Taravangian

Taravangian
Nationality	Kharbranthian
Homeworld	Roshar

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Taravangian is the king of Kharbranth.

He is very popular among many darkeyes because he has set up a number of hospitals in the city, funded by the entrance fee to the Palanaeum. In these hospitals everybody is healed without having to pay for it. He even visits his hospitals once a week.

Appearance and Personality

He is described as elderly, with a wispy white beard. He has pale grey eyes and an open, kindly face. He lives with perpetual aches in his body. He has other symptoms of old age although he is supposedly fit for his age.

History

Visiting the Nightwatcher

Taravangian once went to go visit the Nightwatcher and received a curse and boon from the Old Magic. As a result he wakes up every morning with a fluctuation in intelligence, sometimes resulting in a genius and sometimes an idiot. He is most often average and the probability of him being more or less intelligent decreases the more extreme the case. Every morning he takes an intelligence test that he himself devised for himself on his better days. The test takes the better part of an hour and is made up of mathematical problems. A trio of stormwardens consult regarding his answers and decide his intelligence for the day. The stormwardens as well as Mrall, his head bodyguard, if he is fit to role and what restrictions he will be subject too. He is restricted to his room on both his worst and best of days because during both he tends to make irrational regulation. He also tends to be more compassionate the less intelligent he is.

“Taravangian worshipped only one god now. it was the man he had been on that day.”

—

He had some connection with Gavilar and spoke with him the night of his assassination. Gavilar confided in him that he has seen visions of the Almighty and that the Almighty is now dead. Gavilar also insisted that the world would need to be united if men are to survive-which Taravangian took very seriously. Because he knows that the Almighty is dead he does not trust gods or religion anymore. He claims to only put his trust in himself and his pure genius.

“I am the monster who will save this world.”

—

Taravangian has surprising knowledge of the Shin and the Shin language, which is rare outside of Shinovar. He also knows women's script. He has also solved Fabrisan's Conundrum.

Secret activity

Taravangian runs a secret hospital hidden in the King's palace. It was built in a large, long room with wide railings on the sides. The room is filled with hundreds of beds, and the people in those beds are slowly killed in the way of draining the blood out of them. Taravangian does this because some of the dying speak some cryptic sentences in the seconds before their death. In those quotes, Taravangian saw some information about the True Desolation. So in order to prepare for it, he began collecting the quotes. The people who collected these quotes were called the Silent Gatherers.

Taravangian employs Szeth to kill many of the world leaders, including Hanavanar, the king of Jah Keved. Szeth is also ordered to kill Dalinar Kholin. The murders are ordered in the purpose of bringing stability to the world. Taravangian says that stability will be needed when the True Desolation comes. When Szeth dies, he is no longer Truthless and does not have to follow the orders of Taravangian and the Oathstone.