Nohadon

Nohadon
by botanicaxu
Died	Unknown
Abilities	Surgebinder
Titles	King
Homeworld	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

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“ I think life is fair. It's merely that often, you can’t immediately see what balances it." ”

— Nohadon in Dalinar's vision

Nohadon was a historic Rosharan king who lived during the Heraldic Epochs. He's most famous as the author of The Way of Kings, a philosophical treatise in the form of a travel journal.

Name

"Nohadon" is not his real name, but rather a holy honorific given to him by the Vorin ardents thousands of years after his death. Under Vorin rules, where the "h" can stand in for any letter, "Nohadon" is perfectly symmetrical, hence why it is used to refer to him. Elsewhere, he is known as Bajerden or Behardan. His real name, however, has been lost to time.

Appearance and Personality

In his youth, Nohadon had dark hair, which he wore pulled back into a braid, and a short, pointed beard. 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. It can be presumed he was lighteyed. As he got older, his hair went gray and he gained numerous wrinkes, but the pointy beard remained.

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 Surgebinders 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.

In his older age, Nohadon is significantly more glib, whimsical and better-natured, having greatly matured over the decades. He has a wry, somewhat sarcastic sense of humor, and a charitable nature, giving extra food out to the poor. He enjoys the simple pleasures of life, like chatting with his people or shopping. He doesn't hesistate to use his powers for the most banal things, like leaving the house by jumping out of the window rather than climbing down the stairs. Nonetheless, he is sombre when recalling the dark events of the past, and has no problem dispensing wisdom he has gathered over the years.

History

Nohadon was a king of the country that would eventually become Alethkar. At some point early in his life he became a Surgebinder. He took the throne young, during a time of a Desolation that lasted for eleven years, killing nine out of ten of his subjects. This, and a subsequent conflict with a Surgebinder named Alakavish, left his kingdom in ruins and him jaded to the point where he considered abdicating. He eventually attempted to unite other Surgebinders by force, but failed, and was forced to find a different, more peaceful path.

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 "very unfair" fate. It was then that he learned to bake bread, a habit he enjoyed during later years of his life.

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 by singing and manual labor. 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 he eventually made it there, he was all but unrecognizable.

In his old age, Nohadon remained in his capital, the city now known as Kholinar. He would often take walks into the city, shopping and haggling by himself.

Powers and Abilities

Nohadon is implied to have been an absolute monarch. The 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, and could take a scout group all the way to the foothills of the Misted Mountains.

He was a Surgebinder from a young age, though his spren is never seen and his order is unknown. Nonetheless, he possessed enough ability to easily survive a jump from a considerable height without breaking a sweat. He also appears to have some knowledge of Realmatic Theory, as he educates Dalinar on the existence and nature of Physical, Cognitive and Spiritual Realms in a vision.

Most famously, Nohadon was a philosopher-king. His best-known work is The Way of Kings, but it's implied that he wrote several other texts on logic and philosophy.

He was also a gifted haggler, and knew how to make Shin loaf bread, both of which were apparently his hobbies.

Legacy

The Way of Kings is the oldest preserved text in Roshar's human history. Among others, Gavilar and Dalinar Kholin were heavily influenced by him later in life.

Nohadon is 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 well-recognized the people who study ancient history, logic and philosophy.

It's highly possible that Nohadon had a hand in organizing the Surgebinders into the Knights Radiant, as the ancient Knights were said to have based their philosophies and ideals off The Way of Kings.

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".

Theories

This page or section deals with theories or speculation.

Please read carefully and note that this is not necessarily canonical.

There has been some speculation that Nohadon might've been a Bondsmith, or even the very first Bondsmith, with either Nightwatcher or Stormfather as his spren.

Notes

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