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The '''listeners''', called the '''Parshendi''' by the [[Alethi]], are a [[singer]] ethnic group on [[Roshar]]. By the end of the [[War of Reckoning]] in the Vorin year {{rosharan date|1174}}, they had a population of around
Prior to the [[True Desolation]], they
== Geography and Agriculture ==
==== Geography ====
The listeners used to live in the [[Unclaimed Hills]], very close to the [[Shattered Plains]]. Some listener [[Listener#Families|families]] occupied the circular craters near the western edge of the plains, while others spent their lives living in the wilderness around these craters. Many listeners believe that the wilderness should remain uncharted, left to [[greatshell]]s and [[spren]], although others strongly disagree with this.{{book ref|Sa4|45}} It is likely because of this attitude that the listeners know very little about the world and the
{{image
|Narak by Connor Chamberlain.jpg|side=right|width=350px|[[Narak]], the home of the
After the assassination of King [[Gavilar Kholin]], the listeners fled to the Shattered Plains
==== Agriculture and Foraging ====
The listeners cultivate multiple plant species. They grow and eat grain from a certain type of [[rockbud]].{{book ref|sa4|62}} They also use the dried pulp from a species of rockbud to make paper.{{book ref|sa4|45}} The listeners also grow and prune
The listeners also use a technique unknown to other Rosharans to make their crops grow faster. This technique involves
==== Animal
They also practice animal husbandry and hunting. They are known to have domesticated [[chull]]s. They also keep hogs, which are herded around by groups of listeners
The listeners also hunt [[chasmfiend]]s, although they only do this during certain seasons.{{book ref|Sa4|48}} The listeners
== Government ==
=== The Five ===
==== Use and Function ====
The listeners are ruled by five individuals, collectively known as the Council of Five, or simply the Five. Before the listener families unified, each family had their own Five, but after their unification the listeners accepted the rule of a single Five.{{book ref|Sa4|45}} It is unknown how these five listeners are chosen. The Five seem to have absolute authority over the listeners, although any decision needs at least a majority among the Five before it can be put into action.{{book ref|Sa2|i|4}} The duties of the Five are very diverse, from approving ideas to planning attacks on other families.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}{{book ref|sa4|45}} At least some professions have leaders whose authorities exist outside of that of the Five. One such listener is [[Denshil]], who serves as the
==== Composition ====
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=== Foreign Policy and International
==== Alethkar ====
The listeners have a hostile relationship with the [[Alethkar|Alethi]], though their relationship was originally more amicable. The Alethi were the first humans to be discovered by the listeners.{{book ref|sa4|45}} After a couple of expeditions, the Alethi wished to formalize their relationship. The listeners agreed, and a treaty was signed.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} This treaty contained clauses to simplify trade between the peoples and for mutual border crossing. The treaty also prevented the listeners from trading their Shards to other kingdoms without first coming to Alethkar. Besides these clauses, the treaty also allowed for one party to legally attack the other party.{{book ref|sa4|77}}
After the Alethi king [[Gavilar]] revealed to
=== Military ===
==== Armament ====
Listener soldiers use
Most of the steel weapons owned by the listeners are either of [[Alethkar|Alethi]] origin or have been passed down from parent to child starting at the abandonment of the old gods.{{book ref|Sa4|81}} The listeners are also fond of two-handed slings{{book ref|sa1|65}} and bows made from horn,{{book ref|sa1|55}} although bows are viewed as too deadly to wield against other listeners.{{book ref|sa4|68}} Some listeners carry large shields called [[stormshield]]s when going out into a highstorm; however, it is unknown if this type of shield is also used in combat.{{book ref|Sa4|88}} It is considered the duty of each warrior to care for his ancient weapon and make his own arrows.{{book ref|Sa4|45}} These arrows are fletched with painted [[scragglebark]].{{book ref|sa1|65}} The listeners also use blowguns to hunt small game; these blowguns are deadly enough to hurt humans.{{book ref|sa2|43}}
The listeners had eight sets of [[Shardplate]] and eight [[Shardblade]]s,{{book ref|sa4|68}} although they gradually lost all of these during the War of Reckoning.{{book ref|sa2|i|3}} It is considered forbidden for these shards to be wielded against other listeners, they were originally used only for [[greatshell]] hunts, although they were also used to fight the [[Alethkar|Alethi]] during the [[War of Reckoning]]. Before this war it was tradition that when one of the proper eight listener cities was conquered the defeated family would relinquish their shards to the victors.{{book ref|sa4|68}} ▼
▲
Regular soldiers often wear simple garments that are tailored around their warform carapace. Some of them also wear long coats, although these aren’t worn into battle. The listener general wears a cap on their skullplate and a tight red cloth as a cape.{{book ref|Sa2|i|4}} The listeners dressed their soldiers in white, believing that a man should be able to see his own death coming, white also signals to other listeners that a battle is coming, instead of a different interaction such as trade.{{book ref|Sa4|68}} Because of this they also dress assassins in white.{{book ref|Sa1|prologue}} This changed during the War of Reckoning, although it is unknown why.{{book ref|sa1|65}}▼
▲Regular soldiers often wear simple garments that are tailored around their warform carapace. Some of them also wear long coats, although these
==== Tactics ====
The
The listeners would often attack shortly before or after a storm came.{{book ref|Sa4|45}}{{book ref|sa4|68}} They used drums to warn allies and enemies of an upcoming battle. The preparations for a battle would mostly be made up of where to put which warriors and what boasts to yell.{{book ref|sa4|45}} These battles often started with the participants yelling boasts, insults, and challenges at each other. After that, both families would take turns throwing spears at each other
A notable aspect of the listeners' new combat strategy is their use of '''warpairs''',{{book ref|sa1|26}}
After six years of war the listeners also became very adept at dealing with the [[Alethkar|Alethi]] Shardbearers. They would use two-handed slings to hurl head-sized rocks at Shardbearers; these rocks were capable quickly damage Shardplate, with a single blow being enough to make cracks in an unharmed section of Plate.{{book ref|sa1|65}}
====
The listener army is divided into multiple divisions, each
The listener military is commanded by a general, also called a warleader, who is also the warform representative in the
== Culture ==
=== People ===
==== Fashion ====
Listeners wear a wide variety of clothing. They are often seen wearing robes,{{book ref|sa4|73}} shirts, skirts, and coats.{{book ref|sa4|68}} When listeners go out into a highstorm to adopt a new form, they often wear loose robes. This is likely so that their clothes
==== Relation to Freedom ====
Due to their history, the listeners greatly value their freedom. Because of their fear of the gods, and their
==== Funerary
The listeners revere their dead, even going so far as to endanger the living to preserve the corpses of the fallen. For example, they
Listeners are buried in a ritual called a sky burial, although it is not completely clear what this entails.{{book ref|sa4|109}}
=== Families ===
{{expand}}
In order to remember their history and important skills the listeners
{{columns|
=== Architecture ===
Prior to the [[True Desolation]] the listeners
When a highstorm is close, the people prepare their homes,
=== Crafts ===
==== Paper ====
The listeners have their own unique way of making paper. They make the paper from dried [[rockbud]] pulp following a harvest.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} These rockbuds are native to the Unclaimed Hills and
==== Drums ====
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' gods. The 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}}
One day the Last Legion, or at least some members of the Last Legion, four hundred strong,{{book ref|Sa4|73}} fled, leaving the forms of power for dullform. Despite being thus crippled, it
Later, near the time of the [[Recreance]] and the [[False Desolation]],{{book ref|sa3|56}} the [[Unmade]] [[Ba-Ado-Mishram]] Connected to most singers, providing the singers with [[Regal|forms of power]] and [[Voidlight]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|80}} The [[Knights Radiant]] sought to stop this threat by imprisoning Ba-Ado-Mishram. They succeeded but, in doing so, stole part of singers' souls, turning them into slaveform.{{epigraph ref|sa3|81}} The listeners were spared from this event, and so it seems that they were not involved with the False Desolation. Due to this, they became the only singers on Roshar with their minds still intact. The listeners inhabited the broken kingdom of Natanatan and the Unclaimed Hills in eastern Roshar for long time, unknown to most humans.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}} During this time they also acquired eight sets of [[Shardplate]] and eight [[Shardblade]]s.{{book ref|sa4|68}} For much of this time, they knew only dullform and mateform, but eventually rediscovered more forms.▼
▲Later, near the time of the [[Recreance]] and the [[False Desolation]],{{book ref|sa3|56}} the [[Unmade]] [[Ba-Ado-Mishram]] Connected to most singers, providing the singers with [[Regal|forms of power]] and [[Voidlight]].{{epigraph ref|sa3|80}} The [[Knights Radiant]] sought to stop this threat by imprisoning Ba-Ado-Mishram. They succeeded but in doing so, stole part of singers' souls, turning them into slaveform.{{epigraph ref|sa3|81}} The listeners were spared from this event, and so it seems that they were not involved with the False Desolation. Due to this they became the only singers on Roshar with their minds still intact. The listeners inhabited the broken kingdom of Natanatan and the Unclaimed Hills in eastern Roshar for long time, unknown to most humans.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}} During this time they also acquired eight sets of [[Shardplate]] and eight [[Shardblade]]s.{{book ref|sa4|68}} For much of this time, they knew only dullform and mateform, but eventually rediscovered more forms.
{{image|Parshendi archer.jpg|side=left|height=300px|A listener archer}}
=== Alethi Discovery ===
To modern humans, the listeners were originally discovered by the Alethi
At first, the Council of Five only let a few listeners come to meet the Alethi, afraid of frightening them. Slowly, some of the listeners, including Eshonai, began to learn the Alethi language. The Alethi were very interested in the listener's ancient weapons and in the chasmfiends. Due to a mistake in translation, the Alethi started believing that the listeners worshipped the chasmfiends.{{book ref|sa4|48}} The listeners were very intrigued by the Alethi's parshmen, believing they had no souls.{{book ref|sa4|52}} The Alethi called the listeners the "Parshendi
In the next human visit, Eshonai and Venli's family had already taken one of the cities at the border of the Shattered Plains. Venli had made no more progress in discovering warform. One of the Alethi, [[Axindweth]], gave a gemstone to Venli with [[Ulim]] trapped inside, saying it might help her cure her mother, [[Jaxlim]].{{book ref|sa4|52}} Venli broke the gemstone
After the storm in which they adopted warform, another family attacked them.
However, upon visiting the human cities, the listeners weren't intimidated; they liked the city
{{image|Rhythm of Mourning by Caio Santos.jpeg|side=right|height=250px|Listeners after a battle with the [[Alethi]]}}
In the meantime, Venli worked to discover stormform. When cutting gemhearts to make them brighter, her scholars secretly saved pieces of the gemstones to store spren. The main problem Venli was trying to solve was how to draw the stormspren to the [[Physical Realm]].{{book ref|sa4|86}} She eventually discovered that lightning pulls the spren through, and managed to trap the spren.{{book ref|sa4|88}} Venli brought the form to the Five, and they agreed to a test, though Eshonai insisted she should be the one to try the form, because Venli was too valuable with her knowledge of the forms.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
Eshonai took the form, and when she returned to the Five, she proposed to transform every listener to stormform, to summon a storm against the Alethi. However, [[Zuln]] didn't agree, and she convinced [[Abronai]] to disagree as well. So, Eshonai went to the listeners and proclaimed that the Five could not forbid someone from taking a form if they wished to, and that she would take everyone who wished and transform them into stormform. She gathered the people that refused to transform, and put Thude to guard them. They fled into the chasms, and Eshonai let them,
At the [[Battle of Narak]] on {{Rosharan date|1173|10|10|3}},{{book ref|sa2|79}} the final confrontation between the listeners and the Alethi Highprinces, the listeners in stormform sung a terrible song. It formed the [[Everstorm]] and with it, the [[True Desolation]] began.{{book ref|sa2|84}}
Shortly after the [[Battle of Narak]], the [[Fused]] began to take listener bodies.{{book ref|sa3|I-6}} It seemed that they transformed every single listener into a Fused, except for Venli, who was chosen by Odium to remain alive, taking envoyform; however, it was later discovered that others survived, specifically [[Rlain]], [[Thude]], [[Jaxlim]], and a couple thousand others who resisted the change to stormform.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}}{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}{{book ref|sa4|60}}{{book ref|sa4|115}}
Odium used Venli to tell the story of the listeners to the new singers
== Notable Listeners ==
* [[Rlain]]
}}
==Footnotes==
<references group=fn/>
== Notes ==
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