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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
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{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|The Heralds, they were honorable. Perhaps not as divine, but I may even like them more, to know they were once just normal men and women.
}}
The '''Heralds''' are servants of [[the Almighty]] worshipped across the whole of [[Roshar]]. There are ten of them, with each associated with one of the [[Ten Essences]] and one of the ten orders of the [[Knights Radiant]]. They are known by different names in different cultures -- in [[Azir]], they are known as the '''Kadasixes''',{{book ref|sa2|I|9}} and in [[Vorin]] countries, the suffix "'Elin" is often appended to their names, presumably as
== History ==
=== The Desolations ===
{{image|
{{quote
|Almighty above. You’re broken too, aren’t you? They all were.
At some point, the [[spren]] began mimicking their abilities, creating the first [[Surgebinder]]s.{{book ref|sa2|87}} The Heralds found that surprising, but had no compunctions against using the Surgebinders in battle.{{book ref|sa3|47}} [[Ishar]] imposed structure upon them, creating the [[Knights Radiant]], and each Herald took patronage over the Order that matched their Surges.{{epigraph ref|sa2|42}} The last to do so was [[Nale]], who initially rejected the [[Skybreakers]] even when they called him their master.{{epigraph ref|sa2|43}}
Eventually, the pattern of continuous resurrections and torture led to the Heralds growing increasingly stressed and psychologically damaged, making
{{image|Baxil's Mistress by Shuravf.jpg|[[Shalash]] the vandal|side=left|width=150px}}
For the next four and a half thousand years, Taln remained on Braize, being tortured by the voidspren to make him break and allow them to return.{{book ref|sa3|119}} At the same time, the nine living Heralds went on to live among the people of Roshar, hiding their true nature. The only one to recover his [[Honorblade]] was [[Nale]], who also remained in touch with the [[Order of Skybreakers]], eventually joining them and becoming their leader.{{book ref|sa3|106}}
Over time, the mental state of the Heralds deteriorated, due to a combination of their ages, trauma, and possibly other factors.{{wob ref|16301}} Nale grew compassionless;{{book ref|sa3|115}} [[Kalak]] became paranoid;{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} [[Jezrien]] started to drink heavily;{{book ref|sa3|88}} [[Shalash]] began to track down and destroy her own artwork.{{book ref|sa3|117}} While Shalash and Nale both believed that Ishar remained unaffected, he, too, went mad.{{book ref|sa3|121}} He took over the country of [[Tukar]], becoming its god-priest, and started to swing wildly between megalomania and the desire to end his own existence.{{book ref|sa3|24}}{{book ref|sa3|64}} When Nale came to him with questions about the possibility of a new Desolation arriving, Ishar told him that the return of [[Knights Radiant]] could prompt it, causing Nale to travel the world killing any potential Surgebinders.{{book ref|sa2.5|9}} At some point, perhaps in pursuit of this goal, he and Kalak found themselves in the [[Kholinar palace]] on the night of king [[Gavilar]]'s assassination.{{wob ref|13634}}
=== True Desolation ===
|A [[death rattle]] collected by the [[Diagram (group)|Diagram]].{{epigraph ref|sa1|54}} It's possible it refers to Taln.
}}
Sometime around the year 1173, Taln
When [[Dalinar Kholin]] sought to bring Tukar into his alliance, Ishar refused him, claiming that instead, it was Dalinar's forces who should bow down to him, and give [[Urithiru]] over to him, which was met with no answer.{{book ref|sa3|24}} At the same time, Shalash was searching for Taln, aware that, if the Desolation has returned, so had he. She was eventually pointed on the right track by [[Mraize]].{{book ref|sa3|i|8}}
=== Resurrection ===
The Heralds are [[
This ability to resurrect makes the Heralds essentially immortal. It was not until seven thousand years after the Oathpact that singers figured out they can be trapped in gemstones, much like spren can.{{epigraph ref|sa4|80}} The method involves stabbing them with a specially constructed [[raysium]] dagger.{{book ref|sa3|121}} The dagger would trap the Herald's soul into the gemstone at its hilt.{{book ref|sa4|82}} Heralds are similar to spren, in that they are essentially Investiture that is self-aware; this is due to their nature as resurrected Cognitive Shadows - despite the fact that Heralds were, at one point, normal humans. As the properties of raysium conduct Investiture, the pure Investiture that is a Cognitive Shadow is easily drawn into the raysium dagger. The trapped Herald's bond to the Oathpact would be severed, causing the soul to disintegrate back to a normal soul, then go on to the [[Beyond]], permanently killing the Herald.{{epigraph ref|sa4|92}}
On the other hand, their nature as
=== Surgebinding ===
Each Herald wields an [[Honorblade]], a sword similar in function to a [[Shardblade]], albeit far more powerful.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} Honorblades can be bonded like regular Shardblades, and are similarly sharp, but unlike Shardblades, they allow their wielders to utilize two [[Surge]]s each. As such, while wielding their Blades, each of the Heralds is a [[Surgebinder]].{{book ref|sa3|16}} While they each have an Honorblade assigned to them, in the past, they would
[[Spren]] would later copy the Heralds' [[Surgebinding]], thus creating the [[Knights Radiant]], with each order matching the powers of one of the Heralds.{{book ref|sa2|87}} The Radiants have some powers that the Heralds lack -- for example, the Heralds did not have [[squire]]s.{{wob ref|3958}} However, unlike the Knights, the Heralds were powered directly by [[Honor]], and had access to raw levels of Investiture that no Radiant could possibly match.{{wob ref|1572}}{{wob ref|10331}} Additionally, they didn't need to draw Stormlight from gems, which implies they could get it directly from their bond with Honor.{{wob ref|2549}} This ability appears to be inherent to the Heralds and not tied to their Honorblades as it is not replicable by other users. How this manifests after Honor's death and Splintering is unknown.
Heralds can also gain Surgebinding by forming a [[Nahel bond]].{{book ref|sa3|106}}{{wob ref|12600}} It is unclear whether their spren would follow them to Braize or would be left in the Cognitive Realm, though most likely they would follow them.{{wob ref|15649}}
=== Other ===
Apart from the Surges, Heralds get a number of other advantages, although what precisely they are is uncertain.{{wob ref|3623}}{{wob ref|6898}} It's possible that those include superhuman speed and reflexes.{{book ref|sa2|88}} However, they are also said to have no innate powers, suggesting that whatever they can do is the result of either their connection to Honor or their own experience.{{wob ref|1050}}
Heralds are able to share pain with each other through their bond, but it is unknown if they can do this outside of Braize.{{book ref|sa3|38}} They are able to sense when another Herald has permanently died, which can cause them enough shock to render them temporally unconscious.{{book ref|sa3|121}}{{epigraph ref|sa4|79}} They are also able to tell when another Herald has broken and allowed the Voidbringers to return to Roshar, even if they are not currently on Braize.{{book ref|sa4|77}}
Some Heralds are more [[
== Heralds of the Almighty ==
{{for|Nale}}
The Herald of Justice.{{book ref|sa2|88}} He is associated with the number Nan (2), the essence Vapor, and the attributes Just and Confident. He is patron of the [[Order of Skybreakers]]. Unlike the other Heralds who abandoned the Oathpact, he eventually recovered his [[Honorblade]].{{book ref|sa3|106}} While he was the last to accept his own Order, he was also the only Herald to join it.{{epigraph ref|sa2|43}}{{wob ref|8426}}
:''Surges'': [[Gravitation]], [[Division]]
:''Other names'': Nalan'Elin (Vorinism), Nin-son-God ([[Shinovar]]), Nakku the Judge ([[Makabak]]){{book ref|sa2.5|19}}
:''Status'': alive;
=== Chanarach ===
:''Surges'': Abrasion, [[Progression]]
:''Other names'': Vedeledev'Elin (Vorinism)
:''Status'': alive, current location unknown.
=== Pailiah ===
:''Surges'': Progression, [[Illumination]]
:''Other names'': Pali (nickname)
:''Status'': alive
=== Shalash ===
:''Surges'': Illumination, [[Transformation]]
:''Other names'': Epan ([[Emul]]), Ash (nickname), Shush-daughter-God ([[Shinovar]])
:''Status'': alive;
=== Battar ===
Associated with the number Betab (7), the essence Tallow, and the attributes Wisdom and Care. She is patron of the [[Order of Elsecallers]].
:''Surges'': Transformation, [[Transportation]]
:''Other names'': Battah'Elin (Vorinism), Dova (Alias)
:''Status'': alive;
=== Kalak ===
Associated with the number Kak (8), the essence Foil, and the attributes Resolute and Builder. He is patron of the [[Order of Willshapers]].
:''Surges'': Transportation, [[Cohesion]]
:''Other names'': Kelek'Elin (Vorinism), Kellai (Iri and Rira){{book ref|sa3|36}}, Restares{{book ref|sa4|78}}
:''Status'': alive; in [[Lasting Integrity]].
=== Talenel ===
:''Surges'': Cohesion, [[Tension]]
:''Other names'': Talenelat'Elin (Vorinism), Taln (nickname)
:''Status'': alive;
=== Ishar ===
Known as the Herald of Luck, and, earlier, the Binder of Gods.{{book ref|sa3|64}} Associated with the number Ishi (10), the essence Sinew, and the attributes Pious and Guiding. He is patron of the [[Order of Bondsmiths]].
:''Surges'': Tension, Adhesion
:''Other names'': Ishi'Elin (Vorinism), Ishu-son-God (Shinovar), Tashi, Tezim (Tukar)
:''Status'': alive; currently ruling [[Tukar]] as God-Priest.
== Official depictions ==
Unlike most other characters, the Heralds (except for Battar) have official depictions of them in the [[Stormlight Archive]]. Those are said to be in-universe artwork, and as such, they're not entirely accurate.{{wob ref|10772}} Four of them can be found at the beginning and end of ''[[Oathbringer]]'', while four more
<gallery caption="Illustrations" mode=packed heights=300px>
Jezrien Endpage.jpg | <center><small>by [[Howard Lyon]]</small></center> [[Jezrien]]
Nale Endsheet.png | <center><small>by {{a|Karla Ortiz}}</small></center> [[Nale]]
Chanarach Endsheet.png | <center><small>by {{a|Karla Ortiz}}</small></center> [[Chanarach]]
Vedel_Endpage.jpg | <center><small>by [[Howard Lyon]]</small></center> [[Vedel]]
Pailiah Endsheet.png | <center><small>by {{a|Magali Villeneuve}}</small></center> [[Pailiah]]
Shalash Endsheet.jpg | <center><small>by [[Dan dos Santos]]</small></center> [[Shalash]]
Taln Endsheet.jpg | <center><small>by [[Donato Giancola]]</small></center> [[Talenel]]
Ishar Endsheet.jpg | <center><small>by [[Dan dos Santos]]</small></center> [[Ishar]]
</gallery>
* In ''[[The Way of Kings Prime]]'', the Heralds reincarnated by taking the body of a Rosharan, similar to the [[Fused]], but this is no longer how they return.{{wob ref|12029}}
* Also in ''[[The Way of Kings Prime]]'', the Heralds were capable of sensing the location of the Honorblades, although that ability appears to have been dropped when the story changed into its current form.{{wob ref|11609}}
* The portraits of the Heralds used in chapter arches each have their own title in
{{columns|
**
** [[Nale]], the Judge
**
** [[Vedel]], the Healer
** [[Pailiah]], the Scholar
** [[Shalash]], the Artist
** [[Battar]], the Counselor
** [[Kalak]], the Maker
** [[Talenel]], the Soldier
** [[Ishar]], the Priest
** The final chapter arch is known as the Jester and is associated not with a Herald, but with [[Wit]]
}}
* The Heralds are some of the oldest beings in the cosmere, apart from [[Hoid]], the original [[Shard of Adonalsium|Vessels]], and some of the [[dragon (cosmere)|dragon]]s.{{wob ref|16301}}
== Notes ==
[[category: list articles]]
[[category:Cognitive Shadows]]
[[es: Heraldo]]
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