House Kholin is the ruling house of Alethkar, the most powerful nation on Roshar. At the start of The Stormlight Archive, the house is led by King Elhokar - son of the assassinated King Gavilar - with his uncle Highprince Dalinar serving as the true power behind the throne. The Kholins are central to nearly every major event in the series: the war on the Shattered Plains, the refounding of the Knights Radiant, and the broader conflict against the forces of Odium. The family includes some of the most important characters in the Cosmere - Dalinar, Jasnah, Adolin, and Renarin - each carrying the weight of their house's legacy in different ways.

The Knights Radiant are an ancient order of warriors who bond with spren - sentient fragments of the cognitive realm - to gain access to Surgebinding, the magic system of Roshar. Each order is defined by its patron Herald, its associated spren type, and the two Surges it can manipulate. There were ten orders in total, including the Windrunners, Lightweavers, Bondsmiths, and Edgedancers, each with their own ideals, culture, and role in defending Roshar against the Desolations - periodic invasions by the forces of the Shard Odium. The Radiants abandoned their oaths millennia before the events of The Stormlight Archive in an event called the Recreance, but across the series, new Radiants begin to emerge as the ancient threat returns. Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, and Jasnah are among the first of this new generation.