Resumen:El aliento de los dioses

Warbreaker Chapter Summaries

Prologue

Vasher gets thrown in the God King’s dungeons for striking a priest in a bar. He Awakens a figure he makes from the straw in his cell and Commands it to fetch keys. He uses the keys to escape from his cell while the guards are distracted by his sword, Nightblood. Vasher goes deeper into the dungeons, finding an emaciated Vahr, evidently the leader of a rebellion, bound and dangling in his cell. After some convincing, Vahr gives Vasher his trove of Breaths to prevent them from being used by his enemies, the Hallandren. Vasher kills Vahr with an Awakened scarf to save him from more torture, grabs his sword, and flees.

Chapter 1

Siri, the youngest princess of Idris, considers her rather unimportant position in the Idrian royal family. She walks in from the countryside to Bevalis, the Idrian capital. She is trailed by children, who are fascinated by the flower she carries because it is a breach of the normal drabness maintained by Idrian followers of Austre. Siri talks to her friend, Mab the cook, about how she is tired of the Idrian traditions of austerity.

Meanwhile, King Dedelin discusses the possibility of a disastrous war with Hallandren with General Yarda. Yarda convinces the Dedelin that they could keep the Hallandren at bay for longer if they kept the treaty, which entails sending an Idrian princess to marry the Hallandren God King. King Dedelin cannot stand the thought of sending his oldest, most beloved daughter Vivenna to marry the monstrous God King to bear him a child. Since the treaty does not specify which princess, at the last moment Dedelin sends Siri instead of Vivenna, who has been trained since birth for life with the God King.

Chapter 2

Siri sits in the carriage taking her to Hallandren, terrified and confused at the last minute switch that means that she must wed the God King.

In Idris, Vivenna begs her father to reconsider his decision and send her as he originally planned. She feels suddenly bereft of purpose, now that her sister is marrying the God King in her stead. Her father argues that he has done what is best for Idris, because in the event of war, the Hallandren could have used Vivenna as a more effective bargaining chip than Siri.

Siri becomes enraged at her father’s decision, shouting at her honor guard. She wishes Vivenna were in her stead, because she is sure her relative political experience would make her a better representative of Idris in Hallandren. She decides that she will send her honor guard back to Idris, as they would be adrift in Hallandren.

Vivenna and the middle princess, Fafen, discuss their father’s decision to send Siri while picking blackberries. Vivenna begins to get an idea to help Siri.

Chapter 3

Lightsong, one of the Returned in the Court of Gods in Hallandren, considers the fact that he cannot remember his life and heroic death before being Returned and rolls out of bed. He is surrounded by servants, who as always attend to his every need. He recounts his dream of a boat on a red ocean to his priests, who records it as prophecy. Lightsong teases his high priest, Llarimar, calling him “Scoot” and asking for the details of his past life that he is forbidden.

He receives a Breath from a child, which will allow him to live another week. Then he judges the poetic and artistic offerings to him, when he is informed of the arrival of the God King’s new wife.

Chapter 4

Siri arrives in T'Telir, the capital of Hallandren. She is greeted by a field of forty thousand Lifeless soldiers, and is overwhelmed by the huge, colorful, tropical city so different from her humble mountain town. Treledees, high priest of the God King, welcomes Siri to the Court of Gods. Siri is told that there will be no wedding cermony, and is brought to the God King's dark, pyramidal castle.

Chapter 5

Vasher stands atop the wall surrounding the Court of Gods and realizes that the fact that the Idrians actually sent Siri complicates his plans. He meets clandestinely with a priest, Bebid, from the Court of Gods in a restaurant. Bebid informs Vasher of a faction among the Court pushing Hallandren to war with Idris. Vasher leaves and retrieves Nightblood from a dead cutpurse who stole it.

Lightsong watches the new Queen arrive from his patio. asking information about her. He discusses her possible effects on Court politics with Llarimar, and insists that he have more wine, although as a god he is immune to drunkenness.

Chapter 6

Siri is led by servants into the palace. They take her to a bathing chamber, where they scrub her clean. She becomes embarrassed at the appearance of a man, Bluefingers, the head scribe and steward of the Court of Gods. He informs her of the rules of her new life, stressing that she may not speak to the God King lest he order her executed. She is given makeup, a medical examination, and a magnificent gown, which she accepts, thinking that ironically, it will be stripped off given a few minutes. Bluefingers leads her to the God King’s sleeping chamber, where she enters with utmost trepidation.

Chapter 7

Remembering Bluefingers’ instructions and warnings, Siri removes her dress and underthings and bows naked before the God King’s bed. She waits for him to call for her, not daring to make a noise and wondering if he judges her inadequate or not beautiful enough.

Lightsong watches the celebration of the God King’s union, bored with the luxuries and the fireworks. Blushweaver, another goddess, comes to greet him. They talk and flirt, but Lightsong rebuffs her advances. They discuss politics, with Blushweaver in favor of the war and curious as to Lightsong’s opinion of the new queen.

Chapter 8

Siri bathes in the relief of having survived the night untouched and unexecuted. She climbs into the unoccupied bed and goes to sleep.

Hours later, she awakes and burns her sheets, as is her duty as the Vessel. Exiting the bedchamber, she is confronted by a group of servants offering many choices of gowns. Somewhat overwhelmed by extravagance, she chooses one and is primped for the day. She asks Bluefingers what her daily duties are, and he tells her she has none other than staying within the palace. He offers entertainments, but she wants to be free from the palace to go explore or horseback riding. He firmly denies this request. Siri sets off to explore the palace.

Chapter 9

Vivenna arrives in T’Tellir. Parlin, her friend, goes ahead to scout the area. She arrives in a restaurant, and Parlin leaves because he doesn’t like the enclosed feeling of the restaurant and wants to explore T’Telir more. Instead of the Idrian spy, Lemex, that she had planned to meet with, two mercenaries, Denth and Tonk Fah arrive and after a bit of joking, announce that they are there to kill her.

Chapter 10

The two mercenaries burst out laughing, and tell Vivenna they are joking. They inform Vivenna that Lemex is ill with fevers, and give her a letter written in his hand. The mercenaries eat Vivenna’s seafood and lead her to Lemex’s house.

Vivenna, Parlin, and the mercenaries arrive at Lemex’s house where he is laying deliriously ill, in the care of a nurse. Vivenna excuses the nurse, and asks Lemex for any information that could help her, like how to access the Idrian spy network. Lemex, however, refuses, thinking he is being tortured. Lemex confesses that he has acquired a lot of BioChromatic Breath. He insists that he give it to someone before he dies, and Denth and Tonk Fah refuse to take it. The mercenaries manipulate Vivenna into taking the Breath despite her moral objections, because it would be worth enough sold to buy her whatever resources she would need to help her sister. Lemex gives his Breath to her, and she is amazed at the new life and color awareness it gives her.

Chapter 11

Siri begs Treledees to let her leave the palace after the days she has spent trapped inside. He is deeply offended, because her period of isolation is the least she can do to honor the God King. She orders dinner, is scrubbed and primped, and once again brought to the bedchamber of the God King. At the door, Bluefingers gives her a cryptic warning to be careful, but when Siri presses him for more information, he does not tell her anything.

Kneeling naked on the floor, Siri contemplates her options and becomes completely frustrated. Finally, she shouts at the God King to just “get on with it!” Immediately embarrassed and fearful of punishment, she ducks back into a kneel but soon lifts her head to look the God King in the eye. At the usual time of his departure, he gets up and leaves. She crawls into bed, relieved and unpunished.

Chapter 12

Lightsong hears petitions, struggling with the dreams he has been having of T’Tellir burning and his own doubts about his usefulness and the Iridescent Tones religion. A woman presents her dying infant to Lightsong, begging him to heal the child. He refuses, knowing that to do so he would need to give up his divine Breath and die. Suddenly overcome with emotion, Lightsong throws down his cap and storms from the room, a retinue of priests and servants following. He shouts at them to leave, and Llarimar comes in to reason with him. Lightsong asks Llarimar about the reasoning behind the Iridescent Tones theology, especially frustrated with the fact that he doesn’t consider his dreams divination, and that he must effectively commit suicide to heal someone and become useful. Llarimar answers his questions with unshakeable calm, teaching him for the first time much of the religion. Lightsong falls again to banter, and asks Llarimar a few more questions about why he Returned and the new queen’s effect on court politics.

Siri looks out the window of the God King’s bedroom over the sea. She does not know why she is still unpunished for being rude to the God King, but recognizes that she needs to stop being afraid and start directing her life again.

Chapter 13

Vivenna awakes, having fallen asleep in Lemex’s house. Despite the fact they are no longer under Lemex’s orders, Denth and Tonk Fah insist that their, as well as the third member of their group, Jewels’ contract was paid halfway and that they have a few more weeks of work that they feel they owe to Vivenna. Vivenna decides to give away the Breath she holds, one at a time to Drabs, but Denth informs her this is impossible, because Breath must be given away all at once or not at all. Tonk Fah suggests she Awaken something to hold the Breath, but this disgusts Vivenna. They ask her what her goal is staying in T’Tellir, and she tells them that she plans to untraceably rescue Siri from the palace, possibly staying in her place. The mercenaries say that this is not their business, but perhaps they could put her in contact with useful people. They then say that they are going to search Lemex’s house for valuables and information, and that Vivenna should go see her sister being presented before the Court of Gods, now that she has enough Breath to get in without question.

Siri is being prepared to be presented before the Court of Gods. The serving women do her hair and present her with options of dresses, while she excitedly considers the prospect of exiting the palace, if only to go into the Court and see the gods. Getting into the festivities, Siri decides to try on many gowns and enjoy the ostentatious ornamentation in her hair.

Chapter 14

The light rain falling on the proceedings in the Court of Gods causes Lightsong to banter with Llarimar and Blushweaver about the limits of Returned godly powers. He claims he wants it to be sunny, so the weather should reflect that. Llarimar says that the rain is for the best, and Blushweaver insists she wants a tempest, so the light rain is merely a compromise of their wills. Blushweaver and he continue to talk politics, with Blushweaver seeking Lightsongg’s support, but they pause for the presentation of the new queen.

Siri is carried in a sedan chair to her place in the Court of Gods. She basks briefly in the rain, feeling how good it is to be outside again. She settles into her seat, and watches the colorfully dressed Hallandren people watching and the different gods arrive.

Vivenna, attended by Parlin, enters the crowded entrance into the Court of Gods without trouble because of her Breath. She worries about being conspicuous in her modest Idrian dress, but then realizes that there is such a variety in dress that nothing she could possibly wear would make her stand out. She resists the urge, like Siri, to kick off her shoes and walk in the grass. Vivenna watches with disgust an arrogant god entering the court through the gods’ entrance. She then sees Siri in her low-cut gown and concludes that it is a show to prove that the Hallandren can do anything they want with a modest Idrian girl. She resolves to rescue Siri as soon as possible.

Up on her seat on the balcony, Siri awaits the arrival of the God King. Suddenly, everyone bows and her white serving bowl throws out prisms of color, marking his arrival behind her.

Chapter 15

Siri is awed by the appearance of the God King, who is more youthful looking than she knew, and also splits white light into the color spectrum by his mere presence.

Blushweaver kneels at the entrance of the God King, and tells Lightsong to not hurt their cause by refusing to kneel. Lightsong feels that he owes no allegiance to the God King, and idly wonders how he would be punished if he didn’t kneel. He does kneel, however, fearing for the safety of his serving people.

Still amazed by the God King, Siri asks Bluefingers, who has just appeared, about the God King’s prism-like effects. Bluefingers explains that his powers are largely results of having a trove of Breath passed on from Peacegiver, who ended the Manywar generations ago. He also mentions that he does not believe in the deity of the God King, as a Pahn Kahl. Siri reflects on the history between the Idrians and the Hallandren, with the original royal family being driven out of Hallandren and into Idris when Kalad started the Manywar. The God King is lifted by Awakened ropes to his throne.

Vivenna sits in the crowd, debating whether the Breath she holds is beautiful because of the pitch and life sense it grants her, or a corruption. She decides it is even more of a corruption than she thought because of its beauty. She sees an unkempt man with a large BioChromatic aura watching her. She notices that the sword he carries also seems to have an aura. She panics, and turns to leave, but Parlin stops her, telling her that she might want to stay because the gods’ priests are debating going to war with Idris.