Difference between revisions of "Meridas Amaram"

{{character

|relatives=[[Sheler]]{{book ref|sa3|i|10}}

|abilities={{tag+|Shardbearer}}

|titles={{tag+|Highprince|Alethkar}}

|groups={{tag|Sons of Honor}}, {{tag+|army|Amaram's}}

|nation=Alethkar

|world=Roshar

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]

}}

{{quote

|I am sorry for what I did to you and yours. Sometimes, good men must die so that greater goals may be accomplished.

== Appearance and Personality ==

=== Appearance ===

Meridas Amaram is a tall man,{{book ref|sa1|51}} even for an Alethi, with a lean build.{{book ref|sa1|44}} His face is square,{{book ref|sa1|44}} and has the appearance of chipped stone.{{book ref|sa2|37}} He has dark hair,{{book ref|sa1|47}} light tan eyes,{{book ref|sa1|44}} and an angular nose.{{book ref|sa2|52}} In his earlier years, Amaram was clean-shaven,{{book ref|sa1|44}} but by 1172 he wore a beard.{{book ref|sa1|47}} He speaks with a deep, strong voice.{{book ref|sa1|44}} Amaram is a dignified man{{book ref|sa2|12}} who carries himself with decorum{{book ref|sa2|37}} and pride,{{book ref|sa2|56}} walking with a straight back{{book ref|sa2|37}} and head held high.{{book ref|sa2|56}}

 

 

=== Personality ===

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Amaram is a person deeply concerned about his reputation for honor and honesty,{{book ref|sa2|29}} and always acts with the intention of maintaining that reputation.{{book ref|sa1|57}} For the most part, he has done an excellent job keeping up the appearance of his nobility. Among the darkeyes, he is seen as a famous hero{{book ref|sa1|10}} and no one among the lighteyes questions his nobility.{{book ref|sa2|22}} He is considered by them to be the paragon of Alethi honor.{{book ref|sa2|52}} However, some think that his image is a little too perfect and wonder if he is concealing something.{{book ref|sa2|66}} His reputation for honesty is strong enough that others overlook any evidence to the contrary.{{book ref|sa1|57}} However, the revelation that he stole his Shards from Kaladin has damaged this reputation somewhat,{{book ref|sa2|76}}{{book ref|sa2|88}} although to what extent is still unclear. Amaram can also become a little obsessed with personal glory, sometimes trying to avoid the aid of others in order to make his accomplishments seem grander.{{book ref|sa2|76}}

 

 

== Attributes and Abilities ==

=== Shardwielding ===

''See also [[Shardblade]] and [[Shardplate]]''

== History ==

=== Early Life and Gavilar's Assassination ===

Little is known of Amaram's early life. He was born in Alethkar as a member of the third dahn.{{book ref|sa2|52}} His family is distantly related to that of Citylord [[Roshone]].{{book ref|sa1|44}} He became a close friend of King [[Gavilar Kholin]],{{book ref|sa2|64}} as well as his brother [[Dalinar]].{{book ref|sa2|58}} Over the decades, Amaram and Gavilar became convinced that the only way to return Roshar to its past glories is to attempt to bring back the Voidbringers, which they believed would trigger the return of the [[Herald]]s and the [[Knights Radiant]].{{book ref|sa2|88}} After Gavilar joined the [[Sons of Honor]] which pursued that goal, he brought Amaram into the fold as well.{{book ref|sa3|40}} It is unknown if Gavilar shared the knowledge of his visions with Amaram. Gavilar also came to believe Meridas was a fitting match for his daughter, Princess [[Jasnah]], but she was uninterested in the union.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}

 

}}

Several years later in late 1172, during another battle against Brightlord Hallaw's forces, a Shardbearer, [[Helaran Davar]],{{book ref|sa2|52}} attacked Amaram and his men during the battle,{{book ref|sa1|1}} killing members of Kaladin's squad.{{book ref|sa1|47}} During the attack, Amaram's honor guard scattered and his horse was killed, falling on his leg and shattering it in multiple places. Before Helaran could take Meridas's life, Kaladin and the remainder of his squad arrived. While Amaram crawled to safety, Kaladin managed to kill the Shardbearer at the cost of most of his men's lives. To Amaram's shock, Kaladin refused the Shards, giving them to [[Coreb]], one of his men.

 

In the hours after the attack, Amaram conferred with his counselors, attempting to determine the identity of his assassin,{{book ref|sa1|51}} as Helaran's face had been ruined by Kaladin's attack.{{book ref|sa2|52}} He communicated with [[Restares]], a member of the Sons of Honor, who convinced him that the [[Ghostbloods]] must have been responsible for the assassination attempt, despite Amaram's disbelief that they would make such a bold move.{{book ref|sa1|51}} Restares also convinced Amaram that he should take the Shards that Kaladin had won for himself. He had Kaladin and the surviving members of his squad brought to his warcenter. There he ordered his soldiers to kill the rest of Kaladin's squad and took the Blade for himself. Meridas explained to Kaladin that it was necessary that he possess the Shards, as he had trained as a Shardbearer and no one would believe that Kaladin had willingly given them up. As a reward for saving his own life, Amaram spared Kaladin's, having him branded as a slave and sold.

 

=== Life in the Warcamps ===

In late 1173, several weeks after the [[Battle of the Tower]], Amaram arrived on the Shattered Plains and was greeted as an old friend by [[Dalinar]].{{book ref|sa2|12}} Kaladin was present for their meeting{{book ref|sa2|12}} and shortly afterward told Dalinar of Amaram's treachery.{{book ref|sa2|22}} Dalinar agreed to do some investigation, but expressed doubts about Kaladin's allegations. Amaram set up his residence within Sadeas's warcamp, inside a building that had once been an inn.{{book ref|sa2|52}}

 

 

=== Head of the Knights Radiant ===

When Dalinar decided to officially refound the Knights Radiant, he appointed Amaram as their leader.{{book ref|sa2|55}} That day, Amaram accompanied Dalinar to a menagerie in the warcamps, looking for Adolin. A few days later, during Adolin's disadvantaged duel against [[Elit Ruthar]], [[Relis Ruthar]], [[Abrobadar]], and [[Jakamav]], Dalinar tried to get Amaram to step in to help Adolin and [[Renarin]], but Amaram did nothing.{{book ref|sa2|56}} After Kaladin aided Adolin in his victory, Kaladin used his boon to accuse and challenge Amaram to a duel, declaring that Amaram stole the Shards from him and slaughtered his squad.{{book ref|sa2|57}} In that moment, Amaram recognized Kaladin as the man he had enslaved for the first time. Kaladin was imprisoned for this statement and King [[Elhokar]] demanded Kaladin be executed for this insult.{{book ref|sa2|58}} Immediately after the duel, Amaram spoke to Dalinar, claiming he had refused to intervene in the duel because as the head of the Knights Radiant, he needed to stay out of petty conflicts.{{book ref|sa2|67}}

 

 

=== Retrieving Taln ===

 

=== Trip to Urithiru and Elevation to Highprince ===

''Main article: [[Battle of Thaylen Field]]''

 

 

== Relationships ==

 

;Jasnah

Shortly before his death, Gavilar tried to set up his daughter with Amaram, and though Amaram expressed interest, [[Jasnah]] was steadfastedly opposed to the union.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}} Between Gavilar's assassination and Jasnah's apparent death aboard ''[[Wind's Pleasure]]'', the relation between them appears to have soured dramatically. When they meet again in [[Urithiru]], Jasnah reacts to Amaram with utter venom.{{book ref|sa3|53}} While he does initially attempt to bury the hatchet, he does so out of political needs, believing that Jasnah controls Dalinar. When it becomes apparent that there will be no peace, the two insult each other in increasingly personal way -- which Jasnah later regrets -- before Amaram storms off.{{book ref|sa3|53}}