#stonewards

[bvmpy]

Taln is the only herald that actually lives up to his duty.

i mean, the oaths are to stand where others fall, and this man, originally just a commoner, outlasted his fellow heralds who had betrayed him, to hold off the end of the world single handedly for 4,500 years. i could go ON and ON about Taln and how he's like the only true noble herald/surgebinder.

and when he returned, this man did not show an ounce of contempt to the people who left him to get brutally tortured for thousands of years. he instead was so incredibly grateful and happy that humanity had progressed.

this man is a true hero.

[unkalaki]

It's new years night and I'm mourning this night. Not for anything real (in the most boring definition of that word) but for something else. I'm mourning for Taln otherwise known as Talen'elat, the Bearer of Agonies.

Following includes a lot of spoilers for the Stormlight Archive so read at your own peril.

Taln, th herald of the Stonewards, the rock that refused to be eroded away.

I sometimes think about his character from time to time and I just can't. I can't deal with the sheer amount of courage, determination and just compassion on this man. Because let us not forget this, at the end of the day, he is just that. A man. His station might be that of God's chosen representative on Earth (Roshar, whatever) but beneath all of th9s he is just a man. And this man's whole character is predicated on one simple idea.

If personal pain is the price to pay for peace then that is a deal well made.

Just think about this

This man endured all the tortures that a vengeful God and his army of enraged spirits could muster and said, is that all?

He then kept on doing that for over a thousand years (I don't really remember the exact timeliness and I'm too lazy to look up)

He did this alone.

Abandoned by the fellowship whose oath was to be there alongside him.

The kings of old, Jezrien of the vaunted honour, Nale of the strict law and Ishar of the highest wisdom failed but Taln, he of the stout heart kept on going. He just kept on doing the one thing that he had always done, endure so that others did not have to, sacrifice his peace, his life and eventually his mind so that those of less 'honourable' station and 'lineage' could have a chance at a life, at peace at growth.

And then, after a millenia of being abandoned by his colleagues, friends, leaders and (in one case) partner, abandoned to be tortured by a host whose hate is increased year on year due to him fulfilling his duty, after all that when he is given a moment of lucidity the only thing he can say is:

Thank you.

The torture didn't matter

The abandonment didn't matter

The only thing that mattered was duty. The only thing that mattered was the Oath. And more specifically the reason for that Oath. The reason is simple. Bear the agonies so that others didn't have to. All Taln sees is that he fulfilled his Oath.

Hats off to him man.

[onlycosmere]

The Knights Radiant by Steve Argyle

(Radiant orders tagged in order of appearance)

[butwhybother]

My train of thought

A living Shardblade would make a great ice-cream-scooper --> A Shardblade would be great for making ice sculptures --> A garden of ice sculptures wow Wyndle would be so proud --> But a Willshaper or Stoneward would be able to do it faster with their surgebinding --> Imagine playing with a solid block of ice like it's just clay wow --> Jasnah would be even faster at making an ice sculpture, because she can do it in an instant with soulcasting --> I hope she didn't use anyone alive this time

All this because I am disappointed in my lack of skill with the ice-cream-scooper

[talns-scar]

Ten Essences, Ten Surges, Ten Orders 

[butwhybother]

I can't read glyphs but I do have some tips for recognizing glyphs of Knights Radiant orders:

Truthwatcher: two hands as if covering one's face as for peekaboo/I can't watch

Windrunner: dragonfly (it doesn't look like wings to me, but then again, this is Roahar)

Skybreaker: using tweezers to pull out a splinter

Bondsmith: old man sticks out tongue (quite fitting for Ishar)

Willshaper: steamed dagger

Elsecaller: hot waffle iron

Stoneward: four crabby claws, or X (this is the only order with a distinct x-shape, like You Shall Not Pass)

Dustbringer: glowing lantern

Lightweaver: tiny person big heart (or a person taking a shower under a waterfall)

Edgedancer: Spock sign (hand with gap between middle and ring finger) twice

[onlycosmere]

Stonewards

Questioner: Is there anything about the Stonewards that you can share that's not a RAFO? I know they're coming later.

Brandon Sanderson: They are coming later, so not really. They were more of the Knights Radiant front line troops, as opposed to the Windrunners who were scouts. 

(Source)                    

[onlycosmere]