Torol Sadeas

Torol Sadeas is an Alethi Highprince on Roshar. He commands one of the most significant armies on the Shattered Plains, alongside Dalinar Kholin. He is the current Highprince of Information.

Personality

Sadeas is a cruel man who doesn't care about the lives of the bridgemen. He tried giving them shields once and took them away once the Parshendi began firing arrows into his soldiers and horses.

In showing his cruelty towards the Bridgemen, Gaz approaches and tells Kaladin that Sadeas has ordered the wounded men of Bridge Four to not receive food or pay for the duration of time they can't run bridges.

Sadeas believes the Codes are a bunch of idealised nonsense, exhibiting Gavilar's death for his mistrust in their guidelines. His conviction for the Alethi way is indomitable, often not being able to reconcile with foreign ethics, such as the Codes and Dalinar's adherence to them.

Before Gavilar was assassinated, Sadeas and Dalinar were actually good friends. They maintain their respect for the other's abilities and appear cordial in person, but Sadeas secretly wants to outmaneuver Dalinar any way he can.

Background

Sadeas is first introduced in chapter 12 where he is participating in a hunt out on the Plains with Dalinar, Dalinar's two sons, Renarin and Adolin, and the King of Alethkar, Elhokar. Sadeas shows a consistent trait of his by taunting Dalinar over his lack of recent success in capturing gemhearts.

When they arrive at the plateau where preparations for the hunt are under way, a chasmfiend appears on the plateau with all the courtiers and scribes, instead of the smaller plateau the hunt was supposed to take place on.

Dalinar, Adolin, and Elhokar immediately dash for the chasmfiend, hoping to kill it before it hurts any bystanders. From a distance, Sadeas uses his grandbow to weaken it while Dalinar and Adolin go for its legs and Elhokar distracts it. At some point in the battle, Elhokar's saddle strap breaks, throwing him to the ground. To save him from being crushed, Dalinar, with Shardplate-enhanced strength, catches the claw that would have otherwise crushed Elhokar. Adolin continues to cut off its legs and the chasmfiend is eventually unable to support its own weight. Elhokar summons his Shardblade again and uses it to kill the chasmfiend, then harvest its gemheart.

Back in the pavilion on the Plains, Elhokar and Sadeas are conversing when Dalinar approaches. Elhokar remarks to Dalinar that Sadeas has won three gemhearts in the last few weeks, followed up by chiding Dalinar for not having won any himself in that time. Both Elhokar and Sadeas make use of the topic to highlight many of Sadeas' achievements, which Dalinar calls into question, especially the act of sending unprotected bridgemen against the Parshendi. While Elhokar notes that Sadeas' bridge crews are more efficient than Dalinar's, and is why he is able to win so many gemhearts, Dalinar is of the opinion that Sadeas' method wastes lives, to which Sadeas retorts that Dalinar's reliance on wheels to manoeuvre his bridges is foolish.

Sadeas shows he has the mindset of most Alethi when he can't reconcile how Dalinar could have more important things to attend than the war and vengeance for Gavilar. While Dalinar takes a moralistic stance, a very un-Alethi way of thinking, Sadeas is only concerned with efficiency and results. From this point on the argument deteriorates until Sadeas insults Dalinar's sons, which is diffused only by their mutual understanding for the safety of the king, not allowing their rivalry to descend into open conflict.

It is revealed Sadeas and Dalinar planned to manipulate Highprince Vamah into using more of Elhokar's Soulcasters, proving the two of them can work together in the best interests of the king. During the night of Gavilar's assassination, Sadeas acted as a decoy in an attempt to lead Szeth away so Gavilar could escape. Dalinar tells Adolin that Sadeas has sworn to protect Elhokar at any cost.

Dalinar has been investigating the king's cut girth strap but at one particular king's feast, Elhokar announces that in light of the recent attempt on his life with the saddle, he is appointing Sadeas to Highprince of Information to investigate. This is to spite Dalinar who Elhokar believes is not taking the investigation seriously. Sadeas learnt of Dalinar's request to be Highprince of War and this is Sadeas' way of outmanoeuvring his opponent.

He owned a set of Shardplate. Dalinar gave him the Shardblade Oathbringer in exchange for Sadeas' bridgecrews.