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{{event
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}
{{update|book=sa3}}
The '''Heraldic Epochs''' is a period ofin history of [[Roshar]] that preceded the [[Era of Solitude]].{{book ref|sa1|45}} It's sometimes known as the '''Silver Kingdoms Epoch'''.{{book ref|sa1|19}}
 
== History ==
{{image|The_Heralds_-_XVII._The_Star_.png|side=left|width=150px}}
The Heraldic Epochs began with the conflict between humans and [[Singers]], when the latter decided to ally with [[Odium]].{{book ref|sa3|111}} To combat this, [[Honor]] chose ten [[Herald]]s, thus forming the [[Oathpact]].{{book ref|sasa1|part=prelude}} In short, the Oathpact stated that as long as the Heralds were on [[Braize]], Odium could not start another [[Desolation]]; to combat this, he tortured the Heralds until at least one of them broke. A single such cycle - a period of peace punctuated by a Desolation - was a single Heraldic Epoch. As each time, the Heralds broke faster, the Epochs grew shorter and shorter, with the intial ones being centuries apart, with the initial ones separated by over a century, while the very last were only years apart.{{book ref|sa3|38}} In total, there were somewhere between fifteen and fifty Desolations.{{wob ref|10816}} While many chronological details are uncertain, it is known that the [[Worldsinger]] [[Senne Khald]] lived in the Sixth Epoch,{{wob ref|16437}} and that [[Dalinar's visions|Dalinar's vision]] of [[Midnight Essence]] creatures attacking the town of Starfalls takes place in the Eighth.{{book ref|sa3|34}}
 
Though initially only the Heralds had the access to [[Surgebinding]], eventually the [[spren]] sought to mimic those powers and began bonding humans.{{book ref|sa2|4}} Initially, those new Surgebinders were unorganized and uncoordinated, with some even turning on fellow men.{{book ref|sa1|60}} Sometime during the reign of [[Nohadon]], the Herald [[Ishar]] imposed order on them, leading to the formation of [[Knights Radiant]].{{epigraph ref|sa2|42}} Henceforth, the Knights would battle the [[Desolation]]s alongside the Heralds.
The city of [[Stormseat]] was destroyed by unknown means during one of the Desolations, leading to the formation of the [[Shattered Plains]].{{epigraph ref|sa2|26}} Sometime after, a legion of [[Singer]]s was sent there for unknown reasons and chose to defect, becoming the [[Listener]]s.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
 
The Heraldic Epochs came to an end with the [[Last Desolation]], or the [[Aharietiam]]. At the end of that Desolation, only the Herald [[Taln]] was dead. The other Heralds decided to leave the Oathpact, theorizing that one of them would be enough to keep it functioning, and abandoned their [[Honorblade]]s, then told mankind that this day marked the final victory over the [[Voidbringer]]s.{{book ref|sasa1|part=prelude}} With them vanishing - supposedly to battle in the [[Tranquiline Halls]], while in fact they simply went into hiding - Roshar entered the [[Era of Solitude]].{{book ref|sa1|45}}
 
== Culture and Politics ==
{{image|Silver_Kingdoms.jpg|The [[Silver Kingdoms]]|side=right|width=350px}}
Though the Heraldic Epochs are considered to be Roshar's golden age, in truth they saw a period of significant civillizational decline.{{book ref|sa1|21}}{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} Each [[Desolation]] brought with it a vast loss of knowledge and technical know-how, to the point where the Heralds would leave mankind with the knowledge of forging bronze and return to find them in stone age.{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}} With every return, they had to re-teach mankind a number of important skills.{{book ref|sa2|i|7}}
 
It's possible that this was not merely an accident of constant war, but a deliberate effort by Odium, as the [[Unmade]] [[Yelig-Nar]] is mentioned as deliberately targeting wordsmen, the literate people of [[Nohadon]]'s era.{{book ref|sa1|60}} Even the periods between Desolations were fraught with peril, as creatures such as [[Midnight Essence]] were a constant threat.{{book ref|sa1|19}}
Humanity had very little technology during most of the Heraldic Epochs, they did not even know how to forge steel.{{book ref|twok|45}} If they had not been granted Shardblades by the Nahel bond with spren, they would have had to fight the Voidbringers with simple weapons, such as clubs.
 
Politically, Roshar was divided into ten [[Silver Kingdoms]]. Each Kingdom had its own purpose in the Desolations, and each had its own [[Oathgate]] leading to [[Urithiru]], the seat of the [[Knights Radiant]] and the functional capital of the world at the time. Those kingdoms were built by the Heralds and, at least according to myths, led by them.{{book ref|sa1|45}} However, smaller countries appear to have existed as well, such as [[Eiliz]] and [[Tarma]];{{book ref|sa1|60}} whether they were vassal states to the Silver Kingdoms or independent nations that weren't recorded in history is unclear.
According to legend, the Heraldic Epochs were a golden time for Roshar. The [[Silver Kingdoms]] were built and led by the Heralds,{{book ref|twok|45}} and men were bound by honor.{{book ref|twok|21}}
 
ContraryUnlike thein modern [[Era of SolitudeVorinism]], during the Heraldic Epochs writing and reading wasn't restricted to women, as literate words'''wordsmen'men'' existed.{{book ref|twok|60}} Conversely, waging war wasn't restricted to men, as there were female Knights Radiant.{{book ref|sa1|19}}
 
== In VorinismLegacy ==
On Roshar, Heraldic Epochs are fondly remembered as the times that Heralds steered the course of the world and men were bound by honor.{{book ref|sa1|21}} Great men of that era, such as [[Nohadon]], are revered even in the present day.{{book ref|sa2|47}}
The [[Vorin]] religion is based on the lie that at the end of the Heraldic Epochs, the Heralds had pushed the Voidbringers back to the [[Tranquiline Halls]] and were fighting to force them out of there as well. According to Vorinism, there were one hundred [[Desolation]]s, including [[Aharietiam]]; however, the real number was somewhere between fifteen and fifty.{{book ref|twok|45}}{{wob ref|10816}}▼
 
▲TheOne of the primary tenets of the [[Vorin]] religion is based on the liestates that at the end of the Heraldic Epochs, the Heralds had pushed the Voidbringers back to the [[Tranquiline Halls]] and were fighting to force them out of there as well. According to Vorinism, there were one hundred [[Desolation]]s, including [[Aharietiam]]; however, the real number was somewhere between fifteen and fifty.{{book ref|twok|45}}{{wob ref|10816}}
 
== Notes ==
{{history
|title=History of [[Roshar]]
|prev=[[Expulsion]] to Roshar
|this=Heraldic Epochs
|next=[[Era of Solitude]]
}}
 
<references />
{{partial}}
{{stormlight}}
[[Category: Events and Eras]]
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