Difference between revisions of "Desolation"

The [[Herald]]s were the leaders of Honor's forces during the Desolations. They were responsible for teaching mankind skills to help them prepare for the coming conflict. For example, [[Jezrien]] taught leadership, [[Vedel]] trained surgeons, and [[Kalak]] taught how to cast bronze.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}} They were also each the patron of a Radiant order and helped to guide and lead the Knights. They were involved in combat, with [[Taln]] in particular becoming known for his choice of impossible battles that he won.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}}cInIn between Desolations, the Heralds were the ones on [[Braize]] holding back the [[Fused]]. They had made the [[Oathpact]] with Honor which gave them the [[honorblade]]s and the ability to hold back the Fused. However, a loophole in the Oathpact allowed them to bend and temporarily allow the Fused to Roshar, leading them to getting captured and tortured on Braize.{{book ref|sa3|38}}

|[[Dalinar's visions]]{{book ref|sa2|4}}|side=left|size=375px|}}

The Knights Radiant were originally a surprise to Honor, as he had not shown it to the Heralds. Spren decided to mimic the Heralds andgiveand give men access to Surgebinding by forming [[Nahel bond]]s.{{book ref|sa2|4}} While the Knights Radiant as a whole helped in fighting the Voidbringers and rebuilding society, each order of Knights fulfilled a different role. The [[Windrunners]] acted as scouts, the [[Stonewards]] acted as front line soldiers,{{wob ref|12085}} and the [[Order of Lightweavers|Lightweavers]] gave spiritual sustenance to the troops.{{epigraph ref|sa2|47}} Many of the Radiants, particularly the Windrunners,{{book ref|sa3|61}} lived in cities in [[Alethela]] and crossed borders into other nations to fight.{{book ref|sa1|19}} The [[Shardblade]]s and [[Shardplate]] that Radiants could wield gave them a better chance when fighting the Voidbringers, particularly the [[Thunderclast]]s.{{book ref|sa3|120}} The Radiants invited any with the desire and ability to fight or lead to come get training and potentially join them.{{book ref|sa1|19}}{{book ref|sa3|34}}

The coming of a Desolation was announced by the appearance of the Ten [[Herald|Heralds]].{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}}{{book ref|sa1|60}}{{book ref|sa1|epilogue}} The appearance of [[Midnight Essence]] was also a sign of an upcoming Desolation.{{book ref|sa1|19}} A DesolataionDesolation began when the Fused returned to Roshar, known as the '''Return'''.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}}{{book ref|sa2|i|7}} Each Return, Fused needed to find singers willing to give the Fused their bodies.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}} One of the Desolations lasted eleven years.{{book ref|sa1|60}} There were not many more than fifteen Desolations total.{{wob ref|10816}} A Desolation ended with the Heralds leaving Roshar and returning to Braize. The Heralds had a fixed period of time they could remain on Roshar. If they exceeded it, a new Desolation would start.{{wob ref|2893}}

Between Desolations, the Heralds returned to Braize. At first, the ten men and women hid from and fought the Fused. Inevitably, they would be caught and tortured. By the nature of their bond, the Heralds were able share their pain and withstand the torture together until someone broke. Early on, the Heralds were able to withstand torture for hundreds of years between Desolations. The torture slowly broke the Heralds, however, and the gaps were decreasing to less than ten years near the end. The last gap was less than a year long, with the Heralds breaking as soon as the Fused caught and began the torture. The only Herald to never break was Taln.{{book ref|sa3|38}} The torture the Heralds endured between Desolations included hooks digging into their skin, their skin getting seared off, and their fat burning. The torture began over again every day.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}}

| Something must be done about the remnants of Odium’s forces. The parsh, as they are now called, continue their war with zeal, even without their masters from Damnation.

| Drawer 30-20, first emerald{{epigraph ref|sa3|77}}|side=left|size=350px}}

Working together, the scholars among the Radiants theorized that an [[Unmade]] could be imprisoned like a regular [[spren]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|79}} That devised a plan to trap Ba-Ado-Mishram and prevent her from ConnectedConnecting with the singers and providing them with Voidlight.{{epigraph ref|sa3|78}} This plan would require [[Melishi]], the only [[Bondsmith]] of his generation,{{epigraph ref|sa3|67}} and a special prison, likely a [[perfect gemstone]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|79}} Although Melishi was confident the plan would succeed in destroying the Voidbringers, [[Naze-daughter-Kuzodo]] warned of unintended side effects.{{epigraph ref|sa3|81}} Although the plan seems to have succeeded, as Ba-Ado-Mishram has not been seen in modern times unlike other Unmade,{{epigraph ref|sa3|107}} Naze-daughter-Kuzodo's warning was correct. Because she had been Connected to all the singers, their Connection and [[Identity]] was torn out of them, creating slaveform or parshmen.{{book ref|sa3| 17}} The Radiants' horror for what happened likely contributed to the Recreance.

Humanity was stuck at an extremely low level of technology during the Desolations. Most soldiers fought with bronze and leather armor.{{book ref|sa1|52}} Because of the destruction, humanity often still had stone tools and weapons when the Heralds returned. The Heralds would attempt to push humanity forward several thousand years worth of technology in the year before the Desolation, which often included learning to cast bronze. Even when humanity had learned to cast bronze already, the Heralds tried to advance technology further.{{wob ref|1430}} Other areas they attempted to push technology forward include medicine, where Vedel would teach techniques such as keeping wounds clean.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}}