Editing Balat Davar

{{character
|image=Balat.jpg
|family=[[House Davar]]
|born={{Rosharan date|1150}}{{book ref|sa1|i|2}}
|spouse=[[Eylita]]{{book ref|sa4|13}}
|parents=[[Lin Davar|Lin]], [[Shallan's mother|mother]]
|siblings=[[Helaran]], [[Wikim]], [[Jushu]], [[Shallan]]
|nation=Jah Keved
|residence=Urithiru
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|introduced=[[The Way of Kings]]
}}
{{update|sa4}}
{{quote
|Am I a coward, Scrak?
|Balat to his axehound{{book ref|sa1|i|2}}
}}

'''Balat Davar''' is a [[lighteyed]] [[Veden]] on [[Roshar]].{{book ref|sa1|i|2}} He is the second oldest child of [[Lin Davar]] and his [[Shallan's mother|mother]] and one of [[Shallan Davar]]'s older brothers. As the second heir in the line of [[House Davar]], he is originally known as '''Tet Balat Davar'''. He becomes known as '''Nan Balat Davar''' after his father disowns his older brother [[Helaran Davar|Helaran]] and strips him of his position as first son and heir.{{book ref|sa2|45}} He is married to [[Eylita Tavinar]].{{book ref|sa4|13}} He is a guardsman in [[Urithiru]]. He is friends with [[Mraize]], though only knows him as a guardsman named Gobby.{{book ref|sa4|13}}

== Appearance and Personality ==
{{image|Balat by Marie Seeberger.jpg|side=left|width=250px}}

Balat is a young man, twenty-three years old as of {{Rosharan date|1173}}. He has a round face, dark hair,{{book ref|sa2|65}} and a haunted look. He is the tallest among his surviving siblings.{{book ref|sa3|122}} Balat walks with a cane and suffers from pain in his bad leg{{book ref|sa1|i|2}} from an injury caused by his [[Lin Davar|father]] smashing his leg with a poker.{{book ref|sa2|73}}

It is implied that as a boy, Balat liked starting fires, one of which almost burned down the servants' building.{{book ref|sa2|27}} He also had a habit of cruelty towards animals.{{book ref|sa2|19}} As an adult, he still likes killing animals, though never people; the pain of whatever he kills seems to lessen his own pain. He does so cruelly, for example ripping the legs off of a [[cremling]] one by one.{{book ref|sa1|i|2}} This interest in death is magically enhanced.{{wob ref|3333}}

He is close to and fond of [[Scrak]], his pet axehound.{{book ref|sa1|i|2}}

Balat believes that [[House Davar]] is deeply damaged and a "family of cripples" as a result of the death of his [[Shallan's mother|mother]] and the following events. He sees himself as the only one who is normal and unscathed by these events.{{book ref|sa1|i|2}}

== Attributes and Abilities ==
Balat has no magical ability and no particular strength in politics, finance, social skills, or dueling.{{book ref|sa3|122}} His animal cruelty is magically enhanced by a moving force on Roshar.{{wob ref|3333}}

== History ==
{{image|Davar family by zoethatcher art.jpg|side=right|width=400px|With his parents and siblings}}
=== Childhood ===
Balat is Lin Davar's second son. Because of this, he grows up as Tet Balat. 
He grows up bitter towards his father, believing he killed Balat's mother and her lover. {{book ref|sa2|39}} His anger seems to be relieved by torturing animals. It's likely he abused an [[axehound]] pup that his older brother [[Helaran]] gave him as a gift. {{book ref|sa2|19}}

=== Becoming Nan Balat ===
Nan [[Helaran]] confronts Lin Davar, and leaves the house. Though there is no immediate change for Balat or his brothers, they seem to constantly grieve his absence, and no one else dares to openly challenge Lin. When asked for evidence against Lin by a representative of the highprince, Balat wants his father to be taken, but does not dare speak.{{book ref|sa2|39}}

At one of his father's feasts, Balat meets Eylita Tavinar, the daughter of a Brightlord of lower dahn than his father. {{book ref|sa2|35}} With the help of Shallan, they start writing and later dating. {{book ref|sa2|45}}

Several years later, due to Helaran and Lin growing further apart, Lin starts calling him Nan Balat, as if he was the eldest son of the family. When Lin receives a threatening message from Helaran on Middlefest Fair, he officially disinherits Helaran and changes the title of Tet Balat to Nan Balat. {{book ref|sa2|45}}

=== Confrontation with Lin Davar ===
The first time Balat confronts his father is when [[Lin]] decides to forbid Balat's engagement with [[Eylita]], who he disapproves of because of her lower station. Lin Balat prefers that Balat marry the Highprince's daughter, who is in her fifties. Balat mentions to his father that he saw Helaran, which makes Lin even more angy. As punishment, [[Lin]] sends a servant to kill Balat's beloved axehound pups. {{book ref|sa2|61}}

Looking at his dead pups, Balat confirms to himself that he is not as strong as Helaran and isn't capable of taking care of his family. Shallan helps him make a plan to escape with Eylita with Helaran's help, under the condition that they take their stepmother Malise with them. {{book ref|sa2|65}} When they can't contact Helaran, Balat decides to only take Eylita and go to the Highprince and testify against his father for his mother's death. Though his father had gained much more power, and the accusation might not be as well received, Balat decides that he has to take the risk, as he can't be a coward anymore. {{book ref|sa2|73}}

On the day Balat was to go to the Highprince, Malise reveals Balat's plan, and is beaten and killed by Lin. Lin summons Eylita before she and Balat escape, and he sends a guard to kill Helaran. {{book ref|sa2|73}}

=== Lin's Death and Aftermath ===
When Balat finds out his father called for Eylita, he confronts him again. This time, however, his father is cold and aggressive. The confrontation turns to violence. Balat is not skillful enough to hurt Lin, but he breaks his father's hidden Soulcaster. Lin injures Balat's leg, but before he can hurt him further, he is tricked into drinking poisoned wine by [[Shallan]], paralyzed, and strangled with her necklace. {{book ref|sa2|73}} 

Nan Balat runs the affairs of House Davar in Lin's place while Shallan pursues Jasnah Kholin for a wardship. He communicates with [[Shallan]] via [[Spanreed]]. They barely manage economically, and they know someone will discover their father's death before long. Some men visit Balat and demand the return of his Father's Soulcaster. {{book ref|sa1|29}}

[[Jasnah Kholin]] steps in to help House Davar {{book ref|sa2|1}} but everything is lost during the upheaval in Jah Keved. By order of Mraize, Balat and his brothers are saved and taken to Urithiru as a "gift" to Shallan for her services to the Ghostbloods. {{book ref|sa3|122}}

== Relationships ==
{{image|Davar Siblings by Marie Seeberger.jpg|side=right|height=300px|With his siblings and [[Scrak]]}}
=== Shallan and brothers===
In the past, Balat resented [[Shallan]] for being untouched by the brutality of his father, but he also knew he couldn’t truly hate her. He considered her shy, quiet and delicate.{{book ref|sa1|i|2}} Shallan tries to help Balat, along with the rest of her brothers. She helps him get closer to Eylita{{book ref|sa2|45}} and later encourages him to plan an escape with her.{{book ref|sa2|61}} She potentially saves his life by stopping their father.{{book ref|sa2|73}}
After Shallan leaves, they keep in touch via spanreed. Balat and his other brothers are used by [[Mraize]] to keep Shallan on his side.{{book ref|sa3|21}}

Though Balat seems to care for his brothers, he doesn’t step up to protect or help them. This is shown when Jushu is taken by debtors. However, Balat gives [[Shallan]] his knife to help get Jushu back.{{book ref|sa3|45}}

=== Helaran ===
When Helaran leaves the house the first time, he doesn't think Balat is ready to lead their brothers.{{book ref|sa2|19}} However, several years later, before leaving for the war in Alethkar, Helaran asks Balat to watch over the family. Balat considers Helaran to be strong and brave and doesn't consider himself to be as good.{{book ref|sa2|61}}

=== Lin Davar ===
Balat is sure his father killed his mother and her lover. He resents his father's cruelty, to the point where he wishes for the Highprince to take him.{{book ref|sa2|39}} Balat is always afraid of stepping up to him. It is only Lin's disapproval of Eylita that pushes Balat to confront him. Lin cripples Balat with a poker.{{book ref|sa2|73}}

== Trivia ==
*His cruelty to animals, which he uses for soothing aches, is being magically enhanced by unspecified forces on Roshar.{{wob ref|3333}}

== Notes ==
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[[category: viewpoint characters]]