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{{character
|image=Nohadon Concept.jpg
|nation=Alethela▼
|abilities={{tag|Surgebinder|cat=Surgebinders}}{{book ref|sa1|59}}
|titles=King of Alethela▼
▲<!--|nation=[[Alethela]] -->
▲|titles=King <!-- of Alethela -->
|died=''Unknown''
|aliases=Bajerden, Behardan
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The
}}{{theory}}▼
}}
{{quote
|I think life '''is''' fair. It's merely that often, you can’t immediately see what balances it."
|Nohadon in [[Dalinar]]'s vision{{book ref|sa3|103}}
}}
'''Nohadon''' was a historic [[Roshar]]an king and [[Surgebinder]] who lived during the [[Heraldic Epochs]]. He's most famous as the author of [[The Way of Kings (in-world)|''The Way of Kings'']], a philosophical treatise in the form of a collection of stories.{{book ref|sa1|18}}
== Name ==
"Nohadon" is not his real name, but rather a holy honorific given to him by the [[Vorin]] [[ardent]]s thousands of years after his death. Under Vorin rules, where the "h" can stand in for any letter, "Nohadon" is perfectly symmetrical, which is why it is used to refer to him. Elsewhere, he is known as '''Bajerden''' or '''Behardan'''.{{book ref|sa2|47}} His real name, however, has been lost to time.{{book ref|sa1|58}}
== Appearance and Personality ==
In his youth, Nohadon had dark hair, which he wore pulled back into a braid, and a short, pointy beard.{{book ref|sa1|60}} It can be presumed he was [[lighteyes|lighteyed]].{{ref|text=Dalinar would've likely commented on a [[darkeyes]] king.}} As he got older, his hair went gray and he gained numerous wrinkes, but the pointy beard remained.{{book ref|sa3|103}} When dressed as a king, he had golden threads winding through his hair, coming together on his forehead in the shape of the [[Knights Radiant]] symbol, and wore white-and-gold robes with voluminous sleeves.{{book ref|sa1|60}}
Young Nohadon was an angry, exhausted man, likely due to having just suffered through a war. He was uncertain of himself and his goals, and sought advice on statecraft from his advisors. At some point, he even considered abdicating the throne. Nonetheless, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish: to have the [[Surgebinder]]s serve people, rather than rule over them. He believed that he had to enforce this, even if he had to go to war to do so.{{book ref|sa1|60}}
In his older age, Nohadon became significantly more glib, whimsical and better-natured, having greatly matured over the decades. He had a wry, somewhat sarcastic sense of humor, and a charitable nature, chatting with common citizens and giving food out to the poor. He enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, like chatting with his people or shopping. He didn't hesistate to use his powers for the most banal things, like jumping several stories out the window rather than climbing down the stairs. He was, in fact, very cavalier with his safety, never taking guards with him even when going out of the palace. Nonetheless, he was sombre when recalling the dark events of the past, and had no problem dispensing wisdom he had gathered over the years.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
== Attributes and Abilities ==
Nohadon is implied to have been an absolute monarch.{{book ref|sa1|26}} His ability to completely rebuild a ruined kingdom over several decades implies considerable amount of administrative talent. Additionally, he was capable of projecting military power across vast distances, being able to take a large scout group all the way to the foothills of the [[Misted Mountains]], on the opposite side of the continent.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
He was a [[Surgebinder]] from a young age, though his [[spren]] is never seen and his order is unknown.{{book ref|sa1|60}} Nonetheless, he possessed enough ability to easily survive a jump from a considerable height. He also appears to have had some knowledge of [[Realmatic Theory]], as he educates Dalinar on the existence and nature of [[Physical Realm|Physical]], [[Cognitive Realm|Cognitive]] and [[Spiritual Realm]]s in a vision.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
Most famously, Nohadon was a philosopher-king. His best-known work is ''[[The Way of Kings (in-world) | The Way of Kings]]'', but it's implied that he wrote several other texts on logic and philosophy.{{book ref|sa1|5}}
He was also a gifted haggler, and knew how to make Shin loaf bread, both of which were apparently his hobbies.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
== History ==
=== Life ===
Nohadon was a king of the country that would eventually become [[Alethkar]].{{book ref|sa1|24}} He became a [[Surgebinder]] early in his life, and took the throne young, during a [[Desolation]] that lasted for eleven years, killing nine out of ten of his subjects. This, and a subsequent conflict with another Surgebinder named [[Alakavish]], left his kingdom in ruins and him jaded to the point where he considered abdicating.{{book ref|sa1|60}} He eventually attempted to unite other Surgebinders by force, but failed. This forced him to find a different, more peaceful path.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
As decades passed, Nohadon rebuilt his kingdom, until eventually it became a bustling, colourful place. At some point, he went to war over access to trade routes of [[Makabak]], which took him near the border of [[Shin Kak Nish]]. He would stay there for a long time, in a house of a woman who would later meet a tragic fate. It was then that he learned to bake Shin bread, a habit he enjoyed during later years of his life.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
Around that time, Nohadon started a family and made his famous journey from [[Abamabar]] to [[Urithiru]]. He walked alone, without any guards or attendants, and no money, instead making a living through singing and manual labor.{{book ref|sa1|58}} The trip took a very long time - the lowest number given is sixty days, and that was when he was still within his own lands - and when he eventually made it to Urithiru's gates, he was all but unrecognizable.{{book ref|sa3|28}}{{book ref|sa1|58}}
In his old age, Nohadon remained in his capital, the city now known as [[Kholinar]]. He would often take walks outside of his palace, shopping and haggling without any guards.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
=== In Visions ===
{{for|Dalinar's visions|more information about [[Dalinar Kholin]]'s visions}}
Nohadon appeared in two of [[Dalinar Kholin]]'s visions. The first vision was one of the regular ones, sent by the [[Stormfather]] during a [[highstorm]], and cast Dalinar in the role of [[Karm]], an advisor to the king. In it, Nohadon shared his anxieties about ruling, and his frustration with other [[Surgebinder]]s. The vision was important mainly thanks to the very last thing Dalinar said in it, which was a sentence [[Navani]] recognized, allowing her to begin the translation of [[Dawnchant]].{{book ref|sa1|60}} Later, Dalinar brought [[Venli]] into the same vision in an attempt to parlay with her.{{book ref|sa3|109}}
The second vision was far stranger, ocurring without Stormfather's input while Dalinar was asleep. In it, Dalinar spoke with older Nohadon, and walked through the city with him. Unlike the regular visions, here Nohadon was keenly aware who he was speaking to, and referenced things that had happened to Dalinar before. While this, as well as the vision's dramatic end, imply that this was a nightmare, Nohadon talked about things Dalinar didn't know at the time, such as the [[Realmatic Theory|three Realms]] or the ancient conflict near [[Shin Kak Nish]], suggesting that this might've been the real Nohadon, or some preserved memory of him.{{book ref|sa3|103}}
== Legacy ==
{{for|The Way of Kings (in-world)|Nohadon's famous book}}
''[[The Way of Kings (in-world)|The Way of Kings]]'' is the oldest preserved text in [[Roshar]]'s human history. Among others, [[Gavilar]] and [[Dalinar Kholin]] were heavily impacted by it in their middle age, as it led them to rethink their life philosophy and, in Dalinar's case, led to him becoming a [[Bondsmith]].{{book ref|sa1|58}}{{book ref|sa2|89}} Nohadon's influence, however, spreads far beyond [[Alethkar|Alethi]] royalty. He's one of the most influential writers in the history of Roshar, with his texts being read and analyzed by scholars to this very day. His name is immediately recognizable for people who study ancient history, logic and philosophy.{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa1|5}}{{book ref|sa1|59}}
It's highly possible that Nohadon had a hand in organizing the [[Surgebinder]]s into the [[Knights Radiant]], as the ancient Knights were said to have based their philosophies and ideals off ''The Way of Kings''.{{book ref|sa1|59}}
He's one of the few people to ever be praised by the [[Stormfather]], with the great spren considering him to be "a good man".{{book ref|sa3|28}}
== Theories ==
There has been some speculation that Nohadon might've been a [[Bondsmith]], or even the very first Bondsmith, with either the [[Nightwatcher]] or the [[Stormfather]] as his spren. This is somewhat aided by Brandon stating that "even among kings and surgebinders, he was someone special".{{wob ref|9194}} However, when asked directly, Brandon answered with a [[RAFO]].{{wob ref|7945}}
== Trivia ==
* The idea that Nohadon was one of the [[Herald]]s has been directly debunked.{{wob ref|9194}}
* Nohadon was based on [[wikipedia:King Benjamin|King Benjamin]], a figure from the Book of Mormon.{{wob ref|278}}
== Notes ==
<references />
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{{Stormlight}}
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