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

“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 come only sporadically, always avoiding his father. During a particularly long absence 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

The strain between Lin Davar and his household came to a head later that year, when Jushu's gambling debts climbed higher than he could manage. Shallan, now fourteen years old, was joking with Balat and Wikim in the family gardens when the three heard the arrival of a carriage. As they rose to investigate, Wikim gave Shallan a small pouch of blackbane leaves he had been intending to use and thanked her for her enheartening efforts. They arrived at the manor house to discover Jushu bound, his creditors demanding repayment from the boy's father. Refusing to pay his son's debts, Lin relinquished Jushu and hardened himself to Shallan's pleas. After repeatedly petitioning her father to change his mind, Lin Davar came to the decision that he had been too soft for the last several years. Grabbing Shallan firmly by the arm, he sent her to her rooms without further question. Determined to do what she could regardless, Shallan asked Balat and Wikim for their daggers and chased after Jushu. She begged for her brother's life, using both emotional appeals and logical arguments to convince the men to trade Jushu to her in exchange for the fine daggers. Shallan's sense of victory soon vanished, however. Upon returning to her room, Shallan's father arrived--behind him lying the bloody, crumpled body of a serving maid. Resolved not to harm his own daughter, Lin coldly explained that his anger was beyond his control and that future disobedience from Shallan would result in others being punished in her place. The brightlord's assertions that he has plans to make something great of House Davar suggest that these events coincided with the onset of Lin Davar's involvement with the Ghostbloods.

“I’ve done this for you, and you will obey. I’ve gone wrong, somewhere, in letting you learn to question me. There will be changes in this house. No more weakness. I’ve found a way . . .”

—Lin Davar to Shallan

The Perfect Daughter

In the months that followed, Shallan became very quiet and submissive, avoiding her father when possible by confining herself to her room most of the time--her only act of rebellion taking the form of private jokes about her father's visitors when in the company of her siblings. The family's fortunes began to improve, though it did not restore kindness to Lin Davar as Shallan hoped it would. In mid-1172 Lin confronted Balat over his relationship with Eylita Tavinar, with whom a marriage would provide no political advantages. When the argument became heated, Balat crossed the line of naming his father a murderer, and Lin commanded his guards to put down the boy's new axehound pups--an order they swiftly executed. Before leaving, Balat revealed that Helaran had returned. Shallan followed to inquire further about his conversation with their brother, and Balat explained that this would likely be Helaran's final visit for a very long time. Balat proposes that they flee, confessing that he will do anything necessary to be with Eylita. Shallan convinced Balat that he should take Wikim and Jushu as well, though explained that she would not be able to join them. Shallan then returned to the manor and overheard her father give the command to have Heleran assassinated. Before she could react, the voice of Malise spoke up--criticizing Lin for going too far. Shallan fled to her room as the argument escalated and an enraged Lin attacked his wife.

“He’ll kill us all. One by one, he’ll break us and kill us. There’s a darkness inside of him. I’ve seen it, behind his eyes. A beast . . .”

—Malise to Shallan after being beaten

A couple of hours later, strengthened by encouragement from a book by Jasnah Kholin, Shallan went to Balat and asked him to flee with Malise as well. News of the order to assassinate Heleran urged him to take action, and the two conspirators began to discuss a way for them to leave and seek help before being caught. Upon returning to the house, Shallan entered her father's sitting room to attend the wounded Malise--her first time in the room since the day of her mother's death. As Shallan began to clean and bind her stepmother's wounds the woman bitterly questioned why Lin hates everyone besides his daughter. Shallan then explained her plans made with Balat, dismissing Malise's concerns, before departing.

Shallan and Balat set their plans into motion during the final weeks of 1172, just prior to Shallan's 17th Weeping. Helaran seemed to have disappeared, having been killed by Kaladin just several weeks prior. Balat decided to continue with the plan, however, by seeking refuge in Highprince Valam and Reddin's promise made years before. They began to discuss what to do with Malise when Wikim suddenly appeared with news that Eylita had arrived, unscheduled. The siblings sought out Eylita and their father in the feast hall, where Lin Davar revealed that he was aware of Balat's plans to leave and that he had news that Heleran had died on a battlefield in Alethkar. Shallan, while passing by the kitchens on a separate task, then discovered the lifeless body of Malise. Realizing that her father was beyond saving, Shallan prepared a glass of wine and poisoned it with the blackbane leaves she had received from Wikim years before. As Shallan worked, Balat and Lin drew swords. The duel was short and ended with Balat unarmed on one knee. Mocking his son, Lin paused to drink Shallan's proffered wine. Balat took the distraction to grab his sword and thrust at his father, but he narrowly missed. Furious, Lin seized an iron poker from beside the fire and began to beat Balat's leg mercilessly. After several blows, Eylita placed herself in the way. After a brief pause, Lin began to swing at the girl before suddenly slumping to the ground--the poison having done it's work. Shallan commanded Eylita to bind Balat's wound while explaining what she had done with the blackbane leaves. As Jushu pulled a mysterious soulcaster from his father's pocket, Lin began to stir and they realized that the poison had only worked to temporarily paralyze the man. Before he could recover, Shallan looped her necklace around her father's neck and twisted it tight, whispering "Sleep My Baby Dear" as he suffocated.

The Plan

Though House Davar was effectively wealthy at the time of Lin's death, the man had extended himself with aggressive business deals which the Davar children were unable to make good on. Their finances had depended heavily upon the use of a mysterious soulcaster to create a stream of steady income by means of marble deposits "discovered" on their lands. During the fight that ended in Lin's death, Balat accidentally damaged the soulcaster. They took the soulcaster to a jeweler to have it superficially repaired, but their father's advisor who was trained to use the fabrial, a Ghostbloods member named Luesh, claimed that it still would not work. With their source of income gone and their father unable to reassure creditors, the family's financial state was in peril. The siblings considered their options and determined that the only means by which they could settle their debts was with a working soulcaster. Unable to repair the device in secret, Shallan devised a plan to become the ward of Jasnah Kholin--a heretic with a soulcaster of her own--and covertly exchange the fabrials. The request to Jasnah was written in desparation, but when the princess replied Shallan and her brothers believed that the plan was worth the risk. Shallan was to meet Jasnah in Dumadari in two weeks time, however Jasnah's constant travels left Shallan chasing the woman for nearly six months. For most of this journey, Shallan traveled with captain [[Tozbek]--a longtime business partner of the Davar family, who offered a generous discount--aboard the Wind's Pleasure. Shallan finally caught up with Jasnah Kholin in the city of Kharbranth.

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

Shallan in the Shattered Plains by A.Len

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.