Loradar Vamah

Loradar Vamah is a highprince of Alethkar on Roshar His lands contain a region in the northwest of Alethkar, but Vamah himself resides on the Shattered Plains in the Unclaimed Hills. An eager participant in the contests for gemhearts on the Shattered Plains, Vamah remains neutral in the conflict between Houses Kholin and Sadeas and controls territory surrounding the warcamps following the advent of the Everstorm.
== Appearance and Personality ==
Vamah is a round-faced Alethi man who is balding. What hair he has left is cut short and sticks straight up. His eyes are light grey and he is prone to squinting. The colors of House Vamah are brown and grey, which he and his men often wear. Vamah also attempts to wear fashionable outfits, but his tastes have been mocked by others. These fashion offenses include wearing clothes in a rent style that has fallen out of fashion and his fondness for bright colors. He is also someone who does enjoy surrounding himself with servants and sycophants. Oftentimes when Vamah attends a feast as a guest, he brings along a cupbearer with an exotic imported liquor along with him. He doles out tastings to those who gain his favor or impress him with conversation. 
Vamah is generally an agreeable man, who only rarely is subject to foul-moods. He is reasonable and at least willing to listen to Dalinar's case on the merits of a unified Alethi battle strategy in the War of Reckoning. However Vamah is still sensitive to peer pressure and not willing to ally with Dalinar after his reputation is damaged by the release of his visions. Sadeas tolerates Vamah, but finds his fashion choices to be repulsive. Vamah is ultimately self-interested and not loyal to the Alethi throne, as shown by his decision to decline to participate in the expedition to the Shattered Plains or relocate to Urithiru in favor of consolidating his own power.
== History ==
=== Elevation to Highprince ===
Loradar Vamah was born the minor cousin of Highprince Kalanor of Alethkar. During the Alethi reunification, Kalanor was killed in battle by Dalinar Kholin, ending his line and allowing Vamah to seize control of the princedom. He and Gavilar had an understanding and he swore fealty to Gavilar shortly thereafter. As a result Vamah was rewarded with the title of highprince, along with Kalanor's lands to form the new Vamah princedom, including the princedom seat in Revolar and the city of Farcoast. He also kept a local court in his princedom that included House Hamaradin.
=== War of Reckoning ===
Following the assassination of Gavilar Kholin in 1167, Vamah joined with the other highprinces in swearing the Vengeance Pact against the listeners. Vamah put out a call to arms, sending out messages over his princedom, to places like Farcoast recruiting a large army. Vamah left his princedom in the hands of his kinsman Paladar, who ruled as regent from Vamah's seat in Revolar. Vamah brought his army out to the western border of the Shattered Plains, setting up a warcamp in one of the craters there between the Kholin and Ruthar camps. Over the next six years, Vamah joined in the contests for the gemhearts out on the Shattered Plains, competing both with the listeners and his fellow highprinces for wealth. Vamah's army became one of the strongest on the Plains, and he developed a characteristic style for plateau assaults, preferring to make strategic use of light cavalry. He also regularly attended the king's feasts, often bringing along his own cupbearer with exotic liquors. As the years went on, Vamah began to complain increasingly vocally about paying high wartime rates for access to the king's Soulcasters. The supply of food and raw materials Soulcasters provided allowed Vamah to maintain his army, but he and several others became behind in payments to the king. Nevertheless, Vamah still planned to reinforce the fortifications in his warcamps and fill in gaps in his walls.
In late 1173, Vamah was invited by highprinces Dalinar and Torol Sadeas to accompany King Elhokar on the chasmfiend hunt. The only one of the group who lacked Shards, Vamah brought along a group of attendants and aids to accompany him on the hunt in an elaborate procession. On the way out to the hunt, he was annoyed at the cautious pace they took in crossing the Plains. Following the chasmfiend attack, Vamah was approached by Sadeas, who informed him that he would be doubling the prices of lumber from the nearby forest. Soon afterward, Vamah complained to Dalinar of the slow progress back to the warcamps. Dalinar bluntly brought the conversation around to the topic of Soulcasters and Vamah's planned construction projects, emphasizing Vamah's reliance on the king for resources. Vamah told Dalinar that he understood the point he was making. Weeks later, Vamah and his retinue attended a duel between Adolin Kholin and Resi. Vamah wore an unfashionable outfit of a grey coat that was rent with slashes over bright orange silks with ruffles at the cuffs and collar. He sat directly across the arena from Dalinar and Sadeas, who quietly mocked Vamah's fashion sense.
=== Expedition to Narak ===
Following the Battle of the Tower in 1173, Vamah avoided choosing a side and remained neutral when Dalinar Kholin became highprince of War and his conflict with Sadeas divided the highprinces. Vamah attended a gathering of the Alethi highprinces and important lighteyes following the attempt on Dalinar's life by Szeth. Later Vamah dined with Dalinar at one point to listen to his case, and he seemed to actually consider Dalinar's words. However, after transcripts of Dalinar's visions were revealed, Vamah became less receptive to the highprince's pleas. Soon after, at one of the king's feasts, Dalinar tried to speak to Vamah about his successes with light cavalry. Vamah attempted to respond to Dalinar's question, but the two were distracted by the laughter of others. Vamah apologized to Dalinar for the mockery before the highprince himself realized what had happened. Ultimately, Vamah chose to remain neutral in the conflict between the highprinces and did not commit his army to the joint assault on the listeners.
=== Following the Everstorm ===
Even after news returned of the Alethi victory, Vamah remained at the warcamps along with Thanadal, while the bulk of the Alethi forces relocated to the newly-discovered city of Urithiru. Following the Everstorm Vamah lost direct control over his princedom, his regent was deposed in Revolar and the city became a staging point for the singers' Siege of Kholinar. Despite this loss, Vamah began to increase his local influence over the area of land along the perimeter of the Plains formerly controlled by the other highprinces, giving him increased control over the trade to the Oathgate at Narak.
=== Assassination ===
Vamah at some stage became associated with the Sons of Honor. The Ghostbloods began to assassinate the leadership of the Sons of Honor starting with Thanadal. Seeing this he tried to flee but, soon after Ialai Sadeas came back to the warcamps, the Ghostbloods assassinated him anyway.
The Kholins used to think that Ialai was the one who ordered Vamah and Thanadal to be assassinated. But, moments from her death, Ialai told Shallan that the Ghostbloods were the ones who actually assassinated the two Highprinces.
== Notes ==