Lasting Integrity

Lasting Integrity is the honorspren capital in Shadesmar.
== Geography ==
The fortress is located in the southern section of the Sea of Souls, nearby to the Nexus of Imagination, the Expanse of Vibrance, and Brilliance Eternal. There is a known caravan path that runs from Nameless, past Lasting Integrity, and onwards towards the Expanse of Vibrance.
Lasting Integrity sits on a cliff overlooking a northern bay that is part of the Astral Banks, the reflection of the country of Tukar. A large number of people live in the Physical Realm nearby to Lasting Integrity, with the soul flames being visible from the fortress. South of the fortress is a forest of glass that is filled with lifespren.
== Appearance and Layout ==
Lasting Integrity is several hundreds of feet tall, rectangular and made of blue stone. The building is hollow in the middle, with no roof, and stands on its smaller side, pointing upwards into the sky. It is in a highly strategic position, and gives the impression that it has been deliberately fortified. Visitors must cross a bridge to reach the entrance and guards stand watch outside of the walls. The honorspren do not appreciate people sailing too close to Lasting Integrity.
The outside wall is sheer, with no windows or ornamentation. On top of the fortress are battlements, and a guardrail to prevent people from falling. The internal dimensions of the tower are large enough that someone can stand on the battlements and see the bottom of the fortress without the structures on the walls completely impeding their view.
Gravity works differently within Lasting Integrity, with each internal wall having its own gravitational 'field' that allows people to treat each internal surface as if they were the ground. When someone changes from one plane to another, their sense of gravity will switch to align with the new surface they are on. There is an upper limit to the gravitational bubbles on each wall, approximately fifteen feet, and passing the edge of this barrier will cause objects to plummet towards the bottom of the fortress. The gravitational anomalies of the fortress are thought to be caused by the longstanding presence of the honorspren in the area, and not by Surgebinding. 
Buildings are constructed on the different internal walls of Lasting Integrity, with walkways of worked stone connecting these structures together. These walkways also extend to the edge of the plane and will end in a dead end when it hits the next wall. Most of the buildings inside Lasting Integrity are only a single story tall. It is uncommon for buildings in the fortress to have windows, with most houses appearing to be completely enclosed. 
Bells toll exactly on the hour and shouting is uncommon in the fortress. Although the honorspren do not require sleep, nor does Shadesmar have a day and night cycle, Lasting Integrity does have a quiet 'night time' period where there is reduced activity. The spren of the keep will often use this time to catch up with friends and spend time in each other’s homes.
== Locations ==
The southern wall of the fortress has been beautified and contains a number of gardens that display hundreds of different plants, of both the crystalline and real variety. Physical Realm trees make up the centerpieces of these parks and are kept alive using Stormlight. They are generally taller than fifteen feet, as the tops of the tree branches breach the gravity bubble and their leaves fall to the bottom of the tower. The gardens also contain fountains that flow with real water, though it is unknown if this has been imported from the Physical Realm or is manifested. At least some of the gardens contain statues of male and female honorspren who were killed during the Recreance. These statues have heroic builds and the stone clothing gives the impression of rippling like it would in the wind.
Official buildings are mostly found in a small cluster on the western wall near the base of the tower. This includes the building of justice. There is no prison or hospital in the fortress.
=== Notable Locations ===
==== Honorspren Library ====
A library can be found on the northern wall of the compound, housed in a long and flat building. There is an extensive collection of books stored in the room, however, the honorspren rarely seem to read them, indicating they may have been collected only for ownership purposes, instead of usability. Contained within the library are books on the honorspren legal code, as well as records of old spren treaties from prior to the Recreance. One of these treaties included a reference to Mayalaran. 
==== Investiture Storeroom ====
A building is used by the honorspren as housing for their wealth. Inside is a device that they purchased from the Ire where Investiture can be stored. Around the room are perfect gemstones, infused with Stormlight.
==== The Forum ====
The forum is a large amphitheatre-like room that is located on the southern wall of the fortress. It has seating for a couple of hundred spren as well as standing room at the top of the room. At the front of the forum is a throne like seat and bench built among the tiered rows, where an official can conduct business. A movable podium, on a circular disk, is also available for use.
==== Kelek’s House ====
Kelek’s house can be found in the top corner of the southern wall near the battlements. It is a small, two roomed, building that may be the only structure in Lasting Integrity that has windows. The front room is a hoarder's den and full of furniture, nicknacks, correspondence, and mementoes, that are often stacked on top of one another. The back room is a study.
==== Sixteen’s House ====
Sixteen lives in a small building that is built next to a garden of statues, located on the southern wall of the stronghold. 
== History ==
Syl grew up in Lasting Integrity, although she disliked living there. After the Stormfather found her asleep in the Physical Realm, he returned her to the city and forbade her from leaving. She eventually snuck away to transition her mind back to the Physical Realm and bond Kaladin. After her disappearance, the honorspren placed a large Stormlight reward on Syl, payable to whomever delivered her home to Lasting Integrity. Syl recalls being disciplined by a leader of the honorspren named Phendorana, who was likely involved in the efforts to keep Syl in the city.
Archinal, Godeke’s spren, previously visited Lasting Integrity and the inkspren emissary, Blended, arrived at the fortress prior to Adolin’s visit in 1175. Kalak also arrived at the structure in the early 1170s, hoping that the honorspren would be able to help him escape the Rosharan system. He demanded that the honorspren tell no one that he was a resident in the fortress and specifically ordering them to not speak of him to the humans that were staying in Lasting Integrity. 
At some point in the early 1170s, Nightblood passed through Lasting Integrity; Zahel was also known to the honorspren. After being captured aboard the honorspren ship Honor's Path in 1174, Azure made a deal with Borea to trade knowledge about her unusual sword for information on Nightblood and free passage once the ship docked at Lasting Integrity. The ship eventually arrived at the stronghold, just before the fortress closed its gates to outsiders.
Azure moved on from Lasting Integrity approximately five months after her arrival.
=== Isolationist Policy (1174-1175) ===
Lasting Integrity had a standing isolationist policy between - that was implemented not long after Azure reached the fortress. During this time the fortress did not allow anyone - spren or human, even if an emissary - to enter, with the exception of deadeyes, the Herald Kalak, and in cases the spren deem extraordinary. It was around this point that sailors stopped moving through the general area due to the honorspren’s dislike of foreign ships. 
Those who already were occupants in the keep were allowed to remain if they wished, though would be barred reentry if they did choose to leave. Seventeen humans remained in the fortress after the honorspren implemented their xenophobic policy, including local and worldhopping traders and wanderers. At least one spren ambassador also chose to stay at the fortress during this time. 
Despite this policy, Kalak was permitted to come and go from the fortress as he pleased, and would leave for weeks on end to patrol the surrounding area. 
The isolationist policy of Lasting Integrity was dismantled shortly after the conclusion of Adolin’s trial.
=== Urithiru Emissary Delegation (1175) ===
In 1175 a delegation from Urithiru headed by Adolin and Shallan, set out to visit Lasting Integrity and try to convince the honorspren to rebond humans and join their war efforts against Odium and the Fused. The honorspren of Lasting Integrity did not respond kindly to the efforts of Adolin, destroying his correspondence from the coalition monarchs and refusing to engage his pleas and arguments. With all of his other plans having failed, Adolin surrendered himself into the custody of the honorspren, after giving them the opportunity to trial him for the Recreance. As the honorspren allowed for two others to remain with Adolin, Shallan and Pattern joined the highprince inside the fortress when Adolin was taken into custody. 
While a number of the Urithiru party began the return journey to the tower, several members including Godeke, Felt and Malli, Shallan’s Lightweavers, and Notum remained camped outside the keep, on the edge of the nearby forest, and remained in contact with the Alethi Highprince via letter. Although Notum was forbidden to enter the keep, the honorspren did send him Stormlight to help heal the wounds he had received when attacked by the Tukari bandits. After being healed, the former ship captain departed and returned to his patrol. After some persuading, Godeke was allowed entry to the fortress on a one time basis to heal Adolin of his wounds, using Stormlight provided by the honorspren.
Around the same time that Adolin and his group reached Lasting Integrity, the number of deadeyes in the area began to increase, with the dead spren gathering together outside the honorspren keep, nearby on the coast. When the spren first began to arrive, the honorspren of Lasting Integrity took them in to be cared for, including twenty deadeye honorspren. The honorspren, however, quickly began running out of accommodations for the deadeyes, and eventually had to close their gates to the coalescing spren and leave them to congregate outside. By the start of Adolin’s trial, two hundred deadeyes had appeared outside of Lasting Integrity, not including those who had already been taken in and sheltered in the keep.
==== The Sins of Humanity ====
Adolin’s trial was put on hold for several weeks, so that the honorspren could prepare Adolin for his trial and await the return of Kalak, the High Judge. Meetings were setup between Adolin and the inkspren emissary, Blended, so the Alethi highprince could become familiar with the honorspren legal code, as was required by the spren of the keep. Although Shallan usually attended their meetings as well, she was frequently late, and sometimes would not show up at all.
Despite being their prisoner, the honorspren allowed Adolin freedom to move around the fortress, and would escort him to the top of the tower if requested. As well as this, he was permitted to visit Maya once a day so that they could train and practice katas, although Adolin would be separated from his spren by bars.
At some point around the beginning of Adolin’s trial, the honorspren began to construct a holding cell that could accommodate a human, so that when Adolin was convicted and sentence, he could be put on display in Lasting Integrity, as a reminder of the damage caused by the Recreance.
Blended and Adolin pushed for a trial by witness, as it would be the most favorable strategy Adolin could adopt, due to his poor understanding of honorspren legal code. When Kalak returned from his patrol, Adolin approached him at the gates to Lasting Integrity and made his request. Although Sekeir, a prominent honorspren elder, opposed the idea, Kalak granted Adolin’s wish. Despite Adolin’s objections, the trial would be held in the stronghold's forum and would be open to the other occupants of the keep.
The first day of Adolin’s trial saw the forum packed with honorspren. Amuna was the first witness to be called and gave a damning statement against Adolin framed around how her position as carer of the deadeyes was a result of the actions of humans, and should be a reminder of the dangers of forming Nahel bonds. Blended was the second witness for the day and spoke of how her people remembered the loss of Radiant inkspren and how it had affected her society. Notum was called as the third witness and had been given a script to read from by the other honorspren. Halfway through his pre-written speech, Notum diverged and began to speak his true feelings, siding with Adolin which led to him being forcibly removed from the room. Notum’s outburst had a profound effect on some of the honorspren, who took up his rallying cry and had to be pushed from the room by officials.
The next day, Adolin was due to give his own testimony. Just after starting his speech, he was interrupted by Veratorim who tried several times to divert the topic on hand to Dalinar’s conduct with the Stormfather, in what was likely a deliberate attempt to derail the trial and delegitimize Adolin’s testimony. Kalak threatened Veratorim multiple times with expulsion if he was to continue interrupting, and removed another honorspren intent on derailing the trial. Losing his temper, Adolin engaged directly with the audience’s taunts, despite being warned against doing so by Blended prior to the trial. To further delegitimize Adolin, Testament was brought into the forum leading to Kalak having to dismiss Adolin among the resulting chaos.
The third and final day of Adolin’s trial, saw almost every honorspren attend the forum to witness the verdict. Due to Kalak being detained by the honorspren, Sekeir stepped in as High Judge to oversee the last of the witness statements and started the day by reading a very long winded speech. When Adolin interrupted him, Sekeir threatened to gag the Highprince. Following Sekeir’s speech, Amuna led Maya into the room as the final witness. Sekeir "spoke" on Maya’s behalf, using the chance to tout his own vitriol. Maya grew increasingly distressed by Sekeir and the other honorspren’s treatment of her, and ended up being physically restrained by Amuna and another honorspren so that she could not escape. Adolin, wanting to end the abuse Maya was being subjected to, pleaded for judgement to be given, however, Sekeir refused and instead continued to use the moment as a spectacle to promote his platform. Maya grew more violent in her struggles, thrashing around and wanting to be let go. When Adolin tried to physically help her, he was restrained by several nearby honorspren, who were waiting for him to try and go to the cultivationspren’s aid.
Drawing strength from Adolin, Maya addressed the crowd herself, proclaiming that the deadeyes had willingly chosen to give up their bonds during the Recreance. Shocked, the honorspren left the room in clusters until only Adolin, Maya, and Blended remained. Although never formally determined, it is assumed Adolin’s trial either ruled in his favor or was dismissed.
==== Hunting a Herald and Accepting the Past ====
Although she traveled in an official capacity as part of the Urithiru delegation, Shallan had a separate mission to conduct in Lasting Integrity, given to her by the Ghostbloods. The organization wished for her to locate and kill Restares, better known as the Herald Kalak, who had taken up residency in the fortress. Despite their attempts, the Ghostbloods had been unable to get any of their members into the stronghold or near the Herald. 
After being admitted to Lasting Integrity with Adolin, Shallan was given a list of the humans which were living in the fortress, and utilized her time by investigating the other people in the keep. While doing so, she was kept under watch, with Lusintia being assigned to shadow Shallan during the fortress' daylight hours. Shallan had no luck when questioning the honorspren about the man she sought, as they did not know anyone by the name of Restares and did not recognise the description of her target. She systematically worked her way through the human occupants eventually determining that none of them were the man she had been tasked to find. After ruling out all other humans, Shallan decided to pursue Sixteen, whom she had yet to see due to his infrequent departures from his home. While waiting for the man to appear, Pattern attempted to introduce Shallan to Testament, however, Shallan refused to engage with him. When she finally was able to make contact with Sixteen, she realised he was not the man that she was looking for.
After the first day of Adolin’s trial had come to a close, Shallan deliberately injured herself by falling from a tree to gain access to the honorspren Investiture storeroom. Despite their worn relationship, Pattern assisted Shallan and helped to 're-enforce' the severity of her supposed injuries to Lusintia who had been following Shallan. After being admitted to the storeroom, Shallan stole a perfect gemstone, replacing it with a dun one using sleight of hand. Leaving the storeroom, Shallan escaped with the stolen Stormlight.
Prior to Adolin’s final day of trial, Shallan scoped out Kalak’s house, to get information on the best way to infiltrate it and kill the Herald. The next morning, she left her temporary accommodation disguised as Lusintia and made her way to the Herald’s abode. Pattern interrupted her on her way there, trying to introduce Shallan again to Testament and have the Lightweaver acknowledge her past. Shallan sent Pattern away, not wanting to hear what he had to say, before continuing on to Kalak’s house. Once inside, Veil confronted Shallan about Formless and forced her to remember what Shallan had done as a child when she had been bonded to Testament. Duty done, Veil disappeared, being reintegrated into Shallan. Kalak discovered Shallan in his house shortly after her ordeal, and although the Lightweaver acknowledged that she had been sent to kill Kalak, she had instead decided to try and work with him.
Lusintia, Sekeir, and several other honorspren found Shallan and Kalak not long after the Herald confronted her, and accused the Lightweaver of trying to influence her husband’s trial. Despite Kalak’s denial, the honorspren took Shallan into custody, to be held until the trial was completed. They also detained Kalak, with Sekeir taking his place to oversee the final day of the court proceedings.
At some point Shallan and Kalak were released, Shallan was introduced to Testament directly, and Kalak helped release Ala from her box safely.
== Culture ==
=== Deadeye Refuge ===
Lasting Integrity is dedicated to caring for any deadeyes that they find around the fortress or in the area. They only have a limited amount of space, however, and if too many deadeyes make their way to the keep, the honorspren, reluctantly, have to turn them away. The inhabitants of the fortress do preference taking in deadeye honorspren if they are forced to limit the number of deadeyes they can care for.
Amuna is the head carer for the deadeyes, and both she and the other carers take their duty very seriously. The deadeyes are treated well by the honorspren, and are fed Stormlight while in the keep. They are not, however, permitted to wander the fortress on their own. Often, the deadeyes will only remain the fortress for a short amount of time, before they are summoned in the Physical Realm and disappear, which limits the amount of care that they can be given. 
=== Foreign Travel ===
Lasting Integrity is a waystop for travelers and wanderers, both local and off-world. Not all humans who travel through Lasting Integrity appear to do so for trade. The honorspren find some of the humans that pass through rather amusing due to their oddities and will suffer their presence due to the novelty that the humans present.
=== Legal Proceedings ===
In Lasting Integrity, there are ten honorspren officials who are involved in Adolin’s court case, including six of the ten oldest living honorspren, created by the Stormfather following the Recreance. Kalak oversees court proceedings as the High Judge during his time at the keep.
== Politics ==
The honorspren in the region are known to be very fond of their rules.
=== Local Leadership ===
Lasting Integrity is governed by a number of honorspren, including six of the ten oldest spren, who were created by the Stormfather following the Recreance. Sekeir is one of these leaders, and is the most important honorspren in the fortress. Some of the spren in the keep are in favor of pledging allegiance to Odium and his forces. They have remained quiet with these opinions, as this might not be received well by the other honorspren. It is unclear whether those in favor of joining Odium are among the local leadership of Lasting Integrity.
The leadership of Lasting Integrity have a strong sway over the honorspren in general and firmly believe in an isolationist foreign policy. The credibility of the keep's leaders is badly damaged by the revelations regarding the Recreance that come out of Adolin’s trial, and many honorspren reject their xenophobic policy.
Kalak has some level of authority in the fortress, however, this may just be for show, with the honorspren leadership wanting to placate the Herald unless it becomes inconvenient for them. They have the ability to rescind Kalak’s authority and to imprison him if required.
=== Internal Conflict ===
There is a growing divide in ideologies among the honorspren of Lasting Integrity on how much the spren should engage with, and bond, humankind. This is not a new internal conflict, and appears to be a reoccurring argument that spans centuries. 
Older honorspren, terrified of the results of the Recreance, are strongly resistant to the idea of rebonding humans and are also the ones to preach isolation from the rest of the world. Younger honorspren, however, wish to fight in the war. The two generations can be distinguished by the clothing they choose to manifest - the older spren opting towards formal or military attire, while the younger choosing to wear loose and flowing outfits that trail behind them.
Adolin’s trial is used as a focal point by the older generation to try and drive home their point about the dangers of humans, although Notum and some of the younger honorspren also tried to capitalize on the event to promote their own thoughts. The treatment of Maya by the older honorspren, however, did not sit well with many of the spren who were in attendance, and combined with Maya’s testimony about the Recreance, the ideology of the younger generation appears to have won out.
== Notable Residents ==
== Notes ==
es:Integridad Duradera