Difference between revisions of "Taravangian"

Taravangian met [[Battar]], a Herald posing as an [[Ardentardent]] named Dova, who said that the True Desolation iswas close.

Taravangian asked the [[Nightwatcher]] for "the capacity to save humankind." He was granted the boon of 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 offeroffered a brutal path for humanity's survival, andwhich he believesbelieved thisto isbe the Nightwatcher's responseattempt to saving humansave kindhumankind.{{book ref|sa2|i|14}}

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 createscreated a secret society that interpretwith the diagramsame name in order to aid in interpreting it, and plotsthen to fulfill those interpretations.

One of the first things he doesstudies are [[Death Rattle]]s. These experiments were run at a secret hospital hidden in his palace, filled with hundreds of beds for the terminally ill, poor, and forgotten who willwould not be missed. The patients arewere slowly killed by draining their blood so the [[Silent Gatherer]]s cancould record the cryptic supernatural sentences spoken in the seconds before death by some of the victims.{{book ref|sa1|71}}{{epigraph ref|sa1|prologue|text=Death Rattle Quotes}} Through these Death Rattles, Taravangian hopeshoped to gain information with which he can update the Diagram. He was aware that they were caused by [[Moelach]], but the Silent Gatherers may not have been.

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]]. Ostensibly, Taravangian made the deal because his architects would not have time to cut through the boulder before the next highstorm arrived and because removing the boulder by conventional means would gave risked further cave-ins in the area.{{book ref|sa1|5}} In actuality, Taravangian could have rescued his granddaughter on his own, but wanted to see Jasnah's powers, asin heorder suspectedto confirm his suspicions that she was a [[Surgebinder]]. {{wob ref|8070}} Before Soulcasting the rock to smoke, Jasnah recommended that the king and his staff move to the end of the hall to be out of range; however, Taravangian refused, ostensibly out of a desire not leave his granddaughter to go through the ordeal alone. The Alethi princess then Soulcast the stone into vapor, 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, she declined instead requesting to be taken directly to the Palanaeum so she could begin her study.{{book ref|sa1|5}}

Weeks later, Taravangian joined [[Shallan]] and Jasnah for lunch on their balcony in the [[Palanaeum|Veil]]. In response to Jasnah's inquiry, he reported that his granddaughter had recovered from her ordeal, though now avoided the narrower passageways of the Conclave in case of a repeat incident. Curious, he asked the princess where she had acquired her soulcasterSoulcaster, howeverfurther Jasnahconfirming declinedhis tohypothesis answer,that tellingshe him"was" thatthe herSoulcaster secretswhen wereshe herdeclined ownto answer. TaravangianHe 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. ShallanShe was all too happy to fulfill the king's request for a portrait, 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 disagreedclaimed to disagree 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 beliefs, unlike those in the Ardentiaardentia, who had repeately tried to convert her. {{book ref|sa1|29}}

After several people were killed in the theater 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 terrorized by criminals. Eventually, Jasnah took it upon herself to remove the criminals, traveling 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 soulcastingSoulcasting, 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 realize the danger he had put himself in by welcoming her to his city and did what she could to help him.{{book ref|sa1|36}}

[[Szeth]], the [[Assassin in White]], traveled to Kharbranth with theorders intent ofto killingkill 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 [[oathstoneOathstone]]. Taravangian had also deliberately put his own name on Szeth's list to deflect suspicion from himself. He took Szeth to his hidden hospital, where Szeth witnessed the atrocities the king of Kharbranth was committing to maximize 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}}

One of the Diagrams interpretation results in the request to kill Dalinar and Taravangian sends Szeth to kill him. During the [[Battle of Narak]], Szeth goes after him but is beaten by [[Kaladin]]. Shortly after, Szeth discovered he was not [[Truthless]], and forsakes his [[oathstoneOathstone]], breaking his allegiance with Taravangian. After this failure, Taravangian decided to move closer to Dalinar. He is the first king to unite with Dalinar and moved to [[Urithiru]].{{book ref|sa3|12}} When he finds out no other king would be part of the coalition, he recommends invasion.{{book ref|sa3|24}} After his surprise at Dalinar's negotiation strategy, he agreed to follow him and eventually moved with him to [[Urithiru]].{{book ref|sa3|58}}

ThoughWhile he seemspretends to work with Dalinar, he secretly plots to gain political advantage. He bursts the market by sending supplies via Jah Keved, he has his [[Knight Radiant]] [[Malata]] working the [[Oathgate]], and he sends merchant ships to Thaylen City with healers.{{book ref|sa3|29}} He sharedshares their knowledge in [[fabrial]]s with [[Navani]],{{book ref|sa3|96}} and letlets them know of technology that will create half-shards.{{book ref|sa3|65}}

After having anothera relatively brilliant day, he decides that the best action is to take Dalinar's place on the Coalition and after will push for its collapse. He believes this will make [[Odium]] meet his agreements and save "what he can, abandon the rest".{{book ref|sa3|i|5}}.

Though he was dismissed or not needed in the war councils where the defenses for Jah Keved were being planned, he was plotting to find secrets that would destroy Dalinar. He sends his Radiant's spren, [[Spark]], to spy on him, and, along with his scholars and other Diagram followers, is able to succeed. During a meeting with all the other kingdoms' representatives in which they determine the enemy would strike Thaylen City, he struckstrikes against the highprince by leaking three facts:{{book ref|sa3|111}}

1) [[Elhokar]] had sworn to Dalinar as High King, and though this was an Alethi political tactic, some other kingdoms felt threatened that Dalinar would ask the same from them. This erodes Fen's faith in the coalition, though she stays with Dalinar because she would prefer him to lead than the Voidbringers.

2) Dalinar had a vision in which Odium threatens to destroy the world. This causes conflict concerning the use of powers that can't be controlled, in this case, Dalinar's. This causes [[Yanagawn]] to break off the alliance.

3) The translation of the [[dawnchantDawnchant]] proves that the original [[voidbringersVoidbringers]] were humans, putting the war's legitimacy in question and giving Taravangian an excuse to "lose faith" in the war effort.

These revelations were enough to destroy most of the coalition, andwith only the [[Fen|Thaylen queen]] stayedstaying with Dalinar.

Dalinar, wishing to see the good in Taravangian, did not immediately execute him, instead keeping him prisoner in a well-furnished home where Taravangian's requests were cared for. During this time, Taravangian's mental state deteriorated, and he spent more days in his cognitively impaired, compassionate state. He was visited by Szeth and Renarin, but was too slow to carry on a conversation, and believed that he failed at his plan of manipulating Szeth. Dalinar eventually declared that he was not to be executed, and instead sentenced him to lifelong imprisonment so that he could prove to Taravangian that the [[coalition of monarchs|coalition]] was capable of defeating Odium.{{book ref|sa4|66}}{{book ref|sa4|i|9}}{{book ref|sa4|i|12}}

Szeth,Just disapprovingas ofTaravangian Dalinar'shad decisionplotted, Szeth entered Taravangian'shis house, intending to kill him. As Szeth was reaching for his knife, [[Odium]] arrived and pulled Taravangian's mind out of the [[Physical Realm]]. Still next to Szeth in the Physical Realm, Taravangian reached for the cognitiveCognitive manifestation of [[Nightblood]] and used the weapon to attack Odium. Szeth then killed Taravangian, but, before Taravangianhe could pass into the [[Beyond]], Nightblood destroyedconsumed [[Rayse]], the original Vessel of Odium, and Taravangian Ascended asto become the Shard's new Vesselholder of the Shard.{{book ref|sa4|113}}