| Toralin Roshone | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Ethnicity | Alethi |
| Nationality | Alethi |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Dead |
| Physical Description | |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Light Yellow |
| Social Information | |
| Title(s) | Brightlord, Citylord |
| Family |
Rillir (son), Laral (wife), Meridas Amaram (distant cousin) |
| Occupation | Landlord |
| Appears in |
The Way of Kings (flashbacks), Words of Radiance (mentioned), Oathbringer, Rhythm of War |
Toralin Roshone was the citylord of Hearthstone.
He owned neither Shardplate nor a Shardblade. His allies were Brightlord Sadeas, his liege lord, and Brightlord Amaram, his distant cousin. [1][2]
Following the death of Brightlord Wistiow in 1166, Roshone was appointed as Hearthstone's citylord[3] as a part of his exile conditions.[4]
According to Kaladin, Hearthstone was cursed with his presence, a man whose greedy ways had ruined far more than one life.[5]
Roshone wasn't important enough to have stewardship over any of the highprince's lands - a distinction Kaladin had never realized while he lived in Hearthstone. Those lands were watched over by much more important lighteyes; Roshone was only a first point of contact with surrounding villages.[6]
Appearance[]
He was described as a middle-aged man with a short, grey-streaked beard, and "a little too flabby to be a true soldier".[3]
He wore a lighteyes' coat that is several seasons out of fashion, a wooden foot on his right leg, and had lost weight. His skin drooped on his figure like melted wax, bunching up at his neck.[4]
He had the same imperious bearing, the same angry expression. To Kaladin, his light yellow eyes seemed to blame everyone and everything in this insignificant town for his banishment.[4]
Later, the former citylord's cheeks hung in deflated jowls, still reflecting the weight he'd lost following his son's death seven years prior. Roshone had been ordered to shave his beard, perhaps because he'd been fond of it, and he no longer wore his proud warrior's takama. That had been replaced by the kneepads and short trousers of a crem scraper.[7]
Before Exile[]
Roshone was a petty man, yet had become a trusted friend and advisor to a young King Elhokar. Roshone owned a few silversmith shops in Kholinar and disliked having competition. Using his connections to the king, he was able to convince Elhokar to jail several of his competitors on trumped up charges. Two of these competitors, who were the grandparents of Moash, a Bridge Four soldier, died in prison because Elhokar simply forgot about them.[2][4]
In discovering this treachery, Dalinar originally wanted Roshone stripped of his station and made a tenner, forced to live his life in squalor. However, fearing the political repercussions, he tried to diminish the chance of a scandal by having Roshone tried for corruption and exiled to Hearthstone, a location he assumed would keep Roshone from doing further harm to the kingdom.[2][4]
Time in Hearthstone[]
From the very beginning, Roshone took exception to Hearthstone's surgeon, Lirin. Roshone blamed Lirin for Wistiow's death and, by extension, causing his own exile to Hearthstone.[3] He suspected Lirin had stolen a large number of spheres from Wistiow. However, unable to prove it, he used his position and influence to encourage the townspeople to stop their donations to Lirin's family, forcing the family into poverty.
Kaladin described Roshone's influence over the people as "a confusing mixture of adoration and fear". Lirin further described Roshone as "unappeasable" and "the type who keeps kicking" once a man is down.[8] Roshone even suggested that if Lirin tried to escape Hearthstone, he would contact the nearby citylords and tell them of the accused theft, a threat Lirin did not find frightening given his position as a surgeon.[citation needed]
Roshone and his son Rillir went on a whitespine hunt, where they were both badly injured. Lirin operated on them both and was unable to save Rillir.[9] Roshone blamed Lirin for the loss of his son and heir and forced Lirin's youngest son, Tien, into military service in revenge, using his connections with his cousin, Amaram. Kaladin joined Amaram's army as well, thinking to protect his brother.[1]
Sometime later, Roshone became betrothed to Laral Wistiow. Their joining revealed that Lirin may had actually stolen the spheres though the legality of the matter was unclear; he had a previous agreement with Wistiow that he did not trust Roshone to honor.[1]
Post-Everstorm[]
Hesina promised Kaladin that things had gotten better since he left. That Roshone wasn't as bad as he once was. She thought he felt guilty.[4]
But when Roshone initially acknowledged Kaladin's presence, he addressed him smugly, then decided to have a closer look at his brands, reaching over and holding up the hair in front of Kaladin's forehead.[4]
| “ | "Storms, boy. What did you do? Hit a lighteyes?"
"Yes," Kaladin said. Then punched him. ... Roshone dropped like a felled tree. "That," Kaladin said, "was for my friend Moash."[4] |
” |
Roshone sputtered on the ground, his nose bleeding, then instructed his guards to strike Kaladin down ... which they didn't do.[6]
Afterward, Roshone sat apart from the others present, periodically pushing both hands along his flushed cheeks toward the back of his head in an odd nervous gesture. His nose had stopped bleeding, though he'd have a bruise.[6]
Much later, Roshone was killed by Moash who jerked a knife in a quick, efficient slice, opening Roshone's throat and spilling his lifeblood across the front of his ragged clothing. Roshone fell to the ground and faded away in a pool of his own blood.[10]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Way of Kings, 44. The Weeping
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Words of Radiance, 62. The One Who Killed Promises
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Way of Kings, 25. The Butcher
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Oathbringer, 6. Four Lifetimes
- ↑ Oathbringer, 5. Hearthstone
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Oathbringer, 7. A Watcher At The Rim
- ↑ Rhythm of War, 1. Calluses
- ↑ The Way of Kings, 31. Beneath the Skin
- ↑ The Way of Kings, 41. Of Alds and Milp
- ↑ Rhythm of War, 8. Surrender
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