User:Jofwu/Shallan Davar

• something about Shallan's faith? Details, like her Devotary… History. Time with Jasnah. (TWoK 29, 33…)

• interest in nature?

• something Shallan's ability to capture Memories?

History

Shallan mourning the death of her mother--by Sheep

Early Life (1156–1173)

Early Childhood

Shallan was born into the Davar household to Lin and her mother in mid-1156. She was the youngest of five children, with four older brothers: Helaran, Balat, Wikim, and Jushu. As the Davar household was a mid-level noble family; the patriarch, Lin, held the fourth dahn, while Shallan herself was of the fifth dahn. The Davar family's estates were located in Highprince Valam's territory in Jah Keved, north of Valath.

In some instances, Shallan recalls happy memories from her early childhood--such as a time when her parents loved to tell her stories. On the other hand, the mysterious dealings of her mother and the attention her family drew from the Cryptics suggests a more disquieting family life. By 1167 Shallan's mother had been associating with a certain group of "friends," including a man by the name of Dreder, who would occasionally visit the family's estates. These people were associated with the Skybreakers and at least one of their number--with whom Shallan's mother had an intimate relationship-- was a Skybreaker acolyte. Pattern was eventually sent by his kind to form a nahel bond with Shallan, who spoke the First Ideal at a young age. Their early interactions with one another took place in the family's gardens, where Shallan would bring her daydreams to life by practicing Lightweaving. It is unclear whether these experiences were a means for Shallan to deal with a troubled childhood or simply the play of an imaginative young girl.

“A familiar lullaby, one he always used to sing to her. In the room behind him, dark corpses stretched out on the floor. A red carpet once white.”

—Lin sings "Sleep My Baby Dear" to comfort his daughter

At the age of eleven, Shallan's mother discovered that her daughter was a Surgebinder. Her mother and a friend confronted Lin, trying to argue that something must be done about Shallan. The argument became a fight after the unfamiliar man drew a knife, apparently intended for Shallan. She watched as her father and the man struggled--her father scoring a cut on the man's arm before being pinned to the ground. Her mother seized the knife and moved for Shallan, prompting Shallan to summon Pattern as a Shardblade in self-defense. After killing both her mother and the associate, Shallan dropped the Blade and fell into a state of intense shock. Lin placed the Shardblade in his strongbox and held Shallan while singing "Sleep My Baby Dear" to soothe her. Though the Blade naturally vanished, Shallan began to associate it with her "Mother's soul," which she believed was held in the strongbox--an idea she clung to so firmly that the safe would visibly glow to Shallan's eyes. In the months that followed, Shallan began to repress her memories of her mother and these events. Her disassociation with the Shardblade and the truth of what had happened caused her bond with Pattern to weaken nearly to the point of nonexistence. In order to protect his daughter, Lin Davar allowed rumors to spread that he had murdered his wife and her lover--a secret he would share with few before his own death.

Cutting the Thorns

“Shallan longed to stay outside. Here in the gardens, people didn't scream at each other. Here there was peace.”

—Shallan at age 12

After her mother's death, Shallan did not speak for five months. At this time, Helaran became involved with the Skybreakers, which frequently kept him away from his family's estates. Before leaving, Helaran purchased a sheaf of fine drawing paper and a new set of charcoal pencils for Shallan--along with a leather satchel--hoping to coax some life back into his sister, who had enjoyed drawing at an early age. All of the younger Davar siblings had handled the death of their mother poorly, and Helaran hoped that Shallan would help to lift their spirits in his absence.

Lin the confronted his eldest son, who had ordered a carriage prepared without his father's permission to leave. Shallan watched as Helaran drew a mysterious Shardblade of his own and held it to his father's chest--naming the man a murderer. After threatening his father further and dismissing Lin's attempt to explain the truth, Shallan begged Helaran to relent. Amused that her first words after the incident would be to defend their father, Helaran dismissed his blade. He explained again to Shallan that he would have to leave, despite her objections, and promised that he would one day explain the reasons for his activities. After asking her to continue to practice her drawing and threatening to keep an eye on Lin, he left--prompting their father to destroy several pieces of furniture in an uncontrollable rage which lessened only after returning his gaze to Shallan.

For the next year and a half Helaran come only sporadically, always avoiding his father. During a particularly long absence they received word from him only once through a brief letter--containing little aside from veiled threats for Lin--along with a book for Shallan written by Jasnah Kholin. Lin Davar's anger only grew as he would occasionally turn his violence towards the servants. Shallan practiced her artistic skill with the help of a drawing book by Dandos the Oilsworn, often using art as a diversion from the family's struggles. Shallan's other siblings continued to fare poorly, with Balat mistreating animals and starting fires and Jushu given over to drunkenness and gambling. The house was also facing economic shortfalls--a truth Shallan discovered as she began assisting with the family's accounts. In spite of this, Lin Davar frequently insisted on throwing elaborate feasts, whereupon he would flaunt his alleged wealth to impress their lower-dahn guests. Given a new dress for each occasion, Shallan became part of this elaborate display as well.

The Davar children--Jushu, Balat, Shallan, Helaran, and Wikim--by Botanicaxu

At one such feast around late 1169, with the Tavinar family in attendance, Lin Davar announced his recent betrothal to Malise Gevelmar. After uncomfortable, prompted applause from his guests and family, a disgruntled Lin distributed gifts to his children--fine daggers for his sons and an aluminum necklace for Shallan. The feast was suddenly interrupted by Redin, bastard son of Highprince Valam, come to investigate the rumors of murder. Lin denied the rumors and requested that further discussion be held in private. While waiting, Shallan told jokes to her brothers, prompting laughs, smiles, and their first genuine interaction with one another in quite some time. After additional encouragement from Shallan, Balat complained that simple optimism will not solve their problems. However he later thanked Shallan for the light she seemed to bring them. Speaking loudly so as to be heard by the children, Redin declared his need for a testimony against Lin Davar in order to convict the man. Balat considered answering this summons before fear led to hesitation. Wikim encouraged Shallan to speak out, noting that their father will not harm her. However, Shallan claimed that she could not remember what had happened, while internally denying that anything had happened at all. After earning no response from the children, Redin reiterated that a witness was welcome to come forward at any time. At the demands of Lin, Redin then departed.

“You can't fix us, Shallan. Jushu will destroy himself. It's only a matter of time. Balat is becoming Father, step by step. Malise spends one night in two weeping. Father will kill her one of these days, like he did Mother.”

—Wikim to Shallan at the Middlefest Fair

Determined to continue bringing hope to her brothers, Shallan began seeking ways to encourage each of them to take steps away from their vices and towards more positive activities. At the Middlefest Fair of 1170 Shallan put several of these plans into action after seizing an opportunity to leave her father's side when Lin and Malise began discussing the terms of a one-sided trade deal with Brightlord Revilar. Accompanied by a guard, Jix, Shallan sought out Eylita Tavinar and then delivered a message from her to Balat in the festival's gambling pavilion. Shallan revealed to Balat that she had seen the two eyeing one another and so had organized an opportunity for the two to meet and walk together. With Balat on his way to meet Eylita, Shallan returned to find her father concluding a meeting with an unfamiliar messenger who came with news from Helaran. The man gave a start of surprise upon seeing Shallan, and then dumped a powdery substance into his own cup before departing. When Shallan prodded for the news, Lin declared Helaran to be officially disinherited and named Nan Balat his heir. He then asked Shallan to speak with Wikim, who had refused to leave the family's carriage. Shallan took this opportunity to leave again, and found Wikim where he had been left. After discussing the family's battered state with Wikim, Shallan proffered several sheets of math problems related to highstorm timing calculations, which she had taken from her father's books and translated into glyphs. Seeing through her intent, Wikim belittled her efforts, but he could later be seen working the problems attentively and with a smile. Leaving the carriage feeling dejected, Shallan crossed paths with Helaran's messenger. The man, later revealed to be Wit, shared what little news he had of Helaran: that Shallan's brother was in good health, "doing things he finds very important," and keeping an eye on their father. He then began to ask pointed questions of Shallan, suggesting that he was aware of her family's brokenness and Shallan's Surgebinding abilities. After sharing a story about two blind men contemplating beauty, Wit asked Shallan to indulge him with her own definition of beauty. With some prompting, Shallan began to describe a idyllic scene of her family--all present, including her mother and eldest brother--in their gardens, interacting with one another in love and joy. As she spoke, Wit held out a handful of infused spheres, which Shallan subconsciously used to Lightweave the scene described. Realizing what she was doing, Shallan withdrew her abilities. Wit encouraged her, suggesting that their struggles are partially caused by an Unmade or some other supernatural force. Apparently satisfied with what he had discovered of her abilities, Wit then bowed, disclosed that Helaran was currently in Alethkar, and left.

“Keep cutting at those thorns, strong one, and make a path for the light. The things you fight aren't completely natural.”

—Wit to Shallan at the Middlefest Fair

The strain between Lin Davar and his household came to a head later that year, when Jushu's gambling debts climbed higher than he could manage. Shallan, now fourteen years old, was joking with Balat and Wikim in the family gardens when the three heard the arrival of a carriage. As they rose to investigate, Wikim gave Shallan a small pouch of blackbane leaves he had been intending to use and thanked her for her enheartening efforts. They arrived at the manor house to discover Jushu bound, his creditors demanding repayment from the boy's father. Refusing to pay his son's debts, Lin relinquished Jushu and hardened himself to Shallan's pleas. After repeatedly petitioning her father to change his mind, Lin Davar came to the decision that he had been too soft for the last several years. Grabbing Shallan firmly by the arm, he sent her to her rooms without further question. Determined to do what she could regardless, Shallan asked Balat and Wikim for their daggers and chased after Jushu. She begged for her brother's life, using both emotional appeals and logical arguments to convince the men to trade Jushu to her in exchange for the fine daggers. Shallan's sense of victory soon vanished, however. Upon returning to her room, Shallan's father arrived--behind him lying the bloody, crumpled body of a serving maid. Resolved not to harm his own daughter, Lin coldly explained that his anger was beyond his control and that future disobedience from Shallan would result in others being punished in her place. The brightlord's assertions that he has plans to make something great of House Davar suggest that these events coincided with the onset of Lin Davar's involvement with the Ghostbloods.

“I've done this for you, and you will obey. I've gone wrong, somewhere, in letting you learn to question me. There will be changes in this house. No more weakness. I've found a way . . .”

—Lin Davar to Shallan

The Perfect Daughter

In the months that followed, Shallan became very quiet and submissive, avoiding her father when possible by confining herself to her room most of the time--her only act of rebellion taking the form of private jokes about her father's visitors when in the company of her siblings. The family's fortunes began to improve, though it did not restore kindness to Lin Davar as Shallan hoped it would. In mid-1172 Lin confronted Balat over his relationship with Eylita Tavinar, with whom a marriage would provide no political advantages. When the argument became heated, Balat crossed the line of naming his father a murderer, and Lin commanded his guards to put down the boy's new axehound pups--an order they swiftly executed. Before leaving, Balat revealed that Helaran had returned. Shallan followed to inquire further about his conversation with their brother, and Balat explained that this would likely be Helaran's final visit for a very long time. Balat proposes that they flee, confessing that he will do anything necessary to be with Eylita. Shallan convinced Balat that he should take Wikim and Jushu as well, though explained that she would not be able to join them. Shallan then returned to the manor and overheard her father give the command to have Helaran assassinated. Before she could react, the voice of Malise spoke up--criticizing Lin for going too far. Shallan fled to her room as the argument escalated and an enraged Lin attacked his wife.

“He'll kill us all. One by one, he'll break us and kill us. There's a darkness inside of him. I've seen it, behind his eyes. A beast . . .”

—Malise to Shallan after being beaten

A couple of hours later, strengthened by encouragement from a book by Jasnah Kholin, Shallan went to Balat and asked him to flee with Malise as well. News of the order to assassinate Helaran urged him to take action, and the two conspirators began to discuss a way for them to leave and seek help before being caught. Upon returning to the house, Shallan entered her father's sitting room to attend the wounded Malise--her first time in the room since the day of her mother's death. As Shallan began to clean and bind her stepmother's wounds the woman bitterly questioned why Lin hates everyone besides his daughter. Shallan then explained her plans made with Balat, dismissing Malise's concerns, before departing.

Shallan and Balat set their plans into motion during the final weeks of 1172, just prior to Shallan's seventeenth Weeping. Helaran seemed to have disappeared, having been killed by Kaladin just several weeks prior. Balat decided to continue with the plan, however, by seeking refuge in Highprince Valam and Redin's promise made years before. They began to discuss what to do with Malise when Wikim suddenly appeared with news that Eylita had arrived, unscheduled. The siblings sought out Eylita and their father in the feast hall, where Lin Davar revealed that he was aware of Balat's plans to leave and that he had news that Helaran had died on a battlefield in Alethkar. Shallan, while passing by the kitchens on a separate task, then discovered the lifeless body of Malise. Realizing that her father was beyond saving, Shallan prepared a glass of wine and poisoned it with the blackbane leaves she had received from Wikim years before. As Shallan worked, Balat and Lin drew swords. The duel was short and ended with Balat unarmed on one knee. Mocking his son, Lin paused to drink Shallan's proffered wine. Balat took the distraction to grab his sword and thrust at his father, but he narrowly missed. Furious, Lin seized an iron poker from beside the fire and began to beat Balat's leg mercilessly. After several blows, Eylita placed herself in the way. After a brief pause, Lin began to swing at the girl before suddenly slumping to the ground--the poison having done it's work. Shallan commanded Eylita to bind Balat's wound while explaining what she had done with the blackbane leaves. As Jushu pulled a mysterious Soulcaster from his father's pocket, Lin began to stir and they realized that the poison had only worked to temporarily paralyze the man. Before he could recover, Shallan looped her necklace around her father's neck and twisted it tight, whispering "Sleep My Baby Dear" as he suffocated.

The Plan

Though House Davar was effectively wealthy at the time of Lin's death, the man had extended himself with aggressive business deals which the Davar children were unable to make good on. Their finances had depended heavily upon the use of a secret Soulcaster to create a stream of steady income by means of marble deposits "discovered" on their lands. During the fight that ended in Lin's death, Balat accidentally damaged the Soulcaster. They took the Soulcaster to a jeweler to have it superficially repaired, but their father's adviser who was trained to use the fabrial, a Ghostbloods member named Luesh, claimed that it still would not work. With their source of income gone and their father unable to reassure creditors, the family's financial state was in peril. The siblings considered their options and determined that the only means by which they could settle their debts was with a working Soulcaster. Unable to repair the device in secret, Shallan devised a plan to become the ward of Jasnah Kholin--ostensibly a heretic with a Soulcaster of her own--and covertly exchange the fabrials. The request to Jasnah was written in desperation, but when the princess replied Shallan and her brothers believed that the plan was worth the risk. Shallan was to meet Jasnah in Dumadari in two weeks time, however Jasnah's constant travels left Shallan chasing the woman for nearly six months. For most of this journey, Shallan traveled with Captain Tozbek--a longtime business partner of the Davar family, who offered a generous discount--aboard the Wind's Pleasure. Shallan finally caught up with Jasnah Kholin in the city of Kharbranth.

Kharbranth (1173)

Petitioning Jasnah Kholin

Shallan in Kharbranth, by John Ly

Upon arriving in Kharbranth in Shash 1173, Shallan now seventeen years old, Captain Tozbek checked with the dock registrar to confirm that Jasnah Kholin was still in the city. He explained to Shallan that, as a princess, Jasnah would certainly be staying in the Conclave at the top of the city. Tozbek assigned one of his men, Yalb, to escort Shallan, and promised to deliver her belongings if she proved successful with Jasnah. Yalb hired a rickshaw porter for Shallan and served as a translator as they took the direct route from the docks to the Conclave. Shallan took in the exotic sights of the unfamiliar city as Yalb translated the porter's commentary. Upon reaching their destination the porter attempted to overcharge Shallan, but Yalb explained the truth. Shallan paid Yalb handsomely for his help and asked him to to remain outside the Conclave in the event she needed him further. Once inside, Shallan sought the assistance of a master-servant, who located Jasnah Kholin and led Shallan to the woman. Shallan joined Jasnah as she accompanied King Taravangian to the site of a recent cave-in which had trapped his granddaughter. Though Jasnah was impressed by her tenacity, Shallan soon realized that Jasnah's request to meet was merely an opportunity for her to petition the woman rather than a tentative acceptance. Jasnah began to evaluate Shallan's educational background and, with a few exceptions, found it to be sorely lacking in several subjects. Upon reaching the cave-in, their conversation was put on hold. Jasnah Kholin used her Soulcaster to transform the fallen boulder into smoke--freeing those trapped on the other side and gaining Taravangian's leave to make use of the Palanaeum. Wasting no time, Jasnah denied Shallan's request for wardship and made her way to the cities famed library.

Determined not to return home without trying every avenue, Shallan decided to make a second attempt to convince Jasnah to take her on. She followed after Jasnah to the Palanaeum and, finding the 1000 sapphire broam cost of entry well beyond her means, sought out Jasnah's alcove in the Veil. After reaching the alcove, Shallan took a moment to draw sketches of Kharbranth and Yalb to clear her mind. After a third sketch, of Jasnah Soulcasting the boulder, Shallan drafted a letter that she hoped would change Jasnah's mind. Before she could place the letter and leave, she was interrupted by a young ardent, Kabsal. After admiring Shallan's artwork, Kabsal explained that he had been attempting for some time to meet with Jasnah and convert her back to Vorinism. Kabsal left shortly before Jasnah's arrival. Shallan was swiftly dismissed, after being berated by Jasnah for wasting her time, but as Shallan composed herself outside the alcove a servant invited her back in to collect the spheres she had left. Jasnah Kholin apologized for her anger and sour mood and, at Shallan's prompting, read the letter which had been overlooked. Impressed by Shallan's arguments and the revelation that she was self-trained, Jasnah gave Shallan the unique opportunity to request wardship a second time--after improving her deficiencies in history and philosophy. Thanking Jasnah, but realizing her house would be destitute by the time she could repetition, Shallan departed.

“You can tell much about a person by what they carry with them. If that notebook is any indication, you pursue scholarship in your free time for its own sake. That is encouraging.”

—Jasnah deciding to make Shallan her ward

Upon leaving the Conclave, Shallan was surprised to discover Yalb still waiting outside, gambling with a group of city guards. Yalb attempted to cheer Shallan up as they made their way towards the docks, after she had explained her failure with Jasnah, and he eventually convinced her to make one final attempt to win Jasnah's acceptance. Yalb sought out a bookstore and Shallan went inside, searching for books by some of the authors Jasnah had listed. The Thaylen book merchant, Artmyrn, and his wife were somewhat taken aback by the young lighteyed girl's requests and attempted to sell her a romance novel instead. After a series of biting remarks from Shallan, they eventually provided her with some of the works she had requested. Finding the cost much higher than expected, but unskilled in haggling, Shallan began to pay when Yalb suddenly burst into the room pretending to work as the servant of one of Artmyrn's competitors. With Yalb's help Shallan was able to reduce the price significantly before making her purchase and returning to the Conclave. Shallan gave Yalb the sketch she had made of him in thanks and returned to the Palanaeum where she rented the alcove adjacent to Jasnah's. She settled herself with her new books, planning to study as much as possible before Jasnah's departure from Kharbranth. Jasnah, who had bribed the servants to report if Shallan returned, appeared a moment later, surprising Shallan. She guessed at Shallan's new plan and, knowing something of House Davar's precarious situation, explained she understood the source of Shallan's urgency. Jasnah then requested to see her satchel, sifting through the contents before beginning to study Shallan's sketchbook. Impressed by Shallan's natural curiosity and inclination to scholarship, as expressed in her drawings, Jasnah finally decided to grant Shallan's request for wardship. She wrote home the next morning via spanreed, letting her brothers know that she had succeeded in the first step of their plan to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster.

A Scholar's Mantle

Shallan was provided a simple room within Jasnah's quarters in the Karbranthian Conclave. She was given admittance to the Palanaeum and trained to use the library's ubiquitous filing system. Shallan greatly enjoyed her new position as Jasnah's ward, dividing her work between her own education, assistance with Jasnah's research, and occasionally some cherished time for her personal interests. Though her education sometimes proved to be a tedious endeavour, Shallan found the new lifestyle to be a refreshing experience. While she expected her her wardship to be one of dull memorization and busywork, instead she found interest in her studies and encouragement from Jasnah. The newfound freedom was a treasure and her self-confidence grew tremendously.

Jasnah, Shallan, Kabsal, and Taravangian, by Botanica

After her father had placed tight restrictions on what and whom Shallan was allowed to sketch, she now relished the opportunity to draw anyone who would permit it. Shallan's talent quickly became the talk of the Conclave, and as word spread even King Taravangian himself came to request a portrait from the young artist. While sketching the king, she accidentally added the forms of two Cryptics standing behind the man. Not understanding the significance of what she had drawn, Shallan claimed she had made a mistake and started the sketch anew. This surprised Jasnah, who had never known Shallan to make such mistakes in their time together. Though Jasnah herself did not show much interest in Shallan's artistic ability, she did see some value in it. On one occasion she had Shallan copy the purported image of a "Voidbringer" while corresponding with Dalinar.

Kabsal continued to visit periodically under the pretense of converting Jasnah, though his romantic interest in Shallan became apparent as he often arrived while Jasnah was away. Their friendship grew as the two would converse over bread and different varieties of jam--Shallan's favorite. Shallan found herself in an awkward position--torn between Kabsal's concern for her soul, as the ward of the infamous atheist, and Jasnah's frank suspicion that Kabsal was using Shallan to get steal her Soulcaster. Jasnah did not forbid their friendship, however, and Shallan found great satisfaction in the young man's attention.

Shallan's true mission constantly loomed before her, however. As she worked to earn Jasnah's trust, action would soon be demanded, and though Jasnah certainly proved to be a difficult woman to please, she was far from the harsh apostate from whom Shallan had imagined she would be stealing. After two months as Jasnah's ward, Shallan received word via spanreed from her brothers, who faced increasing pressure from their creditors. Nan Balat further confided that Luesh had been found dead and that his associates were demanding the return of the Soulcaster behind veiled threats. On top of the added urgency, this would require Shallan to learn how to use the device in addition to stealing it. Though she took great efforts to study Jasnah's technique with the Soulcaster, the woman used it sparingly where Shallan could see. As Sallan took greater care to observe Jasnah, she also took secret interest in the woman's private research. While the princess sometimes gave Shallan work to do which was related, such as a scholarly investigation into the death of King Gavilar, she never revealed the nature of her studies. Shallan was, however, able to catch glimpses of the books that Jasnah was reading. Eventually, Shallan went searching for a copy of one such book only to find that it was merely a collection of folktales and children's stories.

Jasnah Soulcasting criminals--by Grant Hansen

An opportunity to steal the Soulcaster finally arrived soon after Jasnah began using Shallan as her bathing attendant. One evening, as the women conversed over the nature of Gavilar's early interactions with the Parshendi while Jasnah soaked in her bath with eyes closed, Shallan moved to swap their Soulcasters. Heart beating wildly, Shallan froze up and found herself unable to make the exchange. As she glumly attended to Jasnah while contemplating her weakness, the two began discussing the philosophy of morality. Having decided that Shallan's studies had been too academic of late, Jasnah became suddenly inspired to teach Shallan a hands-on philosophy lesson. She dressed and, despite the late hour, they made their way out of the Palanaeum and into the city itself. They walked the Ralinsa towards the theater district until coming to a dark side street which provided the most direct path. Jasnah explained that several murders had happened along this street in the previous two months and that the city watch had done nothing. After defending their right to use the road safely, Jasnah led them down the side street and revealed the gems of her Soulcaster. Four men with knives soon attacked, but as Shallan screamed in panic Jasnah swiftly Soulcasted one man into fire, another into quartz, and the final two into smoke as they ran. They returned to the Conclave on a palanquin. Shallan, shocked and horrified by what Jasnah had done, argued with her tutor over the ethics of the encounter. Jasnah defended her actions then tasked Shallan with researching the various philosophies involved and building her own case on the matter. As Shallan helped Jasnah undress and prepare for bed, she suddenly spotted another opportunity to swap the Soulcasters. Galvanized by her disgust at what Jasnah had done with the device, Shallan checked that Jasnah wasn't looking and performed the theft unnoticed.

“There will be times when you must make decisions that churn your stomach, Shallan Davar. I'll have you ready to make those decisions.”

—Jasnah Kholin

Heart of a Thief

A few days later, Shallan still found herself disturbed and confused by what she had witnessed. The experience drew out memories of the recent murder of her own father and forced her to confront her recent theft on behalf of her family, which only challenged her further. Shallan also had a difficult time waiting to see whether Jasnah would suspect her in the theft. Nan Balat contacted Shallan once again, with more concerns for the house's finances and the men asking about the Soulcaster. Though he urged her to return soon, Shallan explained that she could not leave until she had an opportunity to deflect Jasnah's suspicions. Though several days had passed, Jasnah showed no signs that something was wrong, which left Shallan unsure whether Jasnah was even aware of the theft. This left her trapped in Kharbranth, but it also gave Shallan more opportunities to study the device's method of operation. She turned to the sketches of her memories of Jasnah's "philosophy lesson," but found no revelations as to how the Soulcaster was made to work and was unable to make it transform anything when practicing in private.

Shallan in the Palanaeum--by Alex Allen

Eventually Shallan completed her philosophy studies, deciding that Jasnah's actions were "both legal and right," but also immoral and unethical. After determining that Shallan had studied the subject to her satisfaction, Jasnah gave her the day off. Shallan returned to her quarters to test the Soulcaster further, having found a new reference the day. The tip, however, proved useless, and Shallan's mind began to wander until she took to drawing. As she sketched the strata of the rocks on her ceiling she heard a voice suddenly whisper, "What are you?" Startled, Shallan investigated the source of the voice and found a maid in the sitting room. After realize the maid had entered Jasnah's room (despite requests that no maid enter), Shallan sent the woman to apologize to Jasnah and took the opportunity to look through Jasnah's notes herself. Though she hoped to find some reference concerning use of the Soulcaster, Shallan instead found several notebooks of Jasnah's research into the Voidbringers and the Knights Radiant. As she wondered why Jasnah would be so interested in such myths, a knock at the door forced her to abandon the espionage abruptly.

The new visitor was Kabsal, bearing jam and bread, which they took to the Conclave gardens to enjoy. Over the course of their conversation Kabsal began hinting more outwardly of his growing affection toward Shallan, even suggesting that he would leave the ardentia to be with her. Uncomfortable with the situation, Shallan deflected the conversation towards Jasnah and her skepticism of the ardent, which then gave her the opportunity to ask Kabsal about the nature of Soulcasters. Kabsal unfortunately proved to have no personal experience or useful knowledge regarding the device. After Kabsal departed, Shallan's thoughts shifted towards the realization that she would need to leave Kharbranth soon. Saddened by the idea of her time as Jasnah's ward reaching its end, she decided to return to the Veil and spend the remainder of her free day studying. On her way, she received a letter from Captain Tozbek to inform her that they would arrive in the city in one week's time, placing a final deadline on her departure.

Shallan used her final days living the life of a young scholar. On the day prior to her departure, Shallan made an observation about the nature of King Gavilar's strange interest in the Parshendi which sparked a conversation about how Shallan's studies on the king related to Jasnah's own research. Though Jasnah avoided explaining herself fully, the prospect of her own discoveries supporting Jasnah's work excited Shallan. Realizing that her time was practically up, however, Shallan asked some blunt and probing questions about Urithiru, Voidbringers, and the Parshendi. When Jasnah eventually refused to answer further questions for the time being, Shallan found herself desperate to learn whatever she could in the time remaining. Under the excuse of searching for a book about Gavilar, she entered the Palanaeum to research anything she could find about the Voidbringers. She found little of substance after searching for two hours, however, and was discovered by Kabsal just as she began to return. She asked him questions while obtaining the book she had originally come for, though Kabsal knew little either.

Shallan fleeing from Cryptics, by Petar Penev

As they began to return to Jasnah's alcove, Shallan confessed to the ardent that she would be leaving the following day--giving the excuse of urgent family matters. Kabsal offered to come with her, but Shallan refused him a final time. Wounded, Kabsal asked for a sketch of himself before she departed, and Shallan suddenly realized that she had never drawn one of him during her time in Kharbranth. They hurried back to the Veil, and Shallan set to drawing the young man through tears. Kabsal then insisted that she draw a second image of them together in exchange for payment. Shallan used a mirror to capture a Memory of the pair of them and began to sketch while filled with feelings of guilt and anxiety. As she wrestled with these emotions, Shallan once again accidentally sketched the form of a Cryptic, standing behind Kabsal. Crushed by the weight of her circumstances and concerned for her mental state, Shallan declared that she had made a mistake and dashed from the balcony seeking privacy. As she took the lift down to the main level Shallan took another Memory of the landing above. Upon quickly sketching the scene two of the symbol-headed figures stood above, watching her. Shallan fled to her quarters as quickly as possible, pausing for one more moment along the way to draw another sketch--this time with five of the creatures following her. She hid in her room, huddled on the bed with doors locked, as she began yet another sketch of her surroundings which revealed a group of the Cryptics surrounding her--one of them reaching out as if to touch her. Despite her promises to herself not to use the blade ever since her mother's death, Shallan began to summon her secret Shardblade out of pure terror. She was interrupted then by a voice, asking, "What are you?" With her response, "I'm terrified," the room around her crashed into beads and Shallan found herself in Shadesmar for the first time. Though only there for a moment, she accidentally managed to Soulcast the crystal goblet beside her bed into blood. Assuming that the transformation was related to the device she carried in her safepouch, Shallan was shocked out of fear momentarily and began to ponder what she had done. Jasnah, however, had followed quickly and began knocking on Shallan's door. Out of concern that Jasnah would discover the blood and realize Shallan had the Soulcaster, she took a shard of glass that was broken in the accident and cut a gash in her own wrist. As Jasnah entered the room, Shallan slipped into unconsciousness.

Questions and Answers

Shallan spent two days in the hospital under the constant eye of the nurses, who suspected that the incident had been a suicide attempt. Shallan had time while she rested to consider what had happened, but as she pondered she only found more questions. After a brief visit from King Taravangian, Jasnah and Kabsal were finally permitted to see Shallan. Jasnah apologized deeply for the pressure she had placed on Shallan, assuming that she had overworked her ward, and gave Shallan a copy of the Book of Endless Pages as a gift. Kabsal entered a moment later with a gift of strawberry jam, and Shallan insisted that Jasnah stay and share the bread. As they spoke, Shallan's plans to leave were revealed to Jasnah, who assumed it was also related to the pressure she had placed on her student. As they began to eat the bread, Kabsal began to insist emphatically that Shallan try the jam. When she took the jar for herself however, she found that it had a vile odor and was unwilling to try it. Kabsal took some for himself anyways, desperate to get it down, before stumbling away and collapsing. Shallan leapt from her bed after him but found that she was dizzy herself. She fell as Jasnah called for a ruby for her Soulcaster for use in healing Shallan. Believing that Jasnah would be unable to help her with the swapped, broken Soulcaster, Shallan revealed the stolen Soulcaster from her pouch before passing out.

“She'd lost it all. No fabrial to protect her family, no wardship to continue her studies. No Kabsal. She'd never actually had him in the first place.”

—Shallan after her theft was revealed

She awoke alone in a quiet room and her memories slowly began to settle. A single man guarded the entrance to her new room, and reported to Jasnah when Shallan woke. Jasnah arrived and explained that Kabsal--now dead--had poisoned the bread in order to assassinate Jasnah and that she had saved Shallan's life by Soulcasting the poison from her blood. The theft now revealed, Jasnah questioned Shallan's motives before accepting the truth Shallan provided. Jasnah revealed Kabsal's conspiracy and death, chided Shallan for her actions, and explained that she had arranged passage for Shallan to return home the following day before leaving without further response.

Left alone, Shallan slowly processed through her thoughts and heavy emotions concerning the theft, Kabsal, and her time in Kharbranth. As she considered the poisoned bread and examined sketches of her memories, several holes in Jasnah's explanation began to surface. Why had the antidote failed? Why had Jasnah not been poisoned. Paired with her own experience Soulcasting without the apparent aid of the Soulcaster, the answer eventually became clear to Shallan: Jasnah could Soulcast without the use of a fabrial. She left the hospital, during the night and still wearing her gown, and made her way to Jasnah's alcove in the Veil. The princess threatened to call the guards but hesitated as Shallan began to explain what she had uncovered. Though at first Jasnah began to explain Shallan's arguments away, a sketch of Shallan's look into Shadesmar gave the woman pause. As final proof, Shallan reached out to Pattern (whose existence was still a vague memory) and spoke a deep truth--that of her murder of her father--which enabled her to visit Shadesmar once more. Shallan crashed into the sea of dark glass beads and began to slip beneath the surface before Jasnah suddenly appeared as well and pulled Shallan back from the other realm.

“I want to know, Jasnah. I want to be your ward in truth. Whatever the source of this thing you can do, I can do it too. I want you to train me and let me be part of your work.”

—Shallan petitioning Jasnah to reaccept her

Though Shallan's betrayal had cut deep, Jasnah found herself unable to pass up the opportunity to teach and train a new, young Surgebinder. Under heavy conditions and promises, Jasnah reaccepted Shallan as her ward and began to share the truth of her Soulcasting abilities, the deeper secrets of her research into the Voidbringers. After studying Jasnah's notes, Shallan agreed with her conclusions that the parshmen were, in fact, mankind's ancient enemies. She also learned of the urgency of Jasnah's research upon being told of the Ghostbloods--an organization that Shallan now realized her father had been dealing with. Though concerns for her family's situation weighed upon her, Shallan determined that assisting Jasnah was of greater importance. With the Palanaeum resources exhausted and assassins at Jasnah's heels, the pair began making plans to travel to the Shattered Plains.

Journey to the Shattered Plains (1173)

The Wind's Pleasure

“Power is an illusion of perception... On an individual basis, in most interactions, this thing we call power—authority—exists only as it is perceived... I can create that illusion for them, as can you.”

—Jasnah to Shallan, aboard the Wind's Pleasure

Jasnah and Shallan took passage towards the Shattered Plains aboard the Wind's Pleasure. Several days into the journey, as they sailed through Longbrow's Straits, Shallan was sketching from her memory of Shadesmar while on the ship's deck when she noticed Pattern's first reappearance. As she considered the strange sight, the crew began calling attention to a santhid which was spotted following the ship. Desiring to sketch the nearly mythological creature, Shallan attempted to have Captain Tozbek stop the ship, but the man refused her requests leaving Shallan deflated. Jasnah emerged from her cabin shortly afterwards and, seeing that Shallan was distracted by her visit to the strange realm of Shadesmar, explained the basic nature of the Cognitive Realm and spren to satiate Shallan's curiosity. When Shallan expressed concern for her brothers' situation, Jasnah explained that she had taken some actions to alleviate their problems. She had corresponded earlier in the day with her mother, Navani Kholin, making plans both to repair the broken Soulcaster and to establish a causal betrothal between Shallan and Adolin Kholin. This would solve the Davars' financial problems and satiate the Ghostbloods while also tying Shallan closer to Jasnah. Humbled by Jasnah's opinion of her potential, their conversation turned towards Shallan's self-doubt, to which Jasnah explained that power and influence is often nothing more than an illusion. Encouraged and emboldened by Jasnah, Shallan commanded Tozbek to stop the ship and lower her into the sea, where she was able to capture a Memory of the santhid for later sketching.

Shallan shocked by Jasnah's apparent death, by Botanicaxu

Pattern appeared again a few days later as Shallan was studying in her cabin. By taking a Memory and sketching the spren she was seemingly able to help cement his presence in the Physical Realm. Jasnah appeared at her door a moment later and the women discussed the nature of their nahel bonds and the spren associated with the Knights Radiant, including the Cryptics. Jasnah then charged Shallan with devoting her full time to the study of Pattern over the next several days. Pattern's intelligence and understanding seemed to be increasing notably as Shallan observed and conversed with him, though the crew took his presence as a bad omen. In once instance, as Pattern recalled his earliest memory, Shallan began to instinctively Lightweave--but it lasted only briefly once she realized the memories that it was unearthing. One evening, after a long but satisfying day of study, Shallan visited Jasnah's cabin to borrow infused spheres for light. She found Jasnah in an exhausted, troubled state which left a strong impression on Shallan--both of Jasnah's humanity and of the importance and urgency of their task. Upon hearing Shallan's desire to help bear the weight of their task, Jasnah explained more of what she understood about the Voidbringers and the Desolations. She also gave Shallan the requested spheres and explained the importance of Stormlight, along with what little she knew of Shallan's ability to Lightweave. She also gave Shallan a copy of Words of Radiance to study the Knights Radiant further. Shallan then retired to her room but slept only for a while before she was awoken by shouts and smoke. Shallan quickly surmised that the ship was under attack. Upon peeking out of her cabin she saw several men throw Jasnah's body to the floor and stab her through the chest. The men spotted Shallan who retreated into her room, leaving her trapped. As the men began to break through her door, Shallan was able to conjure a basic Lightweaving of a form dashing from the room and out onto the deck. The men chased, giving Shallan time to move to Jasnah's room. With the crew captured and no other means of escape Shallan entered Shadesmar and managed to Soulcast the entire ship into water. Shallan lost consciousness as she sank into the dark, icy ocean.

Tradesman Tvlakv

Presumably having been rescued by the santhid, Shallan awoke to find herself on a rock near the shore of the Frostlands. The fate of the crew uncertain, Shallan made her way to the beach and traced a glyphward prayer before searching for other survivors. As she began to wonder how she would survive the night, Pattern spotted a chest which turned out to be Jasnah's--containing all of the woman's notes and research as well as a wealth of infused spheres. With night drawing near and Stormlight at her disposal Shallan, attempted to Soulcast a stick into fire, but amidst her own exhaustion and inexperience she was unable to overcome the stick's stubborn will. Refusing to give up, Shallan began walking further along the beach long after the sun had set. She eventually noticed a campfire in the darkness. Too cold and tired to think clearly, Shallan approached the fire, laid down, and fell asleep. She was roused in the morning to learn that she had wandered into the camp of the slave merchant Tvlakv. Though the party was eager to move on without her, Shallan exerted her rank and made promises of payment in order to convince Tvlakv to escort her to the Shattered Plains. They retrieved Jasnah's chest then set off, Shallan riding a wagon along with one of Tvlakv's mercenaries, Bluth. Shallan sought to distract herself as the weight of her loss--everything from Jasnah to her sketchpad--slowly settled, though Bluth proved to be a poor conversation partner. After Tvlakv called a halt at midday, Shallan acquired the key for the cage on Bluth's wagon so that she might use the vehicle as a carriage. With a place to be in private, Shallan examined the contents of Jasnah's trunk and discussed with Pattern the reason for his coming and the need to continue Jasnah's research.

“You live lies. It gives you strength. But the truth . . . Without speaking truths you will not be able to grow, Shallan. I know this somehow.”

—Pattern to Shallan

Several days later, as the group was settling into camp for the evening, Shallan used Pattern to spy on Tvlakv and his other mercenary, Tag. Unsettled by their plans to hold her hostage in exchange for payment, Shallan approached Tvlakv to reiterate her promised payment and hint that she was aware of his schemes. Punctuating their exchange with an subtle Lightweaving, Shallan turned and headed back towards her carriage as Bluth returned from scouting the area with a call to put out the fire. He reported bandits in the vicinity, prompting the group to pack up their things and travel further through the night. As they continued riding the following day, Shallan began a new sketchbook with drawings of the santhid, local plant life, and Bluth in order to ease her nervousness. The bandits were spotted following, but eventually they found smoke in the distance ahead of them. Shallan pushed Tvalkv into approaching this new caravan, again making use of her Lightweaving abilities, and they set off once more. Shallan soon moved from her seat beside Bluth to the interior of her makeshift carriage for some privacy. She examined her feet, which she had treated with knobweed sap earlier in the day, to discover they were far more healed than they should be. In speaking with Pattern about her Lightweaving, which she had begun to realize she was unconsciously doing, Shallan learned how to breathe in Stormlight and determined that it was causing her feet to heal. They spoke further about the nature of Shallan's oaths and Pattern's belief that she would eventually kill him.

Shallan emerged from the carriage just as they moved near enough to determine that the caravan ahead was under attack. As they approached while the sun set, they encountered Tyn--the head of the new caravan's guard--who explained that the bandits who attacked them were still nearby. As this group began to attack again, turned with Bluth to confront the bandits following behind. Finding these men to be deserters from the Shattered Plains, Shallan appealed to their sense of honor and made promises of forgiven debts and pardons. She succeeded in convincing them, again with a Lightweaving to aid her, and these men charged off to join the battle. They proved victorious, but not without cost. Shallan found Bluth dead, clutching the sketch she had drawn of him earlier in the day, among dozens of others. Shallan spoke with the caravan's owner, Macob, and they agreed to accompany one another to the warcamps at the Shattered Plains. Shallan then seized Tvlakv's slaves, claiming them as payment in exchange for saving his life. She purchased his wagons as well, despite his protests which were stifled by Shallan's tentative ownership of her own new band of mercenaries.

Tyn's Apprentice

Shallan easily earned the respect of most of her new mercenaries, including Gaz and Red, but struggled with the threatening pessimism of the band's leader, Vathah, who was vocal in his doubt that she would keep her promises to them. On the fourth day of travel after the attack, Shallan was invited to dine with Tyn. They ate in private as Tyn revealed her belief that Shallan was actually another woman assuming the identity of "Shallan Davar" in order to pull off a scam. Though Shallan tried to convince Tyn of the truth at first, she eventually relented and invited Tyn to be part of a pretend scheme to blackmail Dalinar Kholin. Tyn took the younger Shallan under her wing and began teaching several skills, including acting and forgery, that would be useful to the girl she believed was a young, inexperienced con artist. Several days later, while the two women were practicing various accents, their caravan encountered four men on horseback. Tyn ordered Macob to halt, deciding that she and Shallan would confront the men alone in order to give Shallan a chance to practice some of the techniques they had spoken of. Prodded by Tyn, Shallan assumed the role of a Horneater princess as the men, including Kaladin and some members of Bridge Four, approached. As Kaladin began to question them, Shallan began to tease the captain and ultimately demanded his boots in payment for a feigned offense.

Two days later, just shy of the warcamps, Shallan had the caravan pause for a break as they passed a lait. She found a quiet place and took time to think and relax as she sketched, despite brief disturbances by Gaz and Vathah. As she moved from drawing the local plant life, Shallan drew two strange images--one of a woman kneeling over a broken statue and one of the crew of the Wind's Pleasure on a rocky beach. Tyn eventually interrupted and Shallan finally revealed that her supposed scheme was to assume the role of Adolin Kholin's betrothed. As she considered everything she would have to balance when arriving at the Shattered Plains--her actual betrothal along with Tyn's plans, all amidst Jasnah's research--she grew anxious but also excited.

Shallan drawing her Shardblade on Tyn--by Sheep

“Difficult things. Yes. I believe I told you. I’ve learned that lesson already. Thank you.”

—Shallan's final words to Tyn

The following day, the caravan finally reached the outskirts of the Alethi warcamps at the Shattered Plains. However, with a highstorm approaching at night and the sun soon setting, Tyn and Shallan decided to spend one last night in camp. As they waited for confirmation from Macob, Tyn revealed that her king, Hanavanar, along with six Veden highprinces had been murdered recently by the Assassin in White, prompting a succession war. She invited Shallan, secretly concerned for her brothers, to attend her later during a meeting with an informant via spanreed so that they could inquire for more information. Shallan later waited out the highstorm in her carriage--throughout which Pattern acted particularly strange and nervous--before joining Tyn. As they met with the informant, Shallan learned that her own family's own highprince, Valam, was preparing to assault Vedenar itself--if he wasn't secretly dead already due to poor health. Frustratingly, this gave her little insight into her brothers' situation. The informant continued with information on the deserters Shallan had recruited. To Shallan's dismay, Tyn insisted that they should turn the men over in exchange for reward. Her resistance prompted a firm lecture from Tyn, which left Shallan distracted by how to handle the situation. A new message soon came with news regarding the presumed death of Jasnah Kholin. As Shallan began to realize that Tyn was involved with the Ghostbloods, additional information came through about Jasnah's ward--Shallan herself. Tyn quickly realized the truth and attacked Shallan. Pattern was able to distract the woman for a short time by using Jasnah's voice, but when she finally approached Shallan with sword drawn, Shallan swiftly summoned Pattern as a Shardblade and pierced her through the chest. A moment latter Shallan's men poured into the room, having been warned by Pattern, to find Shallan with her Shardblade and Tyn dead on the ground. Shallan swore them to silence and set them about searching through Tyn's things. Only then did Shallan notice that the informant had continued writing with a request from the Ghostbloods for a meeting in the warcamps. Seeing an opportunity to discover how much the Ghostbloods knew, Shallan responded affirmatively.

The Shattered Plains (1173)

“Shallan awoke as a new woman. She wasn’t yet completely certain who that woman was, but she knew who that woman was not. She was not the same frightened girl who had suffered the storms of a broken home. She was not the same naive woman who had tried to steal from Jasnah Kholin. She was not the same woman who had been deceived by Kabsal and then Tyn... During the trip with Tvlakv, she'd pretended she could lead and take charge. She no longer felt the need to pretend.”

—Shallan's thoughts the morning she entered the warcamps at the Shattered Plains

A New Woman

Shallan in the Shattered Plains by Michael Whelan

The next morning Shallan prepared herself to enter the warcamps using Tyn's things. Macob and his people departed their camp first, sending a palanquin back for Shallan. Followed by her guards and slaves, Shallan intended to approach Dalinar Kholin, but they soon learned that all of the highprinces were in conference with King Elhokar, as the Assassin in White had attacked the previous evening. They proceeded to Elhokar's palace, where Shallan entered with Vathah and Gaz in attendance. At the entrance to the king's conference room, she was recognized by Kaladin, who took her claim to be Adolin Kholin's betrothed with a great deal of skepticism after her act as a Horneater princess three days prior. Their sourness of their previous meeting led to a bitter exchange of insults and caused a scene before all the many guards of each highprince that were present. Moments later the meeting of highprinces paused for a break, giving Shallan an opportunity to enter and approach Dalinar. She reported on the death of Jasnah to the highprince and Jasnah's mother, and tried to explain the nature of Jasnah's research before Navani began pressing for more details about Jasnah's murder. After Navani excused herself, Shallan garnered pardons for her guards, and then the discussion turned towards the betrothal as Adolin approached and introduced himself. They found one another attractive and though the basis for the union appeared weakened with the loss of Jasnah, Dalinar and Adolin agreed to maintain the causal for the time being.

The meeting resumed, and Shallan observed from the periphery, trying to piece together the current situation among the Alethi--including the news about the Assassin in White's attack and the nature of the strained relationship between Kholin and Sadeas. As the discussion concerning Szeth continued, Vamah noticed Shallan standing in the back and Ialai Sadeas began to question her concerning news of the assassin and the war in Jah Keved. Shallan had nothing in the way of news to offer, but her connection to Dalinar was made known and when several in the room appeared to see her as a political tool Shallan used the opportunity to find housing and employment with Turinad Sebarial. Eventually the meeting reached it's conclusion, and Shallan joined Sebarial for the ride back to his warcamp. Though Sebarial was not a particularly welcoming host, he kept his word, and once the pair reached Sebarial's manor, his mistress, Palona, proved far more amiable. She provided Shallan with a comfortable set of rooms and answered all of Shallan's questions before Shallan sank into her bed and fell into heavy sleep.

The Ghostbloods

Upon waking, Shallan found Tyn's spanreed flashing. She responded to Tyn's messenger, successfully imitating the woman, and learned that the Ghostbloods desired to meet within the hour. Unable to delay the meeting, Shallan explained that she--Tyn--was wounded, and that her apprentice would appear for the meeting instead. Shallan practiced her Lightweaving as she waited for the meeting to be coordinated, inventing a false identity to use as Tyn's supposed apprentice--a false identity she would soon come to name "Veil." With everything organized and her identity covered by an illusion, Shallan snuck out of her room and into the night. Shallan eventually located the building she had been directed to in Sebarial's camp. The guard at the entrance allowed her to enter and then led her down into a basement and through a trapdoor. In the stately room below, Shallan met Mraize and an audience of silent onlookers, including masked Iyatil. Though disappointed not to see Tyn herself, Mraize decided to spare "Veil's" life, intrigued by her boldness. He asked Shallan, whom he calls "little knife," to have Tyn infiltrate Brightlord Amaram's palace in search of "hidden secrets." Shallan then left the hideout and returned home, using a Lightweaving along the way to elude a pursuing Iyatil.

“That was, she thought, the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done. And yet she found herself excited, flushed with the thrill of it. Storms! She’d enjoyed that. The tension, the sweat, the talking her way out of being killed, even the chase at the end. What was wrong with her? ... I’m not that girl anymore, Shallan thought, smiling and staring at the ceiling. I haven’t been for weeks now.”

—After Shallan's first meeting with the Ghostbloods

Six days after the meeting with the Ghostbloods, Shallan used her increasing skill with Lightweaving to sneak into Amaram's manor. Disguised first as a messenger boy and then as one of the maids, Telesh, she sought out the room which she suspected held Amaram's secrets. Inside, she found detailed maps of the Shattered Plains covered with stormwarden script. Additional notes revealed that Amaram was studying the same things that interested Jasnah--and that he was working to return the Voidbringers. Short on time, Shallan captured Memories of the documents before leaving the room. She covered her tracks on the way out, tying the loose ends of the lies used to enter the manor. Leaving the camp as the messenger boy, she informed Amaram that Shallan Davar wished to make sketches of his Shardblade. At this he summoned the Blade, revealing it to be Helaran's and leading Shallan to believe that Amaram must be responsible for her elder brother's death.

The following afternoon, after Adolin's duel with Elit, Shallan travelled by carriage as Veil to the appointed meeting place outside of the warcamps in the Unclaimed Hills. After a short hike she reached a pavilion where several Ghostbloods, including Mraize, awaited her. Believing Tyn to have failed in her assigned mission, Mraized was taken by surprise when Shallan produced multiple sketches of what she had seen in Amaram's room, though some detail had been secretly withheld. Mraize deduced that Shallan must have entered the room herself, but was disbelieving when she claimed to have produced the sketches from memory. He tested her then by having her drawn one of his associates, Jin, on the spot. Shallan's success impressed Mraize thoroughly and he began to probe at her motivations, which led to his realization that Shallan had killed Tyn. He assured her that this would not damage her credibility with the Ghostbloods as Tyn was not a member, and then told Shallan to await instructions concerning a new task. Upon leaving, Shallan grew concerned that someone might follow her again, so she Lightwove a boulder to hide inside of. She had Pattern command the carriage driver to head back into the warcamps, using her voice to deceive the man into thinking she had slipped in quietly. The Ghostbloods eventually passed, but Shallan continued waiting until here Stormlight ran out. Along her long walk back to the warcamps, Shallan passed the burning wreckage of the carriage and the corpse of the coachman, reinforcing fears that she was in more danger than she realized.

A note from Mraize eventually came approximately two weeks later, directing her to seek further instructions at a specific time and location. Shallan arrived early, hoping to catch the delivery of these instructions, but after a long wait with no arrivals she began to wonder if the Ghostbloods were attempting to watch her in turn. She had Pattern search the windows of the tenement she waited on and was able to trick a spying Iyatil into revealing herself. The masked woman explained that the instructions provided were supposed to be carried out immediately, so that the Ghostbloods could watch Veil at work. When Shallan pressed, she explained that her task was to investigate a strange madman who had arrived in the warcamps under the custody of one of Dalinar Kholin's most trusted footmen. Determined to impress the Ghostbloods, Shallan invited Iyatil to join her on the task.

The women rode a palanquin to the temple complex in Dalinar's warcamps, where Shallan simply used her own identity to gain entrance while Iyatil was distracted. They reached the building where the man--none other than the Herald Talenel--was being kept, along with other mentally ill patients. Shallan then convinced the ardents that Iyatil was possessed by a Voidbringer, giving her a distraction to slip through unnoticed as well as a mean to escape from Iyatil's observation, and snuck into Taln's dimly lit room. Though the crazed man reacted minimally at first, constantly reciting his repetitive speech about his nature and purpose, an attempt to Surgebind by Shallan caused him to snap into a brief intense lucidity in which he seemed to recognize her as a Knight Radiant. Dazed after drawing her Shardblade in fear, Shallan was unable to leave before Meridas Amaram arrived with Bordin to question the man himself. Shallan hid behind a Lightweaving as the brightlord asked questions of the man without success, revealing to Shallan that he believed the words of the Herald to be true. After the two new arrivals departed, Shallan returned to Iyatil with information about Taln's rambling speech and the arrival of Amaram. Later that evening she delivered a full report via spanreed. Upon receipt, Mraize welcomed Shallan as a full member of the Ghostbloods.

“I seek the truth. Wherever it may be, whoever may hold it. That’s who I am.”

—Shallan explaining herself to Iyatil

Adolin Kholin's Betrothed

Shallan with Adolin on the lighteyed training grounds

A few days after arriving in the Shattered Plains, Shallan visited the Kholin practice grounds as Adolin practiced under the watchful eyes of Kaladin and his guards. Shallan used their brief interaction to casually plan a walk with Adolin the following day, which in turn opened the door to a date at a winehouse of Adolin's choosing. They used this time to get to know one another on a personal level, and seemed to connect well despite--or perhaps because of--Shallan's unorthodox conversation topics. Shallan also took the opportunity to question Adolin about the chasmfiends. Convincing him that the Alethi and Parshendi may be hunting them to extinction, she asked him to speak with Dalinar about the possibility of travelling with the army to see a chrysalis for herself. After Adolin confided in her the details of their betrayal by Sadeas, Shallan explained the research into the Voidbringers that Jasnah had been working on, and asked for help in smoothing over the relationship with Navani. After the approaching highstorm was spotted, the two remained until the final seconds before the stormwall reached them before retreating into the shelter and making plans to speak again later.

The two met again after Adolin's duel with Elit, where Shallan began to devise a plan to help Adolin corner Sadeas himself in a duel. There they made plans for another date the following day. When Adolin and Kaladin arrived at Sebarial's manor to pick her up, Shallan recognized Wit, acting as the coachman, to the man who comforted her at the Middlefest fair three years prior. She thanked and hugged him before joining Adolin in the carriage, where they decided to visit a menagerie in the Outer Market. As they rode, Shallan shared more details about her plan regarding Sadeas--telling of the highprince's own use of the Right of Challenge and the King's Boon to corner Brightlord Yenev into a duel. She handed over further details in a letter to Navani, blushing as Adolin praised her plan and thanked her. They soon reached the menagerie and enjoyed their time there--Shallan sketching animals and explaining what she knew of them while Adolin made jokes.

Shallan attended Adolin's full disadvantaged duel the next day. She berrated herself for not realizing the trap Adolin had walked into--intrigue she would be responsible for recognizing, as Adolin's wife. As her betrothed struggled in the dueling arena, Shallan briefly considered joining the fight herself, before writing off the idea as foolishness. Feeling wrong to interfere with Adolin's own fight, Shallan sent Pattern to distract the Shardbearer facing Renarin, which bought enough time for Kaladin to enter the fight and tip the balance in favor of Adolin. Adolin's self-imprisonment after his victory gave the couple some time apart, though they continued to chat via spanreed on occasion. This freed Shallan to continue her research and her efforts to contact her brothers, but it also allowed some doubts to creep in concerning the security of their relationship. Though Shallan was never particularly jealous, she struggled with fears that Adolin was not as committed.

Shallan sketching, by Antti Hakosaari

Scholar and Radiant

After settling in Sebarial's warcamp, Shallan was finally able to devote more time to the study and continuation of Jasnah's research. While trying to discern the location of Urithiru, she made her first breakthrough--the realization that Jasnah was hoping to find an Oathgate to the mythological city on the Shattered Plains. After infiltrating Amaram's mansion, Shallan used her findings there to focus her research. By comparing his map of the Shattered Plains with an ancient map of Natanatan, she determined that the ruins of Stormseat must be located on the Plains. Amaram's notes further confirmed the idea that on Oathgate in the ancient capital would provide a means to reach Urithiru.

As Shallan dug deeper into these matters, Pattern repeatedly tried to explain that she would need to confront her past--particularly the murder of her mother and the early memories of Pattern--in order to become the Radiant that she would need to be. Pattern hoped that by confronting these truths she would remember skills long forgotten, but Shallan continued to instinctually stiffle those memories. Instead they continued practicing and learning anew her skills with Lightweaving, including the ability to attach illusions to other objects and to suppress her glow when holding Stormlight.

Scouting Mission

When Dalinar began making plans for an expedition into the heart of the Shattered Plains, Adolin was able to convince his father to allow Shallan to accompany one of the scouting missions. The scouting mission set out on Ishakach 1173 with Shallan riding a palanquin--though she often ran ahead of her porters in order to sketch things that interested her. At one such stop, she managed to find evidence of the ancient structures she had expected to find. Her eccentric excitement repeatedly put Kaladin on edge, and after the bridgeman insulted Adolin, Shallan lashed out with her usual sarcastic banter, angering Kaladin further. As Shallan later explained her findings of the ruins to Adolin while the pair crossed a chasm, an assassination attempt on Dalinar suddenly unfurled. The bridge was sabotaged, and though Adolin managed to save his father, Shallan fell with the bridge into the chasm below.

Shallan did not wake until the sun began to set. The army above had apparently fled some attack from the Parshendi, and the only other survivor of the fall proved to be Kaladin Stormblessed--whom Shallan believed she must have somehow saved by accident. Together they searched dead bodies for supplies and then began to speak of a plan. Shallan had assumed that the Kholins would return for them, and paled as Kaladin convinced her this was unlikely. With a highstorm arriving in just one day, they set off on foot through the chasms. Though glad not to be alone, Shallan was easily irritated by the bridgeman's disposition, and her teasing to lighten the mood only served to irritate the man further. The tension grew into a shouting match, which soon attracted the attention of a chasmfiend. They ran, Shallan relying on her supply of Stormlight to keep up, until Shallan led them back around past the dead bodies at the site of the fallen bridge. Finally safe from the distracted chasmfiend, Shallan was thrilled to have an opportunity to capture a Memory of the greatshell before they silently set off once more. They walked for a few hours before halting for the night. Shallan sketched their path through the chasms while relaxing before sleep, which Kaladin interpreted to mean they had veered in the wrong direction.

“He saw it in her eyes. The anguish, the frustration. The terrible nothing that clawed inside and sought to smother her. She knew. It was there, inside. She had been broken. Then she smiled. Oh, storms. She smiled anyway. It was the single most beautiful thing he’d seen in his entire life.”

—Kaladin's thoughts on Shallan's confession of a difficult past

Kaladin roused Shallan early in the morning and they set off once more, hoping for the sun to give more help with their orientation. It didn't take long before they began to irritate one another once again, but as the conversation progressed, they slowly began opening up to one another. When Kaladin admitted his suspicions of Shallan, she shared Jasnah's theories concerning the Voidbringers and swore to him that she intended no harm to the Kholins. Unfortunately, the rising sun revealed that they were again headed in the wrong direction, so Shallan set about drawing their path once again. They began relying on her sketches to make slow, steady progress through the chasms. The process helped her to realize that the Shattered Plains were symmetrical, which Kaladin reinforced by explaining he had once seen them as symmetrical in a dream. With Kaladin highly discouraged, Shallan tried to be upbeat. He attributed this optimism to an easy upbringing, and was shocked when Shallan showed him a hint of the brokenness within herself. Something about her honesty encouraged the bridgeman, and he actually began to join in with her joking--until the chasmfiend revealed itself once more.

Shallan and Kaladin during the highstorm

Kaladin pushed Shallan into a crack in the chasm wall, where they hid just out of reach until the monster relented and began to simply wait. With the highstorm only a few hours away, Kaladin decided to run as a distraction--giving Shallan an opportunity to escape with her important knowledge of Jasnah's research and now the Plains' symmetry. Shallan allowed him to leave, but not before offering up Pattern as a Shardblade. She darted from the crevice after Kaladin drew the chasmfiend's attention and was able to reach her satchel, containing what little Stormlight she had left. As Kaladin struggled to survive against the attacking beast, Shallan used illusions of herself and Kaladin to distract it and buy him precious moments. When the beast finally snapped at the true Kaladin, he drove Pattern deep into its head, slaying the creature. Shallan rushed to his side to help free him from the dead monster's maw. With Kaladin alive but too wounded to help, and the highstorm soon approaching, Shallan used Pattern to cut a series of handholds into the chasm wall above the chasmfiend's corpse, followed by a small cleft just above the waterline. She clambered into it herself, and pulled Kaladin in as the stormwall struck. Terrified amidst the raging torrent, they clung to one another. Kaladin mentioned his prior experience being strung up in a highstorm, and prompting from Shallan encouraged him to share much of his personal story with her--though the truth of Helaran's death was obscured by happenstance. Shallan listened silently and shared of her own childhood struggles and time with Jasnah after he had finished, including the murder of her father. As her story came to a close, the Stormfather appeared to Shallan. Then, with the height of the storm passed, Shallan fell asleep against Kaladin.

The pair recovered the gemheart from the chasmfiend the following morning and returned to the warcamps, tattered but alive, where they were brought to the triage pavilion for care. Navani arrived shortly after and took fierce command of Shallan's treatment, as if the girl was her own daughter--ordering blankets, a warm bath, and a hot meal despite Shallan's protests. Though the older woman's sudden affection was overwhelming, Shallan embraced it graciously. Shallan had Pattern spy on Dalinar and Navani as she bathed, and revealing Dalinar's hopes that Shallan would join their expedition for the use of her mapmaking skills. Adolin arrived soon after, relieved to discover that his betrothed was still alive. After a long hug and kiss, he swore to protect her more carefully, earning him a strong reprimand from Shallan, with thoughts of her father in mind. When Dalinar arrived with Navani to request Shallan's aid, Shallan explained her theory that the ancient ruins of Stormseat at the center of the Shattered Plains held answers to Jasnah's research. She also explained the supposed danger posed by the parshmen, and convinced Dalinar to leave them in the warcamps. With Shallan's decision set, Navani decided to join as well, and the army was ready to march within the hour.

Narak

Shallan's lady's maid and guards joined as well, included Gaz who arrived at the last moment with a newly acquired copy of Words of Radiance. Adolin gave Shallan a placid horse, expecting she wouldn't ride for long with little experience on horseback, and the couple enjoyed one another's company as the army began to depart--though Shallan felt a distracting and lingering sense of yearning for the unwavering intensity that she had seen in Kaladin.

The march to Stormseat took several days, during which Shallan spent much of her time studying Words of Radiance for clues that might be helpful in reaching Urithiru. As the Weeping began on the second day, Navani joined Shallan in the carriage and offered her apologies at how she had been treating Shallan as well as assistance in Shallan's research. Thankful to have the older woman's support, and for Navani's insistence that Shallan would oversee the project, they began to collaborate. Shallan explained Jasnah's research and revealed that Jasnah herself proved to be one of the Knights Radiant that Dalinar had been hoping to unite. One week into the expedition, Dalinar came to speak with Shallan in private about these matters. Seeing that the highprince was in great need of encouragement, Shallan confided in him that she herself was a Lightweaver--creating an illusion as proof. She swore Dalinar to secrecy, for the time being, before they left together to investigate the report of a Parshendi who had surrendered. The men of Bridge Four identified the Parshendi as Rlain, appearing to Shallan as one of the Voidbringers of legend as described in Jasnah's notes. After speaking with Dalinar, Shallan interviewed Rlain herself, and was able to work out a map to Narak with his help--though he knew nothing of the Oathgate--and a few days later they reached the outskirts of the city. With retreat no longer a viable option, Dalinar charged Shallan with seeking the Oathgate at all costs, in case it became their only chance for survival.

As the Battle of Narak commenced the following day, Shallan was hard at work sketching the center of the Plains in hopes of a clue, when one of the Kholin scouts indicated that a portion of her map was incorrect. Shallan instantly recognized that this strange plateau, breaking the symmetry of the Shattered Plains, would hold the Oathgate. Shallan quickly set out with Renarin Kholin, Inadara, several bridgemen, and a squad of soldiers, to investigate. They skirted the ongoing battle to reach the plateau, and Shallan soon located the entrance to the Oathgate's control building, buried under centuries of crem. Once inside, however, they struggled to understand how the ancient fabrial might be used. Shallan identified the "keyhole" requiring a Shardblade, but did not understand why Renarin's dead Shardblade failed to activate it. She gave the order to gather the Alethi armies on the Oathgate plateau before continuing her efforts. Eventually, amidst Renarin's cryptic lament, Shallan recognized that the device was a fabrial--requiring Stormlight to be utilized. Abandoning all hope of keeping her nature as a Surgebinder a secret, Shallan began collecting infused gemstones and transferring the Stormlight to the Oathgate's lamps. As the Everstorm and unexpected highstorm collided above Narak, Shallan attempted activate the Oathgate once more with Adolin's Shardblade. When, again, nothing happened, Shallan realized that the living Shardblade of a Knight Radiant would be required. She removed Adolin's Blade, drew Pattern, and transported the remaining Alethi forces to Urithiru.

Urithiru (1173-1174)

Shallan attempting to sketch Urithiru

Brightness Radiant

On the eve of her arrival in Urithiru, Shallan was helping to explore the tower when she happened across a note--addressed to her and marked with the symbol of the Ghostbloods. She entered the next room to find Mraize, who had discovered her true identity--though he insisted that "Veil" is Shallan's true self. Mraize reiterated both Shallan's debt to the Ghostbloods--her father's broken Soulcaster--as well as her admittance into their ranks. Shallan denounced him, noting their apparent murder of Jasnah Kholin, however Mraized claimed he would deliver her brothers to Urithiru, teased secrets relating to Helaran, and promised Shallan that she would only find answers to all of her questions by working with the Ghostbloods. Exhausted after the long day and confrontation with Mraize, Shallan met with Adolin, who led her to a room selected by Pattern as a place for rest. The room instantly reminded Shallan of her father's study, and once she entered Pattern explained that she would have to confront the truth of her past in order to become the Knight Radiant that the world would need. He prompted her to relive the murder of her mother through a Lightweaving; memories buried deep down and long suppressed returned to Shallan's consciousness--the weight of it crushing her, but deepening her bond to Pattern.

“I don’t want revenge. I want my family.”

—Shallan recalling her mother's death

"The Four"?

The Darkness Within

The days following her confession proved to be a difficult emotional struggle for Shallan. No longer able to hide from the reality of what she had done, Shallan felt smothered by the weight of her broken past. Though Pattern felt she must blame him for what had happened, Shallan was forced to acknowledge that she was ultimately responsible. Seeking to distract herself by keeping busy, Shallan spent much of her time standing by to operate the Oathgate and drawing--but this only added to her frustration as she found that she was facing an intangible difficulty in drawing Urithiru properly.

Adolin and Shallan build their relationship while in the tower city. Adolin begins to teach her how to use a shardblade. Shallan cannot bring herself to use the blade so she creates a new personality, one she calls Brightness Radiant or just Radiant, to take on while using the shardblade.

Dalinar asked her to learn as much as she can about her powers. She begins to better control her creations and can now cause them to move. She puts on a play for Pattern using just her illusions. She uses Veil to become knowledgeable about the darkeyes society in the city. Recently Sadeas was killed, and then another person just like him was killed the same way. Shallan investigates as Veil, and learns that there have been several double murders and later discovers that whatever is copying the murders is copying all violence. She uses her guards to try and figure out the problem. She discovers that the violence copier is the Unmade Re-Shephir. With Adolin and Bridge Four's help she attacks the Unmade. She forces the Unmade out of Rep-Shephir.

• WoR epilogue
• OB Part 1
• dealing with aftermath of her last Truth
• early murder investigations
• Mraize (or maybe in next section)

Shallan fighting Re-Shephir--by not_safe_for_worf

Midnight Mother

• Investigation of murders
• hunting the dark spren
• Re-Shephir

Jasnah's Return

After Jasnah comes back and Shallan realizes that she is still her ward Shallan begins to dislikes it. She schemes on ways to get out of it. As Veil she meets Ishnah who was once a spy and begins to learn from her. She begins to realize her way out of Urithiru and convinces Elhokar to let her go and help take back Kholinar.

• dealing with the aftermath of Re-Shephir and the return of Jasnah
• Ishnah and training her men to be spies
• speaking with Elhokar

Kholinar (1174)

During her period switching between Shallan, Veil and Radiant, Shallan has an identity crisis that borders on schizophrenia, unable to determine which version of her is really herself. She enjoys Veil's carefree attitude, describing her as someone who doesn't "hurt", but also enjoys being Radiant for the simple focus and time with Adolin.

Notes

Shallan, Veil, and Radiant (http://taratjah.tumblr.com/post/169873054390/this-is-the-second-tarot-card-inspired-drawing-i)

“I am a stick.” (https://imgur.com/OyN7aTn)

“You hugged Wit.” (http://imaginaryroshar.tumblr.com/post/163885538663/toastsamurai-you-hugged-wit-thats-like)

“Boots!” (http://www.17thshard.com/forum/gallery/image/851-new-boots/?browse=1)

Pattern in Shadesmar (http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/Cryptic?file=Cryptic.jpg)

Portrait (https://ceriselightning.deviantart.com/art/Shallan-Davar-707570422)

Chasmfiend (http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/File:Shallan_Chasmfiend_Emm.jpg)

Whelan #2 (https://i2.wp.com/www.tor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Shallan-5.jpg?fit=475%2C%209999&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C356px)

Sketching Urithiru by LittleGreyDragon (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/363584162734669825/463529911701733376/20180702_212129.jpg)

Shallan, Veil, Radiant by LittleGreyDragon (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/363584162734669825/463914485980332033/20180703_223344.jpg)

Shallan embarrased by LittleGreyDragon (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/363584162734669825/464147736263000074/20180704_141709.jpg)

Re-Shephir large by Petar Penev (http://www.17thshard.com/forum/uploads/monthly_2018_07/large.ReShephir_dnavenom_S.png.b3d8decad0a28cfac9b3b867d811a41c.png)

Re-Shephir zoom by Petar Penev (https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/011/661/885/large/petar-penev-dnavenom-midnight-mother-final.jpg)

Shallan and Kaladin at her arrival on Plains (https://vladorart.tumblr.com/post/175895566521/is-this-really-all-because-i-lied-to-you-she)