Gavilar Kholin

Gavilar Kholin
Biographical information
Ethnicity	Alethi
Nationality	Alethi
Gender	Male
Died	1167
Abilities	Shardbearer (formerly)
Physical Description
Hair Color	Black
Eye Color	Light Green
Social Information
Title(s)	Brightlord, Highprince (pre-coronation), King of Alethkar
Family	House Kholin
Occupation	King
Appears in	The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer

Gavilar Kholin was the King of Alethkar who united the ten Alethi princedoms. He was assassinated by Szeth in 1167, which led his son, Elhokar, to declare the War of Reckoning on the Parshendi.

He was an accomplished warrior and a full Shardbearer, possessing both a Shardblade and set of Shardplate.

Appearance

Gavilar was shorter than Amaram, yet the latter stooped shallowly in the king's company.

He had strong features: a square chin, a black beard with a hint of white, and pale green eyes, evidence of his good birth.

Personality

He was said to have both the nature of command and getting what he wanted just from sheer expectation. His will was so great that he not only kept most of the highprinces in line, but also loyal to him.^{[citation needed]}

Character

Many had made comment that Gavilar wasn't the just, kind and honorable man that everyone thought he was. Even Navani had made mention of this. Still, it was common for others to stoop around Gavilar, who would speak with such quiet intensity that one wanted to lean in and listen, to catch every word and implication.

When Gavilar met Dalinar's eyes, Dalinar knew his brother wasn't soft. Gavilar thought like a king. He sought the long term, and was as determined as ever.

Biography

Early Life

In his early life, Gavilar accomplished what seemed impossible by fighting alongside his brother, Dalinar, to force the other nine highprinces of Alethkar to concede to his rule and crown him king.

Gavilar vied with his brother for the hand of Navani. Of the two, she chose Gavilar. Gavilar married Navani and they had two children, Jasnah and Elhokar.

He'd agreed to a crown after much debate - Sunmaker hadn't worn one, and the histories said Jezrien had refused them as well. He'd settled upon a black iron circlet. The more his hair greyed, the easier the crown was to see.

With regard to Rathalas (i.e., the Rift), Gavilar believed that he was failing diplomatically because Tanalan was raising an army and settling into his fortifications. He also thought that the other highprinces were encouraging Tanalan. That they wanted to see how he handled the situation ... because there was talk that he'd grown soft over the years.

But Dalinar had seen that his brother hadn't grown soft. Gavilar had still been as eager for conquest as ever; he'd simply approached it differently. The clash of words, the maneuvering of princedoms into positions where they were forced to obey.

So, he told Dalinar that were he to attack Tanalan, the other highprinces could unite behind the rebels.

Further, he told his brother that they could shatter the kingdom and have to start all over ... and he wouldn't allow that. He stated that he would have a unified Alethkar, even if he had to hit the highprinces so hard, that they were forced to melt together from the heat of it.

Ironically, he told Dalinar that words were important ... much more than his brother gave them credit for. Dalinar told him that if they were all-powerful, then Gavilar wouldn't need his sword. Gavilar then told his brother that he couldn't help feeling words would be enough, if only he knew the right ones to say.*

Later Life

Toward the end of his life, Gavilar began behaving oddly for an Alethi highprince, which was noticed by both his brother, Dalinar, and his daughter, Jasnah. He began following the Alethi Codes of War and became interested in a book thought to have been written by Nohadon called The Way of Kings.

Assassination

He pleaded with Szeth to deliver his dying words:*

“	"Tell ... tell my brother ... he must find the most important words a man can say ... ."	”
–Gavilar to Szeth

Szeth complied by writing the words in Gavilar's own blood before fleeing. Jasnah later read them to Sadeas and Dalinar; the latter eventually discovered that the words are a quote from The Way of Kings.

Along with his final words, Gavilar gave Szeth a strange dark sphere, saying "Take this. They must not get it."

The death of Gavilar greatly affected his brother, who was passed out and drunk at the time, therefore unable to come to his aid. This guilt, along with the Codes, later shape the man Dalinar becomes.

Parshendi

“

Choosing to murder Gavilar had been an act to affirm a decision of their ancestors, a decision that set them back to primitive levels.

”

“

"We murdered his brother," Venli said. "We slaughtered King Gavilar on a night when he'd invited us into his home. That is not something the Alethi will forget, or forgive."

”

Interment

Only the very most important people were allowed to watch Gavilar's holy interment in the royal catacombs of Kholinar, beneath the stone sight of kings. Collected highprinces and wives, important ardents, Navani, Jasnah, Elhokar, Aesudan, Dalinar, Adolin, Renarin, etc. were in attendance.

Jevena lead the rite, speaking words of passage, preaching to those gathered. Navani wrote a ketek, which then burned in a brazier.

After a brief ritual interlude, the Soulcaster there touched Gavilar's forehead, and transformation happened instantly. One moment Gavilar was there; the next he had become a statue.

Other ardents then hurried to remove the wires that had held Gavilar's body in position. They used levers to tip him carefully forward until he was standing, holding a sword with point toward the ground, his other hand outstretched. He stared toward eternity, crown on his head, the curls of his beard and hair preserved delicately in the stone. A powerful pose; the mortuary sculptors had done a fantastic job.

The ardents pushed him back into an alcove, where he joined the lines of other monarchs - most of them highprinces of the Kholin princedom. He would be forever frozen there, the image of a perfect ruler in his prime.

Relationships

• Dalinar - Of his brother, Gavilar believed he was nothing if not persuasive.
• Navani - She had been courted by both Gavilar and Dalinar once, but she chose Gavilar, not because he would be king, but because she was frightened of Dalinar. Later on, she had made mention that her husband was not the just, kind and honorable man that everyone thought he was.

Family

• Dalinar - Brother
• Navani - Widow
• Jasnah - Daughter and Queen of Alethkar
• Elhokar - Son and heir, former King of Alethkar
• Aesudan - Daughter-in-law
• Gavinor - Grandson (son of Elhokar and Aesudan)
• Evi - Sister-in-law (deceased)
• Adolin - Nephew
• Renarin - Nephew

Notes

The Heralds present in the palace at the time of Gavilar's assassination were Nale, Jezrien, Shalash, and Kalak.

Speculation

Due to comments made by the Parshendi that he was "going to bring back our gods" and the remarks made by Amaram, it might be supposed that Gavilar was a member of the Sons of Honor or was at least a strong ally of the group. Amaram thought at the end of Words of Radiance that Gavilar would be proud, implying that the late king was supportive of the goals of the Sons.