Shumin
| Shumin | |
|---|---|
| Species | Singer |
| World | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
| Featured In | The Stormlight Archive |
Shumin is a singer on Roshar and a member of Venli's resistance movement.[1]
Appearance and Personality[edit]
Shumin is a young femalen singer. She has primarily black skin with bright red marbling. She usually wears workform.[1]
She seems timid when in the presence of the Fused. In private, her personality is very casual. She does not usually hum to a rhythm to indicate her emotions, instead using human gestures, body language, and speech patterns, including the use of "Stormfather!" as a curse and referring to Venli as "Brightness".[1]
She fears Odium and those who follow him, and is excited by the prospect of gaining magical powers from a different source. She has not accepted the notion that it is an honor for a singer to give up their body to a Fused and is very eager to foment a revolt against them.[1][2] Her enthusiasm makes her unreliable.[3]
Attributes and Abilities[edit]
Shumin is a common singer. She has bonded a gravitationspren within her gemheart, which gives her workform. She is not well-informed regarding the history or the abilities of the Fused.[1]
History[edit]
Shumin was among Venli's recruits into her group of objectors in Kholinar that sought to escape the rule of both humans and Fused. She was recruited close to a year after the Battle of Thaylen Field, shortly before the Fused occupation of Urithiru.[3] Venli had some disdain for Shumin's humanlike attitude and mannerisms, but she knew that singers like Shumin would be the most likely to turn against the Fused.[1]
Venli arranged for Shumin to "audition" to become an assistant stormsetter for Leshwi. Dul and Mazish, who had already been accepted as Leshwi's servants, counseled Shumin about how to behave in order to get the job. Shumin was required to appear before Leshwi in the High Chamber, including standing at the edge of the room a hundred feet off the ground with no railing. Shumin drew some fearspren and was visibly relieved when she was allowed to move away from the edge; Leshwi assessed her as timid, but Venli successfully argued that Shumin should be given a chance to serve.[1]
Shumin, Venli, Dul, and Mazish retreated to Venli's quarters and discussed their next steps. Shumin was eager to attack the Fused, but Venli informed her that their goal was not revolution but simply to escape oppression. Shumin was skeptical about the prospects of either finding sympathetic Fused or fleeing without their notice, especially given their Surgebinding powers. Venli revealed that she had been able to imprison her Voidspren and still use her powers, which further energized Shumin; however, Venli did not reveal the existence of Timbre.[1]
After Leshwi's staff was moved to Urithiru, Shumin was careless in attempting to recruit more people to Venli's cause, despite Dul and Venli's repeated warnings against doing so. Venli did not want to send Shumin back to Kholinar where she would not be able to monitor her, and instead tried to isolate her.[3]
Shumin was present when Venli decided to evacuate her team to Kholinar and then somehow get to the Shattered Plains. She was particularly upbeat about the prospect of asking Kaladin for help.[2] After Leshwi's rebellion and the liberation of the tower, Shumin presumably went to the Shattered Plains via Oathgate with the rest of Venli's objectors, seeking to join the other listeners.[4]