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|spouse=[[Adolin Kholin]]<br />married {{Rosharan date|1174|2|10|5}}{{book ref|sa3|122}}{{ref|name=obtime}}
<!-- While Veil, Radiant, and Formless are technically not aliases, but Alters, they are included here due to all three being fused into this page. -->
|aliases=Veil, Radiant, Swiftspren,{{book ref|sa3|74}}
|titles= The Lightweaver, The Spy, The One Who is Three
|abilities={{tag+|lightweaver}}, {{tag+|Shardbearer}}
|bonded=[[Pattern]], {{nosnippet|[[Testament]] <small>(formerly)</small>}}
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|
}}
{{update|sa4}}
{{for|/Gallery|more images}}
Shallan is a slim, pale-skinned young woman in her late teens with auburn-red hair that reaches past the middle of her back and blue eyes. There are freckles on her cheeks and nose, although they aren't very noticeable.{{book ref|sa1|3}} She is five foot six inches tall in Rosharan measurements, which translates to roughly six standard feet. {{book ref|sa2|44}}{{wob ref|15034}}
As a child, Shallan was considered shy, quiet, and delicate, although she has always had a quick wit, and often uttered the first retort that came to mind.{{book ref|sa1|3}} Her brother, [[Balat Davar|Balat]], considered her incapable of handling herself and the family's affairs, having never lived away from the family estates.{{book ref|sa1|i|2}} Indeed, Shallan was initially naive and inexperienced, with little concept of money; for example, while trying to remain inconspicuous, she overpaid for some street food by two hundred fifty times.{{book ref|sa2|43}} However, when she left the family estates behind, she quickly opened up and gained confidence.
==== Veil ====
After arriving at the [[Shattered Plains]] and encountering the [[Ghostbloods]], Shallan took on the identity of Veil to infiltrate the Ghostbloods. She changed her appearance by using her Lightweaving abilities to craft a new appearance for Veil.
After arriving at the [[Shattered Plains]] and encountering the [[Ghostbloods]], Shallan took on the identity of Veil to infiltrate the Ghostbloods. She changed her appearance by using her Lightweaving abilities to craft a new appearance for Veil. As Veil, Shallan appears as a slightly older darkeyed woman. Although Veil has the same height and build as Shallan, Veil has long, dark hair and an angular face with a scar across the chin.{{book ref|sa2|42}} Veil's personality is daring and bold, being an accomplished con artist and spy. She's willing to scam other people but still needs people to be around. She often drinks and will sometimes drink [[Horneater]] lager which is supposedly the strongest drink in all of [[Roshar]]. She rarely shows signs of being drunk. Veil prefers her men to be hard and rugged, showing interest in men like [[Kaladin]] while expressing disinterest in Adolin. Following Shallan's marriage with Adolin, however, Veil has become fond of the prince and even became a drinking buddy with him. Veil is often forceful in getting Shallan to confront her past, and eventually reveals her own role in helping Shallan to suppress her memories. Shallan recognizes particular memories suppressed through Veil, and by doing so Veil reintegrates with Shallan.{{book ref|sa4|93}}▼
As Veil, Shallan appears as a slightly older darkeyed woman. Although Veil has the same height and build as Shallan, Veil has long, dark hair and an angular face with a scar across the chin.{{book ref|sa2|42}}
▲
==== Radiant ====
After arriving in [[Urithiru]], Shallan developed a third personality, Radiant, in order to better assume her role as a Knight Radiant. Due to the similar mannerisms, she is likely based on [[Jasnah Kholin]]
Appearance-wise, Radiant looks mostly like Shallan, but with blond hair and a bigger bust.
Radiant learned how to wield her Shardblade with Adolin, and is a capable Surgebinder like Shallan. She does not care at all about how other people think of her and easily dismisses people as stupid. Like Veil, she also thinks a relationship with Kaladin would be appropriate, commenting that a relationship between two Radiants would be suitable.
=== Surgebinding ===
Because of her Nahel bond with her [[spren]], Pattern, Shallan possesses the ability to [[Surgebind]]. She has access to the surges of Illumination and Transformation. As with all Surgebinders, she has superhuman endurance, strength, and healing when she holds Stormlight. She has demonstrated her ability to Soulcast multiple times, though the full scope of her abilities remains yet to be seen. {{book ref|sa3|116}}
; Transformation:
The Surge of Transformation allows Shallan to use [[Soulcasting]]. She discovered that she could soulcast without the need of a fabrial after visiting [[Shadesmar]] and changing a goblet into blood. She then learned that the soulcaster she had been determined to steal was a nonfunctional fake and that Jasnah could also soulcast without one. She used this ability to sink the ''[[Wind's Pleasure]]'' by turning the ship into water during an assassination attempt on Jasnah by the Ghostbloods.{{book ref|wor|7}}
While stranded in Shadesmar with Kaladin, Adolin, Azure, and their spren, Shallan showed the ability to influence the [[Cognitive Realm]] as seen when she used the spheres found in the world to create structures such as bridges and walls.{{book ref|sa3|116}}
; Illumination:
=== Artistry ===
Shallan had a passion for learning and also a great talent for drawing. She was never without her sketchbooks and charcoal, so she might draw whatever caught her interest. Shallan frequently drew and made notes on the world around her, in order to promote her [[Calling]] of natural history.{{book ref|sa1|5}} With the use of her Memory, Shallan can make complete duplicates of images she has retained in her mind and accurately reproduce those images on paper. Even when not utilizing her Memory, Shallan has shown to be very skilled at drawing. Many have commented on her skill and even sought out a picture of themselves for her to draw. With her drawings, Shallan seems to have the unique ability to inspire the people she draws and motivate them to become better versions of themselves as seen when she changed [[Gaz]] from a selfish and cruel sergeant to a hopeful and even loyal soldier. This is due to an ability she has to see a person's Spiritual Ideal, something which normal Lightweavers can't do.{{wob ref|16361}}
Her art also seems to be influenced by the presence of the [[Unmade]] [[Re-Shephir]]. When Re-Shephir was residing in the lower levels of Urithiru, Shallan's drawings became more abstract and surrealistic without her being aware of it{{book ref|sa3|8}}{{book ref|sa3|27}}—these effects disappeared after Re-Shephir was banished.{{book ref|sa3|33}} It is unclear if this was due to Re-Shephir's general presence in the tower city, or whether there is some kind of connection between this Unmade and those with access to the Surge of Illumination.{{ref|text=Both Renarin and Shallan feel something different about the tower that others, even Knights Radiant, cannot feel.{{book ref|sa3|29}} This may be related to the presence of Re-Shephir.}}
==== Veil's Investigation ====
Later, Shallan,
{{image|Veil by LGD.jpg|height=300px|side=left|Shallan as Veil}}
{{image|The Three by ML Malandrino.jpg|side=left|height=200px|Shallan and her alters with Formless in the background}}
Shallan is able to spend the majority of the time in a "balance" between herself and her two personas. She claims that she is able to remain stable with Radiant and Veil to help, but she senses that there are other personas that may come to the surface if the current system proves inadequate. Those around her, including Veil and Radiant, are worried for Shallan, and her mental health, wondering how best to help her. This comes to a peak when traveling through Shadesmar with Adolin to talk to the Honour spren. Shallan was sent by the ghostbloods to kill the leader of the Sons of Honor, who turned out to be the Herald Kelek. This was her final test to truly join the ghostbloods. Shallan initially attempts to retreat when being forced to face her deteriorating health, but with the help of Adolin, Shallan emerges more often. That is until Shallan learns that there is a spy in contact with Mraize, Shallan rapidly deteriorates when she discovers the perpetrator in Pattern, and Formless takes over and suppresses Veil and Radiant.Formless decides to complete the mission to join the ghostbloods and goes to kill Kelek. Pattern, feeling remorseful for his accidental collaboration with Mraize, works to get Shallan to emerge, and he helps her remember her first spren, Testament. Shallan reintegrates with Veil, as she remembers her memories and trauma associated with Testament.{{book ref|sa4|93}}
After Adolin's trial with the Honour spren, she talks to Kelek and learns about the greater cosmere, and is able to break away from the Ghostbloods.{{book ref|sa4|115}}{{expand}}
{{image|Davar Siblings by Marie Seeberger.jpg|side=right|height=300px|With her brothers}}
=== House Davar ===
Shallan grew up as the only daughter in a minor noble family. After first manifesting her [[Surgebinding]] abilities, her mother and her lover attempted to kill her, forcing
While Shallan had a poor relationship with her parents, she seemed to have a close relationship with all four of her brothers. Out of all of them, she seemed to be closest to her eldest sibling, [[Helaran]]. Helaran was shown to constantly bring gifts for Shallan and even visited the house despite his poor relationship with his father. When she was informed of her brother's visits, Shallan would often look forward to his company and the gifts he would bring for her. After learning about the death of Helaran, Shallan became extremely depressed and even resented his murderer until she became aware of the identity of the dark-eyed [[Kaladin|soldier]] responsible for his death. While not as close with her other brother, [[Balat]], Shallan deeply cares for him and was shown to often communicate with him despite his disturbing fixation with killing small animals. Shallan was shown to be the only one to care for her other brother, [[Jushu]], when he suffered from his gambling addiction, even going as far as to sell her Soulcasted necklace and convince her brothers to give up their daggers to pay off his debt. While this did not pay all of his debt, Shallan convinced the debt collectors to let him go by sharing that he comforted her when her mother died.{{book ref|wor|48}} After this, the two siblings became much closer to one another. [[Wikim]], the twin brother of Jushu, was often the target of their father's abuse and Shallan would often comfort him during his periods of depression. She was shown to be able to cheer him up by gifting him with sheets of mathematics.{{book ref|wor|45}} Despite not being too close to Wikim, Shallan still cares for her brother.
=== Pattern ===
[[Pattern]], a [[Cryptic]], is Shallan's steadfast companion
Shallan initially expressed anger and even disgust towards the Shardblade, as she then believed it to be the same one as the Shardblade she used to kill her mother, made of the Cryptic [[Testament]]. After reflecting on the situation, and using the Blade multiple times to save her and others' lives, Shallan slowly dropped all hostility towards the Shardblade. Despite Shallan's reassurance that she bears no ill will towards Pattern, the spren is adamant about his belief that Shallan wants to kill him. He justifies this as an act of revenge born from Shallan's belief that he was the Shardblade used to kill her mother, though in actuality this was likely due to her deadeyeing her previous bonded Cryptic, Testament.
Since then, Pattern helps Shallan confront the lies she tells herself, helping her grow as a person and as a [[Knight Radiant]]. He regularly advises her, answers her questions, and helps her with espionage by allowing Illusions to be attached to him and be maneuvered elsewhere.
{{image|Shallan and Adolin.jpg|side=right|height=250px|Relaxing with Adolin}}
=== Testament ===
[[Shallan]] knew this spren when she was younger, yet had not given her the name of Testament. Instead, she called her Pattern. It wasn't until her second journey into Shadesmar that she remembered that her current spren, Pattern, is not the Cryptic from her childhood. She then recovers this spren from her youth, and names her Testament. Testament is the spren whose Shardblade Shallan used to kill her mother. After killing her mother, Shallan unbonded Testament, making Testament a deadeye.{{book ref|sa4|115}}
=== Adolin Kholin ===
Shallan and [[Kaladin]] are the first two publicly-revealed [[Knights Radiant]] in centuries. They initially had a strained relationship. During their first meeting, Shallan was convinced by [[Tyn]] to lie to Kaladin, leading to her humiliating Kaladin and taking his new boots. During their later meetings, Shallan believed that she was being treated unfairly by Kaladin, who was holding a grudge against her for events beyond her control. This clash of personalities is reflected in their respective spren, as the [[Cryptic]]s and [[honorspren]] (to which Kaladin's spren [[Syl]] belongs) are involved in a complex spren conflict.
Later, when stranded in the chasms of the [[Shattered Plains]], they grew to respect one another. They reveal some of their personal history and deep secrets to each other, including the fact that Shallan has a Shardblade. Due to this time, they both suspect each other of being a Knight Radiant. While Veil and Kaladin both showed some romantic interest in one another towards the end of the second book, both of their feelings for one another seemed to have dissipated by the end of the third book
{{image|Hugging Wit by ToastSamurai.png|side=right|height=250px|hugging Wit when she meets him for the second time}}
* Shallan is a Ravenclaw.{{wob ref|11943}}
* Shallan is allergic to flowers.{{book ref|sa1|3}}
* The name "Davar" may be derived from the Hebrew{{wob ref|10796}} word דָּבָר ("davar", with "a" pronounced as in "father"), which translates to "thing" but is related to the word "speech" (דִּבּוּר) hinting to the fact that Shallan creates things by speaking truths.
== See Also ==
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