Kaladin

Kaladin
by Exmakina
Family Parents Lirin, Hesina Siblings Tien
Born	1154
Abilities	Windrunner
Titles	Stormblessed
Profession	Soldier, Bridgeman
Groups	Bridge Four
Birthplace	Hearthstone
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar

Kaladin is a darkeyed man of second nahn from Alethkar on Roshar. He was trained as a surgeon by his father. He has been a soldier in Amaram's army, a slave and a bridgeman on Sadeas's warcamp.

History

Early Life

Kaladin was born and raised in the town of Hearthstone in Sadeas's princedom. His parents are Lirin and Hesina, his brother is Tien. From an early age he was trained as a surgeon by his father. He was talented and learned quickly. His parents wanted him to train in Great Concourse of Kharbranth with the sponsorship of the local citylord Brightlord Wistiow for the promise Kaladin would return to Hearthstone after his training was done. He was friends with the citylord's daughter Laral Wistiow to whom Kaladin's parents wanted him to eventually marry. However, Brightlord Wistiow died and Lirin forged the document that would give the money set aside for Kaladin's training to them. Lirin was alone with Wistiow at the time so this couldn't be proven, which made Wistiow's replacement Brightlord Roshone an enemy to Lirin which led to Kaladin's family becoming destitute and eventually Tien being conscripted into service in Brightlord Amaram's army. Kaladin promised his father that he would protect Tien and bring him back home in four years, then enlisted in the army as well.

Amaram's Army

Despite Amaram's promise that Tien would work as a messenger boy, he was sent to battle after a few months where he was put in front of the advancing enemy to soften their attack. Kaladin tried to come to his help but he could only watch as his brother was killed by the enemy. In his depression, Kaladin started obsessively training with the spear. His drill sergeant was surprised with how fast Kaladin mastered the spear and soon he was known as one of the best spearman in Amaram's army. He was promoted to the rank of squadleader, earning the nickname Kaladin Stormblessed for the first time. Kaladin's squad always lost fewest men of any squad in the army, which was credited to Kaladin's luck and his bribing the army's surgeons.

In his final battle in the army, Kaladin killed a Shardbearer to save the life of the army's leader Amaram. The Shardbearer killed all but a few of Kaladin's men. Kaladin was disgusted with the thought of wearing the Shardplate and Shardblade that caused the death of so many of his men, so he tried to give the Shards to one of his subordinates. However, Amaram, on the advice of his advisors and Restares, laid claim to the weapon and armor for himself claiming it was for the greater good, then executed all witnesses and branded Kaladin a slave as what he called was a mercy.

Sometime during his time in the army, Kaladin attracted the honorspren Sylphrena who gave him the ability to Surgebind.

Slavery

As a slave, Kaladin made ten escape attempts, alone or with others. Sometimes he managed to escape but they always caught him again. After one of his escape attempts, he was branded with a shash glyph, meaning dangerous. He was eventually bought by a slaver named Tvlakv.

Tvlakv brings Kaladin to the Shattered Plains and sells him to Sadeas's warcamp. Kaladin tries to convince the lighteyed woman to make him a spearman but is sent to the Bridge Four to work as a bridgeman.

Bridge Four

In Highprince Sadeas' army at the Shattered Plains, Kaladin served as a bridgeman in Bridge Four. He attracted the attention of what he believed to be an unusual Windspren named Sylphrena. She followed him around, aiding him, and the two became good friends. A bond between Kaladin and Syl gave rise to Surgebinding abilities in Kaladin which he used periodically to protect himself and Bridge Four from Parshendi arrows during bridge runs, and later to secure Parshendi carapace which he used to anger the Parshendi and draw their fire away from the bridge crews.

His honor also attracted the attention of Highprince Dalinar when Kaladin rescued him and his army from certain death at great risk to himself and to his bridgecrew. At the end of the day Dalinar traded his Shardblade for all of Sadeas' bridgemen who were admitted into Dalinar's forces. Kaladin and Bridge Four were assigned to be Dalinar's Honor Guard and Kaladin himself was appointed as their Captain.

Kaladin had been trying to figure out a way to protect his men from the hail of arrows that were encountered during each bridge run. His first thought was to give each man a shield to protect themselves, but since Sadeas had tried and abandoned this idea prior to Kaladin's time as bridgeman, he looked for another solution. Realizing that the bridge itself was as good as a shield, he trained his men to carry it in a way as to protect them during a volley of arrows. The maneuver he called "side carry right/left" worked as intended, but made the bridge crews less enticing targets to the archers and lead to the Parshendi firing at the bulk of the army, which was the very reason the shields were taken away to begin with. The attempt Kaladin made to save his men ended up costing Sadeas the battle, and many soldiers, leaving someone to answer for the events, and Kaladin became the main target.

The punishment was to be left tied up, upside down, outside his barrack, all during a highstorm. This left his fate in the hands of the Stormfather. There was rarely if ever a survivor of this type of punishment, so in essence it was a death sentence. Just before being left alone, Kaladin told the men that he would survive, then told Syl after she asked how he knew that, that he was 'in for all,' meaning, that if he died the men would say "I knew it would happen." and nothing would change, but if he lived, it made him a miracle and he had predicted it. Which would inspire hope in the men. Leaving Kaladin before the highstorm met, Teft gave him a (dun) sphere as kind of a mojo.

“Carry a sphere with you into the storm, and at least you’ll have light by which to see.”

—Kaladin remembering an old saying

When the men of Bridge Four found Kaladin alive after the storm, they saved him and brought him into the barrack to patch him up. Teft found Kaladin still holding that sphere, but against all logic, that sphere was dun, as for spheres were stored outside in a highstorm to get infused with Stormlight.

“Teft stood up straight, holding the dun sphere. An empty sphere after a storm, he thought. And a man who's still alive when he should be dead. Two impossibilities. Together they bespoke something that should be even more impossible.”

—Teft's conclusions

Because of this "impossibilities" Teft grow curious. He took three small infused diamond spheres and put Kaladin's hand around, then he waited, making him vow Kaladin had better not die, because Teft needed answers. And, eventually, Kaladin drew in a short, quick, powerful breath and the three spheres faded. Though a handful of events happened to save his life, after his own perseverance, the two main reasons were Teft further feeding him with Stormlight and Syl fighting off deathspren (which could have been hallucinations from his injured mind, or reality, either are possible) with a sword made of light. Teft brought infused spheres in such a way that it would have aided in Kaladin's healing, but not so much that it would have been noticed by the other bridgemen. That caused Kaladin raise from his injuries ten days after the judgment.

Appearance and Personality

Kaladin concept art by Ben McSweeney

At the age of nineteen, Kaladin is described as having dark brown eyes, a strong chin, and being fairly tall, with black Alethi hair that is shoulder-long and wavy. During his months of slavery and bridgeman status, he had a beard that he eventually shaved with the help of Rock.

His personality varies with the events of his life. As a child, he was enthusiastic and had a strong sense of justice and responsibility, wishing at various stages to become a soldier to protect his country and a surgeon to heal the people of his town. In Amaram's army, he became a strong and confident leader, leading his squad through the battles. He cared deeply for his men, bribing the armies surgeons to treat his men before all except the wounded lighteyes. After being sold into slavery, Kaladin became frequently withdrawn and depressed, as it seemed to him that he lost everyone who he tried to save. He maintained a rebellious streak, making frequent escape attempts and possibly planning to kill the leader of the slave caravan with a poisonous leaf he found. After joining Bridge Four Kaladin attempts to gain back his former confidence and leadership from his soldiering days, and trying to inspire the other bridgemen. However the continual setbacks they suffer still leave him sometimes depressed and pessimistic about their situation. Syl usually pull him out of these episodes, offering him hope for the future. By the time Bridge Four rescue Dalinar's army, Kaladin more or less regain his former leadership and confidence, bolstered further by his new Surgebinding abilities.

The experience of being hung out in the highstorm might have changed something in Kaladin, too, as after that, he had a dream that he "was the storm." He blow all over Roshar and was told by a voice that he was the Child of Tanavast and that there was so much war on Roshar, because Odium reigns.

Attributes and Abilities

Kaladin learned knowledge of surgery from an apprenticeship with his father and was an extremely skilled spearman, possibly the best in Brightlord Amaram's army. His training as a spearman included the performing of katas. Teft was surprised by the speed, power, and technique of Kaladin's kata down in the chasms.

He is in the process of discovering the extent of his abilities as a Windrunner and has effectively used both a Reverse Lashing and Full Lashing as well as being able to inhale Stormlight which improves his speed, strength and healing.

Quotes

“Authority doesn't come from a rank. [It comes] from the men who give it to you. That's the only way to get it.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena.