Skathan
| Skathan | |
|---|---|
| Abilities | Ageless; other unspecified abilities[1] |
| Titles | Emperor of the Dynasty |
| Residence | Iiaria |
| Ethnicity | Darksider |
| Homeworld | Taldain |
| Universe | Cosmere |
Skathan is the emperor of the Dynasty on the Darkside of Taldain.[2]
Appearance and Personality
Like most Darksiders, he has dark skin and dark brown hair.[1] He has long hair and a goatee.[1] He appears to be in his mid-twenties.[1]
He is seen wearing a royal blue duster coat over a long red shirt, white pants, and a gold sash, with a teal cape trimmed in gold. He also wears gloves, tall boots and a wide-brimmed hat. He carries an ornate sword, dagger, and pistol.[1]
History
Baon hails from the Darkside nation of Iiaria and he and Khriss indicate that Skathan resides there.[1]
It is not known how Skathan came to power, but it is implied that he has had autocratic power over the Dynasty for nearly a century, and perhaps much longer. Khriss notes that Skathan suppresses the spread of new technology (such as pistols) among Darkside nations, successfully doing so for decades at a time.[3] Darksiders that live in Kezare on the Dayside have created an ethnic enclave in the city, but this is not common knowledge because Skathan does not want people to know that there is traffic between the continents.[2]
“The Dynasty is very proficient at keeping new technology from spreading through its provinces. Skathan, the current monarch of the Dynasty, knows how dangerous a little knowledge can be. ”
Some residents of the Dynasty are actively working to unseat Skathan. Loaten was his former Chief Minister of Diplomacy, and is rumored to have made an attempt on Skathan's life, for unknown reasons.[2] He is now considered a traitor after somehow escaping execution, and Baon nearly shoots him on sight.[2] Gevalden came to Dayside looking for a weapon to use against Skathan to bring stability to his "troubled" homeland,[4] which Khriss believed to be the sand masters.[2] After Gevalden's mysterious death, Khriss travels to Dayside to seek out the sand masters; she also performs scientific experiments on white sand and sandling carapace in the hopes of independently discovering a weapon that Skathan is not familiar with.[5] Loaten tells Khriss that the Dynasty is likely aware of her "secret" mission because it keeps close tabs on anyone perceived to be an enemy;[2] Baon was indeed sent to Dayside with Khriss by the Dynasty.[2]
Despite Skathan's recent suppression of technology, the Dynasty has some of the most advanced technology in the cosmere.[6] Skathan maintains a "civilized" society[7] with a royal court.[2] Individuals from Elis have titles such as prince and duchess, indicating that some nations within the Dynasty are allowed to maintain their own caste structures.[7]
Attributes and Abilities
“I have seen him do things impossible of any normal man. ”
—Baon, on Skathan[1]
Baon tells Khriss that Skathan does not appear to age, and is said to have been alive for hundreds of years.[1] He also implies that Skathan has other magical abilities.[1] Although the Darkside does have some unknown manifestations of Investiture,[8] the source and nature of Skathan's powers is not known.
Notes
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i White Sand Volume 2 chapter 5#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h White Sand Volume 1 chapter 5#
- ↑ a b White Sand Volume 1 chapter 4#
- ↑ White Sand Volume 2 prologue#
- ↑ White Sand Volume 1 chapter 6#
- ↑ Idaho Falls signing
— Arcanum - 2018-12-29# - ↑ a b White Sand Volume 1 chapter 3#
- ↑ Arcanum Unbounded Chicago signing
— Arcanum - 2016-12-06#