Stormlight Archive Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Almighty
Honor

Honor
Fan art by botanicaxu[1]

Biographical information
Race Shard
Gender Male
Status Dead
Abilities Splintering, Surgebinding (assumed)
Social Information
Aliases Honor, Tanavast
Title(s) God
Appears in The Way of Kings (mentioned),
Words of Radiance (mentioned),
Oathbringer (mentioned),
Rhythm of War (mentioned)

The Almighty is/was a deity, widely worshipped on Roshar. His power stemmed from the Shard Honor, which presumably fuels the ten Surges. The Almighty's Shardholder, Tanavast, was killed - or Splintered[1] - by the Shard Odium sometime after the Oathpact was broken, which was a very long time ago.[2]

Whether this was Tanavast's design or not, millennia have passed without Rayse taking the life of another of the sixteen.

Frost to Hoid[3]

Honor's death, according to Brandon, like Preservation's death, is a protracted event.[4]

Appearance[]

He had dark skin and pure white hair. Tall, thick of chest but not massive, he wore exotic clothing of a strange cut: loose, billowing trousers and a coat that came down only to his waist. Both seemed made of gold.[2]

Worship[]

The Almighty is worshipped by many of the religions on Roshar, chief amongst them is the Vorin faith, prevalent in the Vorin kingdoms in the east.

Within the Vorin belief system, the Almighty is the creator of all things.[5] He is an all seeing, all knowing god.[6] The embodiment of honesty, wholesomeness and purity.[7][8] He is also known as Elithanathile, a name spoken only by members of the ardentia.[9]

He had another name, allowed to pass only the lips of ardents. Elithanathile. He Who Transforms.

Shallan's thoughts[9]

Theologians believe that the Almighty is locked in age-old struggle against the Voidbringers, monsters that once dwelled in the hearts of men, much as the Almighty once lived there.[7] Their Heralds (servants of the Almighty) fight to end the cycle of Desolations and reclaim what was lost. They are represented by the Divine Prism, with the ten facets representing each of the Heralds.[8]

Abilities[]

The Almighty was able to foresee his own death and, through unknown means, provided Dalinar with a series of visions to warn of what may come: the True Desolation, the end of all by the hand of Odium.

"I am ... I was ... God. The one you call the Almighty, the creator of mankind. ... And now I am dead. Odium has killed me. I am sorry."

–Tanavast to Dalinar[2]

Tanavast wasn't solely responsible for the creation of mankind; he had assistance from his lover, Cultivation. He was, however, one of the sixteen who Shattered Adonalsium and took up its power.[10] Following this, he moved to Roshar with Cultivation.[11][12]

Some of the many spren found on Roshar were created by Honor and Cultivation at some point before the Desolations began, by splintering themselves. After Odium killed Tanavast, Honor's bearer, he splintered Honor further, creating the many diverse spren found on modern Roshar.[13]

In Dalinar's vision, Tanavast said that the spren were responsible for the creation of the Knights Radiant.[2] It follows then that through his creation of spren, Tanavast also indirectly created the Radiants in his own lifetime.*

Surges[]

Called Honor's Truest Surge, it is known as the Surge of Binding and Oaths.[14]

Purposes[]

According to Brandon, Honor's ten purposes play into the ten names of the Almighty, the ten attributes of the Almighty, and the ten attributes of the Fools. This plays into the nature of Honor itself.[15]

Cosmere[]

Honor was one of the sixteen Shards of Adonalsium, Cultivation was another, as were Odium, Devotion, Dominion, Endowment, Autonomy, Ambition, and - possibly - Survival.

Ashyn had already been established as the world of both Honor and Cultivation.[16]The Surgebinding that humans used there was tied to them. But after Odium's influence began corrupting things there, some humans appealed to Honor for sanctuary elsewhere. Honor granted them the lands of Shinovar on Roshar, where they were intended to stay, with rules to keep them there. Eventually, however, a girl looked up,[17] and humans left Shin territory, dispersing themselves across all of Roshar.

Notes[]

*See Ishar

Also according to Brandon, Honor is the sense of being bound by rules, even when one wouldn't have to be bound by those rules. There's also a sense that this is noble. That's the honor aspect to it, but there's also something not honorable about Honor if taken from the other direction.[18]

Additionally according to Brandon, readers will eventually know the exact time and place that Honor's death occurred, and that it will be significant.[19]

In-world Speculation[]

"Honor might be dead, but I have felt ... something else. Something beyond. A warmth and a light. It is not that God has died, it is that the Almighty was never God. He did his best to guide us, but he was an impostor. Or perhaps only an agent. A being not unlike a spren - he had the power of a god, but not the pedigree."

–Dalinar to Kadash[20]

Q&A with Brandon[]

Q. My thought is, you know how the Stormfather in Oathbringer says he's not able, or he's never seen Dalinar be able to create the bridge. Does that mean Honor could be reborn?

A. So, there are things standing in the way, but cosmereologically, it is fully possible that another person could become Honor. The Vessel that was holding Honor before is gone. Though the Stormfather is kind of his Cognitive Shadow at this point, in a way. But the power, something else could be done with it. Or it could remain in the state it is now. Your answer is yes, but there are some hindrances along the way.[21]

References[]

Advertisement