History Characters / TheStormlightArchiveOdiumForces

* FriendlyEnemy: He and Dalinar have many civilized conversations about philosophy with each other. They keep this going even after Dalinar knows Taravangian's true colors, although both become more focused on convincing the other that their philospohy is correct.

* BaitTheDog: Throughout the first book he doesn't look like much more than a kindhearted and simple king. Then at the end it turns out he's the mastermind of a giant conspriacy, and was the one who ordered Szeth's assassinations, and the slaughters that resulted throughout the interludes. {{Downplayed}} when it becomes clear that [[AffablyEvil not all his intial kindness was faked]].

* WouldHurtAChild: His smart self nonchalantly orders a choir of singing children executed [[DisproportionateRetribution just because their singing annoys him]]. His advisors don't go though with it, and Taravangian promptly blows it off with just telling them to shut the children up. This is averted with his more moral dumb self, who actually remembers that incident and is horrified by it.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: One of the most well-respected of brightlords, and one of the few Alethi brightlords who Dalinar truly respects. Adolin, slightly more GenreSavvy than his father, correctly notes that Amaram's sterling record sounds entirely too much like a man who spends a lot of energy on keeping up appearances.

* AffablyEvil: Unless it's one of his extremely intelligent days where he suffers from a LackOfEmpathy, Taravangian normally respects and sympathizes with his enemies, feels remorse for his terrible actions, and only commits evil acts because he thinks it's the only way to save the world from Odium.
** {{Downplayed}}, albeit ''not'' to the point of him being FauxAffablyEvil as it becomes clear that Taravangian is willing to use his affability to manipulate people, and his noble intentions [[spoiler: [[SecretlySelfish may not be as noble as they appear]]]].

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Despite the Diagram being entirely based around countering Odium, it doesn't actaully have any plans to defeat Odium, just to try to bargain with him to preserve ''something'' of huamn civlization on Roshar. While Taravangian ends up dissastified with what he got from his deal with Odium, he forces himself to have this attitude, as defying Odium is far too dangerous. [[spoiler: At least until he realizes that he actually can [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu fool Odium]], and begins to plan to [[KillTheGod kill Odium outright]], which actually [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu ends up succeeding]].]]

* ManipulativeBastard: While he mostly relies on planning for his schemes, he can manipulate comptently, able to appear as simply a kind old man with his ulterior motives hidden.

* NeverLearnedToRead: Inverted; Unlike most Vorin men, who are supposed to leave reading to women, he casually mentions in an interlude that he learned the womens' script years ago. His smart self is even skilled enough with writing to create his own language,

* ObfuscatingStupidity: ZigzaggedTrope. It isn't obfuscated at all, but it's more complicated than that. Most of the other lighteyes in Kharbranth consider Taravangian somewhat slow and unskilled at politics. In reality, he is at the head of a large conspiracy which has resulted in the deaths of many nameless citizens just to harvest information, and the killings of several very important foreign dignitaries. However, he used the Old Magic at some point, with his IQ changing at random each day: he can be intelligent or not, day by day. The deception comes in that he only allows people to interact with him when he is average or worse.

* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:Odium tries to kill Taravangian for his betrayal on one of Taravangian's stupid days to avoid being outwitted. However, Taravangian is able to remember just enough of the Diagram to steal Nightblood from Szeth and kill Rayse. And since it’s the day Taravangian is at his least intelligent, it’s also the day he’s at his most passionate, making him immediately take up the Shard as the new Odium.]]

* TheUnfettered: Raboniel considers her ultimate goal of [[spoiler: ending the war, regardless of who wins]] to be more important than the lives of most peopple, and as a result doesn't have much in the way of moral limitations when it comes to accomplishing her goals.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Raboniel genuinely believes that a Singer victory is a good outcome for Roshar, and is willing to do whatever it takes to see it happen, although [[spoiler:it's also revealed that she considers the destruction caused by the war to be bad enough that it doesn't matter who wins, as long as they do because the was continuing]]. As a result of this [[spoiler:she's even willing to ensure that deadly anti-voidlight gets into the hands of humanity, even though it disadvantges her own people, showing that she is genuine in her conviction to end the war, no matter what it takes.]]