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{{event
|image=Plateau Battle by Miguel Sastre.jpg
|participants=[[Alethkar]], [[Listeners]]
|effects=Summoning of the [[Everstorm]]
|world=Roshar
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
}}
}}{{spoilers|book=sa3}}{{objective|date=2018-08|claim=skaa}}
The '''War of Reckoning''' was a conflict on [[Roshar]] between [[Alethkar]] and the [[listeners]]. This name for the conflict was used by Brightness [[Hashal]]{{book ref|sa1|43}} in reference to the Alethi's goal of delivering justice upon the listeners for their role in the [[Assassination of Gavilar|assassination]] of the Alethi King [[Gavilar Kholin]].
 
== Background ==
While exploring a forest south of the [[Shattered Plains]], King Gavilar's brother [[Dalinar Kholin]] encountered a society of non-[[slaveform]] [[singers]] who called themselves '''listeners'''.{{book ref|sa1|28}} Not knowing what they are, and seeing their similarity to [[parshmen]], Gavilar's [[stormwarden]]s coined the term '''Parshendi''',{{book ref|sa1|45}}, whichmeaning roughly meant ''parshmen who can think''. "Parshendi" became the official Alethi term for the listeners, and it also spread to other countries on Roshar. The listeners did not show any offense for the term.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}
 
Diplomatic relations were established, and eventually a treaty was made between the Alethi and the so-called Parshendi. The king invited a Parshendi delegation to celebrate the signing of the treaty in [[Kholinar]].{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} That night, Gavilar revealed to [[Eshonai]], a member of the delegation who could speak Alethi, his secret intention to bring back the [[Fused|old singer gods]] in order to also bring about the return of the [[Herald]]s. He mistakenly believed that the Parshendi would welcome this idea. In reality, the ancestors of the listeners had abandoned their gods in favor of freedom, and they did not want their gods to return.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}
== Participants ==
=== Alethkar ===
Each princedom in Alethkar had its own army. TenThere were ten [[highprince]]s, namely [[Roion]], [[Torol Sadeas|Sadeas]], [[Aladar]], [[Dalinar Kholin|Kholin]], [[Loradar Vamah|Vamah]], [[Ruthar]], [[Thanadal]], [[Hatham]], [[Bethab]], and [[Turinad Sebarial|Sebarial]],. Each committed part of their armies into fulfilling their Vengeance Pact with [[Elhokar|King Elhokar]], and had set up warcamps on the leeward side of the [[Shattered Plains]]. Each highprince had his own warcamp built on one of ten crater-like rock formations that were once inhabited by the listeners.{{map ref|Alethi warcamps}}{{book ref|sa1|45}}{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}
 
[[File: {{map|Alethi warcamps}}|700px|center]]
 
The majority of the Alethi armyarmies arewere composed of [[darkeyed]] spearmen organized into battalions and led by [[lighteyed]] officers. OnlyDarkeyed the lighteyessoldiers were only allowed tospears{{book beref|sa1|prologue}}, so Alethi archers orand toswordsmen usewere swordsall lighteyes.{{book ref|sa2|76}}
 
Aside from regular weapons, the Alethi also had around twenty [[Shardblade]]s.{{book ref|sa1|52}}, as well as an unknown number of [[Shardplate]] armor. It is uncertain exactly how many of these were used in the war and how many remained in Alethkar, but there were more than thirty official [[Shardbearer]]s in the warcamps, a few of whom had both Plate and Blade.{{book ref|sa2|5}}
 
The Alethi also had [[fabrial]]s, some of which, like [[grandbow]]s, had military applications.
Unlike the Alethi, the listeners had a single unified army. Their society was governed by the [[Council of Five]], whose members each represented one of the five [[Singer#Forms|singer forms]] that the listeners used. The Council member who used [[warform]], which is the singer form used by listener warriors, served as the general of the army.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
 
At some point during the war, Eshonai became the warform ofmember among the Five, and started leading the fight for survival against the Alethi. She also possessed the listeners' only remaining set of Shardblade and Shardplate, and used these in theaddition listenerto armywarform during battle.{{book ref|sa1|68}}{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
 
Warform gave listener warriors a carapace armor as well as increased strength.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Though not as strong or resilient as someone with Shardplate, warform listeners were a real threat to regular human soldiers. Their strength allowed them to use heavy weapons like battleaxes, hammers, and sometimes clubs and swords.{{book ref|sa1|40}} They were also capable of jumping far enough to cross chasms{{book ref|sa1|27}}, something that only those with Shardplate could do on the Alethi side.{{book ref|sa1|55}}
 
While they also used archers just like the Alethi, the listeners' combat strategy also involved using '''warpairs'''{{book ref|sa1|26}}, or pairs of warriors who fought side by side as partners. These listener warpairs would jump around the battlefield in coordinated maneuvers, attackingand attack enemy troops with heavy weapons from multiple directions.{{book ref|sa1|28}}
 
When the war started, the listeners moved to the ruins of [[Stormseat]], located at the center of the Shattered Plains. They called this central place [[Narak]], which in their language meant ''Exile'',. and itIt served as the base of operations for their army as well as refuge for the rest of their people.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}
 
== History ==
Over the years the result was that the Alethi army lost its original purpose—to fulfil the Vengeance Pact—and their unity. The ten armies fought on their own instead of fighting united against the Parshendi.
 
[[File:{{image|Battle of the Tower.jpg|thumb|side=right|150pxheight=300px|A map of the Battle of the Tower by [[Isaac Stewart]]]]}}▼
=== The Battle of the Tower ===
▲[[File:Battle of the Tower.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A map of the Battle of the Tower by [[Isaac Stewart]]]]
:''Main article:'' [[Battle of the Tower]]
The [[Tower (Roshar)|Tower Plateau]] is a very large plateau not far from the center of the Shattered Plains. Because of this, the listeners always arrived first whenever a chasmfiend pupated on the Tower Plateau, and they usually had enough time to arrange themselves into battle formation and prepare their defense. Consequently, no Alethi army had ever won a battle at the Tower during the first six years of the war.
 
When Dalinar worked together with Sadeas, a chasmfied was spotted on the Tower.{{book ref|sa1|64}} According to their plan, Sadeas, whose armies were faster than Dalinar's, had to clear a space on the Tower for Dalinar's troops, who were better trained, to engage the Parshendi.{{book ref|sa1|64}} This worked as planned until Sadeas abandoned Dalinar, leaving no way to retreat for Dalinar.{{book ref|sa1|65}}▼
 
Dalinar and the remnants of his army were saved by [[Bridge Four]] led by [[Kaladin]]. In the aftermath, Dalinar made his nephew, King Elhokar, declare him Highprince of War. It was Dalinar's goal to re-purpose the Alethi armies into to fulfilling the Vengeance Pact and to unite them again.{{book ref|sa1|69}}▼
 
 
 
▲When Dalinar worked together with Sadeas, a chasmfiedchasmfiend was spotted on the Tower.{{book ref|sa1|64}} According to their plan, Sadeas, whose armies were faster than Dalinar's, had to clear a space on the Tower for Dalinar's troops, who were better trained, to engage the Parshendi.{{book ref|sa1|64}} This worked as planned until Sadeas abandoned Dalinar, leaving noDalinar way to retreat for Dalinartrapped.{{book ref|sa1|65}}
 
▲Dalinar and the remnants of his army were saved by [[Bridge Four]] led by [[Kaladin]]. In the aftermath, Dalinar made his nephew, King [[Elhokar]], declare him Highprince of War. It was Dalinar's goal to re-purposefocus the Alethi armies into tofinally fulfilling the Vengeance Pact and to unite them again.{{book ref|sa1|69}}
 
=== Stormform and the Failed Peace Talks ===
Seeing the steady decline of her people and becoming war-weary, Eshonai was eager to find a way out of the protracted war. She had been planning to approach Dalinar Kholin and sue for peace. However her sister, the scholar [[Venli]], did not believe such a plan would work. Instead, Venli argued that they should use a [[Singer#Forms_of_Power|Form of Power]] in order to defeat the Alethi.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}
 
Secretly guided by the voidspren [[Ulim]],{{book ref|sa3|i|3}}, Venli had previously captured a [[stormspren]], a spren that granted [[stormform]]. This Form of Power was believed to allow the summoning and control of storms.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}} Eshonai initially protested the idea due to the form's connection to [[Fused|their hated gods]]. However, after the other leaders sided with Venli, Eshonai ended up volunteering to experiment with stormform to see what it does.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}
 
Prior to bonding the stormspren, and with the help of Dalinar's son [[Adolin]]{{book ref|sa2|26}} and the listener warrior [[Thude]], Eshonai was finally able to arrange a meeting with Dalinar to discuss a possible end to the war. The plan was for the meeting to happen in seven days. Having received confirmation of the arrangement, Eshonai went out to experiment with stormform.{{book ref|sa2|i|5}}
Stormform gave Eshonai a different kind of armor and the ability to jump chasms more easily. She started attuning to a new set of [[Singer#Rhythms|Rhythms]] that were more aggressive.{{book ref|sa2|i|8}} More importantly, the new form changed Eshonai's personality, making her more arrogant and belligerent. She abandoned her plan to negotiate. Instead, she challenged the Alethi to try and destroy her people if they could.{{book ref|sa2|51}} She planned to lure the whole Alethi army out far away from their warcamps and destroy them with a summoned highstorm.{{book ref|sa2|i|11}}
 
Along with Venli, Eshonai organized the adoption of stormform for all of their people. A few of the listeners did not agree to this plan and managed to escape.{{book ref|sa2|i|11}} [[Rlain]], a listener spy who infiltrated the Alethi army and joined [[Bridge Four]], returned from his espionage mission, and discovered the new stormform army. He decided not to join them.{{book ref|sa2|78}}
 
=== The Battle of Narak ===
The battle was fought on three plateaus. Aladar, Roion, Adolin each led soldiers on their own designated plateau while Dalinar gave orders from the command tent on another plateau. Sebarial's army reinforced Aladar's and Roion's, as Sebarial himself did not fight.{{book ref|sa2|81}}
 
The stormform listeners showed the ability to shoot red lightning, which they successfully weaponized against the Alethi. Adolin and Aladar managed well enough on their plateaus, but Roion's army was eventually defeated{{book ref|sa2|82}}, andbut RoionAdolin himselfand wasAladar killedmanaged bywell later in the battle by -[[Szeth]], who was thereenough on atheir mission to assassinate Dalinarplateaus.{{book ref|sa2|8582}}
 
Having been warned by Rlain that the stormforms' song will bring destruction, Dalinar instructed Adolin to stop the singers.{{book ref|sa2|81}} Adolin found a way to get to the singers and killed many of them, but Eshonai attacked before he could finish the task.{{book ref|sa2|83}} In the end, even though he defeated Eshonai, he was unable to prevent the song from being completed. The summoned storm turned out to be the [[Everstorm]], and it came towards them from the west, bringing red lightning.{{book ref|sa2|84}} In addition, the [[Stormfather]] sent an unexpected highstorm, coming from the east as highstorms usually do.{{book ref|sa2|86}}
 
[[Kaladin]]Szeth arrived inon timethe tobattlefield saveon Dalinara mission from Szeth,[[Taravangian]] whoto hadassassinate beenDalinar, sentbut therewas tothwarted assassinateby the highprince[[Kaladin]].{{book ref|sa2|86}} [[Shallan Davar]] managed to find and activate the ancient [[Oathgate]] within the city, and the surviving Alethi army was safely transported to [[Urithiru]] before the combined Everstorm and highstorm destroyed the whole city of Narak.{{book ref|sa2|84}}{{book ref|sa2|86}}
 
The surviving remnants of the stormform army eventually ended up as vessels or subjects offor the [[Fused]], the immortal commanders of [[Odium]]'s army that returned through the Everstorm. The exception was Venli, whom Odium spared for his own purposes.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} Aside from Rlain, it is currently unknown whether any of the listeners who did not join the stormform army survived.▼
 
The non stormform listeners who escaped into the chasms survived with the help of a chasmfiend.{{book ref|row|115}}
▲The surviving remnants of the stormform army eventually ended up as vessels or subjects of the [[Fused]], the immortal commanders of [[Odium]]'s army that returned through the Everstorm.{{book ref|sa3|i|6}} Aside from Rlain, it is currently unknown whether any of the listeners who did not join the stormform army survived.
 
== Warfare ==
 
=== The Use of Bridges Between Plateaus ===
While warform listeners were able to jump the distance between plateaus, an Alethi army could only cross a chasm with a wooden bridge from an adjacent plateau. There was no way to climb a plateau from a chasm. The bridges were made of wood.{{book ref|sa1|6}} Permanent bridges could only be constructed next to the warcamps because any permanent bridgebridges built further on the plains were destroyed by listener raids.{{book ref|sa1|17}}
 
During a race for a gemheart, mobile bridges were used by the Alethi armies. There were two main types of bridges.
:Bridges that functioned like siege-towers. Those were very heavy and needed to be pulled by chulls and thus were very slow. Their advantage was that they offered cover for the Alethi army until the bridge was lowered over the chasm.{{book ref|sa1|55}}{{book ref|sa1|28}}
;Light Portable Bridges
:These were only light in comparison to the bridge-towers. At least 25twenty five men were needed to carry a bridge, though the bridges were constructed with spaces for forty men.{{book ref|sa1|6}}. Their advantage was that they could be carried even while running, so they were much faster than the bridge-towers. Instead of offering cover, the bridgemen were exposed to the listener archers during the approach of the final plateau.
 
Sadeas waspioneered the firsttechnique{{book oneref|sa2|8}} toof useusing the light bridges, <!---advantageous hefor wastheir first?mobility, --->manned andby hadbridgemen muchwho successwere withleft themexposed because of their mobility. He also usedfor the exposed bridgemen on purpose toof attractattracting enemy fire that would otherwise have centered on his own soldiers.{{book ref|sa1|6}}{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa1|32}} That is also why bridgemen were neither armored nor trained.{{book ref|sa1|15}} When others of the highprinces saw Sadeas' success, they began using his system as well.{{book ref|sa2|8}}
 
Dalinar did not use those bridges because he was convinced that officers shouldn't demand anything from their soldiers that they would not do themselves and reproached Sadeas for wasting lives.{{book ref|sa1|15}}{{book ref|sa1|65}} HeLater, reproached Sadeas for wasting lives. Laterthough, Sadeas and Dalinar worked together. Sadeas, who could reach a plateau faster than anyone else, becausewith he used thehis light bridges, andwent leftahead hiswith mainmost armyof withhis Dalinar<!---force mainand armysecured witha Dalinar? --->.foothold; Dalinar followed withat the slowpace of his chull-drawn bridges, usingalthough he could reach the lightcontested plateau twice as quickly because he crossed on some mobile bridges Sadeas had lent him so he didn't need to crossstop theand lower his own bridges at each chasmschasm. At the final plateau, Dalinar would put his own bridges forward, so as not to waste bridgemen's lives.{{book <!--- not in the Tower Battle? --->ref|sa1|58}}
 
Kaladin was the first to train a bridgecrew of a light bridge{{book ref|sa1|14}} and had considerable success with it.{{book ref|sa1|59}} Not only hedid managedhe manage to make them faster than other crews, he also manageddevised tothe figuremethod out aof way of"side carrying" the bridge so that it could offershield protectionarrows forfrom the crewbridgemen.{{book ref|sa1|32}} <!---Although fitsthis passagemethod aboutsignificantly Kaladinprotected the bridgemen, it was a strategical failure to Sadeas' army. The [[Parshendi]] archers realized [[Bridge Four]] were too well protected (and Sidefocused Carry)their arrows on the bulk of soldiers instead, causing heavy loss of trained soldiers instead of expendable bridgemen. Other bridgecrew who awkwardly tried to imitate them failed to deliver the bridges and this resulted in here?a --->lost battle. As punishments, [[Lamaril]] was executed and Kaladin was left out for the [[highstorm]].
<!--- fits passage about the parshmen bone shield in here? --->
 
=== The Use of Shardbearers ===
 
=== Chasm Duty ===
During battles on the plateaus, falling into chasms was a real risk for both Alethi soldiers and listenerListener warriors, oftenand fellmany intodied thein chasmsthis manner. The dead who were left after a battle were also blown into the chasms during highstorms. At the bottom of the chasmsThere, the dead were flooded to the leeward end of the chasms, where they stayed until another flood pulled them elsewhere.{{book ref|sa1|27}}
 
SoldiersSearch teams consisting of soldiers or bridgemen were periodically sent down into the chasms to gather weapons, armor, spheres, or anything other of value from the dead. Chasm duty was dangerous because of the risk of another highstorm flooding the chasms and because of chasmfiends who could come upon a search- team.{{book ref|sa1|27}}
 
== Notes ==
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