Difference between revisions of "Listener"

{{quote|Long are the days since we knew the dark home,” Mother sang softly to one of the Rhythms of Remembrance. “The Last Legion, that was our name then. Warriors who had been set to fight in the farthest plains, this place that had once been a nation and was now rubble. Dead was the freedom of most people. The forms, unknown, were forced upon us. Forms of power, yes, but also forms of obedience. The gods commanded, and we did obey, always. Always.|[[Eshonai's mother]] to [[Eshonai]]{{book ref|sa2|I-4}}}}

The listeners were originally called the '''Last Legion''',{{book ref|sa2|I-4}} and like other [[singer]]s in the [[Voidbringer]] army, they followed the commands of the [[Fused]], who were the listeners termed their' gods. TheyThe listeners lived in somewhere called the '''dark home''' (but this might have been metaphorical for being under [[Odium]]'s influence, and not an actual place). The Last Legion was sent to fight in the farthest plains, probably the plains of [[Natanatan]] and the [[Shattered Plains]].{{book ref|sa2|I-4}}

Then, oneOne day, the Last Legion fled, leaving the forms of power for dullform. Despite being cripplied, it would lead to freedom from their gods. These listeners composed many songs to remember their history and forms, such as the [[Song of Listing]], [[Song of Secrets]], and [[Song of Histories]] because they risked forgetting everything. They had only known how to transform into forms other than dullform and mateform with the help of gods.{{book ref|sa2|I-4}}

To modern humans, the listeners were originally discovered by Alethi [[Gavilar|King Gavilar]]'s brother [[Dalinar Kholin]] during a hunting trip.{{book ref|sa1|28}}{{book ref|sa1|45}} Dalinar was scouting in a forest whichthat had not beenwasn't on any maps. In a valley south of the [[Shattered Plains]] and about two weeks' march from the [[Drying Sea]], Dalinar saw the first listener camped on the other side of a tributary of the [[Deathbend River]]. The[[Eshonai]] Alethiwas calledone of these "intelligentcamped listeners.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} The Alethi called parshmen"--the listeners-- the "Parshendi," or "intelligent parshmen."{{cite}}

The Alethi made a treaty with the listeners to secure trade routes.{{cite}} <!--Where is it stated that this was the purpose of the treaty?--> Due to a translation error, the Alethi interpretedthought the listenerlisteners' gods to bewere the [[greatshell]]s on the Shattered Plains, the [[chasmfiend]]s, and not the Fused. However, Gavilar, having seen visions, knew morethe thanchasmfiends hewere letnot onthe Parshendi's gods. Gavilar came up with a plan to bring back the listener gods to bring back the [[Herald]]s{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}. Gavilar gave [[Eshonai]] a [[black sphere--filled]]—filled with [[Voidlight]]--—and told her to give it to the listenerlisteners' leadersleading council, [[the Five, and]]. Gavilar hoped they would welcome their gods returning.

But, the listeners feared their gods' return,. havingTheir castancestors themhad offabandoned fortheir sogods longand adopted [[dullform]] to escape them. After frantic debate, the Five decided they would maintain their freedom at any cost. So,Earlier theythat hiredday, an[[Klade]] assassin,purchased [[Szeth]], onan theassassin, evefrom of theirthe treatyslavers.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} They instructed him to assassinate Gavilar and to wear white while doing it, because it was a Parshendi tradition for assassinations.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}

Eventually, [[Venli]] persuaded [[Eshonai]] that they would die unless they did something drastic. Venli had discovered [[stormform]], one of the forms of power, and. Eshonai took the form and was controlled by it. While in the form, forcingshe forced many other listeners to adopt it as well in order to stop the Alethi and the destruction of their species.{{cite}}

Shortly after the [[Battle of Narak]], the Fused began to Return in the [[Everstorm]] and took over former listener's bodies and killing them in the process. [[Venli]] nearly sucuumbed to this, until [[Odium]] stopped a Fused from entering her. Venli instead received [[envoyform]].{{book ref|sa3|i-7}}

The listeners learned how to capture spren in gemstones by watching humans, then working out the process for themselves. This allowed them to make changes to theirchange forms much more reliably,. whereBefore beforecapturing the spren they wanted for the form, there was ana elementchance ofa chancelistener withwould theend up in a form they did not transformationwant.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}