the Parshendi assassinated her father, King Gavilar, apparently out of nowhere.{{book ref|sa1|72}}

[[File: {{image|Young Jasnah and Navani by Audrey Hotte.jpg|thumb|side=right|x200px|<center><small>by {{a|Audrey Hotteheight=200px}}</small></center>]]

Jasnah Kholin was born in {{Rosharan date|1139}} to Gavilar and Navani Kholin. Her brother, Elhokar, was born eight years later in {{Rosharan date|1147}}.{{book ref|sa1|12}} She became a princess of Alethkar when Gavilar united the [[highprince|highprinces]]s and became the king in {{Rosharan date|1163}}. At someabout pointages duringtwelve herto childhood (about {{Rosharan date|1150}})thirteen, Jasnah suffered from a case of lunacy.{{book ref|sa3|49}} When Jasnah reflects on this period of time, she remembers a dark room and screaming her voice ragged. According to her, this was when she learned that people she loved could still hurt her.{{book ref|sa3|47}}

In {{Rosharan date|1167}}, Jasnah attended the feast held in the [[Kholinar]] Palace after the signing of the Parshendi treaty. While walking to a meeting with an assassin named [[Liss]] with the intention of killing Elhokar's wife [[Aesudan Kholin|Aesudan]], she noticed her shadow pointing toward the light. She walked past Highprince [[Torol Sadeas|Sadeas]] and a [[Shinovar|Shin]] [[Szeth-son-son-Vallano|servant in white clothing]], and subsequently came across her father in quiet conference with [[Meridas Amaram]]. Once Amaram left, Jasnah asked Gavilar what he commanded Amaram, but Gavilar deflected the question and left hastily, leading her to wonder if he knew about her plans regarding Aesudan. Walking onward, Jasnah's shadow again acted oddly, and this time formed into a "man of midnight blacknesblackness [with] a certain reflective cast, as if he were made of oil."{{book ref|sa2|prologue}} He carried an unsheathed sword. In panic, Jasnah went into [[Shadesmar]] for the first time. There, the shadowy figure sheathed its sword, and Jasnah fell into the sea of glass beads. Before she drowned, Jasnah managed to find the glass bead corresponding to the Kholinar Palace, and using that as her guide, willed herself to rise to the surface, standing on a platform of glass beads. From there, she formed the corridor she'd stood in before leaving the [[Physical Realm]], and when the shadowy figure stepped onto her platform with its sword drawn, she formed a statue of [[Talenel|Talenelat'Elin]]. She confronted the figure, and it saluted and bowed, then left. When Jasnah returned to the Physical Realm, all the spheres lining the hallway walls were dun. {{book ref|sa2|prologue}}

Jasnah hesitated in returning to the party after she heard the music in the dining hall stop abruptly. She ran into Nale and possibly Kalak, two "ambassadors from the west": thewho onehad withbeen theinvited birthmarkby onthe his right cheek was [[Nale|Nalan]],king.{{book ref|sa2|99}}{{ref|text=Of andthe hisother companionmale isHeralds, widely[[Jezrien]] believedwas toalready bepresent as the beggar Ahu, [[KalakTalenel]], deducedwas afterstill processtrapped ofon elimination.{{url[[Braize]], ref|url=https://www.tor.com/2014/06/12/words-of-radiance-reread-prologue/|text=Wordsand of[[Ishar]] Radianceis Reread:the Prologue|site=TorGod-Priest Tezim.com|date=2014/6/12}} Jasnah heard sudden screams and ran toward them, fearing for her family's safety. The sounds led to her father's chambers, and the way was littered with corpses with burned eyes and the walls marked by [[Shardblade]] cuts. She eventually reached a balcony and saw her father in his [[Shardplate]], called to him and made him hesitate. The balcony broke beneath Gavilar, and Jasnah saw the servant she'd seen before fall down with her father. The Shin man somehow changed direction in the air, and fell onto the wall, completely ignoring gravity. While crying to herself, Jasnah was approached by three Parshendi, [[Klade]], [[Gangnah]] and [[Varnali]]. They took responsibility for the assassination and told Jasnah they were sorry for her loss but explained that Gavilar had to be stopped from doing something dangerous. It is now known that Gavilar, as a member of the [[Sons of Honor|Son of Honor]], was trying to bring back the Parshendi gods in the hopes that the [[Knights Radiant]] would return, reinstating the dominance of the Vorin church.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}{{book ref|sa2|88}} Sadeas stumbled in, saw what happened, and ran toward Gavilar's corpse, where they found [[Szeth|Szeth's]] note to Dalinar written in Gavilar's blood, telling him to find the most important [[Immortal Words|words]] a man could say.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}} Jasnah later discovered that this was a direct quote from [[The Way of Kings (in-world)|''The Way of Kings'']] by [[Nohadon]].{{book ref|sa1|15}}

Hours later, they discovered that the admission and the surrender of those three of the [[Council of Five]] covered the escape of the rest of the Parshendi. Dalinar sent several failed expiditionsexpeditions after the escapees. After refusing to divulge information, the three Parshendi were hanged. Jasnah interrogated Liss and the King's guards about the Assassin in White to no avail, and for the next half-decade would turn to [[The Way of Kings/Epigraphs#Jasnah's Notes|ancient books]] for her answers.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}

After the death of her father, she started drawing parallels between the Parshendi and the [[Voidbringers]].{{book ref|sa1|74}} Eventually, she discovered her [[Surgebinding]] abilities, and started carrying a fake [[Jasnah's Soulcaster|fake Soulcaster]] [[fabrial]] to disguise she was a [[Surgebinder]].{{book ref|sa1|72}} At some point, she made her way to the warcamps in the Shattered Plains, but eventually her studies took her elsewhere.{{book ref|sa1|18}} She left behinda hercopy books,of andher askednotes Dalinarat thatan theyinformation becenter caredin Tashikk for safekeeping.{{book ref|sa1sa3|6047}}

In {{Rosharan date|1172}}, she received a letter from [[Shallan Davar]], asking for wardship. She replied to Shallan to meet her in [[Dumadari]] in two weeks' time, though she didn't really expect her to make it. She spent the next six months traveling from town to town, leaving notes for Shallan when she left so the young woman could follow her. She eventually reached [[Kharbranth]] in {{Rosharan date|1173}}.{{book ref|sa1|3}}

[[File:{{image|Jasnah Soulcasting.jpg|width=350px|thumb|side=right|<center><small>by {{a|Grant M. Hansen}}</small></center>Jasnah soulcasting street thugs]]}}

She found out King [[Taravangian]]'s [[Taravangian's granddaughter|granddaughter]] was trapped in one of the palace rooms after an highstorm caused a boulder to fall down from the walls, blocking the way in. Taravangian asked for Jasnah's help, to free his granddaughter by [[Soulcasting]] the stone. Jasnah accepted to help, in return for free admittance to the [[Palanaeum]]. Shallan Davar, a prospective ward, caught up with her at this point and Jasnah evaluated Shallan's knowledge. Once they reached the boulder that had trapped the king's granddaughter, Jasnah Soulcast the stone into smoke, causing the newly formed smoke to explode because of the difference in density of rock and smoke. After this, she informed Shallan that she wasn't good enough to become her ward. Jasnah left Shallan behind and went to the Palanaeum.{{book ref|sa1|5}} After she collected the books she wanted, she returned to the alcove she'd reserved, and found Shallan there. She was angry to be defied, and told Shallan, not in a kind way, to leave her alone. Shallan, in her embarrassment and disappointment, forgot the [[spheres]] she had used for illumination inside the alcove. Jasnah asked her to return and apologized to her for her rudeness. She found out that Shallan was self-taught and found it remarkable, promising if she filled the gaps in her knowledge, she would accept her as her ward. A few hours later, the servants informed her that Shallan was back and that she had her own alcove, intent on studying while in Kharbranth and applying for wardship again. Jasnah decided that if she could not get rid of Shallan, she might as well make use of her and accepted her as her ward.{{book ref|sa1|8}}

Eventually, she started trusting Shallan enough to use her as a bathing attendant. After one of their talks about King Gavilar and the Parshendi, Jasnah remarked that Shallan looked anxious and decided to shift her training from history to philosophy, which she claimed was a more hands-on field of study. She took Shallan, in the middle of the night, to a roadway that she knew to be hunted by footpads, showing her wealth. Soon, four men came and attacked the two women and Jasnah, using Soulcasting, killed the men and left the corpse of one as crystal in the middle of the roadway. Shallan was horrified to see her kill the men, especially with the Soulcaster which Shallan considered holy. Jasnah told Shallan to research and consider the morality of the killing.{{book ref|sa1|36}} When Shallan reported her findings to her two weeks later. Jasnah disagreed with her, but she acknowledged that Shallan had put rational thought behind her opinion. She claimed the lesson was instructive and gave Shallan the rest of the day off. Shortly after Shallan rejoined Jasnah, saying that what she wanted to do with her free time was study.{{book ref|sa1|42}}

==== The Theft of the Soulcaster ====

[[File:Jasnah Kholin by Lyraina.jpg|thumb|left|<center><small>by {{a|Lyraina|Lyraina}}</small></center>Jasnah Kholin and her Soulcaster]]Jasnah spent the next two days outside Shallan's hospital room. Once she was allowed inside the room, she apologized to Shallan, although she didn't prove to be very proficient at apologizing which Shallan attributed to Jasnah's ineptitude at making mistakes. Becoming serious again, Jasnah claimed she may have done the world a disservice and stolen from it one of the great scholars of the rising generation by overworking Shallan. She gave her an empty book, and called it ''The Book of Endless Pages'', and cautioned her to seek out the [[devotary|Devotary of Sincerity]] of whom the book was the guide. Kabsal joined them, and, as was typical in their interactions, Jasnah was cool and rude to him. He let it slip that Shallan was returning to her home and Jasnah, while initially suprisedsurprised, agreed that it was the best for her. Kabsal revealed the strawberry jam and the bread she brought for Shallan. After being insisted by Shallan, Jasnah decided to eat some of it as well, but as her habit while accepting food from someone, she Soulcast the jam and the bread to purify them of any poisons. She was unsuccessful with the jam and the result was a rotten mush that was uneatable. Kabsal ate the jam anyway and tried to get Shallan to eat as well, though when she refused he tried to run out but collapsed before reaching the door. The same happened with Shallan a few seconds later. When Jasnah told her that she had to Soulcast her blood to get the poison out, Shallan revealed Jasnah's fake Soulcaster fabrial, apparently having stolen it. Jasnah healed her and Shallan fell unconscious.{{book ref|sa1|48}}

She was furiousFurious and hurt at the apparent betrayal from her ward, Jasnah confronted Shallan when she woke up. She initially thought that Shallan had stolen theher Soulcaster for one of the devotaries., Whenbut Shallan woke up, Jasnah confrontedinformed her. Shallanthat toldshe her,had ratherintended defiantly,to that she'd stolenuse it for herself,her own purposes; that [[Lin Davar|her father]] was dead and [[House Davar]] was bankrupt, and that she had become Jasnah's ward to steal the Soulcaster in the first place. Jasnah told herShallan that Shallanshe would be leaving for home the next day on a ship she'd arranged and that Kabsal was dead. She also told her that he had been using Shallan to assassinate her the whole time because the bread he'd been bringing Shallan was poisoned with [[backbreaker powder]] and the jam contained the antidote. She left the room, leaving Shallan behind in tears.{{book ref|sa1|50}}

Despite whatJasnah's she was toldinstructions, Shallan came to Jasnah'sher alcove and claimedguessed that the Soulcaster Jasnah wore was a fake and she could Soulcast without a fabrial. Jasnah initially tried to deny this, but she was shocked to see Shallan reveal a depiction of [[Shadesmar]]. Shallan told Jasnah that she'd stolen the Soulcaster fabrial on the night when Jasnah killed the four footpads and that she could Surgebind as well. When Jasnah didn't believe her, Shallan entered Shadesmar with a dim sphere to prove her claim. Jasnah followed her and brought her back, admonishing her for being an idiot in trying to enter Shadesmar with only a dim sphere. Shallan asked Jasnah to teach her and said that she wanted to be a part of Jasnah's studies. Jasnah was reluctant at first, but eventually accepted her with the promise that she would never lie to Jasnah or steal from anyone ever again.{{book ref|sa1|70}} She went on to tellingtell Shallan about Surgebinding, the Knights Radiant, and her theory about the Parshendi and the Voidbringers. When Shallan told herJasnah thatof she sawthe [[cryptic|cryptics]]s following her, Jasnah saidexplained therethat wereboth twoof ordersthem were of the Knightstwo Radiantsdifferent orders with the ability to Soulcast,. andAfter that the two women belonged to different orders.reading Jasnah showed Shallan her's notes regarding the Voidbringers,{{book ref|sa1|72}} and like Jasnah, Shallan came to the same conclusion as her mentor: the Parshendi were Voidbringers. Jasnah was pleased to have convinced at least one person. She saidthen thattold theyShallan needed more informationthat, but she hadhaving exhausted all that Kharbranth had to offer and that, they would leave for the Shattered Plains the next day. JasnahShe toldwarned herShallan that there were others after this information, and thatmentioning the [[Ghostbloods]] werespecifically; one of them. She thenshe showed Shallan thetheir symbol of the Ghostbloods that she had, found tattooed on Kabsal's body. Shallan was horrified to recognize the symbol,it and told Jasnah that her father might have had been a member of this group.{{book ref|sa1|74}} Jasnah hired Captain [[Tozbek]] and the ''[[Wind's Pleasure]]'' to take her and Shallan to the Shattered Plains, and the two women departed Kharbranth.{{book ref|sa2|1}}

During their days sailing, Shallan occasionally asked Jasnah about the Ghostbloods, but sheJasnah claimed to know very little of them beyond the fact that they wanted her research, and were willing to kill for it. While on the ship, Jasnah began making arrangements to help Shallan's family: she contacted Navani via spanreed to ask whether Shallan's Soulcaster could be fixed.; Shein alsothe requestedsame Navaniconversation, arrangearranged a tentative causal betrothal -- an unofficial agreement, unwitnessed by ardents -- between [[Adolin Kholin|Adolin]] and Shallan.; Navani answered positivelyand toarranged both. She also arrangedfor a relatively small amount of money to be sent to the [[House Davar|Davar family]]. It was on the ship that she explained the nature of Shadesmar and the spren to Shallan at length, showing a good understanding of the [[Realmatic Theory]]. She claimed that the meeting was not an accident, that the spren had guided Shallan to her, and that the old ways were returning because spren sensed an impending danger and were trying to preserve themselves. Jasnah also explained about the perception of power.

Jasnah was seemingly murdered by either the Ghostbloods or mercenaries workingassociated forwith [[Tyn]] who were trying to get into the Ghostbloods.{{book ref|sa2|34}}{{book ref|sa2|42}} Though she was Stabbedstabbed through the heart, she was able to escape to Shadesmar using the [[Surgebinding#Transportation|Surge of Transportation]], then heal herself with Stormlight.{{torbook ref|stormlight-archive-scene-after-words-of-radiancesa2|text=Tor.com7}}{{book Read a New Stormlight Archive Scene Set After Words of Radiance!ref|date=Aug 6th, 2014sa3|33}} Jasnah reappeared in the [[Physical Realm]] after the summoning of the [[Everstorm]], meetinghaving learned about the original [[Hoid|WitKnights Radiant]]. Shein threatenedher himtime withaway. aJasnah Shardblade, presumably her sprenmet [[IvoryHoid|Wit]]. Sheon hadher gainedway knowledgeand duringthreatened herhim timewith ina ShadesmarShardblade, notablypresumably abouther the originalspren [[Knights RadiantIvory]].{{book ref|sa2|epilogue}}

After her travel through the Cognitive Realm, sheJasnah returned to [[Urithiru]] to resume her fight against the [[Voidbringers]]. She attemptedobserved tomany rallyof theDalinar's [[Vorin]] armyvisions, searching for hints about locations and tooktime partperiods in meetingswhich withthey currenttook Rosharianplace leaders.to Whiletry sheto reunitedglean withmore herinformation former ward,about pre-[[ShallanAharietiam]] Roshar and the ancient Knights Radiant.{{book ref|sa3|33}} She was unable to identify distinguishing landmarks, Jasnaheither observedbecause the girl'slandscape slowhad mentalchanged deteriorationover whichtime Ivoryor alsobecause warnedthey herwere aboutin uncharted territory, but she did identify [[Jezrien|Jezerezeh, king of the Heralds]], in the vision of Aharietiam.{{book ref|sa3ob|53}} {{expand42}}

|[[Ketek]] written by Jasnah tofor Shallan's wedding|left|300px{{book ref|sa1sa3|29epigraph}}

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