Difference between revisions of "Bridge Four"

{{group

|world=Roshar

|universe=[[Cosmere]]

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]

'''Bridge Four''' is the name of a group headed by [[Kaladin Stormblessed]], an Alethi [[Knight Radiant]] of the [[Order of Windrunners]]. The group was originally one of the [[bridge crew]]s of the Sadeas warcamp in the [[Shattered Plains]], hence the name, but its function has evolved over time, becoming both [[Dalinar Kholin]]'s honor guard as well as a military unit within a battalion of the Kholin army, then later becoming a group largely consisting of Kaladin's [[squire]]s and [[Knights Radiant]] loyal to him. Despite such drastic changes, the members still refer to themselves by their original bridge crew name, and have even kept their old bridge with them.{{book ref|sa3|37}}

 

Their insignia, designed by Kaladin, is made up of the glyph ''vev'' (meaning the number four) suspended above the glyph ''gesheh'' (meaning bridge), stylized as a bridge spanning a chasm.{{wob ref|6461}}

 

Notorious for its bad luck, Bridge Four of [[Torol Sadeas]]' bridge crews seldom kept a bridgeleader for more than a few days{{book ref|sa1|6}} and almost always took the highest casualties on bridge runs.{{book ref|sa1|9}}

 

Upon arrival at the bridge yard in Sadeas' warcamp [[Kaladin]] managed to earn the immediate enmity of [[Gaz]], the bridge sergeant in charge of the bridge crews, who then placed him in Bridge Four.

 

=== Changes under Kaladin ===

 

=== Escape Plan and Freedom ===

Despite their huge gains, the treatment of the warcamp's [[lighteyes|lighteyed]] officers towards Bridge Four did not improve, and in fact even worsened. Kaladin started thinking of escape, not just for himself, but for the rest of the crew.{{book ref|sa1|43}}

 

For this, Dalinar gave Sadeas [[Oathbringer (Shardblade)|Oathbringer]], his [[Shardblade]], in exchange of the freedom of every single bridgeman in Sadeas' warcamp.{{book ref|sa1|69}} Afterwards, the members of Bridge Four became Dalinar's new honor guard, and Kaladin was appointed captain in charge of both the honor guard and a new battalion consisting of the former bridgemen.{{book ref|sa1|73}}

 

=== Battalion Officers ===

As captain, Kaladin assigned several Bridge Four members to become officers of the new battalion:

Skar and Moash were both tasked to focus on Bridge Four's bodyguard duties.{{book ref|sa2|2}}

 

=== Dalinar's Honor Guard ===

As Highprince Dalinar's personal bodyguards, Bridge Four guarded both the Highprince and his family. Dalinar was their top priority, as Kaladin believed that the highprince was their only guarantee of freedom. He made it a policy to always have a team, led by a Bridge Four lieutenant if not Kaladin himself, watching the highprince at all times, while the rest of Bridge Four guarded his sons or carried out other responsibilities as members of Kaladin's battalion.

 

 

=== Squires and Radiants ===

 

From then on Bridge Four focused more on training their Surgebinding abilities, recruiting potential squires, and performing more crucial assignments for Dalinar. Their abilities disappeared whenever Kaladin was too far away, so Dalinar gave them the Windrunner [[Honorblade]] to use for training in such cases.{{book ref|sa3|64}}

 

 

Teft, who reached the Third Ideal as well, received squires of his own from another bridge crew, namely Bridge Thirteen.{{book ref|sa3|122}}

 

== Tattoos ==

Surviving members who've been in Bridge Four since the bridge crew days have [[glyph]]s for "Freedom" and "Bridge Four" tattooed on their person. The "Freedom" glyph is usually a mark of a freed slave.

In Alethi society, slaves are often branded with a mark of slavery on their forehead to make their status apparent to anyone who sees them. A freed slave is given a writ of freedom, but he could also cover his slave brand with a tattoo indicating details of his freedom in order to lessen potential misunderstandings.

 

Shortly after moving to Dalinar's warcamp, Kaladin hires a tattooist to give a Freedom tattoo to those Bridge Four members who'd been slaves. The first one to get it, [[Hobber]], insists on having glyphs for "Bridge Four" added to the tattoo as well, as a statement of loyalty and gratitude towards Bridge Four. The rest of the former slaves copy him. As a gesture of solidarity, even those who didn't have the slave brand request for the same tattoo as well, although [[Moash]] opts to have the tattoo placed on his left shoulder instead of his forehead.{{book ref|sa2|2}}{{book ref|sa3|45}}

 

 

== Notable Members ==

{{for|:Category:Bridge Four|a full list of members|Category:Bridge Four}}

* [[Dabbid]]

* [[Drehy]]

* [[Hobber]]

* [[Leyten]]

* [[Lopen]]

* [[Lyn]] (post-Sadeas)

}}

 

== Notes ==

[[category: Sadeas army]]

[[Category: Bridge Four| ]]