Bashin

Bashin is a darkeyed Alethi of the first nahn on Roshar and a longtime associate of Dalinar Kholin.
== Appearance and Personality ==
He is a short, portly man with a particularly large belly, and he wears rugged clothing such as soldier's trousers, typically with a leather overcoat. He is exceptionally proud of his wide-brimmed, floppy brown hat that he acquired near the Purelake; he is always seen wearing a similar hat over a span of more than twenty years despite the fact that it tends to be an object of ridicule. After Bashin retires he passes his floppy hat on to Felt, who wears it as a memento.
He jokes with his friends, often in a self-deprecating manner, and is generally optimistic. He is well-respected and able to provide no-nonsense information when needed. Bashin seems to have a confident, independent streak and does not conform to the stereotype of a darkeyes. Dalinar calls him an "odd one" as he has traveled more extensively than most Alethi, and he seems eager to continue exploring Roshar. He does not wear a uniform while serving in the Kholin army despite Dalinar's reverence for the Alethi Codes of War. He also addresses Dalinar by his first name (rather than "Brightlord") on at least one occasion.
== Abilities and Attributes ==
Bashin is given a wide variety of responsibilities, some very high-profile, particularly for a darkeyes. He is well-known among the Kholin family and he has Dalinar's trust. He commands respect in the Kholin army even though he does not wear a uniform nor hold any obvious rank. In his youth, he spent a lot of time drinking and gambling, but this was common among Alethi soldiers and ultimately contributed to his camaraderie with Dalinar and other lighteyes. He is generally competent; although the chasmfiend hunt ended in disaster, it appeared to be well-organized, and there is no indication that Bashin could have done anything to prevent the chasmfiend's attack.
He is well-traveled, and is familiar with Rosharan lands and peoples outside of Alethkar. He is knowledgeable regarding the chasmfiend lifecycle and their nesting and feeding tendencies. He has also seen the known singer forms prior to the True Desolation and is immediately able to recognize stormform as something that has not been seen before.
== History ==
=== Friend of Dalinar ===
Bashin accompanied Dalinar to a wrestling hall in Kholinar on the night of Adolin's birth in . Dalinar seemed to enjoy the company of Bashin and Havar, as they treated him like a friend and not a highprince. Dalinar was also able to drink heavily and use firemoss to stave off the Thrill in their company. Bashin won a bet with Havar on a wrestling match, after nervously wagering his hat. 
When Dalinar attempted to replace a sick wrestler, his potential opponent was clearly scared of him, and Bashin and Havar were forced to admit to Dalinar that he did not realize that he had maimed three people in a tavern fight a few weeks prior. Toh arrived to tell Dalinar that Evi went into early labor, and Bashin attempted to conceal the fact that Dalinar was using firemoss.
Bashin was present at a meeting with the Parshendi at some point during the reign of King Gavilar.
=== Chasmfiend Hunt ===
During the War of Reckoning, Bashin was the huntmaster of a chasmfiend hunt on the Shattered Plains, leading a group that included Dalinar, Adolin, Renarin, and Torol Sadeas. He and his colleagues prepared for the hunt, scouting the chasmfiend's movements and preparing a small plateau for fighting the chasmfiend. They used a chull to tow a hog carcass and hang it over the edge of the plateau as bait. They also prepared a separate viewing plateau, erecting a pavilion and refreshment station so that the scribes, attendants, guests, and soldiers accompanying the king and highprinces could watch the hunt in comfort. Bashin was optimistic that the day would be a good hunt, as the chasmfiend that they were tracking was massive.
Bashin was also tasked with providing the nobles advice regarding the hunt, which he took seriously. Once the chasmfiend appeared, Bashin planned to add live bait hogs as an additional distraction, allowing the hunting party to use grandbows to weaken it. Bashin told the party to aim for the chasmfiend's legs. He reminded them that chasmfiends tend to be more aggressive if they are not pupating.
The chull that was towing the bait began to act erratically, and the chasmfiend appeared earlier than expected. Instead of attacking the hunting plateau, it attacked the viewing plateau, eating a chull and injuring multiple people. The Shardbearers quickly responded and Elhokar was able to kill the chasmfiend and claim its gemheart.
=== Dalinar's Assault ===
In , Bashin joined Dalinar's offensive into the Shattered Plains. He coordinated teams scouting the plateaus prior to the Battle of Narak, reporting on sightings of the Parshendi to Dalinar. His scouts managed to kill a singer in stormform, and he showed Dalinar and Shallan the corpse, realizing that it may have been a significant development. He was confused by the burn marks on the bodies of some dead Alethi scouts, as he was not aware that singers could control lightning in stormform.
=== Urithiru ===
Bashin lived in Urithiru after the coming of the Everstorm. He oversaw axehound kennels in the Kholin sections of the tower, even though axehounds were no longer used for hunting. Bashin retired from his duties at some point after he moved to the tower. He gave his prized floppy hat to Felt.
== Notes ==