Parshendi

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The Parshendi are a race of creatures on the world of Roshar.

They live in the area of Roshar known as the Shattered Plains and are seemingly a more advanced form of the Parshmen. The Parshendi are mentally much more intelligent than the Parshmen. Male Parshendi grew beards, which they thread through beads infused with Stormlight. Most Parshendi that interact with the Alethi are in war form. The Parshendi can communicate their emotions through certain rhythms to each other and can keep perfectly in time with these rhythms even when apart, although the Parshmen do not have this ability.

Anatomy

Forms

By staying out in a highstorm with a spren, the Parshendi are capable of bonding with said spren, which has the effect of changing their appearance, physical abilities, and mental capabilities. These changes are known as forms.

War Form

“Warform is worn for battle and reign,

Claimed by the gods, given to kill.
Unknown, unseen, but vital to gain.

It comes to those with the will.”

—15th stanza of the Song of Listing

War form gives the Parshendi an armor-like carapace; it also seems to give them advanced physical capabilities although it severely hampers artistic ability and is not equipped to handle abstractions.

Work Form

“Workform worn for strength and care.

Whispering spren breathe at your ear.
Seek first this form, its mysteries to bear.

Found here is freedom from fear.”

—19th stanza of the Song of Listing

Work form also endows significant physical strength, although without the armor of the war form; those in work form also have thinner fingers. While in work form, the Parshendi find it difficult to commit violence and did not like confrontation.

Mating Form

“Mateform meek, for love to share,

Given to life, it brings us joy.
To find this form, one must care.

True empathy, one must employ.”

—5th stanza of the Song of Listing

Mating form is used for reproductive purposes. A few Parshendi maintain mating form constantly, although most enter it only briefly in order to reproduce with a partner: if these partners later entered war form they became a warpair. It is a distracting form which makes productive work difficult.

Dull Form

“Dullform dread, with the mind most lost.

The lowest, and one not bright.
To find this form, one needs banish cost.

It finds you and brings you to blight.”

—final stanza of the Song of Listing

Dull form is an older form which was rarely used after the discovery of the newer forms. Those in dull form are not very intelligent.

Nimble Form

“Nimbleform has a delicate touch.

Gave the gods this form to many,
Tho' once defied, by the gods they were crushed.

This form craves precision and plenty.”

—27th stanza of the Song of Listing

Nimble form is a form used by the Parshendi scholars because they do not know the correct spren to bond with for a scholar form. It does not impede the mind and the fingers are delicate enough for recording their findings. It grows long hair without any carapace to block it and yeilds delicate swirling patterns in their skin, along with a thinner facial structure.

Scholar Form

“Scholarform shown for patience and thought.

Beware its ambitions innate.
Though study and diligence bring the reward,

Loss of innocence may be one's fate.”

—69th stanza of the Song of Listing

Art Form

“Artform applied for beauty and hue.

One yearns for the songs it creates.
Most misunderstood by the artist it's true,

Come the spren to foundation's fates.”

—90th stanza of the Song of Listing

“Artform for colors beyond our ken;

For its grand songs we yearn.
We must attract creationspren;

These songs suffice 'til we learn.”

—279th stanza of the Song of Revision

Mediation Form

“Meditationform made for peace, it's said.

Form of teaching and consolation.
When used by the gods, it became instead

From of lies and desolation.”

—33rd stanza of the Song of Listing

Night Form

“Nightform predicting what will be,

The form of shadows, mind to forsee.
As the gods did leave, the nightform whispered.
A new storm will come, someday to break.
A new storm a new world to make.

A new storm a new path to take, the nightform listens.”

—17th stanza of the Song of Secrets

Decay Form

“Decayform destroys the souls of dreams.

A form of gods, to avoid it seems.
Seek not its touch, nor beckon its screams, deny it.
Watch where you walk, your toes to tread.
O'er hill or rocky riverbed

Hold dear to fears that fill your head, defy it.”

—27th stanza of the Song of Secrets

Smoke Form

“Smokeform for hiding and slipping between men.

A form of power, like human Surges.
Bring it 'round again.
Though crafted of gods,
It was by Unmade hand.

Leaves its force to be but one of foe or friend.”

—127th stanza of the Song of Histories

“Smokeform for hiding and slipping 'tween men.

A form of power—like Surges of spren
Do we dare to wear this form again? It spies.
Crafted of gods, this form we fear.
By Unmade touch its curse to bear,

Formed from shadow—and death is near. It lies.”

—51st stanza of the Song of Secrets

Storm Form

“Stormform is said to cause

A tempest of winds and showers,
Beware its powers, beware its powers.
Though its coming brings the gods their night,
It obliges a bloodred spren.

Beware its end, beware its end.”

—4th stanza of the Song of Winds

Storm form is a newer form discovered during the War of Reckoning. Little is known about it.

They also make reference to "slave form," which is not a true form, but the lack of a bond with a spren or lack of a form. The creatures known as the Parshmen throughout Roshar are actually Parshendi in this "slave form".

History

At some point in the past, the Parshendi were much less unified than they are when seen in The Way of Kings. They were once split into a number of separate tribes, with raids and assassinations as a relatively frequent occurrence. This is reflected in the Parshendi having enough cultural experience with assassination to have norms as to how an assassinations ought to be carried out.

The Parshendi were originally discovered by King Gavilar's brother Dalinar during a hunting trip. Dalinar was scouting in a forest which had not been on any maps. In a valley south of the Shattered Plains and about two weeks' march from the Drying Sea, Dalinar saw the first Parshendi camped on the other side of a tributary of the Deathbend River. They hired Szeth to assassinate the King of Alethkar, Gavilar, on the eve of a treaty with the Alethkar people in order to stop the Parshendi gods from returning. They instructed him to wear white because it was a Parshendi tradition for assassinations.

They have affection for the drum and other rhythmic instruments and sing while fighting.

Jasnah believes that the Parshendi and Parshmen are the descendants of the voidbringers which caused the Desolations.

Rhythms

The Parshendi speak to Rhythms. These Rhythms are underlying tunes that seem to exist independently from their actual use. Also, Rhythms are "playing" constantly. For example, Rhythms can be used to measure time. Rhythms represent a certain state of mind, the feelings of the person using it. When not paying attention, Parshendi will attune to the Rhythm that corresponds to their mood, but they can attune to another Rhythm in order to fit with their message. Dullforms and "Slave forms" don't use Rhythms.

List of Rhythms

• Rhythm of Amusement
• Rhythm of Annoyance
• Rhythm of Anxiety
• Rhythm of Appreciation
• Rhythm of Betrayal
• Rhythm of Consideration
• Rhythm of Curiosity
• Rhythm of Excitement
• Rhythm of Irritation
• Rhythm of Lost
• Rhythm of Mourning
• Rhythm of Pleading
• Rhythm of Praise
• Rhythm of Remembrance
• Rhythm of Reprimand
• Rhythm of Resolve
• Rhythm of Skepticism
• Rhythm of Supplication
• Rhythm of Winds

Notable Parshendi

For a full list of Parshendi, see Category: Parshendi.

• Eshonai
• Klade
• Devi
• Varanis
• Venli
• Demid