Nergaoul
| Nergaoul | |
|---|---|
 por Ashley Coad
| |
| Grupo | Unmade |
| Especie | Spren |
| Mundo natal | Roshar |
Nergaoul is the Unmade involved with the Thrill.[1] He[2] is described as an "ancient, evil spren" in Taravangian's internal monologue.[3]
Appearance and Nature
“ Something came surging out. Something primeval, something Venli had felt but never truly known. Red mist. Ephemeral, like a shadow you see on a dark day and mistake for something real. Charging red horses, angry and galloping. The forms of men, killing and dying, shedding blood and reveling in it. Bones piled atop one another, making a hill upon which men struggled.
The red mist climbed up from the surging waves, rolling out onto an empty section of rock, northward along the rim of the water. It brought to her a lust for the battlefield. A beautiful focus, a Thrill for the fight.
”
When visible in the Physical Realm, Nergaoul appears in the form of red mist. The mist would often form images of battle, of soldiers fighting and dying, among other things.[5][4] However, Nergaoul can affect people even without being in this visible state, and his influence can be felt in an area big enough to span nations.
In Shadesmar, he appears as a large dark mass of living red light.[4]
The Thrill
The Thrill is the term used to describe the effect of Nergaoul's presence on people. It manifests as a strong competitive urge accompanied by increased focus and the ability to ignore things like pain or morality that might otherwise distract from the goal of victory. This effect can be felt during any competition, whether violent or non-violent, although it is much more keen during battle[6], where it has been described as a sense of bloodlust[4] and an enjoyment and longing for war.[7] It is a phenomenon experienced by many on Roshar, most of whom are not aware of its Unmade origin.
The Thrill is thought to generally grow stronger the closer someone is to Nergaoul's location.[3] It could affect soldiers from both sides of a battle[8]. Someone feeling its urge may choose to refuse its embrace, however.
Unmade
As a spren of Odium, Nergaoul contains part of Odium's Investiture. Perhaps due to this, Odium can more easily control anyone embracing the Thrill.[4]
Nergaoul is one of several Unmade who are not fully self-aware.[8] The Thrill affects both Parshendi and humans indiscriminately. From his interaction with Dalinar during the Battle of Thaylen Field, he seems capable of emotions, showing desire to please Dalinar.[9]
It is known that being very close to something tied to Honor reduces the effects of the Thrill.[10] For example, Kaladin Stormblessed is immune to it[11], likely due to his Nahel bond.
History
According to Hessi's Mythica, the signs of Nergaoul's presence, namely the battle rage and the red mist, have been known since ancient times.[2] She believed Nergaoul to still be active on modern Roshar due to Alethi descriptions of the Thrill.
In Alethkar
The Thrill caused Alethkar to become a more warlike nation. Most Alethi soldiers, lighteyed or not, felt the Thrill to some degree. Most notably, it was used heavily and quite effectively by Dalinar Kholin when he fought battles for his brother Gavilar, who wanted to unify Alethkar under his own rule. Dalinar's Thrill-driven ferocity in combat earned him a great reputation within Alethkar and infamy elsewhere. People started calling him the Blackthorn after he was seen walking with several black arrows sticking into him due to a failed assassination attempt; the Thrill helped him bear the pain.[12]
Being under the influence of an Unmade was not always positive for Dalinar, however. At one point, the Thrill consumed him to the point that he wanted to keep fighting even after winning a battle and almost attacked Gavilar.[13] Later on, surrendering himself to a vengeful rage stoked by the Thrill, he ordered the slaughter of everyone in the rebelling city of Rathalas, which led to the death of his own wife Evi.[14]
This tragedy broke Dalinar's spirit. Later he journeyed to the Valley to seek the boon of "forgiveness" from the Nightwatcher, who did not know what to make of this request. Cultivation intervened and took all the memories of Evi away from Dalinar's mind, allowing him to recover.[15] Dalinar would still use the Thrill throughout most of the War of Reckoning until he found himself more and more repulsed by the idea of senseless killing (possibly influenced by his growing Nahel bond). Later on, without knowing its origins, Dalinar concluded that there was something wrong about the Thrill.[16]
Other notable Alethi who embraced the Thrill at some point in their lives were Dalinar's son Adolin, the Highprince Kalanor, and the Highprince Torol Sadeas.
In Jah Keved
Nergaoul moved towards Jah Keved while the country was recovering from a series of assassinations that killed off the king and many Veden Highprinces. It is believed that the Unmade's presence greatly worsened the civil war that broke out due to the succession crisis, causing much destruction until Valam became victorious.
King Taravangian of Kharbranth, who shortly succeeded Valam and obtained Jah Keved as his second kingdom, had been studying the various Unmade and noticed Nergaoul's influence in the civil war, but decided to focus his efforts on the Unmade called Moelach instead.[3]
In Thaylenah
“ Thank you for giving me strength when I needed it. Now, old friend, it is time to rest. ”
— Dalinar to Nergaoul (who he knows as the Thrill), right before trapping the Unmade[9]
During the Battle of Thaylen Field, Odium used Nergaoul to control Sadeas's soldiers and attack Thaylen City.[4] With the help of Szeth and Lift, Dalinar Kholin managed to coax Nergaoul into King's Drop, trapping the Unmade inside the perfect gemstone similar to the way spren are caught. He did this by embracing the Thrill one last time while holding King's Drop.
The defeat of Nergaoul ended the battle, as Sadeas's soldiers were freed from Odium's influence.[9]
Notes
- ↑ Nergaoul and the Thrill
— Reddit - December 3rd, 2015# - ↑ a b Juramentada capítulo 100#
- ↑ a b c Palabras radiantes interludio I-14#
- ↑ a b c d e f Juramentada capítulo 115#
- ↑ Juramentada capítulo 75#
- ↑ El camino de los reyes capítulo 12#
- ↑ El camino de los reyes capítulo 28#
- ↑ a b Juramentada capítulo 99#
- ↑ a b c Juramentada capítulo 120#
- ↑ /r/books AMA 2015
— Arcanum - 2015-07-07# - ↑ SpoCon 2013
— Arcanum - 2013-07-10# - ↑ Juramentada capítulo 3#
- ↑ Juramentada capítulo 26#
- ↑ Juramentada capítulo 76#
- ↑ Juramentada capítulo 114#
- ↑ Juramentada capítulo 16#