User:Ammcclain15/kaladin

Kaladin (Alethi pronounciation: [ˈkæl·ə·dɪn]

History

Early Life (1153–1168)

Early childhood

Young Kal by User: Botanicaxu

Kaladin was born in late 1153 to Lirin and Hesina, a family of second nahn, in the town of Hearthstone in Torol Sadeas' princedom in northwestern Alethkar. His younger brother, Tien was born two years later. Growing up, Kaladin preferred the shorter name Kal to his full name, which he felt sounded like a lighteyes’s name. At the age of eight, Kal began training with his father in surgery, though he dreamed of becoming a soldier. At first, he became sick at the sight of wounds and injuries. Over the next couple of years, he grew used to the sight and assisted his father during surgeries which he figured would come in handy on the battefield. However, the amount of time Lirin spent with books and sick people, coupled with their class disparity, made people uncomfortable to be around Lirin and Kal, by association. As a result of his isolated upbringing, Kal became very close with his brother and, at the encouragement of his parents, Laral Wistiow, the daughter of the citylord.

Surgeon or soldier

In 1164, Kal assisted his father in amputating one of the fingers of a fifteen-year old girl named Sani. Once finished, Lirin asked Kal why he was late. Kal admitted it was because he went with Tien to see what Jam, a boy two years older, had learned from his quarterstaff training. Kal was excited because Jam’s father was a soldier in Brightlord Amaram’s army. Lirin replied that he knew Jam’s father, having operated on his leg three times, a “gift” from his time as a soldier. Kal argued they needed soldiers, but Lirin claimed they needed surgeons more. Lirin doubted that his son could actually hurt someone as he cried nearly every time someone was brought to them. Kal promised he would get stronger causing Lirin to ask who put these ideas in his head. Kal countered that it was about honor and that no one told stories about surgeons. Lirin told him there were two kinds of people in the world, those who save lives and those who take lives, that one couldn’t protect by killing. Lirin then informed Kal that once he turned sixteen, he wanted to send Kaladin to train with real surgeons in Kharbranth. Lirin told Kal he had a gift from the Heralds and he didn’t need to waste it on the small dreams of other men.

Young Kal and Tien by User: Botanicaxu

Two years later, Kal and Laral were talking atop a low ridge of boulders to the east of Hearthstone while Tien gathered rocks at the base. Kal told her of his father’s plans to send him to Kharbranth to train to become a surgeon. Hurt, Laral asked why he didn’t tell her. He lied, saying he didn’t think his father was serious. Placing her hands on her hips, Laral wondered about his previous plans to be a soldier. His expression became gloomy as he was conflicted on which path to choose, surgeon or soldier. Sensing his distress, Tien ran up to Kal with a rock that he found, giving it to Kal to make him feel better. Kal did feel better and went with Tien to find a lurg, pocketing the rock. Laral rejoined them, commenting that Tien changes Kal for the better. Once again, Laral asked Kal what he planned on doing if his father tried to send him to Kharbranth. Knowing they wouldn’t take him until he was sixteen, Kal told her that he had some time to decide. Laral said that it seemed like his father was forcing him to do what he wants, not what Kal wanted. She encouraged him to become a soldier instead, implying that he could marry her if he won a Shardblade in battle, thereby becoming a lighteyes. However, he missed the implication even though he was attracted to her and continued looking for lurgs with Tien.

Later, they encountered a group of older boys, one of whom makes the claim his father won a Shardblade in the wastescum skirmishes. At Laral’s prompting, Kal contradicted him, which led to the boy, Jost, challenging Kal to a quarterstaff fight. Although it was his first time holding a weapon, his natural talent for combat manifested. However, seeing that he hurt Jost, he stops himself from fighting anymore. Jost, having no similar inhibition, beats Kal to the ground. Kal then asked Jost to teach him, but the older boy declined, telling Kal to “go be what you are.” Joined by Tien, Kal made his way home while contemplating what he wants to be. Once home, Lirin informed Kal that Citylord Wistiow had died and bequeathed a goblet full of spheres to Kal so he could study in Kharbranth.

Two months later, thirteen-year-old Kal attempted to treat a five-year-old girl named Miasal on his own. Kal started treating her, but it was too late as Miasal died from blood loss due to multiple severe wounds. An hour later, his father found Kal in front of the surgery room crying to himself. Lirin told him that he is proud of Kal’s work and there was nothing he could have done to stop Miasal’s death. Kal confessed to Lirin that he doesn’t want to be a surgeon, but Lirin just answered that he would have to learn when to care.

“You have to learn when to care, son. And when to let go.”

— Lirin to Kal after Miasal's death

Kal as a child in Hearthstone by User: Sheep

Near the end of 1166, Kal was walking through the city of Hearthstone when he overheard two women claiming that his father stole the spheres from Citylord Wistiow upon his death. Gritting his teeth and knowing that was his father, Kal stepped out of the alleyway and gave one of the women a sharp look, causing both to flee inside the bakery. His satisfaction was short-lived as he didn’t understand why people said such things about his father. He was still stewing when he turned a few corners, walking to where his mother stood on a stepladder. When Hesina asked about his lessons, he blurted out that everyone hated his father and that they believed he stole the spheres from Wistiow. He also lamented that he didn’t have friends and asked what would happen if he wanted to become something other than a surgeon. Hesina reminded him that he had Tien and that he shouldn’t be so quick to discard his studies because he wanted to be like the others. She also told him not to hate the townspeople as they were just repeating what they had heard. Seeing her glance to the citylord’s manor, Kal debated whether or not he should try to see Laral again. Each time he had tried, he’d been turned away by her nurse. He wondered what it would be like marrying Laral and if he did, would he always feel inferior to her. He was still considering this fact and debating whether or not to be a surgeon or a soldier when Lirin ran in declaring the new citylord had arrived.

Desperate times

Kal went with his parents to the town square to await the arrival of Citylord Roshone. Tien was already there waiting for them, having already picked out a spot near the rain barrels. As Tien ran by, some older boys made an unintelligible remark about him which made Kal furious, wanting to confront them, but knowing it wasn’t a good time. Kal joined Tien on the rain barrels so he could get a better view of the procession. A dozen wagons followed a fine black carriage that was pulled by four sleek black horses. The carriage stopped and a middle-aged man stepped out wearing a violet coat. The lighteyed man scanned the crowd with a distasteful look on his face before turning to climb back into his carriage without addressing the crowd. Before he could, Lirin called out, trying to welcome him to Hearthstone, introducing himself as the town’s surgeon. Roshone responded by blaming Lirin as the reason he ended up in “this pitiful miserable quarter of the kingdom.”

Citylord Roshone’s arrival brought great misfortune to Kal’s family. Believing that Lirin had stolen the spheres from Wistiow, he coerced the townspeople to stop making donations for Lirin’s work, which was the primary source of the family’s income. While the townsfolk acquiesced, they still secretly provided provisions to Lirin and Hesina. One night while drunk, Lirin told his son not to make the same mistakes he did and get sucked back into this tiny, foolish town. Kal argued that Lirin had always told him to come back, but Lirin admitted he’d been an idiot when he said that, adding that the townspeople didn’t want him there. Kal asked him why they couldn’t just spend the spheres, but his father said the spheres were for his education. Besides, if they did spend them, they would be doing exactly what Roshone wanted them to do. Instead, they did the best with what they had with Kal continuing his studies, Hesina taking on random jobs, and Tien apprenticing with Ral, a carpenter in town. At the same time, Kal was secretly still trying to decide what path he would take in the next several months, that of a surgeon or a spearman. A series of thumps interrupted Kal’s thoughts, sending him scrambling out of his chair. His father pulled open the door revealing not a monster, but three masked men demanding the spheres. However, they weren’t the highwaymen as Kaladin initially thought, but rather Luten, Horl, and Balsas, normal townsmen presumably hired by Roshone. Ashamed and caught off guard, the men left without taking anything.

“If you’re going to confront him, then you should have someone to support you.”

—Kal to his father before dinner with Roshone

Half a year later, Roshone invited Lirin to the mansion for dinner. Although Lirin and Hesina tried to hide the meeting from him, Kal found out and attended, wanting to support his father if he confronted the citylord. As they rode through the city, Kal asked his father why they tried to hide the meeting. Lirin admitted that he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to attend as a part of him just wanted to take the family and flee to Kharbranth or another Alethi town. Lirin confessed that he had tried to leave once, but there was a tie between a man’s heart and his home and he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Having cared for the townspeople for so long, he couldn’t leave them in the hands of Roshone. Once they arrived, the pair were led to a dining room where Roshone was already eating. A servant gestured to a side table set up in a room off the main dining hall, but Lirin sat down at Roshone’s table insisting that he was of second nahn and surely he could have a place at his table. Not wasting any time, Roshone discussed their present situation and asked them to return the spheres, ending their defiance. When Kal responded with an outburst, Lirin sent him away to the kitchens. There, Roshone’s son, Rillir walked in with Laral, and confusing Kaladin for a servant, ordered him to fetch their supper. Kal, protesting that he wasn’t a servant, lost an argument over his calling with Rillir, leaving him humiliated. As Lirin and Kal left the mansion, the latter admitted to his father that he had been considering joining the army. However, he had resolved to becoming a surgeon so that he would have the education to stand up to the lighteyes. During their conversation, Kal saw something unfamiliar in his father’s eyes, guilt. He then realized that Lirin had indeed stolen the spheres from Wistiow, changing everything, but also changing nothing. He resolved to use the spheres for his training, but would eventually pay them back to Laral.

Somebody has to start

While on a hunting trip, Roshone and Rillir were seriously injured by a whitespine and brought to Lirin’s surgery room. Kaladin and Lirin determined that Rillir’s injuries were already fatal and tended to Roshone despite his protests. They anesthetized both patients, Roshone for surgery and Rillir for mercy. During the procedure, Lirin hesitated when he discovered a piece of the whitespine’s tusk near Roshone’s femoral artery. Kaladin considered how easy it would be to fake an accident, but they continued on to save Roshone’s life as Rillir died. When Kaladin asked his father why he did not let Roshone die, Lirin answered that they have to be better men than the lighteyes.

“Somebody has to start. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right, because it is right. If nobody starts, then others cannot follow...Because, son. We have to be better than they are.”

—Lirin to Kaladin

A decision made

In the Weeping of 1168, Kaladin found himself increasingly hoping for the sun and the wind again, the weather making it difficult for him to get things done. One day, when Kaladin was lying on the roof during the rain after repairing a leak, Tien called up to him, wanting to join him. While Kaladin didn’t think anyone else could cheer him up, he knew Tien could because somehow he just always knew the right thing to do. At first, it was just the two of them sitting in silence. Then, Tien presented Kaladin with a gift, an intricately carved horse that he made at Ral’s shop. Kaladin asked if he showed the beautiful horse to Ral, but Tien confessed that it got him into trouble because it wasn’t useful. Not a bit discouraged, Tien said he would make him proud tomorrow by finishing a chair. Kaladin found himself amazed at his brother’s ability to smile even in the darkest of times, swearing things grew brighter around them in that moment.

However, it was short-lived as Kaladin admitted his concerns about their father having to spend the spheres to not only Tien, but also his mother. Hesina promised him that there would be enough spheres for him to go to Kharbranth in two months. Kaladin suggested that perhaps the entire family should come with him, not wanting to leave them behind, especially with Roshone “strangling” them. Hesina informed Kaladin that they only spent the spheres to make Roshone think he was winning, not because they needed to. Once Kaladin left, the spheres would be safe in the hands of the ardents while he studied to become a surgeon. However, Hesina reminded him that that his life was his own and that he didn’t have to become a surgeon to make them proud. They sat for awhile, Kaladin considering her words and what Tien could possibly like about the rain, when Lirin came with news that there was a gathering in the square.

Roshone assembled the townsfolk as Meridas Amaram, a general for Highprince Sadeas, had arrived in Hearthstone to recruit soldiers for the army. There, Kaladin and his family were shocked to learn that Laral was now engaged to Roshone himself after Rillir’s death. Meanwhile, since only six men had volunteered, Amaram asked Roshone to announce the list of conscripts. As citylord, Roshone was barred from from placing Lirin or Kaladin on the conscription list because they served a vital function to the town. However, Roshone placed Tien’s name on the list instead. When Kaladin tried to take his brother’s place, he was denied because the law gave the choice to Roshone alone. Left with no other option, Kaladin enlisted in the army in order to protect Tien and promised his devastated parents that he would bring Tien back safely in four years. Amaram also promised Lirin that he would make Tien a messenger boy for a while.

“In four years, I will bring him home safely. I promise it by the storms and the Almighty's tenth name itself. I will bring him back.”

—Kaladin's promise to his parents

Amaram's Army (1168–1172)

Natural talent

Kaladin received his initial training under Tukks, who taught him learned the importance of controlled passion—to be passionate and to care without losing control of his emotions—a lesson that he did not initially understand. During his training, Kaladin demonstrated a natural aptitude for being a soldier, learning the spear faster than anyone else in his cohort, barely even needing instruction, much to Tukks’ surprise.

“It’s good to care when you fight, so long as you don’t let it consume you. Don’t try to stop yourself from feeling. You’ll hate who you become.”

—Tukks to Kaladin on his first day of training

Tien's Death

Kaladin after Tien’s death by User: Exmakina

Despite Amaram’s promise to Lirin, the older messenger boys, including Tien, were soon organized into several squads of reserve units to make up for a shortfall in recruitment. Dalar assured Kaladin that these squads would not see combat unless the army is in serious danger. Less than four months after his enlistment, Kaladin took part in his third real battle. Amaram’s army was attempting to hold a hilltop, but as the battle deteriorated, messenger boys were assigned to Sheler's company. Hearing that the messenger squad was sent to the front, Kaladin ran recklessly through the battlefield in an attempt to reach his brother. On the southeast side of the hill, Squadleader Varth placed Tien and two other boys in the front lines, successfully using them as bait. Kaladin, killing a man for the first time during his run, reached Tien only after he had been killed. Weeping and bleeding from wounds taken during his run, he hugged Tien’s dead body until long past the end of the battle.

“Don't worry. I'll bring you home. I'll protect you, Tien. I'll bring you back...”

— Kaladin weeping over Tien's body

Stormblessed

Kaladin sent a letter to his parents informing them of Tien’s death and his decision not to return to Hearthstone. He spent the next year driving himself to exhaustion every day on the practice yard, vowing vengeance and never letting another person die because of his lack of skill. He became the best spearman in his company and was rumored to be the best in the entire army. He eventually met Tarah, the daughter of an assistant quartermaster, who coaxed Kaladin out of his single-mindedness, claiming it would burn him out. The two became romantically involved, but they separated soon after she was transferred to a scribe’s job in Mourn’s Vault. Kaladin blamed himself for their failed relationship, knowing that he’d been stupid not to send responses to her letters. He later joined the Takers under Tukks' leadership. There, Kaladin met Durk, who became a mentor to him. Durk was impressed with Kaladin’s abilities, considering him a natural born soldier, an artist with a spear. Unfortunately, every member of the Takers was eventually killed with Kaladin being the lone survivor. At the age of eighteen, Kaladin was promoted to squadleader, marking him the youngest one in the army and becoming known as Kaladin Stormblessed.

Fighting the Shardbearer

Four years later, in Ishi 1172, Kaladin fought his final battle in Amaram’s army. Prior to the battle, Kaladin met with a Squadleader Gare and two of his sergeants. Kaladin bribed Gare to transfer Cenn, a young and inexperienced soldier, to Kaladin’s own squad, whom he entrusted to his sergeant Dallet. He also bribed the surgeons to give priority to his men. While bribing the surgeons, the money pouch stuck to his hand by what Kaladin assumed to be a windspren, although it was actually his first meeting with Sylphrena. After consulting with Dallet, Kaladin went to the front lines to prepare for battle.

“We’re taking him. Imagine it Dallet. Real soldiers. A war camp with discipline and lighteyes with integrity. A place where our fighting will mean something.”

—Kaladin to Dallet before attacking the battalionlord

Once the signal to march was given, Kaladin’s well-disciplined squad used non-standard tactics to avoid taking any casualties. However, the larger battle didn’t go nearly as well. When the larger body of Amaram’s forces broke, Kaladin’s squad was left in the middle of the enemy. During the chaos, Kaladin single-handedly defeated six men to save Cenn, who had been stranded alone without the rest of the squad. After treating Cenn, Kaladin saw an enemy battalionlord and decided to kill him, hoping such a feat would get him transferred to the Shattered Plains, where Kaladin believed the real fight and honorable men can be found. Kaladin and two of his subsquads executed their plan flawlessly, with Kaladin himself landing the killing blow on the enemy battalionlord.

Immediately after, an unknown enemy, a full Shardbearer, later revealed to be Helaran Davar, appeared and cut through Amaram’s army, killing Cenn, Dallet, and two more of Kaladin's men. Helaran continued on to attack Amaram, whose honor guard has abandoned him. Enraged, Kaladin and his twenty remaining men chased after Helaran. Helaran killed sixteen of Kaladin’s men before Kaladin finally managed to kill him, saving Amaram’s life. Amaram and Coreb, one of Kaladin's men, urged Kaladin to claim Helaran’s Shards, as it was his right to do so by ancient tradition. However, Kaladin was disgusted by the thought of wielding the same Blade that claimed the lives of so many of his friends. Instead, Kaladin gave the Shards to Coreb and walked away.

Betrayal

A few hours later, Kaladin was called to Amaram’s warcenter, where he met Amaram and a group of his men along with the four surviving members of his squad. After a short conversation, Amaram and his men ambushed Kaladin, killing the surviving members of Kaladin’s squad while Kaladin himself was restrained. Amaram apologized but said this was the only way to ensure secrecy. He informed Kaladin that he had thought it over for hours before finally being convinced by Restares that the best interests of Alethkar would served if he wielded the Shards himself. As an act of mercy and gratitude, Amaram spared Kaladin’s life and branded him with the “sas nahn” glyphpair to mark him as a slave to be sold.

“ It’s not about Alethkar! It’s about you! Storm it, you’re supposed to be better than the others! ”

— Kaladin to Amaram after his men were struck down for the Shardplate

Slavery (1172–1173)

Defiance

Sas nahn and shash

Kaladin spent the next eight months under at least six different slavemasters, suffering from constant and squalid conditions. Initially, Kaladin was defiant, making ten escape attempts. Although several of them were successful, he always ended up getting re-captured. In his tenth escape attempt, he led a group of twenty armed slaves, including a man named Goshel. However, they all died, leaving Kaladin to believe he failed them. By the eighth month, Kaladin fell into despair and stopped making any escape attempts.

Though he should have been killed for his tenth escape attempt, Kaladin’s master found him “intriguing,” and branded his forehead with the shash glyph, meaning “dangerous”, and sold him. Eventually, Kaladin was bought by Tvlakv and it was during this time that Kaladin hit his lowest point. He found and hid away some poisonous blackbane leaves, unsure of whether or not he wanted to use them to commit suicide, kill his master, or something else. Regardless, he took comfort in having options open to him. However, when a fellow slave took ill, Kaladin’s instinct to protect and heal re-emerged and Kaladin attempted to save his life. His attempts failed as Tvlakv had the slave killed in order to avoid the infection spreading.

Sylphrena

It was during this time that Kaladin first noticed Sylphrena. Though she’d been following him for several months, Kaladin believed her to be nothing more than the average, albeit mischievous windspren. As Kaladin was rubbing the blackbane leaves between his fingers, Syl asked him what he had. At first, he ignored her, but not without noticing some oddities about her, such as the exceptionally long period of time that she had been following him. When she called him by name, he was shocked as he didn’t believe that spren could use people’s names. To his knowledge, spren could mimic voices or expressions, but they didn’t have actual intelligence or memory. Kaladin thought he was insane at first, but he eventually started to converse with Syl. During the course of their first conversation, Syl asked Kaladin why he didn’t fight like he used to. Kaladin continued to question how she knew both his name and what he did weeks ago. He finally confessed to her that he had failed, remembering the deaths of Tien, Cenn, Dallet, Tukks, and the Takers. After the slave took ill and Tvlakv had him killed, Syl asked Kaladin why he didn’t cry. Kaladin replied that it wouldn’t change anything and maybe she should ask the Almighty why men cry. During a storm, Syl chased after it, but eventually returned. Kaladin wondered why she didn’t go with the other windspren, but she told him she liked it there with him.

Finding the way after all

Days passed and the wagons continued to roll on until one particular day when they didn’t stop at their usual time, leaving Kaladin to wonder why they hadn’t stopped for their afternoon slop. Well past noon, they finally rolled to a stop and Bluth and Tag joined Tvlakv. The three quickly started arguing as they held up a piece of paper. Kaladin called out, asking Tvlakv if he was lost and offered that perhaps he should seek guidance from the Almighty who had a “fondness” for slavers. Tvlakv walked over and asked Kaladin if he knew anything of the area. Kaladin requested the map and without even reading it, he ripped it into pieces, much to Tvlakv’s horror. Tvlakv called for the mercenaries, but both Bluth and Tag declined to intevene. Realizing that Kaladin was probably invaluable at that point, Tvlakv asked what the former wanted in exchange for guiding the caravan. Kaladin suggested a cliff, not for a vantage point as Tvlakv assumed, but one to throw the slaver off of.

Annoyed, Tvlakv told Kaladin it was good that he was fueled by hatred because it would make him strong, but cautioned that it could keep him from getting vengeance. Kaladin countered, saying he didn’t want vengeance as he learned a long time ago it didn’t work. Tvlakv argued that Kaladin was young still and that he could escape his fate and hunt down the man who sold him into slavery, Highlord Amaram. Shocked, Kaladin asked how Tvlakv knew about Amaram, but the slaver just said men talk. Though Tvlakv knew the truth about Kaladin’s brands, he told the younger man that they both had to play the game for now to avoid an even worse fate. However, they were at crossroads because Kaladin had left the map in shreds. Kaladin admitted he had never been this way so he didn’t know where to go. As Tvlakv walked away, Kaladin cursed, realizing he almost found himself liking the slaver.

The wagons continued to roll on after their exchange, even through highstorms. Well before the end of one of them, Bluth lowered the sides of the wagon, allowing the rain to soak the slaves. Kaladin argued that it was too early to be taking down the sides, but Bluth stated that Tvlakv wanted them clean today. Realizing they were probably nearing their destination, Kaladin scanned the landscape wondering where they were going. Syl returned to tell Kaladin there were many others like him nearby. As she pointed eastward, Kaladin was shocked to see the enormous army encampment he’d heard stories about, the place Tien wanted to go in the end, the army he spent years trying to get into - The Shattered Plains.

Bridgeman (1173)

Bridge Four

In 1173, Tvlakv released Kaladin and the other slaves from the wagon and brought them to be inspected by Hashal, the wife of the lighteyed officer who was in charge of the slaves in Highprince Sadeas's army. Hashal was not particularly impressed with the men Tvlakv presented until her eyes found Kaladin. Despite eight months as a slave, he was still far more muscled than the others. Hashal inquired if he was a military man and Kaladin stated that he was in Amaram’s army and a citizen of second nahn. She inspected his brands, clicking her tongue at the "shash" glyph, telling him such a mark meant death. Asking how he ended up here, Kaladin told Hashal that he killed someone while drunk. Despite his mistake, Kaladin spoke of his talents with a spear and asked her give him a chance to fight again in her brightlord’s army. However, Tvlakv told Hashal not to listen to him as he was a deserter. Enraged, Kaladin reached for Tvlakv but he was knocked to the ground and then pulled back in line. Tvlakv continued by saying that Kaladin could not be trusted as he had led rebellions against his prior masters and who knows how many of the slaves he had corrupted. Hashal asked which ones and assigned those, along with Kaladin, to be bridgemen. Due to his “shash” glyph, his reputation as a deserter, and his attitude during the exchange, Kaladin was specifically sent to Bridge Four, the bridge crew with the worst reputation and casualty rate.