Tranquiline Halls

Tranquiline Halls
by Greg Call
Related to	Vorinism
World of Origin	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

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This article is about the mythological concept in Vorinism. For the planet from which that concept derived, see Ashyn.

“Vorinism taught that the finest warriors would have the holy privilege of joining the Heralds after death, fighting to reclaim the Tranquiline Halls from the Voidbringers. ”

—Highprince Dalinar Kholin's thoughts on the Tranquiline Halls

In Vorin doctrine, the Tranquiline Halls are the original home of mankind, as well as the heaven to which those who are worthy go when they die. Vorinism holds that humans were driven from the Tranquiline Halls by the Voidbringers, but with the help of the Heralds they are fighting to take back their home.

Vorin Doctrine

“May you someday find a place of honor in the Tranquiline Halls, fallen brother. And may we find a better end than you. ”

—Kaladin blessing a fallen bridgeman

According to Vorin tradition, the Tranquiline Halls are the original home of mankind. Humans lived there in peace until the attack of the Voidbringers. These monsters made of hate came from Damnation, driving out mankind from its home and to Roshar. The Voidbringers claimed the Tranquiline Halls as their own, and began their attempt to oust mankind from Roshar to Damnation. The Almighty then sent the Dawnsingers to Roshar to care for the defeated humans. The Voidbringers attacked mankind a hundred times and during Aharietiam, their final attempt, the Heralds of the Almighty and the Knights Radiant defeated the Voidbringers. The Heralds followed the Voidbringers back to the Tranquiline Halls, intending to drive them back to Damnation and reclaim their home. This marked the ending of the Heraldic Epochs and the beginning of the modern Era of Solitude.

“The ardents were careful to point out that excellence in any Calling would bring power. A farmer would be able to wave his hand and create great fields of spiritual crops. A spearman would be a great warrior, able to cause thunder with his shield and lightning with his spear.”

—Kaladin's thoughts on the afterlife in the Tranquiline Halls

It is the Vorin belief that people spend their lives practicing their Callings, preparing to aid the Heralds. The very best and those who die with valor are granted the holy privilege to rise again after death to join the Heraldic Forces. They make use of the skills of their Calling in the afterlife, given magical abilities to enhance their skills. They fight alongside the Heralds in the War for Heaven, the struggle against the Voidbringers in the Tranquiline Halls. The most important people are those with the Calling of soldiers, who are glorified in the Tranquiline Halls and assist the Heralds in fighting their battles. Those who do not fight but still live exceptionally well are still accepted by the Almighty and will aid in other ways, such as farmers growing crops to sustain the soldiers. Those who lived unremarkable lives and did not excel at their Callings remain asleep until the Halls are reclaimed, after which they will awaken and return to their home, and finally reclaim the peace that ended when the Tranquiline Halls were lost. The Almighty himself awaits the recapture of the Tranquiline Halls by his Heralds. He depends on the Vorin peoples to train themselves well for this fight, as he cannot do good himself and aid them directly without creating more evil by his actions.

Historicity

The concept of the Tranquiline Halls has its roots in the planet Ashyn. Before the First Desolation, many humans lived there. Eventually, however, they nearly destroyed the world with the power of Surges. While some people remained on Ashyn, surviving in floating cities, most traveled to Roshar in an event now known in the Vorin church as the Expulsion. Honor and Cultivation instructed the Dawnsingers to welcome the human refugees, and they were given Shinovar as their land. At some point, they grew dissatisfied with that limitation, leading to the cycle of Desolations By the time of the Last Desolation, knowledge of this history had become warped to something closer to modern Vorin doctrine. The Heralds may have encouraged this, as the Herald Jezrien told the people of Roshar he was going to lead the battle to reclaim the Tranquiline Halls after the end of the Last Desolation. Every generation of Knights Radiant eventually discovered the truth, but Honor usually supported them. His failure to do so for the Knights of the time of the False Desolation contributed to their decision to break their oaths on the Day of Recreance.

This past on Ashyn accounts for some artifacts in modern Roshar, such as mentions of fantastical animals that bear resemblance to creatures like lions, and humankind's general incongruity with other forms of life on Roshar.

The Heralds are not, as Vorin doctrine claims, leading a war to reclaim the Tranquiline Halls. Instead, after the Last Desolation, nine of them told humankind that they had won and fabricated that story about returning to the Tranquiline Halls to cover the fact that they were abandoning the Oathpact and remaining on Roshar. The Herald Talenel, the only one who did not break the Oathpact, returned to Braize to be tortured by the Fused.

Trivia

• In the Circle of Memories in Kholinar, the ardentia believe that the eleventh painting on the walls that does not represent one of the Silver Kingdoms is a reference to the Tranquiline Halls. In reality, the Circle of Memories is an Oathgate and the eleventh painting represents Urithiru.

Notes

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