Lin Davar

Lin Davar
by Exmakina
House Davar Spouse Shallan's mother, Malise Gevelmar Children Helaran, Balat, Wikim, Jushu, Shallan
Died	Ish 1172
Groups	Ghostbloods
Nationality	Veden
Homeworld	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere
First Appeared	Words of Radiance

This page or section needs to be updated with new information for Rhythm of War!

Be aware that in its current state, it may not include all additional content yet.

For the merchant on Scadrial originally known as Lin, see Philen Frandeu.

“There’s a darkness inside of him. I’ve seen it, behind his eyes. A beast . . . ”

—Malise Gevelmar on her husband

Lin Davar is a lighteyed Veden on Roshar. He is the head of House Davar and the father of Shallan Davar.

Appearance and Personality

by Marie Seeberger

“It was now, when his rage became cold, that he grew truly dangerous. This was when Father got quiet. This was when the yelling stopped.

Father’s yelling, at least.

”

—Shallan describing her father's rage

Lin Davar is a large, tall man. He doesn't care about the latest trends when determining what to wear, instead keeping an unfashionable beard and style of clothes. His clothes wouldn't look out of place in his grandfather's generation. He often wears an ulatu, a tight shirt, and a robe. Lin is controlling of his family and household. When he feels that they are not obeying him, he lashes out in an bestial rage. His anger usually shows itself as screams. However, at his most dangerous, Lin is willing to beat people to the point of being crippled or dead. Others under his power are terrified of him and the harm he might do to them. Lin was affected by Odium in some way, possibly through an Unmade.

History

by zoethatcher art

The whole Davar family

His first wife was Shallan's mother. Together, the two of them had Helaran, Balat, Wikim, Jushu, and Shallan. When Shallan was eleven, he walked into his wife and her friend trying to kill Shallan for being a Surgebinder. He managed to cut the friend, but eventually got pinned down as Shallan used her Shardblade to kill both her mother and her mother's friend. In the panicked aftermath, Lin locked the Shardblade into his strongbox, not realizing that it would disappear. He picked up Shallan and comforted her by singing her a childhood lullaby called Sleep My Baby Dear and promising to protect her. To keep his promise, Lin let everyone believe he'd killed his wife in order to protect Shallan, but the secret drove him to becoming violent and volatile. It is likely that Helaran's hatred of him contributed to it as well, since Lin loved Helaran more than any of his other sons.

In the months after the murders, Lin tried to maintain control of his house with increasing difficulty. He tried to stop Helaran from leaving the house to join his friends, but Helaran held him off by summoning his own Shardblade, the existence of which came as a shock to Lin. Lin tried to explain the circumstances around their mother's death, but Helaran refused to listen. Helaran threatened to kill Lin, but Shallan spoke up for the first time in five months, begging him not to. Lin was spared with a threat, and Helaran left Lin to remain in charge while he left. In a fit of rage, Lin smashed a table and chairs. Relations in the household became more strained over the next months. Screaming was a common occurrence. During Helaran's visits, the two men avoided each other. Lin also began hosting feasts more frequently. The feasts he held disguised the truth of the Davar family finances. They were close to financial ruin.

by Sheep

Confronting Helaran

Around two years after his wife's death, Lin announced over dinner with his vassals, the Tavinars, that he was engaged to be married to Malise Gevelmar. In celebration he gave his children gifts. The boys got fine daggers and Shallan got an aluminum necklace. The dinner was already incredibly awkward when Redin interrupted to investigate the death of Lin's first wife. Lin quickly had his guests leave and his children move out of earshot for a private discussion. Whatever they discussed, Lin was left feeling angry and Redin was left without the evidence he needed. While Redin was willing to accept testimony from any lighteyes in the Davar household, Lin terrified his sons far too much for any of them to accept.

The combination of the financial stress and the rumors surrounding Lin had a negative impact on the prospects of the Davar household. During the Middlefest Fair of 1170, Brightlord Revilar approached Lin with a business proposition. He wanted Lin to sell him breechtree cotton and raw shum to him at an extreme loss. Lin was initially outraged at the terms, but Revilar used his position as being in favor with the Highprince to trap Lin into the unfavorable deal. The experience was likely one of the factors that led him to join forces with the Ghostbloods in a bid for power. After Revilar left, Hoid approached with news of Helaran, who said he had eyes watching the household. Angry, Lin disinherited Helaran and named Balat his heir.

“So it has come to this, Shallan thought, feeling a strange, detached calm. The lie becomes the truth.”

—Shallan on seeing Malise dead.

He regularly beat his wife, his sons, and the servants in the house. The only person he never touched was Shallan, instead beating others in her name when he felt she deserved it. He sent an assassin after Helaran when he learned Helaran was near. Malise spoke out against the assassination and was badly beaten. Feeling that he went too far, Balat, Eylita, and Malise planned to run away and find Helaran for protection. Lin beat Malise and got her to confess the plans to run away. He summoned Eylita to the house and killed Malise as punishment after Eylita arrived. Balat challenged him to a sword fight, but he managed to quickly batter Balat to the ground. He paused to drink some wine Shallan handed him, which she'd laced with blackbane. While he was distracted, Balat managed to hit him in the side. Though Lin was bleeding, the wound was not severe. The blackbane did not immediately take effect, so he had time to beat Balat with a fire poker and break his leg. He'd just turned towards Eylita when the drug paralyzed him. As the poison wore off and Lin began to awaken, Shallan used her necklace to strangle him, killing her father. After his death, his children found that he owned a Soulcaster and a collection of maps which they could not understand.

From notes and maps found after his death and from letters he had received, Balat surmised that his father was making a play for the title of Highprince, and that he was supported by some powerful men, namely the Ghostbloods.

Notes

This article is still missing information. Please help The Coppermind by expanding it.