Rock

Rock
Rock Fan art by Elizabeth Kunkle[1]
Biographical information
Ethnicity	Unkalaki
Nationality	Unkalaki
Gender	Male
Status	Alive
Abilities	Sees all types of Spren
Physical Description
Hair Color	Red
Eye Color	Soft Brown
Social Information
Aliases	Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor
Title(s)	Horneater, Bridge Four Lieutenant, Bridge Four Quartermaster
Occupation	Bridge Four cook, Squire
Appears in	The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer

Rock was a bridgeman in Sadeas's army. He is now Bridge Four's cook and barber. He is an Unkalaki, or Horneater, whose full name is actually Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor. This name is a description of a type of rock his father found shortly before he was born. The name is hard to pronounce, which is why people simply call him "Rock".

Appearance

Rock
Fan art by Nat Rodgers[2]

Rock is a large, tan-skinned man, with thick limbs and an oval face. He has long, red-blond sideburns, which cover his cheeks and curve down to his chin. His chin, from beneath his lips, is shaved clean. (He takes great pride in his facial hair.) Rock shaves the hair upon his head up the center, from directly above his eyebrows back. He is also a broad man; he's nearly twice as broad as Kaladin and a few inches taller than Kaladin too.

Personality

Rock is inviting, engaging and even playful. His outlook remains positive despite the obstacles Bridge Four faces. He is a very loyal and caring man with great faith in Kaladin.

He is known to be sarcastic and humorous in his interactions with others. He cares for all members of Bridge Four as he would his family, which is shown with his interactions with Shen.

He is also very proud of his cooking. He refuses to allow poor food to be cooked for members of Bridge Four. A testament to this is evidenced when Rock goes with Dalinar's army as he wouldn't leave his friend (i.e., Kaladin) to "the mercy of the camp cooks".

Character

Rock had always been taught that the first rule of warfare was to know one's enemy.

Abilities

Rock is able to see spren whether they choose to be seen by him. He apologizes to the spren in the chasm where he and members of Bridge Four are practicing with Kaladin's abilities, naming those spren, mafah'liki. He claims that he is alaii'iku ... that he can see spren while others cannot. He believes this is due to the others' status as lowlanders; that the air below the Horneater Peaks makes their brains stop working correctly. He is one of the few people, so far, who can see Kaladin's honorspren, Syl, as he was born with this ability.

Rock the Pacifist
Fan art by sheep[3]

Rock is an accomplished cook, barber and archer. His role in Bridge Four is as someone whom Kaladin and the entire bridgecrew rely upon to feed them each night. Rock believes that chull head is very good to eat; that it is the best part of a chull. As a barber, Rock's hand is smooth and careful. He shaves the beards of any amongst the men who want it with a deft touch. Because of Rock's gift, the men have neatly-trimmed beards or clean-shaven faces. Despite his skill with archery, he refuses to fight, and claims that they don't fight among the Unkalaki, and instead have drinking competitions to settle disputes.

Even so, Rock has been determined by Kaladin to have had training as a wrestler.

Bio

History

Rock is from the Unkalaki people. He followed his leader, called a nuatoma, to the Shattered Plains to kill a Shardbearer so his nuatoma (hence, the Unkalaki people as a whole), could have a set of Shardplate. His nuatoma decided to challenge Highprince Sadeas, by whom he was defeated, thereby leaving the remaining Unkalaki in Sadeas's service. Rock was originally used as Sadeas's cook, but was promptly sent to the bridgecrews after Rock decided to use chull dung to cook an array of dishes for Sadeas's pleasure.

Ethnic Distinctions

Rock is a third son, one who cannot be wasted in battle. Amongst the Unkalaki, the fourth son or below - the tuanalikina - is fit to be a soldier.

Bridge Four

Rock immediately fell into obedience with Kaladin and accepted him as their bridgeleader, because when it was his turn at the front (which means sure death). Kaladin took Rock's place and gave Rock the relatively safe position at the back.

Notes

Near the end of Words of Radiance, he calls Shallan cousin, due to their similar hair color.^{[citation needed]}