Chull

This page or section contains spoilers for Words of Radiance!

This information has the ability to potentially ruin elements of the plot for the reader. Proceed with caution if you have not read this book.

The chull is a species of crustacean useful for labor intensive jobs. There are differing breeds of chulls and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are found all across Roshar.

Description

A depiction of the five stages of life for a chull: Larva (chull cremling), first Pupation, Adult, second Pupation, and Senescence.

Chulls are massive crustaceans with thick legs with large claws and a stone-like shell. Their carapace is typically red. Chulls have whiplike antennae and beady fist-size black eyes.

Chull shells are a light, porous stone created from minerals the chull consumes in it's food and water and then excretes. Since the shell is not alive, chulls are not hurt when their shells are cracked or shaped. In the wild, there are often plants growing in the crevices of a chull's shell. Chulls pull their legs and head into their shell when they sleep and as a result sleeping chulls look like large boulders or small hills.

The Reshi, and likely others, paint their chulls' shells. One can identify what island a Reshi chull handler is from by the colors and patterns on their chulls' shells.

Behavior

Chulls are generally docile creatures. They have claws that are said to be strong enough to break a man's arm, but it is very unusual for them to behave aggressively. They tend to move with a slow, lumbering gait and are generally slower than humans.

They are capable of making a wide range of noises, including a gravelly bleating, trumpeting, and snorting.

Chulls are omnivorous creatures. They eat everything from rockbuds to slugs to smaller crustaceans. Domestic chulls are often fed grain.

Training

There are several different methods of training chull.

• In the rural areas of Jah Keved, chulls are harnessed and controlled with complex leather bridles.
• In the coastal region around Kharbranth, chull drivers often sit directly on the chull's shell and direct them by tapping on their antennae with long poles.
• Some chulls are trained to respond to different rhythms tapped out on their shells with a guiding reed. These reeds are often as long as a person is tall and allow the driver to drive from the wagon or cart rather than riding on the chull itself.

Use

Chull are highly valued as work animals and are considered to be worth more than the average slave. Some people maintain chull herds and rent their labor out on a contract basis.They are slow but strong and are used to pull everything up to and including the large complex bridges Dalinar uses for chasm crossings. Since their shells can be carved without harming the animal, some people sand flat places on top of a chull to ride and many carts are hooked to fittings drilled directly into their shells. Shelves and racks can also be carved into or attached directly to chull shells.

Since it is lightweight and durable, chull shell is used as a crafting material. Shallan had a havah with chull-shell buttons.

Chull meat is edible. It can be dried and stored as jerky. In some cultures, including Herdazian and Unkalaki, chull head is considered a delicacy.

Dalinar Kholin uses them to pull his bridges, rather than put the lives of bridgemen at risk.

Cultural References

There is a tavern in Dalinar's warcamp called the "Ornery Chull."

Idioms

“You think I'm scared of a lumbering chull like you? ”

—Teft's nervous retort.

“Jasnah is inordinately fond of dust, I believe she thrives on it, feeding off the particles like a chull crunching rockbuds. ”

—Shallan Davar talking with Kabsal

“An army was like a massive chull at times, lumbering along, slow to react ”

—Dalinar regarding his army.

“Everyone has a place. You're out of yours. Like a chull in a dining hall ”

—Kaladin's impression of the lighteyes regard for him and his guards.