561
edits
m (reword) |
|||
(39 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown) | |||
{{character
|image=Taravangian by stinkypanda.jpg
|descendants=[[Gvori]], [[Karavaniga]], [[Ruli]], [[Taravangian's granddaughter|granddaughter]]
|abilities={{tag+|oldmagic}}
|titles=King of [[Kharbranth]]
|aliases=Vargo
|groups=
|'residence
|nation=Kharbranth
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}▼
{{quote
| I am the monster who will save this world.
| Taravangian to Szeth{{book ref|
}}
'''Taravangian''' (<small>Alethi pronunciation:</small> [[Wikipedia:Help:IPA|[tɑ·rɑˈvæn·gi·æn]]] [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Pronunciation_respelling_key|''ta-ra-'''<small>VAN</small>'''-gi-an'']]) is the king of [[Kharbranth]]
== Appearance and Personality ==
Taravangian is an aged man with a wrinkled, clean-shaven face. He has pale grey eyes and an open, kindly face.{{book ref|sa3|24}} He lives with perpetual aches in his body
{{sidequote
| Someone must bear the responsibility, someone must be dragged down by it, ruined by it. Someone must stain their souls so others may live. Society offers us up to trudge through
}}
Taravangian is a pragmatic man who considers it his duty to do whatever it takes to make a better world. When he poses a moral dilemma, asking what to do if three of four men are guilty of murder and one is unsure which is innocent, he says "To prevent murder to happen again … I must hang them and weep."{{book ref|sa3|28}} He believes religion fills gaps and brings a sense of comfort which prevents understanding. He trusts only the Diagram, which is the result of his raw intelligence.{{book ref|sa3|i|5}}
<gallery caption="Images of Taravangian">
Taravangian.jpg | <center><small>by [[User: Sheep]]</small></center>
Kharbranth characters.jpg | <center><small>by [[User: Botanicaxu]]</small></center> With [[Shallan]], [[Kabsal]], and [[Jasnah]]
Taravangian as the Wheel of Fortune Orientation 1.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|taratjah}}</small></center> Taravangian's two sides
Taravangian as the Wheel of Fortune Orientation 2.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|taratjah}}</small></center> Taravangian's two sides
Taravangian Portrait by Marie Seeberger.jpg | <center><small>by {{a|Marie Seeberger}}</small></center>
</gallery>
== History ==
=== Background ===
When Taravangian was born, the surgeon said there was a
He was childhood friends with [[Adrotagia]] and his nickname was Vargo.
Taravangian meets
=== The Nightwatcher and the creation of the Diagram ===
Taravangian asked the [[Nightwatcher]] for "the capacity to save humankind." He was granted great intelligence and great compassion, but the curse of not having them at the same time. As a result, he wakes up every morning with a fluctuation of both. This was granted by [[Cultivation]] rather than the Nightwatcher.{{wob ref|13097}}
On his day of greatest genius, "20 hours of lucid insanity" he covered every surface of his bedroom in hieroglyphics he invented that day. They offer a brutal path for humanity's survival and he believes this is the Nightwatcher's response to saving human kind.
The writing was transcribed and annotated into a book by [[Adrotagia]] and other scribes. The book came to be known as the [[Diagram (literature)|Diagram]]. Taravangian creates a secret society that interpret the diagram and plots to fulfill those interpretations.
One of the first things he does are
===
[[File:Kharbranth characters.jpg|thumb|right|350px|With Shallan , Kabsal, and Jasnah by [[User: Botanicaxu]]]]
The diagram shows that to save human kind, he needs to unite Roshar under his rule. The first path is Jah Keved and per the scripts he needed to gain possession of Szeth's Oathstone {{book ref|twok|i|6}}. ▼
During a [[Highstorm]], Taravangian's granddaughter became trapped within a room in the [[Conclave]] when a large stone fell and obstructed the doorway. The king enlisted the help of [[Jasnah Kholin]], who had already been in the city, offering her access to the [[Palanaeum]] in exchange for the use of her [[soulcaster]] to remove the rock. Making a deal with the heretical princess was a dangerous political move on Taravangian's part as it risked angering the [[Ardentia]], however, with the next Highstorm scheduled to hit the city within days, the king's architects would not have time to cut through the boulder. Additionally, the removal of the boulder by conventional means risked the potential of further cave ins within the area.{{book ref|sa1|5}}
He is able to do so and orders Szeth to kill a number of world leaders, including Hanavanar, the king of Jah Keved, as well as various other highprinces of Jah Keved. ▼
The power vacuum in Jah Keved resulted in a devastating succession war, which wiped out all of the remaining highprinces. Taravangian arrived at the city in time for the death of the last Veden Highprince Valam who named him king of Jah Keved. His first step to uniting humanity was complete.▼
Jasnah recommended that the king and his staff move to the end of the hall to be out of range, however, Taravangian refused, and told her that he would not leave his granddaughter to go through the ordeal alone. The Alethi princess soulcast the stone into smoke, freeing the king's granddaughter along with the child's nursemaids and several palace servants. Taravangian offered to hold a feast as a way of thanking Jasnah, however, the princess declined, and instead requested to be taken directly to the Palanaeum so she could begin her study.{{book ref|sa1|5}}
Taravangian is able to fullfil his plot without anyone suspecting his intervention. They believe he was given the title as an act of spite from Valam and accept Taravangian as King {{book ref|sa3|12}}.▼
The incident with Taravangian's granddaughter had been deliberately planned by the king. He suspected Jasnah was using means to soulcast that did not include the use of the fabrial she carried and intentionally engineered a scenario where he could observe her work. Despite his ulterior motives, he was concern for his granddaughters wellbeing and did not want her to be harmed, despite putting her in a dangerous situation.{{wob ref|3242}}{{wob ref|8070}}
Weeks later, Taravangian joined [[Shallan]] and Jasnah for lunch on their balcony in the [[Palanaeum|Veil]]. In response to Jasnah's enquiry, he reported that his granddaughter had recovered from her ordeal, though now avoided the narrower passageways of the Conclave incase of a repeat incident. Curious, he asked the princess where she had acquired her soulcaster, however Jasnah declined to answer, telling him that her secrets were her own. Taravangian acknowledged her refusal and turned the subject towards Shallan and her artistic skills which had earned her quite the reputation in the Conclave and Palace. Shallan was all to happy to fulfil the king's request for a portrait, of which he intended to give as a gift to his granddaughter.{{book ref|sa1|29}}
While Shallan drew, the king struck up conversation again with Jasnah, this time about religion and the Jasnah's lack of faith. He had trouble understanding how she could differentiate between right and wrong when what was right was a dictate of the [[Almighty]]. Right and wrong, Jasnah argued, shouldn't be subject to the will of an unseen being. To her, morality and human will were as independent from religion as mathematics. Taravangian ultimately disagreed with the scholar, though he did admire the efficiency of her arguments. Jasnah explained that she had no intention of trying to convert him to her belief's unlike those in the Ardentia who tried to convert her.{{book ref|sa1|29}}
Shallan, who had been engrossed in the conversation, went to finish her drawing of the king, however found that she had added several [[Cryptic]]s to the background of her sketch by accident. She destroyed the drawing, promising Taravangian that she would do him another by the end of the day. Shortly after, Taravangian excused himself so he could visit one of the many hospitals that he had established in [[Kharbranth]]. After he took his leave, Jasnah chided Shallan for calling the king dull and told her that she was not to refer to him in that manner. She deeply admired the man who reminded her of her uncle [[Dalinar]] and found them both to be earnest and sincere.{{book ref|sa1|29}}
After several people were killed in the theatre district of Kharbranth, Taravangian stepped in, hoping that he could prompt the city watch into action. His efforts failed and despite the reprimands, the watch continued to ignore the section of the city that had been terrorised by footpads. Eventually, Jasnah took it upon herself to remove the criminals, travelling into the city late at night with Shallan and purposely putting them in a situation where they would be attacked. After she killed the men using soulcasting, Jasnah explained to Shallan that she had done so as a service to the king of whom she felt she had taken advantage. She worried that Taravangian did not realise the danger he had put himself in by welcoming her to his city and did what she could to help the elderly man.{{book ref|sa1|36}}
Weeks later, Taravangian visited Shallan in the hospital after her supposed suicide attempt. Taravangian visited the hospitals of Kharbranth at least once a week and was a welcomed sight for those admitted on the ward. During his visits he would sit and talk with each patient, checking on their progress and doing what he could to help. Shallan complimented the king on the impressiveness of Kharbranth's hospitals, an accomplishment of which the man was extremely proud. Taravangian denied Shallan's request to be released from the hospital, however before he left, did grant her wish for visitation rights. Outside the ward, Taravangian ran into Jasnah who had been studying in the waiting room. He explained that Shallan could now receive visitors and passed on the news that she had decided to return to her family's estate before leaving the princess to visit with her student.{{book ref|sa1|48}}
[[Szeth]], the [[Assassin in White]], travelled to Kharbranth with the intent of killing the king after causing destruction throughout [[Jah Keved]]. The assassin had explicit instructions on how the king was to be killed: it was to be done quietly, without any additional deaths and the man was only to die after he acknowledged Szeth's intent. Taravangian ignored Szeth's declaration when confronted, instead speaking to him of the chaos and destruction the assassin had caused. He revealed to Szeth had he had been the assassin's hidden master and was in possession of the Shin man's [[oathstone]]. Taravangian had also deliberately put his own name on Szeth's list to to deflect suspicion from himself. He took Szeth to his hidden hospital, where Szeth witnessed the atrocities the king of Kharbranth was committing to maximise access to the [[Death Rattle]]s. Taravangian freely admitted to the monstrous acts he had committed before commanding Szeth to seek out Dalinar Kholin on the [[Shattered Plains]] and end his life.{{book ref|sa1|71}}
=== King of Jah Keved ===
▲The
▲He is able to do so and orders Szeth to kill a number of world leaders, including [[Hanavanar]], the king of Jah Keved, as well as various other highprinces of Jah Keved.
▲The power vacuum in Jah Keved resulted in a devastating succession war, which wiped out all of the remaining highprinces. Taravangian arrived at the city in time for the death of the last Veden Highprince [[Valam]] who named him king of Jah Keved. His first step to uniting humanity was complete.
▲Taravangian is able to
=== Dalinar's coalition of Roshar ===
One of the Diagrams interpretation results in the request to kill Dalinar and Taravangian sends
After this failure, Taravangian
Though he seems to work with Dalinar, he is secretly plotting to gain political advantage. He bursts the market by sending supplies via Jah Keved, he has his [[Radiant]] working the
After having another brilliant day, he decides that the best action is to take Dalinar's place on the Coalition and after will push for
Though he was dismissed or not needed
During a meeting with all the other
1) [[Elhokar]] had sworn to Dalinar as High King, and though this was meant to be as an [[Alethkar]] political tactic, some other
2)
3) The translation of the
This was enough to destroy most of the coalition and only the
=== Battle of Thaylen Field and Aftermath ===
Taravangian was decided to ensure Dalinar's failure at Thaylen. By the time Odium strikes them, he and his people had already left and had retrieved their ships. He also wrote to the singers and opened the gate to Urithiru to attack there and
Much to Taravangian's surprise, Dalinar and his allies win the battle
Eight days after the battle, on a day
Taravangian then offered a deal to Odium, knowing the god couldn't afford to face Dalinar directly again for fear of losing a previously declared contest of champions. The agreement would trade his help by sharing the
== Attributes and Abilities ==
Every morning he takes an intelligence test that he devised for himself on intelligent days. The test takes the better part of an hour and is made up of mathematical problems. A trio of
Taravangian has surprising knowledge of the [[Shin]] and the Shin language, which is rare outside of [[Shinovar]].
He is responsible for Dalinar's knowledge of giving a spren what they want to capture them. This is key for his victory at the battle of [[Thaylen
== Relationships ==
; [[Adrotagia]]: Taravangian's head scribe and closest friend. Even on his days of genius he is aware of her intelligence. He has real fondness for her. They are childhood friends.
; [[Malata]]: She is a
; [[Odium]]: Taravangian is fully aware of Odium's power.
; Taravangian's Grandchildren: Taravangian has three grandchildren who write to him. They are oblivious to the Diagram and his plans. The eldest is
== Quotes ==
{{quote
| Our law will claim innocent men-for all judges are flawed, as is our knowledge. Eventually, you will execute someone who does not deserve it. This is the burden society must carry in exchange for order.
| Taravangian to Dalinar on executing three murderers and one innocent
}}
{{quote
| Nightwatcher, Odiums victory will kill you too. Couldn't you gift me and not curse me? ▼
▲| Someone must bear the responsibility, someone must be dragged down by it, ruined by it. Someone must stain their souls so others may live. Society offers us up to trudge through dirtly waters to others may be clean.
| Taravangian
}}
== Trivia ==
* What happens to Taravangian increases multiple types of intelligence, not just raw 'processing power'. Someone tapping enough feruchemical zinc could achieve something similar but not quite the same.{{wob ref|3845}}
▲| Nightwatcher, Odiums victory will kill you too. Couldn't you gift me and not curse me?
* Taravangian was blind in the original draft of Way of Kings Prime. Brandon removed this part of Taravangian's character as he thought he had done it poorly.{{wob ref|1320}}{{wob ref|4204}}
▲| Taravangian reflecting alone {{book ref|sa3|121}}
▲}}
== Notes ==
|
edits