User:Jofwu/Shallan Davar

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History

The Davar children--Jushu, Balat, Shallan, Helaran, and Wikim--by Botanicaxu

Early Life (1156–1173)

Early Childhood

Shallan was born into the Davar household to Lin and her mother in mid-1156. She was the youngest of five children, with four older brothers: Helaran, Balat, Wikim, and Jushu. As the Davar household was a mid-level noble family, the patriarch, Lin, held the fourth dahn, while Shallan herself was of the fifth dahn. The Davar family's estates were located in Highprince Valam's territory in Jah Keved, north of Valath.

In some instances, Shallan recalls happy memories from her early childhood--such as a time when her parents loved to tell her stories. On the other hand, the mysterious dealings of her mother and the attention her family drew from the Cryptics suggests a more disquieting family life. By 1167 Shallan's mother had been associating with a certain group of "friends," including a man by the name of Dreder, who would occasionally visit the family's estates. These people were associated with the Skybreakers and at least one of their number--with whom Shallan's mother had an intimate relationship-- was a Skybreaker acolyte.

Pattern was eventually sent by his kind to form a Nahel bond with Shallan. Their early interactions with one another took place in the family's gardens, where Shallan would bring her daydreams to life by practicing Lightweaving. It is unclear whether these experiences were a means for Shallan to deal with a troubled childhood or simply the play of an imaginative young girl.

“A familiar lullaby, one he always used to sing to her. In the room behind him, dark corpses stretched out on the floor. A red carpet once white.”

—Lin sings "Sleep My Baby Dear" to comfort his daughter

At the age of eleven, Shallan's mother discovered that her daughter was a Surgebinder. Her mother and a friend confronted Lin, trying to argue that something must be done about Shallan. The argument became a fight after the unfamiliar man drew a knife, apparently intended for Shallan. She watched as her father and the man struggled--her father scoring a cut on the man's arm before being pinned to the ground. Her mother seized the knife and moved for Shallan, prompting Shallan to summon Pattern as a Shardblade in self-defense. After killing both her mother and the associate, Shallan dropped the Blade and fell into a state of intense shock. Lin placed the Shardblade in his strongbox and held Shallan while singing "Sleep My Baby Dear" to soothe her. Though the Blade naturally vanished, Shallan began to associate it with her "Mother's soul" which she believed was held in the strongbox--an idea she clung to so firmly that the safe would visibly glow to Shallan's eyes. In the months that followed, Shallan began to repress her memories of her mother and these events. Her disassociation with the Shardblade and the truth of what had happened caused her bond with Pattern to weaken nearly to the point of nonexistence. In order to protect his daughter, Lin Davar allowed rumors to spread that he had murdered his wife and her lover--a secret he would share with few before his own death.

Cutting the Thorns (1168–1170)

“Shallan longed to stay outside. Here in the gardens, people didn’t scream at each other. Here there was peace.”

—Shallan at age 12

After her mother's death, Shallan did not speak for five months. At this time, Helaran became involved with the Skybreakers, which frequently kept him away from his family's estates. Before leaving, Helaran purchased a sheaf of fine drawing paper and a new set of charcoal pencils for Shallan--along with a leather satchel--hoping to coax some life back into his sister, who had enjoyed drawing at an early age. All of the younger Davar siblings had handled the death of their mother poorly, and Helaran hoped that Shallan would help to lift their spirits in his absence.

Lin the confronted his eldest son, who had ordered a carriage prepared without his father's permission to leave. Shallan watched as Helaran drew a mysterious Shardblade of his own and held it to his father's chest--naming the man a murderer. After threatening his father further and dismissing Lin's attempt to explain the truth, Shallan begged Helaran to relent. Amused that her first words after the incident would be to defend their father, Helaran dismissed his blade. He explained again to Shallan that he would have to leave, despite her objections, and promised that he would one day explain the reasons for his activities. After asking her to continue to practice her drawing, threatening to keep an eye on Lin, he left--prompting their father to destroy several pieces of furniture in an uncontrollable rage which lessened only after returning his gaze to Shallan.

For the next year and a half Helaran seemed to have vanished, and they received word from him only once through a brief letter--containing little aside from veiled threats for Lin--along with a book for Shallan written by Jasnah Kholin. Lin Davar's anger only grew as he would occasionally turn his violence towards the servants. Shallan practiced her artistic skill with the help of a drawing book by Dandos the Oilsworn, often using art as a diversion from the family's struggles. Shallan's other siblings continued to fare poorly, with Balat mistreating animals and starting fires and Jushu given over to drunkenness and gambling. The house was also facing economic shortfalls--a truth Shallan discovered as she began assisting with the family's accounts. In spite of this, Lin Davar frequently insisted on throwing elaborate feasts, whereupon he would flaunt his alleged wealth to impress their lower-dahn guests. Given a new dress for each occasion, Shallan became part of this elaborate display as well.

“She huddled down in her dress, grinning. Even Wikim, the older twin, cracked a smile. She hadn’t seen him smile in . . . how long?”

—Shallan after joking with her brothers

At one such feast around late 1169, with the Tavinar family in attendance, Lin Davar announced his recent betrothal to Malise Gevelmar. After uncomfortable, prompted applause from his guests and family, a disgruntled Lin distributed gifts to his children--fine daggers for his sons and an aluminum necklace for Shallan. The feast was suddenly interrupted by Redin, bastard son of Highprince Valam, come to investigate the rumors of murder. Lin denied the rumors and requested that further discussion be held in private. While waiting, Shallan told jokes to her brothers, prompting laughs, smiles, and their first genuine interaction with one another in quite some time. After additional encouragement from Shallan, Balat complained that simple optimism will not solve their problems. However he later thanked Shallan for the light she seemed to bring them. Speaking loudly so as to be heard by the children, Redin declared his need for a testimony against Lin Davar in order to convict the man. Balat considered answering this summons before fear led to hesitation. Wikim encouraged Shallan to speak out, noting that their father will not harm her. However, Shallan claimed that she could not remember what had happened, while internally denying that anything had happened at all. After earning no response from the children, Redin reiterated that a witness was welcome to come forward at any time. At the demands of Lin, Redin then departed.

“You can’t fix us, Shallan. Jushu will destroy himself. It’s only a matter of time. Balat is becoming Father, step by step. Malise spends one night in two weeping. Father will kill her one of these days, like he did Mother.”

—Wikim to Shallan at the Middlefest Fair

Determined to continue bringing hope to her brothers, Shallan began seeking ways to encourage each of them to take steps away from their vices and towards more positive activities. At the Middlefest Fair of 1170 Shallan put several of these plans into action after seizing an opportunity to leave her father's side when Lin and Malise began discussing the terms of a one-sided trade deal with Brightlord Revilar. Accompanied by a guard, Jix, Shallan sought out Eylita Tavinar and then delivered a message from her to Balat in the festival's gambling pavilion. Shallan revealed to Balat that she had seen the two eyeing one another and so had organized an opportunity for the two to meet and walk together. With Balat on his way to meet Eylita, Shallan returned to find her father concluding a meeting with an unfamiliar messenger who came with news from Heleran. The man gave a start of surprise upon seeing Shallan, and then dumped a powdery substance into his own cup before departing. When Shallan prodded for the news, Lin declared Helaran to be officially disinherited and named Nan Balat his heir. He then asked Shallan to speak with Wikim, who had refused to leave the family's carriage. Shallan took this opportunity to leave again, and found Wikim where he had been left. After discussing the family's battered state with Wikim, Shallan proffered several sheets of math problems related to highstorm timing calculations, which she had taken from her father's books and translated into glyphs. Seeing through her intent, Wikim belittled her efforts, but he could later be seen working the problems attentively and with a smile. Leaving the carriage feeling dejected, Shallan crossed paths with Heleran's messenger. The man, later revealed to be Wit, shared what little news he had of Heleran: that Shallan's brother was in good health, "doing things he finds very important," and keeping an eye on their father. He then began to ask pointed questions of Shallan, suggesting that he was aware of her family's brokenness and Shallan's Surgebinding abilities. After sharing a story about two blind men contemplating beauty, Wit asked Shallan to indulge him with her own definition of beauty. With some prompting, Shallan began to describe a idyllic scene of her family--all present, including her mother and eldest brother--in their gardens, interacting with one another in love and joy. As she spoke, Wit held out a handful of infused spheres, which Shallan subconsciously used to Lightweave the scene described. Realizing what she was doing, Shallan withdrew her abilities. Wit encouraged her, suggesting that their struggles are partially caused by an Unmade or some other supernatural force. Apparently satisfied with what he had discovered of her abilities, Wit then bowed, disclosed that Heleran was currently in Alethkar, and left.

“Keep cutting at those thorns, strong one, and make a path for the light. The things you fight aren’t completely natural.”

—Wit to Shallan at the Middlefest Fair

• Shallan saves Jushu. Lin becomes more harsh. (WoR-48)

The Perfect Daughter (1171–1172)

Shallan finally took action when Lin seemed bent on killing her brother Balat. She gave him poisoned wine and then strangled him with a necklace he had given her. It is only after his demise that Shallan and her brothers could attempt to come together as a family once more, banding together to cover up the truth of his death while also working to save the House from the many debts their father accrued.

• Shallan keeps quiet, Lin's new attitude (WoR-61)
• House Davar's fortune improving. Luesh, new guards (Ghostbloods) (WoR-61)
• Helaran's assassination ordered (WoR-61)
• Balat's axehounds killed (WoR-61)
• Malise beaten (WoR-61/65)
• Shallan convinces Balat to make plans to leave (WoR-65)
• Balat's plans discovered. Shallan kills her father (WoR-73)

The Plan (1172–1173)

• Discovery of the soulcaster (WoR-73)
• Speaking with Luesh
• Concocting the plan to steal Jasnah's soulcaster
• Reaching out to Jasnah
• Hiring Tozbek & chasing after Jasnah

Kharbranth (Shash 1173-Tanat 1173)

Petitioning Jasnah Kholin

• The Way of Kings Part 1 (TWoK-3/5/7/8 & Balat interlude)

Shallan spent several months chasing Jasnah across many cities, hoping to become her ward in order to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster. She finally caught up to Jasnah in Kharbranth, and attempted to convince her to take Shallan as her ward, failing twice and finally succeeding on the third attempt. Shallan is eventually able to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster only to discover that it is a fake. Shallan also discovered her own Soulcasting abilities after this theft.

During her studies with Jasnah, Shallan developed a friendship with the ardent Kabsal who accidentally poisoned both Shallan and himself during an attempt to assassinate Jasnah for the Ghostbloods. Shallan realized that her father also might have been a member of the same organization. After this realization and the revelation that the Parshendi and Parshmen were Voidbringers, she and Jasnah set off for the Shattered Plains to attain more information.

Wearing a Scholar's Mantle

• TWoK-29/33
• studies
• lunch with Taravangian and drawing a Cryptic
• relationship with Kabsal

Heart of a Thief

• The ethics lesson (TWoK-36)
• aftermath
• Stealing the soulcaster

Pretending a Little While Longer

• processing the lesson (TWoK-39)
• testing the soulcaster
• discussing the lesson (TWoK-42)
• Jasnah's research
• more Kabsal
• deadline to leave
• day before departure (TWoK-45)

Shallan fleeing from Cryptics, by Petar Penev

Shadesmar

• TWoK-45
• drawing more cryptics
• Shadesmar and soulcasting
• cutting herself

Losing Everything

• Recovering in the hospital (TWoK-48)
• Shallan poisoned, Kabsal dies, stolen soulcaster revealed (TWoK-48)
• aftermath with Jasnah (TWoK-50)

Uncovering the Truth

• TWoK-70/72/74
• Shallan realizes Jasnah and she are Surgebinders
• Shallan reads Jasnah's notes about the Voidbringers
• Discussion of Ghostbloods

Journey to the Shattered Plains (Tanat 1173-Ishi 1173)

The Wind's Pleasure

Jasnah and Shallan have taken passage on the Wind's Pleasure, traveling to the Shattered Plains. Several days into the journey, Shallan spies a santhid - an elusive and ancient dweller of the ocean - moving alongside the ship. She wants to observe the santhid underwater in order to sketch it, but is dissuaded from the dangerous task by Captain Tozbek. Jasnah soon joins her, and detecting her ward's innattention to her reading, explains the nature of Shadesmar and spren to her. Shallan mentions the patterns of lines she has been noticing, and Jasnah details the measures she has taken to help House Davar: sending money to Shallan's brothers, communicating with her mother about the broken Soulcaster, and setting up a causal betrothal with Adolin Kholin. Finally, Jasnah gives Shallan words of advice on power and how even its illusion can be enough to create authority. Taking these words to heart, Shallan commands the captain to help her go overboard in order to observe the santhid.

One night on the journey, their ship is attacked and Shallan sees Jasnah stabbed in the chest. She smells smoke in the cabin. Using lightweaving she creates an indistinct human form, which the attacking men chase. She then entered Jasnah's cabin and observed a large amount of blood on the floor, but no body. She assumes the men removed Jasnah's corpse. She hears sounds above and Pattern tells her that the ship's crew are being executed. Out of desperation Shallan attempts to soulcast the hull of the ship. With a huge amount of stormlight and the help of pattern she reached into shadesmar and soulcasted the Wind's Pleasure into water to escape.

• Santhid
• Pattern
• Causal
• more research
• attack, Jasnah's "death", and soulcasting ship

Tradesman Tvlakv

• waking up on the beach
• joining Tvlakv
• learning about Stormlight
• through the end of the battle?

Tyn's Apprentice

• aftermath of battle
• learning from Tyn
• encounter with Kaladin
• lait
• arrival at Shattered Plains
• killing Tyn

Shallan in the Shattered Plains by Michael Whelan

The Shattered Plains (Ishi 1173)

• better title?
• how to break this down? Don't like what I have here, with things in parallel.
• where does research on Stormseat, Lightweaving, etc. fit in?

A New Woman

• meeting of highprinces
• getting settled

The Ghostbloods

• everything about working with Ghostbloods
• first meeting
• spying on Amaram
• delivering findings
• Iyatil and Taln mission

Adolin Kholin's Betrothed

• dates with Adolin
• convincing Adolin to bring her out on the plains
• Jasnah's research?

Discoveries

• better title?
• journey out onto the plains
• return through the chasms with Kaladin

To the Center

• better title?
• two sections?
• journey to Narak
• revealing her powers to Dalinar
• opening the Oathgate

Urithiru (Ishi 1173-Jes 1174)

Shallan's surrealist sketch of Urithiru by Isaac Stewart

The Darkness Within

Adolin and Shallan build their relationship while in the tower city. Adolin begins to teach her how to use a shardblade. Shallan cannot bring herself to use the blade so she creates a new personality, one she calls Brightness Radiant or just Radiant, to take on while using the shardblade.

Dalinar asked her to learn as much as she can about her powers. She begins to better control her creations and can now cause them to move. She puts on a play for Pattern using just her illustions. She uses Veil to become knowledgable about the darkeyes society in the city. Recently Sadeas was killed, and then another person just like him was killed the same way. Shallan investigates as Veil, and learns that there have been severel double murders and later discovers that whatever is copying the murders is copying all violence. She uses her guards to try and figure out the problem. She discosers that the violence copier is the Unmade Re-Shephir. With Adolin and Bridge Four's help she attacks the Unmade. She forces the Unmade out of Rep-Shephir.

• WoR epilogue
• OB Part 1
• dealing with aftermath of her last Truth
• early murder investigations
• Mraize (or maybe in next section)

Midnight Mother

• Investigation of murders
• hunting the dark spren
• Re-Shephir

Jasnah's Return

After Jasnah comes back and Shallan realizes that she is still her ward Shallan begins to dislikes it. She schemes on ways to get out of it. As Veil she meets Ishnah who was once a spy and begins to learn from her. She begins to realize her way out of Urithiru and convinces Elhokar to let her go and help take back Kholinar.

• dealing with the aftermath of Re-Shephir and the return of Jasnah
• Ishnah and training her men to be spies
• speaking with Elhokar

Kholinar (Jes 1174-Nan 1174)

During her period switching between Shallan, Veil and Radiant, Shallan has an identity crisis that borders on schizophrenia, unable to determine which version of her is really herself. She enjoys Veil's carefree attitude, describing her as someone who doesn't "hurt", but also enjoys being Radiant for the simple focus and time with Adolin.