Difference between revisions of "Taravangian"
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{{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]] {{book ref|
== 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, and has other symptoms of old age.
He is popular among many for providing free access to city hospitals funded by an admittance fee to the [[Palanaeum]].{{book ref|sa1|7}} He is known to visit the hospitals on a weekly basis.{{book ref|sa1|48}}
He was said to be a kindly if somewhat simple man. Perfect to rule a small city-state with the help of a council
The "illness" referred above was really a consequence of a visit to the [[Nightwatcher]] who granted him great intelligence and great compassion, but cursed him to never have them at the same time. As a result, he wakes up every morning with a fluctuation of both.
These fluctuations will cause him to spend some days crying and having compassion for everyone around him, but unable to have intelligent conversations
Taravangian is a pragmatic man who considers his duty as taking the responsibility of doing whatever it takes to have a "better world". He has two quotes that show this: "Someone must stain their souls so others may live. Society offers us up to trudge through dirty waters so others may be clean."
He doesn't believe in religion. He considers religion as something that fills gaps and brings a sense of comfort which prevents understanding. This is opposed to his trust in the
== History ==
=== Background ===
When Taravangian was born, the surgeon said there was a chord around his neck. He made public that he might have diminished capacity and the recommendation was to keep him on outer estates in favor of others. Though the diminished capacity was not present, the reputation followed him all his life.
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.
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
=== Kharbranth ===
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}}
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 request 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 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.
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}}
=== Raise to 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 the its collapse. He believes this will make [[Odium]] meet his agreements and save "what he can, abandon the rest".
Though he was dismissed or not needed on the tactic meetings where the
During a meeting with all the other kingdom's representatives, where they figure out that the strike of the enemy would be Thaylen City, he stroke by leaking three facts.
1) [[Elhokar]] had sworn to Dalinar as High King, and though this was meant to be as an [[Alethkar]] political tactic, some other
2) The vision where Dalinar meets with Odium and threatens on destroying the world. This causes conflict with using powers that can
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 avoid them from sending help to Thaylen.
Much to Taravangian's surprise, Dalinar and his allies win the battle and after doing so confronts him. He comes clean on several plots including his plotting to take the throne of Jah Keved, Szeth and knowledge of the desolation. He however kept to himself the existence of the Diagram or that he brought the singers to Urithiru. Though Dalinar would never trust him again as before, this does clear the air and their relationship is not fully broken.
Eight days after the battle, on a day where he was not so smart the received the visit from Odium, who looked [[Shin]], tall and with a scepter. Taravangian tried to convince him that he only wants to serve him or to visit him another day, but Odium sees through him and asks him not to prostrate. He explained he would visit him on a day of idiocy as he would never let him negotiate from a position of power and made an agreement with him.
The agreement would trade his help by sharing the diagram's information (through he could not read [[Renarin
== 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 Taravangian Thaylen bodyguard who is also a [[Dustbringer]]. She works for him and follows his lead, however she had said she "is not his" and they were there because her spren [[Spark]] suggested visiting [[Urithiru]] now that it has been rediscovered.
; [[Odium]]: Taravangian is fully aware of Odium's power. In desperation, he makes a deal with him. The agreement would trade his help by sharing the
Odium recognizes Taravangian's passion. Quoting "Your passion does you credit".
; Taravangian's Grandchildren: Taravangian has three grandchildren who write to him. They are oblivious to the Diagram and his plans. The eldest is
== Quotes ==
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