Diagram (literature)

The Diagram is a text that King Taravangian created on a day when he was a genius. It contains instructions on what to do to unite mankind and was written in a language that Taravangian invented on that day. Some sentences from it are in the Words of Radiance epigraphs. Those who seek to use the Diagram to save mankind are also called the Diagram. Thinking the Diagram has been fulfilled, Taravangian burned his copy of the book Diagram shortly before he betrayed the coalition. It is unknown whether other copies still exist or not.
== Creation ==
Taravangian has varying intelligence from his visit to the Nightwatcher's valley (although his encounter was actually with Cultivation). "He'd asked for the capacity to save his people. He'd begged for compassion and acumen--and he'd gotten them. Just never at the same time."
On his day of greatest genius, "20 hours of lucid insanity," he covered every surface of his bedroom in writing, codes, and even hieroglyphics he invented that day. The compiled writings were translated and transcribed by Adrotagia and tell of the coming wars. They offer a brutal path for mankind's survival that calls for Taravangian uniting all Roshar under his kingship. Parts of the Diagram are open to interpretation, thus subject to misinterpretation and error. The Diagram also becomes less reliable with time, forcing Taravangian to try to update it.
== Appearance ==
Though the original Diagram was written on various surfaces, it has been compiled into "a thick book bound in hogshide." The words Taravangian wrote on the day of brilliance have been copied over to it "spots, scratches, and all." Taravangian wonders if this bound form has influenced the way the Diagram was interpreted.
== Excerpts ==
=== Book of the 2nd Ceiling Rotation ===
This section refers to the action of the Sons of Honor and the Herald Talenel, who has held back Desolations for over four millennia.
This is a code that translates to "Hold the secret that broke the Knights Radiant. You may need it to destroy the new orders when they return." The key is found in Pattern 1 of the Book of the 2nd Rotation, each letter is represented by the number corresponding to the first instance of that letter in Pattern 1, i.e. "h" is 11, "o" is 1, and "l" is 8.
=== Book of the 2nd Desk Drawer ===
This instructs the collection of Death Rattles.
This is a reference of the Unmade Sja-anat, who seems willing to betray Odium.
=== Catechism of the Back of the Flowered Painting ===
=== Coda of the Northwest Bottom Corner ===
This section notices the budding of Knights Radiant and how to look for them.
=== Floorboard 17 ===
This splits into two messages by taking every second letter starting with the first, and every second letter starting with the second.
:
This likely refers to the Honorblades and Szeth, who will become the Assassin in white.
:
This refers to a parshendi becoming a radiant, and potentially derailing the war the Diagram has planned around.
=== Floorboard 27 ===
=== North Wall Coda ===
;Windowsill region
This is a sequence of dates corresponding to the last ten highstorms leading up to the arrival of the Everstorm.
=== Tenets of Instruction ===
;Back of the Footboard
Debatably refers either to Taravangian's goal of becoming king of Roshar, or to his possible ambition to supplant Rayse as the shard of Odium (as suggested by the capitalization of "Everything")
=== West Wall Psalm of Wonders ===
A note by Adrotagia accompanies this excerpt asking whether it refers to Mraize. However, the wanderer, the wild piece and the one who makes no sense seems to imply this is talking about Hoid.
=== Writings upon the Bedstand Lamp ===
This is Adrotagia's third translation from the original hieroglyphics. This section of the Diagram had seemed to go extremely off, with the fact that both assassination attempts on Dalinar were stopped by Kaladin. However, the Blackthorn (Dalinar's body as an Unmade) may still become Taravangian (as Retribution)'s greatest ally.
== Predictions ==
Several predictions of the Diagram are mentioned in the text, but not necessarily tied to specific fragments in the epigraphs.
*The soldiers of Jah Kaved cheering Taravangian as he appeared at the battlefield.
*The return of the Fused and their use of Voidlight.
*The Honorblades, and the fact that they give their wielders powers, were known in the Diagram.
*The Ghostbloods are in the Diagram.
*The fall of Dalinar to become the enemy's champion. This has, however, turned out to be false.
*One or more of the Unmade setting up in Shinovar. This is confirmed by Ishar. But while the Shin had started worshiping the Unmade, Ishar interfered somehow and saved the Shin from it.
*The Diagram implied that it cannot see Renarin's future, and neither can anyone else. This is because Renarin can sometimes see glimpses of the future and thus interfere with Odium's future sight.
*Nothing is mentioned about Nightblood in the Diagram.
== Deviations ==
Several incidents in the text have been noted as deviations from the Diagram.
*Seven factions fighting in the Jah Keved succession war, rather than the six predicted.
*The presence of a male Radiant at the Shattered Plains. Szeth's announcement that he fought a Radiant causes Taravangian to reinterpret a section and identify the bridgemen as a likely source of Radiants.
== Trivia ==
*In the original The Way of Kings Prime the Diagram was written by Renarin Kholin.
*Brandon has said that the Diagram has Realmatic significance. This may be related to Odium's surprise that the Diagram was written without access to Fortune.
== Note ==
es:Diagrama (literatura)