Parshmen

Parshmen are a form of Parshendi, common to the whole of Roshar and used as slaves and servants. They are thick-witted, but make excellent workers. They are docile and practically mute. They do not fight.

Parshmen are regarded by their Parshendi brethren as slaveform parshmen with no soul. Eshonai, too, considers slaveform to be the form without spren, without soul, without song. Slaveform is similar to dullform in that it allows dullform spies to act as slaveform parshmen for the Alethi.

The Everstorm has been revealed to transform the parshmen into Voidbringers.

Appearance

Parshmen have black or white skin mottled with red tones. They are of a muscular build and appear to be almost completely mute.

Personalities

Parshmen, although not raising their voices on the matter, are suggested to be outraged at the treatment of their dead. It is also known that emotions come slowly in dullform, so that is why there has never been a hint of revolt amongst the parshmen. This is shown by Shen's words, to Dalinar.^{[citation needed]} They are slow and lethargic, yet when commanded to do something will not stop unless commanded otherwise. They seem to be aware of their place in society and try to keep it that way. This is shown from Shallan's interactions with parshmen on her way to the Shattered Plains.^{[citation needed]}

Culture

They work as slaves and servants throughout Roshar, performing menial labor tasks. Parshmen almost never speak although they are able to. Shen once described dullform, and he said thoughts came slowly like through molasses.^{[citation needed]} They appear to be docile and controlled. It is said they are made to serve, and that if one was to leave a parshman in the woods, he would simply sit there until someone came along to tell him what to do.

They hold a particular horror of the tampering with their dead, much like their Parshendi kin.

Despite not being very vocal, they often hum a tune to themselves as they work and appear to have a possbile form of telepathic ability to communicate with each other, evidenced by two parshmen working separately humming the same tune in time with each other.

History

In Yeddaw, parshmen are declared to be imprisoned or exiled because a guardsman there claimed as much, according to a diktat from the prince of Tashikk.

With the advent of the Everstorm looming there, by the prince's orders, the parshmen are gathered and turned out. Left for the storm, which Lift considers to be hugely unfair.

Notable Parshmen

• Shen

Notes

Jasnah Kholin theorised that the parshmen and their close kin, the Parshendi, are the Voidbringers. It was, at the time, confirmed by Graves that she was right.