Vedel

Vedel, also known as Vedeledev in Vorinism, is one of the ten Heralds of the Almighty on Roshar, and the patron Herald of the Order of Edgedancers. Like the other Heralds, Vedel protected mankind during the Cycle of Desolations before abandoning them at Aharietiam.
== Appearance and Personality ==
Vedel would appear as Alethi or Veden to modern Rosharans, though her skin appears paler than average of said ethnic groups, and some would interpret her as being from the Horneater Peaks. Her hair is long and dark, with slight curl.
== Attributes and Abilities ==
Vedel is a Herald, making her a Cognitive Shadow and thus immortal. When she dies, she returns to Braize to be tortured. Until Aharietiam, she wielded a Honorblade, which gave her access to the Surges of Abrasion and Progression, and she was a capable swordswoman.
After losing her people, and before becoming a Herald, she served as a healer. She possesses vast medical knowledge, and trained new surgeons before a Desolation. It's likely that a lot of the Heralds' teachings regarding medicine -- such as the mandate to always wash hands before an operation -- came from her. 
By using the Herald's Connection to Honor, she was able to tap into the constantly rejuvenating Investiture of the Spiritual Realm, allowing it to flow into the Heralds and seal their souls at their current age, thus granting them immortality. This includes herself, thus granting herself eternal life.
==History ==
=== Life on Alaswha ===
She was born on Alaswha and became the queen of a city-state on the war-torn planet. She appears to have been given Surges before the scouring, given to her by Odium. These Surges slowed down her rate of aging. She fought for Odium's empire to expand its hegemony.
At the time of the scouring of Ashyn, seven thousand one hundred years before the Night of Sorrows, she was visiting Odium's empire. It appears her entire nation died in the scouring, though she survived by passing through an Elsegate to Roshar. Following the loss of her people, she became a skilled healer.
=== Herald of the Almighty ===
Along with the others that would come to be Heralds, she approached Honor and formed the Oathpact. She somehow sealed the immortality of the Heralds, granting them a constant influx of Investiture from Honor through their Connection to him. Whenever a Desolation ended, she'd travel along with them to Braize, where she suffered torture until one of them broke. She broke at least once, starting a new Desolation. 
While on Roshar, she trained surgeons in anticipation of the upcoming Desolation. Once the Knights Radiant formed, she admitted patronage of the Order of Edgedancers.
Over time, she would begin to draw upon the powers of Roshar itself. What this means, however, is currently unknown.
=== Aharietiam ===
At the time of the Last Desolation, four thousand five hundred years before the Night of Sorrows, Vedel decided with the other Heralds to give up the Oathpact and leave Taln alone on Braize. 
=== Reforging of the Oathpact ===
She returned to the Heralds for the making of the new Oathpact. When creating this new Oathpact, Ishar claimed that he was using her method, involving Surgebinding from before Honor's restrictions and Stormlight itself.
== Culture ==
Like all the Heralds, Vedel's name has become part of culture. In Vorinism, she is called Vedeledev, and swearing by Vedeledev's golden keys is used to express astonishment. "Vedeledev knows" is also used. The name is sometimes shortened to Vev -- this is used both as an expression of its own, and as the Vorin number 4. Names Vedelliar and Vevidar are probably derived from Vedel.
She is named the Herald of Healing, who is a master of the mind and soul and held the keys of immortality.
Within the context of the Ten Essences, Vedel is traditionally associated with the Loving and Healing Divine Attributes, the gemstone diamond, and the Essence of lucentia.
The golden keys that people swear by and that are present in some artwork of her are derived from a Rosharan myth; though they have really existed, they are more symbolic than actually imbued with any power. This myth calls them the "keys of immortality."
== Trivia ==
* Three of the Death Rattle epigraphs in The Way of Kings are from the month of vev, one in 1172 and two in 1173.
* Vedel is featured as one of the Oathbringer endpapers.
* Brandon has compared the golden keys to the Biblical flaming sword that's said to protect the passage to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. It's uncertain whether the two serve similar purpose, or if they're both simply mythological artifacts.
* Vedel's portrait used in the chapter arches is called the Healer by the Dragonsteel Entertainment staff.
== Notes ==