Roshar: Worldbuilding

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STORY SPOILERS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Important aspects of Roshar to touch on:

o Locations:

o The Heralds of the Almighty

Jezrien: Leader of the heralds. Often conflated with the stormfather, and worshiped in other religions. Patron of the Windrunners. Was killed completely by Moash/Vyre.
Nale: Both the patron of the Skybreakers and their leader. He is obsessed with preventing the return of the Voidbringers, and tries to do this by killing every surgebinder he can find.
Ash: Patron of the Lightweavers. Daughter of Jezrien. Seeks to destroy all memory of the heralds, particularly herself.

o The Royal Alethi family:

Dalinar: Also called the Blackthorn. Gavilar's younger brother. Given visions by the Almighty (via the Stormfather) and tasked with refounding the Knights Radiant.
Navani: Gavilar's widow and a scholar who documents Dalinar's visions.
Jasnah: Gavilar's daughter, a professed heretic, and an Elsecaller. She takes Shallan on as a ward. Her primary focus is on the voidbringers.
Elhokar: Gavilar's son. A weak king, paranoid about assassins.
Adolin: Dalinar's elder son. Loves dueling and the ladies. Initially feels a rivalry with Kaladin.
Renarin: Dalinar's younger son. Joins Bridge Four. Also a Truthwatcher.

o Alethi Nobility: Other important Alethi.

Highprince Sadeas: A greedy, clever, and ruthless warlord who rebuilt the kingdom along with Gavilar and Dalinar. Betrays Dalinar. Is murdered by Adolin.
Highprince Sebarial: A repulsive jokester who focused on creating an economy on the Shattered Plains rather than fighting the war. Takes in Shallan when she arrives at the Plains.

o Bridge Four: The unluckiest bridge crew in Sadeas's army.

Kaladin: Assumes the role of bridgeleader and forces his men to reclaim their humanity.
Rock: A horneater and the first to join Kaladin, he is a cook who considers fighting beneath him.
Teft: The second to join Kaladin, he is a former sergeant and the first to notice Kaladin's abilities.
Sigzil: A Worldsinger (apprenticed to Wit) who takes charge of testing Kaladin's abilities.
Moash: One of few who doesn't idolize Kaladin, who likes him for this reason. He has a personal vendetta against the king.
Shen/Rlain: A Parshendi spy who defects to Alethkar when his people are all turned into Voidbringers.
The Lopen: A one-armed Herdazian. Don't get into a drinking contest with him.

o The Diagram cabal: A group who use a bible called the Diagram to manipulate the world so it can survive the coming Desolation.

King Taravangian: Thanks to the Nightwatcher, he has a random level intelligence on any given day. He wrote the Diagram on a day of pure genius. His compassion is inversely correlated to his intelligence.
Adrotagia: A scholar and close friend of Taravangian. In charge of his daily intelligence tests.
Mrall: Taravangian's bodyguard.
Graves: An Alethi Shardbearer who, with Moash's help, tries to kill King Elhokar.
Danlan: An Alethi scholar who briefly dates Adolin.

o The Unmade: Demonlike creatures that each have an aura of effect on other creatures.

Moelach: Causes the dying to speak prophetic words, known as death rattles. These are used by Taravangian to supplement the Diagram.
Nergaoul: Causes humans to feel a bloodlust (called the Thrill) in battle that helps them butcher more efficently.
Sja-anat: Causes spren to act strangely.
Yelig-nar: Also called Blightwind. His speech is supplemented by the wails of those he has killed.
Dai-gonarthis: Also called the Black Fisher. Not much else is known.
Re-Shephir: Also called the Midnight Mother. Is related to the Midnight Essence

o The Ghostbloods: A shadow organization focused on gaining information about the desolations and the voidbringers. Competing with both Jasnah and the Sons of Honor for information.

Thaidakar: Possibly the leader of the group. May be in conflict with Amaram.
Iyatil: A worldhopper (probably from the southern continent of Scadrial due to her mask) and Mraize's babsk.
Mraize: A heavily scarred but sophisticated man who inducts Shallan.
Veil: Shallan's persona in the group.
Jin: A golden-haired man who Shallan draws to demonstrate her skill.
Lin Davar: Shallan's father.
Luesh: Lin's steward.

o The Sons of Honor: A group attempting to bring about the return of the Voidbringers, because they believe this will also cause the Knights Radiant to return.

Restares: Advised Amaram to kill the witnesses to his Shardblade and is suspected of having orchestrated Gavilar's assassination.
Gavilar: Dalinar's brother, who was trying to forge an alliance between Alethkar and the Parshendi.
Amaram: A brightlord who betrays and enslaves Kaladin.

o The Skybreakers: The only order of Knights Radiant that never disbanded. They bond with highspren and hold laws to be sacred.

Still Nalan: Both the patron of the Skybreakers and their leader. He is obsessed with preventing the return of the Voidbringers, and tries to do this by killing every surgebinder he can find.
Szeth: Inducted by Nalan after being killed by Kaladin. He allows Lift to live.
Helaran: Shallan's eldest brother was possibly a member of this group.

Updated on 21 May 2018 by Phopus