Difference between revisions of "Kaladin"

|image-artist=[[User: Exmakina]]

|parents=[[Lirin]], [[Hesina]]|siblings=[[Tien]], [[Oroden]]

|abilities={{tag|Surgebinder|cat=Surgebinders}} <small>(Adhesion/Gravitation)</small><br>{{tag|Shardbearer|cat=Shardbearers}}

|titles=Captain of the [[Bridgemen]]

Kaladin was born in late 1153 to Lirin and [[Hesina]], a family of second [[nahn]], in the town of [[Hearthstone]] in [[Torol Sadeas]]' [[Sadeas princedom|princedom]] in northwestern Alethkar. His younger brother [[Tien]] is born two years later. Kaladin grew up isolated from the majority of the townsfolk due to the class disparity between his family and the other townsfolk (who are of fourth or fifth nahn), as well as superstitions surrounding his father's work as a surgeon. As a result, he becomes very close with his brother and, at the encouragement of his parents, [[Laral Wistiow]], the daughter of the citylord.{{book ref|sa1|10}}

 

 

Two years later, Kaladin and Laral are walking together outside when Kaladin finally tells her about his father's plans to send him away. Laral encourages him to become a soldier instead, implying that he could marry her if he won a [[Shardblade]] in battle, thereby becoming a lighteyes. Kaladin misses this implication, even though he is attracted to her. Eventually, they encounter a group of older boys, one of whom makes the claim his father had won a Shardblade in the [[wastescum skirmishes]]. At Laral's prompting, Kaladin contradicts him, which leads to the boy [[Jost]] challenging Kaladin to a quarterstaff fight. Although it is his first time holding a weapon, his natural talent for combat manifests. However, seeing that he has hurt Jost, he stops himself from fighting anymore. Jost, having no similar inhibition, beats Kaladin to the ground. Kaladin asks Jost to teach him, but the older boy declines, telling Kaladin to "go be what you are." Joined by Tien, Kaladin makes his way home while contemplating what he wants to be. Arriving home, Lirin informs him that Citylord [[Wistiow]] has died and has bequeathed a goblet full of [[spheres]] to Kaladin so that he could study in Kharbranth.{{book ref|sa1|16}}

 

==== New Citylord ====

 

Citylord Roshone's arrival brings misfortune to Kaladin's family. Believing that Lirin had stolen the spheres from Wistiow, he coerces the townspeople to stop making donations for Lirin's work, which is the primary source of the family's income.{{book ref|sa1|31}} While the townsfolk acquiesce, they still secretly provide provisions to Lirin and Hesina.{{book ref|sa1|37}} Tien is apprenticed to a carpenter because he is unsuitable as a surgeon while Kaladin is still unsure if he wants to join the army or become a surgeon. About a year after Roshone's arrival, three masked men try to break into Lirin's surgery room while he and Kaladin are inside, demanding Wistiow's spheres. Instead, Lirin reveals that they are not highwaymen as Kaladin had initially thought, but [[Luten]], [[Horl]], and [[Balsas]], normal townsmen presumably hired by Roshone. Ashamed and caught off guard, the men leave without taking anything.{{book ref|sa1|31}}

While on a hunting trip, Roshone and Rillir are seriously injured by a [[whitespine]] and brought to Lirin's surgery room. Kaladin and Lirin determine that Rillir is already fatally wounded and tend to Roshone, despite his protests. They anesthetize both patients and begin surgery on Roshone. Lirin hesitates when he discovers a piece of the whitespine's tusk near Roshone's femoral artery. Kaladin considers how easy it would be to fake an accident, but they continued on to save Roshone's life, as Rillir died. When Kaladin asks his father why he had not let Roshone die, Lirin answers that they have to be better men than the lighteyes.{{book ref|sa1|41}}

 

 

=== Amaram's Army (1168–1172) ===

 

==== Fighting the Shardbearer ====

 

Once the signal to march was given, Kaladin's well-disciplined squad uses non-standard tactics to avoid taking any casualties. The larger battle, however, doesn't go nearly as well, and after the larger body of Amaram's force breaks, Kaladin's squad is left in the middle of the enemy. During the chaos, Kaladin single-handedly defeats six men to save Cenn, who had been stranded alone without the rest of the squad.{{book ref|sa1|1}} After treating Cenn, Kaladin sees an enemy battalionlord and decides kill him, hoping that such a feat would allow him to be transferred to the [[Shattered Plains]], where Kaladin believes the real fight and honorable men can be found. Kaladin and two of his subsquads execute their plan flawlessly, with Kaladin himself striking the killing blow on the enemy battalionlord.{{book ref|sa1|47}}

=== Bridgeman (1173) ===

==== Becoming bridgeleader ====

 

He is placed under the command of the bridge sergeant [[Gaz]] and is immediately forced to go on a bridge run. During this initial bridge run, Kaladin is sent out completely unprepared and unequipped as part of Bridge Four to carry a large bridge, allowing Sadeas's soldiers to cross the plateaus of the Shattered Plains and assault the [[Parshendi]]. During the assault, Parshendi archers target the bridge crews and inflict heavy casualties. Although Kaladin wishes to render aid to the men, he is unable to and falls unconscious. Kaladin is about to be left for dead by the retreating bridge crews, until Syl calls out his name and urges him to move.{{book ref|twok|6}}

 

==== Battle of the Tower ====

 

Shortly after, Kaladin receives the order to retreat. Kaladin, on assessing the state of the army, quickly realizes that Sadeas has setup a trap, and has abandoned Dalinar on the Tower with no means of escape.{{book ref|twok|66}} While retreating, Kaladin comes up with the idea of using the chaos of battle to escape, allowing the army to think that the men have been killed. As Kaladin is working out the details of the escape, Syl urges Kaladin to save Dalinar's army, revealing that she has remembered that she is an [[honorspren]], spirit of oaths, promises, and nobility. After a moment of internal conflict, Kaladin orders his men to turn around and head back towards Dalinar's army.{{book ref|sa2|67}}