Difference between revisions of "Talenel"

Not much is known about Taln's life before he became a Herald, but he was not initially intended to number among them and he was the only Herald who was not a king, scholar, or general.{{book ref|sa3|117}} As Herald, he and the others fought in a series of Desolations against the [[Voidbringer]]s and [[Odium]] in defense of mankind.{{book ref|sa1|45}} During each Desolation, Taln trained soldiers to fight the Voidbringers.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}} After each Desolation, Taln and the others returned to [[Braize]], where they were tortured.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} Each time, if Taln himself was killed during the fighting, he automatically returned to Braize. After several Desolations, the [[Knights Radiant]] were founded by [[Surgebinding|Surgebinders]] with [[Ishar]]'s help{{epigraph ref|sa2|42}} and Taln became patron of the [[Order of Stonewards]], who shared access to the same Surges he possessed.{{epigraph ref|sa2|37}} It is possible that Hoid met Taln at some point during this time, as Hoid seems familiar with the man.{{book ref|sa1|epilogue}}

After severalaround centuriesthree-thousand years of Desolations,{{book ref|sa4|111}} during [[Aharietiam]], also known as the Last Desolation, Talenel chose to attempt to hold a passage by a northern waterway, a near impossible task.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} While he managed to defend it successfully, he was killed in the fighting and returned to Damnation. However, Taln was the only Herald to die in this Desolation. All of the other surviving Heralds, wearied by millennia of torture, chose to abandon the [[Oathpact]], leaving only Taln bound to it. Ishar believed that as long as one Herald remained bound to the Oathpact, this could end the cycle of Desolations. Taln alone remained bound to the Oathpact and returned to Damnation to be tortured.

Around four and a half millennia later, on the {{rosharan date|1174|9}} of the Vorin Calendar, not long after the [[Battle of the Tower]], Talenel returned to Roshar from Damnation.{{book ref|sa1|epilogue}} The [[Oathpact]] was made in such a way that the only way for the Heralds to return to Roshar was for them to break at the torture. However, Talenel did not break this time, and it is currently unclear what caused his return or where exactly he ended up.{{wob ref|14869}} He was covered in condensation and had twigs and leaves stuck in his beard as he quickly rushed to [[Kholinar]], cutting through the city gate with his [[Honorblade]] to give warning to the [[Alethi]] that the [[True Desolation]] was upon them. [[Hoid]] knew when and where Taln would arrive and was waiting in Kholinar for him. After his proclamation, Taln promptly collapsed.{{book ref|sa1|epilogue}}