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'''Nale''', also known as '''Nalan'Elin''', '''Nin''', or '''Nakku''', is one of the ten [[Herald]]s of [[The Almighty]] on [[Roshar]], who served as a protector of humanity against the Desolations from 7000 to 4500 Rosharan years before the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa1|part=prelude}}{{book ref|sa4|14}}{{book ref|sa4|
== Appearance and Personality ==
=== Personality ===
Nale is obsessed with order and law, and will go to extreme lengths to ensure he doesn't break any laws of the land he's in. This is because he's lost his confidence in his own sense of justice and morality, and as such, he believes that the only way for him to act correctly is to obey a code of conduct created by others.{{book ref|sa3|121}} He is, however, capable of bending the rules to his advantage, such as by appointing himself a lawman to enable him to kill, or pressuring local authorities to change the law.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}}{{book ref|sa2.5|16}} This being said, Nale's still focused on obeying the rules, and will punish even his own underlings for breaking them, regardless of whether doing so is to his advantage.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}} Perhaps because of this, [[Nightblood]] wouldn't consider him to be evil.{{wob ref|12567}}
In his actions, he seems utterly devoid of mercy, and will execute the maximum penalty available to him without a shred of compassion or leniency, regardless of who his victim is.{{book ref|sa2.5|8}} He respects those who share his own blind obedience, and will target them as recruits for the Skybreakers.{{book ref|sa2|88}} While understanding that people are fallible, he expects higher standards from those he chooses.{{wob ref|3850}} He thinks the world of [[Ishar]], and will do anything the man commands, to the point of self-delusion, in all but most dire of circumstances.{{book ref|sa2.5|19}}
Along with his lack of confidence in his own justice and morality, he has also lost confidence in his own decision-making, and believes life cannot be lived by making decisions at every juncture.{{book ref|sa3|120}}
Most of Nale's current-day behavior is the result of his experiences during the [[Desolation]]s. Back then, he was capable of emotions and compassion; in fact, he was highly aware that law was, by itself, inflexible and immoral, and that it fell on lawmakers to make sure that law protected the weak from the strong.{{book ref|sa4|47}} However, this empathy was tortured out of him on [[Braize]].{{book ref|sa3|121}} Making the matters worse are the [[highspren]], which encourage the unyielding, literalist interpretation of the law in him.{{wob ref|13999}} In his better moments, Nale is aware of what he's lost, and can be horrified by his own behavior, but his current coping patterns quickly reassert themselves.{{book ref|sa2.5|19}}{{book ref|sa3|90}}
He considers the singers to have the law of the land, thus he sided with them during the True Desolation, even though it meant turning against humanity.{{book ref|sa3|121}}
He seems to have some problems correctly perceiving the passage of time, expressing surprise that food he'd left behind decades prior had gone bad.{{book ref|sa3|106}} He is also unfazed by any wounds or pain; he takes an arrow to the face with little more than mild annoyance at being interrupted.{{book ref|sa4|47}}
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Nale was born on [[Ashyn]], either before or during the great calamity that befell it and forced the human population to leave around 7000 years before the True Desolation.{{book ref|sa4|14}}{{book ref|sa4|76}} Like most others who would eventually become [[Herald]]s, he travelled to [[Roshar]] to settle there.{{wob ref|11945}} He was either a king, scholar, or general before becoming a Herald.{{book ref|sa3|38}}
Sometime afterwards, when the [[Desolation]]s began, Nale joined the [[Oathpact]], becoming a Herald of the [[Almighty]].{{book ref|sa1|prelude}} It appears that, at the time, he and [[Jezrien]] were enemies, though the precise nature of the confict between them is unknown. Eventually, Nale was proven right, while Jezrien turned out wrong. Impressed with Nale's integrity, Jezrien approached Nale about his participation in the Oathpact, to which Nale graciously agreed.{{book ref|sa4|47}}
When the [[Surgebinder]]s began appearing, Nale was initially reluctant to take them under his patronage, even though the nascent [[Skybreakers]] named him their master. Following some sort of the disturbance in the toparchy of [[Revv]], however, he agreed to do so, becoming the last Herald to formally accept his [[Knights Radiant]].{{epigraph ref|sa2|43}} He eventually ended up bonding a [[highspren]] and joining his own Radiant Order, becoming the only Herald to have done so.{{book ref|sa3|106}}{{wob ref|12600}} It unclear whether his highspren followed him to [[Braize]] or was left in [[Shadesmar]].{{wob ref|15649}}▼
▲When the [[Surgebinder]]s began appearing, Nale was initially reluctant to take them under his patronage, even though the nascent [[Skybreakers]] named him their master. Following some sort of the disturbance in the toparchy of [[Revv]], however, he agreed to do so, becoming the last Herald to formally accept his [[Knights Radiant]].{{epigraph ref|sa2|43}} He eventually ended up bonding a [[highspren]] and joining his own Radiant Order, becoming the only Herald to have done so.{{book ref|sa3|106}}{{book ref|sa4|47}}{{wob ref|12600}} It unclear whether his highspren followed him to [[Braize]] or was left in [[Shadesmar]].{{wob ref|15649}}
Like all other Heralds besides [[Taln]], in time Nale grew too exhausted to keep participating in the Oathpact. He and the others left their [[Honorblade]]s behind and abandoned the Oathpact in an event later known as [[Aharietiam]], around 4500 years before the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa1|prelude}} Unlike the others, with the exception of [[Ishar]], Nale eventually recovered his Blade.{{book ref|sa3|106}}{{book ref|sa4|111}}▼
Some time after bonding his highspren, Nale instituted the [[Right of Travel]], which is still present in Rosharan laws as of the True Desolation.{{book ref|sa4|47}}{{book ref|sa2|83}}
▲Like all other Heralds besides [[Taln]], in time Nale grew too exhausted to keep participating in the Oathpact. He and the others left their [[Honorblade]]s behind and abandoned the Oathpact in an event later known as [[Aharietiam]], around 4500 years before the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa1|prelude}}{{book ref|sa4|47}} Unlike the others, with the exception of [[Ishar]], Nale eventually recovered his Blade.{{book ref|sa3|106}}{{book ref|sa4|111}}
{{image|Nale by Egilde Art.jpg|side=left|width=250px}}
}}
At some point, Nale got in contact with the [[Alethi]] king [[Gavilar Kholin]], possibly through [[Kalak]] and his [[Sons of Honor]], which the king was a part of. While Nale participated in Gavilar's secret project, he didn't seem to have much patience for it. Regardless, he visited the man the night of his [[Assassination of Gavilar|assassination]] in {{Rosharan date|1167|9|missing-date=?}}.{{book ref|sa4|prologue}}
A few hours before the feast began, Nale stumbled upon [[Venli]] and [[Ulim]] skulking around the [[Kholinar Palace]], and immediately recognized the latter. Silencing the [[Voidspren]], he began questioning Venli about the number of returning Voidspren; however, she managed to trick him into believing that it was his own actions that had prompted a new Return. Incensed, and thinking that Gavilar's project caused the Voidspren to come back, Nale decided to try and prevent further catastrophe. He explained to Venli that there was a loophole in the treaty that would allow the listeners to attack the Alethi if they believed there was a conspiracy against them. He also pointed her towards [[Szeth]] and pardoned her for sneaking into off-limits section of the palace before leaving in a huff.{{book ref|sa4|77}}
{{image|Hug the Darkness.png|side=right|width=200px|[[Lift]] hugging Nale in the [[Everstorm]]}}
==== Hunting Surgebinders ====
Following the feast, Nale continued his trail of murder, killing the [[Truthwatcher]] [[Ym]] for a forty-year-old crime.{{book ref|sa2|i|2}}{{wob ref|2507}} Afterwards, he focused his efforts on the [[Edgedancer]] [[Lift]], tracking her down all the way to the royal palace of [[Azimir]]. While he managed to catch her, and fill out the proper paperwork to have her killed, [[Gawx]] died in the process and Lift managed to heal the boy. This led to Gawx being pronounced the new [[Prime Aqasix]] and pardoning Lift, which in turn forced Nale to relent, as he had no excuse to kill her anymore.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}}
Nale briefly returned East for the [[Battle of Narak]], where he caught and revived recently-killed [[Szeth]] in {{Rosharan date|1173|10|10|3}}.{{book ref|sa2|79}}{{book ref|sa2|88}} He proceeded to recruit the [[Shin]] and gave him [[Nightblood]], which he had acquired at an unknown point in the past.{{book ref|sa2|88}} Afterwards, he took Szeth with him back West on another hunt, this time to [[Yeddaw]], to track down yet another budding Surgebinder.{{book ref|sa2.5|15}}
=== True Desolation ===
Following the Everstorm, Nale had a minor breakdown, leaving for parts unknown for several weeks before coming back for Szeth, dropping him off at the Skybreaker training grounds, then leaving again to seek Ishar's guidance.{{book ref|sa3|90}} Whatever Ishar had told him worked well enough to calm Nale down, enough so that he was back to his confident self when he returned months later.{{book ref|sa3|98}}
He took all the Skybreakers with him south, to [[Marat]]. There, he told them the truth of Aharietiam and the origins of the Desolations.{{book ref|sa3|106}} Afterwards, they went further, to [[Thaylen City]], though only Nale and Szeth were present during the [[Battle of Thaylen Field]] in {{rosharan date|1174|2|7|missing-date=y}}.{{book ref|sa3|116}}{{wob ref|7832}} As they watched, Nale informed Szeth that he intended for the Skybreakers to follow the singers, as they were the original owners of Roshar.{{book ref|sa3|116}} However, he did not participate in the battle.{{book ref|sa3|120}}
Initially, Nale attempted to convince Szeth to do the same.{{book ref|sa3|117}} When the Shin chose to follow [[Dalinar Kholin]] instead, Nale had no hard feelings about it, and promised to return later to teach Szeth the [[Surge]] of [[Division]]. He then departed, though it's uncertain where to.{{book ref|sa3|121}}
{{image|Nale by Esther Schrader.jpg|side=left|width=250px}}
==== The Emuli Frontline ====
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A year into the [[True Desolation]], in early {{rosharan date|1175}}, Nale and his Skybreakers were sent to [[Emul]] to fight on the side of the [[Voidbringers]]. During one particular battle, he approached the army leader, Dalinar, and tried to persuade him to submit to the law of the singers; however, before he could go too far into his speech, [[Cord]] shot him in the face, to which he barely responded. After pulling the arrow out and healing his face, he descended to the deck of the floating platform the others were on.{{book ref|sa4|47}}
Nale approached Dalinar, incredulous that the man such as him would be made a [[Bondsmith]]. He tried to amend this and launched himself at Dalinar, but before he could attack, Dalinar, prompted by [[Stormfather]], used his abilities on the Herald, and saw a number of visions from Nale's memory. Starting from Nale abandoning the [[Oathpact]], they went back in time, showing Nale fighting dark forces while protecting a small child, Nale establishing the [[Vorin]] Right of Travel, Nale kneeling before a [[highspren]], and endless fighting he partook in. Last was the vision of Nale agreeing to join the Oathpact with [[Jezrien]].{{book ref|sa4|47}}
Nale and Jezrien once strongly opposed one another on an unclear issue, considering one another enemies.{{book ref|sa4|47}} Jezrien eventually came to consider Nale correct, and offered him to join in a pact, and considered him a very honorable man.{{book ref|sa4|47}} Nale considered working alongside Jezrien to be an honor.{{book ref|sa4|47}}
Over time, his respect for Jezrien eroded, and he came consider him to be little more than a drooling idiot.{{book ref|sa2|i|9}}{{book ref|sa4|47}}
=== Ishar ===
As a [[Herald]], Nale is significant in a number of Rosharan cultures. In [[Vorinism]], he's called '''Nalan''', and is associated with the number 2 (or Nan), the [[Ten Essences|Essence]] of Vapor, and the attributes Just and Confident.{{book ref|sa1|part=ars}} People often swear by Nalan's hand, or say "Nalan send..." to express hope.{{book ref|sa2|44}}{{book ref|sa2|88}} More crudely, an expression "Nale's nuts" is sometimes used.{{book ref|sa4|7}} On the whole, however, he does not feature in [[Vorin]] sayings particularly often; certainly less so than [[Kalak]].
In [[Shinovar]], he's revered as '''Nin-son-God''', and believed to be a founder of humanity.{{book ref|sa3|98}} The [[Azish]] know him as '''Nakku the Judge'''.{{book ref|sa3|53}} He's also ascribed the title of the Illuminator,{{book ref|sa2|88}} and is said to wield the [[Sword of Retribution]].{{book ref|sa1|18}} He is mentioned as having a hundred other names across the world, among them the Herald of Justice.
== Notes ==
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