Vasher

Vasher
by botanicaxu
Spouse	Shashara
Abilities	Returned, Awakener, Worldhopper, Cognitive Shadow, Shardbearer (formerly)
Titles	Strifelover, Peacegiver the Blessed, Warbreaker the Peaceful
Aliases	Zahel, Kalad the Usurper, Talaxin
Profession	Five Scholars, Returned, Ardent
Nationality	Idrian
Homeworld	Nalthis

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Vasher, Kalad, Strifelover, Peacegiver the Blessed, Talaxin, Zahel, or Warbreaker the Peaceful is a Returned on Nalthis. He helped create the awakened sword Nightblood and was one of the Five Scholars.

Appearance & Personality

He is a tall man who has trouble expressing himself, who let his anger get the better of him, and who was rough around the edges. Template:Annotation ref He is usually grumpy.Template:Annotation ref

During most of the Pahn Kahl Rebellion he looked ragged. He was wearing ragged brown clothing, ripped in places, his loose trousers tied at the waist by a simple rope. His facial hair was halfway between being a beard and just scruff. His hair was unkempt and came down to his shoulders.

When he wanted to show his Returned form to Susebron, he started to glow with an aura that made colors brighter. He grew and his chest became more firm, the muscles bulging, and the scruffy beard on his face retreated, leaving him clean-shaven. His hair turned golden. He still bore the cuts on his body, but they seemed inconsequential.

As a Returned, he can change his appearance at will.

• Images of Vasher
• 

  Vasher wielding an unsheathed Nightblood, by Matthew Johnson

History

Return and Awakening Discoveries

Vasher was born on Nalthis, but nothing is known about his natural life. Upon being returned, the Cult of the Returned named him Warbreaker the Peaceful and kept him alive by giving him Breath.

Vasher was a member of the Five Scholars. He worked with Shashara to create Nightblood, among other things. He married Shashara shortly before he slew her with Nightblood. He killed her in order to prevent the knowledge of its creation from being disseminated.

The Manywar

Vasher, then known as Kalad, started an aggressive war, known as the Manywar, between his kingdom, Hanald, and the kingdoms of Kuth and Huth. The exact details are unknown, although it was hinted that Vasher was the first to strike. He believed war was unavoidable and decided to attack before the others did instead of trying for peace. The war ended when Vasher, having seen the death caused by the war, used his own creations, Kalad's Phantoms, to take control of Hallandren.

Historians were confused by his sudden change of heart. This led to the Hallandren calling Vasher Peacegiver. Eventually, this led to the belief that they were separate people. At the end of the Manywar, Vasher gave his store of Breaths (approximately fifty thousand) to the priests of Hallandren. It was passed down from God King to God King, all of whom had their tongues removed so that they wouldn't use the Breath. This was known as Peacegiver's Treasure.

Pahn Kahl Rebellion

Vasher used a trick to get himself imprisoned in the God King's palace. He escaped his cell and visited a rebel called Vahr. He exchanged his Breath for a merciful death.

Vasher got a priest to find out Hallandren’s politics, finding there was a group pushing to move to war towards Idris, where the exiled royals lived, and pushed to find more about the factions in the city who wanted the war.

After talking to Bluefingers, knowing the returned kept secrets, Vasher sought out the home of Mercystar, a Returned known for her involvement in politics, yet who wasn’t all that influential. He broke into her palace and after disabling some guards and awakening a lifeless squirrel, he was able to find a secret trapdoor

He kidnapped Vivena and took her to one of the slums, where he forced her to take Nightblood to test her heart. As Nightblood cannot tempt the hearts of those who are pure, when she drops the sword feeling sick, she passed the test and got his protection. She however, still believed Denth and his team were on her side and ran back to them, finding out they were traitors and ran from them as well. Sometime after, Vasher threw Nightblood to some thugs hired by Denth who were taking her, and after they were all dead, he descended from a rooftop, secured the sword and took her back with him.

Vasher then took her to his meetings where he had been trying and failing to convince the Idrian community in Hallandren to stop the riots and avoid the war. He got Vivenna’s help who asked them to find a way to bring attention to their suffering without bringing hatred as well, and to become heroes to Idris. After that, they continued reaching different groups of people with the same speech in favor of stopping the war.

Vivenna shared with Vasher on some plans Denth and his team used her to execute which tipped him into finding the daughter of one of the priests who was kidnapped to turn her father in favor of the war. During this rescue, Vasher loses his temper and kills the thugs.

Vivenna and Vasher go to the arena to watch the vote, it doesn’t go very well to the peace cause, and they also find out that Siri is pregnant. Vasher accepts to help Vivenna to save her. When he broke into the God King’s palace, he was ambushed by Denth’s mercenaries who captured him. Vasher was tied by his wrists to a hook in the ceiling of a stone room and Denth tortured him.

At the same time, Nighblood was thrown into the water, but was able to come out and contact Vivenna; together they went to find him. Vivenna came in, freed Vasher and gave her Breath to him as Denth stuck his sword into her shoulder. She later recovered some of her Breath and threw Vasher out the window. Using Awakening, he survived and found Nighblood, which he used to kill a group of Lifeless that were sent to kill him. Nightblood consumed most of his Breath, and before he was killed by him, he let the blade go. At that time, Denth came in and asked to finish the duel. Vasher was almost killed by Denth in combat but he used his secret maneuver, he gave Denth his last Breath and during the time of “shock” when getting it, he killed him.

By the time Vasher comes out, the Pahn Kahl had already sent Hallandren’s Lifeless to attack Idirs. They wanted both kingdoms to fight and be weakened in hope to gain their own liberty. Vivenna finds via Nightblood who Vasher really is and they together go to see the God King, who had his tounge healed. Vasher showed himself as Returned and Susebron keeled at him. Vasher gave him information on his old army: Kalad’s Phantoms.

The Lifeless were destroyed, and only a couple of the phantoms were lost.. He then sets off to find Yesteel who was attempting to restore Huth and Kuth, Vivenna goes with him.

Zahel

“ Repeating myself makes me eat the wrong flower ”

— Zahel on Roshar

Vasher later worldhops to Roshar (partly through walking and partly by some kind of vehicle ), where he is known as Zahel. He is a reclusive warrior ardent who teaches the Kholin princes and Kaladin how to sword fight. He uses exclamations and phrases involving colors, which generally confuses the Rosharans. His main purpose in returning to Roshar was to have easier access to the Investiture (Stormlight) that he needs in order to survive.

Attributes and Abilities

Returned

Vasher was one of the first Returned^{[citation needed]}, he has a Divine Breath; however, over the years he has developed abilities unique from other Returned. He is capable of altering his appearance, including altering his height as well as removing the Returned natural glow. Because he possesses a Divine Breath, he automatically has the Fifth Heightening. In addition, he also has extended life and agelessness.

Vasher is also able to use other forms of Investiture to sustain himself, including Stormlight. Though this method doesn't allow him access to Surgebinding. The method he uses involves the gap in his spiritweb left by his Divine Breath.

Awakening

He’s got a lot of good information, and he has a handle on what he doesn’t understand. He can issue three commands in one Awakening, which is a difficult task, but for him it had become as simple as blinking.

As a very skilled Awakener he can give away only part of his Breath. Vasher needs to always give away everything except for that one Returned Breath that keeps him alive. As long as he has that one Breath (which he’s learned to suppress and hide), he can stay alive.

He often does Awakening using the minimum amount of Breaths required, as he knows exactly how much is needed. Vasher has also developed innovations in the application of Breaths. He created Kalad's Phantoms, a near-unstoppable army of Lifeless stone soldiers. He is also one of two people who know how to create sentient inanimate objects, having created Nightblood, an extremely powerful sword.

Swordsmanship

Vasher is a very skilled swordsman, with three hundred years of practice along with his Returned speed and strength. Though he has admitted that he is not the best swordsman because his temper gets in the way, his ingenuity in combat gives him an edge. He also is open to using "cheap tricks" in combat, such as when he transferred Breaths to stun his opponent. A clear indicator of his sword-fighting prowess is that on Roshar he is a highly sought-after Alethi blademaster, having directly trained both of the Kholin children and Kaladin in the use of and defense against Shardblades. His familiarity with wielding Shardblades presumably was honed by using Nightblood, a very powerful Shardblade.

Relationships

Denth

Vasher knows Denth as VaraTreledees and Denth knows Vasher as Tax. They were friends, colleagues from the five scholars and in-laws when Vasher married Denth’s sister Shashara. However after the creation of Nightblood, Vasher killed his wife thus making Denth a long life enemy.

Denth worked for the Pahn Khal and his payment would be capturing Vasher and make him pay for killing Shashara and Arsteel. Denth did respect Vasher and acknowledged all the good he had done for people throughout his life. Denth wanted Nightblood to kill Vasher, like he did with Shashara; or killed in duel like Arsteel. In the end, Denth end up killed by Vasher with the same maneuver used to kill Arsteel.

Vivenna

At first glance, Vasher believes Vivena is working with Denth and wants war between Idris and Hallandren. He kidnaps her tests her by asking her to take Nighblood, , as she feels sick, he finds she has a good heart and decides to protects her, even after she ran from him. He teaches Vivenna awakening not only the practical but theory. He also helped her get a good grip on her sword and some tips on how to act.

For Vivienna, Vasher was rough. He was brutal. He had a terrible temper. But he was a good man. And, walking beside him, she felt safe.

Shashara

Shashara, Denth’s sister, one of the Five Scholars and a Returned also known as Glorysinger by the Cult of the Returned.

She drew Nightblood at the battle of Twilight Falls and Vasher was horrified by the result. It’s because of her insistence on using the sword in battle, and in giving away the secret to creating more, that Vasher and she fought. He ended up killing her with Nightblood, which they’d created together during the days they were in love—he married her a short time before their falling out. That marriage ended with him slaying his own wife to keep her from creating more abominations like Nightblood and losing them upon the world. (annotation 26)

Quotes

“ Sneaking, Vasher? You’re terrible at sneaking. ”

— Nightblood to Vasher when he went into the Mercystar’s palace

“ I have trouble talking. I get frustrated. I snap at people. Doesn’t make me very popular. But I promise you that I won’t lie to you. ”

— Vasher to Vivenna asking for help to stop the war.

Trivia

• Vasher grows in size here when he isn’t paying attention. That’s his Returned nature beginning to manifest.
• Children and animals like Vasher. They can sense the divine Breath within him, and it comforts them.
• Vasher has visited fewer than six planets
• He was in the original Way of Kings draft

Notes

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