Difference between revisions of "Jezrien"

'''Jezrien''', also known as '''Jezerezeh'Elin''', '''Yaezir''' and '''Yaysi''', was one of the ten [[Herald]]s of [[The Almighty]]{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} and the patron of the [[Order of Windrunners]].{{book ref|sa3|64}} He is associated with the number Jes, the essence Zephyr, the gemstone sapphire, and the divine attributes Protecting and Leading. Jezrien fought in multiple Desolations, defending mankind from the [[Voidbringer]]s and returning to [[Damnation]] between Desolations to be tortured.{{book ref|sa3|38}} After centuries of combat, Jezrien abandoned the Oathpact with eight of the other Heralds, pretending the Voidbringers had been defeated once and for all.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} He went into hiding, gradually losing his mind,{{book ref|sa3|39}} while the rest of the world revered his memory and he became a figure of legend over the following millennia.{{book ref|sa3|121}}

Jezrien has dark eyes{{book ref|sa3|38}} and black hair.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} He is tall and appears almost [[Alethi]], although his skin is a little darker than a typical Alethi man and his features are slightly off.{{book ref|sa3|38}} As a Herald, Jezrien appears to be about thirty years old and wore a short, neatly-trimmed, black beard.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} He stands confidently{{book ref|sa3|38}} with a royal bearing.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} He often wears fine white and blue clothing,{{book ref|sa3|38}} although it is oftentimes stained and charred by battle.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} He speaks with a deep, calm, voice that has a regal sound to it.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}}

Jezrien is widely believed to have been one of the best men to have ever lived. Upon joining the Oathpact, he was an honorable and true man.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} Jezrien's specialty was leadership; he was a great instructor on the guidance of men.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}} He is a man willing to admit his mistakes and make common cause with those that had been his enemies.{{book ref|sa4|47}} After centuries of torture, Jezrien became damaged by anguish and grief.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} He was afraid to return to Braize and face the torments of the Voidbringers again. This led Jezrien to make the choice to abandon the Oathpact and leave Taln alone on Braize. He had even reached such a point that he was willing to lie to all of mankind to makethe themsurviving believehumans that he and the other Heralds had achieved theirfinal victory. He seemed distraught by his own cowardice at the ending of the [[Oathpact]] and ashamed to beof leaving Taln to suffer.

In the millennia that followed, he succumbed to insanity himself.{{book ref|sa3|39}} By the [[Era of Solitude]], Jezrien's once sharp mind had been dulled thoroughly.{{book ref|sa3|88}}{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} He speaksspoke nonsensically and without any clear meaning behind what hehis sayswords.{{book ref|sa3|88}} He seemsseemed to have some semblance of lucidity, referencing the various Unmade, but it is uncertain how much awareness he still hashad. It is also unclear how much of his disorientation is the result of drunkenness and what is the result of his madness. He also appearsappeared to speak in gibberish at times, but it is possible that he is speaking in an ancient language, such as the [[Dawnchant]].

As Jezrien served as the the Herald of Kings, it is likely Jezrien was one of the best leaders and instructors of leadership that has ever lived; he trained humankindmankind's leaders upon his return before each Desolation.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}} As one of the Heralds of the Almighty, it is nearly impossible to truly kill Jezrien. In truth, the Jezrien that exists now is a [[Cognitive Shadow]].{{wob ref|1538}} Before breaking the Oathpact, upon his death he was returned to Damnation to be tortured,{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} with his immortal body being fullyconstantly restored.{{wob ref|10880}} IfJudging Jezrienby isthe anythingabilities likeof Taln,the hisother reflexesHeralds, certainlyhe werepossesses alsosuperhuman inhumanly fast,reflexes{{book ref|sa2|88}} and he was very strong as wellstrength.{{book ref|sa1|epilogue}} Even after abandoning the Oathpact, Jezrien remains ageless, and appears as youthful as the day he became a Herald.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} Jezrien's immortality was brokensealed away by [[Vyre's knife]] into a gemstone.{{book ref|sa3|121}} According to Kalak, althoughonce itJezrien iswas unknownsealed, howhis thisConnection to the other Heralds was achievedsevered;{{epigraph ref|sa4|79}} as a result, his soul decomposed into an ordinary soul with no valid Connection to the Spiritual or Physical Realms.{{bookepigraph ref|sa3sa4|12192}} Over the weeks he faded into the Beyond, at last truly dying.{{epigraph ref|sa4|93}}

As a Herald, Jezrien haspossessed access to hisan [[Honorblade]], a variety of Shardblade given to him by the Shard Honor.{{book ref|sa3|16}} This Shardblade is able to cut through any material, stone, steel, or even living things effortlessly.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} This allowed Jezrien to be a formidable foe on the battlefield, particularly against [[thunderclast]]s, as his Blade can cut their stone flesh easier thanbody anythingwith elseease.{{book ref|sa3|120}} As he had spent an enormous amount of time using the Honorblade in the fight against the Voidbringers, Jezrien is very experienced in using his Blade and his skill at dueling can only be matched by the other Heralds.{{book ref|sa4|111}} Unlike most Shardblades, this Honorblade also granted Jezrien access to the [[Surge]]s of [[Surgebinding#Adhesion|Adhesion]] and [[Surgebinding#Gravitation|Gravitation]].{{book ref|sa3|16}} As he was not sworn to a spren, he was able to do with his Blade what he liked, without regard for any oaths.{{book ref|sa2|87}} However, the fact that his powers were not granted by a Nahel bond prevented him from having squires.{{wob ref|3958}} Jezrien also had no need for [[Stormlight]], his Surgebinding was powered directly by Honor.{{wob ref|1572}} It is unknown how this would have been impacted by Honor's death. Since giving up his Honorblade when he gave up the Oathpact, Jezrien is unable to Surgebind.

Jezrien was likely born on Ashyn.{{wob ref|11945}} At some point in the past Jezrien ruled as a king.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} It is unknown if Jezrien was ever married but had at least one child, [[Shalash]].{{wob ref|10414}} He and Nale spent some time on opposite side of a conflict, but Jezrien ultimately came to the conclusion that he had been in the wrong. After humanitymankind began to lose its fight against [[Odium]]'s immortal [[Fused]], Jezrien and Ishar formed a plan to counter this threat.{{book ref|sa4|47}} Jezrien invited Nale to join them, believing that Nale's honor was above reproach. Jezrien and nine companions asked Honor for the ability to seal the Voidbringers on Braize.{{book ref|sa3|38}} Honor agreed, the [[Oathpact]] was founded, and Jezrien and his nine companions became Heralds of the Almighty and were given their Honorblades. Jezrien was tortured with the rest of the Heralds between every Desolation until one of them broke. When that happened, Jezrien and the other Heralds returned to Roshar to guide humanitymankind in the fight against the Voidbringers. Jezrien would aid their leaders in learning how to effectively guide their peoples.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}} When the spren began to bond with humans to grant them [[Surgebinding]], Jezrien became the patron of the [[Windrunners]], the order of the [[Knights Radiant]] that bore the same powers as Jezrien.{{book ref|sa3|64}}

Many [[Desolation]]s after the beginning of the Oathpact, Jezrien and the other [[Herald]]s save for [[Talenel]], who had died, decided that they could no longer withstand the torture they faced in between Desolations.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} They agreed to permanently abandon their pledgeoaths, leaving Taln alone in Damnation. Jezrien was chosen by the rest to wait and see if [[Kalak]] had survived and to pass on word to him thatof the other Heralds hadtheir quitdecision. After explaining their decision to Kalak, Jezrien summoned his Honorblade and left it stuck point-first into the ground, before heading off by himself.

Following the abandonment of his Blade, Jezrien spread the word of their victory to the survivors of the Last Desolation.{{book ref|sa3|38}} While Jezrien was never killed and returned to Damnation after Aharietiam, avoiding death for four and a half millennia,{{book ref|sa3|38}} he seems to have succumbed to the same madness plaguing the other Heralds.{{book ref|sa3|39}} Jezrien became a drunk beggar who lived in a [[Beggars' Porch]] in the [[Kholinar]] palace.{{book ref|sa3|88}} He was known as '''Ahu''' by then, and was occasionally the drinking companion of Highprince [[Dalinar Kholin]] when Dalinar was trying to drink clandestinely or could not find more alcohol. Jezrien attended the [[Beggar's Feast]] on the night that King [[Gavilar Kholin]] was assassinated, speaking incoherently to Szeth before collapsing.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Six years later, after the capture of Kholinar by the Voidbringers, Jezrien was stabbed by [[Moash]]{{book ref|sa3|121}} with a [[raysium]] knife.{{book ref|sa4|84}} Jezrien was initially unfazed by the wound, but quickly realized that he had been mortally wounded, screaming and dying suddenly quite suddenly,{{book ref|sa3|121}} his soul transferred into the gem.{{book ref|sa4|84}}{{epigraph ref|sa4|80}} At the moment of Jezrien's true deathsealing, his Connection with the other living Heralds was broken{{epigraph ref|sa4|79}} and caused them to feel a painful tearing sensation and they all knew that he was dead.{{book ref|sa3|121}} While the Fused were initially successful in trapping Jezrien's soul, their plan ultimately failed. With the Oathpact severed and Honor Splintered, Jezrien's soul could not exist long without his body.{{epigraph ref|sa4|93}} Within weeks his mind had faded and he was truly gone.

Over the milleniamillennia that have passed since [[Aharietiam]] Jezrien has become mythologized across Roshar. He is known as one of the greatest humans to have ever lived.{{book ref|sa3|121}} In the Vorin kingdoms of the east, Jezrien has been conflated with the concept of the [[Stormfather]], so many believe them to be one and the same. He has come to be known as '''Jezerezeh'Elin,''' the '''Herald of Kings''', and men swear by his name{{book ref|sa1|23}}{{book ref|sa1|52}} and burn [[glyphwards]] in prayer to him.{{book ref|sa1|62}} He is commonly depicted in art and sculpture with the other nine Heralds.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} In some cases, when a serious crime is committed, men may be strung out during a highstorm to be judged by Jezrien. If they survive, they were innocent, although men typically do not survive the highstorm winds.{{book ref|sa1|34}} Vorin people who have interacted more directly with the Stormfather have come to realize that the two are not one and the same.{{book ref|sa2|74}}