Tyn

Tyn
by Sheep
Died	Killed in self-defence by Shallan, Ishanah 1173
Profession	Con artist
Birthplace	Tu Bayla
Homeworld	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

This page or section contains spoilers for Rhythm of War!

This information has the ability to potentially ruin elements of the plot for the reader. Proceed with caution if you have not read this book.

This page or section needs to be updated with new information for Rhythm of War!

Be aware that in its current state, it may not include all additional content yet.

“War means desperation, and desperation is our mother’s milk, kid. ”

—Tyn to Shallan

Tyn is a con artist and an associate of the Ghostbloods. She was the head of the guards for Macob's caravan.

Appearance and Personality

Tyn is lighteyed and of medium height, with a wiry build. Her hair is black and at least shoulder-length. She wears trousers and a long coat of good leather that looks almost like a dress, buckled at the waist. She covers her safehand with a tan glove and speaks Alethi without an accent.

Tyn eats the food she likes whether it's men or women’s food. She talks with confidence, relaxed and free. Shallan is often reminded of her when she sees people whose interactions are a subtle game of one-upping each other. Tyn enjoys acting above Shallan. She's smart and curious, and always wants to have the upper hand, which is why she investigated Shallan’s homeland, background and even the history of her crew.

Tyn likes having an acolyte, someone to nurture, under her wing. Shallan suspects that is at least partly because Tyn likes having someone around to impress.

Attributes and Abilities

“If you’re going to fool people, you’ll need to learn how to act beneath them as well as above them. ”

—Tyn on becoming a con artist.

Tyn doesn’t have any magical abilities, nor any particular strength. She is resourceful, and a good con artist. "The art of the con", in Tyn’s words is "the grand act of pretending to be someone you aren’t, then running off with the goods".

Her spanreed connection to the Ghostbloods gives her access to important information, like Shallan’s background and the news on Jah Keved.

History

Tyn was raised in Tu Bayla by parents who worked as interpreters.

Macob’s caravan

Tyn’s team was assigned to kill Jasnah Kholin while the latter was on a ship to the Shattered Plains. As Shallan Soulcast the ship, the attackers didn’t survive, leaving Tyn stranded. Now alone, Tyn had found herself without spheres, and came to Macob’s caravan to find a safe way into the Shattered Plains. She exaggerated her experience and became the head of the caravan's guards.

During their journey, they were assaulted by bandits. It was Shallan Davar's "soldiers" who assisted them, avoiding complete loss. In return, Shallan asked for the caravan's company on their way to the Shattered Plains. Impressed, Tyn took Shallan as a con artist apprentice.

Throughout the trip to the Shattered Planes, Tyn taught Shallan many different things, from accents to passing for lower class people and foreigners. It was her "teaching" that caused Shallan’s first encounter with Kaladin to go so poorly, as Shallan tried to bully him by pretending to be Horneater royalty. Tyn is also responsible for Shallan not moving into the Kholin household to avoid indebting herself to them, and for instilling the idea of playing "hard to get" with Adolin.

Tyn’s death

When they were almost at their destination, Tyn invited Shallan to read spanreed messages together. There, not only did she provide information on her homeland, but also confessed her intent of selling Shallan's deserters as bounty. Moreover, the spanreed wrote about Tyn's last job. Not only did it confirm that Tyn had been hired to kill Jasnah, but also gave her information on Jasnah's ward -- Shallan herself. Realizing that she's been fooled, Tyn moved to kill Shallan. Though she did manage to hit her hard, Shallan summoned her Shardblade and killed her.

Pattern went to Shallan's deserters for help, asking them to go fetch her. When Tyn's soldiers resisted them, the deserters killed them.

Aftermath

After Tyn's death, Shallan took over the spanreed communication. With Tyn's old spanreed letters, Pattern was able to crack the code to continue the conversation, letting Shallan agree to a meeting with the Ghostbloods. Shallan also continued her training, and created the Veil persona based on Tyn. In the beginning, Veil would be using Tyn's clothing and eyedrops.

The Ghostbloods initially thought Tyn was either sick or using Veil to avoid confrontation. Eventually, they figured out she had been killed by Shallan, and offer the latter membership.

Relationships

Shallan

During Shallan's time with Macob’s caravan, Tyn invited her to dinner, whereupon she confessed to having a spanreed connected to Tashikk, which she had used to inquire about Shallan; with the information she's gathered, she decided Shallan was a fellow conwoman, and chose to take her as apprentice under the promise of the "goods" she thought Shallan wanted.

Shallan remembers killing Tyn at multiple points. She often compares confident people, like the bar patrons in the Breakaway, to Tyn.

Notes

This article is still missing information. Please help The Coppermind by expanding it.