Kadash

Kadash
by botanicaxu
Profession	Ardent Soldier (former)
Groups	Dalinar's elites (former), Kholin army (former)
Residence	Urithiru
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere
First Appeared	The Way of Kings

“Your father is not to be mocked or diminished. If his visions are true, then it is between him and the Almighty. All I can say is this: I know something of what it is to be haunted by the death and destruction of war. I see in your father’s eyes much of what I have felt, but worse. ”

—Kadash to Adolin Kholin

Kadash is an Alethi ardent. He was a soldier among Dalinar Kholin's elites before the unification of Alethkar but changed his Calling to join the ardentia after witnessing the massacre at Rathalas.

Appearance and Personality

Kadash is a tall man with light violet eyes and a twisting scar that runs around the top of his shaved head. He wears the square beard and gray robes of an ardent.

Kadash is a man of deep faith and perseverance, which has allowed him to rapidly climb the ranks of the ardentia. He is deeply embarrassed by the ancient failures of Vorinism, the Recreance and the Hierocracy, and often speaks of them to remind himself and others not to make the same mistakes. He is pleased with the way that Vorinism has changed since the defeat of the Hierocracy, that every man can now have a personal relationship with their god. As with many adherents of Vorinism, Kadash is deeply distrustful of any type of prophecy or foresight, believing it to be a thing of the Voidbringers. He is horrified by the idea that the Radiants could potentially be returning.

Kadash is humble as well. Despite his high rank, he defers to lighteyes, regardless of their age and authority. Kadash believes that it is the duty of Dalinar and the other lighteyes to watch the ardents and ensure they do not rise above their station as they did during the Hierocracy. Kadash is very loyal to Dalinar, as well as to the rest of his family. He has sworn oaths to serve Dalinar and has known the man for many years. For these reasons, Kadash is both unwilling and unable to speak ill of Dalinar even when Dalinar claims that the Almighty is dead. Kadash is also concerned with the spiritual well-being of his congregation, particularly Adolin.

Even though many years have passed since Kadash left the military, he is still haunted by the memories of his time spent fighting and all the death and destruction he saw. He is an observant man, keeping his eyes and ears open to the events around the warcamps. He is also generally very calm and unflappable--until it comes to speaking of matters such as Surgebinding or Soulcasting.

History

Elite soldier

Kadash was born as a lighteyes of an unknown dahn. He chose to become a soldier and rose through the ranks to become Captainlord in Dalinar Kholin's army during the time before the unification of Alethkar. Sometime during his career in the army, his head was injured in combat. Kadash survived, but the injury left a scar across his face and head from where the spear had hit him. As one of Dalinar's elites, he served closely by him in battle and sometimes had to call him back from the embrace of the Thrill. He also delivered battle reports and sometimes served as a bodyguard for Gavilar.

“A hardened soldier who had encountered something so vile that even he was shaken. He'd left to become an ardent the next day.”

—Kadash at The Rift

After all ten princedoms of Alethkar had been conquered, Kadash was part of the army's new campaign to secure the northern lands of Alethkar. They defeated the Herdazians and claimed the Reshi isle of Akak, which took four years, then proceeded to engage the Vedens further southwards. This eventually led to the battle at Rathalas. Once the walls of the city had been captured, Dalinar ordered Kadash and fifty of his elites to enter the city and soak the lower parts of the Rift with oil before igniting the entire city with burning arrows. While the elites held down Tanalan, the commander of the enemy forces, Kadash himself was just standing at the side of the city, looking down at the destruction. He was traumatized by the experience and left the army the next day.

Joining the Ardentia (1163 - 1173)

After many years in the military, Kadash changed his Calling, ending his career as a soldier and joining the ardentia. Kadash also rose high within the ranks of the ardents, becoming the overseer of the Soulcasters as one of the ardents owned by Highprince Dalinar Kholin and his family. He served Dalinar loyally for many years and trained and tutored his son Adolin during his childhood. After Szeth-son-son-Vallano's assassination of King Gavilar Kholin, Kadash spoke to some of Gavilar's surviving guards, but he believed their mentions of Szeth's Surgebinding to be the result of shock and trauma.

Service on the Shattered Plains (1173)

“I still find it incredible. Even after all these years. If we needed proof of the Almighty's hand in our lives, this is certainly it. ”

—Kadash on Soulcasting

Kadash accompanied Dalinar Kholin and his armies to the Shattered Plains to provide religious instruction while the War of Reckoning was fought. He worked in the main Vorin temple in Dalinar's warcamp, where Adolin and Janala Lustow visited him in 1173. Kadash was concerned that Adolin had not made much progress with his Calling, but Adolin wished to speak to Kadash about Dalinar's visions and his growing concerns about Dalinar's sanity. The two spoke in private on the temple's central mound. Adolin told Kadash of Dalinar's visions and asked Kadash if they could really be coming from the Almighty or if he was simply losing his mind. Kadash was unwilling to give a direct answer due to his loyalty to Dalinar, but he spoke about the Hierocracy, explaining that the priests then had spoken of visions, which the Sunmaker later discovered to be a fabrication. Kadash said that he felt that it was unlikely that the visions would come from the Almighty; he implied that Dalinar might be haunted by his experiences on the battlefield but stopped short of actually saying that Dalinar was mad. Kadash told Adolin that he was the only one that could help his father and asked that Adolin return soon to discuss his Calling.

Later that year, Kadash proposed to Dalinar that they could Soulcast large blocks of stone for windbreaks on the eastern side of Dalinar's camp to allow it to expand onto the Shattered Plains. After debating the idea for several months, Dalinar agreed to the plan. Kadash accompanied the Soulcasters to the edge of Dalinar's warcamp to perform the Soulcasting. The Soulcasters had such a demand on their time that Kadash had taken them out during the day to Soulcast concealed within an enclosed silk canopy. Adolin had seen them from a distance, and came to speak to Kadash. He confided in Kadash that Szeth had attempted to assassinate Dalinar and made use of the powers of the Radiants. Kadash was shocked at this and disturbed by the idea that the Radiants could be returning. He agreed to do research into their abilities for Adolin so he could be better equipped to combat Szeth if he should return.

Service in Urithiru (1174 - 1175)

After the Battle of Narak, Kadash moved to Urithiru. He came into conflict with Dalinar, however, who had begun saying publicly that the Almighty was dead. He refused to marry Dalinar and Navani because the Vorin church saw them as siblings and even approached the other ardents on Chanada's suggestion to ask them to refuse as well. When they eventually married through the Stormfather, Kadash attended the ceremony, though he was disappointed and afraid of what the ardentia might do to Dalinar.

“Unity. If that is your goal, Dalinar, then why do you seek to rip apart your own people?”

—Kadash to Dalinar

When Dalinar visited a training room for soldiers and had a wrestling match with Aratin Khal, Kadash went there to check up on Dalinar but got challenged to a duel instead. Kadash declined at first, but accepted the challenge of his Highprince and former comrade-in-arms anyway. Even in a solo duel, Kadash still had the instincts of a soldier, keeping watch on his sides. While they were sparring, Dalinar simultaneously held a spanreed meeting with the Iriali queen and a conversation about his beliefs with Kadash. Kadash demanded that Dalinar recant his blasphemy regarding his position on the church, but Dalinar refused to shy away from what he saw as the truth. Kadash eventually lost the match to an invalid dueling strike.

Later, Kadash joined King Elhokar Kholin, Dalinar, and Navani on a trip to the Alethi warcamps. They traveled to Shattered Plains via the Oathgate, then were flown to the warcamps by Kaladin and his Windrunners. Once they arrived, Kadash visited his office in the camp monastery where he had kept most of his books and spanreeds in a wall safe, as he hadn't had time to pack his belongings when the warcamps were left in haste for Urithiru ten weeks prior. These five spanreeds were linked to the leaders of Vorinism in Jah Keved, Herdaz, Kharbranth, Thaylenah and New Natanan, and all had been trying to contact Kadash with questions related to the Desolation, yet he did not answer them until scholars from the Palanaeum had finished sending him passages recently translated from the Dawnchant. When he admitted this to Dalinar, Dalinar realized that Kadash knew he wasn't mad. Kadash helped Dalinar to find the room in which Taln had been kept, though he didn't accompany him.

One of Kadash's projects in Urithiru was an attempt to farm on the tower's garden balconies. The plants would not grow, however, either because of the cold or the fact that few storms reached high enough. He was working on this project one day when Dalinar, whose memories had finally returned, came to apologize to him and talk about his actions at Rathalas. Kadash convinced him that it was the wrong move to give his ardents over to Taravangian and pleaded that Dalinar would just release a statement that would allow the Vorin church to move on.

During the Battle of Thaylen Field, Kadash found himself in Thaylen City. He was with other scribes and ardents in a building near the city's Oathgate and operated a spanreed to Sebarial's scribes back in Urithiru. Kadash relayed news of the attack in Urithiru and confirmed that the forces there were unlikely to be able to break through and use the Oathgate to come reinforce the troops in Thaylen City.

Relationships

Dalinar Kholin

“He's frightened that he’s somehow failed in his most solemn duty to a man he deeply admires.”

—Kadash speaking of himself

Kadash and Dalinar have known each other for years. They are comrades-in-arms during Dalinar's conquests to unite Alethkar, as Kadash is one of the highest ranking officers among Dalinar's elites, but they aren't particularly close at the time. Kadash is a hardened soldier, but even after all he has been through he is horrified by the destruction of Rathalas ordered by his Highprince. He leaves the army and becomes an ardent the next day, though he remains loyal to Dalinar.

Years later, Dalinar starts having visions from the Stormfather in which it is revealed to him that the Almighty is dead. Kadash is skeptical because Vorinism considers those claims to be heresy, but out of respect for Dalinar, the ardent doesn't discard the possibility right away and makes an effort to gather all the facts. He still considers Dalinar his friend but is pained that by the things that he says. He consents to attend Dalinar and Navani's wedding even though he disapproves. Kadash and Dalinar argue every time they see each other, Dalinar trying to get Kadash to see the truth that he sees and Kadash trying to get Dalinar to let things be so that the Vorin church and Dalinar's ardents can move on. However, Dalinar sees Kadash's innate honesty and feels that he will eventually get through to him.

Notes

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Truthwatch3r (talk) 01:30, 16 March 2022 (UTC)