Difference between revisions of "Jasnah Kholin"

|image=Jasnah Shuravf.jpg

|ancestors=[[Dalinar's father]], [[Sadees]]

|parents=[[Gavilar Kholin|Gavilar]], [[Navani Kholin|Navani]]

|siblings=[[Elhokar Kholin|Elhokar]]

|relatives=[[Dalinar Kholin|Dalinar]], [[Adolin Kholin|Adolin]], [[Renarin Kholin|Renarin]], [[Gavinor]], [[Kaves]]

|groups={{tag|Knights Radiant}} <small>([[Order of Elsecallers|Elsecallers]])</small><br />{{tag|Veristitalians|link=Veristitalian}}s

|born={{Rosharan date|1139}}{{citebook ref|sa1|3}}{{book ref|sa1|36}}

| It strikes me that religion—inreligion&mdash;in its essence—seeksessence&mdash;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''' (<small>Alethi pronunciation:</small> [[Wikipedia:Help:IPA|[ˈjas·nɐ koˈlɪn]]] [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Pronunciation_respelling_key|'''''<small>YASS</small>'''-nah ko-'''<small>LIN</small>''''']]) is the queen of [[Alethkar]] on [[Roshar]].{{book ref|sa3|122}} She is a [[Surgebinder]] and [[Elsecaller]], with access to the [[Surge|Surges]]s of transformation[[Transformation]] and transportation[[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]]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 iswas training [[Shallan Davar]] as her [[ward]], but has since finished prior to the [[Urithiru#Capture_of_Urithiru|capture of Urithiru]].{{book ref|sa1|8}}{{book ref|sa4|21}}

Jasnah is angenerally atheist.a stern and serious person, although she occasionally shows a wry sense of humor,{{book ref|sa1|29}} Thisand hasallows causedfamiliarity heramong notthose anshe insignificantis amountclose ofwith.{{book problemsref|sa3|15}} andShe ledsometimes toacts her being ostracizedin a bitbrusque manner, butand shecan hasbe neverexceptionally compromisedrude inwhen hersomeone beliefsgets foron theher sake ofbad appearancesside.{{book ref|sa1|2833}} While sheShe is determined, confident, inand heroften lackstubborn.{{book of faith in the [[devotaryref|devotaries]],sa1|8}} likeShe thecan truebe scholarextremely thattough sheand isruthless, as she alsoshowed alwayswhen keepsshe ankilled openfour mindfootpads tothat theattacked possibilityher of beingand wrongShallan. She isharbors contenta todeep keephatred hertowards beliefsmen tolike herselfthem, andpossibly doesn'tbecause particularlyof caresomething aboutthat convertinghas anyonebeen elsedone to her in the past.{{book ref|sa1|2936}}

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]]s and became the king in {{Rosharan date|1163}}. At about ages twelve to 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}}

==== ParshendiSinger Betrayal ====

SheIn {{Rosharan date|1167}}, Jasnah attended the feast that was held in the [[Kholinar]] Palace after the treatysigning withof the Parshendi was signed in {{Rosharan date|1167}}treaty. While walking to a meeting with an assassin named [[Liss]] with the intention of havingkilling Elhokar's wife, [[Aesudan Kholin|Aesudan]], killed, she noticed her [[Spren|shadow]] behavingpointing oddlytoward whichthe discomfited herlight. 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 andin quiet conference with [[Meridas Amaram]] having a quiet conference. Once Amaram left, Jasnah asked Gavilar what he commanded Amaram, but Gavilar deflected the question and hastily left Jasnahhastily, leading her to wonder if he knew about her plans regarding Aesudan. Walking onwardsonward, Jasnah's shadow again acted oddly, and this time, formed into a "man-shaped oilyof midnight blackness [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, and there the shadowy figure sheathed its sword in satisfaction, and Jasnah fell into the sea of glass beads. Before beingshe drowned, sheJasnah managed to find the glass bead corresponding to the Kholinar Palace, and using that as her guide, willed herself to rise to the surface., She stoodstanding uponon a platform made of glass beads locked together. From the beadsthere, she formed the corridor she'd stood in inbefore 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 herand bybowed, raisingthen two fingers to its head and bowingleft. After this,When Jasnah returned to where she was in the Physical Realm, to findall the spheres lining the hallway walls ofwere the hallway without [[Stormlight]]dun.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}

SheJasnah managed to compose herself, and hurried to her appointmentmet with Liss. Once there, shebut decided not to go through with assassinatingassassinate Aesudan, and instead orderedordering Liss to take a job as one of Aesudan's maids, and watchsurvey her only. Once the meeting was concluded, Jasnah asked Liss about the servant Lissshe wanted to show off, but Liss answered that she had sold her Shin servant to a slaver weeks ago for being too good a servantslave. Hearing that the servant was Shin, Jasnah recalled the servant in white clothing she'd seen earlier, and decided to checklook into him.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}

WhileJasnah gettinghesitated backin returning to the party, theafter musicshe comingheard fromthe abovemusic stopped, leading Jasnah to wonder ifin the partydining washall stop overabruptly. She ran into [[Nale]] and [[Kalak]], two "ambassadors from the west," andwho washad madebeen uncomfortableinvited by the oneking.{{book withref|sa2|prologue}}{{book aref|sa4|77}} silverJasnah birthmarkheard on his cheek. Abruptly,sudden screams replaced where the beat of drums had sounded, and Jasnah immediately 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[[singers]], [[Klade]], [[Gangnah]] and [[Varnali]]. They took responsibility for the assassination, and told Jasnah they were sorry for her loss but explained that Gavilar was abouthad to dobe somethingstopped veryfrom doing something dangerous. andGavilar, hadas a member of the [[Sons of Honor]], was trying to bebring stoppedback the [[Fused]] 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, withwhere his guards.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}} Theythey found a[[Szeth]]'s note to [[Dalinar]] nearwritten in Gavilar's corpseblood, sayingtelling thathim Dalinar mustto find the most important [[Immortal Words|words]] a man could say,.{{book thatref|sa2|prologue}} sheJasnah 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 assassinationadmission and the surrender of thethose three coveredof the escape[[Council of Five]] covered the restescape of the Parshendirest inof the palacesingers. Dalinar sent aseveral hundredfailed cavalryexpeditions after them,the butescapees. theyAfter were killedrefusing to thedivulge lastinformation, man and horse. Thethe three Parshendi didn't say anything more, andsingers were all hanged. Jasnah interrogated theLiss survivingand the King's guards and Liss about the Assassin in White, butto gotno almostavail, nothing.and Next,for shethe startednext lookinghalf-decade throughwould the booksturn to explain[[The whatWay sheof hadKings/Epigraphs#Jasnah's Notes|ancient books]] seenfor thather nightanswers.{{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|350px|thumbwidth=250px|side=right|Jasnah soulcasting street thugs by [[Coppermind:Artists/Grant Hansen|Grant Hansen]]]]}}

She found out King [[Taravangian]]'s [[Taravangian's granddaughter|granddaughter]] was trapped in one of the palace rooms after ana 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}}

She spent the next two months studying and teaching Shallan, in particular having her study the events around the death of King Gavilar, to some frustration from Shallan.{{book ref|sa1|29}} During this time, she talked with her uncle, Dalinar, over [[spanreed]] about her studies, though she didn't mention specifics because they weren't speaking in person. Dalinar asked her to come back to the Shattered Plains, saying her presence was sorely missed, to which Jasnah replied she would eventually be back. Jasnah asked Dalinar to describe the events of the expedition where he and Gavilar first discovered the Parshendi. She also had Shallan draw a copy of a picture that was said to belong tobe a Voidbringer for themhim and Adolin. Dalinar and Adolin saidtold her that the picture was of a [[chasmfiend]], made slightly more menacing than it really was. Jasnah replied that she didn't think that the figure in the picture really belongbelonged to a Voidbringer, butand that the artist simply chose to draw the most intimidating she could think of.{{book ref|sa1|28}} Taravangian joined themher and Shallan for lunch one day, where he and Jasnah talked about religion and Jasnah's lack of belief in one. Taravangian asked her about the Soulcaster, but Jasnah refused to answer. He also asked Shallan to make a drawing of him. Shallan happily accepted, but later crumpled it and refused to show it to them, claiming she made a mistake. Jasnah remarked that Shallan never made mistakes while drawing.{{book ref|sa1|29}}

FewA few days later, she found Shallan and the [[Ardent]] [[Kabsal]] in their alcove while he was showing Shallan the [[cymatics|cymatic]] patterns for the four cities of Kholinar, [[Vedenar]], [[Thaylen City|Thaylen]] and [[Akinah]] as a proof of the [[Almighty]]'s existence. Jasnah didn't show surprise by his demonstration, and asked if he could show the cymatic pattern for [[Urithiru]] as well, to which Kabsal answered Urithiru was a fable. She was rude to him, and even insultedinsulting him and the [[ardentia]] in general. Once Kabsal left, she told Shallan that he wasn't really interested in her, and was only getting close to Shallan, in order to turn her against Jasnah, and get her to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster.{{book ref|sa1|33}}

WhileAfter one of their talks discussingabout King Gavilar's interest inand the Parshendi with Shallan, Jasnah revealedremarked that aShallan freshlooked perspectiveanxious couldand bedecided helpful,to andshift thather shetraining feltfrom Shallanhistory couldto discoverphilosophy, somethingwhich she hadclaimed missed.was Thea topicmore eventuallyhands-on ledfield toof Urithirustudy. andShe the Voidbringers.took Shallan suggested that Urithiru, which Jasnah claimed wasin the centermiddle of the [[Silver Kingdoms]]night, couldto bea inroadway thethat Shatteredshe Plains,knew butto Jasnahbe washunted certainby thatfootpads, itshowing wasn'ther therewealth. SheSoon, eventuallyfour endedmen their talk,came and toldattacked Shallanthe totwo gowomen backand toJasnah, herusing studies.Soulcasting, Shallankilled the men and left the alcove,corpse sayingof sheone neededas [[Tifandor]]'scrystal in the biographymiddle of Gavilarthe roadway. Shallan returnedwas twohorrified hoursto latersee withher kill the Kabsalmen, ofespecially whomwith Shallanthe wantedSoulcaster towhich sketchShallan aconsidered drawingholy. Jasnah wastold annoyedShallan byto theresearch distraction,and but leftconsider the othermorality twoof tothe themselveskilling.{{book Afterref|sa1|36}} sketchingWhen forShallan areported bit,her Shallanfindings becameto veryher agitatedtwo weeks later. Jasnah disagreed with her, sayingbut she madeacknowledged athat mistake,Shallan andhad leftput therational alcovethought forbehind her roomopinion. Jasnah,She concernedclaimed forthe herlesson ward,was followed her,instructive and foundgave Shallan on the ground,rest bleedingof fromthe aday cutoff. on her wrist,Shortly after anShallan apparentrejoined suicideJasnah, attempt.saying Shethat immediatelywhat calledshe forwanted help,to anddo Shallanwith washer takenfree totime one of Taravangian'swas hospitalsstudy.{{book ref|sa1|4542}}

=== ReturnShipwreck toand theApparent Shattered PlainsDeath (1173—1173) ===

|[[Ketek]] written by Jasnah tofor Shallan's wedding|left|300px{{book ref|sa1sa3|5epigraph}}

| Jasnah to ShallanIvory{{book ref|sa1sa4|2964}}

| Jasnah to Shallan{{book ref|twoksa4|4899}}

* Twelve young women asked Jasnah for a wardship during the year {{Rosharan date|1173}} alone.{{book ref|sa1|5}} She eventually accepted the last one, Shallan.

* In [[The Way of Kings Prime|''The Way of Kings'' Prime]], Jasnah was a viewpoint character with as many chapters as the other characters. [[Brandon Sanderson]] decided too many viewpoints was too distracting and cut Jasnah's parts in the final version.{{wob ref|10204}}

|title=QueenMonarch of [[Alethkar]]

<references />