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|effects=Destruction of [[Roshar]]
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
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{{quote
|They were destruction made manifest, Brightlord. Each one was so profoundly devastating that humankind was left broken. Populations ruined, society crippled, scholars dead. Humankind was forced to spend generations rebuilding after each one.
|[[Kalami]] describing a Desolation{{book ref|sa3|2}}
}}
The '''Desolations''' are cataclysmic events on
== Participants ==
=== Heralds ===
:''Main article:'' [[Herald]]s
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|prelude}}cIn 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}}
=== Knights Radiant ===
:''Main article:'' [[Knights Radiant]]
{{sidequote
|They were a solution, a way to offset the destruction of the Desolations. Ten orders of knights, founded with the purpose of helping men fight, then rebuild.
|[[Dalinar's visions]]{{book ref|sa2|4}}|left|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 andgive 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 [[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}}
=== Voidbringers ===
:''Main article:'' [[Voidbringer]]s
[[Voidbringer]]s is the collective term that refers to all the forces allied with the [[Shard]] [[Odium]] during a Desolation. Beings that count as Voidbringers include the [[Fused]], [[Regal]]s, [[singer]]s, [[Voidspren]], [[Unmade]], and [[Thunderclast]]s. The Voidbringers follow a strict hierarchy. The Fused are at the top, far above the Regals. The Regals, who have bonded voidspren and attained forms of power, are above common singers.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}} Where sapient Voidspren and Unmade fall in this hierarchy is currently unknown, though [[Ba-Ado-Mishram]] in particular has been described as a commander of Odium's forces, so she is likely near the top of the hierarchy.{{epigraph ref|sa3|106}} Some humans chose to fight for the Voidbringers as well.{{book ref|sa3|38}}
== History ==
:''Main article:'' [[Oathpact]]
Some of the singers that were killed by the invading humans were infused with power by Odium before they passed [[Beyond]]. These singers became the [[Fused]], [[Cognitive Shadow]]s that possess living singers and could not be killed.{{book ref|sa3|38}}{{wob ref|8693}} [[Ishar]] founded the [[Oathpact]] as a solution.{{book ref|sa3|64}} He and the other nine people that would become Heralds made a pact with Honor to seal the Fused on [[Braize]]. [[Taln]] was not originally meant to join the Heralds, but somehow became part of the group. The Heralds thought the Oathpact would end the endless war, but because they are human, there was loophole. The Heralds had the ability to bend their oath and let the Fused return to Roshar, starting a Desolation. Knowing this loophole, the Fused captured and tortured the Heralds.{{book ref|sa3|38}}
[[File:Chasmfiend old.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An in-world artist's depiction of a Desolation by [[Greg Call]]]]▼
=== Historical Desolations ===
▲[[File:Chasmfiend old.jpg|thumb|
The coming of a Desolation was announced by the appearance of the Ten [[Herald|Heralds]].{{book ref|sa|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 Desolataion 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 ===
{{sidequote
| 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}}|
Unlike previous Desolations, the [[False Desolation]] did not involve the Heralds or Fused. The False Desolation began when [[Ba-Ado-Mishram]] learned how to [[Connection|Connect]] with the majority of the singers, giving them [[Regal|forms of power]] and access to [[Voidlight]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|80}} The Radiants, unaware of how she did this, sought a way to end the fighting for good, as the Heralds had promised them.{{epigraph ref|sa3|82}} The fighting became particularly intense at this time,{{epigraph ref|sa2|41}} as the singers made a push towards [[Feverstone Keep]], possibly as part of a plan to capture [[Rall Elorim]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|84}}
|[[Jasnah]] about fabrials{{book ref|sa3|96}}
}}
During the ancient Desolations, mankind did not have access to the modern [[fabrial]]s and fabrial knowledge that is currently known on Roshar. The only fabrials they had access to were ancient fabrials.{{book ref|sa3|96}} These fabrials seem to work through a mutual agreement with a sentient spren rather than trapping a spren in a gemstone. The vast majority of fabrials seem to replicate surges and were used in a support position rather than actual combat. The [[Oathgate]]s utilizes the surge of Transportation to allow instantaneous travel across the continent. Healing fabrials use the surge of Progression to heal wounds and seem to have been carried often by Radiants on patrol.{{book ref|sa1|19}} Although it is not courrently known how these fabrials were created, [[Aimia]] could have been involved as that is where
=== Technology ===
== Culture ==
:''See also:'' [[Vorinism]]
{{quote
| The Desolations had happened during the near-mythical shadowdays, before real history began. Before mankind had defeated the Voidbringers and taken the war to heaven.
{{partial}}
{{Stormlight}}
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