Battar

Battar
by Esther Schrader
Abilities	Cognitive Shadow, Shardbearer (formerly)
Titles	Herald of the Almighty, Patron of the Elsecallers
Aliases	Battah, Dova
Groups	Diagram
Homeworld	Ashyn

“Sweet wisdom of Battar. ”

—A Rosharan saying

Battar is one of the ten Heralds of the Almighty on Roshar. She is the patron of the Order of Elsecallers. She may currently reside in Kharbranth as an ardent under the assumed name of Dova.

Attributes and Abilities

by Shuravf

For more images, see /Gallery.

For more information about Heralds' powers, see Herald#Abilities.

Battar is an immortal Cognitive Shadow who gains a physical body upon each return to Roshar. After death, she is transported to Braize to be tortured; when she or another Herald breaks, a new Desolation begins.

During the Heraldic Epochs, she wielded an Honorblade. It granted her access to the Surges of Transformation, which enables her to Soulcast, and Transportation, which allows for travel to and from Shadesmar. She has, however, abandoned it at Aharietiam.

She seems to be fairly knowledgeable, being ascribed the attribute of Wise, and noticing signs of an upcoming Desolation years before the Battle of Narak.

History

by mushimallo

Battar was born on Ashyn and made the trip to Roshar during the Expulsion. She was someone important in the pre-Desolations society -- a queen, scholar, or general. Along with the others, she approached Honor and formed the Oathpact. Whenever a Desolation ended, she'd travel along with them to Braize, where she suffered torture until one of them broke. She broke at least once, starting a new Desolation.

Eventually, she and the other Heralds grew exhausted with this endless cycle of war and torture. When Ishar suggested that one person might be enough to hold the Oathpact, she and the others abandoned Taln to his fate, leaving their Honorblades behind. From then on out, they hid among the human populace. Most of her actions in the intervening four and a half millennia are unknown.

As Dova, she supposedly approached Taravangian and warned him of a coming Desolation, which prompted him to seek out Szeth after King Gavilar's assassination. She has since been assisting the Diagram. Sometime prior to Taravangian seizing of the throne of Jah Keved, she reported that the frequency of Death Rattles had been declining further, hinting at Moelach's movement. She was later assigned with writing an anonymous essay revealing Dalinar and Elhokar's decision to make the former a highking, to undermine Dalinar's authority along with the revelations of the translated Eila Stele. With the fulfillment of the Diagram Taravangian instructed his followers to no longer trust Battar as he feared for her mental state after seeing the other Heralds.

Culture

by Isaac Stewart

“Battah send that girl some sense to go with her intelligence. ”

—Navani Kholin

Battar has been worshipped since the Silver Kingdoms Epoch, with people swearing by her name even in-between the Desolations. In the modern Vorin tradition, she's known as Battah'Elin, and is associated with the number seven (Betab), the Essence of Tallow, the gemstone Zircon, and the attributes Wise and Careful.

There is a temple to her in several major Vorin cities. The temple of Battah in Thaylen City is particularly notable -- it is the oldest in the city, and a must-see location for every arriving dignitary.

Trivia

• Battar's portrait used in the chapter arches is called the Counselor by the Dragonsteel Entertainment staff.
• Battar is the only Herald to not yet have an official depiction.

Notes

This page is probably complete!

This page contains most of the knowledge we have on the subject at this time.
It has yet to be reviewed.

This article was complete and reviewed prior to Rhythm of War, but now needs to be updated.