Renarin Kholin

Renarin Kholin
by Exmakina
House Kholin Parents Dalinar, mother Siblings Adolin
Born	1154
Abilities	Surgebinding (Illumination/Progression) Shardwielding
Groups	Kholin Knights Radiant (Truthwatchers) Bridge Four
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar

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“I am not the first hero’s son to be born without any talent for warfare. The others all got along. So shall I.”

—Renarin Kholin

Renarin Kholin is a lighteyes of the Alethi House Kholin on Roshar. He is the second son of Dalinar, and the younger brother of Adolin. This makes him the nephew to Gavilar and Navani and cousin to Elhokar and Jasnah. This makes him second in line for the princedom of House Kholin, after Adolin as primary heir.

Appearance and Personality

While very little of his appearance is explicitly described, it is assumed that he bears a physical resemblance to Adolin. His hair color contains both blonde and black, like his brother's, though Renarin has more black than blonde. He is also distinguished in the fact that he wears spectacles, though due to the process of Stormlight healing, his eyesight is repaired and he stops wearing them. Like all officers in the Kholin army, Renarin wears his uniform while out in public, though because of his physical weakness, his uniform has never seen battle.

Renarin is soft-spoken and thoughtful, and tends to pause and consider responses before giving them. This can occasionally make him seem calculating or unnerving to those with whom he speaks, though those close to him know him to be otherwise. He is shown to be non-confrontational, such as his attempts to avoid Wit's mockery through silence and his attempts to keep Adolin from starting fights. He has a small box that he fiddles with on occasion, likely a form of stim behavior to help with his autism.

Despite his subdued personality, Renarin shows courage and a desire to be useful, even in situations where he does not have experience or extensive training, such as riding out to help when a chasmfiend attacks despite great risk to himself. He is also the first to enter the ring to help defend Adolin in Shardbearer duel, despite his lack of training and being unable to put on his Shardplate in time. During this fight, he uses his Shardblade through the onset of a minor seizure and the screams of his shardblade. Through these events, Renarin shows that he values the lives of his family over his own, being willing to put himself in great danger if it might help the people he loves.

Renarin shows an inquisitive streak as well, especially in regards to fabrials. On multiple occasions he inspects fabrials around him and asks questions about their functions. Despite this, he is not interested in joining the ardentia to become an engineer. He seems to enjoy being knowledgeable upon specific subjects, and will speak about them if asked, for example, Adolin mentions that Renarin is very well versed in wines.

Character Relationships

Renarin is very close to Adolin, and respects him greatly. The brothers show a high level of trust and friendship. Renarin also has a very strong relationship with his father, and he wishes to be a son of whom Dalinar can be proud. He shows a high level of respect and obedience to his father's wishes, and occasionally acts as a mediator should his brother and father have a disagreement.

Outside of his family, Renarin is not shown to have many relationships, however the King's Wit has taken particular note of him. Wit teases Renarin whenever they meet, though it is good-natured, and Wit tells Dalinar that he teases Renarin to try to help him overcome some of his nervousness and shyness.

More recently, Kaladin and the other members of Bridge Four have become the primary bodyguards of the Kholin family, Renarin included. Renarin appears to trust Kaladin greatly, asking to become a member of Bridge Four under his command. In turn, Kaladin shows great intuition in understanding Renarin's condition and motivations, allowing him to train with the other members of Bridge Four.

Attributes and Abilities

Renarin has a "blood weakness" which prevents him participating in activities of great physical stress, including combat. The weakness affects him in episodes, during which he grows pale and his limbs go weak, to the point of trembling or possible collapse. These symptoms may indicate that the fits are severe anxiety attacks or possibly a form of epilepsy.

As of the end of The Way of Kings, it can be assumed that Renarin now possesses Dalinar's Shardplate, though he has yet to be seen receiving it. Dalinar assumes that with Shardplate, Renarin's blood weakness will not hinder him or be a danger in combat. In Words of Radiance, he gains a Shardblade to go with his Plate after Adolin begins dueling once more.

Trivia

• Renarin is on the autism spectrum, though only 'slightly.'
• Renarin "sees a spren that nobody else sees.". As of Words of Radiance, this spren is almost certainly Glys